1.
Landfill
–
A landfill site is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and the oldest form of waste treatment. Historically, landfills have been the most common method of organized waste disposal, some landfills are also used for waste management purposes, such as the temporary storage, consolidation and transfer, or processing of waste material. A landfill also may refer to ground that has filled in with rocks instead of waste materials, so that it can be used for a specific purpose. Unless they are stabilized, these areas may experience severe shaking or soil liquefaction of the ground during a large earthquake, afterward, the waste collection vehicles use the existing road network on their way to the tipping face or working front, where they unload their contents. After loads are deposited, compactors or bulldozers can spread and compact the waste on the working face, before leaving the landfill boundaries, the waste collection vehicles may pass through a wheel-cleaning facility. If necessary, they return to the weighbridge for re-weighing without their load, the weighing process can assemble statistics on the daily incoming waste tonnage, which databases can retain for record keeping. In addition to trucks, some landfills may have equipment to handle railroad containers, the use of rail-haul permits landfills to be located at more remote sites, without the problems associated with many truck trips. Typically, in the face, the compacted waste is covered with soil or alternative materials daily. Alternative waste-cover materials include chipped wood or other waste, several sprayed-on foam products, chemically fixed bio-solids. Blankets can be lifted into place at night and then removed the day prior to waste placement. The space that is occupied daily by the waste and the cover material is called a daily cell. Waste compaction is critical to extending the life of the landfill, factors such as waste compressibility, waste-layer thickness and the number of passes of the compactor over the waste affect the waste densities. Landfills are often the most cost-efficient way to dispose of waste, in addition, landfill gas can be upgraded to natural gas—landfill gas utilization—which is a potential revenue stream. Another advantage is having a location for disposal that can be monitored. Landfills have the potential to cause a number of issues, infrastructure disruption, such as damage to access roads by heavy vehicles, may occur. Pollution of local roads and water courses from wheels on vehicles when they leave the landfill can be significant, pollution of the local environment, such as contamination of groundwater or aquifers or soil contamination may occur, as well. Extensive efforts are made to capture and treat leachate from landfills before it reaches groundwater aquifers, eventually, every landfill liner will leak, allowing the leachate to contaminate the groundwater. Installation of composite liners with flexible membrane and soil barrier is enforced by the EPA to ensure that leachate is withheld, rotting food and other decaying organic waste allows methane and carbon dioxide to seep out of the ground and up into the air
Landfill
–
A landfill in Poland
Landfill
–
A section of a landfill located in Barclay, Ontario. This landfill is one of several used by
Dryden, Ontario.
Landfill
–
Landfill operation in Hawaii. Note that the area being filled is a single, well-defined "cell" and that a protective
landfill liner is in place (exposed on the left) to prevent contamination by
leachates migrating downward through the underlying geological formation.
Landfill
–
A landfill in Perth, Western Australia
2.
Terrestrial ecoregion
–
An ecoregion is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than an ecozone. All three of these are less or greater than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, the biodiversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems that characterise an ecoregion tends to be distinct from that of other ecoregions. Three caveats are appropriate for all bio-geographic mapping approaches, firstly, no single bio-geographic framework is optimal for all taxa. Ecoregions reflect the best compromise for as many taxa as possible, secondly, ecoregion boundaries rarely form abrupt edges, rather, ecotones and mosaic habitats bound them. Thirdly, most ecoregions contain habitats that differ from their assigned biome, biogeographic provinces may originate due to various barriers. Some physical, some climatic and some ocean chemical related, the history of the term is somewhat vague as it was used in many contexts, forest classifications, biome classifications, biogeographic classifications, etc. The concept of ecoregion of Bailey gives more importance to ecological criteria, while the WWF concept gives more importance to biogeography, there is significant, but not absolute, spatial correlation among these characteristics, making the delineation of ecoregions an imperfect science. Such transition zones are called ecotones, Ecoregions can be categorized using an algorithmic approach or a holistic, “weight-of-evidence” approach where the importance of various factors may vary. An example of the approach is Robert Bailey’s work for the U. S. The intended purpose of ecoregion delineation may affect the method used, according to WWF, the boundaries of an ecoregion approximate the original extent of the natural communities prior to any major recent disruptions or changes. WWF has identified 867 terrestrial ecoregions, and approximately 450 freshwater ecoregions across the Earth, the use of the term ecoregion is an outgrowth of a surge of interest in ecosystems and their functioning. In particular, there is awareness of issues relating to spatial scale in the study and it is widely recognized that interlinked ecosystems combine to form a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by WWF as priorities for conservation, Terrestrial ecoregions are land ecoregions, as distinct from freshwater and marine ecoregions. In this context, terrestrial is used to mean of land, WWF ecologists currently divide the land surface of the Earth into 8 major ecozones containing 867 smaller terrestrial ecoregions. The WWF effort is a synthesis of previous efforts to define. Many consider this classification to be decisive, and some propose these as stable borders for bioregional democracy initiatives. The eight terrestrial ecozones follow the major floral and faunal boundaries, identified by botanists and zoologists, ecozone boundaries generally follow continental boundaries, or major barriers to plant and animal distribution, like the Himalayas and the Sahara
Terrestrial ecoregion
–
A map location of the
Amazon rainforest ecoregions. The yellow line encloses the ecoregions per the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Terrestrial ecoregion
–
A map of North America's Bioregions
Terrestrial ecoregion
–
The
Ötztal Alps, a
mountain range in the central
Alps of
Europe, are part of the
Central Eastern Alps, and can both be termed as ecoregions.
Terrestrial ecoregion
–
A conifer forest in the
Swiss Alps (
National Park).
3.
Ocean
–
An ocean is a body of saline water that composes much of a planets hydrosphere. On Earth, an ocean is one of the major divisions of the World Ocean. These are, in descending order by area, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, the word sea is often used interchangeably with ocean in American English but, strictly speaking, a sea is a body of saline water partly or fully enclosed by land. The ocean contains 97% of Earths water, and oceanographers have stated that less than 5% of the World Ocean has been explored, the total volume is approximately 1.35 billion cubic kilometers with an average depth of nearly 3,700 meters. As the world ocean is the component of Earths hydrosphere, it is integral to all known life, forms part of the carbon cycle. The world ocean is the habitat of 230,000 known species, but because much of it is unexplored, the origin of Earths oceans remains unknown, oceans are thought to have formed in the Hadean period and may have been the impetus for the emergence of life. Extraterrestrial oceans may be composed of water or other elements and compounds, the only confirmed large stable bodies of extraterrestrial surface liquids are the lakes of Titan, although there is evidence for the existence of oceans elsewhere in the Solar System. Early in their histories, Mars and Venus are theorized to have had large water oceans. The Mars ocean hypothesis suggests that nearly a third of the surface of Mars was once covered by water, compounds such as salts and ammonia dissolved in water lower its freezing point so that water might exist in large quantities in extraterrestrial environments as brine or convecting ice. Unconfirmed oceans are speculated beneath the surface of many planets and natural satellites, notably. The Solar Systems giant planets are thought to have liquid atmospheric layers of yet to be confirmed compositions. Oceans may also exist on exoplanets and exomoons, including surface oceans of water within a circumstellar habitable zone. Ocean planets are a type of planet with a surface completely covered with liquid. The concept of Ōkeanós has an Indo-European connection, Greek Ōkeanós has been compared to the Vedic epithet ā-śáyāna-, predicated of the dragon Vṛtra-, who captured the cows/rivers. Related to this notion, the Okeanos is represented with a dragon-tail on some early Greek vases, though generally described as several separate oceans, these waters comprise one global, interconnected body of salt water sometimes referred to as the World Ocean or global ocean. This concept of a body of water with relatively free interchange among its parts is of fundamental importance to oceanography. The major oceanic divisions – listed below in descending order of area and volume – are defined in part by the continents, various archipelagos, Oceans are fringed by smaller, adjoining bodies of water such as seas, gulfs, bays, bights, and straits. The Mid-Oceanic Ridge of the World are connected and form the Ocean Ridge, the continuous mountain range is 65,000 km long, and the total length of the oceanic ridge system is 80,000 km long
Ocean
–
Surface of the
Atlantic Ocean meeting
Earth 's
planetary boundary layer and
troposphere.
