1.
Kollam
–
Kollam or Quilon, formerly Desinganadu, is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast of Kerala, India. The city is on the banks Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam has had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels, desinganadus rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the 9th Century, on his way to Canton, China, Marco Polo, the great Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two East Syrian bishops Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began and Quilon became the city of the Malabar region ahead of Travancore. Kollam is a city on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake that took the title Gods Own Country without much demur. The braids of Ashtamudi Lake lie about 71 kilometres north of the state capital, the city hosts the administrative offices of Kollam district and is a prominent trading city for the state. The proportion of females to males in Kollam city is second highest among the 500 most populous cities in India, Kollam is the least polluted city in India. Four major trading centers/towns around Kollam are Kottarakara, Punalur, Paravur, There was also internal trade through the Punalur Pass connecting the ancient town to Tamil Nadu. The rail links later established to Tamil Nadu supported still stronger trade links, the factories processing marine exports and the processing and packaging of cashewnuts extended its trade across the globe. Kollam is the fourth most populous city in Kerala and the fifth largest in incorporated area and it is known for cashew processing and coir manufacturing. Ashtamudi Lake is considered the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is a prominent tourist destination at Kollam. The Kollam urban area includes towns such as Paravur in the south, Kundara in the east. Other important towns in the city suburbs are Eravipuram, Kottiyam, Kannanallur, Kollam appeared as Palombe in Mandevilles Travels, where he claimed it contained a Fountain of Youth. During the later stages of the rule of the Chera monarchy in Kerala, Kollam emerged as the point of trade. Kollam continues to be a business and commercial centre in the Southern Kerala. In 825 CE, the Malayalam calendar, or Kollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city, the present Malayalam calendar is said to have begun with the re-founding of the town, which was rebuilt after its destruction by a fire
Kollam
–
From top clockwise:
RP Mall in
Downtown Kollam,
Lighthouse in
Tangasseri,
British Residency in
Asramam,
Kollam Junction railway station and
Kollam MEMU Shed, Aerial view of
Ashtamudi Lake,
Kollam Port,
Asramam Adventure Park, Jalakeli Kendram near
Kollam Beach
Kollam
–
Kollam in the 1500s
Kollam
–
Kollam in the 1700s
2.
Cashew
–
The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew nut and the cashew apple. It can grow as high as 14 m, but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 m, has proved profitable, with earlier maturity. The cashew nut, often called a cashew, is widely consumed. It is eaten on its own, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter, the shell of the cashew seed yields derivatives that can be used in many applications from lubricants to paints. The cashew apple is a reddish to yellow fruit, whose pulp can be processed into a sweet. The species is native to northeastern Brazil. Major production of cashews occurs in Vietnam, Nigeria, India and its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree caju, which itself is derived from the Tupian word acajú, literally meaning nut that produces itself. The generic name Anacardium, originally from the Greek, refers to the location of the seed outside the core or heart of the fruit. A mid-seventeenth century ethnographic painting by Albert Eckhout, who accompanied Dutch governor-general Johan Maurits, the cashew tree is large and evergreen, growing to 14 m tall, with a short, often irregularly shaped trunk. The leaves are arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4–22 cm long and 2–15 cm broad. The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymb up to 26 cm long, each flower is small, pale green at first, then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals 7–15 mm long. The largest cashew tree in the covers a area around 7,500 m2, it is located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The fruit of the tree is an accessory fruit. What appears to be the fruit is an oval or pear-shaped structure, a hypocarpium, that develops from the pedicel, called the cashew apple, better known in Central America as marañón, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5–11 cm long. It is edible, and has a sweet smell and a sweet taste. The pulp of the apple is very juicy, but the skin is fragile. The true fruit of the tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands to become the cashew apple, within the true fruit is a single seed, which is often considered a nut, in the culinary sense
Cashew
–
Cashew
Cashew
–
'Anacardium occidentale', from Koehler's 'Medicinal-Plants' (1887)
Cashew
–
Flower of cashew tree
Cashew
–
Cashew tree
3.
India
–
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
India
–
Flag
India
–
The granite
tower of
Brihadeeswarar Temple in
Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by
Raja Raja Chola I.
India
–
Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595
4.
Paravur, Kollam
–
Paravur, or South Paravoor, is a town and a municipality in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. The lakes and sea coast of Paravur attract visitors and foreigners with the attraction the interconnection of Paravur Kayal. Paravur lies 21 kilometres from Kollam by road and can be reached within 15 minutes by train from Kollam Junction, Paravur Municipality consists of Kottapuram, Koonayil, Thekkumbhagam, Chillakkal, Perumpuzha, Nedungolam, Pozhikara, Maniyamkulam, Kurumandal, Kottamoola, Attinpuram & Kochalummoodu. Paravur Municipality is a Grade-II Municipality of Kerala, Paravur is located at 8.78 N76 E. It has an elevation of 10 metres. Paravur,21 kilometers from the Kollam, is a skirt of land stretching in between the backwaters and the sea. The famous Varkala beach is a mere 12 kilometres drive from here, there is an elevation of 6 metres above sea level, extending to 16 metres on the inland. As of 2011 India census, Paravur has a population of 43,739, males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Paravur has an literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59. 5%, male literacy is 81%. In Paravur, 10% of the population are under 6 years of age, total number of households are 9,155. Pozhikara was the headquarters of Paravur. Remnants of the old fort, Thaana and Anchalappees still remain, a mint of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom for printing and punching their currencies was once situated at Paravur. Paravur panchayat was formed in 1936 as one of the four panchayats sanctioned by Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the others were Boothapandi, Nedumangadu, and Perumbavoor. The so formed Paravur panchayat included nine territories-Thekkumbhagam, Kottappuram, Kongal, Pozhikara, Kurumandal, Koonayil, Kalakkode, Bhoothakkulam, sree Ramavarma koyi thampuram from Kilimanoor Palace was the first executive officer of the panchayat. The first election for Paravur panchayat was held in 1942 and Sri Achuthan Pillai became the first elected panchayat president, later Paravur became a Municipality on May 1,1988. For the first seven years it was ruled by special officers, in 1995 after the first Municipal election, Smt. Bhanumati became the first Municipal Chairperson, in April 2016, over 100 people were killed in a fireworks explosion at a local temple in the town. There are so many important roads in Paravur, connecting Kollam city and neighbouring towns like Varkala, Chathannoor, Parippally, Poothakkulam
Paravur, Kollam
–
From top:
Paravur railway station,
Paravur Lake(Kaayal), Aayiravilli Temple Festival, Pulimuttu in
Paravur Pozhikara
Paravur, Kollam
–
Entrance of
Paravur railway station
Paravur, Kollam
–
Paravur Lake – An evening scene from
Paravur Thekkumbhagam
5.
Portuguese people
–
Portuguese people are an ethnic group indigenous to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and their predominant religion is Christianity, Portuguese people were a key factor to the Age of Exploration, discovering several lands unknown to the Europeans in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania, helping to pave the way for Globalization. There are around 10 million native Portuguese in Portugal, out of a population of 10.34 million. A small minority of about 15,000 speak the Mirandese language, in the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Vimioso, all of the speakers are bilingual with Portuguese. An even smaller minority of no more than 2,000 people speak Barranquenho, some people from the former colonies have been migrating to Portugal since the 1900s. More recently, a number of Slavs, especially Ukrainians, Moldovans, Romanians and Russians. There is also a Chinese minority, in addition, there is a small minority Gypsies of about 40,000 people, Muslims about 34,000 people and an even smaller minority of Jews of about 5,000 people. Between 1886 and 1966, Portugal lost to more than any West European country except Ireland. From the middle of the 19th century to the late 1950s, about 40 million Brazilians have relatively recent Portuguese background, due to massive immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. About 1.2 million Brazilian citizens are native Portuguese, significant verified Portuguese minorities exist in several countries. Portuguese Sephardic Jews are also in Israel, the Netherlands, the United States, France, Venezuela, Brazil, in Brazil many of the colonists were also originally Sephardic Jews, who, converted, were known as New Christians. In the United States, there are Portuguese communities in New Jersey, the New England states, in the Pacific, Hawaii has a sizable Portuguese element that goes back 150 years, Australia and New Zealand also have Portuguese communities. Canada, particularly Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, has developed a significant Portuguese community since 1940, argentina and Uruguay had Portuguese immigration in the early 20th century. So has Chile where an estimated 50,000 descendants live, an estimated 800,000 Portuguese returned to Portugal as the countrys African possessions gained independence in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution, while others moved to Brazil and South Africa. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Equatorial Guinea, in 1989 some 4,000,000 Portuguese were living abroad, mainly in France, Germany, Brazil, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Venezuela, and the United States. Portuguese constitute 13% of the population of Luxembourg, in areas such as Thetford and the crown dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey, the Portuguese form the largest ethnic minority groups at 30% of the population, 20% and 3% respectively. The British capital London is home to the largest number of Portuguese people in the UK, with the majority being found in the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth and Westminster. The Portuguese diaspora communities still are very attached to their language, their culture and their national dishes, in colonial times, over 700,000 Portuguese settled in Brazil, and most of them went there during the gold rush of the 18th century
Portuguese people
–
Portuguese men playing
Fado
Portuguese people
–
Distribution of
R1a (purple) and
R1b (red). See also
this map for distribution in Europe.
Portuguese people
–
Sign and frame about Portuguese immigration inside one
subway station in
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada.
Portuguese people
–
Passport of an immigrant from the
Braga District to Brazil
6.
