Strony

Taiwan

wtorek, 30 lipca 2013

Taiwan is a state in East Asia and the first constitutional republic in Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China now governs the island of Taiwan (formerly known as "Formosa"), which makes up over 99% of its territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands. Neighboring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Taipei is the political capital as well as economic and cultural centre in Taiwan. New Taipei is the most populous city.

Did you know that:
1. The country of Taiwan national sport is Baseball. Taiwan won the 1995 little league world championship in the US. It is the first time they have one a World Series in any sport.
2. Taiwan is world famous for its one production of Hollywood type movies. It is famous for creating "City of Sadness"(1989). In 2001, Ang Lees "Crouching, Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Are some of its best known titles.
3. Taiwan has the first woman ever to win a world Nobel Peace Prize presented too Lu Hsiu-lein
4. Taiwan held the world Miss Universe pageant and that year Miss Taiwan never made it past the semifinals for her country.
5. The national Government of Taiwan is a democratic go0vernment unlike most countries in Southeast Asia which have a socialist view on their government which makes Tawian, rare in the region.

Macau

Macau is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong to the east, bordered by Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south. The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing.

Did you know that:
1. In addition to being Macau's largest natural beach, 4,000 year old ceramics were also excavated from the the Hac Sa Beach or Black Sandy Bay beach.
2. It is the only place in China where gambling is allowed.
3. The Cathedral of St. Paul, built by Jesuits around 1580-1625 AD formed Macau's 'acropolis' and was the largest Catholic church of its time in East Asia.
4. It has its own dialect of Portuguese called "Macanese Portuguese" and a distinctive creole generally known as "Patuá".
5. Portuguese egg tarts are Macau's most famous and popular local snack.
6. Trishaws now used for tourists were once the primary transport method in Macau.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Macau. It is situated on China's south coast and, enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Did you know that:
1. The Peak Tram became the first cable funicular in Asia in 1888 and remains one of the steepest and oldest cable railroads in the world. An average of over 11,000 people ride the Peak Tram every day or more than 4 million annually.
2. The 'father of fibre optic communications' and winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics is Professor Charles Kao from Hong Kong.
3. Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005, is the third Disney theme park outside the US and the first in China.
4. Mongkok has the world's highest population density with an average of 130,000 people per square kilometer.
5. It has the world's most affordable Michelin star rates dishes at less than USD2 per dish.
6. A unique brand of Cantonese popular music called Canton-pop originated and spread from Hong Kong to the rest of Asia.

Gabon

wtorek, 23 lipca 2013

Gabon is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. It has an area of nearly 270,000 square kilometres and its population is estimated at 1.5 million people.

Did you know that:
1. The region was initially inhabited by the Pygmy peoples later the people of the Bantu tribes immigrated to the place.
2. The climate of Gabon is mostly hot and humid owing to the fact that it lies right on the equator.
3. Libreville, which means free town, is the capital of Gabon and was founded in 1849 by freed slaves. It however was not declared the capital of Gabon till 1993.
4. Gabon has rich reserves of manganese, iron, petroleum and timber.
5. Almost 80-85% of Gabon is covered by rainforests, 11% of which has been dedicated for national parks making these parks some of the largest nature parks in the world.
6. The rainforests of Gabon are home to 777 species of birds.
7. Ogooué is the largest lake in Gabon and stretches over a distance of 1200 km.
8. The entire country of Gabon is just slightly smaller than the state of Colorado in the United States.

Nauru

Nauru - officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island - is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 kilometres to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just 21 square kilometres. With 9,378 residents, it is the second least-populated country after Vatican City.

Did you know that:
1. British Captain John Fearn, a whale hunter, was the first Westerner to visit the island in 1798 and named it Pleasant Island.
2. The national currency of Nauru is Australian Dollar.
3. Life expectancy in this small island nation is 61-years-old.
4. Nauruan is the official language of the island, although English is also widely spoken.
5. The climate of Nauru is a tropical one, with moderate summers and winters.
6. Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21 km².
7. It is the only republican state in the world without an official capital.
8. A traditional activity enjoyed at Nauru is catching noddy birds, when they return from foraging at sea.

Martinique

środa, 17 lipca 2013

Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of 1,128 km2. Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. It is directly north of St. Lucia and south of Dominica.

Did you know that:
1. Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
2. Most places already include their service charges on the final bill. The majority of restaurants include a 15 % service charge on all bills, and hotels on the island generally add 10 % on the final bill. But if you're feeling extra generous and your service was outstanding, you can always tip a little more. Taxi drivers may expect a tip, especially for longer trips.
3. There are few ethnic groups: African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%.

Bahrain

wtorek, 9 lipca 2013

Bahrain is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is an archipelago, with the largest island being Bahrain Island at 55 km long by 18 km wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. Iran lies 200 km to the north of Bahrain, across the Gulf. The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain.

Did you know that:
1. Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002. The capital of this kingdom is Manama.
2. The whole of Bahrain is divided into five regions known as governorates. Since independence, there have been continuous conflicts between the ruling Sunni tribe and the Shiite majority.
3. The official currency is Bahraini dinar (BHD). Bahrain is a very important financial centre of the Arab world.
4. The official language is Arabic though Persian Farsi and Urdu are also used. English is widely spoken and the principal language of commerce.
5. Bahrain exports petroleum and petroleum products, textiles and aluminum. It imports chemical, machinery and crude oil. The natural resources mainly consist of natural gas, oil and fish stocks.

Benin

piątek, 5 lipca 2013

Benin is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, by Nigeria to the east and by Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. A majority of the population live on its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin. Benin covers an area of approximately 110,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately 9.05 million.

Did you know that:
1. In terms of geographical area, Benin is smaller than the state of Pennsylvania.
2. The city of Cotonou in Benin enjoys the distinction of being the largest city in the country.
3. The city of Ouidah in Benin, spelt Whydah in history books written in English, is also known as the ‘Museum City’ because of its rich colonial history. Whydah was once the stronghold of the British, French, and Danish.
4. Porto-Novo, the capital city of Benin, is also known as the ‘City with three names’. This is basically because the city, apart from being known as Porto-Novo, is also known as Adjatche and Hogbonou.

Djibouti

wtorek, 2 lipca 2013

Djibouti is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east. Djibouti occupies a total area of just 23,200 km2.

Did you know that:
1.
Djibouti is just a little smaller than the state of Massachusetts.
2. Djibouti enjoys proximity to few of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Apart from the closeness to the lanes, the country is also close to the Arabian oilfields.
3. Not only is Lac Assal (Lake Assal) the lowest point in Djibouti, it is also the lowest point in the continent of Africa.
4. Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic
5. Due to the curse of scanty rainfall in the country, agricultural production is limited only to fruits and vegetables. Most of the food in Djibouti is imported.
6. Djibouti is located within the limits of the Afar Triangle, one of hottest and most isolated places on the surface of the earth.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE is an Arab country in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing sea borders with Qatar and Iran.

Did you know that:
1. Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world.
2. In Dubai Emirates Mall, you can ski indoors while shopping.
3. Dubai has the largest shopping mall in the world, Dubai Mall.
4. Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building.
5. Eighty percent of the residents of Dubai are foreigners.
6. Dubai is the Middle East supply hub for the jewellery market.
7. Dubai has the first man-made island in UAE, the Palm Island.
8. There are no street addresses in Dubai.
9. Abu Dhabi is one of the largest oil producers in the world and significantly contributes to the world's economy.
10. Abu Dhabi is one of the wealthiest states in the world.