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Timbuktu

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Timbuktu

Timbuktu is just that place way over there. Where? Somewhere far away.

  • Timbuktu is a city located on the sands of the Sahara Desert in Mali, north-west Africa, and in 2009, it had a population of nearly 54,500 individuals.
  • ‘Tombouctou’ is the French spelling for ‘Timbuktu’, and other spellings have included ‘Timbuktoo’ and ‘Timbuctoo’, and due to the mythical and mysterious way it has been portrayed in literature, many people do not believe the place exists.
  • Timbuktu is a place of cultural and spiritual significance, as it was a popular trading centre for ivory, gold, salt and slaves, as well as a major hub for Islam and education in its peak during the 1400s and 1500s, and during that time it had about 100,000 inhabitants, a quarter of which were students.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Timbuktu as a World Heritage Site in 1988 after originally being turned down in 1979, and it has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger more than once.
  • Evidence of groups of people living in the area of Timbuktu around 400 BC have been discovered, and people settling more permanently in the area was likely to be around the 1100s.

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Part of Timbuktu
Image courtesy of Jeanne Menj/Flickr
  • Timbuktu has been captured and lived in by a variety of people groups, including the Mali from the early 1300s to 1400s, the Songhai from the late 1400s to late 1500s, and the Arma from the early 1600s to 1800s.
  • The French discovered and subsequently conquered Timbuktu in 1893, known primarily as ‘French Sudan’, during the small French invasion, and the city later became independent as part of the Mali community in 1960.
  • Timbuktu is constantly hammered by both extremes of disasters – droughts and floods, which, in combination with other events, has led to the city’s poor nature.
  • Due to Timbuktu’s heritage, it is home to historically important mosques and mausoleums, as well as between 100,000 and 700,000 historic manuscripts.
  • Visitor numbers to Timbuktu have decreased over the years due to a number of terrorist attacks on tourists there in recent times, and the city, including some of its significant monuments have been under threat or destroyed due to religious attacks in the area.
Bibliography:
Timbuktu, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/119
Timbuktu, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu

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Candle

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Candle

Shadows flicker in the light of the candles.

  • A candle is an invention that was originally purposed primarily to provide light using a burning flame and wax, and they are typically cylindrical in shape, and can be wide, short, thin or long, although other moulded shapes are also available.
  • Candles generally consist of two primary parts, a wick, which the flame travels along, and the actual wax, which holds the wick and fuels the flame.
  • A variety of different waxes can be used to make candles, and historically bees wax; rendered animal fat, known as ‘tallow’, from sheep or cattle; wax obtained from whales, known as ‘spermaceti’; and plant based wax, were used, while modern candles are mostly made from paraffin that originates from petroleum and other products.
  • It is believed that the Ancient Romans were the first to make traditional style dipped candles, as early as 500 BC, while various methods and materials have been used over the centuries by other civilisations.
  • Candles usually do not need outside assistance once lit, as the flame is fueled by the wax melting and vaporising, which is caused by the heat it produces, combined with the atmospheric oxygen.
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Candles
Image courtesy of Esteban Chiner/Flickr
  • When modern candles burn, the wick will generally self-combust slowly, due to it curling over as it does so, and this type of wick is known as a ‘self-trimming wick’, while past versions required the wick to be trimmed for the candle to burn efficiently.
  • The term ‘candle’ originates from the Latin words ‘candela’ and ‘candere’ meaning ‘torch’ or ‘light’, and ‘to shine’ respectively.
  • Candles have been and can be used for the purpose of producing heat, and the flame has a temperature that ranges on average 1000°C to 1400°C (1832°F to 2552°F), and while the wax does not get that hot, care should be taken when using the invention, as the wax can burn skin, and the exposed flame can cause a fire.
  • Time has been measured through the use of candles, often by markings on the invention, and sometimes with weights placed periodically in the wax that would drop and clang on a solid object, once the surrounding wax had melted.
  • Candles in the modern era are often used for decorative purposes or to generate an atmosphere for celebratory purposes especially on cake; in ceremonies; for romantic purposes; or to enhance the general mood of a room, and they are also used in an emergency when electric lighting fails.
Bibliography:
Candle, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle
History of Candles, 2015, National Candle Association, http://candles.org/history/
History of Candles, 2015, History of Lighting, http://www.historyoflighting.net/lighting-history/history-of-candles/

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Grapefruit

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Grapefruit

Take your pick choosing the sweet or the sour grapefruit.