Weevil
–
A weevil is a type of beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 6 mm, and herbivorous, over 60,000 species are in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae. Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name weevil, such as the biscuit weevil, many weevils are considered pests because of their ability to damage and kill crops, but others are used for biological control of invasive plants. The grain or wheat weevil damages stored grain, the boll weevil attacks cotton crops. It lays its eggs inside cotton bolls, and the larvae eat their way out, one species of weevil, Austroplatypus incompertus, exhibits eusociality, one of the few insects outside the Hymenoptera and the Isoptera to do so. Because so many species exist in such diversity, the classification of weevils is in a state of flux. They are generally divided into two divisions, the Orthoceri or primitive weevils, and the Gonatoceri or true weevils. E. C. Zimmerman proposed a division, the Heteromorphi. Primitive weevils are distinguished by having antennae, while true weevils have elbowed antennae. The elbow occurs at the end of the scape in true weevils, nanophyini are primitive weevils, but have long scapes and geniculate antennae. From the true weevils, Gonipterinae and Ramphus have short scapes, the most recent classification system to family level was provided by Kuschel, with updates from Marvaldi et al. and was achieved using phylogenetic analyses. The accepted families are the primitive weevils, Anthribidae, Attelabidae, Belidae, Brentidae, Caridae, and Nemonychidae, most other weevil families were demoted to subfamilies or tribes. Weevil species radiation was shown to follow steps in plant evolution upon which the weevils feed, some of the features used to distinguish weevil families are, Rhopalapion longirostre exhibits an extreme case of sexual dimorphism. The female rostrum is twice as long and its surface is smoother than in the male, the female bores egg channels into the buds of Alcea rosea. Thus, the dimorphism is not attributed to sexual selection and it is a response to ecological demands of egg deposition. A phylogeny of the Curculionoidea based on 18S ribosomal DNA and morphological data is suggested below, Bright, Donald E. Bouchard, coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Weevils of Canada and Alaska Volume 2. Insects and Arachnids of Canada Series, Part 25, media related to Curculionidae at Wikimedia Commons
Weevil
–
Weevils
Weevil
–
Chrysolopus spectabilis
Weevil
–
Rhinotia hemistictus
Weevil
–
Rhinotia haemoptera
7.
Kerala
–
Kerala historically known as Keralam, is an Indian state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions, spread over 38,863 km2, it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE, the Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks by the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, after independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949. In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin, Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India, the production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, the states coastline extends for 595 kilometres, and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% to the states income. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions. The name Kerala has an uncertain etymology, One popular theory derives Kerala from Kera and alam is land, thus land of coconuts, this also happens to be a nickname for the state due to abundance of coconut trees and its use by the locals. The word Kerala is first recorded in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka, the inscription refers to the local ruler as Keralaputra, or son of Chera. This contradicts the theory that Kera is from coconut tree, at that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil, Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for lake, the earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala is the Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rigveda. It is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics, the Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam or chera alam, the Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Keralaputra as Celobotra. According to Hindu mythology, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the warrior sage Parasurama. Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached, according to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land
Kerala
–
A houseboat near
Alappuzha, Kerala
Kerala
–
Parasurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding
Varuna (the
Hindu God of water) to part the seas and reveal Kerala.
Kerala
–
A
dolmen erected by Neolithic people in
Marayur
Kerala
–
Silk Road map. The spice trade was mainly along the water routes (blue).
8.
Dutch people
–
The Dutch, occasionally referred to as Netherlanders—a term that is cognate to the Dutch word for Dutch people, Nederlanders—are a Germanic ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a culture and speak the Dutch language. The high degree of urbanization characteristic of Dutch society was attained at an early date. During the Republic the first series of large scale Dutch migrations outside of Europe took place, despite the small size of the Netherlands, the Dutch left behind a legacy in excess of their mere numbers. The traditional art and culture of the Dutch encompasses various forms of music, dances, architectural styles and clothing. Internationally, Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh are held in high regard, the dominant religion of the Dutch is Christianity, although in modern times the majority is no longer religious. Significant percentages of the Dutch are adherents of humanism, agnosticism, atheism or individual spirituality, as with all ethnic groups the ethnogenesis of the Dutch has been a lengthy and complex process. The text below hence focuses on the history of the Dutch ethnic group, for Dutch national history, for Dutch colonial history, see the article on the Dutch Empire. Following the end of the period in the West around 500, with large federations settling the decaying Roman Empire. In the Low Countries, this began when the Franks, themselves a union of multiple smaller tribes. Eventually, in 358, the Salian Franks, one of the three main subdivisions among the Frankish alliance settled the areas Southern lands as foederati, Roman allies in charge of border defense. On a political level, the Frankish warlords abandoned tribalism and founded a number of kingdoms, however, the population make-up of the Frankish Empire, or even early Frankish kingdoms such as Neustria and Austrasia, was not dominated by Franks. Though the Frankish leaders controlled most of Western Europe, the Franks themselves were confined to the Northwestern part of the Empire, the current Dutch-French language border has remained virtually identical ever since, and could be seen as marking the furthest pale of gallicization among the Franks. The medieval cities of the Low Countries, which experienced major growth during the 11th and 12th century, were instrumental in breaking down the already relatively loose local form of feudalism, as they became increasingly powerful, they used their economical strength to influence the politics of their nobility. While the cities were of political importance, they also formed catalysts for medieval Dutch culture. The various city guilds as well as the necessity of water boards in the Dutch delta and it is also around this time, that ethnonyms such as Diets and Nederlands emerge. This process marked a new episode in the development of the Dutch ethnic group, as now political unity started to emerge, consolidating the strengthened cultural, despite their linguistic and cultural unity, and economic similarities, there was still little sense of political unity among the Dutch people. However, the centralist policies of Burgundy in the 14th and 15th centuries, at first violently opposed by the cities of the Low Countries, had a profound impact and changed this
Dutch people
Dutch people
–
The conversion of the Frankish king
Clovis to Christianity would have great significance in helping shape the identity of the future Dutch people.
Dutch people
–
The
Act of Abjuration, signed on July 26, 1581, was the formal declaration of independence of the Dutch Low Countries.
Dutch people
–
A typical November scene in the Dutch town
Middelburg,
Netherlands
9.
British people
–
British people, or Britons, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown dependencies, and their descendants. British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which can be acquired, for instance, although early assertions of being British date from the Late Middle Ages, the creation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 triggered a sense of British national identity. The notion of Britishness was forged during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and the First French Empire, and developed further during the Victorian era, because of longstanding ethno-sectarian divisions, British identity in Northern Ireland is controversial, but it is held with strong conviction by unionists. Modern Britons are descended mainly from the ethnic groups that settled in the British Isles in and before the 11th century, Prehistoric, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse. The British are a diverse, multi-national and multicultural society, with regional accents, expressions. Although none of his own writings remain, writers during the time of the Roman Empire made much reference to them, the group included Ireland, which was referred to as Ierne inhabited by the different race of Hiberni, and Britain as insula Albionum, island of the Albions. The term Pritani may have reached Pytheas from the Gauls, who used it as their term for the inhabitants of the islands. Greek and Roman writers, in the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, name the inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland as the Priteni, the origin of the Latin word Britanni. It has been suggested that name derives from a Gaulish description translated as people of the forms. By 50 BC Greek geographers were using equivalents of Prettanikē as a name for the British Isles. However, the term Britannia persisted as the Latin name for the island, during the Middle Ages, and particularly in the Tudor period, the term British was used to refer to the Welsh people and Cornish people. At that time, it was the held belief that these were the remaining descendants of the ancient Britons. This notion was supported by such as the Historia Regum Britanniae. Wales and Cornwall, and north, i. e. Cumbria, Strathclyde and this legendary Celtic history of Great Britain is known as the Matter of Britain. The indigenous people of the British Isles have a combination of Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon, oppenheimer continues that the majority of the people of the British Isles share genetic commonalities with the Basques, ranging from highs of 90% in Wales to lows of 66% in East Anglia. Oppenheimers opinion is that. by far the majority of male gene types in the British Isles derive from Iberia, ranging from a low of 59% in Fakenham, Norfolk to highs of 96% in Llangefni, north Wales. The English had been unified under a single state in 937 by King Athelstan of Wessex after the Battle of Brunanburh. However, historian Simon Schama suggested that it was Edward I of England who was responsible for provoking the peoples of Britain into an awareness of their nationhood in the 13th century
British people
–
Medieval tapestry showing
King Arthur, a legendary
ancient British ruler who had a leading role in the
Matter of Britain, a
national myth used as propaganda for the ancestral origins of the
British Royal Family and their
British subjects.
British people
British people
–
The Battle of Trafalgar by
J. M. W. Turner (oil on canvas, 1822–1824) combines events from several moments during the
Napoleonic Wars '
Battle of Trafalgar —a major British naval victory upon which Britishness has drawn influence.
British people
–
Britannia became the figure of
national personification of the United Kingdom during the 18th century
10.
Indian subcontinent
–
Geologically, the Indian subcontinent is related to the land mass that rifted from Gondwana and merged with the Eurasian plate nearly 55 million years ago. Geographically, it is the region in south-central Asia delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west. Politically, the Indian subcontinent usually includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, sometimes, the term South Asia is used interchangeably with Indian subcontinent. There is no consensus about which countries should be included in each and it is first attested in 1845 to refer to the North and South Americas, before they were regarded as separate continents. Its use to refer to the Indian subcontinent is seen from the twentieth century. It was especially convenient for referring to the region comprising both the British India and the states under British Paramountcy. The term Indian subcontinent also has a geological significance and it was, like the various continents, a part of the supercontinent of Gondwana. A series of tectonic splits caused formation of basins, each drifting in various directions. The geological region called the Greater India once included the Madagascar, Seychelles, Antartica, as a geological term, Indian subcontinent has meant that region formed from the collision of the Indian basin with Eurasia nearly 55 million years ago, towards the end of Paleocene. The Indian subcontinent has been a particularly common in the British Empire. The region, state Mittal and Thursby, has also labelled as India, Greater India. The BBC and some sources refer to the region as the Asian Subcontinent. Some academics refer to it as South Asian Subcontinent, the terms Indian subcontinent and South Asia are sometimes used interchangeably. There is no accepted definition on which countries are a part of South Asia or Indian subcontinent. In dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies a large, distinguishable subdivision of a continent, the region experienced high volcanic activity and plate subdivisions, creating Madagascar, Seychelles, Antartica, Austrolasia and the Indian subcontinent basin. The Indian subcontinent drifted northeastwards, colliding with the Eurasian plate nearly 55 million years ago and this geological region largely includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The zone where the Eurasian and Indian subcontinent plates meet remains one of the active areas. The English term mainly continues to refer to the Indian subcontinent, physiographically, it is a peninsular region in south-central Asia delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east
Indian subcontinent
–
Indian subcontinent
11.