Ocean
–
Artist's conception of subsurface ocean of Enceladus confirmed April 3, 2014.
Ocean
–
Two models for the composition of Europa predict a large subsurface ocean of liquid water. Similar models have been proposed for other celestial bodies in the Solar System
Ocean
–
Diagram showing a possible internal structure of
Ceres
4.
Stream bed
–
A stream bed is the channel bottom of a stream, river or creek, the physical confine of the normal water flow. The lateral confines or channel margins are known as the banks or river banks, during all. Under certain conditions a river can branch from one bed to multiple stream beds. A flood occurs when a stream overflows its banks and flows onto its flood plain, as a general rule, the bed is the part of the channel up to the normal water line, and the banks are that part above the normal water line. However, because water flow varies, this differentiation is subject to local interpretation, the nature of any stream bed is always a function of the flow dynamics and the local geologic materials, influenced by that flow. With small streams in mesophytic regions, the nature of the bed is strongly responsive to conditions of precipitation runoff. Where natural conditions of either grassland or forest ameliorate peak flows, stream beds are stable, possibly rich, with organic matter and these streams support a rich biota. Where conditions produce unnatural levels of runoff, such as occurs below roads and this process greatly increases watershed erosion and results in thinner soils, upslope from the stream bed, as the channel adjusts to the increase in flow. The stream bed is very complex in terms of erosion, sediment is transported, eroded and deposited on the stream bed. With global warming there is a fear that the size and shape of riverbeds will change due to increased flood magnitude and this shows that the stream bed is left mostly unchanged in size and shape. Dry stream beds are also subject to becoming underground water pockets and flooding by heavy rains and water rising from the ground and may sometimes be part of the rejuvenation of the stream
Stream bed
–
The bed of this stream is
armored with rocks, some very rounded (having had a longer life in the stream) and some not.
Stream bed
–
The old bed of the
Mississippi River near
Kaskaskia, Illinois, left behind after the river shifted
Stream bed
–
A woman digs in a dry stream bed in
Kenya to find water during a drought.
Stream bed
–
General
5.
Lake beds
–
A lake is an area of variable size filled with water, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, and therefore are distinct from lagoons, Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which are usually flowing. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams, natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers, in some parts of the world there are many lakes because of chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last Ice Age. All lakes are temporary over geologic time scales, as they will fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them. The word lake comes from Middle English lake, from Old English lacu, from Proto-Germanic *lakō, cognates include Dutch laak, Middle Low German lāke as in, de, Moorlake, de, Wolfslake, de, Butterlake, German Lache, and Icelandic lækur. Also related are the English words leak and leach, none of these definitions completely excludes ponds and all are difficult to measure. For this reason, simple size-based definitions are used to separate ponds. One definition of lake is a body of water of 2 hectares or more in area, however, others have defined lakes as waterbodies of 5 hectares and above, or 8 hectares and above. Charles Elton, one of the founders of ecology, regarded lakes as waterbodies of 40 hectares or more. The term lake is used to describe a feature such as Lake Eyre. In common usage, many bear names ending with the word pond. One textbook illustrates this point with the following, In Newfoundland, for example, almost every lake is called a pond, whereas in Wisconsin, the majority of lakes on Earth are fresh water, and most lie in the Northern Hemisphere at higher latitudes. Canada, with a drainage system has an estimated 31,752 lakes larger than 3 square kilometres and an unknown total number of lakes. Finland has 187,888 lakes 500 square metres or larger, most lakes have at least one natural outflow in the form of a river or stream, which maintain a lakes average level by allowing the drainage of excess water. Some lakes do not have an outflow and lose water solely by evaporation or underground seepage or both. Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for power generation, aesthetic purposes, recreational purposes, industrial use. Globally, lakes are greatly outnumbered by ponds, of an estimated 304 million standing water bodies worldwide, 91% are 1 hectare or less in area
Lake beds
–
Oeschinen Lake in the
Swiss Alps
Lake beds
–
Lake Tahoe on the border of
California and
Nevada
Lake beds
–
The
Caspian Sea is either the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
Lake beds
–
The
Seven Rila Lakes are a group of glacial lakes in the
Bulgarian Rila mountains.
6.
United States
–
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
–
Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764
United States
–
Flag
United States
–
The signing of the
Mayflower Compact, 1620.
United States
–
The
Declaration of Independence: the
Committee of Five presenting their draft to the
Second Continental Congress in 1776
7.
Alberta
–
Alberta is a western province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,196,457 as of July 1,2015, it is Canadas fourth-most populous province and its area is about 660,000 square kilometres. Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1,1905, the premier has been Rachel Notley since May 2015. Alberta is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U. S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to only a single U. S. state and one of only two landlocked provinces. About 290 km south of the capital is Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton centre Albertas two census metropolitan areas, both of which have populations exceeding one million, while the province has 16 census agglomerations. Tourist destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper, Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Victoria, Queen of Canada, and Albert, Prince Consort. Princess Louise was the wife of John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, Lake Louise and Mount Alberta were also named in her honour. Alberta, with an area of 661,848 km2, is the fourth largest province after Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. To the south, the borders on the 49th parallel north, separating it from the US state of Montana. The province extends 1,223 km north to south and 660 km east to west at its maximum width, with the exception of the semi-arid steppe of the south-eastern section, the province has adequate water resources. There are numerous rivers and lakes used for swimming, fishing, there are three large lakes, Lake Claire in Wood Buffalo National Park, Lesser Slave Lake, and Lake Athabasca which lies in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. The longest river in the province is the Athabasca River which travels 1,538 km from the Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains to Lake Athabasca, the largest river is the Peace River with an average flow of 2161 m3/s. The Peace River originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows through northern Alberta and into the Slave River, Albertas capital city, Edmonton, is located approximately in the geographic centre of the province. It is the most northerly city in Canada, and serves as a gateway. The region, with its proximity to Canadas largest oil fields, has most of western Canadas oil refinery capacity, Calgary is located approximately 280 km south of Edmonton and 240 km north of Montana, surrounded by extensive ranching country. Almost 75% of the population lives in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The land grant policy to the served as a means to populate the province in its early years
Alberta
–
Welcome to Alberta sign traveling from east to west
Alberta
–
Flag
Alberta
–
Topographic map of Alberta
Alberta
–
Moraine Lake in
Banff National Park
8.
