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How old is Portugal in years?

Portugal a country on the west coast of the Iberian peninsula. has a rich history of seafaring and discovery. The name Portugal is derived from the Roman Portus Cale, meaning Port of Cale Cale was an Ancient Celtic town and port in present day northem Portugal Lisbon is one of Europe’s oldest cities (the second oldest capital city after Athens) Let us find out more about this country

History

Portugal was founded in 1143 as part of a treaty signed by D Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal and Alphonse the VII of Kingdom of Leon and Castile (now the largest autonomous community in Spain). The treaty recognised Portugal as an independent kingdom. The status was confirmed by Pope Alexander the Ill. then head of the Catholic Church, in 1179.

However, the earliest human remains found in Portugal are Neanderthal-type bones from Furminhas also known as Dominique’s cave. It is a natural cave on the southern slope of the Peniche peninsula in Portugal.

According to national legend. Lisbon was founded not by Celts (early Indo-European people) but by Odysseus, a mythical Greek warrior and king of Ithaca (a small island on the lonian Sea).

Portugal was a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 15th Century, Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama discovered the maritime route to India. By the 16th Century, they had established a huge empire in Brazil as well as swathes of Africa and Asia.

For almost half of the 20th Century, the country was under the dictatorship in which for decades Antonio de Oliveira Salazar was the key figure. The country lost most of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822.

In 1974, the country witnessed a bloodless coup, known as the Revolution of the Carnations, which ushered in a new democracy. Only then, in 1975, it granted independence to all of its African colonies.

Geography

The country occupies one-sixth of the Iberian peninsula in Europe’s southwestern area. It is bound by Spain, the Atlantic Ocean, and Azores and the Madeira Islands. Though it is not a large country, Portugal beholds great diversity in terms of physical geography.

The northern part of the country comprises the mountainous border of the Meseta, which is the block of ancient rock that forms the core of the Iberian Peninsula. Southern Portugal contains extensive areas of limestone. The Estrela Mountains (lying in between the Tagus and Mondego rivers) is the highest point of mainland Portugal. The capital, Lisbon, is on the steep hills situated on the right bank of the Tagus. The city was designated a European City of Culture in 1994.

Flora and fauna

The vegetation here is a mix of Atlantic, or European, and Mediterranean (with some African) species. Over the years, the forests in the country have diminished.

While one-fourth of its area is under woodland, the remaining parts feature two types of Mediterranean scrublands – maquis and matorral, or steppe. Mixed deciduous trees can be found only in the north and northern interior. Around 100 plants are native to Madeira.

Two-thirds of the region is a conservation area. The Laurisilva of Madeira, the largest surviving area of laurel forest, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. It contains unique plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon.

The country has a mixture of European and north African types of fauna. Like Spain, wild goats, wild pigs, and deer can be found in the countryside of Portugal. Its far north and northeast are home to wolves, while lynx inhabit the Malcata mountains

A variety of bird species can be found as the peninsula lies on the winter migration route of western and central European species. The highly endangered Mediterranean monk seal is native to Madeira’s Desertas Islands, which were classified as Nature Reserve by the Council of Europe in 1990.

People

Over nine-tenth of the population is ethnic Portuguese; the rest includes small numbers of Brazilians, Han Chinese, and people from Portugal’s former colonised countries in Africa and Asia. The country’s Roma (gypsy) population lives primarily in the Algarve

The country has a long tradition of dancing and singing. Interestingly, almost every village here has its own terreiro, or dance floor. These dance floors are usually constructed of concrete, though in some places, it is still made of beaten earth. Small accordions and gaitas, or bagpipes, are some of the instruments that accompany the dances

Though Portugal gets a good supply of fresh fish, the dried salted codfish known as bacalhau, is considered the national dish.

