The Laptev Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, the Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands, its northern boundary passes from the Arctic Cape to a point with co-ordinates of 79°N and 139°E, ends at the Anisiy Cape. The Kara Sea lies to the East Siberian Sea to the east; the sea is named after the Russian explorers Dmitry Khariton Laptev. The sea has a severe climate with temperatures below 0 °C over more than nine months per year, low water salinity, scarcity of flora and human population, low depths, it is frozen most of the time, though clear in August and September. The sea shores were inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous tribes of Yukaghirs and Evens and Evenks, which were engaged in fishing and reindeer husbandry, they were settled by Yakuts and by Russians. Russian explorations of the area started in the 17th century, they came from the south via several large rivers which empty into the sea, such as the prominent Lena River, the Khatanga, the Anabar, the Olenyok, the Omoloy and the Yana.

The sea contains several dozen islands. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Laptev Sea as follows: On the West; the eastern limit of Kara Sea. On the North. A line joining Cape Molotov to the Northern extremity of Kotelni Island. On the East. From the Northern extremity of Kotelni Island – through Kotelni Island to Cape Madvejyi. Through Malyi Island, to Cape Vaguin on Great Liakhov Island. Thence to Cape Sviatoy Nos on the main land. Using current geographic names and transcription this definition corresponds to the area shown in the map; the sea's border starts at Arctic Cape on Komsomolets Island at 81°13′N 95°15′E and connects to Cape Rosa Luxemburg, the southeastern cape of the island. The next segment crosses Red Army Strait and leads to Cape Vorochilov on October Revolution Island and afterwards through that island to Cape Anuchin at 79°39′37″N 100°21′22″E. Next, the border crosses Shokalsky Strait to Cape Unslicht at 79°25′04″N 102°31′00″E on Bolshevik Island.

It goes further through the island to Cape Yevgenov at 78°17′N 104°50′E. From there, the border goes through Vilkitsky Strait to Cape Pronchishchev at 77°32′57″N 105°54′4″E on the Tamyr peninsula; the southern boundary is the shore of the Asian mainland. Prominent features are the delta of the Lena River. In the east, the polygon crosses the Dmitry Laptev Strait, it connects Cape Svyatoy Nos at 72.7°N 141.2°E / 72.7. Next, the Laptev Sea border crosses Eterikan Strait to Little Lyakhovsky Island at 74.0833°N 140.5833°E / 74.0833. There is a segment through Kotelny Island to Cape Anisy, its northernmost headland 76°10′N 138°50′E; the last link reaches from there back to Arctic Cape. The Lena River, with its large delta, is the biggest river flowing into the Laptev Sea, is the second largest river in the Russian Arctic after Yenisei. Other important rivers include the Khatanga, the Anabar, the Olenyok or Olenek, the Omoloy and the Yana; the sea shores are form gulfs and bays of various sizes. The coastal landscape is diverse, with small mountains near the sea in places.

The main gulfs of the Laptev Sea coast are the Khatanga Gulf, the Olenyok Gulf, the Buor-Khaya Gulf and the Yana Bay. There are several dozens of islands with the total area of 3,784 km2 in the western part of the sea and in the river deltas. Storms and currents due to the ice thawing erode the islands, so the Semenovsky and Vasilievsky islands which were discovered in 1815 have disappeared; the most significant groups of islands are Severnaya Zemlya, Komsomolskaya Pravda and Faddey, the largest individual islands are Bolshoy Begichev, Maly Taymyr, Stolbovoy and Peschanyy. More than half of the sea rests on a continental shelf with the average depths below 50 meters, the areas south from 76°N are shallower than 25 m. In the northern part, the sea bottom drops to the ocean floor with the depth of the order of 1 kilometer. There it is covered with silt, mixed with ice in the shallow areas; the Laptev Sea is bound to the south by the East Siberian Lowland, an alluvial plain composed of sediments of marine origin dating back to the time when the whole area was occupied by the Verkhoyansk Sea, an ancient sea at the edge of the Siberian Craton in the Permian period.

