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Guatemala

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Guatemala

Guatemala is a site of exquisite history, both modern and ancient.

  • Guatemala is a small, Central American country located beneath Mexico, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, and the countries Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
  • ‘Guatemala’ is also known under the official name of the ‘Republic of Guatemala’, and the name of the country comes from the Ancient Aztec language, derived from the word ‘Cuauchtēmallān’, meaning ‘place of many trees’.
  • Guatemala’s first inhabitants were the Mayan civilisation, however, they were conquered by the Spanish who arrived from 1517, and the natives were fully defeated in 1697.
  • Guatemala had a population estimation of just fewer than 16 million people in 2014, and the country covers an area of almost 109,000 square kilometres (42,085 square miles).
  • In 1821, Guatemala was declared independent from Spain, however the country only became a republic with a subsequently chosen president in 1847.
Guatemala, Aerial, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Country, Mountain, Australia, PlacePart of Guatemala
Image courtesy of Sara Fratti/Flickr
  • Guatemala is quite a mountainous region with a mixture of sandy and forest habitats, featuring two main mountain ranges – unsurprising considering the country is situated on a fault line – and it has 33 extinct and 4 active volcanoes.
  • The Guatemala capital, now known as ‘Guatemala City’, has been subject to multiple relocations, initially moving south-east in 1527 after an attack on the city; and relocating in 1541 and 1773, due to flooding and earthquakes respectively.
  • Guatemala has consistently been a location of political unrest and high criminal activity, having its own revolution from 1944 to 1954, and an ongoing civil war from 1960 to 1996, which resulted in millions of refugees and displacements, and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
  • Guatemala primarily produces vegetables, fruit and textiles, as well as nickel and petroleum and some other commodities, and has a GDP of approximately US$7,500 per capita in 2014.
  • Due to its ancient historical importance, particularly of Mayan culture, Guatemala is a popular destination for tourism, receiving around two million visitors a year.
Bibliography:
Guatemala, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala
Guatemala, n.d, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, https://smartraveller.gov.au/countries/guatemala
Guatemala, n.d, The World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html

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Arctic Hare

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Arctic Hare

Don’t lose your hair over the Arctic hare.

  • Arctic hares are a species of hare native to the Arctic Circle, primarily in northern parts of Canada, Greenland, and islands of the Arctic.
  • The scientific name of Arctic hares is Lepus arcticus and it is from the family Leporidae, the family of rabbits and hares.
  • ‘Arctic hares’ are also known as ‘polar hares’ and ‘polar rabbits’, and they are said to be the largest species of hare in existence.
  • Arctic hares generally range from 48 to 67 centimetres (19 to 26 inches) in length and weigh 2.5 to 5.5 kilograms (5.5 to 12.1 pounds), though they can be heavier.
  • The diet of Arctic hares consists primarily of leaves from certain species of low growing plants, as well as twigs, roots, grass, moss and flowers depending on the season, while sometimes they are known to consume meat.
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Arctic Hare
Image courtesy of Jodie Wilson/Flickr
  • In winter, Arctic hares are generally white in colour to blend into their environment, and they become a blue-grey or brown-grey colour in the months without snow, so that they are more camouflaged in their habitat; however, hares in the northern regions, with short summers, may remain white or grey all year round.
  • Female Arctic hares typically have two to eight young each year, during a period between April to September, and the young are generally able to fend for themselves after nine weeks.
  • It is common for Arctic hares to live alone, however some gather in groups reaching hundreds of individuals; and they have an average lifespan of three to five years.
  • Arctic hares can reach speeds of 64 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour), achieving such speeds when threatened by predators like wolves, foxes, and large birds of prey; and they are also proficient swimmers and diggers.
  • The Arctic hare has been hunted by humans for its meat, as well as its soft, thick and absorbent fur which is used for clothes, throughout much of North America’s history.
Bibliography:
Arctic Hare, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/arctic-hare/
Arctic Hare, 2016, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/arctic-hare/
Arctic Hare, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_hare
Lepus Arcticus, 2014, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_arcticus/

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Salmon (Food)

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Salmon (Food)

I’m sure salmon would make great salesmen.