Oceania
–
Oceania, also known as Oceanica, is a region centred on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. The term is used more specifically to denote a continent comprising Australia. The term was coined as Océanie circa 1812 by geographer Conrad Malte-Brun, the word Océanie is a French word derived from the Latin word oceanus, and this from the Greek word ὠκεανός, ocean. Natives and inhabitants of this region are called Oceanians or Oceanicans, as an ecozone, Oceania includes all of Micronesia, Fiji, and all of Polynesia except New Zealand. New Zealand, along with New Guinea and nearby islands, part of the Philippine islands, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, in geopolitical terms, however, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia are almost always considered part of Oceania. Australia and Papua New Guinea are usually considered part of Oceania along with the Maluku Islands, puncak Jaya in Papua is often considered the highest peak in Oceania. Oceania was originally conceived as the lands of the Pacific Ocean and it comprised four regions, Polynesia, Micronesia, Malaysia, and Melanesia. The area extends to Sumatra in the west, the Bonin Islands in the northwest, the Hawaiian Islands in the northeast, Rapa Nui and Sala y Gómez Island in the east, and Macquarie Island in the south. Not included are the Pacific islands of Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands and the Japanese archipelago, all on the margins of Asia, and the Aleutian Islands of North America. The islands at the extremes of Oceania are Bonin, a politically integral part of Japan, Hawaii, a state of the United States. There is also a geographic definition that excludes land on the Sunda Plate. Biogeographically, Oceania is used as a synonym for either the Australasian ecozone or the Pacific ecozone, Oceania is one of eight terrestrial ecozones, which constitute the major ecological regions of the planet. The Oceania ecozone includes all of Micronesia, Fiji, and all of Polynesia except New Zealand, New Zealand, New Guinea, Melanesia apart from Fiji, and Australia constitute the separate Australasian ecozone. The Malay Archipelago is part of the Indomalaya ecozone, related to these concepts are Near Oceania, that part of western Island Melanesia which has been inhabited for tens of millennia, and Remote Oceania which is more recently settled. The term is used to denote a continent comprising Australia. New Zealand forms the corner of the Polynesian Triangle. Its indigenous Māori constitute one of the cultures of Polynesia. It is also, however, considered part of Australasia, the history of Oceania in the medieval period was synonymous with the history of the indigenous peoples of Australasia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia
Oceania
–
A map of Oceania from the CIA World Factbook
Oceania
–
Geopolitical Oceania
Oceania
–
Aoraki / Mount Cook, located on the
South Island of
New Zealand
Oceania
–
Satellite image of Oceania
9.
Land rehabilitation
–
Land rehabilitation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process has resulted in its damage. Many projects and developments will result in the land becoming degraded, for mining, farming. Modern mine rehabilitation aims to minimize and mitigate the effects of modern mining. Rehabilitation management is a process, often resulting in open pit mines being backfilled. After mining finishes, the area must undergo rehabilitation. Waste dumps are contoured to flatten out, to further stabilize them against erosion. If the ore contains sulfides it is covered with a layer of clay to prevent access of rain and oxygen from the air. Landfills are covered with topsoil, and vegetation is planted to help consolidate the material, dumps are usually fenced off to prevent livestock denuding them of vegetation. The open pit is surrounded with a fence, to prevent access. Tailings dams are left to evaporate, then covered with rock, clay if need be, and soil. For underground mines, rehabilitation is not always a significant problem or cost and this is because of the higher grade of the ore and lower volumes of waste rock and tailings. In some situations, stopes are backfilled with concrete slurry using waste, the removal of plant and infrastructure is not always part of a rehabilitation programme, as many old mine plants have cultural heritage and cultural value. Often in gold mines, rehabilitation is performed by scavenger operations which treat the soil within the plant area for spilled gold using modified placer mining gravity collection plants. Also possible is that the section of the mine that is ground, is kept and used to provide heating. Heat extraction can be done using heat exchangers, that convey the heat to a nearby city (hence making it be used for heating purposes. Water can be harvested from the mine as well, methane is also often present in the mine shafts, in small quantities. This can still be recovered though with specialised systems, an added advantage of recovering the methane finally is that the methane does not come into the atmosphere, and so does not contribute to global warming. Bio Recycle Sydney Water BioSolids EEMP - a non-profit 5013 organization dedicated to communicate the lessons of rehabilitation and restoration through media around the world
Land rehabilitation
–
Recently constructed wetland regeneration in Australia, on a site previously used for agriculture.
10.
East Coast Park
–
The East Coast Park is a beach park stretching from Marine Parade to Bedok planning areas in the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, when the government completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katong which extends from Changi to Kallang and it also serves various neighborhood communities such as Kallang and Marine Parade. The 185 hectare East Coast Park is the largest park in Singapore, and is entirely on reclaimed land with a man-made beach. The beach is protected by breakwaters, the park is a popular place for people to relax and unwind. The park has barbecue pits, chalets, food centres and amenities for sports activities. Visitors can fish at Bedok Jetty, a cycling and inline skating track runs along the perimeter of the park, which measures over 15 km long. It is connected to Changi Beach Park by the Coastal Park Connector Network, overnight camping is permitted in East Coast Park, at Areas D and G. A Camping Permit is required and can be obtained from the National Parks website, Goldkist Beach resort has permanently ceased operations. This chalet resort was owned by Costa Sands Resort of NTUC Club. Island Resort took over the site and started operations from 1 March 2007, the resort was then mostly renovated and re-branded Goldkist Beach Resort. It had 195 single and double-story units, the East Coast Lagoon underwent renovation in 2005 under the Singapore Sports Councils plan to build a whitewater sports stadium at East Coast Park. Singapores first Cable Ski Park, Ski360°, opened at the refurbished East Coast Lagoon in January 2006, the National Sailing Centre, run by the Singapore Sailing Federation, conducts activities such as sailing and wind surfing. The East Coast Lagoon Food Centre opened in 1977, and is a hawker centre among locals. In late 2013, the centre was upgraded to give it a newer and fresher look. The East Coast Seafood Centre was opened at the time as the East Coast Park. Its initial name was UDMC Seafood Centre, which was changed in 2000 to its current name. Popularized for housing several major local seafood restaurants, the centre serves local favourites such as chilli crab, black pepper crab. In 2005, the Seafood Centre was upgraded to give it a modernised look, many of the features were revamped, and a number of old tenants vacated for new tenants to take their place
East Coast Park
–
East Coast Park
East Coast Park
–
Sunrise at East Coast Park, Singapore
East Coast Park
–
Sea Coast off East Coast Park
East Coast Park
–
East Coast Seafood Centre
11.
