title: Louis XIV

text: Louis' parents were Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was the unexpected child of King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, who had not had children in their 22-year marriage. He was christened Louis Dieudonné (literally, “gift of God”). In 1643, before his fifth birthday, his father died, and Louis inherited the throne of France. Because Louis XIV was too young to rule, his mother ruled France with Cardinal Mazarin, the Italian financier who had been the principal minister of Louis XIII. Mazarin had guided the nation through the later stages of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). In this war France struggled against the Habsburg dynasty that ruled Spain for military supremacy in Europe.


title: Louis XIV

text: After Mazarin died in 1661, Louis declared that he would rule France without a chief minister, something no French king had done in living memory. He intended to rule as an absolute monarch, believing that his power as king was derived from God and that he was responsible to God alone. He was obliged to rule for the benefit of his people. While Louis assumed responsibility for decision making, he understood that he must rule within the constraints of the laws and customs of his kingdom. Louis consulted widely with his nobles and ministers, and he met weekly with members of his high council. He created an informal cabinet, which was eventually led by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, chief minister of finance.


title: Louis XIV

text: Nevertheless, the system of absolute monarchy emphasized the role of the king, and no monarch was more successful in creating the image of monarchy than Louis XIV. He took the sun as his emblem and connected himself to its radiant image.


title: Louis XIV

text: Starting in 1661, King Louis XIV transformed a humble hunting lodge into a glittering palace. Over 30,000 men worked on constructing the Palace of Versailles, a project that drained the royal treasury for decades. Expenses included not only building but also diverting rivers, piping in fresh water, and planting thousands of orange trees to mask the smell of sewage that could not be properly drained away. In May 1682, Louis moved the capital of France to Versailles, 20 kilometres\12 miles away from Paris. It was Louis XIV's motive to remove himself and his nobles from the political intrigues of Paris. It became a symbol of his Absolute Monarchy.


title: Louis XIV

text: Although Louis dreamed of a Spanish inheritance for his heirs, his military policy was not to expand French territory. He fought his early wars for defensive purposes—to secure France’s northern border and to dislodge the Spanish from strategic towns.


title: Louis XIV

text: Louis fought the War of the Devolution (1667-1668) to assert his claims to a portion of Spain’s possessions after his wife’s father, Philip IV, died. Louis claimed the Spanish Netherlands in place of the wedding gift that Philip IV had never paid.


title: Louis XIV

text: The French aggression in the Spanish Netherlands caused relations between France and Holland to deteriorate. The Dutch had already fought the Spanish for generations to protect against an invasion of their country. They had no intention of allowing the French to pose the same threat by occupying the territories on their border. The result was war in the Netherlands from 1672 to 1678, during which Louis again demonstrated the effectiveness of French might. In a sweeping campaign, Louis almost succeeded in conquering Holland. To protect themselves, the Dutch opened their dikes, flooded the countryside, and turned Amsterdam into a virtual island. Louis’s armies could not advance farther, and they began negotiating a truce. War resumed, however, when Spain and Austria allied themselves with Holland, and Louis signed a treaty with England in 1670 to keep the English navy neutral. Neither side could win a decisive victory, and both suffered from financial exhaustion, which ultimately led to a treaty to end the war.


title: Louis XIV

text: Louis revoked, or ended, the Treaty of Nantes. This Treaty said that there would be freedom of religion in France. This means that everybody in France could worship the way they wanted to. When Louis revoked the Treaty of Nantes, he said that all people in France must be Catholic. Because of this, 50 thousand Protestant workers left France and went to America, England, and Germany.


title: Louis XIV

text: While Louis ruled, France became the most powerful country in all of Europe, and many other countries copied the French people's way of dressing and thinking. He also encouraged people to explore Canada, and tried very hard to make France larger. Louis spent a lot of money on wars, and France went into deep debt because of him.


title: Louis XIV

text: By the middle of the 1680s the Sun King was losing much of his shine. Mazarin had taught him to work rigorously, and Louis maintained a punishing schedule throughout his life, shrugging off a series of minor illnesses and not listening to the advice of his physicians. Eventually a broken arm put an end to his vigorous horseback riding, and gout ended his long walks around Versailles. He was wheeled to the throne room or carried to his carriage. In 1683 his first wife died, and Louis secretly married his longtime mistress, Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. In 1711 he went through the tragedy of the death of his oldest son and the following year that of his oldest grandson. Therefore, the kings successor was his little five year old great-grandson Louis Duke of Anjou, who became King Louis XV of France after the death of his great-grandfather in 1715.


title: Louis XIV

text: French kings after Louis XIV taxed a lot of money from the poor people to try and pay off the debt. This is part of what led to the French Revolution.


title: Louis XIV

text: In a world that regarded territory, power, and wealth as paramount, Louis XIV was recognized as a great king. He transformed France into the dominant nation in Europe, expanded its boundaries, and left his heirs secure in their possessions. Louis reached the height of his power in the 1670s, and he protected what he had achieved for the next four decades in the face of a Europe united against him. Moreover, he eventually realized his dream of seeing a Bourbon on the Spanish throne. During Louis’s reign, France also consolidated the administration of its colonial possessions and commerce, becoming a world power. On the domestic front, Louis strengthened the central government’s control over the diverse regions of France, incorporating his territorial gains into a united state. On the other hand, he provoked controversy when he restored Catholic religious unity by revoking the Edict of Nantes and repressing Protestantism. Unfortunately many of Louis’s policies, both domestic and foreign, caused great hardship to ordinary people, many of whom suffered starvation, fled their homeland, or lived in terror of persecution. Ultimately, Louis XIV wished to bring glory to France and to his dynasty, and he died believing that he had.


title: UNESCO

text: UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (). It is an agency of the United Nations (UN).


title: UNESCO

text: UNESCO says its purpose, as defined just after the end of World War II, is "to build the defenses of peace in the minds of men and women". It does this by helping nations work together, through education for all, science, and culture. This is supposed to help other nations follow the rule of law and human rights. It also helps promote some freedoms in the UN Charter.


title: UNESCO

text: UNESCO tries to achieve what it wants to do through six programs: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information. Some projects sponsored by UNESCO are literacy, technical, and teacher-training programmes. UNESCO also decides what will become World Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is an important, special, interesting or beautiful place. If a place is a World Heritage Site, the place can not be destroyed, as it can give useful information for the future. The Uluru, for example, gives a lot of information on the culture of Aborigines. UNESCO is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. and works for Millennium Development Goals.


title: Cheema

text: Cheema (Shahmukhi: چیمہ, : ਚੀਮਾ) (also spelled Chima) is a typical group of people of the Jaat clan confederation found in India and Pakistan (In the world any family of Cheema they must be connected to the Sialkot sub-city Sahowala, Balochak Because this is the beginning place of Jutt Cheemas) who are also known as warriors. Jaat's are a large and important group in Punjab. Cheema's are one of the few major subclans of Jats. They speak Punjabi, and usually own vast farmlands. The majority of Cheema clans who are Muslims are found in West Punjab (Pakistan), and many who are Sikhs are found in East Punjab (India).


title: Cheema

text: The Cheema tribe was called "Shaka" in India, from the name Saka used by the Persians. From the time of the Mahabharata wars (1500-500 BC) Shakas were mentioned many times in texts like the Puranas, the Manusmriti, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Mahabhasiya of Patanjali, the Brhat Samhita of Vraha Mihira, the Kavyamimamsa, the Brihat-Katha-Manjari, the Katha-Saritsagara, and many other old texts. it is believed that there are three Royal Families of Jatt in every Punjab. In Indian Punjab, there are the (Cheema, Grewal, and Gill) "Sikh Jatts" And the Royal Families of the Pakistani Punjab are (Chattha, Cheema, and Warraich) "Muslim Jutts".


title: Cheema

text: The Vanaparava of the Mahabharata has a prophecy saying that the kings of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Bahlikas, and Abhiras shall rule unrighteously in Kaliyuga (MBH 3/188/34-36).


title: Cheema

text: Alexander overran the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BC and marched into what is now Afghanistan with an army of 50,000. His scribes do not mention Gandhara or Kamboja; instead, they name twelve small countries in those territories. This means that Gandhara and/or Kamboja must not have been very great kingdoms in the late 4th century BC. In 326 BC, most of these twelve or so countries that used to be in the Gandhara Kamboja Mahajanapadas were conquered by the Macedonian conqueror.


title: Cheema

text: Alexander invited all the chieftains of the former satrapy of Gandhara to come to him and submit to his authority. Ambhi, ruler of Taxila, whose kingdom extended from the Indus to the Hydaspes (Jhelum), complied. After confirming him in his satrapy, Alexander marched against the Sakas (Cheemas are considered to be decadents of the Sakas) and Kamboja highlanders of the Kunar also Swat valleys known in Greek texts as Aspasios and Assakenois (q.v.) and in Indian texts as Ashvayana and Ashvakayana (names referring to their equestrian nature), who had refused to submit to Alexander. The "Ashvayan", "Ashvakayan", Kamboja and allied Saka clans offered tough resistance to the invader and fought him to a man. When worse came to worst, even the Ashvakayan women took up arms and joined their menfolk on the field, thus preferring "" a glorious death to a life of dishonor"".


title: Cheema

text: Thereafter, Alexander marched east to the Hydaspes, where Porus, ruler of the kingdom between the Hydaspes (Jhelum) and the Akesines (Chenab) refused to submit to him. The two armies fought the historic Battle of the Hydaspes River on the riverbank outside the town of Nikaia (near the modern city of Jhelum). Porus's army fought bravely but was no match for Alexander's. When the defiant Raja (though wounded and having lost his sons) was brought before Alexander, a legendary conversation took place in which Alexander inquired of Porus, "How should I treat you?", the brave Porus shot back, "The way a king treats another king." Alexander was struck by his spirit. He not only returned the conquered kingdom to Porus but added the land lying between the Akesines (Chenab) and the Hydraotis (Ravi), whose ruler had fled. Alexander's army crossed the Hydraotis and marched east to the Hesidros (Beas), but there his troops refused to march further east, and Alexander turned back, following the Jhelum and the Indus to the Arabian Sea, and sailing to Babylon.


