title: Mayan civilization

text: From about 250 to 909, the Maya civilization built many monuments and cities, and made many important carvings. The "southern lowlands" were an important place at the time. The Maya civilization made many discoveries about art and thinking there.


title: Mayan civilization

text: Like Ancient Greece, their civilization was made up of numerous cities, which all worked in different ways. People gathered around these cities to farm. Well-known cities were Tikal, Palenque, Copán and Calakmul. Lesser-known cities were Dos Pilas, Uaxactun, Altun Ha, and Bonampak, among others. In general, we know more about where the cities were in the south than we do in the north. Some northern cities we do know about were Oxkintok, Chunchucmil, and Uxmal.


title: Mayan civilization

text: Their most famous monuments are the pyramids they built as part of their religious centers, and the palaces. The palace at Cancuén is the largest we know about in the Maya area. The Maya also made carved stone slabs which they called "tetun", or "tree-stones". These slabs show rulers along with hieroglyphic writing describing their family, military victories, and other things that they did well.


title: Mayan civilization

text: The Maya had trade routes that ran over long distances. They traded with many other Mesoamerican cultures, such as Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, and other groups in central and gulf-coast Mexico. They also traded with groups that were farther away. For example, people who study the Maya civilization found gold from Panama in the Sacred well at Chichen Itza.


title: Mayan civilization

text: Between 900 AD and 1000 AD, the cities in the southern lowlands had more and more problems until all the people left. The Maya civilization there stopped making big monuments and carvings. People who study the Maya civilization are not sure why this happened. They have many different ideas - some people think there was a big environmental disaster, or a disease affected a lot of people, or there were just too many people for the amount of food they could grow.


title: Mayan civilization

text: In the north, the Maya civilization kept going. Other cultures started mixing with Mayan culture much more. Some of the important sites in this time were Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Edzná, and Coba. At some point, the families who ruled over Chichen and Uxmal got weaker and the rulers in the city of Mayapan ruled all of the Mayan civilization in the Yucatán peninsula until there was a revolt in 1450. After the revolt, the whole area broke up into different cities who fought against each other, until the Spanish conquest of Yucatán.


title: Mayan civilization

text: The Itza Maya, Ko'woj, and Yalain groups around what is now Guatamela were still around, but there were not very many of them. By 1520, they had built themselves back up again and started to build cities. The Itza had their capital at Tayasal (also known as Noh Petén), and people who study the Maya civlisation think what's left of this city is below the modern city of Flores, Guatemala on Lake Petén Itzá. The Ko'woj had their capital at Zacpeten. Some Mayan cultures were still living in the southern highlands.


title: Mayan civilization

text: The Quiché kingdom produced the most famous Mayan work, the Popol Vuh. It talks about the creation of the world, the Mayan gods and goddesses, how humans and animals were created and why the Quiché kingdom was the best one in the Maya civilization.


title: Mayan civilization

text: The Spanish started to conquer Maya lands. It took them a long time (170 years) to finish doing this because the Mayans had no capital city and each city had a different culture. The last Mayan states, the Itza city of Tayasal and the Ko'woj city of Zacpeten, still had people living in them late into the 17th century. They were finally conquered in 1697.


title: Igloo

text: An igloo (or iglu) is a shelter (a place for people to stay warm and dry) made from blocks of snow placed on top of each other, often in the shape of a dome (like half of a hollow ball). They were used in winter as temporary shelters by hunters when they were away from their regular homes.


title: Igloo

text: They were most often built in places where a lot of snow covers the land for weeks or months at a time, such as the far north of Canada and Greenland. Most igloos are built by native Inuit people (sometimes called "Eskimoes"). As they learned to build them better, sometimes people would build larger igloos that would last longer and hold more people, even for dancing.


title: Swan

text: A swan ("Cygnini") is a kind of water bird, from the genera "Cygnus" and "Coscoroba". They are in the subfamily Anserinae, in the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks.


title: Swan

text: Many swans live in colder places, such as northern Europe, Asia and North America. They live on water. They swim on top of the water and eat plants off the bottom of ponds, lakes, or oceans. They also eat insects and other small animals. A baby swan is called a cygnet.


title: Swan

text: Swans are tough, strong birds who will stand no nonsense from dogs or cats. They may open their wings as a warning, but from then on a person is advised to keep clear. Swans are highly protective of their nests. They will attack anything they see as a threat to their chicks, including humans.


title: Swan

text: The swans are some of the largest flying birds. They are large in size and have large feet and long necks. The males are usually bigger and heavier than females. The mute swan, trumpeter swan, and whooper swan are the largest swans. They can be over 1.5m (60 inches) long. They can weigh over 15kg (33 pounds). Their wingspans (this means the length of both wings) can be almost 3m (10 ft).


title: Swan

text: Most swans are white. They are found in the Northern Hemisphere. This means they are found in Europe, Asia and North America. However, the black swan is black with a red beak. It lives in Australia. The black necked swan has white flight feathers, and black outer feathers. It lives in South America. They also have a small area of skin between the eyes and beak that has no feathers. This area can be different colors, such as yellow (for example, on a Bewick's swan) or orange (for example, on a mute swan).


title: Swan

text: Wild swans migrate. They spend the cold part of the year eating and getting fat in one place and move to a warmer place to lay eggs and raise chicks, called cygnets.


title: Swan

text: The coscoroba swan is different to the other swans. Some scientists think it is more like a duck or a goose. It is the smaller than the other swans. This swan lives in South America.


title: Swan

text: Bewick's swans used to spend a lot of time in Ireland and Britain and the Netherlands, but scientists say they have been moving east into Germany. They spend less time in their winter feeding grounds than they did in 1970. Scientists say they are following the changes in temperature in Europe. The scientists found that individual swans do not change where they like to go during their own lifetimes. Instead, different generations of swans go to different places from their parents and grandparents.


title: Bishop

text: Bishop is a type of clergy in some Christian churches. The bishop is the leader of the Christians and the Christian priests in each diocese. The diocese which a bishop governs is called a bishopric. Episcopal is the adjective for bishops. A cathedral is the church building where the bishop has an episcopal throne. The cathedral is the main church of the diocese and the bishop's see. A bishop may be given the rank of archbishop in an archdiocese.


title: Bishop

text: Christian priests in some denominations must be made priests by bishops. In these denominations, bishops are above parish priests in the hierarchy of the church's organization. However, some Protestant denominations have no bishops or archbishops. The Presbyterianism is an example. The leader of the Church of Scotland is the Moderator. The General Assembly elects the Moderator of the Church of Scotland each year. Other Christian movements have neither bishops nor priests: Quakers are one example.


title: Bishop

text: In the Catholic church, the Pope is chosen by all the cardinals from amongst their number. According to church law, this does not have to be the case: any male, unmarried, baptized Christian who is judged fit for the office can become pope. However, the last pope who was not a bishop was Urban VI (elected in 1378).


title: Bishop

text: The pope is also 'the Bishop of Rome'. In fact he rules an independent state within Rome, called the Vatican. All Roman Catholic bishops answer to the pope (or to patriarchs in some orthodox churches). In the Anglican church, bishops are governed by Archbishops.


title: Rain gauge

text: A rain gauge is an instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to measure liquid precipitation (rain) in a certain amount of time. It is usually measured in millimetres and inches. Rain gauge is a meteorological instrument for determining the depth of precipitation (usually in mm) that occurs over a unit area (usually one metre square) and thus measuring rainfall amount. One millimetre of measured precipitation is the equivalent to one litre of rainfall per metre square.


title: Rain gauge

text: Usually a tapering funnel of [mercury] or polyester of standard dimension allows the rain water to collect in an enclosed bottle or cylinder for subsequent measurement. The gauge is set in open ground with the funnel rim up to 30 cm above the ground surface. Some gauges are calibrated to allow the amount of rainfall to be read directly; with others it must be calculated from the depth of water in the container and the dimensions of the funnel.


title: Rain gauge

text: The second type of rain gauge is the autographic gauge which can be either of the tilting type or the tipping type. The recording chart on an autographic rain gauge is mounted on a drum which is driven by clockwork and typically rotates round a vertical axis once per day. For a tilting-siphon rain gauge, the rainwater in a collector displaces a float so that a marking pen attached to the float makes a continuous trace on the paper. The two buckets in a tipping-bucket rain gauge rest on a pivot so that when one bucket has received 0.2 (or 0.5 mm) of rain it tips by gravity, empties the rainwater and allows the other bucket to start collection. During the tip, an electrical switch is closed and triggers a nearby autographic recorder to register each 'tilt', thus giving a fairly continuous record of precipitation and, in a more sophisticated form, even rainfall intensity. Rain gauges must be sited in as representative a location as possible, but the choice of location is difficult, since many precipitation events are highly aggregate. King Sejong the Great was the man who introduced rain gauge to the world. There are advantages and disadvantages of this instrument.


title: Konkani language

text: Konkani is a language from India. Konkani belongs to Indo-Aryan family of languages. It is the official language of Goa, a state in India.


title: Konkani language

text: Some people from the part of India known as Konkan speak Konkani language. Konkan is on the west coast of India.


title: Konkani language

text: The name "Konkani" means "from the Konkan". The word "Konkan" means corner (kona) and piece/part of earth (kana). The name of the language comes from the place where it is spoken.