  • Grapefruit is a fruit that was created through cross breeding of the sweet orange and pomelo fruits, both of which are native to Asia.
  • The scientific name of a grapefruit is Citrus x paradisi, and it is from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus.
  • Grapefruit are typically a roundish shape and grow to sizes of 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) in diameter, while the tree they grow on has an average height of 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 feet).
  • The colour of grapefruit skin is usually yellow, orange or a pink-yellow, while the flesh is coloured white, pink, red, yellow or orange.
  • Grapefruit grow on trees in bunches, comparable to those of grapes, hence the fruit’s common name.
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Grapefruit
Image courtesy of isox4/Flickr
  • China produced the greatest amount of grapefruit in the world in 2012, with roughly 3,800,000 tonnes (4,200,000 tons) of the world’s total of just over 8,040,000 tonnes (8,860,000 tons).
  • Generally grapefruit is eaten raw, either without additions or added to desserts for flavour, although it can be cooked to reduce its sourness, and the fruit can also be juiced.
  • It is thought that grapefruit were crossbred through natural pollination and were discovered on the island of Barbados in the Lesser Antilles in the Carribbean, and were later classified scientifically around 1830.
  • Grapefruit have a strange flavour, a combination of both sour and sweet, the sweetness varying depending on the variety, and the fruit is also quite juicy.
  • Grapefruit is extremely high in vitamin C, is a very good source of vitamin A as well as a good source of fibre, and it contains many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Grapefruit, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/grapefruit/grapefruit.html
Grapefruit, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit
Grapefruit, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25

Pied Tamarin

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Pied Tamarin

Pied tamarins… cute or ugly?

  • Pied tamarins, also known as ‘pied bare-faced tamarins’ and ‘Brazilian bare-faced tamarins’, are primates of small size, native to the Brazilian rainforests of South America.
  • The scientific name of a pied tamarin is Saguinus bicolor, and it is from the family Callitrichidae, a family of New World monkeys that consists of tamarins and marmosets.
  • The height of pied tamarins ranges from 18 to 30 centimetres (7 to 12 inches), not including their long tail, and they generally weigh between 220 to 900 grams (0.5 to 2 pounds).
  • Fruit, nectar, frogs, eggs, lizards, spiders, insects and flowers make up the primary diet of pied tamarins.
  • Pied tamarins live in troops of three to fifteen and are protective of their territory, and they rest in trees at night, and forage for food in the daytime.
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Pied Tamarin
Image courtesy of Josh More/Flickr
  • The fur of the upper body of a pied tamarin is generally white in colour, although its face is black and has no fur, while the lower body is generally a combination of black, red, tan and brown fur.
  • Pied tamarins have been listed as an endangered species, threatened primarily by habitat loss, and as such, they only occupy a small area in Brazil.
  • Each year, the dominant female in a troop of pied tamarins usually gives birth to twins, rather than a single baby, both of which are cared for by members in the group, including other females, males and more mature siblings.
  • Pied tamarins generally have a lifespan of eight to fifteen years, and their predators include hawks, feral cats and snakes.
  • Noises such as whistles and chirps are used by pied tamarins to communicate between each other, as well as to scare off threats.
Bibliography:
Pied Tamarin, 2001, Lincoln Park Zoo, http://www.lpzoo.org/animals/factsheet/pied-tamarin
Pied Tamarin, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pied-tamarin/
Pied Tamarin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_tamarin

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Concentration

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Concentration

Unfortunately, I’m not too great at Concentration.