Kollam Port
–
Kollam Port is one of Indias 20 major ports situated 4 kilometres from Downtown Kollam. It is the second largest port in Kerala by volume of cargo handled, located on the south west coast of India, under the name of Quilon Port it became one of the countrys most important trade hubs from the ninth to the seventeenth centuries. It was founded by Mar Abo at Thangasseri in 825 as an alternative to reopening the inland sea port near Backare, also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and Thondi to the Tamils. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822, the Chinese traders were one of the oldest foreign communities to settle in Kollam. That was the period when Kollam evolved as a trade center. In January 2014, the port trust discovered thousands of Chinese coins and stone age weapons at Kollam Port, revealing the historic background and this was the first discovery of such a quantity of artifacts at a port in India. Archaeologists believe that a city lies on the seabed of current Kollam Port. Today, ships frequently anchor at the port for shipping operations as well for urgent repairs when required, chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the Coastal Shipping Project at Kollam Port on 9 November 2013 while passenger ships began operations in 2014. The first container ship, MV Suryamukhi arrived at Kollam port as part of the coastal shipping project on 18 January 2014, major shipping companies are now showing interest in the port to commence shipping operations. The companies have plans to choose the port as an intermediate base, at present, about four companies have assured their frequent presence at the port. Sooryamukhi, the ship of Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation has sailed to Mudra Port in Gujarat to load tiles. The Great Sea Shipping Company will also berth at the port soon, after modernization of the port, the first foreign ship anchored in the port on 4 April 2014. Now it is proven that huge ships can easily operate from Kollam Port. The tugs MT Chaliyar and MT Kerala along with a new German made Rs.12 crore crane are used for the operations in the port. The wharf at Kollam Port is 177 metres in length and 12 metres wide with a draught of 6.5 metres. The wharf is protected from the waves by a 2,100 metres seaboard breakwater, the length of the wharf will be increased to 200 metres in due course. In 2007, Kollam Port handled about 500,000 tonnes of cargo, several major modernization projects have been proposed for Kollam with Maladives port in order to transform it into the port city of Kerala. Projects already planned are some of the largest ever mooted for the state, a face lift of the Maruthadi-Iravipuram area will be carried out by the government as part of the Kollam Port City project and will include facilities for sports, fishing, tourism and entertainment
Kollam Port
–
Kollam Port as seen from
Thangassery
Kollam Port
–
Kollam in the 1500s
Kollam Port
–
A distant view of Kollam Port from
Thangassery harbour
Kollam Port
–
Kollam in the 1800s
12.
Arab
–
Arabs are an ethnic group inhabiting the Arab world. They primarily live in the Arab states in Western Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Arabs are first mentioned in the mid-ninth century BCE as a tribal people dwelling in the central Arabian Peninsula. The Arabs appear to have been under the vassalage of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, tradition holds that Arabs descend from Ishmael, the son of Abraham. The Arabian Desert is the birthplace of Arab, there are other Arab groups as well that spread in the land and existed for millennia. Before the expansion of the Caliphate, Arab referred to any of the largely nomadic Semitic people from the northern to the central Arabian Peninsula and Syrian Desert. Presently, Arab refers to a number of people whose native regions form the Arab world due to spread of Arabs throughout the region during the early Arab conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries. The Arabs forged the Rashidun, Umayyad and the Abbasid caliphates, whose borders reached southern France in the west, China in the east, Anatolia in the north, and this was one of the largest land empires in history. The Great Arab Revolt has had as big an impact on the modern Middle East as the World War I, the war signaled the end of the Ottoman Empire. They are modern states and became significant as distinct political entities after the fall and defeat, following adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944, the Arab League was founded on 22 March 1945. The Charter of the Arab League endorsed the principle of an Arab homeland whilst respecting the sovereignty of its member states. Beyond the boundaries of the League of Arab States, Arabs can also be found in the global diaspora, the ties that bind Arabs are ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historical, identical, nationalist, geographical and political. The Arabs have their own customs, language, architecture, art, literature, music, dance, media, cuisine, dress, society, sports, the total number of Arabs are an estimated 450 million. This makes them the second largest ethnic group after the Han Chinese. Arabs are a group in terms of religious affiliations and practices. In the pre-Islamic era, most Arabs followed polytheistic religions, some tribes had adopted Christianity or Judaism, and a few individuals, the hanifs, apparently observed monotheism. Today, Arabs are mainly adherents of Islam, with sizable Christian minorities, Arab Muslims primarily belong to the Sunni, Shiite, Ibadi, Alawite, Druze and Ismaili denominations. Arab Christians generally follow one of the Eastern Christian Churches, such as the Maronite, Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, or Chaldean churches. Listed among the booty captured by the army of king Shalmaneser III of Assyria in the Battle of Qarqar are 1000 camels of Gi-in-di-buu the ar-ba-a-a or Gindibu belonging to the Arab
Arab
Arab
–
Schoolgirls in
Gaza lining up for class, 2009
Arab
–
Syrian immigrants in New York City, as depicted in 1895
Arab
–
Lebanese–Mexican billionaire
Carlos Slim has been ranked by Forbes as the
second richest person in the world.
13.
Chinese people
–
A number of ethnic groups within China, as well as people elsewhere with ancestry in the region, may be referred to as Chinese people. Han, the largest ethnic group in China, are referred to as Chinese or ethnic Chinese in English. The Han also form a majority or large minority in other countries, other ethnic groups in China include the Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, and Uyghurs, among many others. The Peoples Republic of China officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the Republic of China officially recognizes 14 tribes of Taiwanese aborigines, who together with unrecognized tribes comprise about 2% of the countrys population. The list of groups in China includes the major ethnic groups of China. During the Qing dynasty the term Chinese people was used by the Qing government to refer to all subjects of the empire, including Han, Manchu, and Mongols. Zhonghua minzu, the Chinese nation, is a concept which includes all 56 ethnic groups living in China that are officially recognized by the government of the Peoples Republic of China. It includes established ethnic groups who have lived within the borders of China since at least the Qing Dynasty, the term zhonghua minzu was used during the Republic of China from 1911–1949 to refer to a subset of five ethnic groups in China. The term zhongguo renmin, Chinese people, was the preferred term during the life of Mao Zedong. The Nationality law of the Peoples Republic of China regulates nationality within the PRC, a person obtains nationality either by birth when at least one parent is of Chinese nationality or by naturalization. All persons holding nationality of the Peoples Republic of China are citizens of the Republic, the Resident Identity Card is the official form of identification for residents of the Peoples Republic of China. The Nationality law of the Republic of China regulates nationality within the Republic of China, a person obtains nationality either by birth or by naturalization. A person with at least one parent who is a national of the Republic of China, the relationship between Taiwanese nationality and Chinese nationality is disputed. The National Identification Card is an identity document issued to people who have household registration in Taiwan, the Resident Certificate is an identification card issued to residents of the Republic of China who do not hold a National Identification Card. Overseas Chinese refers to people of Chinese ethnicity or national heritage who live outside of the Peoples Republic of China or Taiwan as the result of the continuing diaspora, people with one or more Chinese ancestors may consider themselves overseas Chinese. Such people vary widely in terms of cultural assimilation, in some areas throughout the world ethnic enclaves known as Chinatowns are home to populations of Chinese ancestry. In Southeast Asia, Chinese people call themselves 華人, which is distinguished from or the citizens of the Peoples Republic of China or the Republic of China and this is especially so in the Chinese communities of Southeast Asia
Chinese people
–
Portion of a mural in
Beijing depicting the 56 recognized ethnic groups of
China.
14.
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
–
It is headquartered in Mundakkal in the city of Kollam, Kerala. The Council serves as an intermediary between importers of cashew kernels and exporters who are members of the council, the council is also supposed to deal with any disputes on exports or imports arising on account of quality standards, breach of contractual obligations, etc. Cashew Export Promotion Council of India have offices in Kollam, Kochi, there are 238 registered cashew exporters in Cashew Export Promotion Council of India as members. In that, more than 200 exporters are based in Kollam, an examination of the records show that Kilikollur, a suburb of Kollam city, had the most cashew processing factories. India is on top nowadays in exporting cashew kernels and cashew nut shell liquid, foreign exchange earned by the country through export of cashew kernels during 2011–12 touched Rs.4,390 crore as per statistics of Cashew Export Promotion Council of India. 1.31 lakh tonnes of kernel were exported during 2011–12, united States of America is the biggest importer of cashew kernel from India. They are the biggest importer of CNSL from India, united Arab Emirates stood second in kernel import. CEPCI is expecting a rise in export, i. e.275,000 tonnes by 2020, the CEPC Laboratory and Technical Division was established by The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India in 1997. It is situated at Cashew Bhavan, Mundakkal, Kollam city, the lab is capable to do food products testing, water testing and other quality-based testing services. They also offer services to the food processing industry and field surveys. There is a plan to set up a facility and a cashew testing lab at the Kollam Port with the support of the Cashew Export Promotion Council. Analytical equipment Library Research facilities Microbiology Department Chemistry Department Biotechnology Department Kollam Cashew Kilikollur Mundakkal
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
–
CEPCI Headquarters at
Mundakkal,
Kollam city
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
–
Logo of CEPCI
15.