The country has a rich legacy of archaeological remains such as prehistoric cave paintings at Escoural, the Roman township of Conimbriga, the Roman temple (known as the Temple of Diana) in Evora, and the typical Moorish architecture of southern towns such as Olhao and Tavira

Some of the famous Portuguese explorers were Ferdinand Magellan, the first to circumnavigate the globe, and Vasco da Gama, who opened up the sea route from Western Europe to the East by way of the Cape of Good Hope. These explorations opened the country to Asian influences. The city centres of Evora, Sintra, Porto, and, in the Azores, Angra do Heroismo are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Politics

During the colonial era, Portugal was the world’s richest country. However, the wealth was not used to develop domestic industrial infrastructure. This resulted in the country becoming one of Western Europe’s poorest countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1986, Portugal joined the European Economic Community (predecessor of the European Union). Now, 21 members of the European Parliament are from Portugal.

Portugal is a semi-presidential republic with the Prime Minister as the head of the government and the President as the head of the State. The President has the power to appoint the PM and other government members.

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WHO CAN START A COMMUNITY RADIO?

It’s not as challenging or expensive as many people believe to start your radio station-any community can do it. A sense of community awareness and internal unity is an essential requirement for a community to launch its radio station. A radio station might not often be considered a priority in the traditional development structure, which prioritizes support for industries like agriculture, health, education, and more. However, a community that conducts an in-depth needs assessment and addresses the root causes of its challenges and disadvantages will usually discover that it needs communication methods to enable people to contribute towards shared objectives and understanding which are the first step towards starting a community radio.

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How Earl S. Tupper nailed a strategy to sell his plastic containers worldwide in the 1950s?

In 1925, after graduating from high school, Earl S. Tupper set out to make his fortune. A farm boy from New Hampshire, USA, Tupper started a successful business in tree surgery and landscaping. But Tupper Tree Doctors went under during the Great Depression. Tupper found a job in DuPont’s plastics division. A year later, he left to form his own plastics company, supplying gas masks to American troops fighting World War II.

After the war, Tupper turned to producing plastic consumer goods. The plastic available then was brittle, smelly and slimy, so he first invented a process to change polyethylene slag, a by-product of petroleum, into a plastic that was not only durable and solid, but clean and clear. However, what made Tupper’s plastic containers revolutionary was an air- and water-tight seal.

By 1946, Tupper was selling a variety of plastic containers in a range of colours, but sales weren’t brisk. It was when he adopted the method two local salesmen were using, to sell Tupperware worldwide, that his profits skyrocketed. They introduced the products to housewives at a ‘party’ hosted by one of the women at her home! Tupperware Home Parties became a national, then an international, phenomenon in the 1950s. It enabled Earl Tupper to sell his company for $16 million in 1958.

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Unsung pioneers in the field of science

These are tales not just of perseverance and love for science, but also of discrimination and unfair treatment. Despite making groundbreaking discoveries, their names remain largely unknown, simply because they are women. Let's celebrate these women scientists and their contribution to the world….

ESTHER MIRIAM ZIMMER LEDERBERG (1922-2006)

Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist, who discovered bacterial virus Lambda phage and the bacterial fertility factor F (F plasmid). Like many woman scientists of her time, Esther Lederberg was not given credit for her scientific contribution because of her gender. While her husband, her mentor and another research partner won 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how genetic material is transferred between bacteria, Esther wasn't even mentioned in the citation, even though her work significantly contributed to the discovery.

Esther Miriam Lederberg was born in Bronx, New York, into a humble family. When studying masters in genetics at Stanford University, Esther struggled to make ends meet. As recollected by Esther in her interviews, she had sometimes eaten frogs’ legs leftover from laboratory dissections.

Esther met her future husband Joshua Lederberg at Stanford. They moved to the University of Wisconsin, where they would begin years of collaboration. Throughout the 1950s, they published papers together and apart, as both made discoveries about bacteria and genetics of bacteria.

Esther Lederberg's contributions to the field of microbiology were enormous. In 1950, she discovered the lambda phage, a type of bacterial virus, which replicates inside the DNA of bacteria. She developed an important technique known as replica plating, still used in microbiology labs all over the world. Along with her husband and other team members, she discovered the bacterial fertility factor.