title: Cheema

text: In the middle of the 2nd century BC, the Yuezhi tribe of modern China moved westward into Central Asia, which, in turn, caused the Sakas (Scythians) to move west and south. The Northern Sakas, also known as the Indo-Scythians, moved first into Bactria, and later crossed the Hindu Kush into India, successfully wresting power from the Indo-Greeks. They were followed by the Yuezhi, who was known in India as the Kushans or Kushanas. The Kushanas founded a kingdom in the 1st century that lasted for several centuries. Both the Indo-Scythians and the Kushans embraced Buddhism, and absorbed elements of Indo-Greek art and culture into their own. Another Central Asiatic people to make Punjab their home were the Hephthalites (White Huns), who engaged in continuous campaigns from across the Hindu Kush, finally establishing their rule in India in the fifth century.


title: Cheema

text: The "Chach Nama" is a romantic work influenced by the 13th-century history, not a historical text of the 8th-century, states Asif, a historian and professor at Columbia University in New York City of Pakistani origin.


title: Cheema

text: Many Jatt/Cheema were oppressed by Hindu king Raja Dahir who ruled over Punjab where the majority of the population followed Buddhism (Ram Swarup Joon: "History of the Jats", Rohtak, India (1938, 1967)). The Jat made strong alliances with the Muslim Arabs and hailed the conquest of Muhammad bin Qasim an Arab general. Muhammad bin Qasim defeated the Hindu Raja Dahir in alliance with Jats and other Buddhist Rajas. On his arrival at the town of Brahmanabad, between six and sixteen thousand men died in the ensuing battle. Buddhists and the Jat, Meds and Bhutto tribes hailed him as a rescuer from tyranny at the hands of "Chach" and his kin (regarded as Cusurpers of the Rai Dynasty).


title: Cheema

text: As the Chach-Nama is a non-reliable and non-contemporary source of history, it has no authenticity and it holds no historical value (According to Pakistani Origin historian Dr. Asif)


title: Cheema

text: The rulers before Islam were: Siharus, Sahasi II, Chach, Dahir. The first two were Buddhist Jatt, and the last two were Hindu jatt. The new Brahmin rulers were not friendly to the many Buddhists in Sind at that time, and they were cruel to the Jats and Meds, who were most of the peasants. Bad conditions were put on the Jats and they lost many civil rights. "When Chach, the Brahmin chamberlain who usurped the throne of Chach King went to Brahmanabad, he enjoined upon the Jats and Lohanas not to carry swords, avoid velvet or silken cloth, ride horses without saddles and walk about bare-headed and bare-footed". It was because of this background that Muhammad bin Qasim received cooperation from the Buddhists as well as the Jats and Meds during his campaign in Sind ("An advanced history of India" by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar; Hemchandra Raychaudhuri; Kalikinkar Datta Delhi: Macmillan India, 1973).


title: Cheema

text: In fact, he was hailed as a deliverer by several sections of the local population. The position of the Buddhists in Sind seeking support from outside can be read in the Chach Nama.


title: Cheema

text: Mohammad Bin Qasim came as a deliverer for the ancient tribes of Jats and Meds and he defeated the oppressing King of Sindh. From then the war between Buddhists and Hindus saw another contender whose future followers of the monotheistic Islamic faith would change the history of India forever.


title: Cheema

text: The Cheema clan hold the largest number of Political seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan and Senate of Pakistan in Punjab,


title: Cheema

text: This Cheema family has had a large number of Civil servants, Judges, Police officials, Federal Ministers, and Provincial Ministers, and even a President of Pakistan. Many Cheemas have immigrated, establishing successful careers in aid agencies, and armies amongst other professionals. Cheema has a very strong political control in many districts such as Gujranwala. Cheema is the owner of many rice and floor mills such as Ghulam Haider Cheema from Aroop used to have the biggest rice and floor business in Pakistan.


title: Cheema

text: Late Sardar (Captain) Autar Singh Cheema was first Pakistan-born but an Indian national to climb the highest peak of the world Mount Everest on 20th May 1965. He belonged to and after retiring from active service in the Indian army lived in his ancestral village at Chak Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan India.


title: Cheema

text: Many Cheemas have now settled in England after participating in both WW1 and WW2 Indian army for British forces. Mostly misled for thinking they would get the freedom of India at the end of the world, which was not. Approximately 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in World War One - and more than 74,000 of them lost their lives.


title: Cheema

text: The Cheema Clan located in Nurmahal (Cheema Kalan and Cheema Kurd) is situated on the lands of former Noor Jahan (The Persian Queen) the twentieth and last wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. The Queen's secret underground passageways are located on the Cheema land now. Most of the Cheema lands located in Nurmahal were gifted to the Cheema clan for their bravery, hard work, and centuries of dedication in the Indian Armed forces and Navy.


title: Cheema

text: The Udyogaparava of the Mahabharata "(5/19/21-23)" tells us that the composite army of the Kambojas, Yavanas, and Shakas participated in the Mahabharata war under the command of Sudakshina Kamboja. The epic repeatedly says this composite army was very fierce and wrathful.


title: Cheema

text: Mahabharata, too similarly groups the Shakas with the Kambojas and Yavanas and states that they were original noble Kshatriyas but got degraded to "vrishala" status on account of their non-observance of the sacred Brahmanical codes.


title: Cheema

text: Manusmriti places the Shakas with the Kambojas, Yavanas, Pahlavas, Paradas and labels them all as degraded Kshatriyas (Holy Warriors) defying the Brahmanical codes and rituals.


title: Cheema

text: In the "Puranas Darada" the Jatt sub-tribes have been called degrading terms such as Rakshasas (demons) not having darshan of the Brahmin.


title: Cheema

text: Cheema is most numerous in the Amritsar district. There are also 42 villages in the Patiala district. According to Cunningham, this area used to be called "Chima des" ("Des" or "Desh," in the Hindustani language and Punjabi language, which means "country"). Many people settled in Montgomery (Sahiwal) and Sandal Bar when the British ruled Punjab because of the construction of a large canal network in these areas. The Cheema also have few villages scattered across Rawalpindi, Bhawalpur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, NurMahal or Noor Mahal, Moga, Ludhiana, and Sangrur.


title: Cheema

text: In the western Punjab plains, Cheema communities are not generally found past "Chaj Doab". In the eastern Punjab plains, they are not were found past the Sangrur district, until 1947, when many Sikh Cheemas moved from Sialkot and Gujranwala to settle in Village Chak 4e Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan Patiala, Karnal, and Sirsa after the partition of the Punjab. Some families also moved afterward Udhamsingh nagar(Uttrakhand), Pilibhit, Puranpur, and Rampur (Utter Pradesh). This region is called Mini Punjab and the Terai Region.


title: Cheema

text: In Pakistan, Sialkot and Gujranwal districts both have large Cheema populations with many Cheema villages, such as Chak 4e in Sri Ganganagar (Raj) Begowal, Verowala Cheema Jamke Cheema, Tajokay Cheema, Adamkay Cheema, Bhopalwala, Nishterabad,(Nishterabad village have only one family of Cheema Named Nazar Mohamad Cheema) Sahowala, Kamalpur, Manpur, and Lodikay Cheema, and in Gujranwal, Baddokey Cheema,chak beg, Kot Inayat Khan,Delawar Cheema, Saroki Cheema, Bharoki Cheema,Varoki Cheema,Mansorwali Cheema, Ratti Thatt, Bankay Cheema, Kathor, Kalay Wala, Kheway Wali, Wadala Cheema, Phaloki Cheema, Marday Ki, and Chabba Cheema. In Rawalpindi district, there is a village near Gujar Khan which is named Sui Cheemian and it has a substantial population of Cheema's.


title: Cheema

text: In southern Punjab, Bahawalpur and Yazman have considerable numbers of Cheema families, in great enough numbers that the area elects more than a dozen cabinet members.


title: Cheema

text: In India, the Rupnagar and Mohali districts of the Punjab state have large Cheema populations with many Cheema villages, such as Salora.


title: Sperm

text: Sperm are the male reproductive cells. Most animals and plants use sperm to reproduce. They have different ways of making and releasing the sperm. In all cases the sperm meets with the egg of the female and grow into a new organism.


title: Sperm

text: An animal sperm cell is capable of movement, as it has to get to the uterus to meet with the ovum. Animal sperm cells (including humans) have small 'head' and a long tail called a "flagellum". The flagellum acts like a motor to propel the sperm cell through the female reproductive system.


title: Sperm

text: Human sperm is made in the testicles of a man. Human sperm contains 23 chromosomes. A human needs 46 chromosomes, so a sperm cell is called a "haploid" as it only has half. The other half is contained within the ovum or egg of a female. During sex, semen is shot out of the man's penis during ejaculation.


title: Sperm

text: Semen carries the sperm into the woman's vagina and down to the ovum in the uterus. During ejaculation millions of sperm cells are released, but only one hundred or so reach the egg.


title: Sperm

text: The egg can merge with one sperm cell that reaches it. Because it now has 46 chromosomes, it is called a "diploid", like ordinary cells of the body. This diploid is called a zygote, and it can grow into a fetus and eventually a baby.


title: Sperm

text: Some plants such as ferns and mosses have sperm that move. Flowering plant sperm cells cannot move by themselves. The flowering plant sperm cells are contained within pollen grains.


title: Sperm

text: Thus, they rely on "transportation" to take their sperm cells to other plants. For example, a bee lands on a plant to collect the nectar. Some pollen will get stuck to the bee. The bee moves on to another plant and the pollen falls onto that plant. The sperm is moved down a "pollen tube" until it reaches the ovule at the bottom of the flower.


title: Foreskin

text: The foreskin, or prepuce, is a fold of skin that covers the glans penis when the penis is uncircumcised. Most male mammals either have a foreskin that covers the glans penis or a sheath in which the whole penis can retract.


title: Foreskin

text: The outside of the foreskin is like normal skin but the inside of the foreskin is a membrane like the inside of an eyelid or mouth. The foreskin is attached to the penis by the frenulum, but it can move. It is very stretchy. On the penis, the most sensitive areas to fine-touch are located on the foreskin. The foreskin can be pierced or slit for fashion reasons. If the foreskin is not cared for daily it comes to Smegma, a mixture of epithelial cells, skin secretions and fluid, which accumulate under the foreskin of the penis with a characteristic strong foul-smelling odor and taste, caused by lactic acid bacteria. The foreskin must be rolled back and washed to prevent Smegma.


