Category People and places

What makes Greenland different?

Popular for its vast tundra and immense glaciers, Greenland is the world’s largest island, in fact the largest island country. In terms of land area, it is more than three times the size of the U.S. state of Texas. It is an autonomous Danish dependent territory and has its own parliament. Two-thirds of Greenland lies within the Arctic Circle, with its northern regions lying just 800 km away from the North Pole. The island enjoys continuous daylight for two months every year. More than 80 per cent of the land is covered by ice. A major impact of global warming is seen in Greenland as the ice cover is melting away faster than ever. This crisis has however increased access to Green- land’s mineral resources.

We know that Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but its home-rule government is responsible for most of its domestic affairs. The people of Greenland are primarily Inuit.

When it comes to Greenland, one of the most interesting question is its name- why is it called Greenland when it is mostly covered in ice? The answer lies in history. An exiled Viking named Eric the Red came up with this name as a means to encourage others to follow him and establish new settlements in the region. It must be noted that South Greenland (where Erik the Red settled) is actually green during the summer. Another interesting fact about Greenland is that it has a very limited road transport system due to the rugged terrain, its deep fjords that outline the coastline, the ice sheets, and the very small population. In fact, all roads end at the outskirts of towns.

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WHERE IS THE ESKERS PROVINCIAL PARK LOCATED?

Eskers Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park comprises roughly 4,044 hectares (40.44 km2; 15.61 sq mi) and was created in 1987. Located west of Nukko Lake, which lies northwest of the city of Prince George, it protects an area of the 40-kilometre (25 mi) Stuart River Eskers Complex. Eskers are winding ridges of gravel formed by the glaciers which once covered the British Columbia Interior.

These unique land forms, for which the park is named, are long sinuous gravel ridges. They were created when sand and gravel were deposited in the meltwater channels of ancient glaciers that once blanketed this northern region.

Visitors can enjoy walking and hiking, canoeing, fishing, nature study and wildlife viewing. In the winter the summer hiking trails are turned into an excellent network for snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing enthusiasts. A 3 km beginners loop is located just off the Pine Marsh parking area.

Credit: Wikipedia

Picture credit: Goolge

What is unique about Poison Garden?

The Poison Garden at England’s Alnwick Garden is home to around 100 toxic plants. Entry to this space is allowed only through guided tours.

A stroll through a garden is highly refreshing. But do you dare to visit the Poison Garden in England wherein the visitors are explicitly told not to touch, taste or smell the flowers? The sign on the black iron gate says: These plants can kill, and is emblazoned with a skull and crossbones warming.

The deadliest garden was established in 2005 by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, who decided to have a poison garden instead of a herb garden. She established the garden intending to educate students about the hazards of hazardous and illegal substances specifically the kinds of compounds these plants produce The Poison Garden at the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland is home to around 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants. Some of these plants are grown in cages. One of the dangerous plants cultivated here is monkshood, or wolf’s bane, which contains aconitine, a neurotoxin, and cardiotoxin. However, this is not the worst one. The ganten also has ricin, better known as castor bean or castor oil plant, which according to Guinness World Records is the world’s most poisonous plant. Surprisingly, many poisonous plants grown in the garden are quite common such as rhododendrons whose leaves contain grayanotoxin which will attack a person’s nervous system if eaten.

Entry to the garden is allowed only through guided tours. Before the visitors are allowed to enter, they are given a safety briefing, warning them against touching, tasting, or smelling anything.

Despite all precautions, the visitors have fainted occasionally from inhaling the toxic fumes of the poisonous plants, the garden website notes. The staff at the Poison Garden is mandated by law to meticulously monitor, count, and file reports on their plants.

The authorities also have to submit proof that they’ve destroyed them at the end of every season.

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What world heritage sites have been destroyed by war?

Over 160 Ukrainian cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed since the Russian invasion of the country began this February, according to UNESCO. Ukraine is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. As many of these stand threatened today, here’s a glimpse of such sites that have been damaged or destroyed due to war in other parts of the world.