Kollam district
–
Kollam district is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Keralas natural attributes, it is endowed with a coastline, a major Arabian Sea seaport. The district has many source of waterbodies, Kallada river is one among it and the east side land of river is EastKallada and the west side land is WestKallada. Kallada Boat race is one among the festival events of district. Even though it is a competition between two sides of river many boat clubs from various places even beyond the district use to participate in the event. Kollam is the capital of Keralas cashew industry, plains, mountains, lakes, lagoons and backwaters, forests, farmland and rivers make up the topography of the district. The area had trading relationships with Phoenicia and Ancient Rome and it covers 2,492 square kilometres, is the seventh-largest district in Kerala and is densely populated. It has the shortest coastal line among districts in Kerala, five major urban centres are, Kollam, Paravur, Punalur, Karunagapally, and Kottarakara. Sasthamkotta Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Kerala, is located in Kollam, two major rivers drain the district. Ashtamudi Lake and Paravur Lake are two important lakes in the district, Ashtamudi Lake covers 30 percent of total area of the district. Kollam is located on Ashtamudi Lake, Neendakara, a major fishing port in southern Kerala, is also located on this scenic lake. Edava and Nadayara Lakes are also located in Kollam district. The place is popular as Thangasseri. The lighthouse built at Quilon by the British in the year 1902 is visible as far as 13 miles in the sea, the lighthouse stands to an amazing height of 144 feet. The picturesque view of the sea from the place where the stands is breathtaking. In the vicinity lies the Portuguese Fort, the fort was built in the year 1517 and at present only a wall of the fort has escaped the assaults made by Time. Kollams temperature is almost steady throughout the year, the average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May, the monsoon begins by June, Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around 2,700 millimetres
Kollam district
–
From top:
Paravur estuary, Light house and clock tower in
Kollam city, 13 Ring bridge of
Thenmala, Check dam across Kallada river
Kollam district
–
Kollam District കൊല്ലം ജില്ല Quilon District
Kollam district
–
Lighthouse, Thangasseri, Kollam
Kollam district
–
Paravur estuary: Scenic beauty of backwaters and beaches
16.
United States of America
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
United States of America
–
Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764
United States of America
–
Flag
United States of America
–
The signing of the
Mayflower Compact, 1620.
United States of America
–
The
Declaration of Independence: the
Committee of Five presenting their draft to the
Second Continental Congress in 1776
17.
United Arab Emirates
–
In 2013, the UAEs population was 9.2 million, of which 1.4 million are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates. The country is a federation of seven emirates, and was established on 2 December 1971, the constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. Each emirate is governed by a monarch, together, they jointly form the Federal Supreme Council. One of the monarchs is selected as the President of the United Arab Emirates, Islam is the official religion of the UAE and Arabic is the official language. The UAEs oil reserves are the seventh-largest in the world while its natural gas reserves are the worlds seventeenth-largest, Sheikh Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the first President of the UAE, oversaw the development of the Emirates and steered oil revenues into healthcare, education and infrastructure. The UAEs economy is the most diversified in the Gulf Cooperation Council, while its most populous city of Dubai is an important global city, nevertheless, the country remains principally reliant on its export of petroleum and natural gas. The UAE is criticised for its rights record, including the specific interpretations of Sharia used in its legal system. The UAEs rising international profile has led analysts to identify it as a regional. It appears the land of the Emirates has been occupied for thousands of years, there is no proof of contact with the outside world at that stage, although in time it developed with civilisations in Mesopotamia and Iran. This contact persisted and became wide-ranging, probably motivated by trade in copper from the Hajar Mountains, in ancient times, Al Hasa was part of Al Bahreyn and adjoined Greater Oman. Sassanid groups were present on the Batinah coast, in 637, Julfar was an important port that was used as a staging post for the Islamic invasion of the Sassanian Empire. The area of the Al Ain/Buraimi Oasis was known as Tuam and was an important trading post for camel routes between the coast and the Arabian interior. The earliest Christian site in the UAE was first discovered in the 1990s, a monastic complex on what is now known as Sir Bani Yas Island. Thought to be Nestorian and built in 600 AD, the church appears to have been abandoned peacefully in 750 AD and it forms a rare physical link to a legacy of Christianity which is thought to have spread across the peninsula from 50 to 350 AD following trade routes. Certainly, by the 5th century, Oman had a bishop named John – the last bishop of Oman being Etienne, in 676 AD. This led to a group of travelling to Medina, converting to Islam and subsequently driving a successful uprising against the unpopular Sassanids. Following the death of Prophet Muhammad, the new Islamic communities south of the Persian Gulf threatened to disintegrate, with insurrections against the Muslim leaders. The Caliph Abu Bakr sent an army from the capital Medina which completed its reconquest of the territory with the battle of Dibba in which 10,000 lives are thought to have been lost
United Arab Emirates
–
Dubai in 1950; the area in this photo shows
Bur Dubai in the foreground (centered on Al-Fahidi Fort);
Deira in middle-right on the other side of the creek; and
Al Shindagha (left) and
Al Ras (right) in the background across the creek again from Deira
United Arab Emirates
–
Flag
United Arab Emirates
–
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the first President of UAE.
United Arab Emirates
–
View of
Sharjah city
18.
Netherlands
–
The Netherlands is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three territories in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing borders with Belgium, the United Kingdom. The three largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Amsterdam is the countrys capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The port of Rotterdam is the worlds largest port outside East-Asia, the name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. Netherlands literally means lower countries, influenced by its low land and flat geography, most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, with a population density of 412 people per km2 –507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a population and higher population density. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is the worlds second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products and this is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate. In 2001, it became the worlds first country to legalise same-sex marriage, the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G-10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EUs criminal intelligence agency Europol and this has led to the city being dubbed the worlds legal capital. The country also ranks second highest in the worlds 2016 Press Freedom Index, the Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom. It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world, reflecting its high quality of life. The Netherlands also ranks joint second highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, the region called Low Countries and the country of the Netherlands have the same toponymy. Place names with Neder, Nieder, Nether and Nedre and Bas or Inferior are in use in all over Europe. They are sometimes used in a relation to a higher ground that consecutively is indicated as Upper, Boven, Oben. In the case of the Low Countries / the Netherlands the geographical location of the region has been more or less downstream. The geographical location of the region, however, changed over time tremendously
Netherlands
–
The Netherlands in 5500 BC
Netherlands
–
Flag
Netherlands
–
The Netherlands in 500 BC
Netherlands
–
An oak figurine found in
Willemstad, North Brabant (4500 BC).
19.
Japan
–
Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
Japan
–
The
Golden Hall and
five-storey pagoda of
Hōryū-ji, among the oldest wooden buildings in the world,
National Treasures, and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Japan
Japan
–
Samurai warriors face Mongols, during the
Mongol invasions of Japan. The
Kamikaze, two storms, are said to have saved Japan from Mongol fleets.
Japan
–
Samurai could
kill a commoner for the slightest insult and were widely feared by the Japanese population.
Edo period, 1798
20.
Saudi Arabia
–
Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south. It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba and it is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast and most of its terrain consists of arid desert and mountains. The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four regions, Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud and he united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been a monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines. The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called the predominant feature of Saudi culture, with its global spread largely financed by the oil and gas trade. Saudi Arabia is sometimes called the Land of the Two Holy Mosques in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the state has a total population of 28.7 million, of which 20 million are Saudi nationals and 8 million are foreigners. The states official language is Arabic, petroleum was discovered on 3 March 1938 and followed up by several other finds in the Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia has since become the worlds largest oil producer and exporter, controlling the second largest oil reserves. The kingdom is categorized as a World Bank high-income economy with a high Human Development Index and is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies. However, the economy of Saudi Arabia is the least diversified in the Gulf Cooperation Council, the state has attracted criticism for its treatment of women and use of capital punishment. Saudi Arabia is an autocracy, has the fourth highest military expenditure in the world. Saudi Arabia is considered a regional and middle power, in addition to the GCC, it is an active member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and OPEC. Following the unification of the Hejaz and Nejd kingdoms, the new state was named al-Mamlakah al-ʻArabīyah as-Suʻūdīyah by royal decree on 23 September 1932 by its founder, Abdulaziz Al Saud. Although this is translated as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in English it literally means the Saudi Arab kingdom. Its inclusion expresses the view that the country is the possession of the royal family. Al Saud is an Arabic name formed by adding the word Al, meaning family of or House of, in the case of the Al Saud, this is the father of the dynastys 18th century founder, Muhammad bin Saud. There is evidence that human habitation in the Arabian Peninsula dates back to about 125,000 years ago
Saudi Arabia
–
Abdul Aziz
Ibn Saud, the first king of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
–
Flag
Saudi Arabia
–
Saudi Arabia political map
Saudi Arabia
–
Saudi Arabian administrative regions and roadways map.
21.
Kilikollur
–
Kilikollur, also known as Kilikolloor or Karicode, is a neighbourhood in Kollam in Kerala, India. It is a center of the industry in the area. National Highway 744 passes through Kilikollur and it is served by Kilikollur railway station, a stop for trains to and from Kollam, Paravur, Punalur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Ernakulam, and Guruvayur. Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering is located in Kilikollur, a zonal office of Kollam Municipal Corporation is also located in the neighbourhood. Kilikollur was a panchayath and was formed in 1953 and it was included in Anchalumoodu block of Kollam district with an area of 11.24 sq. km. Kollam has been a center in India since at least 851 AD. When Kollam Municipality was upgraded to a city corporation in the year 2000, it was merged with Killikollur
Kilikollur
–
Kilikollur railway station entrance
22.
Thattamala
–
Thattamala is a neighbourhood situated at the southeast border of Kollam city in state of Kerala, India. It is situated at National Highways – NH66, Kerala Police have identified Thattamala as one of the traffic black spots in the state. Thattamala was a part of old Vadakkevila panchayath before the constitution of Kollam as a city, travancore Medicity Medical College Hospital Canara Bank Thattamala branch Govt
Thattamala
–
National Highway-66 at Thattamala
23.