title: Foreskin

text: The foreskin contains Meissner’s corpuscles, which are nerve endings involved in fine-touch sensitivity. They are most numerous in the “ridged band”, the junction of the inner and outer foreskin layers, and least numerous in the smooth inner layer of foreskin. Compared to other hairless skin areas on the body, the Meissner's index was highest in the finger tip (0.96) and lowest in the foreskin (0.28). The foreskin is the least sensitive hairless tissue of the body. A study also found that “the number of these nerve endings decreases significantly after the teenage to young adult years when sexual activity begins. This makes it very difficult to propose any sexual function for Meissner’s corpuscles. A more feasible hypothesis is to regard them as a juvenile phenomenon, perhaps serving to protect the penis until the onset of puberty reveals its sexual function.”


title: Foreskin

text: Studies in sexual sensation concluded that the glans, not the foreskin, is involved in sexual sensation, particularly the corona and frenular (the area under the frenulum) areas. Thus, speculation and outdated opinion pieces claiming special properties of the foreskin, such as in penile function and masturbation, should be viewed with skepticism.


title: Foreskin

text: Perhaps sensitivity of the foreskin to fine touch might have served as an “early warning system” in our naked upright forebears from the intrusion of biting insects and parasites while protecting the glans.


title: Foreskin

text: In modern times, there is controversy regarding whether the foreskin is a vital or vestigial structure. In 1949, British physician Douglas Gairdner noted that the foreskin plays an important protective role in newborns. He wrote, “It is often stated that the prepuce is a vestigial structure devoid of function... However, it seems to be no accident that during the years when the child is incontinent the glans is completely clothed by the prepuce, for, deprived of this protection, the glans becomes susceptible to injury from contact with sodden clothes or napkin.” During the physical act of sex, the foreskin reduces friction, which can reduce the need for additional sources of lubrication. "Some medical researchers, however, claim circumcised men enjoy sex just fine and that, in view of recent research on HIV transmission, the foreskin causes more trouble than it’s worth." The area of the outer forskin measures between 7–100 cm2, and the inner foreskin measures between 18 and 68 cm2, which is a wide range. Regarding vestigial structures, Charles Darwin wrote, “An organ, when rendered useless, may well be variable, for its variations cannot be checked by natural selection.” In the March 2017 publication of the Global Health Journal: Science and Practice, Morris and Krieger wrote, "The variability in foreskin size is consistent with the foreskin being a vestigial structure." It has been found that larger foreskins place uncircumcised men at an increased risk for HIV infection most likely due to the larger surface area of inner foreskin and the high concentration of .


title: Foreskin

text: Moses and Bailey (1998), say that "it has not been demonstrated that [the foreskin] is associated with increased male sexual pleasure."


title: Foreskin

text: "Circumcision" is when the foreskin is cut off. The removal of the foreskin can protect against certain medical conditions and infections. It is done to satisfy medical, religious, hygienic, rituel, and aesthetic views. In many countries men get circumcised, because foreskin is not important for the male body.


title: Foreskin

text: Autocircumcision, the foreskin is held permanently behind the glans, by rings or other methods, and looked as to be circumcised. The tradition of Autocircumcision is practised in Japan. Also Members of the Ananda Marga hold there foreskin back or circumcised it.


title: Foreskin

text: Foreskin restoration would involve expanding the skin to make something similar to the foreskin, but connective tissues cut during circumcision cannot be brought back. Some companies are testing regeneration of a pure foreskin, but as of April 2021, there is nothing new in that field. The reason of a foreskin restoration is, forced circumcised Men want back a foreskin, mainy done in USA.


title: Sunlight

text: Sunlight is the light and energy that comes from the Sun. When this energy reaches the earth's surface, it is called insolation. What we experience as sunlight is actually solar radiation. It is the radiation and heat from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic waves.


title: Sunlight

text: The atmosphere affects the amount of solar radiation received. When solar radiation travels through the atmosphere, some of it is absorbed by the atmosphere (16%). Some of it is scattered to space (6%). Some of it is reflected by clouds (28%). About 47% of it reaches the Earth's surface.


title: Sunlight

text: Without sunlight, there could not be life on the Earth. Plants need sunlight for the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis the plants use the energy of the sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, to create glucose (sugar). The glucose can later be used by the plant for energy or animals eat the plant and the glucose in it. Plants need sunlight to grow green. Without enough sunlight but with enough water, the plant grows very tall very quickly, but looks yellow and dehydrated, although when touched, the leaves are very moist.


title: Sunlight

text: Solar radiation can be both good and bad for a person's health. When in the light, the human body uses the ultraviolet part of sunlight to make its own Vitamin D. Without sunscreen too much ultraviolet light can cause sunburn and skin cancer. Sun angle makes difference in seasons on Earth as well as in the length of day and night. A high angle makes the tropics hot, and a low angle makes the arctic cold.


title: Sunlight

text: Different bodies of the Solar System receive sunlight of different intensities. The table compares the amount of light received by each planet on the Solar System follows:


title: Sunlight

text: Solar energy is used in many different ways by people all over the world both in its traditional way for heating, cooking or drying and to make electricity where other power supplies are absent, such as in remote places on Earth or in the space. Sometimes, it is cheaper to make electricity from sunlight than from coal or oil.


title: Mesopotamia

text: Mesopotamia (Ancient Greek: Μεσοποταμία - "land between rivers") is a historical region in the Middle East. It included most of today’s Iraq, and parts of modern-day Iran, Syria and Turkey. The 'two rivers' of the name referred to the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.


title: Mesopotamia

text: The land was called "Al-Jazirah" ("the island") by the Arabs, and Egyptologist J.H. Breasted later included it in the Fertile Crescent. The region is bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau.


title: Mesopotamia

text: The area is often called the cradle of civilization. The ancient writing called cuneiform was first used around 3000 BC by the Sumerians. Historically important cities in Mesopotamia included Uruk, Ur, Nippur, Nineveh, and Babylon.


title: Mesopotamia

text: Major territorial states were the Akkadian kingdom, the Third Dynasty of Ur, and the Assyrian Empire. Some of the important historical Mesopotamian leaders were Ur-Nammu (king of Ur), Sargon of Akkad (the founder of the Akkadian kingdom), Hammurabi (who established the Old Babylonian state), and Tiglath-Pileser I (who started the Assyrian Empire).


title: Mesopotamia

text: Many advances in technology were made by the ancient Sumerians, such as irrigation, trade by river, and flood control. Sumerians had agriculture and domesticated animals, or livestock, from the earliest records. Babylon is likely the first city built by settled people. Mesopotamia was also the place where the wheel was first used. First it was a potter's wheel that was used to make clay pots, then Sumerians adapted it for transport.


title: Mesopotamia

text: Mesopotamia is made up of different regions. Northern Mesopotamia is made up of hills and plains. The land is quite fertile due to seasonal rains, and the rivers and streams that come from the mountains. Early settlers farmed the land and used timber, metals, and stone. Southern Mesopotamia is made up of marshy areas and wide, flat, plains. Cities developed along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers which flow through the region. Early settlers had to irrigate the land along the banks of the rivers in order for their crops to grow.


title: Mesopotamia

text: Mesopotamia has been conquered many times by many different people. It was the heartland of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires. As each new group moved into the region they adopted some of the culture, traditions, and beliefs of the people who had come before. It was conquered by Alexander the Great (332 BC), the Parthians (150 BC), the Romans, the Persian Empire, and the Arabs (7th century). It is still one of the most fertile (and therefore valuable) parts of the Middle East.


title: Mesopotamia

text: Ancient Mesopotamia begins in the late 6th millennium BC, and ends with either the rise of the Achaemenid Persians in the 6th century BC or the Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia in the 7th century CE. This long period may be divided as follows:


title: Mesopotamia

text: The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient story about a relationship between Gilgamesh and his close companion, Enkidu. Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as Gilgamesh's equal to distract him from oppressing the citizens of Uruk. Together they undertake dangerous quests that incur the displeasure of the gods. Firstly, they journey to the Cedar Mountain to defeat Humbaba, its monstrous guardian. Later they kill the Bull of Heaven that the goddess Ishtar has sent to punish Gilgamesh for turning down her advances.


title: Mesopotamia

text: The second part of the epic is about Gilgamesh's distressed reaction to Enkidu's death, which takes the form of a quest for immortality. Gilgamesh attempts to learn the secret of eternal life by undertaking a long and perilous journey to meet the immortal flood hero, Utnapishtim. The words addressed to Gilgamesh in the midst of his quest foreshadow the end result:


title: Kshetri

text: Khas/Kshetri or Khas/Chhetri () are Turanid Ab-Original Native From of people belonging to Turkic-Mongol Mixed caste in Khas group, a Altaic ethno-linguistic group (see Altaic languages). Generally, the Parvate/Pahari (hilly) Kshatriyas are called as Kshetris or Khas Kshetris. Many historians called Kshetris as Decendents Of Magars. Kshetris served as rulers, administrators, governors and warriors as per their Occupational caste. They were able to dominate most of the Nepalese history through monopolizing government and military upto 1951 AD. After democracy in Nepal, Kshetris were still visible in the government especially dominating Panchayati government and still monopolizing military.


title: Kshetri

text: According to 1854 "Muluki Ain" (Legal Code) of Nepal, Kshetris belong to "sacred thread bearers" (Yagyopavit) and "twice born" (Dvija) Hindus.


title: Kshetri

text: Chhetri is Nepalese local colloquial term for Kshatriya. Kshetri () is considered a derivative form of the Sanskrit word Kshatriya. Hill-Kshetri, Kshetri, Chhetri, Pahadi Chhetri and Khas Kshetri are all used to denote this caste.


title: Kshetri

text: They are descended from old warriors of Khas Kingdom. Chhetri dominated the military forces of Shah dynasty of Nepal. The 5 main Chhetri families at Royal court of Nepal formed group called Kaji Khalak (Aristocrats). They are; Basnyat, Pande, Thapa, Kunwar and Bista. Basnyat, Pande and Thapas were most powerful Chhetri groups led by Shivaram Singh Basnyat, Kalu Pande and Birbhadra Thapa at the Unification of Nepal. The Kunwars were led by Ramkrishna Kunwar and Bista/Bisht were led by Gajabal Bista and Atibal Bista. Sometimes, Bhandari Kshetri family of Jaswanta Bhandari was also considered as Kaji Khalak family of the Royal court of Nepal.


