Africa:
Asia:
Australia & New Zealand:
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North America:
South America:
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References:-
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Important Lines of Latitude
Image via WikipediaThe Equator - this is the line that is equidistant between the North and South Poles. The Equator passes through South America, Africa and some of the biggest islands in Indonesia, dividing the world into Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Most of the world's land is in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to the motion of the earth around the sun, the sun is directly above the equator twice every year, at the equinoxes2 (around 21 March and 21 September).
The Tropic of Cancer - this line is 23° 27' North. It marks the northernmost position of the sun in the sky. Further north than this, the sun is never directly overhead. On the tropic itself, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice, which occurs around 21 June each year. When the tropic was given its name over two thousand years ago, the sun was in the Zodiac sign of Cancer on 21 June. Due to the precession of the Earth, the Sun is now in the sign of Gemini at this time, but the name of the tropic has not changed.
The Tropic of Capricorn - this line is 23° 27' South. It marks the southernmost position of the sun in the sky. On the tropic itself, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the Southern Hemisphere summer solstice, which occurs around 21 December each year. Further south than this, the sun is never directly overhead. When the tropic was given its name over two thousand years ago, the sun was in the Zodiac sign of Capricorn on 21 December. Due to the precession of the Earth, the Sun is now in the sign of Sagittarius at this time, but the name of the tropic has not changed.
As latitude increases, the length of the day starts to vary, getting longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. Eventually we reach a point where the day is 24 hours long in the summer and the night is 24 hours long in the winter.
The Arctic Circle - this line is 66° 30' North. It marks the point where the sun does not set but just touches the horizon on the Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. Further north than this, there is constant daylight 24 hours a day for a period during summer3. Conversely, there is 24 hours of darkness for a period during the winter.
The Antarctic Circle - this line is 66° 30' South. It marks the point where the sun does not set but just touches the horizon on the Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. Further south than this, there is constant sunshine 24 hours a day for a period during summer. Conversely, there is 24 hours of darkness for a period during the winter.
Less Well-Known Latitudes
The Doldrums
The Doldrums is a name for the part of the oceans around the equator. This region has stable weather with little or no wind, which in the days of wind-powered sailing ships was a real nuisance. The Doldrums are from 5° S to 5° N in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but slightly further north in the Caribbean and Atlantic.
The word 'doldrums' originally meant a state of depression, from the Old English word 'dol' meaning dull and foolish. This word was probably created by analogy with the word 'tantrums'. The phrase 'in the Doldrums' was first used to mean becalmed at sea in 1824, and was applied to the equatorial region from 1855 onwards. The Doldrums are also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
The Roaring Forties
The parts of the ocean which lie between the latitudes of 40° and 50°, both North and South of the equator, are noted for strong westerly winds, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere where there is little land to block the path of these winds. These areas of the globe are known to sailors as the Roaring Forties, not to be confused with the Roaring Twenties, which was a time in the 20th Century famous for women wearing short skirts and feathers, drinking gin and dancing all night.
The Horse Latitudes
Closer to the equator, we have the Horse Latitudes, which lie between 30° and 35°, again both North and South of the equator. Here we have bands of high-pressure settled weather with very little wind. Sailing ships could be marooned for weeks in the Horse Latitudes without a breath of wind.
How the Horse Latitudes got their name is a bit of a mystery. The traditional story is that sailors when marooned in the Horse Latitudes would throw their horses overboard to save on provisions. This seems unlikely; why waste a valuable source of meat? An alternative, equally dubious, explanation is that when the wind does blow in the Horse Latitudes, it tends to be skittish and changeable, like a frisky horse.
Did you know: 38th Parallel line divides north korea and south korea.
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Saturday, March 13, 2010
African Facts and Figures
Geographical
Africa, second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covering about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area.
Largest Country
Sudan, Republic of, republic in north-eastern Africa, the largest country of the African continent. Sudan has a total area of 2,505,800 sq km (967,490 sq mi).
Smallest Country
The smallest African country is The Seychelles covering an area of 453 sq km but Gambia is the smallest of the mainland African states, covering an area of 11,300 sq km (4,363 sq mi).
Largest City
Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa with an estimated 9.2 million population
Highest Point
Mount Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Point - (5895m/19,340 ft) in Tanzania
Lowest Point
the lowest is Lake 'Asal (153 m/502 ft below sea level) in Djibouti
Northernmost tip
is Cape Blanc (Ra's al Abyad;) in Tunisia
Southernmost tip
is Cape Agulhas in South Africa
Largest Lake
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the is the world's second-largest freshwater lake - covering an area of 69,490 sq km (26,830 sq mi) and lies 1,130 m (3,720 ft) above sea level. Its greatest known depth is 82 m (270 ft).
Deepest Lake
Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake in Africa reaching at its greatest depth is 1,436 m (4,710 ft), making it the second deepest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Baikal.
Longest River
The River Nile drains north-eastern Africa, and, at 6,650 km (4,132 miles), is the longest river in Africa and in the world. It is formed from the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and the White Nile, which originates at Lake Victoria.
The Great Africa Rift Valley
The Rift Valley extends more than 4,830 km (3,000 mi) from Syria in south-western Asia to Mozambique in south-eastern Africa.