Asramam
–
Asramam Ashramam is one of the prime locations in Kollam city of Kerala, India. It is one among the 55 wards of Kollam Municipal Corporation, Asramam is a notable place in the city because of the presence of old airport, public/private institutions, tourism destinations, parks, hospitals, maidan etc. Asramam Maidan, the biggest open space now existing in any of the Kerala Municipal Corporation limits is situated at Asramam, the first airport in the state of Kerala, Kollam Airport, was functioned in this maidan. Asramam is the headquarters of the Kollam branches of Indian Medical Association, link Road, one of the important roads in the city, passing through Asramam. The one and only International Hockey Stadium in the state is coming up at Asramam, Asramam is one of the most important places of Kollam city. The citys biggest attractions like Adventure park, Childrens park, Picnic Village, the thick Mangrove forests in this area are very popular all over the state. So many renowned hospitals in the city are situated near Asramam, sankars Institute of Medical Science, Dr. Nairs Hospital, ESIC Model & Super Speciality Hospital etc. are the famous hospitals near Asramam. International Hockey Stadium, Kollam KTDC Tamarind Hotel Factories & Boilers Department - Kerala Headquarters Occupational Health and Research Centre Office of the Asst
Asramam
–
Asramam Link Road
Asramam
–
Office of the Superintendent of Police,
Kollam
24.
Kochupilamoodu
–
Kochupilamoodu or Kochupilammoodu is an important neighbourhood and cashew hub in Kollam city, Kerala, India. It is one of the prominent business centres in the city, Kochupilamoodu is very close to Downtown Kollam area and is about 1 km away from Chinnakada. It is on the way to Kollam Port from the city CBD of Kollam Kochupilamoodu is one among the cashew hubs in Kollam city - Cashew Capital of the World, so many cashew companies are located at this place. This place is situated in between Mundakkal, Kollam Port, Kollam Beach and Chinnakada and this location is also giving importance to this place. Kollam Canal - Part of Shornur-Thiruvananthapuram canal system in Kerala, is passing through Kochupilamoodu, Kochupilamoodu bridge is connecting Chinnakada with Kollam Beach. City Corporation of Kollam has proposed a new bus stand at Kochupilamoodu during the budget of 2005
Kochupilamoodu
–
Kochupilamoodu-SP Office flyover road
25.
Valakom, Kottarakara
–
Valakom is a village in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. Valakom is 10 km south of Kottarakkara and 8 km north of Ayoor on M C Road/SH-1, Valakom is well connected with Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital and to other major towns of Kerala by road. There is no railway line passing through Valakom, Kottarakkara railway station on the Punalur-Kollam line is the nearest railway station. Distance from major cities of Kerala from Valakom by road are as follows, kottarakara Ganapathi Temple, Kottukal Rock Cut Cave Temple and Chadayamangalam Jatayu Para are the nearest pilgrim and tourist destinations. Valakom comes under the Kottarakkara legislative assembly constituency currently represented by Adv, aisha Potty of CPI, and under the Mavelikkara parliament constituency currently represented by Mr. Kodikkunnil Suresh of INC. Many churches and religious institutions as well as a BEVCO outlet is also situated here, major banks operating in Valakom include Federal Bank, State Bank of Travancore, Muthoot Fincorp, Kosammattam Finance, and Panamkunnil Bankers. Library and Sree Gosalakrishna temple are situated at Marangattukonam,1 km from Valakom, a police aid post is located near the Mercy Hospital Junction which is one km north of the town in SH-1. The major educational institutions in the village are the Marthoma High School, training College & school and C. S. I. Training centre, college & school for the Hearing Impaired, Mercy Hospital is a major health care centre in this area. There are a few other clinics also there
Valakom, Kottarakara
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City Corporations
26.
Odanavattam
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Odanavattam is a village in Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India. The village is situated 22 km west from Kollam town and is under the administration of Veliyam panchayath, odanavattom is near to Edakkidom and Kottarakkara the birthplace of Kathakali. There is a Government Senior Secondary school in the town, there are also many private Upper Primary schools in Odanavattam. Odanavattom is near to Edakkidom and Kottarakkara the birthplace of Kathakali Quilon Rental is one of the construction equipment rental firm with its function started here in the year 2013. Their feet includes Bobcat E32 Excavator, Skid Steer Loader, JCB 3DX, Hitachi EX110 Excavator, Hitachi EX70 Excavator, Scaffolding, Concrete Machines, as of 2001 India census, Odanavattam had a population of 15419 with 7454 males and 7965 females. Odanavattam is part of Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency
Odanavattam
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City Corporations
27.
Punalur
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Punalur ) is a city situated near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Kollam district of the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is situated on the banks of the Kallada River and derives its name from the Tamil words, punal, meaning water and ooru, meaning city, literally and it is about 45 kilometres north-east of Kollam and 75 kilometres north of Thiruvananthapuram. It is also known as the Gateway of Western Ghats, Punalur become an important trading and transport centre between Kollam and Sengottai under the rule of the Travancore Kingdom. Steady progress by the Punalur Panchayat administration saw an upgrade to municipality status in 1972, despite this elevation in status, Punalur still lacks the basic infrastructure to cope with an ever growing population and an influx of tourists and pilgrims. Oldest bridge in India is situated in Punalur and it is also the first motorable bridge in India, constructed in 1877. It is believed that Punalur derived its name from Punel - the Malayalam word for funnel, the other school of thought attributes the etymology to the word punal, and ooru, referring to the river passing through the town. Yet another suggestion is associated to Hindu epic, Ramayana, that the name originated from the pursuit of Khara for Rama, Khara on seeing the duo, removed his sword from sheath, first at a place now known as Karavaloor. But unable to attack there, followed and removed his sword again at Punalur. Punalur is a city on a path which had good relations with Tamil Nadu to the East from time unknown. Most parts of Punalur taluk were inhabited before the Indus Valley Civilization, human civilizations existed in Punalur during the Mesolithic period, mainly around Thenmalai. Punalur is described in inscriptions of Mithranandpuram and Vellayani, until 1734, Punalur was under the direct rule of the Ilaydathu Swaroopam. Later it was annexed by Marthanda Varma and came under the rule of Travancore, the British Raj established a good hold over this part of India due to its rich agricultural resources. Historically, Shenduruny has a rich heritage, a recent study conducted by Dr. P. It was proved that these belong to the Mesolithic period. This study brought out the fact that the Shenduruny River Valley Civilization was one of the oldest river valley civilizations in India and it dates to between 5210 and 4420 BC, making it older than the Indus Valley Civilization which is believed to have flourished from 4400 to 3700 BC. Cave paintings seen here are comparable to the Mesolithic paintings found in the caves of central India, the cave found here is large enough to hold at least twenty people at a time. According to Dr. Rajendran, the place seen below just in front of the cave once must have been a lake. Now the Shenduruny River has the reputation that it had nourished a civilization in the prehistoric past and this act of the local traders evoked the anger of the Captain and he sent his troops and killed many people
Punalur
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View of Punalur Railway Station
Punalur
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Punalur KsrtcBustand
Punalur
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Thirteen- Arch Railway Bridge
28.
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara, also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and municipality in Kollam District, in Kerala state, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a history linked to the early medieval period as well as a reputation as an important commercial, industrial. Kottarakkara lies 27 kilometres to the east of Kollam city centre and 18 kilometres to the west of Punalur city on National Highway 208/220 and it lies 35 kilometres north-east of Paravur. Kottarakkara, also known in the ancient days of the kings as the Elayadathu Swarupam, was a principality ruled by a branch of the Travancore Royal Family, other historical places of interest include the Ganapathi Temple, Edakkidom Thettikkunil Maha Devi Temple and the more-than-700-year-old Mar Thomas Church. Kottarakkara, a word made up of the words Kottaram, meaning palace. The area which had several palaces was thus named Kottarakkara, Kottarakkara is a small principality close to Kollam. It is now a modern town with all essential facilities. As a taluk headquarters, it has six panchayats, NH208 meets the MC road at Kottarakkara. Kottarakkara is linked with Kollam, both by road and rail, at a distance of 27 km and it is 72 km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram and 80 km to the south of Kottayam. Kottarakara Assembly Constituency is part of the Mavelikkara, shiva in the form of a fierce hunter is deified here. Another shrine next to it is a Durga temple, where the deity installed is known as Pazenadu Bhagavathy, Devi The idol of was carved out from the root of the jack tree by Perumthachan. It is well connected to the city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram by KSRTC Fast Passenger, super fast, deluxe. There are six pairs of services now and heard that many more services would be inducted in this route since the Punalur-Schengotta ghat section has been closed for Broad Gauge conversion. Once the conversion is over, this serve as the shortest route from Kollam to Chennai. Further, a new line from Chengannur to Thiruvananthapuram via Kottarakkara, Kottarakkara will become a junction once the new line materializes. The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, a new green field airport has been proposed at Aranmula,45 kilometres from Kottarakkara. Salim Yusuf - Physician, world-renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist and he is one of the most cited scientists ever in the world. Bobby Kottarakkara, Malayalam actor K. B, Kollam District official website National Informatics Centre
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Kshethram
Kottarakkara
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A close-up of a Kathakali artist
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara Palace
Kottarakkara
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City Corporations
29.
Puthoor
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Puthur is a minor town located 26 kilometers from Kollam City in Kollam District, Kerala, India. It is one of the biggest trading centres of South India, Puthur town is the main shopping hub for a number of satellite areas in and around. Politically it was a Congress stronghold, and there were occasions when Communist groups won elections as well, but now a days, communist party is the strongest here as there is a wide spread presence of youth and student wings of Communist party. Strong presence of Communist and left leaning people has helped the leftist parties to gain and win local body elections, the name Puthur is derived from Puthu and Ur which means the new village. There are several villages across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu which are named Puthur, the closest major geographical feature is the Kallada river, which is considered as one of the 44 major rivers of Kerala. The river is facing problems due to sand mining, the brick industries used to extract the wetland soil for brick making which has converted the paddy fields into deep waterbodies. The filling of paddy fields and wetlands by soil and converting them into real estate is affecting the ecology of the region. As Kollam is known for industries, Puthur as a small town 28 km away from Kollam port is also influenced by this industry from the last seven to eight decades. Though history of this goes beyond 500 years, cashew. Puthur has a number of cashew factories which processes cashew nut. Women contributes the major chunk of the force of the Cashew factories. Puthur also has brick factories mainly located in Cherupoika. The brick factories employ a large number of male workers including migrant labourers. Now it is famous for buying cycles. Paddy, tuber crops and coconut, has given way to monocultivation of natural rubber, the steep decline in the price of natural rubber is bound to have strong repercussions to the economy of the village The permanent residents of Puthur were entirely Malayalam speaking natives. The recent trend of in migration of labour from other Indian states like West Bengal, Orissa, there are tourist attractions in Puthur such as the old shrines including Ullirippil Kavu, Kaniyapoyka Temple, the Mylamkulam Rock, Thazhum, Njankadavu, and Attuvassey
Puthoor
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City Corporations
30.