  • Concentration is a game requiring observation and memory skills, generally played with face-down cards, and the game involves flipping the cards face-up to reveal a matching pair.
  • The game of ‘Concentration’ is also commonly known as ‘Memory Match’, ‘Match’, ‘Matching Pairs’, ‘Memory’, ‘Pelmanism’, ‘Pexeso’, and ‘Pairs’.
  • When laying out the cards of a Concentration game ready for play, they are often arranged in a neat square pattern or other format to make memorising their location somewhat easier.
  • The basic game play of Concentration is that each player flips over two cards in their turn, and if they match, they collect the pair and have an extra turn, but if the two cards do not match, the cards are turned back over facing down.
  • A good strategy in Concentration is to first flip over the card that you are unsure of, before flipping the card that you are certain of, in case you remember incorrectly.

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  • There are numerous forms of the game of Concentration, and the cards are often square in shape, although some simply using traditional playing cards, while others use unique printed designs that often contain pictures, however, each set will have the same colour and design on the back of each of the cards.
  • Children generally prefer to play the game of Concentration, and usually do well at the game, although adults do play to test their memorisation skills.
  • On the assumption that each already revealed card is memorised in a game of Concentration, the probability of flipping over a matching card can generally be defined through the formula 1/(t-1-n), where ‘t’ is the remaining cards in play and ‘n’ is the already revealed cards that are still in play.
  • The person with the most pairs at the end of a game of Concentration is deemed the winner, and while the game is typically played competitively with two or more players, it can be enjoyed by a single player aiming to flip the least amount of cards but revealing the most pairs, or to simply test their memory.
  • A Japanese version of the game of Concentration, known as ‘Kai-awase’ and made from painted clam shells, is said to have been played by the wealthy, as early as the 9th century.
Bibliography:
Concentration (game), 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_(game)

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Bryggen

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Bryggen

Who would know a wharf like Bryggen would attract such a history?

  • Bryggen is a wharf, as well as a block of buildings that sits adjacent to it, in Norway’s Bergen, in Europe, that has been a major trading point throughout history.
  • ‘Bryggen’ can be translated from Norwegian as ‘the wharf’ and it is also called ‘Tyskebryggen’, meaning ‘German wharf’, in reference to the Germans that originally lived and worked there.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Bryggen as a World Heritage Site in 1979, due to its cultural and historical significance.
  • Bryggen was used as a trade centre from the 1100s, although it was not until the mid 1300s when the Hanseatic League began to expand in the area, that trade began to boom.
  • The buildings located along Bryggen are similar in style, often three storeys tall with a gabled tiled roof and timber cladding.
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Bryggen
Image courtesy of Kamil Porembiński/Flickr
  • Just over 60 historic buildings exist in Bryggen, which equals around 25% of what was initially there, however most of these buildings are not completely original, as many have been rebuilt or restored over the centuries, primarily due to majors fires in 1476, 1702 and 1955, although authentic techniques and materials have been used as much as possible.
  • The mostly wooden buildings of Bryggen can be seen in a variety of colours, such as white, brown, red, mustard and orange, and they were mostly used for storing goods and trading purposes, as well as housing merchants.
  • The buildings that make up the area of Bryggen, include St Mary’s Church which was constructed in the 12th century and is the oldest building in the area; and two museums, one of which is a modern construction built in 1976; while many of the old buildings house restaurants, shops, and workshops for artisans.
  • Over 500 hundred historic runes that refer to or describe the daily life of the residents of Bryggen up until the late 1300s, were discovered during excavations after the major fire in the area in 1955.
  • In 2011, Bryggen was visited by nearly 870,000 tourists, and is among the most popular destinations in the region.
Bibliography:
Bryggen – the historic wharf in Bergen, 2015, Visit Norway, http://www.visitnorway.com/en/where-to-go/fjord-norway/bergen/what-to-do-in-bergen/attractions-in-bergen/bryggen-the-hanseatic-wharf-in-bergen/
Bryggen, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen
Bryggen, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/59

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