title: Kshetri

text: In the court struggle for power, Pande Khalaks and Thapa Khalaks were fierce opponents. They often opposed each other. Pandes were supported by Basnyats due to blood relations. Thapas were supported by Kunwars due to blood relations. In the end, Kunwars betrayed Thapa groups by murdering the Thapa leader Mathabar Singh Thapa. That caused Kunwars to rise to power and all Kshetris were thrown of power. The Kunwar high rank officers escalated quickly between 1841 AD to 1854 AD.Kunwars claimed royalty and changed their surname to "Rana" (meaning: King) from "Kunwar" (meaning: Prince). In 1951AD, democracy was established and Kshetri rule were stopped.


title: Kshetri

text: According to 2011 Nepal census, Kshetri stands as the most populous group in Nepal with 16.6% of Nepal's population (or 43,98,053 peoples).


title: Kshetri

text: Kshetris are the second largest Hindu group with Hindu population of 43,65,113 (99.3% of Kshetris) as per the 2011 Nepal census. Kshetris are largest group in 20 districts in Nepal. Kathmandu consists largest Kshetri population.


title: Kshetri

text: Kshetris has second highest civil service representation with 19.59% of Nepal's bureaucracy after Bahuns while having 16% of Nepal's total population. The civil service representation to population ratio is 1.18 times for Kshetri. Kshetri dominate the military forces with nearly all high ranked officers belonging to either Kshetri or Thakuri caste. Nearly, only one Chief of Army Staff (Chhatraman Singh Gurung) belonged to Non-Chhetri/Thakuri caste. Thus, the highest military rank (Chief of Army Staff previously Commander-in-Chief) is completely monopolized by Chhetri caste.they also recruit in british army in large numbers, chhetri/thakuris dominant 40% of total nepal army strength , and they have reserved regiment the 9 gorkha rifles in indian army.


title: Kshetri

text: Kshetri are almost all Hindus as per 2011 Nepal census. Historically, they practiced Hindu polytheism and shamanism. They generally worship their clan deity (Kul Devta), friendly deity (Ishta Devta) and Khas Masto deities. Kshetri commonly have warrior like deities as Bhadrakali, Kalika Bhawani and different forms of Goddess Kali as female deity and Rudra, Veerbhadra (ferocious forms of Shiva) as male deity. Bhadrakali, a popular form of Goddess Kali, is the main deity of the Nepalese Army (previously Gorkhali Army) due to prevalence of Kshetri commanders. Worship to these deities were necessary before wars. There was a popular folk legend that the Chinese failed the strategic attacks on 1792 AD due to the effect of religious war cry of "Jai Bhawani". In the times of unification of Nepal, Kshetris were more rigid to worship of ferocious forms of Godess Kali and Lord Shiva. Amar Singh Thapa based on religious values developed Nishankalika flag after ceremoniously inviting Kalika Bhawani, ancestors, friendly deities and 49 Maruts to reside on the flag.


title: Kshetri

text: Many Kshetris triennially celebrate clanwise Masto deity worship called "Dewali Puja". Dewali Puja is common among Bahuns too. In the Dewali Puja, Kshetris of the same clan give male goat sacrifices at a particular place. It is a form of millennium old ancient worship continued till date. Kshetris celebrate many Hindu festivals like Dashain (Dussehra), Tihar (Deepawali), Maghe Sankranti, Janai Purnima, Holi, etc. Dashain and Tihar are primary festivals of Pahadi Hindu castes. Most Kshetri families give goat sacrifices on either Maha Ashtami day or Maha Nawami day of Dashain festival. Few Kshetri clans give male buffalo sacrifices on Maha Ashtami day.


title: Kshetri

text: Rajputs and Thakuris are sometimes considered as subcaste of Kshetri while they have distinct cultural difference with mainstream Kshetris. Kshetri is an endogamous unit. They donot practice maternal cousin marriages as Thakuri caste which is the basis of cultural distinction. Kshetri has hundreds of clans. They are categorized by family deity and single gotra. They do not marry with the members of their whole maternal clan and members of their parents' maternal families as per popular quote


title: Kshetri

text: The maternal clan marriage prohibition also include non marriage prohibition with the Bahun counterpart of that clan. For example; Those having maternal clan as Khilchine Adhikari Chhetri cannot marry in the clan of Khilchine Adhikari Bahun as there is brotherhood between these clans. They never marry in their paternal clan and those having same gotra. "Jaari" marriage i.e. marrying others' wife, is not allowed. Also "Gandharva" and "Rakshas" marriages are not allowed.


title: Kshetri

text: Dieting rules for Kshetri were decided by Kshetri "Birandala" (brotherhood). Kshetri do not consume pork like Rajputs which is a basis of cultural difference. Kshetri are not allowed to eat beef, buffalo, pig, felines and all wild forms of them as per Hindu rituals for Kshatriya. Goats, sheep and all variations and forms of them, are fully allowed. Chicken, duck and goose are debatable and allowance is regionally dependent.


title: Kshetri

text: Historically, Kshetri has been part of the some of the powerful Pahari empires as Khas Empire and Gorkha Empire. Warriorhood, governance, administration, honesty and integrity has been linked to Kshetris. Kshetris are noted for resourcefulness and charity. Sanskrit verse from Geeta explains the basis of ethics Kshetris have derived from:


title: Kshetri

text: The above verse explains the duties, characters and behaviours of Kshatriya warrior. These were adapted by Kshetri community which includes exhibition of bravery and skill, prohibition of escaping any war, giving charity and Hindu governance.


title: Kshetri

text: Adhikari, Aidi, Ayer, Bagale, Bogati, Baruwal, Bohara, Balair, Bakheti, Batala, Balayer, Baniya, G.C.(Gharti Chhetri), Basnyat/Basnet, Bham, Majhi, Mudula, Bhandari, Bista/Bisht, Budha, Budhathoki, Gaura bagale, Ghatala, Heita, Heta, Hetal, Chauhan, Thakulla, Thagunna, Chhetri, Dhami, D.C(Dangi Chhetri), Deoja, Kottari, Godar, Kalikote, Karki, Katawal, Khadga, Khadka, Kharka, Khati, Khati Khadka, Khadgaha, khaptari, berma, Kadayat, Kathayat, Khadka, Khatri/Khatri Chhetri(K.C.), Khulal, Kshetri, Mahat, Mahatara, Pande/Pandey, Punwar, Pwar, Kunwar, Lama, Rana, Mhyak Rana, Ranabhat, Rayamajhi, Raya, Rathor, Raut, Rawat, Rawal, Rayamajhi, Rokaya/Rokka/Rokaha, Pulami, Silwal, Suyal, Swar, Sauka, Sijapati, Sinjapati, Sakya, Sutar, Saod, Saud, Tandon, Thapa etc.


title: Millisecond

text: A millisecond (sometimes shortened to 'ms') is one thousandth of a second. This page lists times between 10 seconds and 10 seconds (1 milli<nowiki>second</nowiki> to 10 milliseconds).


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalyptus is a genus of trees. Eucalypt is also the common name for seven similar plants from the tribe Eucalypteae, all from Australasia. They are "Eucalyptus", "Corymbia", "Angophora", "Stockwellia", "Allosyncarpia", "Eucalyptopsis" and "Arillastrum".


title: Eucalyptus

text: There are over 700 species of eucalypts, and almost all of them are in Australia. Eucalypts can be found in almost every part of the Australia, and they are adapted to many different habitats. Their distribution has an implication: they must have evolved after Australia lost contact with the rest of Gondwana. Apart from the island of New Guinea, which is historically connected to Australia, and the Philipines, and a couple of small islands, the eucalypts are not naturally found in any other countries.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts have many local names, like 'gum trees', 'mallee', 'box', 'ironbark', 'stringybark' and 'ash'.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts have special flowers and fruits that no other trees have. When it flowers a bud cap made of petals grows around the flower until it is ready to open. Then the bud cap falls off to reveal a flower with no petals.


title: Eucalyptus

text: The woody fruits are called gumnuts. They are roughly cone-shaped and open at one end to release the seeds.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Nearly all eucalypts are evergreen but some tropical species lose their leaves at the end of the dry season. The leaves are covered with oil glands. These oils are often used to treat coughs and colds.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Many eucalypts change the shape of their leaves as they get older. Young eucalypts have round leaves. When one to a few years old, the leaves of most kinds become longer and spearhead or sickle-shaped. A few species keep the round leaf shape all their lives. Most species do not flower until the adult leaves starts to appear.


title: Eucalyptus

text: The bark dies every year. In smooth-barked trees most of the bark falls off the tree, leaving a smooth surface that is often colourfully marked. With rough-barked trees the dead bark stays on the tree and dries out. Many kinds of eucalyptus trees have smooth bark at the top but rough bark lower down. These different kinds of bark are used to arrange the eucalypts into groups – this is useful because there are hundreds of kinds of eucalypts, and breaking down the group in this way makes the group easier to understand.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Today, specimens of the Australian Mountain Ash are among the tallest trees in the world. They grow at up to 92 metres in height, and are the tallest of all flowering plants: taller trees such as the coast redwood are all conifers. There is evidence that at the time of European settlement of Australia some Mountain Ash were indeed the tallest plants in the world.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Most eucalypts cannot survive frost, or can only stand light frosts down to 3 °C to 5 °C. The hardiest eucalypts are the so-called "snow gums" such as "Eucalyptus pauciflora" which can stand cold and frost down to about 20 °C. Two sub-species (wild varieties) of this tree can survive even colder winters.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Several other kinds, especially from the high plateau and mountains of central Tasmania, have produced extreme cold-hardy forms. It is seed from these hardy strains that are planted for ornamental trees in colder parts of the world.


