Category Archives: Structures, History and Countries

Okavango Delta

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Okavango Delta

Okavango Delta is worth its weight in gold.

  • Okavango Delta is a lush delta that is listed as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders, located in Botswana in southern Africa, and it has no outflow to the ocean.
  • Okavango River flows into the Okavango Delta, and each year the delta is fed by the flooded river, and 60% of the 1.1 × 10¹³ litres (11 kilometres cubed or 2.6 cubic miles) of the water is transpired through plants, while 36% evaporates.
  • Habitats of Okavango Delta include grasslands, swamps, forests and lagoons, with the lowest and highest points of elevation sporting a difference of only 2 metres (6.6 feet).
  • Constant flooding and termite nest building have contributed to the numerous islands found in the Okavango Delta, while the biggest is Chief’s Island, although it was formed through movement of the earth due to a fault line.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Okavango Delta a World Heritage Site in 2014, and it was the 1000th site to be listed.

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Okavango Delta
Image courtesy of Justin Hall/Flickr
  • Salt accumulates on the islands in the Okavango Delta around plant roots, and in some areas on the islands the soil has become too infused with salt so that vegetation is unable to grow.
  • Countless species of wildlife, some of which are endangered, favour the Okavango Delta, including catfish, giraffes, baboons, elephants, hyenas, large cat species, antelopes, rhinoceroses, buffalo, tigerfish and lechwe, the latter boasting the most population in the area of any species.
  • Five primary tribes make up the native people of the Okavango Delta, and they use the area for fishing, crops and hunting.
  • Multiple reserves have been initiated to protect the diverse ecosystem of Okavango Delta, including the Moremi Game Reserve, and the delta has in excess of a thousand plant species.
  • Okavango Delta, also known as ‘Okavango Grassland’, is of great size, and has an area that covers more than 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 square miles).
Bibliography:
Okavango Delta, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention,  http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1432
Okavango Delta, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okavango_Delta
Okavango Delta, n.d, Okavango Delta, http://www.okavangodelta.com/
Powers L, Okavanga Delta – Part 2, 2009, Africa Bespoke Blog, http://blog.africabespoke.com/okavango-delta-part-2/

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Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

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Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was once a monument of beauty, but is now the building blocks of construction.

  • The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a tomb located in modern day Bodrum in south-west Turkey, in western Asia, which was built on a hill overlooking Halicarnassus, and made of marble and other stone.
  • The ‘Mausoleum at Halicarnassus’ is also known as the ‘Tomb of Mausolus’, and the term ‘mausoleum’ that is used today in reference to grand burial sites was derived from the Greek word ‘Mausoleion’, the name that was applied to this particular site.
  • The Persian ruler Artemisia II of Caria is believed to have had the Mausoleum built at Halicarnassus for the remains of her husband and brother, Mausolus, and her own remains were also entombed there.
  • The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built around 353 BC, the year Mausolus died, by the Greek architects Satyros and Pytheos, and sculptors Timotheus, Bryaxis, Leochares and Scopas, all contributed to the design.
  • The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was famous for its aspiring beauty of architecture, decorative aspects and sculptures, including life-size (or larger) statues of lions, chariots, horses and human figures.

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Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Image courtesy of Carole Radato/Flickr
  • The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus has been listed under the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and it was the second longest surviving construction on the list, after the Pyramid of Giza.
  • The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus reached a height of around 45 metres (148 feet) and the rectangular shaped building had dimensions of roughly 30 by 40 metres (98 by 131 feet), and included 36 pillars, while the structure was topped with a pyramid-like roof.
  • Between the mid 1100s and the late 1400s it is thought that the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was devastated by a number of earthquakes.
  • Crusaders destroyed much of the visible remains of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in the late 1400s and early 1500s, using much of the stone and debris to extend or fortify the Bodrum castle, some of which can be seen today in the structure.
  • The ruins of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus were discovered by Charles Thomas Newton, a British archaeologist, in the mid 1800s, under the direction of the British Museum, after he successfully used deduction and logic to correctly choose and determine the site location; while art pieces buried by the earthquakes are now displayed in the British Museum.
Bibliography:
The Mausoleum at Haliciarnassus, 2000, Bodrum Pages, http://www.bodrumpages.com/English/mausoleum.html
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, 2011, The Museum of UnNatural History, http://www.unmuseum.org/maus.htm
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, n.d, Social Studies for Kids, http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/mausoleum.htm

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Hollywood Sign

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Hollywood Sign

What’s more filmtastic than the Hollywood Sign?