title: Konkani language

text: People write Konkani in many different scripts (writing systems or alphabets). People from different regions use different scripts. Hindu Konkani people from Goa and Maharashtra use Devanagari script. Konkani people from Karnataka use Kannada script. Christains in Goa use Roman script. Konkani Muslims use Arabic script. Konkani people from Kerala use Malayalam script. Devanagari is the official script.


title: Cello

text: The cello is an instrument used to play music. Its name comes from the Italian language, so it is pronounced “chello”. The full word is violoncello, but when speaking, people normally call it the “cello”. A person who plays the cello is called a “cellist”. The cello is a very popular instrument. It belongs to the string family. It has many uses: as a solo instrument, in chamber music and also in orchestras. It is also occasionally used by pop musicians, e.g. by The Beatles, Björk and Jamiroquai.


title: Cello

text: The cello came into use in the 16th century. At that time there was a family of instruments called the viols. The instruments of the violin family were also developing and there were lots of experiments with instruments of different shapes and sizes. The violone was popular as a bass instrument. It was similar to a modern double bass. The name "violoncello", means "little violone". The cello also has 4 strings. The cello developed as the bass instrument in string groups (the double bass was added later, “doubling the bass” i.e. playing the same as the cello an octave lower). It was used to accompany in basso continuo, playing the same as the left hand of the harpsichord player. When composers started to write concerti grossi (pieces for orchestra and a small group of soloists), they started to give the cello small solos. In this way the cello started to be used as a solo instrument as well. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six very famous suites for solo cello (unaccompanied). They are among the most beautiful pieces written for the cello.


title: Cello

text: Other composers started to write works for solo cello. Joseph Haydn wrote two solo concertos for the instrument. King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia loved the cello, and he inspired Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to write music with interesting cello parts. The cello was now an equal with the other string instruments, no longer just playing a simple bass line.


title: Cello

text: In the 19th century many famous composers wrote cello music. A lot of them were cellists themselves e.g. Carl Davidov, David Popper and Julius Klengel. Some very famous composers who wrote important cello music were: Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Dvořák, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Elgar, Sergei Rakhmaninov. Two famous pieces written more recently for cello and orchestra are the "Cello Symphony" by Benjamin Britten and "The Protecting Veil" by John Tavener.


title: Cello

text: The parts of the cello are similar to those of the violin. The strings are tuned to C-G-D-A, (low to high). The cello is played sitting down and holding the instrument between the knees. There is an end-pin which rests on the ground. This is adjustable in height so that the player can put it in a position to make himself/herself comfortable. The cello is normally played with a bow.


title: Cello

text: The cello has a deep, rich sound. It starts two octaves below middle C, but can go very high. For the highest notes the player can use “thumb position” (a violinist cannot do this). This means that the left thumb is pressing down on one or two strings high up over the fingerboard (“high” means “nearer the bridge” where the high notes are. In fact, it is nearer to the floor). Although cello music is most frequently written in the bass clef, cello music often goes quite high so that the tenor clef is used especially in the solo repertory.


title: Cello

text: The most famous cellist of the early part of the 1900s was the Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. He made the cello popular as a solo instrument today. Casals also discovered the famous Suites for cello by J.S. Bach which had been lost.


title: Cello

text: Some other famous cellists of the last century include Emanuel Feuermann, Gregor Piatigorski, Paul Tortelier, Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich.


title: Cello

text: Cellists of today include Yo-Yo Ma, Julian Lloyd Webber, Octavia Philharmonic, Mischa Maisky, Kirill Rodin, Tim Hugh, Robert Cohen, Ruslan Biryukov, Pieter Wispelwey and Truls Mørk.


title: Vampire

text: Vampires are monsters in legends and stories. The first vampire stories were told in Eastern Europe, but much of how modern people see vampires was created by Bram Stoker in the famous novel, "Dracula". Few people believe that vampires are real, but they are still very popular in movies, television, and books.


title: Vampire

text: Vampires were once people but have a supernatural curse. Some vampires must drink blood to survive. They do this by biting people or animals on the neck with their two long fangs. People who are killed by having their blood drunk by vampires may also become vampires. Others can live off the life energy of people. In many stories, vampires can change into other animals, usually bats, though also wolves, cats or rats.


title: Vampire

text: Dracula is the most famous vampire in fiction, and many movies have been made about him, often with Christopher Lee as Dracula himself. Bela Lugosi is another actor known for the role. "Nosferatu" is also a famous vampire movie.


title: Vampire

text: There is a popular series of books by Anne Rice about vampires. Stephen King also wrote about vampires in the 1970s in "Salem's Lot". The television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" featured a young girl who fought vampires, but also befriended good ones. The series "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer is also about vampires. The movie "The Lost Boys" was about a band of vampires in California. Among many other stories about vampires are "The Southern Vampire Mysteries", which led to the television show "True Blood".


title: Vampire

text: In stories, garlic is often used for keeping vampires away, but it does not actually affect them. Vervain is used to hurt vampires, and in Europe, Though this is not traditional, mirrors have been used to make vampires stay away (in some cultures, vampires do not have a reflection and sometimes do not have a shadow, perhaps as a way of showing that they do not have souls). Not all vampires in stories have this quality (the Greek "vrykolakas/tympanios" had both reflections and shadows), was used by Bram Stoker in "Dracula". In addition to this, in Bram Stoker's "Dracula", it is mentioned that wolf's-bane (or Aconitum) can be used to repel dracula. The reason for this in the novel it is explained dracula is the Wolfman, and can transform into one just as easily as a bat.


title: Vampire

text: The problem with this is that rabid people, especially in advanced stages of the disease, will live for about ten days, at best. This does not account for them getting out of ditches and graves over weeks or months.


title: Vampire

text: Another explanation was given by other people. The disease might be porphyria, rather than rabies. Porphyria is a genetic condition that leads to differences when the body makes blood. Some parts of the blood can not be made in sufficient quantities. Writers for the Toronto Garlic Festival say people with porphyria do not like to eat foods that have sulfur in them, and garlic has sulfur in it.


title: Vampire

text: Psychological disorders can contribute to vampiric behavior. As well as the fact that drinking blood has always been believed to give you the strength of the one you drink from. That belief stems all the way back to ancient civilizations.


title: Vampire

text: There are people in the real world who like to dress and behave like a vampire. Some of them may also drink blood.


title: Constituent country

text: A constituent country is an administrative division of a country which makes up a part of a larger country, or federation.


title: Constituent country

text: The United Kingdom is a sovereign country made of four constituent countries. They are (in order of size) England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While all four are often referred to as countries, they are technically "constituent" countries within a "sovereign" country; UK. They are also sometimes referred to as regions, provinces, nations, or statelets. However, these titles are problematic and in particular, sensitive in Northern Ireland.


title: Constituent country

text: The Kingdom of the Netherlands is made of 4 constituent countries. They are the Netherlands proper, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten all in the Caribbean.


title: Constituent country

text: Earlier (before 10 October 2010) it had 3 constituent countries: the Netherlands proper, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. Before 1975 Suriname was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.


title: Constituent country

text: The Kingdom of Denmark is a sovereign state in Scandinavia, located in Europe. Denmark is made up of three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.


title: Constituent country

text: The Russian Federation is a sovereign state in Eastern Europe and northern Asia. Russia contains twenty-two : , , , Buryatia, Chechnya, , Crimea (internationally disputed), Dagestan, , , Kalmykia, , , , , , , North Ossetia–Alania, Sakha, Tatarstan, Tuva, and .


title: Constituent country

text: Countries may be held (usually by force) as part of a larger country or federation of countries. An example of this was the Soviet Union, which held various countries in eastern Europe by force for up to 70 years.


title: Constituent country

text: Many dependent territories exist. They tend to be small countries or islands which larger countries have "collected" in the course of their history. For example, Guam became a dependent territory of the United States, whereas Hawaii was made a state of the Union (USA). The Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom, but are "Crown Dependencies".


title: Lentil

text: The lentil or daal or pulse ("Lens culinaris") is a bushy annual plant of the legume family. It is a kind of vegetable, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.


title: Lentil

text: The plant originated in the Middle East and was one of the first crops domesticated in the world. Humans started eating lentils before they invented ceramics.


title: Lentil

text: Consisting of 26% protein, lentils have the highest level of protein of any plant after soybeans and hemp. Because of this fact, and due to their high iron content, lentils are a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially in India, which has a large vegetarian population.


title: Lentil

text: Different kinds of lentils exist, including a variety of large and small lentils. Lentils come in colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black.


title: Lentil

text: Lentils are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split. Red, white and yellow lentils are decorticated, i.e., they have their skins removed.


title: Lentil

text: One variety of yellow "lentils", Chana, is in fact not a lentil, but are actually made from the kernels of chickpeas. Split Pigeon peas (either green or yellow) - that are actually considered pulses, which include peas and beans - are also sometimes erroneously referred to and sold as lentils. The urad bean is also referred to as a "black lentil".


title: Lentil

text: The seeds only need very little cooking. This time is especially short for kinds of lentils with their husk removed, such as the common red lentil. Lentils have a distinctive earthy flavor. They can be used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America. Sometimes they are combined with some form of chicken or pork. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. In the Middle East such a dish of lentils and rice is called "mujaddara" or "mejadra". Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular Indian dish. Lentils are used throughout India, the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East. In rare cases the lentils are mixed with dairy cheese.