Palmyra and Aleppo, Syria

During the 2015 civil war in Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) destroyed several parts of Palmyra, including many important archaeological sites such as the Temple of Baalshamin, Monumental Arch, and Tower of Elahbel. After their expulsion from the heritage site, Syrian forces began work on restoring the destroyed parts. The war also damaged many cultural and other heritage sites in Aleppo, one of the oldest Syrian cities. This includes the Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle was one of the world’s largest and oldest dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Another site destroyed was The Great Mosque of Aleppo that contained the remains of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Minaret of the central Umayyad Mosque, about 60% of the covered marketplace (souk), and ancient houses from the 1st Century AD were also destroyed during the war.

Jonah’s Tomb, Iraq

Jonah’s Tomb, also known as The Mosque of the Prophet Younis, considered to be the final resting place of the biblical Prophet and one of the important religious sites for both Christians and Muslims, was blown up by the ISIS in 2014. The group claimed it was done to protest against the mosque, which was not a prayer area anymore.

Timbuktu’s religious sites, Africa

In 2012, a Malian militant destroyed several religious and historical buildings in Timbuktu, including tombs and mausoleums of Sufi saints, medieval shrines, and the 15th-Century Sidi Yahya mosque. According to UNESCO, 14 of Timbuktu’s destroyed mausoleums were rebuilt by 2015. However, Timbuktu has been listed as an endangered World Heritage Site due to the ongoing armed conflict in the region.

Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Built under the Gandhara School of Art, the Buddhas of Bamiyan were the tallest standing statues in the world. They were blown into pieces in 2001 by the Taliban. One of the statues was 180 feet tall. The twin Buddha figurines were located on the ancient Silk Road. Though several attempts were made to restore the statues, reinstallation of the monuments could not be done due to disputes over the materials to be used.

Former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, Japan

In 1945, the U.S. Air Force’s atomic bomb that targeted Hiroshima destroyed parts of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Constructed in 1915, it was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. The remains of the Hall-A-Bomb Dome – are now part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1996.

Malta’s Royal Opera House, Valletta

Designed by English architect Edward Middleton Barry and inaugurated in 1866, the Royal Opera House was destroyed by the bombs of Germany’s Air Force during World War II in 1942. After several attempts to reconstruct the theatre, an open-air theatre called Pjazza Teatru Rjal was built amid the Royal Opera House ruins in 2013.

St. Michael’s Old Cathedral, the U.K.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site destroyed during World War II was St. Michael’s Old Cathedral. The Gothic church was built between the late 14th and early 15th Centuries in Coventry. The ‘new cathedral’ representing Coventry’s medieval and modern history was rebuilt in 1962 alongside the ruins of the old cathedral.

Beijing’s Old Summer Palace, China

Constructed during the 18th and early 19th Centuries, the residential complex of the Qing Dynasty was destroyed by British and French troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. It was reconstructed by Emperor Guangxu for use by Empress Dowager Cixi, and renamed the Summer Palace. Though damaged again during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, it was restored and has been a public park since 1924.

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What is so special about the mughal gardens at rashtrapati bhavan?

The Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan has more than 159 celebrated varieties of roses, making it one of the best rose gardens in the world. The roses blossom primarily in February and March. Some are named after famous personalities and places like Mother Teresa, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Abraham Lincoln, John E Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, Jawaharlal Nehru, Christian Dior, Arjun and Bhim, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Oklahoma (black rose), among others. The garden also hosts roses with interesting names such as American Heritage, First Prize, Kiss of Fire, Black Lady, Paradise, Blue Moon, Lady X, Scentimental, Double Delight, Ice Berg, Summer Snow and Rose Sharbat.

Sir Edwin Lutyens had finalized the designs of the Mughal Gardens as early as 1917, however, it was only during the year 1928-1929 that plantings were done. His collaborator for the gardens was Director of Horticulture, William Mustoe. Like the building of Rashtrapati Bhavan have two different styles of architecture, Indian and western, similarly, Sir Lutyens brought together two different horticulture traditions together for the gardens, the Mughal style and the English flower garden. Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.

In Christopher Hussey’s The Life of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Sir Lutyens’ wife has written that the garden was a “paradise.” She added, “…flowers are set in such masses, producing a riot of colour and scents, that, when, with the fountains playing continually, there is not the least sense of stiffness. The round garden beyond beats everything for sheer beauty and is beyond words.”