Ayathil
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Ayathil is a neighbourhood in Vadakkevila zone of Kollam city, Kerala, India. It is the 36th ward in Kollam Municipal Corporation and it is one of the cashew processing hubs in Kollam city. Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited has a factory there, Ayathil is a healthcare hub of Kollam city. Ayathil junction connects National Highway 66 with Kollam-Kulathupuzha road and Ayathil-Pallimukku road, there are four multi-speciality hospitals situated in Ayathil-Mevaram stretch of National Highway 66 in Kollam city. Sree Narayana Institute of Technology a college in Kollam city that runs Master of Computer Applications courses, younus College of Engineering & Technology is another professional college situated close to Ayathil. Ayathil is one of the power suppliers of Kollam city. LDF ruled Kerala Government have upgraded 66kV Electrical substation in Ayathil to 110kV for boosting the supply in Kollam. Now it is one among the 116 Electrical substations in Kerala with 110kV power, the Government of Kerala has laid the foundation stone for Rs.30 crore Gas Insulated Substation project to supply power to Kollam city. Kollam is the city in Kerala to receive a Gas Insulated Substation project for uninterrupted power supply in the city. Underground cables from Kavanad and Ayathil substations feed the Kollam GIS
Ayathil
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Kollam Bypass at Ayathil
31.
Perinad
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Perinad is a village in Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India. As of 2001 India census, Perinad had a population of 32864 with 16032 males and 16832 females, Perinad is a fast-growing village at the outskirts of Kollam city. National Highway 183 connects Perinad region with Kollam, Kundara, Chengannur etc, Perinad is situated on the shores of Ashtamudi lake. The Perinad panchayath office is about 13 km away from Kollam City center and 27 km away from Paravur Town, the important towns in the Panchayath are Cherumoodu, Vellimon and Chemmakadu. The panchayath office is located at Chemmakadu, Perinad was once a centre of Coir industry in Kollam which flourished along the backwater shores of the region. Kerala State Institute of Design, Chnathanathope P. O Kollam 2, Perinad Techno Lodge, Cherumoodu -13 km away from Kollam City 3. Kerala Institute of Management, Chemmakadu -12 km away from Kollam City 4, college of Engineering, Perumon -13 km away from Kollam City 5. Perinad Railway Station -9 km away from Kollam city 6, Kollam Techno Park, Mulavana, Kundara -5 km away from Cherumoodu and 18 km away from Kollam city 7. Laxmi Starch Factory, Vellimon -15 km from Kollam City 8, Institute of Fashion Technology Kerala, Vellimon -14. The institute was merged with Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence on 1 April 2014. KASE is the agency for all skill development activities in the state of Kerala. One of the most important objectives of KSID is to design education. To realise this objective, KSID is supported by National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, training, To provide outreach programs and Design training in various crafts clusters, MSMEs and other industries as well as to promote local crafts and heritage of the state. Services, To provide design services to various Government and Private Institutions. Research, To conduct research in various domains of Design and Allied fields, documentation & Publication, To periodically document and publish results, in order to generate a Knowledge Repository for Design. Collaboration, To collaborate with Government, Indigenous Industry and to promote Design exchange programmes at national and international level with other Educational Institutes, a Techno-lodge is a small Information Technology park established by Government of Kerala in a small town or a village in Kerala. Techno-lodges constitute the third tier of the IT infrastructure in Kerala, the Government has set up two such parks in Perinad and Kadakkal Grama Panchayats in Kollam District. The Techno-Lodge centres are set up in old unused government buildings, buildings belonging to government organizations, a Techno-lodge is a small Information Technology park established by Government of Kerala in a small town or a village in Kerala
Perinad
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City Corporations
32.
Pathanapuram
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Pathanapuram is a Town in Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated in Pathanapuram taluka and it is also the headquarters of Pathanapuram taluk The history of Pathanapuram goes back to Thenmala Desam, a small Principality under a local ruler. Later, Thenmala Desom became a part of Elayidathu Swaroopam having its capital at Kottarakkara, Pathanapuram was the capital of one of the two districts of Elayidathu Swaroopam. In 1764, King Marthandavarma conquered Elayidathu Swaroopam and annexed it to Travancore, most parts of Pathanapuram taluk were inhabited since before the Indus Valley Civilization, and civilization may have existed in and around Pathanapuram beginning the 1st Century. The name Pathanapuram may have evolved from the fact that the area had an elephant population and elephants were caught. The Old police station used to be the elephant Camp. The name can be translated as Path =+Ana = + Puram = == Ten Elephant Town, thus the word Pathanapuram means Town with Palace or Town with lot of houses. Pathanapuram is located at 9. 0927°N76. 8612°E /9.0927,76.8612, the village is spread over an area of 24.20 km2. As of 2011 census of India, Pathanapuram had a population of 32,339, the total population constitute,15,129 males and 17,210 females —a sex ratio of 1138 females per 1000 males. 3,052 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, the average literacy rate stands at 92. 94% with 27,218 literates. The area is connected to the rest of the state by bus services of KSRTC. The nearest railway stations to the village are Chengannur, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Punalur, Pathanapuram assembly constituency is a part of the Mavelikkara Loksabha Constituency. Kodikunnil Suresh is the present member of parliament who won the 2014 Indian general election, Pathanapuram is also the home constituency of actor turned politician K. B. He has won from this constituency in the 2001,2006 and 2011 Assembly elections and he is the current M. L. A. from Pathanapuram. He was the Minister of Forests, Sports & Cinema till April 2013, Pathanapuram lies on the border of the Periyar National Park
Pathanapuram
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City Corporations
33.
Kollam Cantonment
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Kollam Cantonment is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Kollam. It arose as a cantonment of the British Raj in the 17th century and it is now a thickly populated area of the city of Kollam. Some of the important business centres, shopping complexes and Government offices are located here, Kollam Junction railway station is also located near to cantonment area. City of Kollam was a trade hub in British India. Kollam Port was a flourishing and favorite port of Phoenicians, Arabs, old Quilon city was conquered by Portuguese, Dutch and British people during 16th to 18th centuries. The garrison was situated at the Cantonment Maidan during those days
Kollam Cantonment
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Bhima Jewellers situated at Kollam Cantonment area
34.
Downtown Kollam
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Downtown Kollam is the primary central business district in the city of Kollam, Kerala, India. Located entirely within the municipality of old Quilon, it is approximately bounded by Chinnakada to the east, Thangassery to the West, Cutchery to the north. The area is known for its business activities. Kollam was formerly an international emporium of trade and today remains a commercial centre. The downtown area of Kollam has a business history. Marco Polo, the Venician traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kubla Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin. He pointed out that Old Kollam was the town on the west coast of India with multi-story buildings. He found Christians and Jews living in Coilum as well as merchants from China, Polo left a detailed account of Kollam in his writings, extracts of which are reproduced in the Travancore State Manual. The proximity to Kollam Port makes this one of the biggest business centres in India. It also contains the buildings of the Kollam Municipal Corporation, nowadays Downtown Kollam is one of the largest central business districts in the state of Kerala. The area is noted for its rich history and culture. Kollams main road runs through the center of downtown business district of Old Quilon. The north-south area of downtown is popularly known as Big bazaar. As the name indicates, it is the biggest bazaar in city of Kollam, there are many rice, spice and cloth merchants doing business in the Big bazaar area. The area behind Kollam District hospital is known as Pharma city because of its number of pharmaceutical and surgical distributors. The place is also a destination of doctors and physicians in the city. There are also many electronics and laptop service centres. K Fabrics Boots & Boots Zipata Color Lab Bombay Dyeing R. K Fabrics
Downtown Kollam
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Paikkada road in Downtown Kollam - Once this road was the nerve centre of the
Malabar Coast 's business capital '
Quilon '
Downtown Kollam
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Aerial view of Downtown Kollam and Thangassery coastal area
Downtown Kollam
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Aerial view of off-Chinnakada in Downtown Kollam
Downtown Kollam
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RP Mall - A view from Downtown area,
Kollam
35.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
International Standard Book Number
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A 13-digit ISBN, 978-3-16-148410-0, as represented by an
EAN-13 bar code
36.
Portuguese Empire
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The Portuguese Empire, also known as the Portuguese Overseas, was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history and the first colonial empire. It existed for almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the grant of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002, the first era of the Portuguese empire originated at the beginning of the Age of Discovery. Initiated by the Kingdom of Portugal, it would eventually expand across the globe, in 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India. In 1500, either by an accidental landfall or by the secret design. Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts, by 1571, a string of naval outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. This commercial network and the trade had a substantial positive impact on Portuguese economic growth. Though the realms continued to be administered separately, the Council of Portugal ruled the country and its empire from Madrid. As the King of Spain was also King of Portugal, Portuguese colonies became the subject of attacks by three rival European powers hostile to Spain, the Dutch Republic, England, and France. With its smaller population, Portugal was unable to defend its overstretched network of trading posts. Eventually, Brazil became the most valuable colony of the era until, as part of the wave of independence movements that swept the Americas during the early 19th century. The third era represents the stage of Portuguese colonialism after the decolonization of the Americas of the 1820s. The colonial possessions had been reduced to the African coastline, Portuguese Timor, the disastrous 1890 British Ultimatum led to the contraction of Portuguese ambitions in Africa. Macau was returned to China in 1999, the origin of the Kingdom of Portugal lay in the reconquista, the gradual reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. There were several motives for their first attack, on the Marinid Sultanate. In 1415 an attack was made on Ceuta, a strategically located North African Muslim enclave along the Mediterranean Sea, although Ceuta proved to be a disappointment for the Portuguese, the decision was taken to hold it while exploring along the Atlantic African coast. At the time, Europeans did not know what lay beyond Cape Bojador on the African coast, under his sponsorship, soon the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Azores were reached and started to be settled producing wheat to export to Portugal. Fears of what lay beyond Cape Bojador, and whether it was possible to return once it was passed, were assuaged in 1434 when it was rounded by one of Infante Henrys captains, Gil Eanes. Once this psychological barrier had been crossed, it became easier to further along the coast
Portuguese Empire
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The
Conquest of Ceuta, in 1415, was led by
Henry the Navigator, and initiated the Portuguese Empire.
