What On Earth 02

02

DENMARK

Large areas of western Jutland were covered in peat bog much of which was reclaimed for agriculture. Peat is formed by the incomplete decomposition of plants especially sphagnum moss in waterlogged, anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions. When the bogs were drained a number of bodies, probably of Iron Age sacrifices, were foundpreserved in the peat.

The River Negro (Black River) is the largest left bank tributary of the Amazon and the world’s largest ‘blackwater’ river. A blackwater river is one with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. The colour results from the leaching of tannins from the decaying leaves of adjoining vegetation.

BRAZIL

CHINA

The Terracotta Army is a collection of 8,099 life-size Chinese terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Construction of the mausoleum and other structures began in 246 BC and is believed to have taken 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. The actual tomb of Emperor Qin presently remains unopened.

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban managed to nearly eradicate the majority of opium production by 2001 but as much as one-third of Afghanistan's GDP now comes from growing poppy and producing illicit drugs including opium and its two derivatives, morphine and heroin, as well as hashish production

Domesticated yaks are kept primarily for their milk, meat and hair and are also used as beasts of burden, transporting goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders as well as in support of climbing and trekking expeditions. Often the pack animals are actually crossbreeds of the wild yak and common domestic cattle, and are only about half the height of the wild animal.

CHINA(TIBET)

SOUTH AFRICA

Ostriches are large enough for a small human to ride them, typically while holding on to the wings for grip. There is little possibility of ostrich racing becoming a widespread sport due their temperament and the difficulties in saddling the birds. Ostrich races have been criticised by animal rights organisations, however, they continue to take place as a tourist attraction.

Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad, Aruba, has flight services to the USA, most countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America and some parts of Europe

NETHERLANDSARUBA

The San Andreas Fault is a geological fault that runs 800 miles through California. The fault marks a transform (sliding) boundary between the Pacific and the North American Plates. There have been massive earthquakes in 1857 in the central section and in 1906 in the north (the great San Francisco earthquake) but the southern section of the fault has not seen a similar rupture in at least 300 years.

USACALIFORNIA

The Evzones were light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, the name refers to the members of the Presidential Guard, an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and and the Presidential Mansion.

GREECE

INDIA

Varanasi is a holy city and one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for Hindus. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year. It has nearly 100 ghats, steps leading down to the River Ganga (Ganges), some of which are used for cremation.

The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, about 8 km from Cork. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with ‘the gift of the gab’. The stone, which is believed by some to be half of the original Stone of Scone, was presented to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.

IRELAND

Since the 1960s the Aral Sea has been shrinking as the rivers that feed it were diverted by the then Soviet Union for irrigation and it has now shrunk to half the area it formerly covered. The sea at one time had receded almost 100 km from what had been the major port of Aralsk, but restoration work has brought some improvement.

KAZAKHSTAN

The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline, and is a rich agricultural region.

EGYPT

A worker rests on bales of cotton. During the 1970s and 80s Côte d’Ivoire was one of west Africa’s most stable and prosperous economies, but fluctuating prices for its agricultural exports and civil war has resulted in a steady decline in standards of living.

COTED’IVOIRE

The Bergisel is a hill (746 m) to the south of Innsbruck. The ski-jump on the hill was used in the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. Innsbruck has also hosted one leg of the annual Four Hills Tournament since 1952.

AUSTRIA

BOSNIAHERZEGOVINA

‘Stari Most’ (Old Bridge) was a 16th century bridge in the city of Mostar. The bridge was destroyed in 1993 by Croat forces during the Bosnian War. A project to rebuild it was completed in 2004 and it was hoped that this would help reconcile the Christian and Moslem communities in the city

AUSTRALIA

The ‘Dingo Fence’ or ‘Dog Fence’ was built during the 1880s to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south east part of the country and protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland. It is one of the longest structures on earth and stretches 5,320 km from the coast of South Australia to the coast of Queensland. The fence is 6 feet high, made of wire mesh, and extends for 1 foot underground.

Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998 when it was replaced by Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. The airport was home to Hong Kong's national carrier Cathay Pacific, as well as Dragonair. With numerous skyscrapers and mountains located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour, it was noted for its low-altitude landings.

CHINA(HONG KONG)

Karnak, on the eat bank of the River Nile at Luxor is the largest ancient religious site in the world. Construction began in the 16th century BC and approximately 30 pharaoahs contributed to the buildings. The Great Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns, the largest of which are 33 feet in circumference and 80 feet high.

EGYPT

FINLAND

Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle is the capital of Finland’s northernmost province of Lapland. It is an important tourist centre, especially in winter, when Santa Claus Village and SantaPark attract a large number of visitors. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude and runs 66º33’39” north of the Equator. North of the Arctic Circle the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once a year.

02 DENMARK Bog Bodies03 BRAZIL Rio Negro04 CHINA Terracotta Army 05 AFGHANISTAN opium poppies06 CHINA (TIBET) yak transport 07 SOUTH AFRICA ostrich racing 08 NETHERLANDS ARUBA Queen Beatrix IA09 USA CALIFORNIA San Andreas Fault10 GREECE Evzones11 INDIA Varanasi 12 IRELAND Blarney Stone 13 KAZAKHSTAN Aral Sea14 EGYPT Nile Delta15 COTE d’IVOIRE cotton16 AUSTRIA Bergisel ski-jump17 BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA Mostar Stari Most18 AUSTRALIA Dingo Fence19 CHINA (HONG KONG) Kai Tak 20 EGYPT Karnak21 FINLAND Rovaniemi

Geography

What on Earth?