title: Eucalyptus

text: An oil found in eucalyptus leaves is a strong, natural disinfectant, which is used in some medicines, but can be poisonous if too much is taken. Several marsupials, such as koalas and some possums, are partly resistant to it. These animals can tell which plants are safe to eat by their smell.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts have a habit of dropping entire branches off as they grow. Eucalyptus forests are littered with dead branches. The Australian Ghost Gum "Eucalyptus papuana" is sometimes called the "widow maker", due to the high number of tree-felling workers who were killed by falling branches. Many deaths were actually caused by simply camping under them, as the trees shed whole and very large branches to save water during droughts. For this reason, you should "never" camp under large eucalyptus branches.


title: Eucalyptus

text: On warm days eucalyptus oil vapour rises above the bush to create the well-known distant blue haze of the Australian landscape. Eucalyptus oil catches fire very easily, and bush fires can travel quickly through the oil-rich air of the tree crowns. The dead bark and fallen branches are also flammable. Eucalypts are well adapted for periodic fires – in fact most species are dependent on them for spread and regeneration. They do this in several ways: by sprouting from underground tubers, hidden buds under their bark and from seeds sprouting in the ashes after the fire has opened them.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts began between 35 and 50 million years ago, not long after Australia and New Guinea separated from the rest of Gondwana. Their coming coincides with an increase in fossil charcoal deposits (which might mean that fire was important to them even then). They stayed a minor component of the rainforest until about 20 million years ago, when the gradual drying of the continent and lessening of soil richness led to the growth of a more open forest type, with mainly "Casuarina" and "Acacia" trees. With the arrival of the first humans about 50 thousand years ago, fires became much more frequent and the fire-loving eucalypts soon came to account for roughly 70% of Australian forest.


title: Eucalyptus

text: The two valuable timber trees, Alpine Ash and Mountain Ash, are killed by fire and only grow back from seeds. The same fire which had little impact on forests around Canberra resulted in thousands of hectares of dead forests elsewhere.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalyptus have many uses which have made them important. Because of their fast growth, the main benefit of these trees is the wood. They provide many uses, such as planting in parks and gardens, timber, firewood and pulpwood. Fast growth also makes eucalypts suitable as windbreaks.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts draw a very large amount of water from the soil. They have been planted (or re-planted) in some places to lower the water table and reduce the amount of salt in the soil. Eucalypts have also been used as a way of reducing malaria by draining the soil in such places as Algeria, Sicily mainland Europe and California. Drainage removes swamps which provide a habitat for mosquito larvae, but such drainage can also destroy harmless habitats by accident.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalyptus oil is refined from the leaves by steaming. It can be used for cleaning, deodorising, and in very small amounts in food supplements, especially sweets, cough drops and decongestants. Eucalyptus oil is an insect repellent (Fradin & Day 2002).


title: Eucalyptus

text: The nectar of some eucalyptus produces high quality honey. In the western United States the flowering is in late January, before the flowering of other nut and fruit trees; this means that its nectar can be easily made into its own kind of honey, which is said to have a buttery taste.


title: Eucalyptus

text: The ghost gum's leaves were used by Aborigines to catch fish. Soaking the leaves in water releases a mild tranquiliser which stuns fish, making them easy to catch.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalyptus is also used to make the digeridoo, a musical wind instrument made popular by the Aborigines.


title: Eucalyptus

text: Eucalypts were first introduced to the rest of the world by Sir Joseph Banks, botanist on the Cook expedition in 1770. They have since been introduced to many parts of the world. Several species have become invasive (spreading out of the area they were planted in) and may cause problems for local wildlife.


title: Eucalyptus

text: In Spain, they have been planted in pulpwood plantations, replacing native oak woodland. As in other such areas, while the original woodland supports kinds of native animal life, the eucalypt groves cannot support the local wildlife, leading to silent forests and the decline of wildlife populations. On the other hand, eucalypts help several industries, such as sawmilling, pulp, and charcoal making.


title: Eucalyptus

text: In the 1850s many Australians travelled to California to take part in the California Gold Rush. Much of California has similar climate to parts of Australia, and some people had the idea of introducing eucalypts. By the early 1900s thousands of hectares of eucalypts were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction and furniture making. However this did not happen partly because the trees were cut when they were too young and partly because the Americans did not know how to process the cut trees to prevent the wood from twisting and splitting.


title: Eucalyptus

text: One way in which the eucalypts, mainly the blue gum, proved valuable in California was in providing windbreaks for highways, orange groves, and other farms in the mostly treeless central part of the state. They are also admired as shade and ornamental trees in many cities and gardens.


title: Eucalyptus

text: "Eucalyptus" forests in California have been criticized because they drive out the native plants and do not support native animals. Fire is also a problem. The 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm which destroyed almost 3,000 homes and killed 25 people was partly fuelled by large numbers of eucalyptus in the area close to the houses.


title: Eucalyptus

text: In some parts of California eucalypt forests are being removed, and native trees and plants restored. Some people have also illegally destroyed some trees and are suspected of bringing in insect pests from Australia which attack the trees.


title: Eucalyptus

text: In 1910 eucalypts were introduced to Brazil for timber substitution and the charcoal industry. Regrettably the long term effects were not studied, and in the present the eucalyptus is causing problems because of its high consumption of water. This causes the soil to dry out, killing many local plants which the local animals need to survive.


title: Crime in India

text: Crime in India is very common and happens in many different ways. Along with violent crimes (like homicide, robbery, and assault), and property crimes (like burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson), there are major problems with organized crime, the illegal drug trade, arms trafficking, corruption, and many other forms of crime. The most common types of crimes in India are listed below.


title: Crime in India

text: Organized crime is planned and done by groups of people. Their goals are to gain power and make money in Illegal ways. Common organized crimes in India include:


title: Crime in India

text: India is located between the Golden Crescent (made of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) and the Golden Triangle (made of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos). The Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle are the two biggest makers of opium in Asia. (Opium can be smoked on its own, or it can be made into heroin.) But their opium-making is illicit - secret and illegal. Because of India's location, a lot of this illegal opium is trafficked (snuck illegally) through India's borders.


title: Crime in India

text: India is the world's largest maker of legal opium. But its opium gets diverted (taken away by drug traffickers) to other countries where opium and heroin are illegal.


title: Crime in India

text: India is a common starting point for drug traffickers who take heroin on ships from Southwest Asian countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, and from Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. The heroin is then smuggled from Pakistan and Myanmar, with some heroin also shipped through Nepal. Most heroin shipped from India goes to Europe. There have been reports of heroin smuggled from Mumbai to Nigeria to get the drugs to more countries.


title: Crime in India

text: In Maharashtra, Mumbai is an important centre where people sell heroin. The most commonly used drug in Mumbai is "Indian heroin" (called "desi mal" by the local population). Both public transportation (road and rail transportation) and private transportation are used for this drug trade.


title: Crime in India

text: The Government of India has tried a few ways of fighting drug trafficking in the country. India is a party to (meaning it signed onto and agreed to follow):


title: Crime in India

text: According to a report published together by Oxfam, Amnesty International, and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) in 2006, there are around 40 million illegal small arms in India. This would mean that India had over half of the small arms in the entire world (the world had 75 million, according to the report).


title: Crime in India

text: Most of the illegal small arms end up in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. In India, a used AK-47 costs $3,800 on the illegal black market. But a large amount of illegal small arms are made in illegal arms factories in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and sold on the black market for as little as $5.08.


title: Crime in India

text: Chinese pistols are in demand in the illegal small arms market in India because they are easy to get and cheaper. This creates a major problem for the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. These states are affected by Naxalism. Naxalites are groups of Communist guerrilla fighters in India. (Guerrilla fighters are civilians who attack a regular army.) Many Chinese pistols, AK-47s, and M-16 rifles are smuggled into India through the border between India and Nepal. These weapons are then used by the Naxalites, who have ties to Maoists in Nepal.


title: Crime in India

text: Illegal wildlife trade in India has increased. There are laws against killing some animals, taking rare plants, and smuggling them into other countries. But a report published by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in 2004 said that more traders of wildlife skins go to India than any other country. Between 1994 and 2003, there were 784 cases where the skins of tigers, leopards, or otters have been seized (taken away from illegal traders by police). Also between 1994 and 2003, police seized 698 otters who had been poached (illegally taken or killed).


title: Crime in India

text: Poaching of elephants is a big problem in Southern India and in the North-Eastern states of Nagaland and Mizoram. Most tiger poaching happens in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.


title: Crime in India

text: Once they are poached, leopards, rhinoceros, reptiles, birds, insects, and rare species of plants are smuggled into the countries in Southeast Asia and the People's Republic of China. Often, poachers bring illegal animal skins from India to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, ion the way to Tibet and China. In its report in 2004, the Environmental Investigation Agency said that there was not enough cooperation between India, Nepal, and the People's Republic of China. Because these countries were not cooperating, they could not work together to enforce anti-poaching laws and were not interested enough in fighting wildlife crime together.


title: Crime in India

text: On April 1, 1973, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched Project Tiger, which was first started in 1972. Project Tiger was a wildlife conservation project - a project that tried to protect wildlife from being poached. Project Tiger created 23 tigers reserves (protected areas for tigers), said they had been successful since the number of tigers in India had increased. But critics like conservationist Billy Arjan Singh said that tigers had only moved to India from Nepal because their habitat in Nepal had been destroyed - not because of wildlife policy in India.


title: Crime in India

text: Cyber crime - crimes done by computer - are very, very common in India. Examples of cyber crime include:


title: Crime in India

text: India has tried many things to decrease cybercrime. In May of 2000, the Parliament of India passed a law called The Information Technology Act 2000 was passed by the Parliament of India in May 2000. Its goal was to decrease cyber crimes and start setting up laws to allow e-commerce (where many)ey could be exchanged electronically. However, Pavan Duggan, a lawyer with the Supreme Court of India and cyber law expert, complained that the IT act focused too much on promoting e-commerce and not enough on dealing with cybercrimes. Cybercrime cells have been set up in major cities. But Duggal said the problem is that most cases are never reported because people do not know their rights under Indian law.


title: Crime in India

text: In 2001, India and United States joined together in an Indian-US cyber security forum as part of a counter-terrorism dialogue. In 2006, India and the US agreed to have their law enforcement agencies work together more in fighting cybercrimes. They saw this as an important part of counter-terrorism efforts.