The Mughal Gardens had up till now been opened for the public only during the annual festival, Udyanotsav, held in the months of February-March but Mughal Gardens, which forms the third Circuit of Rashtrapati Bhavan tour, will now be open for the public from August till March.The prime attractions of Udyanostav 2016 were Tulips and Primulas.

Rose remains a key feature of the Mughal Gardens even today. The Gardens boasts of growing 159 celebrated varieties of roses which blossom primarily in the month of February and March. They include, Adora, Mrinalini, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Modern Art, Scentimental, Oklahoma (also called black rose), Belami, Black Lady, Paradise, Blue Moon and Lady X. The Mughal Gardens also include roses named after people of national and international fame such as Mother Teresa, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mr. Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Jawahar, Queen Elizabeth, Christian Dior amongst others. Arjun and Bhim, from the Mahabharata, also find place in the presidential palace.

Apart from roses, tulips, Asiatic lilies, daffodils, hyacinth and other seasonal flowers beautify the gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan. There are more than seventy varieties of seasonal flowers including exotic bulbous and winter flowering plants. The garden also grows 60 of the 101 known types of bougainvilleas. Edging and flowering of flower beds is done with alyssum, daisy, pansy etc. The grass that covers the garden is the doob grass, which was originally brought from Calcutta (now Kolkata) when the Mughal Gardens was being planted. The Gardens has almost 50 varieties of trees, shrubs and vines including Moulsiri tree, Golden Rain tree, flower bearing Torch Tree and many more. At present over three hundred permanent and casual employees are deployed for the development and maintenance of the gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The vast grounds of the President’s Estate are not only used for leisure and recreation. Its occupants have ensured that the open space of the Estate is utilized in an efficient manner. Starting from C. Rajagopalachari, who was the first Indian resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan, each resident of the Rashtrapati Bhavan has contributed to the vast Estate in their own manner. During the time of C. Rajagopalachari, a portion of the grounds was used to cultivate wheat, as a gesture to address the problem of shortage of food in the country. President Kalam had contributed by making Herbal Gardens, Tactile Gardens for the visually handicapped, Musical gardens, Bio-Fuel Park, Spiritual and Nutrition garden and more. The Bonsai Garden and nature trails in Rashtrapati Bhavan were President Pratibha Patil’s contribution along with Project Roshini which aimed at making the President’s House an environment friendly habitat by efficient use of resources and use of renewable energy sources. Rainwater harvesting for recharging groundwater in the presidential estate was done by President K.R. Narayanan in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment.

The most remarkable expression of democracy has been opening up of the gardens and grounds for the public. Circuit three of the tour takes us through the pristine Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan that have been designed as three successive terraces. It is said that the large geometrical designs of the garden can only be appreciated from the first story of the building. First being the Rectangular Garden, followed by Long Garden and finally the Circular Garden.

Credit : Rashtrapatisachivalaya 

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT WAS ELLIS ISLAND FAMOUS FOR?

For over 60 years, Ellis Island was the entry point for immigrants to the U.S.

From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island, located in Upper New York Bay at the mouth of the Hudson River, was the entry point for immigrants to the United States. It is estimated that by the time it was closed, over 12 million people had been processed and sent on to the mainland by the U.S. Immigration Bureau.

Ellis Island was once part of tidal flats known for their oyster beds. It was taken over by the federal government in 1808 and used as an arsenal and military post for nearly 80 years till the new immigration centre was opened to replace the Castle Garden facility in Manhattan. The island’s area was increased by landfills. However, in 1897, five years after it opened, the centre was burned down in a fire.

New buildings were constructed, including a dining hall to seat 1,000 people and a large hospital, and Ellis Island reopened to immigrants in 1900. The arrivals peaked between 1907 and 1914, when officials handled 5,000 immigrants a day, mostly from Europe.

In 1917, passing a literacy test became mandatory. In 1924, quotas were instituted and overseas embassies were allowed to process immigrants. This reduced the flood to a trickle.

The Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened in 1990.

Island of hope, island of tears

Would you like to know about some of the stories of the 12 million people who came to Ellis Island to gain entry to America? A video series has been developed for students by the US goverment on the island’s past. You can view it at bit.ly/libertymonument Not all who came were able to settle in the US. Many were deported. The Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration explores the difficult history of this landmark.

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