title: Lentil

text: Many people in India are vegetarian and lentils have long been part of the indigenous diet as a common source of protein. Usually, lentils are boiled to a stew-like consistency with vegetables and then seasoned with a mixture of spices to make many side dishes such as sambar, rasam and dal, which are usually served over rice and roti.


title: Lentil

text: When lentils are prepared, they are first inspected for damaged lentils, stones and other foreign matter. Then they are rinsed until the water runs through and comes out clear. Some prefer to soak the lentils for a longer time and discard the water. This removes substances that may cause indigestion. The lentils are then boiled in water or broth. They may be cooked on the stovetop, or in a slow cooker. Pressure cookers are not recommended, since the small lentils may clog the pressure relief valve, and their quick cooking time means there is little benefit from pressure cooking. Cooked lentils often require thinning: adding more hot water or broth to the cooked legumes until the desired final consistency is reached.


title: Lentil

text: Lentils can be sprouted as can some beans and some other edible seeds (seeds people can eat). Seeds being sprouted are watered and rinsed repeatedly till they start to germinate (grow small roots and shoots). Sprouted lentils can be eaten raw on their own or in salads, they can also be cooked.


title: Lentil

text: Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%). "Health" magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish.


title: Lentil

text: In addition to providing slow-burning complex carbohydrates, lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents, and menstruating or pregnant women, whose requirements for it are increased.


title: Lentil

text: Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought and are grown throughout the world. About half of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. The Palouse Region of Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle, with its commercial center at Moscow, Idaho, constitutes the most important producing region in the United States. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that world production of lentils totalled 3.2 million metric tons (MT) in 2003. Canada produced 520,000 MT and, according to the market analysis company STAT Communications, will likely export 400,000 MT during the 2003-04 marketing year, which runs from August to July. The FAO estimates world trade in lentils totalled 1.2 million MT in 2002, with Canada exporting 382,000 MT during the calendar year.


title: Lentil

text: Lentils are mentioned many times in the Old Testament. In Jewish tradition they are considered as food for mourners, together with boiled eggs. The reason is that their round shape symbolizes the life cycle from birth to death.


title: Grammatical person

text: In grammar, a person is the way of referring to someone taking part in an event, such as the person talking, the person being talked to, the person being talked about. Grammatical persons are accomplished by pronouns, words used to take the place of a noun, in order to make speech easier.


title: Grammatical person

text: The first person is the speaker referring to himself or herself. The second person is the person whom someone is speaking to or writing to.


title: Grammatical person

text: Very few nouns are second-person nouns because people do not usually talk directly to things like tables. In fact, in English, just about the only kind of nouns that are second-person is a small group of pronouns that can be seen in the table below.


title: Grammatical person

text: Sometimes, a person's name is used in the second person, but that's usually just with a baby. For example, instead of saying "you sit here", one could say "Charlie sits here".


title: Grammatical person

text: In English grammar, people do not usually have to do anything special to the verb if they use a second-person noun as a subject. In fact, the verb "be" is the only verb that has a special form for the second person: "are". In other languages such as French though, verbs change in different ways to match the subject. In this table, "tu" and "vous" are the second-person pronouns. We can see how the verb "parler" (talk) changes when people use them.


title: Glasgow

text: Glasgow (Scottish: "Glaschu", Lowland Scots: "Glesga") is the biggest and busiest city in Scotland. It is on the banks of the River Clyde. People from Glasgow are known as "Glaswegians" ("glas-wee-jans"), which is a name also used for words that are used only in Glasgow - also known as "The Glasgow Patter".


title: Glasgow

text: 626,410 (2019 estimate). Many more people live in the areas round the city. There are 1,209,143 people living in the Greater Glasgow urban area. The wider metropolitan area is home to over 1,670,000 people, about 33% of Scotland's population.


title: Glasgow

text: The number of people living inside the city proper used to be much higher. Starting in the early 1960s the old tenements were pulled down and new housing built further out (high-rise blocks were the fashion of the day). Now there is nowhere near the number of people living in Glasgow as during the famous times of the shipyards on the River Clyde. It was said to be the second biggest city in the world after London at one point in the 1800s.


title: Glasgow

text: Many people from other countries visit Glasgow for holidays and trips; most of these people are from Europe France, America (the US and Canada) for weekend and week trips.


title: Glasgow

text: Two airports serve the city, Glasgow International Airport and Prestwick Airport. The main railway stations in the city are Glasgow Central and Queen Street stations. They provide rail links to the rest of Scotland, to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe.


title: Glasgow

text: There are a number of theatres and concert halls in the city. These include the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre), the Royal Concert hall, the King's Theatre, the Pavilion Theatre and the Theatre Royal.


title: Glasgow

text: Glasgow has several football teams - the best known are Rangers F.C. and Celtic F.C.. Partick Thistle, Clydebank, and Queens Park F.C. also play in the city.


title: Glasgow

text: Glasgow has an oceanic climate ("Cfb" in the Koeppen climate classification). The weather in Glasgow is almost always changing, and it is hard to say what the entire day's weather is like. Very often, the weather is worst in the morning when it is mostly damp and sometimes misty or even foggy; the Glasgow Patter also refers to "dreich" weather - damp and drizzly. However, the weather mostly improves through the afternoon and more often than not the weather stays dry and at an average temperature.


title: Glasgow

text: In summer it is popular as a base for tourists. They can stay in Glasgow and then travel to see Loch Lomond and the Western Isles. One of the oldest paddle-steamer boats is in Glasgow, and in the summer one can travel down the Clyde to visit other towns and islands.


title: Jordan

text: Jordan (Official name is the "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan") is an Arab country in southwest Asia, in the Middle East, in the southern part of the Levant region, and the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Jordan has borders with Syria to the north, Palestine and Israel to the west, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, and the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest, where the city of Aqaba is next to the Red Sea.


title: Jordan

text: The capital of Jordan is Amman. Aqaba is the only sea port for Jordan. Jordan is named after Jordan River, which passes on its western borders. Jordan is a country that combines different Arab cultures and dialects, and no natural borders separate it from its Arab neighbors except the Jordan River and the Yarmouk River, which form part of its borders with Palestine, Israel and Syria, respectively. As for the rest of the borders, it is an extension of the Levant Badia in the north and east, the Influence Desert in the south, and Wadi Araba to the southwest.


title: Jordan

text: The terrain in Jordan varies greatly, the most important of which are the Ajloun Mountains in the northwest, and the Shara Mountains in the south, the highest peak on Umm al-Dami Mountain is 1854 meters, and the lowest point in the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point in the world.


title: Jordan

text: In 1921, Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein established the Emirate of Transjordan with the help of Britain, and it was then subject to British rule in the Mandatory region of Palestine. The system in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a representative government. The king exercises his executive power through the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, who, at the same time, are accountable to the House of Representatives (elected) and the Senate (appointed by the king) who are the legislative branch of the state. There is also an independent judiciary system.


title: Jordan

text: Jordan is a founding member of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Jordan is a sovereign constitutional monarchy, yet the king enjoys extensive executive and legislative powers.


title: Jordan

text: Jordan is frequently referred to as an "oasis of stability" in a turbulent region, given that it was mostly unaffected by the violence that engulfed the region in 2010. However, the country's population suffers from relatively high rates of unemployment and poverty.


title: Jordan

text: Jordan is divided into 12 Governorates. The governorates are divided into 54 departments or districts named Nahias.


title: Jordan

text: People from Jordan are called Jordanians. Most of them speak Arabic as their first language. The population of Jordan is about 10.5 million people.


title: Jordan

text: Jordan is a constitutional monarchy and has a king. The King is the head of state, but he does not have all the power in the country. King Abdullah II has been the King of Jordan since February 1999. Most Jordanians are Muslim. There are around 200-400,000 Christians.


title: Jordan

text: Unlike some of the countries around it, Jordan has little petroleum and natural gas. Some of its economy comes from mining instead. Jordan is the largest producer of the mineral phosphate in the world.


title: Moose

text: A moose ("Alces alces"; called elk in Europe) is a large deer. Some authorities put the American moose in a different species, "Alces americanus".


title: Moose

text: A male moose is called a "bull", a female moose is called a "cow", and a young moose is called a "calf". A group of moose is called a "herd". The plural form of moose is "moose”.


title: Moose

text: Moose live in northern Europe, Asia, and in North America. Moose usually live in areas with lakes, marshes and swamps. They also live in mountain ranges.


title: Moose

text: Moose live in North America and also range from northern Europe to Siberia. In Europe they live in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). In North America they live in Canada, Alaska and northern parts of the United States. In 2008 they were re-introduced to Scottish Highlands from Scandinavia.


title: Moose

text: There are about 115,000 moose in Finland, and about the same number in Norway. Alaska has about 200,000. Canada and Russia each have between 500,000 and one million. There are also some in the continental United States. The animal is widely distributed.