title: Crime in India

text: In 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met to discuss cyber security. Afterward, they held a press conference together. They said that because cyber security and cyber forensic research (like finding evidence in computers) are so important, India and the United States were also talking about a draft protocol on cyber security.


title: Crime in India

text: India has state laws that make it illegal for police to torture people. But these laws are not often obeyed. Torture is often used when people are arrested or jailed by the police. This torture is a major cause of deaths in police custody. The police often torture innocent people until they 'confess' (they say they did the crime). This false confession is then used to save important, rich people who have actually committed crimes. One major problem that keeps police violence possible is a lack of accountability (meaning no one gets in trouble if they torture a person), according to G.P. Joshi. Joshi runs the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi.


title: Crime in India

text: Petty crime, like stealing people's wallets and bags, is common in India. Stealing valuable things from foreigners' luggage on trains and buses is also common. People traveling alone are especially likely to have their things stolen by pickpockets and purse snatchers, who usually work in crowded areas.


title: Crime in India

text: In India, stealing tourists' passports from their luggage on trains and buses is very common. Theft of U.S. passports happens often, especially in major tourist areas.


title: Crime in India

text: Criminals run many scams against tourists, especially in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The criminals usually pick younger tourists to try to scam. They tell the tourists that they can make a lot of money if they move gems or gold, or if they take expensive carpets back home in their luggage to avoid customs duties.


title: Crime in India

text: If a tourist agrees, the scam continues for a few days. Then a new scam artist offers to show the tourist interesting places in the area. The scammers also offer cheap places to stay and meals to the tourist. They do this so that the tourist ends up being with the scam artist all the time. The scam artist is then threatened and maybe hurt, until he gives up his passport to the scammers.


title: Crime in India

text: In 2006, an American became a victim of a scam at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. She lost $77 U.S. dollars.


title: Crime in India

text: Taxi drivers also run scams in India. These scams are run on tourists who do not know their way around India or Indian airports. Some taxi drivers will drive tourists around the whole airport, so they can charge a lot of money for the ride when the part of the airport that the tourist wants to go to was actually very close by. In a report, the Overseas Security Advisory Council talked about taxi scams and how to avoid them.


title: Crime in India

text: There have been more and more rapes of tourists at popular tourist spots. In March 2006, Biti Mohanty, the son of a senior police official in Orissa, raped a German tourist in Alwar, Rajasthan. The next month, a Japanese woman was raped in Pushkar, Rajasthan. In June 2007, a South Korean tourist was raped near Manali. In September 2007, two Japanese women were gang-raped in Agra, a popular tourist spot in India where the Taj Mahal is located.


title: Crime in India

text: The Indian state of Rajasthan is a popular place among foreign tourists. One out of every three tourists that go to India visit this state. Rajasthan has been rattled by rape cases of foreign tourists. The Indian Bureau of Consular Affairs has warned women from the United States not to travel alone in India.


title: Crime in India

text: A report published by the National Crime Records Bureau compared crime rates from 1953 to 2006. The report found that:


title: Crime in India

text: In 2006, 51,02,460 cognizable crimes were committed. In India, cognizable crimes are serious crimes, where a police officer could make an arrest without needing a warrant first. Examples of cognizable crimes include rape, murder, and theft.


title: Crime in India

text: Among the cognizable crimes committed in 2006, there were 18,78,293 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 32,24,167 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes. The IPC crime rate in 2006 was 167.7 compared to 165.3 in 2005, showing an increase of 1.5% in 2006 over 2005. SLL crime rate in 2006 was 287.9 compared to 290.5 in 2005, showing a decrease of 0.9% in 2006 over 2005.


title: The Hague

text: The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: also called , commonly ) is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It has a population of about 546,000 (2020) and an area of around 98 km². It is in the west of the country, in the province South Holland. It is the capital of the province. About 1 million people live in the urban area of The Hague, on about 405 square kilometers.


title: The Hague

text: The Hague is the location of the Binnenhof, the building where the national government of the Netherlands meets. Built in the 13th century, the Binnenhof is the home of the "Eerste Kamer" (literally "First Chamber") or "Senaat", and the "Tweede Kamer" (literally "Second Chamber"). These are the same as the upper and lower houses in some other countries. They form the "Staten Generaal" (literally the "Estates-General").


title: The Hague

text: Willem-Alexander, the king of the Netherlands, lives and works in The Hague. His home is called the Noordeinde Palace and it is not far away from the Binnenhof. All foreign embassies and government ministries of the country are in the city, as well as the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden (The Supreme Court) and many lobbying organisations.


title: The Hague

text: All of this is unusual for a country, because The Hague is not the capital of the Netherlands, which is Amsterdam. This is made so by the Constitution of the Netherlands.


title: The Hague

text: Besides the buildings used by the government, the International Court of Justice of the United Nations is based in the Peace Palace, which is also in The Hague and often referred to as "The Hague" by metonymy. A tourist attraction is Madurodam, which has lots of tiny buildings that look like the real things.


title: The Hague

text: The Hague is part of a large conurbation called the Randstad, where most Dutch people live. It is only an hour away from Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol by train (most of which are run by Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and with its two train stations, is easy to get to from many places in the Netherlands and all around Europe.


title: Simlish

text: Simlish is a made-up language spoken in the "Sims" video games. It was created because changing the Sims' words into the players' language would cost a lot of money and would make the Sims say the same words all the time. Simlish is spoken by Sims, the characters in "The Sims", "The Sims 2", "The Sims 3" and "The Sims 4". Simlish is a language


title: Simlish

text: Written Simlish is seen on "The Sims 2", "The Sims 3", and ‘‘The Sims 4’’. It looks similar to Zodiac symbols taken from the Wingdings font on a computer. Text such as the names of Sims, hints and tips and on-screen messages are all in the selected language (i.e. English, French, Spanish), and are usually written in the Comic Sans MS font.


title: Treehouse

text: Treehouses are platforms or buildings built into a tree. They are constructed around, next to, or in mature trees. They are usually above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space or as an observation deck. A tree house can be a peaceful quiet place for seclusion or solitude.


title: Treehouse

text: Treehouses are often built for children to play. They are a natural extension of children's love of climbing trees. Treehouses can also be a casual retreat or working space, especially if provided with electricity. In many parts of the world guests can rent a treehouse. They can also stay in a treehouse hotel.


title: Treehouse

text: Sometimes they are built for protection against wild animals. In some parts of the tropics, houses are either fastened to trees or elevated on stilts. This is to keep the living quarters above the ground to protect occupants. A tree house can also be a place to store food from scavenging animals. The Korowai, a Papuan tribe in the southeast of Irian Jaya, live in tree houses. Some are nearly high (see image below). They are used as protection against a tribe of neighbouring head-hunters, the Citak.


title: Treehouse

text: Tree houses are an option for building eco-friendly houses in remote forest areas. They do not require a clearing of a certain area of forest. Because they are elevated or built into forested areas, they are not desirable to some people.


title: British Raj

text: The British Raj was the rule until 1947 by the British Empire in Southeast India. "Raj" is a word in Hindi that means "rule". so "British Raj" means rule by the British Empire in Southern Asia. The area is now in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, MyanmarNepal and Bhutan The British Raj is also called the British Indian Empire or the Indian Empire.


title: British Raj

text: The term "British Raj" is used for the direct British rule over areas which had been conquered by the British, known as British India. That included the British influence over many independent princely states. Those areas were governed by their own traditional rulers under the overall authority of the British crown.


title: British Raj

text: Undivided India is another term to mean the whole area of British rule, but it does not take in Burma, which became in 1937 its own British colony. The colony of Aden came under the same government in India from 1858 to 1937, and the same was true for British Somaliland (now part of Somalia) from 1884 to 1898 and Singapore from 1858 to 1867.


title: British Raj

text: British rule ended on 15 August 1947. The borders between India and Pakistan came into effect on the 18 August. Many people died during the partition of India.


title: British Raj

text: Jammu and Kashmir, like the other princely states, had not been under direct British rule. India and Pakistan went to war over this area, which is now divided between them.


title: British Raj

text: The 1861 census showed that the British population in the subcontinent was 125,945. Only 41,862 of them were civilians as compared with 84,083 European officers and men of the Army. In 1880, the standing Indian Army consisted of 66,000 British soldiers, 130,000 natives, and 350,000 soldiers in the princely armies.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is the most famous play in all German literature. It was published in two parts. Part One is very dramatic, and tells the main story. Part II is extremely long, and it is meant to be read rather than acted on stage. It is about Goethe’s philosophy as well as about history and politics.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: Goethe’s "Faust" is a re-telling of the Faust legend which was very famous in Germany. The legend tells of a man called Faust who is tired of studying and wants to have the greatest possible happiness. The devil (usually called Mephistopheles, as he is in Goethe’s play) tells Faust he can help him to do this, but that in the end Faust will have to give him his soul and go with him to hell. Faust makes a pact (an agreement) with Mephistopheles who promises him all his soul can wish for: fine living, gold, women and honour. Faust signs the pact with his blood. Faust uses magic in the hope that it will tell him everything about life. However, in the end Mephistopheles wins his bet.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: The subject of "Faust" occupied Goethe all his life. The name of Faust is mentioned in a comedy he wrote in 1769: “Die Mitschuldigen“. In 1773, when he was 24, he first read the poetry of Hans Sachs, the medieval German poet. He immediately started to imitate the rhythm of Sachs’s poetry. This rhythm is known as “Knittelvers”. It had 4 accented syllables in each line and an AABB or ABAB rhyming pattern, e.g.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: In 1887, long after Goethe’s death, it was discovered that he had made a version of “Faust“ which he never published but later decided to rewrite. This version is known as the “Urfaust” (“Ur” means “original”, i.e. the “Original Faust”). It was written between 1772 and 1775. He changed a lot of it and it became “Faust Part I“. A fragment (small part of it) was published in 1790. Then he finished it in 1806, published it in 1808 and changed it for a new edition in 1829. Part 2 was finished in 1831, a few months before he died, and was not published until a few months after his death.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: "Faust Part One" starts off in heaven. Mephistopheles makes a bet with God: he says that he can go down to earth and meet Faust and make him do bad things.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: We then see Faust in his study. Faust is trying to get to know all possible things. He wants to know about science, humans and religion. He tries to use magic in order to understand everything there is to know, but he thinks he is not managing to do it. For a moment he thinks of killing himself, but then hears people celebrating Easter and decides to go for a walk with Wagner, his assistant. A poodle who has no home follows Faust back to his house.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: In Faust’s study, the poodle changes into the devil (Mephistopheles). Faust makes an arrangement with the devil: the devil will do everything that Faust wants while he is here on earth, In exchange Faust will serve the devil in hell. Faust's arrangement is that, while Mephistopheles is serving Faust, if Faust is so pleased with anything the devil gives him, that he wants to stay in that moment forever, he will die that very moment (in German he says: “Verweile doch, du bist so schön” – “Stay a while, you are so beautiful”. It is perhaps the most famous quotation in all German literature.)