CECILIA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN (1900-1979)

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a British-born American astronomer who was the first to propose that stars are made of hydrogen and helium.

Cecilia Payne was born in 1900 in Buckinghamshire, England. In 1919, she got a scholarship to study at Newnham College, Cambridge University, where she initially studied botany, physics, and chemistry. Inspired by Arthur Eddington, an English astronomer, she dropped out to study astronomy.

Studying astronomy at Cambridge in the 1920s was a lonely prospect for a woman. Cecilia sat alone, as she was not allowed to occupy the same rows of seats as her male classmates. The ordeal did not end there. Because of her gender, Cecilia was not awarded a degree, despite fulfilling the requirements in 1923. (Cambridge did not grant degrees to women until 1948.)

Finding no future for a woman scientist in England, she headed to the United States, where she received a fellowship to study at Haward Observatory. In her PhD thesis, published as Stellar Atmospheres in 1925, Cecilia showed for the first time how to read the surface temperature of any star from its spectrum. She also proposed that stars are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. In 1925, she became the first person to earn a PhD in astronomy. But she received the doctorate from Radcliffe College, since Harvard did not grant doctoral degrees to women then. She also became the first female professor in her faculty at Harvard in 1956.

Cecilia contributed widely to the physical understanding of the stars and was honoured with awards later in her lifetime.

CHIEN-SHIUNG WU (1912-1997)

Chien-Shiung Wu is a Chinese-American physicist who is known for the Wu Experiment that she carried out to disprove a quantum mechanics concept called the Law of Parity Conservation. But the Nobel Committee failed to recognise her contribution, when theoretical physicists Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang, who had worked on the project, were awarded the Prize in 1957.

Chien-Shiung Wu was born in a small town in Jiangsu province, China, in 1912. She studied physics at a university in Shanghai and went on to complete PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1940.

In 1944, during WWII, she joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University, focussing on radiation detectors. After the war, Wu began investigating beta decay and made the first confirmation of Enrico Fermi's theory of beta decay. Her book "Beta Decay," published in 1965, is still a standard reference for nuclear physicists.

In 1956, theoretical physicists Tsung Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang approached Wu to devise an experiment to disprove the Law of Parity Conservation, according to which two physical systems, such as two atoms, are mirror images that behave in identical ways. Using cobalt-60, a radioactive form of the cobalt metal, Wu's experiment successfully disproved the law.

In 1958, her research helped answer important biological questions about blood and sickle cell anaemia. She is fondly remembered as the "First Lady of Physics", the "Chinese Madame Curie" and the "Queen of Nuclear Research”.

LISE MEITNER (1878-1968)

Lise Meitner was an Austrian-Swedish physicist, who was part of a team that discovered nuclear fission. But she was overlooked for the Nobel Prize and instead her research partner Otto Hahn was awarded for the discovery.

Lise Meitner was born on November 7, 1878, in Vienna. Austria had restrictions on women education, but Meitner managed to receive private tutoring in physics. She went on to receive her doctorate at the University of Vienna. Meitner later worked with Otto Hahn for around 30 years, during which time they discovered several isotopes including protactinium-231, studied nuclear isomerism and beta decay. In the 1930s, the duo was joined by Fritz Strassmann, and the team investigated the products of neutron bombardment of uranium.

In 1938, as Germany annexed Austria, Meitner, a Jew, fled to Sweden. She suggested that Hahn and Strassmann perform further tests on a uranium product, which later turned out to be barium. Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch explained the physical characteristics of this reaction and proposed the term 'fission' to refer to the process when an atom separates and creates energy. Meitner was offered a chance to work on the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb. However, she turned down the offer.

JANAKI AMMAL (1897-1984)

Janaki Ammal was an Indian botanist, who has a flower- the pink-white Magnolia Kobus Janaki Ammal named after her.

She undertook an extraordinary journey from a small town in Kerala to the John Innes Horticultural Institute at London. She was born in Thalassery, Kerala, in 1897.