title: Moose

text: Moose are active during the day. They live alone, but in winter they sometimes form small groups. Moose eat grass, leaves, twigs, willow, birch, maple shoots and water plants. After a pregnancy of 8 months, the female gives birth to one or two calves. Females can first become pregnant when they are between two and three years old. Young moose stay with their mother for a year; after one year they leave and live alone. Moose usually live to fifteen years old, but they can reach as old as twenty-seven years old. A mother moose will aggressively protect her young. Moose calves are hunted by bears and wolves.


title: Moose

text: A full-grown moose has few natural enemies. Siberian tigers prey on adult moose. Wolves also pose a threat, especially to females with calves. Brown bears are known to prey on moose, although bears are more likely to take over a wolf kill or to take young moose than to hunt adult moose on their own. American black bears and cougars can take moose calves and can sometimes kill adult cows. Wolverine are most likely to eat moose as carrion but have killed moose, including adults, when the moose are weakened by harsh winter conditions. Killer whales are the moose's only known marine predator. They have been known to prey on moose swimming between islands off North America's northwest coast.


title: Moose

text: Because of their dark coloured fur, moose are hard to see when they are crossing roads at night. They are sometimes hit by cars. In some countries like Canada, Finland and Sweden there are moose warning signs on roads and motorways are fenced.


title: Jasmine

text: Jasmine is a genus of plants, "Jasminum". They are shrubs or vines that grow in moderately warm climates.


title: Jasmine

text: There are about 200 different species of "Jasminum". They are also a favourite in gardens. Tea can be made from the flowers. Some species are used to make special oil, perfumes or incense. Women, especially from Asia sometimes wear jasmine flowers in their hair.


title: Jasmine

text: Jasmine flowers are white or yellow in colour, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish. Jasmine flowers are well known for their lovely smell. Jasmine is also a female name.


title: Space bar

text: The space bar, also called the 'spacebar' or 'space key', is one of the most commonly used keys on a computer keyboard. It is used to put a space into something being typed. It is at the bottom of most standard keyboard layouts, such as the QWERTY keyboard. The space bar is wider than all of the other keys on the keyboard.


title: Space bar

text: On many computers, pressing the space bar at the same time as the ALT or CTRL key can activate many useful functions. For example, it can minimize a window in some operating systems. In some web browsers, pressing the space bar makes a window scroll down.


title: The Monkees

text: The Monkees were an American pop-rock band. The band was created originally for a comedy television series of the same name which aired on NBC, from 1966 to 1968. The members of the group were Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz. They had hits with "Last Train to Clarksville", "I'm a Believer", and "Daydream Believer". Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were songwriters and producers who worked with the Monkees. Another writer/producer for the Monkees was Chip Douglas. Many of the songs recorded by the Monkees came from the Brill Building writers in New York City.


title: The Monkees

text: Four actors with musical skills were chosen, out of 437 hopefuls who auditioned for the series. Britisher Davy Jones was under contract to Columbia Pictures, had issued records, and performed on British and American television. Columbia was looking for a project for Jones, and Screen Gems, who would produce the show, was their TV division. Nesmith was from Texas, played in country and rock bands, and had published his own songs. Dolenz was a grown-up from Los Angeles, California, who sang and played in cover bands. Tork had been a working folk musician in New York's Greenwich Village. Each had their own wit and personality, could entertain an audience, and could also sing.


title: The Monkees

text: Other young men who auditioned for the show included Stephen Stills (who showed great talent, but looked too old for a role; he referred Tork, an old friend who looked a little like him), Danny Hutton (who later found fame with Three Dog Night), Harry Nilsson (who later met the Monkees, wrote for them, and recorded with them), and Paul Williams (who had lost a role in "Circus Boy" to Dolenz ten years earlier; the Monkees later recorded his song "Someday Man"). Charles Manson was later rumored to have auditioned, but he was imprisoned at the time.


title: The Monkees

text: Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider wanted to make movies, but had little experience in that. Schneider's father was president of Columbia Pictures, and offered them the chance to make a for a television series. If the series was sold to a network, they could produce and direct , and gain experience.


title: The Monkees

text: Rafelson had already wanted to produce something involving musicians, and their life. When the Beatles appeared in the movies "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!", people enjoyed watching them onscreen, both playing out their lives and performing comedy, along with playing music. Rafelson and Schneider adapted what they saw in the Beatles movies, and also in American movies and television. While the Beatles were always shown as a popular, well-known band, their show would be about an unknown band, looking for the chance to become famous.


title: The Monkees

text: The pilot episode was filmed in the fall of 1965. A first playing for a test audience did not score well, but a re-edited version scored very well, and the series was sold to NBC. To make sure there was enough music for the series, Don Kirshner was hired. His Brill Building songwriters were among the best young talent.


title: The Monkees

text: Actor James Frawley, the son of William Frawley (from "I Love Lucy" fame), wanted to become a movie director. He worked with Rafelson and Schneider, then with the Monkees as they were selected. Before the series began filming, Frawley spent six weeks working with the members, teaching them about in acting and comedy, and helping them learn to play characters.


title: The Monkees

text: "The Monkees" appeared for two seasons on NBC television, with 58 episodes made in all. The show won two Emmy Awards in 1967, for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy. The series gave promotion to the Monkees's records, while their music made people interested in watching the show. While the show's natural audience was children and teenagers, there were also jokes and other things that older viewers could enjoy. The band sometimes talked directly to the audience, and made fun of the fact that they were on a television show. Many episodes ended with short interviews with the Monkees, where they talked about their careers and things that were important to them. This made their fans feel like they knew the members of the band.


title: The Monkees

text: Each episode featured two songs. One was normally a single side, and the other was a new song. The band lip-synched to recordings on camera, and also filmed unrelated scenes, in random places with whatever objects were there. These were edited together and called "romps". The romps looked much like music videos.


title: The Monkees

text: A large problem the Monkees faced was that none of them could play a musical instrument, because the music on their first records was mostly made by studio musicians. Nesmith and Dolenz played guitar, and Dolenz took drum lessons, so he could play drums on camera. Tork played guitar, keyboards and banjo. Jones learned to play drums and guitar, and a custom bass guitar was made specially for him. He also played percussion instruments, like tambourine.


title: The Monkees

text: The band had little experience playing together though, and were not able to make the music needed to begin the show. The producers planned at first to use prerecorded music, and went ahead with that plan. Don Kirshner had good for knowing what would sell well, and took charge of the recordings, limiting the input the Monkees themselves had in making the music. For most of the first season's songs, the members only sang, and did not play on the records. Boyce and Hart also noticed that when all four Monkees were together in the studio, they would try to make each other laugh during takes, and things did not get done. They began bringing the band to record in ones and twos. Kirshner also okayed Nesmith to produce two of his own songs, for each Monkees album. Nesmith could choose musicians and sing, but could not play on the records himself.


title: The Monkees

text: In time, the band improved musically, and wanted another chance to play on their own recordings. They also began to perform live for audiences. Kirshner would not change his mind, issued a whole album without even telling the band, and planned to issue a new single. Nesmith argued with Kirshner and his attorney (putting his own fist through a wall to show his anger), and called a , telling the media about his unhappiness with how the music was made. Many people thought this proved the Monkees were , and did not deserve to be popular. To prove themselves, the Monkees recorded a new single, then a new album, with each member playing instruments. Their new records did not sell as well as their first ones, but they felt better knowing the music was really theirs, and they still had hit records.


title: The Monkees

text: Kirshner issued the single "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (written by Neil Diamond), without getting an OK first. This was reason enough to fire him from the Monkees production team. Kirshner's career was not harmed, and he went on to produce other music his way, including songs for The Archies. He later hosted a show, "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert", which featured bands in a live setting.


title: The Monkees

text: The Monkees became tired of the same "formula" used in episode after episode of the series (Davy Jones would fall in love with a girl, and the rest of the band would help him get together with her), and wanted to try doing a variety show instead. NBC and the show's producers did not want to change the way the show was done. The two sides could not agree, and the show was cancelled, even though it was still popular.


title: The Monkees

text: After the television series ended, the Monkees starred in a movie, "Head", and a TV special, "33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee". Neither was successful, and the band's later records were not hits. The Monkees kept performing for audiences, but fewer and fewer people went to their shows. The band members each quit one by one. Tork left at the end of 1968, saying he was . Nesmith left in 1970, to start his own band. Jones left during 1970, and went back to performing solo.


title: The Monkees

text: "The Monkees" appeared in reruns on CBS from 1969 to 1972, first during lunchtimes and later alongside Saturday morning cartoons. ABC later aired the series, from 1972 to 1973.


title: The Monkees

text: Each former Monkee tried different things during the next decade. Tork worked as a musician, teacher and singing waiter. Nesmith pursued a country music career, then began to make videos. Jones and Dolenz both sang on records. Jones did more theater work, while Dolenz made cartoon .


title: The Monkees

text: Dolenz and Jones teamed up with Boyce and Hart in 1976, to tour and perform the Monkees' old hits. They also made a new album together. Later Jones and Dolenz went to England, to appear in a production of Harry Nilsson's "The Point!" Both stayed in England. Jones appeared in "Godspell" and other musical plays, and retrained as a jockey. Dolenz became a television director and producer. During these same years, Nesmith started his own company, to produce music and videos. Tork went back to performing and sometimes making records.


title: The Monkees

text: "The Monkees" appeared in from 1975 on, usually playing on local television stations during afternoons. A compilation album, "The Monkees Greatest Hits", was issued, and their old hits still played on radio stations. A second "Greatest Hits" album appeared later.