  • Salmon is among a number of fish that are popularly produced and eaten as food, and Atlantic salmon is the most commonly consumed species of salmon in the world.
  • Salmon species are mostly native to the northern Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, and are from the Salmo and Oncorhynchus genera respectively, both of the Salmonidae family.
  • The colour of raw salmon flesh ranges from red to orange, and occasionally white, patterned with thin, pale stripes, and once cooked, the flesh often lightens in colour and sometimes looks pink.
  • Approximately 70% of salmon produced for commercial purposes is farmed, usually in sheltered areas like bays, in a netted enclosure.
  • Salmon is known as an ‘oily fish’, and is popularly cooked by smoking; although curing, like in a mixture of sugar, dill, salt and pepper as in ‘Gravlax’ is popular; and other forms of cooking are not uncommon.

Salmon, Food, Fish, Meat, Flavoured, Prepared, Orange, Pieces, Culinary

Salmon prepared with herbs
  • Salmon is able to be eaten raw as in sushi, though the fish is usually frozen for 24 to 48 hours before consuming to ensure any possible parasites in the fish are destroyed.
  • Salmon has been commonly eaten since early times, with many cultures traditionally smoking the fish; and in modern times it is generally obtained commercially as fillets, steak, whole and canned.
  • Salmon is very high in selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, niacin and protein and it has significant quantities of many other vitamins and minerals, and is also well known for its omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Live salmon will often consume poisons such as mercury or chemicals dumped into water sources, and although this can result in human poisoning if large quantities of the meat is eaten, the risk is low, and current guidelines suggest that the consumption of this or similar fish once a week is safe.
  • In 2014, Norway produced the most salmon in the world, with more than a million tonnes (1.1 million tons), which accounted for more than a third of the world’s production.
Bibliography:
Aquaculture of Salmonids, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaculture_of_salmonids
Salmon, 2016, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=104
Salmon as Food, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Salmon Farming Industry Handbook 2015, 2015, Marine Harvest, http://www.marineharvest.com/globalassets/investors/handbook/2015-salmon-industry-handbook.pdf

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Blanket Leaf

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Blanket Leaf

Blanket leaves are literally blanketed in leaves.

  • Blanket leaves are small trees or large shrubs that are native to parts of Australia’s southeast, and are found in the states of Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria.
  • The scientific name of a blanket leaf is Bedfordia arborescens and it is from the family Asteraceae, the family of daisies, and it is very similar to some other species in the Bedfordia genus.
  • Blanket leaf plants generally reach heights between 3 and 5 metres (10 to 16 feet), although they can grow up to 8 metres (26 feet) tall.
  • ‘Blanket leaves’ are also known as ‘blanket bushes’, ‘tree blanketleaves’, ‘tree blanketferns’, and ‘flannel leaves’.
  • The small flowers that bloom on a blanket leaf plant are coloured yellow and grow in clusters, while the leaves are a green colour on the top side and a white colour on the underside.

Blanket Leaf, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Plant, Green, Australia

  • Blanket leaves are found in rainforest and other forest habitats, particularly those in mountainous areas, and in Tasmania they are a vulnerable species due to environmental factors and the small proportion of suitable land available for the plant.
  • The underneath of blanket leaf leaves are typically covered with white fuzz, made up of numerous white hairs, which also occurs on new branches.
  • Blanket leaves bloom during the spring months, generally between October and January.
  • The fruit of a blanket leaf plant is very small, reaching approximately two to three millimetres (0.08 to 0.12 inches) in diameter, and the seeds are dispersed with the wind.
  • Blanket leaves grow best in partly shady areas, and in moist soil conditions, and they are able to withstand snow and frost.
Bibliography:
Bedfordia arborescens, n.d, Tasmanian Government, http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Bedfordia-arborescens-LS.pdf
Bedfordia arborescens, n.d, Welcome to Yarra Ranges, http://fe.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Trees_Vegetation/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory/Yarra_Ranges_Local_Plant_Directory/Middle_Storey/Trees_3-25m/Bedfordia_arborescens
Bedfordia arborescens, 2013, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedfordia_arborescens
Bedfordia arborescens—Blanket Leaf, Flannel Leaf, Blanket Bush—ASTERACEAE, 2012, Flora of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, http://floragreatlakes.info/html/rfspecies/bedfordiaa.html
Bedfordia arborescens Hochr., n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Bedfordia~arborescens

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Braille

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Braille

Letters aren’t the only way to read – try reading braille!