Her family encouraged her to engage in intellectual pursuit from a very young age. She graduated in Botany in Madras in 1921 and went to Michigan as the first Oriental Barbour Fellow where she obtained her DSc in 1931. She did face gender and caste discrimination in India, but found recognition for her work outside the country.

After a stint at the John Innes Horticultural Institute at London, she was invited to work at the Royal Horticulture Society at Wisley, close to the famous Kew Gardens. In 1945, she co-authored The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants with biologist CD Darlington. Her major contribution came about at the Sugarcane Breeding Station at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Janaki's work helped in the discovery of hybrid varieties of high-yielding sugarcane. She also produced many hybrid eggplants (brinjal). She was awarded Padma Shri in 1977.

GERTY CORI (1896-1957)

Gerty Cori was an Austrian-American biochemist, known for her discovery of how the human body stores and utilises energy. In 1947, she became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and the third woman to win a Nobel.

Gerty Theresa Cori was born in Prague in 1896. She received the Doctorate in Medicine from the German University of Prague in 1920 and got married to Carl Cori the same year.

Immigrating to the United States in 1922, the husband-wife duo joined the staff of the Institute for the Study of Malignant Disease, Bualo. N.Y. Working together on glucose metabolism in 1929, they discovered the 'Cori Cycle' the pathway of conversion of glycogen (stored form of sugar) to glucose (usable form of sugar). In 1936, they discovered the enzyme Phosphorylase, which breaks down muscle glycogen, and identified glucose 1-phosphate (or Cori ester) as the first intermediate in the reaction.

The Coris were consistently interested in the mechanism of action of hormones and they carried out several studies on the pituitary gland. In 1947, Gerty Cori, Carl Cori and Argentine physiologist Bernardo Houssay received the Nobel Prize in 1947 for their discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen.

Although the Coris were equals in the lab, they were not treated as equals. Gerty faced gender discrimination throughout her career. Few institutions hired Gerty despite her accomplishments, and those that did hire, did not give her equal status or pay.

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What is the importance of camping?

We live in an age of high connectivity, smothered by information online isn't it time to disconnect and recharge? And what better way to do that than in nature? Everything is magical in the wild. The best way to experience the beauty of the wilderness is by going camping. An outdoor activity which involves spending the night in the nature with bare necessities, camping lets one experience the wilderness in all its magnificence. So why not go camping to hill stations during your holidays?

Imagine waking up to a glorious sunrise in the outdoors, as you breathe in the crisp air. Walk barefoot, sinking your feet into the earth. The only sound here might be the sound of a river gurgling or the cackle of birds. The nights are breathtaking, as you sleep under a star-spangled sky, with the stillness of the night getting cut in occasionally by the chirps of crickets. The sky is your roof and the earth is your floor. Where are we? We have come camping!

We live in an age of high connectivity, spending most of our time online. Shouldn't we disconnect and recharge? And what better way to do that than in nature? Everything is magical in the wild. And the best way to experience the beauty of the wilderness is by going camping. An outdoor activity that involves spending the night in nature with bare necessities, camping lets one experience the wilderness in all its magnificence.

A brief history of camping

Thomas Hiram Holding was the founder of modern recreational camping. In 1908, he came up with the first edition of "The Campers Handbook". As a boy, he travelled widely and went on many camping adventures and these provided a base for the books he wrote on camping. He even used a bicycle as his camping vehicle. The book "Cycle and Camp" (1898) was written based on this.

He also founded the first camping club in the world. Christened the "Association of Cycle Campers", the camping club was established in 1901. Come 1907, the club merged with other clubs to form the Camping Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Famous Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott was the first president of the Camping Club in 1909.

Organised camping

However, organised camping started in the U.S. with a boys' camp in 1861. This was run for the students of the Gunnery School for Boys in Washington, Connecticut. It became an instant success and was carried on for 18 years. Soon other similar camps started to be held. In 1888, the first girl’s camp was established on the Thames River in Connecticut. Other youth organisations soon took to camping and made it an integral component of their activities.