title: The Monkees

text: In 1986, Tork, Jones and Dolenz reunited, as part of an "oldies show" tour. MTV aired nearly every episode of their old series one Sunday, to promote the tour, and it became a surprise hit. Twenty years after they started, a new generation of young people were interested in the Monkees. The tour went from a small one to a major one, and the Monkees were back. MTV and the Monkees worked well together. Nickelodeon, a sister network to MTV, aired their series, and the band appeared on Nickelodeon and MTV during the late 1980s. Nesmith mostly did not join the reunion, because of his production career, but he did make a few rare appearances with them. The other members also kept their solo careers, between tours.


title: The Monkees

text: During the 1990s, the reunited Monkees continued to tour, and appear as guests on television. Nesmith rejoined them for a new album, "Justus", a TV special, and he appeared with them onstage in England. He left when they began to tour the United States, though, and did not return. After 2000, they toured less often. Tork left again in 2001, and Jones and Dolenz last worked together in 2002.


title: The Monkees

text: Every episode of the TV series is for sale on DVD (as is their movie "Head"), and all their record releases are for sale on compact disc. Rhino Records bought the rights to all their works, and still oversees Monkees releases.


title: The Monkees

text: Dolenz, Tork and Jones toured the UK and USA throughout 2011. Davy Jones died on February 29, 2012 in Stuart, Florida. The Monkees then continued to tour with Nesmith, Dolenz, and Tork.


title: The Monkees

text: Peter Tork died on February 21, 2019, at a family home in Connecticut. Peter succumbed to a 10-year bout with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer of the salivary glands.


title: The Monkees

text: Michael Nesmith died from heart failure at his home in Carmel Valley, California on December 10, 2021, at the age of 78.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: The United States Constitution is the highest law of the United States of America. It was signed on September 17, 1787 by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Later, it was put into effect, or ratified, by representatives of the people of the first 13 states. When nine of the states ratified the document, they created a union of sovereign states, and a federal government for that union. That government started on March 4, 1789, which took the place of the Articles of Confederation.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Since 1787, changes have been made to the United States Constitution 27 times by amendments (changes). The first ten of these amendments are together called the Bill of Rights.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: The Preamble is not a law. It gives the reasons for writing the Constitution. The Preamble is one of the best-known parts of the Constitution. The first three words, "We the people," are used very often. The six intentions that are listed are the goals of the Constitution.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article One says that the United States Congress (the legislative branch) will make the laws for the United States. Congress has two parts, called "Houses": the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. This Article says who can be elected to each part of Congress, and how they are elected.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: The House of Representatives has members elected by the people in each State. The number of members from each State depends on how many people live there. Each member of the House of Representatives is elected for two years.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: The Senate has two members, called the legislators, from each state, no matter how many people live there. Each Senator is elected for six years. The original Constitution allowed the state legislatures to choose the Senators, but this was changed later by the Seventeenth Amendment.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article One also says how the Congress will do its business and what kinds of laws it can make. It lists some kinds of laws the Congress and the states cannot make.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article One also makes rules for Congress to impeach and remove from office the President, Vice President, judges, and other government officers.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Two says that the President, Vice President, and executive offices (the executive branch) will carry out the laws made by Congress. This article says how the President and Vice President are elected, and who can be elected to these offices. The President and Vice President are elected for four years by a special Electoral College chosen by the states. The Vice President takes over as President if the President dies, resigns, or is unable to serve.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Two also says that the President is the Commander-in-Chief in charge of the United States military. He can make treaties with other countries, but these must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate. He appoints judges, ambassadors, and other officers, but the Senate also must approve these appointments. The President can also veto bills. However, Congress can override the veto and make the bill into a law anyway.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Three says there will be a court system (the judicial branch), which includes the Supreme Court. The Article says that Congress can decide which federal courts, besides the Supreme Court, are needed.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Three says what kinds of "cases and controversies" these courts can decide. It also requires trial by jury in all criminal cases, and defines the crime of treason.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Four is about the states. It says that all states must give "full faith and credit" to the laws of the other states. It also says that state governments must treat citizens of other states as fairly as they treat their own citizens, and must send arrested people back if they have been charged with a crime in another state and fled.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Four also says that Congress can make new states. There were only 13 states in 1787. Now there are 50 United States. It says Congress can make rules for Federal property and can govern territories that have not yet been made into states. Article Four says the United States must make sure that each state has a republican form of government, and protect the states from invasion and violence.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Any change that is written by Congress or by a convention must be sent to the state legislatures or to state conventions for their approval. Congress decides whether to send a change to the legislatures or to conventions. Three-fourths of the states must approve a change for it to become part of the Constitution.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: An amendment can change any part of the Constitution, except one—no amendment can change the rule that each state has an equal number of Senators in the United States Senate.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Six says that the Constitution, and the laws and treaties of the United States, are higher than any other laws. It also says that all federal and state officers must swear to "support" the Constitution.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Article Seven says that the new government under the Constitution would not start until conventions in at least nine states approved the Constitution.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: Since 1787, Congress has written 33 amendments to change the Constitution, but the states have ratified only 27 of them.


title: Constitution of the United States

text: The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. They were argued over during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, but it wasn't until 1791 that they were ratified by two-thirds of the states. These ten additions or changes all limited the power of the federal government. They are:


title: Constitution of the United States

text: After the Bill of Rights, there are 17 more changes to the Constitution that were made at different times.


title: Inventor

text: An inventor is a person who makes new inventions, devices that perform some kind of function. The devices are mostly electrical or mechanical. Someone that invents new ideas or methods on how to do things may also be called an inventor. Inventors can receive a patent.


title: Inventor

text: Many inventors make small changes to old inventions. For example, people have invented new ways to make clocks over history. Early clocks were sundials, later clocks used water, and pendulums. Modern clocks are often electronic. Other machines such as vehicles are made of many inventions.


title: Northeastern United States

text: The Northeastern United States, or simply the North or the Northeast, is a U.S. region defined by the United States Census Bureau. It consists of the Mid-Atlantic (New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) and New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine). The border states of Delaware and Maryland and other states are sometimes included in other definitions of the Northeast, but the Census Bureau considers both states to be part of the Southern United States. Cities in the Northeast include Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.


title: Northeastern United States

text: The following table provides information about the population, size (land area) and population density of states in the Northeast region as defined by the U.S. Census bureau. Population density is defined as the population divided by the area of land in the state or region. The rank column in the table shows how the states rank among the entire 50 states in population density. Note that New Jersey has the highest population density of any state and that the 4 highest density states are all in the Northeast. The rank for the Census divisions (in pink) is the rank in population density among the 9 total divisions in the country. Note that the two divisions in the Northeast (New England and Middle Atlantic) are ranked #1 and #2 in the 2013 population estimate. The South Atlantic region was close behind New England and is projected to surpass New England in the next population estimate because it is growing faster. Finally, note that the entire Northeast region is ranked #1 among the 4 Census Bureau regions. With 345.5 people per square mile, the population density of the Northeast is about 2.5 times the density or the #2 ranked region which is the South.


title: SPQR

text: SPQR are the initials of a Latin phrase "Senātus Populusque Rōmānus". It means "The Roman Senate and People" or "The Senate and People of Rome".


title: SPQR

text: It refers to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It is still used as an official emblem of the modern-day municipality of Rome.


title: SPQR

text: SPQR appears on Roman coins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and on the flag (vexilloid) of the Roman legions.


title: SPQR

text: The phrase appears in Roman political, legal and historical literature, such as the speeches of Cicero and "Ab Urbe Condita Libri" ("Books from the Founding of the City") of Livy.


title: SPQR

text: The date of first use of SPQR is not known. It first appears in inscriptions of the later Republic, from about 80 BC onwards. It last appears on coins of Constantine the Great (ruled AD 312-337), the first Christian Roman emperor.


title: SPQR

text: The signature continued in use under the Roman Empire. The emperors were considered the representatives of the people, although the decrees of the Senate were dictated by the wishes of the emperor.


title: SPQR

text: Similar language in more modern political and social revolutions no doubt comes from this usage. During the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, SPQR was emblazoned on many public buildings in an attempt to promote his dictatorship as a "New Roman Empire"


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a country in Central Asia. The country is landlocked (has no coast) and mountainous. It has borders with China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Its capital is Bishkek. It was a socialist republic of the Soviet Union, but became independent in 1991. The country was peaceful in the 1990s. Its president, Askar Akayev showed an autocratic and authoritarian character.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: In 2005, there was an unexpected revolution after the elections of parliament (the legislature) in March. President Akayev resigned on April 4 of that year. Opposition leaders formed a coalition (a group from more than one party), and a new government was formed, led by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Feliks Kulov.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: At the moment, different political groups are fighting for power in the republic. Three of the 75 elected members of Parliament have been murdered. Kyrgyzstan’s main religion is Islam.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It is farther from the ocean than any other country in the world. It borders Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mountains cover over 80% of the country.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Issyk-Kul Lake is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It is the largest mountain lake in Asia and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. Peak Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest point. The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Bishkek, the capital city, is in the north. It is largest city in Kyrgyzstan. The second largest is the ancient town of Osh.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Kyrgyzstan was the second poorest country in the former Soviet Union next to Tajikistan. Now it is the second poorest country in Central Asia.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Agriculture is an important part of the economy in Kyrgyzstan. Much farming is still being done by hand and by horse. Main crops include wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources. It has small petroleum and natural gas reserves. Among its mineral reserves are solid amount of coal, gold, uranium, antimony and other metals but not iron. Metallurgy is an important industry.