title: Goethe's Faust

text: Mephistopheles persuades Faust to sign the agreement with his own blood. Faust has a few adventures and then meets Margaret (also known as Gretchen). He loves her, and by offering her jewellery, and with help of a neighbour, Martha, Gretchen lets herself into Faust's arms. Faust and Gretchen want to sleep together, so Gretchen gives her mother a sleeping potion so that she does not see Faust. Faust and Gretchen sleep together. Gretchen’s mother dies of the potion. Gretchen discovers she is pregnant. Gretchen’s brother says Faust is bad and challenges him, but Faust kills him (with the devil’s help, of course). Gretchen has given birth to a baby, but she drowns it. She is found guilty of murder and is sent to prison. Faust tries to save her from death, but he cannot free her from prison. Finding that they cannot free her, Faust and the devil run away from the prison cell, while voices from heaven say that Gretchen shall be saved.


title: Goethe's Faust

text: "Faust Part Two" is very different from Part One. It keeps referring to classical literature. The romantic story of the first Faust is forgotten, and Faust wakes in a field of fairies. He has many adventures. The piece is in five acts which each tell of different things. In the end Faust goes to heaven, because he loses only half the bet. Angels, who arrive as messengers of God’s mercy, say at the end of Act 5: "He who strives on and lives to strive/ Can earn redemption still" (i.e. anyone who tries hard in life can still be saved).


title: Goethe's Faust

text: Goethe’s "Faust" had an enormous influence on all art in Western countries. In Germany many writers were fascinated by the legend. They often felt that Faust represented the spirit of the German people. Dramas, epic poems and novels were written about Faust. Composers wrote operas or orchestral music about him. Thomas Mann wrote a novel "Dr Faustus" which compares Faust’s pact with the devil to the way the German people supported Hitler.


title: Gary the Snail

text: Gary the Snail is SpongeBob's pet snail who lives with him in their pineapple house. He meows and acts like a cat. He cannot talk but SpongeBob can understand him. Gary is usually shown to be very smart.


title: Origami

text: Origami is a traditional Japanese art of paper folding. It uses many techniques and various objects can be created. The object is made of origami paper, which is specially made for folding and staying in shape. Many dictionaries and television shows suggest that origami is only paper cranes, waterbombs, and paper planes, but many new models and creatures have been made because new folding techniques have allowed this.


title: Origami

text: When the Japanese first folded origami, they used only one piece of paper. A different kind of origami called "modular origami" uses many small pieces that are the same, which are combined to form one large model. Also, many mathematical shapes can be made with origami.


title: Origami

text: The beginnings of origami are not clear. Paperfolding started in China in the 1st or 2nd century. It finally came to Japan in the 6th century. Instead of making models that looked exactly like things, the first origami models only looked similar to things. People often folded models and gave them to other people for good luck. For example, Shinto nobles celebrated weddings with sake in glasses decorated with origami butterflies, which gave good luck to the bride and groom.


title: Origami

text: There were also independent paperfolding traditions in other countries, like Germany and Spain. The earliest evidence of paperfolding in Europe is a picture of a boat in 1490. There was also a paper box from 1440. Finally, in 1845, "Kan no mado" was written, and it was the first book of origami models.


title: Origami

text: Recently, people have become more interested in origami. In 1954, Japanese paperfolder Akira Yoshizawa created rules to explain how to fold origami models. His instructions on paperfolding are now used in all countries.


title: Origami

text: Peter Engel, who is a well-known paperfolder, says "the best paper [for origami] is thin and crisp and absolutely square." Pre-cut origami paper is sold in many colors, sizes, and patterns. Duo paper, or paper with different colors on each side, is used by paperfolders because it makes areas of different color on the finished model. There are also special papers, like textured, metallic, and patterned.


title: Origami

text: Many people like to make their own paper. Engel describes a process shown to him by Robert J. Lang that is "a sandwich of aluminum foil and two pieces of tissue paper." In this method, two pieces of paper are pasted to each side of the aluminum foil. Many people like origami because there is almost always paper. Copy paper, napkins, wallpaper, index cards, and even paper money can be used to make interesting and unique models.


title: Origami

text: Many paperfolders prefer to use a flat surface to fold models on, but others, like the Japanese, fold in the air. Traditional paperfolders believe that only the hands should be used when folding, but many modern folders use other tools when folding. Tweezers and paper clips can be used to make very small folds. Some folders use rulers or other flat tools to make sharper creases in the models.


title: Origami

text: Pureland origami is origami with one rule: only one fold can be made at a time. British paperfolder John Smith started pureland origami for inexperienced paperfolders or for people with poor motor skills. Hard folds, like the inside-reverse fold, are not allowed in pureland origami.


title: Heat conduction

text: Heat conduction (or thermal conduction) is the movement of heat from one object to another one that has different temperature when they are touching each other. For example, we can warm our hands by touching hot-water bottles. When the cold hands touch the hot-water bottle, heat flows from the hotter object (hot-water bottle) to the colder one (hand). People make things with different thermal conductivity, for example cookware to heat things or insulated containers to keep hot things hot or cold things cold.


title: Heat conduction

text: Other ways to transfer heat are by thermal radiation and/or convection. Usually more than one of these processes happen at the same time.


title: Heat conduction

text: In the atomic theory solids, liquids and gases are made of tiny particles called "atoms". The temperature of the material measures how fast the atoms are moving and the heat measures the total amount of energy due to the vibration of the atoms.


title: Heat conduction

text: Conduction can happen when one part of a material is heated. The atoms in this part vibrate faster and are more likely to hit their neighbors. The collisions cause those atoms also to move faster, passing the heat energy to them. In this way the energy travels through the solid. (Rather like the way energy passes along a set of tumbling dominos).


title: Heat conduction

text: The atomic picture also helps explain why conduction is more important in solids: in solids the atoms are close together and unable to move around. In liquids and gases the particles can move past each other, so the collisions are less common.


title: Heat conduction

text: The law of heat conduction, also known as Fourier's law, means that the rate, in time, of heat transfer through a material is proportional to the negative gradient in the temperature and to the area at right angles, to that gradient, through which the heat is flowing:


title: Heat conduction

text: Thermal conductivity usually varies with temperature, but the variation can be small, over a significant range of temperatures, for some common materials.


title: Languages of the United States

text: English is the "de facto" national language of the United States, with 82% of the population claiming it as a mother tongue, and some 96% claiming to speak it "well" or "very well". However, no "official language" exists at the Federal level. There have been several proposals to make English the national language in amendments to immigration reform bills, but none of these bills have made a federal language. However, some states have adopted the English language as their official language. On the other hand, a lot of another languages, like Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Polish, Finnish, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Hindi, Mandarin, Hebrew, Cantonese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Navajo, Indonesian, Malay, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Portuguese, etc. Are spoken in the United States as second languages.


title: Ö

text: Ö or ö is not a letter used in English, but is used in some other languages, such as German, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Turkish, Swedish and Icelandic.


title: Ö

text: Ö or ö is one of the 4 extra letters used in German. It can be replaced by using the letters Oe or oe. In English language newspapers it is often written as O or o but this is not correct.


title: Ö

text: Internet addresses are often written as "oe" because the internet address system used to only understand ordinary English letters and they are still the most common.


title: Ö

text: German is one of the official languages of Switzerland. It has its own dialect (Swiss-German or Schweizerdeutsch). The Ö or ö is used in the Swiss dialect as well.


title: Stereotype

text: A stereotype is a mistaken idea or belief many people have about a thing or group that is based upon how they look on the outside, which may be untrue or only partly true. Stereotyping people is a type of prejudice because what is on the outside is a small part of who a person is. Like other untrue opinions, stereotypes might be used as reasons to discriminate against another person, or sometimes for a humorous effect in fiction.


title: Stereotype

text: The term was invented in the late 18th century for a method of printing. In the mid-19th century it meant the faithful reproduction of everything which could be printed, whether words or pictures. It made the printing of cheap editions possible, and was used in printing newspapers. The term got its psychological meaning in the 20th century.


title: Gabon

text: The Gabonese Republic, or Gabon, is a country in Africa. It is located on the equator. It has borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Libreville, which is also the largest city in the country. Gabon has an area of almost . 1.5 million people live in Gabon.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon was a colony of France. It became a new country on August 17, 1960. Since 1960, the country has had only 3 presidents. At first it had one-party rule. In the early 1990s, the country switched to a multi-party government.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon is one of the richest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has 4th highest HDI and third highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the region. Gabon has high levels of income inequality, and there are significant amounts of poverty in the country.


title: Gabon

text: Not much is known about the history of Gabon before European contact. The first people who lived in the country were pygmies. Later, Bantu people took over the area after moving down from the North. Not much is known of the local culture, other than tribal art that exists.


title: Gabon

text: In the 15th century, the Portuguese were first Europeans to visit the area. At that time, the coast of Gabon was ruled by the Kingdom of Loango. That was a state that included parts of what is today Angola and Republic of Congo. The Portuguese first settled on the islands of São Tomé, Príncipe, and Fernando Pó. But they visited the coast of Gabon regularly. The Portuguese named Gabon region after their word "gabão" which means a coat with sleeve and hood. Starting from the 16th century, the coast was used for slave trade.


title: Gabon

text: In the 19th century, the French made Gabon part of their Colonial empire. At this time much exploration was done of Gabon's dense jungles. The explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza was one of the most famous to do so. In 1849, freed slaves founded Libreville, which later became the capital.


title: Gabon

text: In 1910 Gabon was one of the French colonies which formed French Equatorial Africa (together with Congo, Central African Republic and Chad). French Equatorial Africa lasted to 1959. On 17 August 1960, Gabon became a new country.