Singapore
–
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, sometimes referred to as the Lion City or the Little Red Dot, is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia. It lies one degree north of the equator, at the tip of peninsular Malaysia. Singapores territory consists of one island along with 62 other islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its size by 23%. During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by Japan, after early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its workforce. Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub, the country has also been identified as a tax haven. Singapore ranks 5th internationally and first in Asia on the UN Human Development Index and it is ranked highly in education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, and housing, but does not fare well on the Democracy index. Although income inequality is high, 90% of homes are owner-occupied, 38% of Singapores 5.6 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. There are four languages on the island, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil. English is its language, most Singaporeans are bilingual. Singapore is a multiparty parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The Peoples Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959, however, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island, Sang Nila Utama, the Srivijayan prince said to have founded and named the island Singapura, perhaps saw a Malayan tiger. There are however other suggestions for the origin of the name, the central island has also been called Pulau Ujong as far back as the third century CE, literally island at the end in Malay. In 1299, according to the Malay Annals, the Kingdom of Singapura was founded on the island by Sang Nila Utama and these Indianized Kingdoms, a term coined by George Cœdès were characterized by surprising resilience, political integrity and administrative stability. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was part of the Johor Sultanate. The wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control for the following period, in 1824 the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, prior to Raffles arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860 the population had swelled to over 80,000, many of these early immigrants came to work on the pepper and gambier plantations
Singapore
–
Raffles Square around 1900.
Singapore
–
Flag
Singapore
–
Victorious Japanese troops marching through Singapore City after the British capitulation at the
Battle of Singapore in 1942.
Singapore
–
A cheering crowd welcome the return of British forces, 1945
12.
Beach
–
A beach is a landform along a body of water. It usually consists of particles, which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles. The particles comprising a beach are occasionally biological in origin, such as shells or coralline algae. Some beaches have man-made infrastructure, such as posts, changing rooms. They may also have hospitality venues nearby, wild beaches, also known as undeveloped or undiscovered beaches, are not developed in this manner. Wild beaches can be valued for their beauty and preserved nature. Beaches typically occur in areas along the coast where wave or current action deposits, although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach, beaches are also found by lakes and alongside large rivers. Beach may refer to, small systems where rock material moves onshore, offshore, or alongshore by the forces of waves and currents, the former are described in detail below, the larger geological units are discussed elsewhere under bars. There are several parts to a beach that relate to the processes that form. The part mostly above water, and more or less influenced by the waves at some point in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material comprising the active shoreline, the berm has a crest and a face — the latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the very bottom of the face, there may be a trough, at some point the influence of the waves on the material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough, winds shape the feature. Where wind is the force distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes a dune and these geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile. The beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in energy experienced during summer and winter months. In temperate areas where summer is characterised by calmer seas and longer periods between breaking wave crests, the profile is higher in summer. The gentle wave action during this season tends to transport sediment up the beach towards the berm where it is deposited, onshore winds carry it further inland forming and enhancing dunes. Conversely, the profile is lower in the storm season due to the increased wave energy. The removal of sediment from the berm and dune thus decreases the beach profile
Beach
–
A
sand and
shingle beach
Beach
–
The four sections of most beaches. 1.
Swash zone: is alternately covered and exposed by wave run-up. 2. Beach face: sloping section below
berm that is exposed to the swash of the waves. 3.
Wrack line: the highest reach of the daily tide where organic and
inorganic debris is deposited by wave action. 4.
Berm: Nearly horizontal portion that stays dry except during
extremely high tides and storms. May have
sand dunes.
Beach
–
Brighton, The Front and the Chain Pier Seen in the Distance, early 19th century
Beach
–
Blackpool Promenade c. 1898
13.
Flevopolder
–
The Flevopolder is a polder, or region of reclaimed land, in Flevoland, Netherlands. The eastern part was drained in 1955 and the part in 1968. Unlike other major polders such as Noordoostpolder and the Wieringermeer, the Flevopolder is completely surrounded by bordering lakes, the Veluwemeer, Ketelmeer, therefore, it can be considered as a large island, it is the largest artificial island reclaimed on water in the world. The name refers to the ancient lake Flevo, the Flevopolder, together with the Noordoostpolder forms the province of the Flevoland, the most recently created province of the Netherlands
Flevopolder
–
The Flevopolder
14.
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
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The Netherlands in 5500 BC
Netherlands
–
Flag
Netherlands
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The Netherlands in 500 BC
Netherlands
–
An oak figurine found in
Willemstad, North Brabant (4500 BC).
15.
IJsselmeer
–
Ijsselmeer, or IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe, the IJsselmeer is a freshwater lake fed through the Ketelmeer by the river IJssel, which gives it its name. It is mainly fed by water from the Rhine since the IJssel is a branch of it, the first two letters of the name are capitalized because IJ is a digraph in Dutch, possibly a ligature, so it is treated as a single letter for most purposes. The IJsselmeer was created in 1932 when a shallow inland bay, the Zuiderzee, was closed by a 32 km dam. This was part of a hydraulic engineering project known as the Zuiderzee Works. This former southern part of the IJsselmeer is now the hydrologically separate Markermeer, the IJsselmeer functions as a major fresh water reserve, serving as a source for agriculture and drinking water. It also offers a number of opportunities for recreational activities, the province of Flevoland was established in 1986 and consists of three polders reclaimed from the IJsselmeer. The narrow lake east of IJsselmeer is Lake Ketelmeer, the lake receives water from rivers that carry industrial pollutants from factories upstream. Those polluted sediments have settled to the bottom in a layer of contaminated sludge. To restore a normal environment, this material needs to be removed from the lakebed. In 2010 an artificial island called the IJsseloog was installed in Lake Ketelmeer and it is a repository for contaminated material dredged from the bottom of the lake. Once the repository is full, it will be capped and turned into a nature reserve, media related to IJsselmeer at Wikimedia Commons
IJsselmeer
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Landsat photo
IJsselmeer
–
Traditional boat on the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
–
Sunset over the IJsselmeer
16.
Artificial island
–
An artificial island or man-made island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure, early artificial islands included floating structures in still waters, or wooden or megalithic structures erected in shallow waters. The largest artificial island, René-Levasseur Island, was formed by flooding of two adjacent reservoirs, the people of Langa Langa Lagoon and Lau Lagoon in Malaita, Solomon Islands built about 60 artificial islands on the reef including Funaafou, Sulufou and Adaege. The people of Lau Lagoon build islands on the reef as these provided protection against attack from the people who lived in the centre of Malaita and these islands were formed literally one rock at a time. A family would take their canoe out to the reef which protects the lagoon and then dive for rocks, bring them to the surface and then return to the selected site and drop the rocks into the water. Living on the reef was also healthier as the mosquitoes, which infested the coastal swamps, were not found on the reef islands, the Lau people continue to live on the reef islands. Many artificial islands have built in urban harbors to provide either a site deliberately isolated from the city or just spare real estate otherwise unobtainable in a crowded metropolis. An example of the first case is Dejima, created in the bay of Nagasaki in Japans Edo period as a center for European merchants. During the isolationist era, Dutch people were banned from Nagasaki. One of the most well-known artificial islands is the Île Notre-Dame in Montreal, the Venetian Islands in Miami Beach, Florida, in Biscayne Bay added valuable new real estate during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. When the bubble that the developers were riding burst, the bay was left scarred with the remnants of their failed project, the concrete pilings from the project still stand as another development boom roared around them,80 years later. In 1969, the Flevopolder in the Netherlands was finished, as part of the Zuiderzee Works and it has a total land surface of 970 km², which makes it by far the largest artificial island by land reclamation in the world. The island consists of two polders Eastern Flevoland and Southern Flevoland, together with the Noordoostpolder, which includes some small former islands like Urk, the polders form Flevoland, the 12th province of the Netherlands that almost entirely consists of reclaimed land. The Pearl-Qatar is in the north of the Qatari Capital Doha, home to a range of residential, commercial, qanat Quartier is designed to be a Virtual Venice in the Middle East. Dubai is home to several artificial island projects and they include the Palm Islands projects, and The World, The Universe and the Dubai Waterfront. Of all these, only the Palm Jumeirah is complete and inhabited so far, also, the Burj Al Arab is on its own artificial island. The Universe, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Waterfront, and Palm Deira are on hold, China has conducted a land reclamation project which had built at least seven artificial islands in the South China Sea totaling 2000 acres in size by mid 2015. One artificial island built on Fiery Cross Reef near the Spratly Islands is now the site of a barracks, lookout tower
Artificial island
–
Reef Island off North Malaita.