title: Kyrgyzstan

text: Imports include petroleum and natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, most machinery, wood and paper products, food and construction materials. Its trade partners are Germany, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.


title: Ostrich

text: The ostrich ("Struthio camelus") is a large flightless bird that lives in Africa. They are the largest living bird species, and have the biggest eggs of all living birds. Ostriches do not fly, but can run faster than any other bird.


title: Ostrich

text: They are ratites, a useful grouping of medium to large flightless birds. Ostriches have the biggest eyes of all land animals.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches have long legs and a long neck, but they have a small head. Male ostriches have black feathers and female ostriches have gray and brown feathers. Both males and females have white feathers on their wings and tails.


title: Ostrich

text: Male ostriches can be 1.8 - 2.7 meters / 6 – 9 feet tall, while female ostriches are 1.7 – 2 meters / 5.5 - 6.5 ft tall. They can run with a speed of about 65 kilometers per hour/40 miles per hour.


title: Ostrich

text: ]Ostriches now only live in Africa. They live in open grassland called savanna in the Sahel, and in parts of East Africa and south-west Africa. Some ostriches live in areas of the Sahara desert. There used to be ostriches in Middle East in the 20th century and, further back, also


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches mainly eat plant matter, but they also eat insects. The plant matter consists of seeds, shrubs, grass, fruits and flowers while the insects they eat include locusts. Ostriches do not have teeth, and so cannot grind food as mammals do. Instead, they swallow pebbles. An adult ostrich carries about 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of stones in its gizzard, a special sac just before the stomach. The pebbles grind the food, and help its digestion. When eating, their gullet is filled with food. After that, the food is passed down their esophagus in the form of a ball called a bolus. The bolus may be as much as 210 ml (7.1 US fl oz). Ostriches can live without drinking for several days.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches normally spend the winter months in pairs or alone. During breeding season and sometimes during extreme rainless periods Ostriches live in nomadic groups of five to 50 birds (led by a top hen) that often travel together with other grazing animals, such as zebras or antelopes.


title: Ostrich

text: With their acute eyesight and hearing, Ostriches can sense predators such as lions from far away. When being pursued by a predator, they have been known to reach speeds in excess of , and can maintain a steady speed of , which makes the Ostrich the world's fastest two-legged animal. When lying down and hiding from predators, the birds lay their heads and necks flat on the ground, making them appear as a mound of earth from a distance. This even works for the males, as they hold their wings and tail low so that the heat haze of the hot, dry air that often occurs in their habitat aids in making them appear as a nondescript dark lump.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. In much of their habitat, temperatures vary as much as between night and day. Their temperature control mechanism relies on action by the bird, which uses its wings to cover the naked skin of the upper legs and flanks to conserve heat, or leaves these areas bare to release heat.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches become sexually adults when they are 2 to 4 years old; females are adults about six months younger than males. The mating process differs in different places. Territorial males hiss and use other sounds to claim mating rights over a harem of two to seven hens.


title: Ostrich

text: Fights usually last just minutes, but the ostriches can kill each other by slamming their heads into opponents. The winning male will then mates with all the females in the area, but he will only form a pair bond with the dominant female.


title: Ostrich

text: The females lay their eggs in one shared nest, a pit dug into the ground, deep and wide. The male ostrich digs the pit. The dominant female lays her eggs first, and when it is time to cover them to keep them warm, she pushes the eggs from the weakest females out. Most of the time, she leaves about 20 in most cases.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs (and the yolk is the largest single cell), but they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird. — on average they are long, wide, and weigh , over 20 times the weight of a chicken egg. The eggs are incubated by the females by day and by the males by night. This uses the colouration of the two sexes to escape detection of the nest, as the drab female blends in with the sand, while the black male is nearly undetectable in the night. The incubation period is 35 to 45 days.


title: Ostrich

text: Males and females cooperate in rearing chicks. The male defends the hatchlings and teaches them to feed. The survival rate is low for the hatchlings, with an average of one per nest surviving to adulthood.


title: Ostrich

text: When threatened, the ostrich will either hide itself by lying flat against the ground, or will run away. If cornered, it can attack with a kick from its powerful legs. Common predators of nests and young ostriches include jackals, various birds of prey, mongoose and vultures. Animals that prey on ostriches of all ages include cheetahs, lions, leopards, african dogs, and spotted hyena. Ostriches can often outrun their predators in a pursuit and can even outpace cheetahs over long distances. However, they may sometimes fight fiercely against predators, especially when chicks are being defended. They have sometimes killed lions in such fights.


title: Ostrich

text: There is no doubt that the ratites are not a monophyletic group, because they are not descended from a single ancestor. That means the taxonomy of the group is going to change, and they will not all be placed in the Order Struthioniformes as they have been. However, as ornothologists have not yet agreed on a new classification, for the time being the useful term 'ratites' is still used.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches are likely to be placed alone in the order Struthioniformes. They have a number of peculiarities which suggest a separate evolution from the rest of the ratites. They lack a gallbladder. They have three stomachs, and the caecum is long. Unlike all other living birds, the Ostrich secretes uric acid separately from faeces. Unlike all other birds, who store the uric acid and faeces together, and excrete them together, ostriches store the faeces at the end of their rectum. They also have unique pubic bones that are fused to hold their gut. Unlike most birds the males have a penis, which is retractable and long. Their palate (bone on the roof of the mouth) differs from other ratites.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches are farmed in several countries. They used to be prized for their feathers, but are now farmed for their meat and eggs. Their skin can also be used to make leather.


title: Ostrich

text: In South Africa, hunters can get one group of feathers from one wild ostrich. When they are farmed, every seven or eight months farmers can take groups of feathers from the ostriches. They will grow back and can be collected again a in seven or eight more months.


title: Ostrich

text: When threatened, Ostriches run away, but they can cause serious injury and death with kicks from their powerful legs. Their legs can only kick forward.


title: Ostrich

text: Ostriches reared entirely by humans may not direct their courtship behaviour at other Ostriches, but toward their human keepers. Ostriches live 30 to 40 years on average.


title: Ostrich

text: It is sometimes said that ostriches will hide their heads in the ground when they are scared or threatened, but this is not true.


title: Ostrich

text: In some countries, people race each other on the back of Ostriches. The practice is common in Africa and is relatively unusual elsewhere. The Ostriches are ridden in the same way as horses with special saddles, reins, and bits. However, they are harder to manage than horses.


title: Statistics

text: Statistics is a branch of applied mathematics that deals with collecting, organising, analysing, reading and presenting data. Descriptive statistics make summaries of data. Inferential statistics makes predictions. Statistics helps in the study of many other fields, such as science, medicine, economics, psychology, politics and marketing. Someone who works in statistics is called a statistician. In addition to being the name of a field of study, the word "statistics" can also mean numbers that are used to describe data or relationships.


title: Statistics

text: The first known statistics are census data. The Babylonians did a census around 3500 BC, the Egyptians around 2500 BC, and the Ancient Chinese around 1000 BC.


title: Statistics

text: Starting in the 16th century mathematicians such as Gerolamo Cardano developed probability theory, which made statistics a science. Since then, people have collected and studied statistics on many things. Trees, starfish, stars, rocks, words, almost anything that can be counted has been a subject of statistics.


title: Statistics

text: Before we can describe the world with statistics, we must collect data. The data that we collect in statistics are called measurements. After we collect data, we use one or more numbers to describe each observation or measurement. For example, suppose that we want to find out how popular a certain TV show is. We can pick a group of people (called a "sample") out of the total population of viewers. Then we ask each viewer in the sample how often they watch the show. The sample is data that one can see, and the population is data that one cannot see (assuming that not every viewer in the population are asked). For another example, if we want to know whether a certain drug can help lower blood pressure, we could give the drug to people for some time and measure their blood pressure before and after.


title: Statistics

text: Numbers that describe the data one can see are called descriptive statistics. Numbers that make predictions about the data one cannot see are called inferential statistics.


title: Statistics

text: Descriptive statistics involves using numbers to describe features of data. For example, the average height of women in the United States is a descriptive statistic: it describes a feature (average height) of a population (women in the United States).


title: Statistics

text: Once the results have been summarized and described, they can be used for prediction. This is called inferential statistics. As an example, the size of an animal is dependent on many factors. Some of these factors are controlled by the environment, but others are by inheritance. A biologist might therefore make a model that says that there is a high probability that the offspring will be small in size—if the parents were small in size. This model probably allows to predict the size in better ways than by just guessing at random. Testing whether a certain drug can be used to cure a certain condition or disease is usually done by comparing the results of people who are given the drug against those who are given a placebo.


title: Statistics

text: Most often, we collect statistical data by doing surveys or experiments. For example, an opinion poll is one kind of survey. We pick a small number of people and ask them questions. Then, we use their answers as the data.