title: Gabon

text: Since 1960, Gabon has only had 3 presidents. In 1961 Léon M'ba became the first president. In 1967 after his death Omar Bongo became the president and ruled the country to 2009. In 2009, Omar Bongo died and his son Ali Bongo Ondimba took over as president.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon is on the Atlantic coast of central Africa. It is on the equator. Gabon generally has an equatorial climate. Rainforests cover 85% of the country. There are three distinct regions: the coastal plains (ranging between 20 and 300 km from the ocean's shore), the mountains (the Cristal Mountains to the northeast of Libreville, the Chaillu Massif in the centre, culminating at 1575 m with Mont Iboundji), and the savanna in the east. The coastal plains form a large section of the World Wildlife Fund's Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion and contain patches of Central African mangroves especially on the Muni River estuary on the border with Equatorial Guinea.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon's largest river is the Ogooué which is 1200 km long. Gabon has three karst areas where there are hundreds of caves in the dolomite and limestone rocks. Some of the caves include Grotte du Lastoursville, Grotte du Lebamba, Grotte du Bongolo, and Grotte du Kessipougou. Many caves have not been explored yet. A National Geographic Expedition visited the caves in the summer of 2008 to document them (Expedition Website ).


title: Gabon

text: The first Gabonese president was Leon Mba. His successor was Omar Bongo, from 1967 until his death in 2009. Under his governance Gabon had just one political party between 1968 and 1990. It was called PDG.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon has nine states. The soil of Gabon is rich in the metals uranium, manganese, and petrolium. Therefore, these three elements, such as metal exploited in Port-Gentil, uranium in Munana, and the manganese in Franceville.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon has a wide culture. Before colonialism, Gabon's people believed their ancestral spirit as religion, like bwiti, mvett, djobi.


title: Gabon

text: After colonialism, others religions such as Christianity and Islam came to be added to the first animist believers.


title: Gabon

text: The Gabon national football team has represented the nation since 1962. Gabon were joint hosts, along with Equatorial Guinea, of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. They were the only hosts of the competition's 2017 tournament.


title: Gabon

text: Gabon has excellent recreational fishing. It is considered one of the best places in the world to catch Atlantic tarpon.


title: Dessert

text: A dessert is a type of food that is eaten after lunch or dinner, and sometimes after a light meal or snack. It is usually a sweet food, like ice cream, cookies, and cakes. In some countries, cheeses such as Brie cheese and fruit are served as dessert. Some desserts are made from natural resources like fruit juice used in sherbet. Others are simple, like pudding and birthday cake. Many desserts are baked (cooked in an oven). Some desserts are served with whipped cream as a topping.


title: Dessert

text: The term "dessert" can apply to many confections, such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, custards, gelatin's, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, sweet soups, and tarts. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses because of its naturally occurring sweetness. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savoury to create desserts.


title: Dessert

text: Baked desserts are made by putting the ingredients in a hot oven. Baked desserts include cakes and muffins (a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, oil, baking powder, and flavorings); sweet breads such as banana bread and raisin bread (a mixture of flour, sugar, oil, baking powder, and flavorings); cookies such as chocolate chip cookies (a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, oil, and flavorings). Puddings and custards (a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and flavorings) can be made in the oven.


title: Dessert

text: Fried desserts are made using a cooking process called deep frying. To deep-fry food, a large pot filled with oil is heated, and then the food is placed into the pot. Deep-fried desserts include doughnuts.


title: Dessert

text: Frozen desserts are made by blending the ingredients in a freezer. Frozen desserts include ice cream (a mixture of cream, milk, sugar, and flavorings), milk shakes (a mixture of ice cream, milk, and flavorings), and sherbet (also spelled "sorbet") (a mixture of water, sugar, and flavorings).


title: Dessert

text: Some desserts are made without using the oven or the freezer. Trifle is an English dessert made by soaking ladyfinger biscuits in sherry, covering them with whipped cream, and then letting it chill in the refrigerator. Some types of instant pudding and instant mousse desserts can be made without cooking; a person simply mixes the instant pudding powder with milk and chills it in the refrigerator.


title: Alternative rock

text: Alternative rock is a type of rock music that started between 1979-1981 and popular by 1992. Alternative rock is made up of various subgenres that have come out of the indie music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, indie rock, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop.


title: Alternative rock

text: These genres are sorted by their collective types of punk, which laid the groundwork for alternative music in the 1970s.


title: Design

text: Design is a visual look or a shape given to a certain object, in order to make it more attractive, make it more comfortable or to improve another characteristic. Designers use tools from geometry and art. Design is sometimes divided to sub-categories: graphic design, buildings and nature design, consumer goods design.


title: Soprano

text: A soprano is a female singer with a high voice. Young boys who sing, and also girls, are usually called trebles. The word “soprano” can also refer to the top line of choir music. This would be sung by sopranos or trebles. Soprano is also used as a name for high pitched instruments, such as a soprano saxophone.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja (Old Norse: “[the] Lady”) is the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, seiðr, war, and death in Norse mythology. A member of the Vanir, Freyja is the daughter of Njörðr, and twin sister of Freyr. The most beautiful and refined of the goddesses, she owns the necklace Brísingamen, and rides in a chariot pulled by two cats, accompanied by a giant boar named Hildisvíni; in addition to this, Freyja possesses a cloak of falcon feathers. She is married to the god Óðr, by whom she is the mother of the twin goddesses Hnöss and Gersemi. Freyja rules over the heavenly field(s) of Fólkvangr, where she receives half of those that die in battle, as the other half go to Valhalla. The minor goddesses Gefjon, Skaði, Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa (Old Norse: literally “Þorgerðr, Hǫlgi’s bride”), and Menglöð all serve as her handmaidens.


title: Freyja

text: Her name is often translated into English as Freya when used nowadays, but the original Norwegian name is spelt "Freyja."


title: Freyja

text: The Valkyries, having chosen who is to live and die in battle, collect the souls of those slain and bring them to Valhalla, where they will feast and make revelry with Odin; Freyja herself shares half of these heroes with Odin. Her sacred realm is the field of Fólkvangr, wherein lies her great hall Sessrúmnir. There, Freyja decides where her warriors shall sit.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja married a god called Óðr. She loves her husband deeply, but he often went away on long journeys, and Freyja cried red golden tears for him. Her tears become gold and amber when they fall to Earth, therefore gold was called "Freyja's tears". They have two beautiful daughters called Hnoss and Gersemi.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja often rides in a chariot pulled by big silver tabby cats (her sacred animal) or on a golden boar named Hildisvíni, who accompanies her in battle. Freyja was renowned for her loveliness and beauty, as the myths tell of three giants who wanted to marry her, but they were all killed by Thor, the god of thunder.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja also has a precious necklace called Brísingamen. The god Loki once stole this necklace, and Freyja had to ask the guardian Heimdall for help. Heimdallr engaged Loki in combat and won against the Trickster, giving the necklace back to Freyja. For this, Loki is also called "Thief of Brisingamen", and Heimdall is also called "Seeker of Brisingamen".


title: Freyja

text: Thrymr, the king of the jǫtnar, once stole Thor's hammer, Mjölnir. When Loki went to Jötunheimr to retrieve the hammer, he found Thrymr, who revealed that he planned to give Mjölnir to Freyja as a wedding gift, as he requested her hand in marriage. When Loki returned to Asgard to deliver the news, Freyja was so angered that the heavens shook, and the necklace Brisingamen broke. When it was decided that Thor would go to Thrymr posing as Freyja (Loki disguised himself as one of the goddess' maidservants), he borrowed the necklace. Upon their arrival, Thrymr threw a huge feast in celebration of the marriage, as he presented Mjölnir to "Freyja" as a wedding gift; Thor then took his hammer, killing Thrymr and all who attended the wedding.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja is a warrior goddess. Whenever she rides into battles, she gets half of the souls of dead heroes. She is also a practitioner of magic, otherwise known as seiðr, and is highly proficient in using it. She has a magical cloak made of falcon feathers which allows her to fly between different worlds.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja is the patron goddess of crops and childbirths. She is also a goddess of love, whom lovers may send prayers to.


title: Freyja

text: Frigg and Freyja were two of the most revered goddesses in Norse mythology. They were especially worshipped by Vikings. Freyja is said to be the kindest among goddesses. In a poem in the Poetic Edda, a young man called Ottar always trusted in the goddesses; he built a rock shrine for the goddesses, and Freyja answered his prayers. She disguised Ottar as her golden boar, and went on a trip to help him find his ancestors.


title: Freyja

text: In final battle of Ragnarök, Odin, and Freyr will die. Freyja is not stated as having died during Ragnarök or surviving.


title: Freyja

text: The day of the week, Friday, is named either after her, or after Odin's wife Frigg. Before Christianity became the dominant religion of the region, the Orion constellation was called Frigg's distaff or Freyja's girdle. Frigg and Freyja may be one and the same goddess.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja is also widely known as Vanadis (Old Norse: Vanadís - "Lady of the Vanir"). The metallic element Vanadium was named after her. The Vanir are close relatives of elves. Freyr is the Lord of the elves, and his sacred realm is Alfheim, home of the elves.


title: Freyja

text: Another well-known name of Freyja is Gefn, which means "Giver", a suitable name for the fertility goddess.


title: Freyja

text: Freyja represents the Norse women of the Viking Age, whose husbands often went away to war. From Freyja's name, noble Norse women were called Fru, and wives were called house-fru. Frau means "woman" in German.


title: South Asia

text: South Asia (or Southern Asia) is the southern part of the continent of Asia. It is also known as Indian subcontinent.


title: South Asia

text: There are 8 countries in this region. It is surrounded by (clockwise) West Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia and the Indian Ocean. Major countries in this part of the world are as follows:


title: South Asia

text: The natural resource most used by the people is the rich land. Most of the people living there are farmers. They produce lots of cashews, rice, peanuts, sesame seeds, and tea. Lots of natural gas are there, but these resources are usually underdeveloped. Many people there raise cattle and sheep. The cattle are raised for their milk or to carry things in Hindu areas. In India, the cattle are very important to the environment because the manure is a fertilizer for agriculturists.