Artificial island
–
The
Flevopolder in the
Netherlands is 970 km² and is the largest island formed by reclaimed land in the world
Artificial island
Artificial island
17.
Beirut Central District
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The Beirut Central District or Centre Ville is the name given to Beirut’s historical and geographical core, the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country. ”At the heart of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut Central District is an area thousands of years old, traditionally a focus of business, finance, culture and leisure. It is situated on the northern coast and is easily accessible from all parts of the city. This includes the adjacent Beirut Seaport and Rafik Hariri International Airport, major roads converge on it or from boundaries to the east, south and west, or line its 1.5 km long seafront to the north. Ever since, Beirut Central District has evolved into an integrated business, the Heritage trail is a pedestrian circuit in the citys historic core and the traditional Beirut city center. The trail connects the main sites, places of historic interest, monuments. The Heritage Trail is planned to start and end at the City History Museum on the ancient Tell Area, the trail is divided into four major sections, First Route, The first route in the heritage trail covers the ancient archaeological Tell Area. The future site museum will display remains from the Tell area, a sinuous underground path guides visitors through Canaanite, Phoenician-Persian, Hellinistic, Roman, Byzantine and Medieval ages. etc. The route will also stroll along the streets of Maarad leading up to the Grand Theater historic building and numerous stone churches. Third Route, This segment of the pedestrian circuit revolves largely around the Roman Baths Garden, fourth Route, The fourth route in the Heritage trail lies substantially within the Beirut Souks area. This route contains the Phoenician-Persian quarter, Roman-Byzantine findings, part of the Medieval moat, some mosaics, remains, or arcades will be integrated into the new buildings. Other points of interest along the route are the Zawiyat Ibin Iraq shrine, Majidiyya Mosque, the Shoreline Walk is a proposes sequence of connected spaces which form part of the reconstruction of the Beirut city centre. The city was known for its rocky shoreline Cornice, with its avenues of palms and cafés. Areas have been preserved and demolished by the new master plan, whilst the remediated landfill is set to become a new district. Rather than leave the old coastline land-locked and redundant, it was decided to create a route that straddled the old. The ‘Shoreline Walk’ is placed between the topography and rationalised medieval street layout of the old city, and the engineered grid of the new land-filled area. Research revealed the evolution of Beiruts coastline, the first Phoenician settlers arrived in 1220 BC, followed by Romans in 64 BC, Mamluks in 1291 AD, Ottomans in 1516 and the French in 1918. Successive civilisations adjusted the coastline to create harbors that brought wealth to the city, along the Shoreline Walk five squares provide areas to pause and relax, Harbour Square, All Saints Square, Shoreline Gardens, Zeytoune Square and Santiyeh Garden. Research into each space revealed remnants of the character of the city that had been forgotten or destroyed
Beirut Central District
–
clockwise from top left: French Architectural buildings,
Beirut Souks, New Waterfront towers, Nejmeh Square,
Rue Maarad,
Saifi Village
Beirut Central District
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Nejmeh square is the heart of the Beirut City Center
Beirut Central District
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Saifi neighborhood in the BCD
Beirut Central District
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Rue Maarad is a main street in the central district
18.
Fontvieille, Monaco
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Fontvieille is the southernmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It was developed by an Italian architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, between the 1970s and the 1990s, in order to combat the chronic land shortage in the extremely densely populated principality, the work was begun in 1966 to create new land in the Mediterranean Sea southwest of le rocher. In 1981, the then Crown Prince Albert laid the cornerstone for the new city quarter, the existence of Fontvieille, and its many public works projects, relates substantially to former Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier IIIs reputation as the Builder Prince. Plans announced in late 2009 to extend Fontvieille by the Department of Urban Development are currently being overseen by Prince Albert. The plan is to build a small 0.05 km² or 5.3 ha aura on the west side of the rock, the new aura will include 3 to 4 new hotels, corporate businesses, shops and apartments for between 600-800 new comers. Despite not being the highest priced part of Monaco, flats are very expensive. For example,65 m²1 bedroom apartment with 1 bathroom and 1 car parking space, was offered at €3,200,000 in May 2015, Fontvieille represents the southwestern portion of the city-state, which in an area of 0.33 km2 or 33 ha. 4 hectares of Fontvieille are given over to the Fontvieille Park, monacos automobile museum, the Monaco Top Cars Collection, is located on the Terrasses de Fontvieille. Columbus Hotel Monaco, which was owned by racing driver David Coulthard, is located in Fontvieille. Venturi and its subsidiary Voxan are headquartered on the side of Fontvieille. Fontvielle holds the record for the smallest town to have a team in the Champions League, geography of Monaco with suburbs and features Media related to Fontvieille at Wikimedia Commons
Fontvieille, Monaco
–
View of Fontvieille
Fontvieille, Monaco
–
Fontvieille, Monaco
19.
Monaco
–
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco has an area of 2.02 km2 and a population of about 38,400 according to the last census of 2015. With 19,009 inhabitants per km², it is the second smallest, Monaco has a land border of 5.47 km, a coastline of 3.83 km, and a width that varies between 1,700 and 349 m. The highest point in the country is a pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires Ward. Monacos most populous Quartier is Monte Carlo and the most populous Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins, through land reclamation, Monacos land mass has expanded by twenty percent, in 2005, it had an area of only 1.974 km2. Monaco is known as a playground for the rich and famous, in 2014, it was noted about 30% of the population was made up of millionaires, more than in Zürich or Geneva. Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, although Prince Albert II is a constitutional monarch, he wields immense political power. The House of Grimaldi have ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, the official language is French, but Monégasque, Italian, and English are widely spoken and understood. The states sovereignty was recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. Despite Monacos independence and separate foreign policy, its defense is the responsibility of France, however, Monaco does maintain two small military units. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with the opening of the countrys first casino, Monte Carlo, since then, Monacos mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principalitys status as a tourist destination and recreation center for the rich. In more recent years, Monaco has become a major banking center and has sought to diversify its economy into services and small, high-value-added, the state has no income tax, low business taxes, and is well known for being a tax haven. It is also the host of the street circuit motor race Monaco Grand Prix. Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union, but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs, through its relationship with France, Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency. Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004 and it is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. Monacos name comes from the nearby 6th-century BC Phocaean Greek colony, according to an ancient myth, Hercules passed through the Monaco area and turned away the previous gods. As a result, a temple was constructed there, the temple of Hercules Monoikos, because the only temple of this area was the House of Hercules, the city was called Monoikos. It ended up in the hands of the Holy Roman Empire, an ousted branch of a Genoese family, the Grimaldi, contested it for a hundred years before actually gaining control
Monaco
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Statue of
Francesco Grimaldi, " Il Malizia " ("the Cunning"), disguised as a monk with a dagger hidden under the cloak of his
habit. However, he was ousted by the Genoese just four years later. The Grimaldi family purchased Monaco from the
Crown of Aragon in 1419.