title: Statistics

text: The choice of which individuals to take for a survey or data collection is important, as it directly influences the statistics. When the statistics are done, it can no longer be determined which individuals are taken. Suppose we want to measure the water quality of a big lake. If we take samples next to the waste drain, we will get different results than if the samples are taken in a far-away and hard-to-reach spot of the lake.


title: Statistics

text: We can reduce chance errors by taking a larger sample, and we can avoid some bias by choosing randomly. However, sometimes large random samples are hard to take. And bias can happen if different people are not asked, or refuse to answer our questions, or if they know they are getting a fake treatment. These problems can be hard to fix. See standard error for more.


title: Statistics

text: The middle of the data is called an average. The average tells us about a typical individual in the population. There are three kinds of average that are often used: the mean, the median and the mode.


title: Statistics

text: This means that one calculates the mean by adding up all the values, and then divide by the number of values. For the example above, the mean is:


title: Statistics

text: The problem with the mean is that it does not tell anything about how the values are distributed. Values that are very large or very small change the mean a lot. In statistics, these extreme values might be errors of measurement, but sometimes the population really does contain these values. For example, if there are 10 people in a room who make $10 per day and 1 who makes $1,000,000 per day. The mean of the data is $90,918 per day. Even though it is the average amount, the mean in this case is not the amount any single person makes, and thus is not very useful for some purposes.


title: Statistics

text: The median is the middle item of the data. For a given data formula_5, this is sometimes written as formula_6. To find the median, we sort the data from the smallest number to the largest number, and then choose the number in the middle. If there is an even number of data, there will not be a number right in the middle, so we choose the two middle ones and calculate their mean. In our example above, there are 10 items of data, the two middle ones are "57" and "64", so the median is (57+64)/2 = 60.5.


title: Statistics

text: As another example, like the income example presented for the mean, consider a room with 10 people who have incomes of $10, $20, $20, $40, $50, $60, $90, $90, $100, and $1,000,000. Here, the median is $55, because $55 is the average of the two middle numbers, $50 and $60. If the extreme value of $1,000,000 is ignored, the mean is $53. In this case, the median is close to the value obtained when the extreme value is thrown out. The median solves the problem of extreme values as described in the definition of mean above.


title: Statistics

text: The mode is the most frequent item of data. For example, the most common letter in English is the letter "e". We would say that "e" is the mode of the distribution of the letters.


title: Statistics

text: As another example, if there are 10 people in a room with incomes of $10, $20, $20, $40, $50, $60, $90, $90, $90, $100, and $1,000,000, then the mode is $90, because $90 occurs three times and all other values occur fewer than three times.


title: Statistics

text: There can be more than one mode. For example, if there are 10 people in a room with incomes of $10, $20, $20, $20, $50, $60, $90, $90, $90, $100, and $1,000,000, the modes are $20 and $90. This is bi-modal, or has two modes. Bi-modality is very common, and it often indicates that the data is the combination of two different groups. For instance, the average height of all adults in the U.S. has a bi-modal distribution. This is because males and females have separate average heights of 1.763 m (5 ft 9 + 1⁄2 in) for men and 1.622 m (5 ft 4 in) for women. These peaks are apparent when both groups are combined.


title: Statistics

text: Another thing we can say about a set of data is how spread out it is. A common way to describe the spread of a set of data is the standard deviation. If the standard deviation of a set of data is small, then most of the data is very close to the average. If the standard deviation is large, though, then a lot of the data is very different from the average.


title: Statistics

text: The standard deviation of a sample is generally different from the standard deviation of its originating population . Because of that, we write formula_7 for population standard deviation, and formula_8 for sample standard deviation.


title: Statistics

text: If the data follows the common pattern called the normal distribution, then it is very useful to know the standard deviation. If the data follows this pattern (we would say the data is "normally distributed"), about 68 of every 100 pieces of data will be off the average by less than the standard deviation. Not only that, but about 95 of every 100 measurements will be off the average by less than two times the standard deviation, and about 997 in 1000 will be closer to the average by less than three standard deviations.


title: Statistics

text: We also can use statistics to find out that some percent, percentile, number, or fraction of people or things in a group do something or fit in a certain category.


title: Statistics

text: For example, social scientists used statistics to find out that 49% of people in the world are males.


"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is a proverb. It means that if a person does not take time off from work, they will become both bored and boring.


title: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

text: The saying in its current form first appeared in James Howell's "Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish" (1659). Some writers have added a second part to the saying, such as Maria Edgeworth in her book "Harry and Lucy Concluded" (1825):


title: Mining

text: Mining is the process of digging things out of the ground. Any material that cannot be grown must be mined. Mining things from the ground is called "extraction". Mining can include extraction of metals and minerals, like coal, diamond, gold, silver, platinum, copper, tin and iron. Mining can also include other things like oil and natural gas.


title: Mining

text: Some mining is done by scraping away the soil (dirt) from the top of the ground. This is called "surface mining". Some mining is done by going deep underground into a "mine shaft". This is called "underground mining". Some mining, such as gold mining, is done in other ways. Gold can be mined by searching in the bed of a river or other stream of water to remove the flakes of gold. This is called "panning" or "placer mining".


title: Mining

text: A worker in a mine is called a miner. Underground mining is a dangerous job. Many mines have accidents. Hundreds of miners die every year from accidents, mostly in poor countries. Safety rules and special safety equipment is used to try and protect miners from accidents. Underground coal mining is especially dangerous because coal can give off poisonous and explosive gases.


title: Mining

text: Some towns are mining towns. People live there because they can make money as miners or by doing things for miners. When mining stops the town may become a ghost town.


title: Mining

text: Mining operations often make the environment worse, both during the mining activity and after the mine has closed. Hence, most countries have passed regulations to decrease the effect of mining. Work safety has long been a concern, and has been improved in mines.


title: Sudan

text: Sudan is a country in Africa. The official name of Sudan is The Republic of the Sudan. Its capital and largest city is Khartoum.


title: Sudan

text: Sudan borders by Egypt to the north, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, and Libya to the northwest. Sudan has a sea to the northeast called the Red Sea.


title: Sudan

text: Sudan used to have the largest area of all the countries in Africa. However, on July 9, 2011, the southern part of the country left and became a new country, South Sudan. Sudan now has an area of . It is the third largest country in Africa by area. The Nile flows through Sudan, providing water to crops. There are many different tribal and ethnic groups, though the country is mainly divided between the north, which has more Arabic people, and the south, which has more people of African descent.


title: Sudan

text: People from Sudan are called Sudan People. About 45 million people live in Sudan. Almost two million people live in the capital Khartoum.


title: Sudan

text: Arabic (Cool Language) is the official language of Sudan. Most of the people speak in the Sudan People dialect, called Sudan People Arabic. Beja and Hausa are other Afro-Asiatic languages that are spoken in certain parts of the country. Dinka and Nuer are the main Nilo-Saharan languages spoken in Sudan. Several Nubian and Niger-Congo languages are also spoken. As a former colony of Great Brittain, English is also spoken throughout the country.


title: Sudan

text: Islam is the official state religion and the majority of Sudan people is Muslim, mostly sunni. Along the southern border there are also people who are Christian or animist.


title: Sudan

text: For several years, the Darfur conflict has been going on in Sudan. Over 400,000 people have died in it.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma () is a state that is in the southern part of the Central United States. It had a population of about 3,751,351 people in 2010. The state has a land area of about . Oklahoma is the 28th largest state by population and the 20th largest state by area. The name of the state comes from the Choctaw words "okla" and "humma". It means "Red People". It is also known by its nickname, "The Sooner State." The state was formed from Indian Territory on November 16, 1907. It was the 46th state to become part of the United States. The people who live in the state are known as "Oklahomans" or "Okies". The state's capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.


title: Oklahoma

text: In the past, Oklahoma was used as a path for cattle drives, a place for southern settlers, and a government-made territory for Native Americans.


title: Oklahoma

text: The state is a large producer of natural gas, oil and food. It has large industries in aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology. The state has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation. Between 2005 and 2006, it had the third highest percentage of income growth and the highest percentage in gross domestic product growth. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are the main economic areas of Oklahoma. Almost 60 percent of Oklahomans live in these two metropolitan statistical areas.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma has small mountain ranges, prairies, and eastern forests. Most of Oklahoma is in the Great Plains. It is regularly hit by severe weather.


title: Oklahoma

text: The cultural heritage of Oklahoma is made from by a population descending from many cultures. These include German, Irish, British and Native American people. There are more than 25 Native American languages are spoken in Oklahoma, more than in any other state. Many people in Oklahoma believe in evangelical Christianity. The state is part of the Bible Belt. Oklahoma is one of the most politically conservative states, but voter registration is largest for the Democratic Party.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma has only been a state for a little over a century, but its history is much longer. Arrow heads from the Clovis culture, Native Americans who traveled through Oklahoma have been found near the city Anadarko. These arrow heads are about 11,000 years old. The Spiro Mound Building Indians were the state's first permanent settlers. In 1541 the Spanish explorer Coranado traveled through Oklahoma while in search of the Lost City of Gold. During the 1830s, the Five Civilized Tribes were forced to move from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears.