  • The Hollywood Sign is a famous sign located on the southern section of Mount Lee, which can be found in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, in the state of California in the United States.
  • The Hollywood Sign was designed and constructed to advertise a newly organised housing region for a term of 18 months, from 1923, ordered by Harry Chandler, Los Angeles Times newspaper publisher and real estate developer, however the sign was left standing after this period and became iconic in the area.
  • The letters of the Hollywood Sign spell a capitalised ‘HOLLYWOOD’ in what is technically a horizontal line, although placement appears uneven due to an optical illusion when not viewed straight-on.
  • The ‘Hollywood Sign’ has also been known as the ‘Hollywoodland Sign’ in its history, due to the original letters of the sign reading ‘HOLLYWOODLAND’, which was the term used for the advertised land development; and the ‘LAND’ was removed in 1949 so Hollywood in general would be promoted.
  • Originally, 4000 light bulbs highlighted the Hollywood[land] Sign, which displayed each syllable individually before presenting the entire word; and the whole sign at the time cost 21,000 USD (equal to roughly 300,000 USD in 2014).
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The Hollywood Sign
Image courtesy of minnemom/Flickr
  • The Hollywood Sign benefited from various maintenance and restoration programs, however it was not until much deterioration had occurred that it was totally rebuilt in 1978, instigated by American Hugh Hefner, which involved replacing each of the original wooden letters with steel at a cost of around $27,700 USD each, and the costs were covered by donations from nine donors (mostly individuals) – one for each letter.
  • The Hollywood Sign spreads 107 metres (350 feet) in length and reaches 14 metres (45 feet) in height; and while it was being replaced in 1978, the mountain was without a sign for a period of three months.
  • The Hollywood Sign cannot be directly reached by the public through normal means as it is against the law to do so, and instead it is able to be viewed at a number of designated areas.
  • Occasionally parts or all of the Hollywood Sign have been covered to display a different word or phrase, although this is generally not approved of, and throughout its history, most of the alterations were done illegally.
  • Due to heavy vandalism and other intentional damages or changes, authorities have initiated much security around the Hollywood Sign, including guards, an in-built security system and barricades.
Bibliography:
The Hollywood Sign, 2015, Hollywood, http://hollywoodsign.org/
Hollywood Sign, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign

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Angel of the North

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Angel of the North

The guardian of the north is the Angel of the North.

  • The Angel of the North is a modern-styled statue depicting an angel with spread wings, found in the area of England’s Gateshead, in Europe.
  • Known as the largest angel statue in the world, the Angel of the North reaches 20 metres (65 feet) in height and has wings that spread over a distance of 54 metres (177 feet) in length.
  • The wings of the Angel of the North, also called ‘Gateshead Flasher‘, feature a 3.5° forward tilt, chosen to display a feeling of embrace.
  • British sculptor Sir Antony Gormley designed the Angel of the North under commission by the Gateshead Council in 1994, and it was completed in early 1998.
  • The Angel of the North was designed to mark a coal mine located below the site; to symbolise movement into an information age; and act as a pivotal point for hopes and fears.
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The Angel of the North
Image courtesy of Auntie P/Flickr
  • The Angel of the North has been engineered to withstand gales of around 160 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour), and it was carefully engineered by Ove Arup & Partners.
  • Weather resistant brown steel, known as corten steel, that contains a small amount of copper, was used as the main material to enhance the Angel of the North‘s durability in outside weather, and the sculpture was built in four parts – the two wings and body which were manufactured off-site, plus the concrete foundations created on-site.
  • The wings and body of the Angel of the North combined, weigh 200 tonnes (220.5 tons), while the foundation weighs 600 tonnes (661.5 tons) and reaches at least 20 metres (66 feet) underground.
  • The final Angel of the North statue had a total cost of 800,000 pounds (roughly 1.24 million USD), while smaller scaled models have been sold for as much as 1 and 2 million pounds.
  • The viewing rate of the Angel of the North averages around 90,000 people each day due to vehicles passing by in the area, which equates to over a person a second, while the approximate number of visitors to the sculpture in a year is 150,000 people.
Bibliography:
Angel of the North, 2015, Gateshead Council, http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Leisure%20and%20Culture/attractions/Angel/Home.aspx
Angel of the North, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North