Monaco
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Flag
Monaco
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Monaco circa 1900
Monaco
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Mayor of Monaco announcing concessions ending absolute monarchy of
Prince Albert I in 1910
20.
Mumbai
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Mumbai is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India and the ninth most populous agglomeration in the world, Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2008, Mumbai was named a world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West, Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires and millionaires among all cities in India. The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies, during the mid-18th century, Bombay was reshaped by the Hornby Vellard project, which undertook reclamation of the area between the seven islands from the sea. Along with construction of roads and railways, the reclamation project, completed in 1845. Bombay in the 19th century was characterised by economic and educational development, during the early 20th century it became a strong base for the Indian independence movement. Upon Indias independence in 1947 the city was incorporated into Bombay State, in 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as the capital. Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India and it is also home to some of Indias premier scientific and nuclear institutes like BARC, NPCL, IREL, TIFR, AERB, AECI, and the Department of Atomic Energy. The city also houses Indias Hindi and Marathi film and television industry, Mumbais business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India, making the city a melting pot of many communities and cultures. The oldest known names for the city are Kakamuchee and Galajunkja, in 1508, Portuguese writer Gaspar Correia used the name Bombaim, in his Lendas da Índia. This name possibly originated as the Old Portuguese phrase bom baim, meaning good little bay, in 1516, Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa used the name Tana-Maiambu, Tana appears to refer to the adjoining town of Thane and Maiambu to Mumbadevi. Other variations recorded in the 16th and the 17th centuries include, Mombayn, Bombay, Bombain, Bombaym, Monbaym, Mombaim, Mombaym, Bambaye, Bombaiim, Bombeye, Boon Bay, and Bon Bahia. After the English gained possession of the city in the 17th century, Ali Muhammad Khan, imperial diwan or revenue minister of the Gujarat province, in the Mirat-i-Ahmedi referred to the city as Manbai. By the late 20th century, the city was referred to as Mumbai or Mambai in the Indian statewise official languages of Marathi, Konkani, Gujarati, Kannada and Sindhi, the Government of India officially changed the English name to Mumbai in November 1995. According to Slate magazine, they argued that Bombay was a corrupted English version of Mumbai, Slate also said The push to rename Bombay was part of a larger movement to strengthen Marathi identity in the Maharashtra region. A resident of Mumbai is called mumbaikar in the Marathi language, the term has been in use for quite some time but it gained popularity after the official name change to Mumbai. Mumbai is built on what was once an archipelago of seven islands, Bombay Island, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli and it is not exactly known when these islands were first inhabited
Mumbai
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Clockwise from top:
Cuffe Parade skyline,
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel,
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,
Bandra–Worli Sea Link, and the
Gateway of India.
Mumbai
–
The temple of local Hindu goddess
Mumbadevi, from whom the city of Mumbai derives its name
Mumbai
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Kanheri Caves served as a centre of Buddhism in Western India during ancient times
21.
India
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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
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Flag
India
–
The granite
tower of
Brihadeeswarar Temple in
Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by
Raja Raja Chola I.
India
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Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595
22.
Arabian Sea
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The Arabian Sea is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by northeastern Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula, and on the east by India. Historically the sea has been known by names including the Erythraean Sea. Its total area is 3,862,000 km2 and its depth is 4,652 metres. The Gulf of Aden is in the southwest, connecting the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea through the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, the Arabian Sea has been crossed by important marine trade routes since the third or second millennium BCE. Major seaports include Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, the Port of Karachi and the Gwadar Port in Pakistan, other important ports include in India, Kandla Port, and Mormugao in Goa. The largest islands in the Arabian Sea include Socotra, Masirah Island, Astola Island, the Arabian Seas surface area is about 3,862,000 km2. The maximum width of the Sea is approximately 2,400 km, the biggest river flowing into the Sea is the Indus River. There are also the gulfs of Khambhat and Kutch on the Indian coast, the countries with coastlines on the Arabian Sea are Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Pakistan, India and the Maldives. There are several cities on the seas coast including Mumbai, Surat, Karachi, Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara, Aden, Muscat, Keti Bandar, Salalah, Duqm. International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Arabian Sea as follows, the Eastern limit of the Gulf of Aden. A line joining Ràs al Hadd, East point of Arabia, a line running from the South extremity of Addu Atoll, to the Eastern extreme of Ràs Hafun. The Western limit of the Laccadive Sea, by the time of Julius Caesar, several well-established combined land-sea trade routes depended upon water transport through the Sea around the rough inland terrain features to its north. Each major route involved transhipping to pack animal caravan, travel through country and risk of bandits. Later the kingdom of Axum arose in Ethiopia to rule a mercantile empire rooted in the trade with Europe via Alexandria, Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai is the largest port in the Arabian Sea, and the largest container port in India. The Port of Karachi is Pakistans largest and busiest seaport, handling about 60% of the nations cargo and it is located between the Karachi towns of Kiamari and Saddar, close to the main business district and several industrial areas. The geographic position of the places it in close proximity to major shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. The history of the port is intertwined with that of the city of Karachi, several ancient ports have been attributed in the area including Krokola, Morontobara, Barbarikon (the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, and Debal. It warns sailors about whirlpools and advises them to safety in Kaurashi harbour if they found themselves drifting dangerously
Arabian Sea
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Arabian Sea from space
Arabian Sea
–
Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
–
17th century map depicting the locations of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Arabian Sea
–
The
Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, India is the largest port of India and one of the busiest in the Arabian Sea
23.
Malabar Hill
–
Notable residents include Adi Godrej, the Birla family, Shashi Ruia & family, Pallonji Mistry, Mahesh Jethmalani, the Jindal family, the Lal family, the Thakkar family among many more. The seafarers from Konkan used to land at the south end of the hill for a pilgrimage to the Walkeshwar Temple. Many of them were part of the Maratha Navy were wrongly designated as Pirates from Malabar, hence the landing point became Malabar Point and eventually the hill became Malabar Hill. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, has proposed to change the name of Malabar Hill, arguably the citys most exclusive residential enclave, to Ramnagari, Malabar Hill is the location of the Walkeshwar Temple, founded by the Silhara kings. The original temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, but rebuilt again in 1715 by Rama Kamath, mountstuart Elphinstone built the first bungalow in Malabar Hill while he was Governor of Bombay, between 1819 and 1827. Following his example, the place became a posh locality. Houses here are amongst the most expensive in the world, in January 2012 Maheshwari House was sold to industrialist Sajjan Jindal of Jindal Steel for 400 crores or > Rs.92,000 per square foot. This makes it the most expensive ever sold in India. Buses only started serving this area during World War II, the former residence of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan is also present here, but is closed to public due to property disputes. Also of note in the Malabar Hill district, there is a ground that sits near the sea which is home to the samadhi shrines of several famous Indian saints. Notably among them is the shrine of the guru of Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Malabar Hill
–
Malabar Hill in the 1850s
Malabar Hill
–
Malabar Point,
Bombay, 1865
Malabar Hill
–
The Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill (ca. 1905)
Malabar Hill
–
Priyadarshini Park in Mumbai
24.