title: Oklahoma

text: During the American Civil War (1861–1865), several Indian tribes sided with the Confederacy. The tribes owned slaves. They agreed with the ideas of the states that seceded from the United States. Also, the tribes were not happy that the federal government did not do what it told them it would do. Not all the tribes sided with the Confederacy. Some tribes had taken control of several forts. This caused much of the Indian Territory to be under Confederate control, but Oklahoma did not become a Confederate state. The Battle of Honey Springs near Fort Gibson on July 17, 1863 was won by the Union forces. This ended the Confederate control of Indian Territory.


title: Oklahoma

text: On April 22, 1890, the western part of the state was opened to almost 50,000 settlers for the Oklahoma Land Run. During this land run Oklahoma got its nickname, "The Sooner State". The nickname came from the settlers who crossed the territory's borders before the land was opened by the government. A year later, the western part of the territory was turned into Oklahoma territory. The northeastern part, which was home to the Five Civilized Tribes, stayed under the control of the tribes. On November 16, 1907, the western and eastern territories joined together. They became the 46th state of the United States.


title: Oklahoma

text: The newly formed state became an important place for the oil industry. The oil pools in the area caused the population of towns to grow very quickly. Tulsa became known as the "Oil Capital of the World" for most of the 20th century. The oil was a large part of the state's early economy.


title: Oklahoma

text: In 1927, Tulsa businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began a movement to make U.S. Route 66. Avery used section of highway that was already built between Tulsa and Amarillo, Texas to make the original portion of Highway 66. He was the main person responsible for making the U.S. Highway 66 Association to watch over the building of Route 66.


title: Oklahoma

text: During the 1930s, northwestern Oklahoma went through a period of time called the Dust Bowl. The area had little rainfall and high temperatures. This caused thousands of farmers to go into poverty and forced them to move to other parts of the United States. From 1930 to 1950, the state saw its only loss in population. It lost 6.9 percent of the people who lived there. Because of the Dust Bowl, the state made hundreds of reservoirs and man-made lakes. By the 1960s, more than 200 man-made lakes had been made. This is the most in the United States.


title: Oklahoma

text: The song "Oklahoma!" was made the official song of the state in 1953. The song comes from the 1943 Broadway musical play "Oklahoma!". The story is set in Oklahoma Territory in 1906 just before Oklahoma became a state.


title: Oklahoma

text: On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed by Timothy McVeigh. 168 people were killed in the bombing. This was the worst terrorism attack in the United States before the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. McVeigh and his partner, Terry Nichols, were both convicted of the bombing. Some people think other people were involved. McVeigh was later sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. His partner, Nichols, was convicted of 161 counts of first degree murder. Nichols is spending the rest of his life in prison without the chance of being released.


title: Oklahoma

text: The name "Oklahoma" comes from the Choctaw phrase "okla" "humma". This means "red" ("humma") "people" ("okla"). Choctaw Chief Allen Wright gave it that name in 1866 during treaty talks with the federal government about the use of Indian Territory. He dreamed of an all-Indian state with power held by the United States Superintendent of Indian Affairs. "Okla humma" was a phrase in the Choctaw language that meant the same as the English word "Indian". It was used to describe the Native American people all together. "Oklahoma" later became the "de facto" name for Oklahoma Territory. It was officially accepted in 1890, two years after the area was opened to white settlers.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma is the 20th-largest state in the United States. It covers an area of ( are land and are water). The state is shaped like a pan with a long, thin section on the west side. This section, known as the "Panhandle", is from west to east, and from north to south.


title: Oklahoma

text: It is one of six states on the Frontier Strip. The state is partly in the Great Plains near the center of the 48 continental states. It shares borders with Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.


title: Oklahoma

text: The highest point in the state is the Black Mesa, in the Panhandle at . The lowest point is Little River east of Idabel in the southeast part of the state at above sea level. There are four mountain ranges in Oklahoma. They are the Ouachita, Arbuckle, Wichita and Kiamichi ranges. All of the ranges are in the southern part of the state. Forests make up about 24 percent of the state. The state is also known for having more man-made lakes than any other state in the country. These lakes cover more than with water.


title: Oklahoma

text: By the start of the 21st century, conservative Republicans are the growing force in Oklahoma, but Democrats are still a major factor in statewide politics. In 2006, the incumbent Democrat governor won re-election by 66% over a former Republican Congressman. Despite the landslide victory for the Democrats, the Republicans gained two seats in the State Senate, making a 24 Democrat, 24 Republican tie in the senate, and increased their lead in the house of 57-44.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma is in a temperate area of the country. The state sometimes sees extreme temperatures and rain that is commonly found in a continental climate. All of the state frequently has temperatures above or below .


title: Oklahoma

text: It snows in Oklahoma. In the northwest near the Colorado border, the area can get nearly in snowfall during the winter. The southeastern part of the state usually gets less than in snowfall.


title: Oklahoma

text: Most of the state is in an area known as Tornado Alley. This is because there is a lot of contact between cold and warm air masses which makes severe weather. Oklahoma has an average of 54 tornadoes each year. This is one of the highest rates in the world. The state is home to the National Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service, in Norman.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma had 549 populated places in 2006. It had three cities over 100,000 in population and 40 over 10,000. Two of the fifty largest cities in the United States are in Oklahoma. They are Oklahoma City and Tulsa. More than half of Oklahomans (58%) live in the two cities.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma City is the state's capital and largest city. It had 1,269,907 people living inside its metropolitan area in 2008. Tulsa, the second largest city, had a metropolitan area population of 905,755.


title: Oklahoma

text: Between 2005 and 2006, the Tulsa suburbs of Jenks, Bixby, and Owasso had the biggest population growth in the state. The population of Jenks grew by 47.9%, Bixby grew by 44.56%, and Owasso grew by 34.31%.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma's largest cities in 2007 were: Oklahoma City (547,274), Tulsa (384,037), Norman (106,707), Lawton (91,568), Broken Arrow (90,714), Edmond (78,226), Midwest City (55,935), and Moore (51,106). Seven of the state's ten largest cities are in the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Only Lawton has a metropolitan area of its own.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma law says that populated areas are divided into two groups. Cities are areas with more than 1,000 people. Towns have fewer than 1,000 people. Both have legislative, judicial, and public power inside their populated areas. Cities can choose between a mayor-council, council-manager, or strong mayor form of government. Towns are run through an elected officer system.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma has minor league sports teams in basketball, football, arena football, baseball, soccer, and ice hockey. These teams are in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Enid and Lawton. Tulsa is home to the Tulsa 66ers. They are part the NBA Development League. The Tulsa Revolution, playing in the American Indoor Soccer League, is also in Tulsa. The NBA's New Orleans Hornets became the first major league sports team to play in Oklahoma. This happened after the team was forced to move to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City for two seasons after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In July 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. They play their home games at the Ford Center under the new team name, Oklahoma City Thunder. They are the state's first permanent major league team.


title: Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma's state symbols are recognized by state law. The Oklahoma Senate or House of Representatives may add others for special events and to help organizations.


title: Telegram

text: A telegram (Greek tele: distant and gramma: letter) is a written message transmitted by using an electric device. The message was carried along wires, and the text written or printed and delivered by hand or teleprinter.


title: Telegram

text: Telegrams were very widely used, because private telephones were not usual. Nowadays they are not useful because most people have private telephones and the use of e-mail. The idea was developed by the British Post Office as a service for urgent letters.


title: Hyder Ali

text: Hyder Ali (, , "Haidarālī"; , "Haidar Alī"; c. 1720 – 7 December 1782, 2 Muharram 1197 in the Islamic calendar) was the "de facto" ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers. Rising to the post of "dalwai", or commander-in-chief to Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, he came to dominate the titular monarch and the Mysore government, and eventually seized control of all of the reins of power. He expanded the kingdom's borders at the expense of the Maratha Empire and Nizam of Hyderabad (among others), and was one of the few local rulers to effectively blunt the military advances of the British East India Company during two wars. In the First and Second Anglo-Mysore Wars he came within striking distance of the British outpost at Madras. He was given a number of honorific titles, and was referred to as Sultan Hyder Ali Khan or Hyder Ali Sahib.


title: Hyder Ali

text: Hyder's rule of Mysore was characterised by frequent warfare with his neighbours and rebellion within his territories. This was not unusual for the time, as much of the Indian subcontinent was then in turmoil, with the Hindu Maratha Empire struggling with the remnants of the Islamic Mughal Empire. He was a shrewd leader, and left his son Tipu Sultan a kingdom that was significantly larger than when he first took it over. He organised his military in part along European lines, and was a pioneer in the military use of rocket artillery. He had at least two wives, and fathered at least three children.


title: Syria

text: Syria is a country in the Middle East, the west part of Asia. It borders (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. Its western part faces the Mediterranean Sea. Its eastern and northern parts are mountainous.


title: Syria

text: The current president and head of state is Bashar al-Assad. Syria's national capital is Damascus. The biggest city is Aleppo. The Syrian civil war began in 2011.


title: Syria

text: Syria has a very long history. It was a land of Phoenicians. Later it became part of the Achaemenid Empire, Roman Empire, and then the Eastern Roman Empire. In those days people spoke the Syriac language. The city Antioch was great and one of the important cities in Christendom. The Umayyad Caliphate took control of Syria in the 7th century. In this Arab Empire people began to speak the Arabic language. Today most Syrian people believe in Islam but there are still Christians too.