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Siberia

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Siberia

Siberia is such a breath-taking place. *sigh*

  • Siberia is a region located in North Asia, spreading from the central to eastern parts of the continent, and it is one of the districts of Russia.
  • The origin of the name ‘Siberia’ is controversial; with some theorising its origins are from ‘su’ and ‘bir’, meaning ‘water and ‘land’ respectively, while others state ‘Sib Ir’ as the origin, which is native terminology for ‘sleeping land’.
  • The actual boundaries of Siberia are somewhat undefined, with the Federal District covering approximately 5.1 million square kilometres (2 million square miles), and the most broadest boundaries (also known as ‘Asian Russia’) include more than 70% of Russia.
  • Siberia is economically important in supplying minerals including gold, nickel, coal, silver, zinc, lead and diamond, with the region containing some of the largest reserves on earth.
  • Some towns in Siberia are generally isolated and unconnected from other settlements in that they do not have designated roads for vehicles, while the Trans-Siberian railway provides some of the greatest accessibility to the southern areas.
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Part of Siberia
Image courtesy of Marc van der Chijs/Flickr
  • Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia, and third largest city in Russia, with a population of approximately 1.5 million in 2013.
  • A wide variety of native groups inhabited parts of Siberia until the Mongolian invasions from the 1200s, and later the Russian invasions from the late 1500s.
  • Siberia has particularly cold temperatures, with low winter temperatures reaching -20°C (-4°F) despite the area originally being full of volcanic activity.
  • As of 2014, Siberia Federal District had a population of approximately 20 million people, and with the wider area included, the total was around 40 million, bringing it to roughly the same people to land ratio as Australia – a low density of 3 people per square kilometre (0.4 of a square mile).
  • Siberia is notable for its vastness, and its extensive and awe inspiring scenery, particularly Ukok Plateau, and the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal.
Bibliography:
Siberia, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia
Siberia Federal District, Russia (Siberian), 2015, Russia Trek, http://russiatrek.org/siberia-district
Siberia History, 2015, Lonely Planet, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/siberia/history
Siberia, n.d, Encyclopedia.com, http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Siberia.aspx

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Lake Baikal

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Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal… the deepest of them all.

  • Lake Baikal is a large, long and relatively narrow lake consisting of freshwater, located in Russia’s Siberia, in North Eastern Asia.
  • ‘Lake Baikal’ is also known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’ and the ‘Galapagos of Russia’, and in Russian it is ‘Ozero Baykal’ and ‘Baygal nuur’ in Mongolian, while the latter translates as ‘nature lake’.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996, due to its rich ecosystem and its scientific significance.
  • Lake Baikal contains the greatest amount of fresh water of all water bodies on earth, equalling around 20% of the total liquid fresh water in the world, and it is known for its water clarity, greatest depth of all lakes, and it holds the status of the seventh largest lake in the world.
  • The volume of Lake Baikal is greater than 23,6oo cubic kilometres (5,600 cubed miles), it has an area of around 31,600 square kilometres (12,200 square miles) and a depth reaching more than 1630 metres (5,347 feet).
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Lake Baikal
Image courtesy of Sergey Gabdurakhmannov/Flickr
  • Lake Baikal is located in a rift valley surrounded by mountains, and sits above a divergent plate boundary where two plates are slowly moving away from each other, and this activity has created hot springs in and around the lake.
  • Wildlife finds Lake Baikal a haven, with around 1,000 vegetation species and 2,500 animal species, including plankton, worms, snails, crustaceans, fish, and the Baikal seal, while large numbers of the species are endemic to the area.
  • Humans had settled around Lake Baikal by 500 AD, primarily due to it being an accessible water source, and it became more widely known after 1643, when explorer Kurbat Ivanov from Russia found it.
  • Lake Baikal freezes from January to May and can be crossed during these times, although it can be fatal, as the freezing winds can cause hypothermia and frostbite.
  • Hundreds of rivers supply water to Lake Baikal, including the Sarma River, Selenga River, Snezhnaya River, Barguzin River and Turka River, while it drains into the ocean via the Angara River.
Bibliography:
Baikal – The Pearl of Siberia, 2005, Geographia, http://www.geographia.com/russia/baikal01.htm
Lake Baikal, 2015, Lake Baikal – World’s Deepest Lake, http://lakebaikal.org/
Lake Baikal, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/754
Lake Baikal, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal

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