As centuries went by most of the area limiting the sea to the south became filled with the alluvial deposits of modern rivers. The climate of the Laptev Sea is Arctic continental and, owing to the remoteness from both the Atlantic a

Willa of the Wood is an American adventure and fantasy novel written by Robert Beatty and published in July 2018 by Disney Hyperion. Willa of the Wood is the first novel in the Willa Series and will be adapted into a television series produced by Amy Adams’ Bond Group and eOne. Robert Beatty will serve as an executive producer. Willa of the Wood is set at the turn of the 20th century in the Western North Carolina and East Tennessee region of the Appalachian Mountains, in what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the book follows a young night-spirit and thief for the ancient Faeran clan. Willa is taught not to trust humans, who destroy the forests that she calls home. During her adventures, Willa begins to question tradition as she experiences conflict within her Faeran clan and finds an ally and friend in someone she once feared. A #1 New York Times best-seller, Willa of the Wood has been recognized by several literary organizations and publications for its success as a middle grade historical fiction and fantasy novel.

Willa of the Wood was a USA today best-seller, selected by The Children's Book Review as a Best Book of 2018, nominated for 2018 Goodreads’ Choice Award, recognized as a Recommended Title by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Qüxü County, or Qushui or Chushur or Chushul, is a county in the Lhasa southwest of the main center of Chengguan, China. It is mountainous in the northwest, flatter near the Lhasa River, which runs through the east of the county, the Yarlung Tsangpo, which forms the southern border; the population as of 2000 was 29,690 engaged in agriculture or animal husbandry. The county is home to the Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple. In the Tibetan language the name means "water ditch." Qüxü County has a total area of 1,680 square kilometres, with an average elevation of 3,650 metres. The county is in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley, is relatively flat, but rises to the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains in the north; the Lhasa River runs south through the eastern part of the county to its confluence with the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which forms the southern boundary of the county. The lowest elevation is 3,500 meters, the highest summit elevation is 5894 meters. Qüxü County has a temperate semi-arid plateau monsoon climate zone with 3,000 hours of annual sunshine hours on average and 150 days a year without frost.

Annual precipitation is 441.9 millimeters. Natural disasters such as flash floods, drought, sandstorms and diseases are common. Mineral resources include corundum, granite, peat and so on. Wild animals include Himalayan blue sheep, deer and brown bear. Medicinal plants include Chinese caterpillar fungus and Codonopsis. Qüxü County was established in August 1959; the county includes one town, five townships, seventeen administrative villages. The town and townships are: The fifth census in 2000 recorded a population of 29,690 as follows: Qüxü Town 7,406, Nyêtang Township 4,103, Carbanang Township 3,831, Caina Township 4,400, Nam Township 2,909 and Dagar Township 7,041; the total labor force was 15,640 of. The county seat has been growing fast, had 5,000 people by 2002; the Fourth Jamgon Kongtrul was born in the county in 1995. As of 2002 there was one County Middle School, 18 primary schools. 98 % of the population received 94 % received television. There are fourteen small hydropower stations in Qüxü County with a total installed capacity of 1780 kilowatts, creating an annual four million kW·h of electricity.

China National Highway 318 runs through the county from Lhasa towards the west. Bridges span the Yarlung Tsangpo River; the county is home to a prison. Qüxü County is semi-agricultural and crops grown are highland barley, winter wheat, spring wheat and rapeseed. Apples and walnuts are produced. Animal husbandry is strong, with the main animals farmed including yak, goats, horses, donkeys and chickens; as of 2002 the per capita net income of farmers and herdsmen was 1,960 yuan. The county has been developing organic farming of snow peach, tulips and saffron. Farm products have been sold in other parts of China under the "Lhasa Pure" brand, they include barley, barley wine, barley tea, yak milk, Tibetan Chicken, Cordyceps and glacier water. In Junba village about 70% of the households manufacture small leather items in traditional styles for sale to domestic and foreign tourists. Other women in the county are engaged in hand-weaving, preserving traditional styles, although as of 2015 working conditions were poor.

Construction of a 2,100 square metres industrial park in Qüxü for small and medium enterprises began in September 2014, with completion expected in June 2015. Other enterprises include a factory for farm tools, a grain and oil processing plant; the Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple is located in Qüxü County. The temple is said to have been founded in 1055 by a pupil of Atiśa, it has a unique architecture and many interesting statues. There are relics dating back to the Ming dynasty, it is operated by monks of the Gelug sect