Modern camping

Camping has changed over the course of time. It is not just bare necessities that you get at a camp. Recreational camping now provides all the modern amenities. Camping in vehicles a.k.a caravanning (live in a caravan, camper-van) is also preferred by many travellers.

Another type of camping that has caught on is glamping. This falls in the more luxurious and high-end spectrum of camping. Here, you camp in the wild but amidst al the creature comforts such as electricity, running water, mood lighting, comfy blankets, lavish meals, and so on.

But the authentic camping experience is what would help you connect with nature, away from civilisation and come back well refreshed.

Camping checklist

Camping is a fun, adventurous outdoor activity but should not be taken light-heartedly as well.

This is because you will be in the wild and maintaining the unwritten laws of the wild is necessary to have a safe camping trip.

It starts right from the things you wear to how you dispose of the trash generated. If you are a first-timer, then it is advisable that you go camping with a travel company. They can help you pitch the tent and also offer everything needed for camping. Sleeping bags are an essential part of camping trips. They offer a warm and comfortable sleep as it can get much colder at night in nature.

Whilst camping, you will be cooking food on your camping site and you may need a camping stove for that.

Camping chairs, hammocks, and blankets will help you have a relaxed stay in nature. Other essentials you may need to carry include a flashlight, wet wipes for hygiene purposes, quick-drying towels and cloth, power banks, first-aid kits, trash bags, and so on.

*Clothing

What you wear will depend on the season and the type of weather at the destination you are going to. While camping, you will be out in the sun, in the dirt. So always pack moisture-wicking clothes so that you dry faster while outdoors. Carry sunscreen and a sun hat. And if you are camping in the winter, then take appropriate clothing. The trick is to always be ready for the weather. In nature, weather conditions can change unexpectantly and this needs to be taken into consideration while packing essentials.

*Pitching the tent Pick a spot that is not exposed much to the elements of nature. Ensure it has some shade so that it will stand you in good stead in case it were to rain or snow heavily.

*First-aid kit

A first-aid kit is essential on a camping trip. This should include painkillers, antibiotic creams, bandages, gauze, mosquito repellents, medicines for common ailments, and so on. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Ecological concerns

Whilst out in the wild, ensuring the sanctity of the wilderness is cardinal. The best way to leave no trace is to carry trash bags. When out in the wild and camping, you are sharing the space with many other wild animals.

No trash should be left on your camping site. This is essential for the health of the ecosystem and the wild animals inhabiting the region. Even a tiny plastic article can prove fatal for wild animals.

Why go camping?

The benefits of time spent outdoors are countless and more so when camping. The fresh and clean air can work wonders for your body and the mind and you might feel instantly recharged. There are also chances that you will be away from network connectivity and this will give you time to reflect on yourself, and your goals and can serve as the ultimate social media detox.

Camping can also strengthen the bond between friends and family. It is also a physically enduring activity and you learn new skills such as setting up a tent, tying knots, starting fires, cooking meals, and more. It also helps connect with nature, watch wildlife and experience the natural world in all its glory.

And more than that, you learn the minimalist way of existence, one in line with nature. So why not try camping?

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Will Parthenon Marbles return to Greece?

 

Speculation has been intensifying over recent months that a deal could be struck to return some of the marble sculptures, which have been on display in the British Museum since 1832 after being controversially stripped from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, a British diplomat.

Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, became British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1799. In 1801, he negotiated what he claimed was permission from the Turks – who then controlled Athens – to remove statues from the Parthenon.

The British Museum maintains that Elgin was an official diplomat and had acted with the permission of Turkish authorities. Greece argues that the Turks were a foreign force acting against the will of the people they had invaded.

The Marbles which were taken to Britain include about a half-around 75 metres – of the sculpted frieze that once ran all round the building, plus 17 life-sized marble figures from its pediments and 15 of the 92 metopes, or sculpted panels, originally displayed high up above its columns.

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