Colaba
–
For the fort in Alibaug, see Kolaba fort Colaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil, after the British took over the island in the late 17th century, it was known as Colio. The name Colaba, comes from Kolabhat, a word in the language of Kolis, the area that is now Colaba was originally a region consisting of two islands, Colaba and Little Colaba. The island of Colaba was one of the Seven islands of Bombay ruled by the Portuguese, the Portuguese had acquired these lands from the Sultanate of Cambay by the Treaty of Bassein. The group of islands was given by Portugal to Charles II of England as dowry when he married Catherine of Braganza, angered by the back-tracking, Charles II leased these lands to the British East India Company for a nominal annual rent. Gerald Aungier, second Governor of Bombay, and the president of the English settlement of Surat, took possession of Colaba and this was leased by the Portuguese Government of Goa to the Bishop of Damao, the head of the Padroado party in Bombay, as his residence. After an attempt by the Propaganda Fide party to seize the chapel, in 1743, British Colaba was leased to Richard Broughton at Rs.200 yearly, and the lease was renewed in 1764. By 1796, Colaba had become a cantonment, Colaba was known for the variety of fishes – the bombil, rawas, halwa, turtles, crabs, prawns and lobsters. A Colaba Observatory, an observatory was established in 1826 in the part that was called Upper Colaba. The Colaba Causeway was completed in 1838, and thus, the two islands were joined to the others. Gradually, Colaba became a centre, after the Cotton Exchange was opened at Cotton Green in 1844. The real estate prices in the area went up, the Colaba Causeway was widened in 1861 and 1863. Colaba became a separate municipality ward in 1872, the Sick Bungalows were built in the 19th century. The construction of the Anglican church of St. John the Evangelist began in 1847, the Church was consecrated in 1858, with the work on the steeple being concluded in 1865. The horse-drawn tram-cars were introduced in 1873 by Stearns and Kitteredge, who had their offices on the west side of the Causeway, the Prongs lighthouse was constructed at the southern tip of the island in 1875. The eponymous Sassoon Docks were built by David Sassoon on reclaimed land in the same year, the BB&CI Railways established the Colaba railway station or terminus, the site of which is now occupied by the Badhwar Park layout. The development of Colaba pushed the native kolis to the edges of the island, the Bombay City Improvement Trust reclaimed around 90,000 square yards on the western shore of Colaba. Eminent citizens of Mumbai, such as Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, opposed the work, however, the reclamation work continued and was completed in 1905
Colaba
–
Old Bombay, 1909
Colaba
–
Colaba
Colaba
–
Ambitious reclamation plans from 1912 have been only partly realised.
Colaba
–
Colaba Chapel, Bombay (Clutterbuck, 1889, p. 173)
25.
Mahim
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Mahim is a neighbourhood in Mumbai. The Mahim railway station is in the Mahim area, on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway line, the name Mahim is derived from the ancient Mahimavati meaning miraculous in Sanskrit. Other historical names for the area include Maijim, Mejambu, Mahim was one of the seven islands that originally made up Mumbai. Mahim, or Mahikawati as it was known, was the capital of Raja Bhimdev and he built a palace and a court of justice in Prabhadevi, as well as the first Babulnath temple. In 1343, this island was possessed by the Sultanate of Gujarat and it was in their reign that the old Mahim mosque was built. A dargah of Makhtum Fakir Ali Paru was built here in 1431, in 1543, the Portuguese captured the islands of Mumbai. In 1662, these islands were given to the English King, King Charles II, as a part of the dowry for the Portuguese princess. After British acquired Mumbai, they built the Mahim Fort here to protect themselves from the Portuguese, the fort today stands in ruins. The causeway connecting Mahim and Bandra was completed in 1845 at a cost of Rs, in 1847, a small group of Scottish missionaries decided to start a new school, now one of the most high-profile schools in Mumbai — the Bombay Scottish School. Mahim is surrounded by Dharavi, Dadar and Bandra in the north, Mahim has a number of schools and educational institutions. Reputed colleges and professional educational institutes such as Ruparel College and St. Xaviers Technical Institute are also in Mahim, shitladevi Temple Paradise Cinema Makhdoom Ali Mahimi Dargah St. Michaels Church Hinduja Hospital Lokmanya Vidya Mandir School & Jr. College Of Science, Arts & Commerce, victoria High School-celebrities like urmila kanitkar Mahim Fort Mahim Causeway Mahim Reti Bunder Xavier Institute of Engineering Swami Vivekanand Garden S. L. The southern end is Worli, northern end is Bandra Reclamation, the bay was named after the islands of Mahim and Salsette were merged in the early 19th century. The Mithi River drains into Mahim Creek which drains into the bay, during the colonial era, the Portuguese built a watchtower called Castella de Aguada on the northern side. Later, the British built the Worli Fort to the south and Mahim Fort near the creek to defend the seven islands of Bombay against attacks by the Portuguese, the Bandra-Worli Sealink crosses Mahim Bay. Mahim Creek is a 15 feet deep creek in Mumbai, India, the Mithi River drains into the creek which drains into the Mahim Bay. It forms the boundary between the city and suburbs, the creek is swamped by mangroves and has a mini-ecosystem. It now has the Bandra-Kurla complex with offices on both its sides
Mahim
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Mahim Bay
Mahim
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Dargah of Mahimi in Mahim
Mahim
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Bandra Worli Sea Link across Mahim bay.
Mahim
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Mahim Creek
26.
Parel
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Parel is a neighbourhood of Mumbai. This is different from Lower Parel, Parel is also a Station on Central railway and shares FOB with Elphinstone Rd Railway Station on Western Railway. It is a district in Girangaon, which was the focus of the Great Bombay textile strike of 1982, Parel used to have a number of mills, but these have been replaced by new office developments. Originally, Parel was a separate island, Parel is one of the Seven Islands of Bombay which were ceded by the Portuguese to England in 1661, it was linked up with the other islands in the 19th Century. In the 1770s, William Hornby, the Governor of Bombay and this area then became one of the poshest areas of the city. In 1867, tanners and dealers in dry fish were relocated in this area, by the 1870s, several cotton mills had been established in the reclaimed lands in Parel. In 1883, the Governors wife died of cholera in the Government House, two years later, the Governors Mansion was moved to Malabar Point. During the plague epidemics of the 1890s, the old Government House was leased to the newly founded Haffkine Institute, star Track, Times of India Mumbai, pg-2,21 April 2006
Parel
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The Four Seasons, Mumbai
Parel
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Parel
27.