Portuguese Empire
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Map of Western Africa by Lázaro Luis (1563). The large castle in West Africa represents the
São Jorge da Mina (Elmina castle).
Portuguese Empire
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Vasco da Gama 's departure to
India, in 1497
37.
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
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The 4th Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1502 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Vasco da Gama. It was Gamas second trip to India, along the way, in East Africa, the 4th Armada established a Portuguese factory in Mozambique, made contact and opened trade with the gold entrepot of Sofala and extorted tribute from Kilwa. Once in India, the set about attacking Calicut shipping and disrupting trade along much of the Malabar Coast. But the ruling Zamorin of Calicut refused to accede to Portuguese demands, the 4th Armada left without bringing the Zamorin to terms and leaving matters unresolved. Before departing, the established a crown factory in Cannanore and left behind a small patrol under Vicente Sodré. The Second India Armada, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, had arrived in Portugal in the summer of 1501 in a terrible shape, ship and human losses were tremendous, its mission objectives failed. By the time this news was received, the 3rd India Armada under João da Nova had already departed, a commercial expedition unequipped to deal with the hostile turn of events in the Indian Ocean. As a result, King Manuel I of Portugal ordered a new fleet to be assembled, the command of the 4th Armada was offered to Pedro Álvares Cabral. But various factions in the Portuguese court and the Casa da India, opposed Cabrals appointment, however, Cabral had his own political supporters that could not be ignored. Finding this condition an unacceptable affront, Cabral withdrew his name in a huff, Manuel I immediately appointed Vasco da Gama himself as captain-major. The intrigues behind the appointment have been variously told, by some accounts, the initial offer to Cabral was a pro forma gesture to palliate his faction rather than an earnest offer. In other words, the never had any intention of letting Cabral lead the expedition. But that he had made a promise to Cabral and could not break it, on this hint, Gama produced a royal letter, promising Gama a determining role in any future India expedition, and demanded command of the expedition for himself. The king was caught between two commitments - honoring the letter to Gama, or his appointment to Cabral, hearing of the kings quandary, Cabral voluntarily withdrew his name to graciously allow Manuel I to honor his letter. But some later authors have interpreted the accounts differently, that King Manuel I was wholly behind Cabral, the vintena would continue until 1522. The 4th Armada was composed of 20 ships and between 800 and 1800 men, the Armada was originally envisaged as two squadrons -15 ships under the admiral to head to India,5 under the vice-admiral designated to patrol the mouth of the Red Sea. The exact composition of the three squadrons differs in the various accounts, the following list of ships should not be regarded as authoritative, but a tentative list compiled from various conflicting accounts. The list of names is from Gaspar Correias Lendas da Índia
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
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The 4th India Armada (1502) From Memorias das Armadas
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
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Vasco da Gama
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
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4th Armada of 1502 (from Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu)
38.
Cashew House
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The Cashew House in Mundakkal, Kollam city, is the headquarters of Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited in Kerala, India. It is very closely related with the history of ancient Quilon, Cashew business and export from Kollam city is world-famous and that is why Kollam is known as Cashew Capital of the World. The gigantic two-storied building was owned by an American businessman Lindsay Johnson since it was built in 1935 and he came to Kerala as the representative of a New York-based food company. He named his daughter ‘Kerala’ because of his love to the state, Johnson became one of the richest men of his times because of his cashew business in Kollam city. But he was forced to go back to his country, United States during the time of World War II, when the American Government ordered its citizens in India to return. Johnson pledged his house to the well-established Quilon bank at that time and had handed over his business to his manager Swaminathan. But later, Swaminathan told Johnson that his business was running at a loss due to the world war, the manager knowingly diverted the profit from Johnsons business and later Quilon Bank had attached the property. Pereira acquired the building in an auction
Cashew House
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A distant view of Cashew House in
Mundakkal,
Kollam city
Cashew House
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Nila Cashew packets displayed in a Supermarket at
Paravur near
Kollam. Nila Cashews is one among the popular
Kollam based cashew exporters
39.
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
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In 825 AD, the seaport of Quilon was part of the Venad Kingdom. The then ruling monarch, Iyyanadikal Thiruvadikal, welcomed the monks on their arrival and showered them with special privileges, maruvan Sapir Iso built the Nilalkkal ashram near St. Thomas Church in Chayal, he died and buried in Chayal ashram. The start of the Malayalam era, also referred to as Kollavarsham, is associated with Kollam, the era was started by these East Syrian Saints who settled in Korukeni Kollam, near to the present Kollam. The start of the ME has been dated to 825 AD and it also signified the independence of Malabar from the Cheraman Perumals. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two Nestorian bishops Mar Sapor and Mar Peroz, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began and Quilon undoubtedly became the city of the Malabar region including Travancore. Tradition says that st. M. G. S and this was the period when the Cera-Pandya conflict was developing in the south. The foundation of Kollam in 825 A. D. must have coincided with victory of Chera in the Vel province. This incident reveals the practical wisdom of the rulers and throws light on the motivations of men who promoted ideas of religion. The Syrian Christian Monks who took advantage of the situation were equally clever, in the absence of materials for a detailed history, it is difficult to ascertain whether Mar Abo was a or missionary. Perhaps he was both at the time and there was no inherent contradiction between the two roles. ”This means that they did not remain as a separate group but rather they intermarried with the Hindus of Kerala. “The deity of the Tarsa Church was referred to the tevar. ”When they arrived on the Malabar Coast, Quilon, Angamaly, Kaduthuruthy and Cranganore had the largest population of Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala. Giovanni Empoli, who came to Quilon in 1503, estimated there were more than three thousand St. Thomas Christians in Quilon alone. Mar Sapor writes, the forgiving Miseha who saved me from persecution, though the Synod of Diamper in 1599 proclaimed Mar Sabor and Mar Proth heretics, the Christians of Malankara respected them. According to decisions of Synod of Diamper these saints of Malankara Nazranis were considered as schismatics, Mar Sabor gained the necessary rights from the local ruler of Kadamattom to build a church there. He established the church in the forest regions of Kadamattom in the 40th year of Kollam Era and he stayed there at first in a small home with a mother and a son. Afterwards he left for Thevalakara to visit an influential and reputed Nambuthiri family who were traditional ophthalmologists to the families in the adjoining area. This family is known as Thevalakara Vaidyan family and most of their members retain the surname Vaidyan
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
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Kottakkavu Sliva, the Persian cross founded by Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, is preserved at
Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Center, North Paravur.
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
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Mar Sabor
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
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Tomb of Mar Sabor at Marth Mariam church,
Thevalakkara
40.
Chera dynasty
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The Cheras were the principal ruling dynasty of the present-day state of Kerala and to a lesser extent, parts of Tamil Nadu in South India. Along with the Ay kingdom and the Ezhimala kingdom, they formed the kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era. The origins of the dynasty are unclear and it is understood that they were speakers of Proto-Tamil-Malayalam while some being practitioners of literary writing in Old Tamil. In fact, most of their history is reconstructed from the body of known as the Sangam literature written in Old Tamil around the 3rd century CE. While Pliny and Ptolemy refer to the Cheras as Calobotras, the Periplus refers to them as the Keprobotras, the earliest Sanskrit works which refer to the Cheras and Kerala is probably the Aitreya Aranyaka. It refers to the land as Chera-pada - and as one of the three peoples who did not follow some ancient injunctions, there are also brief references by Katyanana, Edicts of Ashoka, Patanjali and Kautilya though Panini does not mention of the land. However, it is the Tamil works collectively known as the Sangam literature that form the most important sources for a detailed history of the Cheras. These works roughly span the period 100 CE to 300 CE, among them, the most important sources for the Cheras are the Pattittupattu, the Agananuru, the Purananuru and the Silappatikaram. The exact antiquity of the Chera dynasty is difficult to establish, however, based on the travellers accounts and the Sangam literature, it can be confirmed that they were already existing around the 4th century BCE. The Sangam literature describes a line of Chera rulers. It records the names of the kings, the princes, the internal chronology of this literature is still far from settled and a connected account of the history of the period is an area of research. Uthiyan Cheralathan, Nedum Cheralathan and Senguttuvan Chera are some of the referred to in the Sangam poems. Senguttuvan Chera, the most celebrated Chera king, is famous for the legends surrounding Kannagi, the exact location of the Chera capital has been subject to some speculation. The Chera capital has been called, Vanchi and Karur in several works and this has led to several theories identifying the Chera capital in places called Karur in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, it is clear that the capital was near the famous port known as Muziris. Pliny refers to Muziris as the Chera capital, while the author of the Periplus identifies the capital to be a couple of away from the mouth of the river at Muziris. Ptolemy who identifies the capital as Karoura gives a location that is very close to Muziris as well. The Cheras also seem to have battles with other neighbouring dynasties such as the Pallavas, the Rashtrakutas
Chera dynasty
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Extent of Chera kingdom
Chera dynasty
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Family tree of the kings of the Chera dynasty based on Sangam literature. The monarchs ruled in the first two centuries of the Common Era.
41.