  • Braille is an alphabet-like system of ‘letters’ that enables the blind or visually impaired to read through the sense of touch, as opposed to sight.
  • Braille primarily translates the letters of a language using a specific placement of raised dots, generally six dots in a two (wide) by three (high) grid, and is usually read by the touch of fingertips.
  • Braille is based on a rejected dot communication system designed by Frenchman Charles Barbier in the the early 1800s, known as ‘Ecriture Nocturne’ or ‘night writing’, developed for use by Napoleon’s soldiers to ‘talk’ with each other without making noise or using light at night.
  • The night writing system became known to Louis Braille, a French boy, in 1821 in Paris, who identified its flaws and by 1824, at age 15, had reworked it into braille for the blind by reducing the grid from twelve to six dots, and encoding letters rather than sounds.
  • Two grades are typically used to classify braille; Grade 1 is usually used for encoding letters, while Grade 2 is generally an abbreviated and shortened version of words, without the need to spell each letter out as found in the first grade; though there is a Grade 3 system, which is usually one’s own shorthand version of the writing system.

Braille, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Embossed, Toilet Block, English

  • Although braille differs in various countries, depending on the language, it is generally ordered and based on the original French version and alphabet, to reduce confusion; while a music notation system is also available, though it has also traditionally varied from country to country.
  • Braille is typically written using a typewriter, embossing printer, or a slate and stylus, although other printers are also used, and various handheld embossing devices with adhesive tape are also manufactured, that are popular for home use.
  • In both the United Kingdom and the United States, the large majority of visually impaired people cannot read braille, and the number of people learning the system has declined due in part, to new technologies like computerised screen readers being utilised.
  • Medicine labels in the United Kingdom are required to be embossed with braille, and while some other manufactured products and public signs include this writing system, most products and signs do not.
  • According to statistics, blind people fluent in braille are far more likely to be employed, than those who are not.
Bibliography:
Braille, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille
Braille: Deciphering the Code, 2014, American Foundation for the Blind, http://braillebug.afb.org/braille_deciphering.asp
What is Braille?, 2015, American Foundation for the Blind, http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/braille/what-is-braille/123

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Lion City

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Lion City

Would you brave the depths to see Lion City?

  • Lion City is an ancient city that has been abandoned and submerged in the water of Quindao Lake of Zhejiang, China.
  • It is thought that construction of Lion City began in 621 AD, and the city eventually rose to economical importance, with many features built at a later stage.
  • ‘Lion City’ was named after the nearby Five Lion Mountain and is known as ‘Shī chéng’ in Chinese.
  • The enormous Xin’an Dam and hydroelectric station project initiated by the Chinese government and completed in 1959, was the cause of the Lion City flooding and submerging, as well as other cities and towns, causing a total of almost 300,000 people to be displaced.
  • In 2001, Lion City was ‘rediscovered’ by a diving club, at the invitation of the Chinese government, and further explorations have since been organised.
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Part of Lion City
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Lion City is approximately 0.43 square kilometres (0.17 square miles) in area, and it is situated between 26 and 40 metres (85 to 131 feet) deep under water; and it is notable for featuring five city gates, an abnormal quantity as most ancient cities would have only four gates.
  • Most statues, sculptures and art, and other stone or wooden structures of Lion City, have been remarkably preserved, due in part to lack of exposure to air, and relatively stable water temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Celsius (50 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Lion City was designated a protected site in 2011 by the Zhejiang Province, which coincidentally was also the year that curiosity and awareness of the city grew, especially as new photographs of the city were released.
  • For expansion of Lion City’s increasing tourism, a submarine for casual exploration has been built, though by the end of 2015 it had not yet been used due to site preservation concerns; and a concept for an underwater tunnel has been presented, but its purpose may be purely for transporting vehicles across the lake.
  • Lion City is best visited from April to October due to warmer air and water temperatures, and even then, only experienced divers can venture, particularly due to conservation concerns and lack of underwater visibility.
Bibliography:
Graaf M, China’s Atlantis, 2014, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2561147/Chinas-Atlantis-How-Lion-City-purposely-flooded-make-way-power-station-remains-completely-intact-130ft-underwater-50-years.html
Galloway L, China’s Atlantis of the East, 2014, BBC Travel, http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140711-chinas-atlantis-of-the-east
Lingren Z, The Ancient Underwater City of Thousand Islands Lake, 2013, Chinese National Geography Press, http://www.chinascenic.com/magazine/the-ancient-underwater-city-of-thousand-islands-lake-222.html
Lost Underwater Lion City: Rediscovery of China’s ‘Atlantis’, 2012, Love These Pics, http://www.lovethesepics.com/2012/06/lost-underwater-lion-city-rediscovery-of-chinas-atlantis/
Qiandao Lake, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qiandao_Lake
Wang C, Dive the Ancient Ruins of Lion City in Qiandao Lake, 2015, Underwater Photography Guide, http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/dive-qiandao-lake-china

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