Worli
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Worli is a locality in the city of Mumbai in Indian state of Maharashtra. It is also spelt as, Varli, Worlee, Warli and it is an important commercial and industrial centre in the city. Worli was one of the seven islands that constituted the city of Mumbai. Although primarily a village, the Worli Fort, a British fort that is now in ruins, is located there. It is known for being home to Dishankeshwar Kalsi, considered Indias first homosexual stage performer, Worli later became known as the land of the Kalsi. Worli has a mosque, the Haji Ali Dargah, on a rock in the sea, the island of Worli was connected to the main island of Bombay in 1784, with the completion of the Hornby Vellard. The Hornby Vellard is now known as Lala Lajpat Rai Road, in 1842, the Love Grove sewage pumping station was completed. It has special mitre gates opening to the sea, which are opened during periods of low tide, the pumping station is built on Dr Annie Besant road which was formerly known as the Love Grove Road. The British had built four bungalows for its administrative heads on the stretch ahead of the Love Grove Pumping station back in the 1930s and these bungalows are now replaced by the ATRIA Mall. D. Y. Patil International High School Maratha Mandir R. A, podar Medical College GreenLawns School Worli Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar School Unnati Night High School French International School of Bombay The Japanese School of Mumbai was formerly located in Worli. Worli is a part of South Mumbai which extends from Haji Ali to Prabhadevi and it is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west and the neighbourhoods of Haji Ali to the south, Mahalaxmi to the east and Prabhadevi to the north. The nearest railway station to the neighbourhood is Mahalaxmi And Elphinstone is also nearest railway station from Worli, with the commissioning of the Bandra-Worli Sealink, Worli Sea-Face is now better connected with Western Suburbs. Aditya Birla Group has its office in Worli. Childline India has its office on the fourth floor of the Sumer Kendra Building in P. B. Worli has been one of the busiest office areas in Mumbai since the late 70s, the first major development was the Shivsagar Estate located on Dr Annie Besant Road. The major companies having properties here are GSK Pharma, TATA, Novartis, HDFC Bank, Yes Bank, Siemens, CEAT, till September 1997 Poonam Chambers had the offices of companies like ESAB, US Vitamins But after the building collapsed they had to shift. The latest developments are happening in the old Mill lands with many television stations having their studios in them, even multinational companies like Deloitte have set their base in Worli. Even malls have emerged with Launch of Atria on 20 May 2006, the Worli-Bandra Sealink is located on Worli Sea Face
Worli
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Worli Skyline from
Bandra
Worli
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The Bandra Worli Sea link, with Worli skyline
Worli
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Haji Ali Dargah, as seen from Worli Seaface
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View of Arabian Sea from Worli Sea-face
28.
Mazgaon
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Mazagaon, also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon, and pronounced by the Catholics as Mazgon or Maz-a-gon and the Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav. It is one of the seven islands of Mumbai and it is part of South Mumbai and can be reached by Byculla Station on the Central railway line and Dockyard Road Station on the Harbour Railway line. The word Mazagaon has been derived from the Sanskrit Matsya Gram, the original inhabitants were speculated to be tribals of Agari and Koli tribes. However, folk etymology derives Mazagaon from the Marathi Maza Gaon, one of Mazagaons oldest claims to fame was a variety of mango trees which fruited twice a year. Apparently a few trees were extant well into the 20th century. The small island was rocky, with a hill rising at the north, to see what Mazagaon might once have been, one has to visit any of the tiny rocky islands bearing mango trees and small villages further down the Konkan coast. The first Portuguese settlers were the Jesuits, who established a church in the 16th century, notwithstanding their claim, in 1572 King Sebastian of Portugal granted the island in perpetuity to the de Souza e Lima family, from whom the DSouzas of Mumbai trace their descent. When the Portuguese ceded the island to the English in 1661, there was an established population of Roman Catholics. Some black African slaves brought by the Portuguese, known as Kaffirs, had entered the ethnic mix. Some of their wooden houses can still be seen, and are now protected heritage structures. The original Gloria church, Nossa Senhora da Glória, was built in 1632 from a donation by the de Souza family and it was destroyed in 1911, being replaced two years later by a new Gothic church of the same name built a kilometer. In 1690 Mazagaon was occupied by the Sidi of Janjira, an admiral in the Mughal navy and it is said that he was driven away a year later by the Rustomji Dorabji, who organised the fishermen in Dongri into a fleet. Rustomji was given the title Patel after this feat, and his descendants have remained the only Parsi family of Patels, with the reclamation of Umarkhadi, at the end of the 17th century, Mazagaon became an outlying suburb of Mumbai and a fashionable place of residence. One of the houses was the neo-classical Tarala, built by a member of the Wadia family in the late 18th century. Sold to the Jeejeebhoy family about a later, it became the Sadar Adalat in 1925. Later still it was taken over by the army, and then donated to the J. J, hospital in 1943 after a fire. It was used as a hostel for a few years before it was demolished. Other bungalows and plantations also grew up in Mazagaon as the British, when the Esplanade was cleared in the Fort area, the armoury moved from Bombay Castle to Mazagaon in 1760 and gave its name to Gunpowder Lane
Mazgaon
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Mazagaon
29.
Mainland China
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Mainland China, also known as the Chinese mainland, is the geopolitical area under the direct jurisdiction of the Peoples Republic of China. It generally includes Hainan island and excludes the special regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The term mainland China was coined by the Kuomintang after receiving control of Taiwan from Japan after World War II. By 1949, the KMT-led Republic of China government was defeated in the Chinese Civil War, there are two terms in Chinese for mainland, Dàlù, which means continent, and Nèidì, literally inland or inner land. In the PRC, the usage of the two terms are interchangeable and there is no prescribed method of reference in any jurisdiction. To emphasize equal footing in Cross-Strait relations, the term is used in official contexts with reference to Taiwan, but in its relations with Hong Kong and Macau, the PRC government refers to itself as the Central Peoples Government. Mainland area is the term to free area of the Republic of China used in the ROC Constitution. It treats the mainland as part of ROCs territory despite the lack of effective control, by 1949, the Communist Party of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army had largely defeated the Kuomintang s National Revolutionary Army in the Chinese Civil War on the mainland. This has resulted in a situation in which two co-existing governments compete for legitimacy and recognition as the government of China. The phrase mainland China emerged as a neutral term to refer to the area under control of the Communist Party of China. Until the late 1970s, both the PRC and ROC envisioned a military takeover of the other, during this time the ROC referred to the PRC government as Communist Bandits while the PRC referred to the ROC as Chiang Bandits. Later, as a military solution became less feasible, the ROC referred to the PRC as Communist China, due to their status as colonies of foreign states during the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, the phrase mainland China excludes Hong Kong and Macau. Since the return of Hong Kong and Macau to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 and 1999, respectively, the territories also have their distinct identities. Therefore, mainland China generally continues to exclude these territories, because of the One country, the term is also used in economic indicators, such as the IMD Competitiveness Report. International news media often use China to refer only to mainland China or the Peoples Republic of China, in the PRC, the term 内地 is often contrasted with the term 境外 for things outside of the mainland region. Examples include Administration of Foreign-funded Banks or the Measures on Administration of Representative Offices of Foreign Insurance Institutions, Hainan is an offshore island, therefore geographically not part of the continental mainland. Nonetheless, Hainanese people still refer to the mainland as the mainland. In some coastal provinces such as Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangsu, in contrast, the pro-Taiwan independence Democratic Progressive Party prefer to use the term China instead, referring to the PRC, to imply that Taiwan is separate from China
Mainland China
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The highlighted orange area in the map is what is commonly known as "mainland China".
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