Tharisapalli plates
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The inscription describes the gift of a plot of land to the Syrian Church at Tangasseri near Quilon, along with several rights and privileges to the Syrian Christians led by Mar Sapir Iso. The Tharisappalli copper plates are one of the important historical inscriptions of Kerala, the grant was made in the presence of important officers of the state and the representatives of trade corporations or merchant guilds. It also throws light on the system of taxation that prevailed in early Venad, as several taxes such as a tax, sales tax. It also testifies to the policy of religious toleration followed by the rulers of ancient Kerala. There are two sets of plates as part of document, and both are incomplete. The first set documents the land while the details the attached conditions. The signatories signed the document in the Hebrew, Pahlavi, the Tharisappalli copper plates are kept at Poolatheen Aramana of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church K. Sivasankaran Nair, Venadinte Parinamam, D C Books,2005
Tharisapalli plates
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References [edit]
42.
Travancore
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The Kingdom of Travancore (/ˈtrævəŋkɔər/, Malayalam, തിരുവിതാംകൂർ Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, the official flag of the state was red with a dextrally-coiled silver conch shell at its center. In the early 19th century, the became a princely state of the British Empire. When the region was part of the Chera empire, it was known as Thiruvazhumkode. It was contracted to Thiruvankode, and anglicised by the English to Travancore. In course of time, the Ay kingdom, part of the Chera empire, which ruled the Thiruvazhumkode area, became independent, the Aayis controlled the land from present day Kollam district in the north, through Thiruvananthapuram district, all in Kerala, to the Kanyakumari district. There were two capitals, the one at Kollam and a subsidiary one at Thrippapur. The kingdom was also called Venad. Kings of Venad had, at times, travelled from Kollam and built residential palaces in Thiruvithamcode. By the time of King Marthanda Varma, the half of the kingdom had become dominant. During his reign, it absorbed the north and Thiruvithamcode or Travancore became the official name, Travancore was located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, Travancore was divided into three distinct regions, the eastern highlands, the central midlands, and the western lowlands. Venad was a state at the tip of the Indian Subcontinent. Till the end of the 11th century AD, it was a principality in the Ay Kingdom. The Ays were the earliest ruling dynasty in southern Kerala, who, at their zenith and their capital during the first Sangam age was in Aykudi and later, towards the end of the 8th century AD, was at Quilon. Though a series of attacks by the resurgent Pandyas between the 7th and 8th centuries caused the decline of the Ays, the dynasty was powerful till the beginning of the 10th century, when the Ay power diminished, Venad became the southernmost principality of the Second Chera Kingdom. An invasion of the Cholas into Venad caused the destruction of Kollam in 1096, however, the Chera capital, Mahodayapuram, also fell in the subsequent Chola attack, which compelled the Chera king, Rama varma Kulasekara, to shift his capital to Kollam. Thus the end of the Second Chera dynasty in the 12th century marks the independence of Venad, the history of Travancore began with Marthanda Varma, who inherited the kingdom of Venad, and expanded it into Travancore during his reign
Travancore
Travancore
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Flag
Travancore
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Map of Travancore in 1871
Travancore
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Canal scene, Travancore
43.
Cantonment Maidan
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Cantonment Maidan or Peeranki Maidan or Peeringee Maidan is a historical ground, closely associated with the social and political history of Kerala. It is situated at the portion of Old Quilon town. It hosts the exhibitions, party meetings and citys main cultural. Cantonment Maidan is situated at the east of old Quilon city, two hundred years back, the maidan extended over a sizeable area of East Kollam. There were no railway connectivity in South Kerala then, in 1809, the local militia and the Army of Travancore stationed around Kollam attacked the British Garrison at the Cantonment Maidan on the heels of Velu Thampi Dalawa. The British force led by Col. Chalmers proved victorious in six hours lasted war. All the insurrectionist who participated in the war were court-martialled and got hanged at the maidan, apart from this, Cantonment Maidan has been the venue for many significant events. A compromise meeting was held here in 1915 as part of Pulayar-Nair Revolt at Perinad, also called the Kallumala Agitation, a statue of Ayankali can be seen at the maidan. Mahatma Gandhi addressed the people here On October 11,1927, historic Chingam 17 Struggle happened at Cantonment Maidan on September 2,1938 in which six people were killed in firing by the British police. As per the History of Modern Kollam penned by journalist late V. Lakshmanan, the four identified among them were Asramam Lakshmanan, Ayathil Balakrishna Pillai, Kolloorvila Moideenkunju, and Kureepuzha Kochukunju. Thousands marched from Polayathode to Chinnakkada led by state leaders, including Kumbalathu Sankupillai. Police arrested the speakers and opened fire at the gathering, British Police used to exhibit five cannons at the adjacent park accounts for the name Peeringee Maidan, by which name this ground was earlier called. These cannons were used for firing at the patriots of the land is now kept at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum in Kollam city. The present Armed Reserve Camp is situated at the old Cantonment ground, Kollam Asramam Maidan Polayathode Chinnakada Sree Narayana College, Kollam
Cantonment Maidan
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An Exhibition going on at Cantonment Maidan
44.
Tangasseri
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Tangasseri or Thangassery is a heavily populated beach area on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Kollam city, Kerala, India. Tangasseri is located about 5 kilometres from the city centre and 71 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, archaeologists recently discovered Chinese coins and other artefacts along the coast, which reveal the historic background of the location. Kollam Port makes Tangasseri an important place on the world maritime map, in 1502, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading centre in Tangasseri and the area soon became a major centre for the pepper trade. In the wars with the Moors and Arabs that followed, the ancient church of St Thomas was destroyed, tangasseris St Thomas Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1517, was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch. In 1661, the Dutch took possession of the city, the remains of both the Dutch and Portuguese forts can still be seen in Tangasseri. In the 18th century, the kingdom of Travancore first conquered Kollam, Tangasseri remains an Anglo-Indian settlement in character, though there are few Anglo-Indians in the population. The Infant Jesus Church in Tangasseri, an old Portuguese-built church, the old cathedral was demolished and replaced by a new cathedral at a cost of around ₹4.5 crore, it was consecrated and blessed on 3 December 2005. The metallic cross on the top is one of the largest crosses in India, Tangasseri is a picturesque seaside village with a three kilometre long beach on which stands a 144 feet tall lighthouse—a silent sentinel warning seamen since 1902 of the treacherous reefs. There are also ruins of Portuguese and Dutch forts and 18th century churches, the fishery harbour at Tangasseri is a basin for traditional fishermen, achieved by the construction of two breakwaters. The length of the breakwater is 2100 m and of the leeward breakwater 550 m. This provides sufficient beach length for landing facilities for all operational craft, Tangasseri is home to Keralas oldest schools, Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School and Infant Jesus School Kollam. Official website A brief history of Tangaserri
Tangasseri
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Tangasseri Gate
Tangasseri
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Tangasseri beach lighthouse
Tangasseri
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Fishing activities at Thangassery
45.
Dutch Malabar
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Dutch presence in the region started with the capture of Portuguese Quilon, and ended with the occupation of Malabar by the British in 1795. They possessed military outposts in 11 locations, Alleppey, Ayacotta, Chendamangalam, Pappinivattom, Ponnani, Pallipuram, Cranganore, Chetwai, Cannanore, Cochin, and Quilon. The Dutch virtually ruled Malabar for a period of over 130 years, the Kingdom of Cochin was under the complete influence of the Dutch and the king was a mere puppet of the Dutch East India Company. They enlarged the Royal Palace built by the Portuguese at Mattancheri for the King of Cochin, in 1744, an impressive country house, later called Bolgatty Palace, was erected on Bolghatty Island for the Dutch Governors. The Dutch contributed a work called Hortus Indicus Malabaricus on the medicinal properties of Malabar plants. In Cochin, the Dutch established an orphanage for poor European children, although also motivated by the lucrative pepper trade on Malabar, the primary aim for the Dutch in capturing the coast from the Portuguese was to secure Dutch Ceylon from Portuguese invasions. After failed attempts to capture the main Portuguese fort of Goa in 1604 and 1639, in 1650s the Dutch possessed only the unfortified factories at Kayamkulam and Cannanore. They took Quilon on 29 December 1658, but it was reconquered by the Portuguese on 14 April 1659. It was agreed that Calicut, the most powerful ruler in Malabar, according to the treaty between the two parties, Fort Cranganore was to be made over to Calicut after its successful capture. Van der Meyden dispersed a Nair detachment sent to stop his advance on the way, the Portuguese made no attempt to resist and fled by the backwaters. On March 21, Rijckloff Van Goens signed a treaty with the chief of Paliyam on a ship anchored off the coast. Dutch forces soon landed and attacked the palace of the queen at Mattanceri, subsequently, the queen was taken as a prisoner. Later in December 1661, Portuguese Quilon was captured by a Dutch expedition under Rijckloff Van Goens and this is often regarded as the beginning of the Dutch presence in Malabar. On January 3,1662 Van Goens was joined by the Calicut army in a siege of Fort Cranganore in the tropical heat, after a fortnight, the fort surrendered, and the Dutch demolished the structure with the exception of the bastion, where they stationed a garrison. A new treaty was now signed between Calicut and Van der Meyden, Calicut agreed to cede Fort Cranganore and Vypin to the Dutch after the capture of the Portuguese fort at Cochin. The allies moved towards Cochin and marched upon the palace of the Raja on 5 February 1662, the raja was killed in the subsequent battle along with two of his juniors. The Dutch installed another prince on the throne and proceeded to besiege the Portuguese fort, Cochin and the chief of Paliyam provided supplies to the Dutch, who faced heroic Portuguese resistance during the prolonged siege. The Native rulers of Porca and Cembakasseri kept the besieged supplied with provisions, though disrupted by monsoon rains and the deaths of the ruler of Calicut and important Dutch officers, the garrison finally capitulated on January 8,1663
Dutch Malabar
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Quilon rulers submit to the Dutch at Quilon
Dutch Malabar
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Flag
Dutch Malabar
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The battle between the Dutch and the Portuguese in December 1661
Dutch Malabar
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Capture of
Cochin in 1663.