The width of the valley ranges from a few miles to more than 160 km (100 mi). In eastern Africa, the valley splits into two branches: the Eastern Rift and the Western Rift
The fault in which the Rift sits is still moving: the western side of the rift is pulling away from the eastern ridge at about 6 mm per year, while in the south it is moving together at a rate of 2 mm per year.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world, probably over 500 from ten families. Particularly noteworthy are the Cichlidae, of which all but five of over 400 species are endemic to Lake Malawi. The lake contains 30% of all known cichlid species. Of particular interest is the 'mbuna' rock fish.
Namib Desert
The Namib is the world's oldest desert, and the only desert in Africa inhabited by elephant, rhino, giraffe and lion
Namibia - Fish River Canyon
The Fish River canyon is the second largest canyon in the world.
The Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert alone is expanding southwards at an average of 0.8 km (½ mile) a month.
Wildlife
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - the cheetah (70 mph), wildebeest, lion, and Thomson's gazelle (all about 50 mph).
Penguins (see our photo)
South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.
Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar. ( more info )
Seals
The largest seal colony in the southern hemisphere is a Cape Cross in Namibia. ( more info )
Frogs
The world's biggest frog is found in Cameroon. Named the goliath frog, their body can be one-foot long. ( more info )
Nile Crocodiles
The Nile crocodile is Africa's largest living reptile - growing to an average length of 5 m. (more info )
African Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
An elephant can weigh up to 6-7 tons and has no natural enemies for he is not a predator and there is none large enough to challenge him.
Did you know elephants drink up to 160 liters of water per day and a mature elephant can carry up to 6.8 liters of water in its trunk
An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually turn the pages of a book with it. (more info )
Giraffes
Did you know that the tongue of a giraffe can be as long as 45 cm?
Giraffes are 6 ft tall when they are born. (more info )
Even though their necks can be 6-7 feet in length, Giraffe have the same number of vertabrae in their necks as humans (7)
The tallest animal on earth is the giraffe - its horn tops being up to 6 metres above ground level.
Gorillas
The Gorilla is the largest of the living primates, male gorillas weight up to 200kg, yet are shy and retiring. ( more info )
Cheetahs
The cheetah is the fastest land animal at 95 km/h (60mph).
Beetles
The world's largest and heaviest beetle, the Goliath Beetle is found in tropical Africa. It can reach a length of 5 inches and weigh up to ¼ lb more info
Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly is in the world is found in South Africa. It is know as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly
Fish
The only place where shools of fresh water sardines are found is in Lake Tanganyika.
Culture
Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone. ( find out more about Ancient Egypt )
Beer
Apart from Muslim nations, Ghana has the lowest per capita consumption of beer in Africa, yet its brewery industry is one of the most competitive
Weddings
Did you know that in Africa it is almost imposible to hold a small wedding? The idea of a private wedding is unknown and is greatly frowned upon. Friends and relatives expect to be invited to a wedding and to play a role in the ceremony.
)
Health
Malaria
90% of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa
3,000 children under the age of five die each day from malaria in Africa
1-5% of GDP in Africa covers costs of malaria control and lost labour days
Did you know, that Africa would have been an estimated US $100 billion better off in 1999 if malaria had been eliminated years ago?
Aids
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS
At least 25 million people in Africa are HIV-positive.
12 million children who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.
Hospitals
The world's biggest hospital is in Soweto.
Language
Kiswahili
The word "Crossword" in Kiswahili is "chemshebongo" which, when translated, means "boil brains".
In East & Central Africa the British Army was still remembered. One regiment was known in Kiswahili as "Magi Bareedi Askari", translated this is "Water Cold Soldiers" or in other words the "Cold Stream Guards".
(supplied by Simon Vivian)
Misc
Diamonds
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.
Windmills
Did you know there are about 280 000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number only to Australia?
Most Populated Country
With a population of more than 113 million, Nigeria is easily the most populated country in Africa and the 10th most populous country in the world.
Source--http://www.africaguide.com/facts.htm
Africa, second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covering about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area.
Largest Country
Sudan, Republic of, republic in north-eastern Africa, the largest country of the African continent. Sudan has a total area of 2,505,800 sq km (967,490 sq mi).
Smallest Country
The smallest African country is The Seychelles covering an area of 453 sq km but Gambia is the smallest of the mainland African states, covering an area of 11,300 sq km (4,363 sq mi).
Largest City
Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa with an estimated 9.2 million population
Highest Point
Mount Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Point - (5895m/19,340 ft) in Tanzania
Lowest Point
the lowest is Lake 'Asal (153 m/502 ft below sea level) in Djibouti
Northernmost tip
is Cape Blanc (Ra's al Abyad;) in Tunisia
Southernmost tip
is Cape Agulhas in South Africa
Largest Lake
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the is the world's second-largest freshwater lake - covering an area of 69,490 sq km (26,830 sq mi) and lies 1,130 m (3,720 ft) above sea level. Its greatest known depth is 82 m (270 ft).
Deepest Lake
Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake in Africa reaching at its greatest depth is 1,436 m (4,710 ft), making it the second deepest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Baikal.
Longest River
The River Nile drains north-eastern Africa, and, at 6,650 km (4,132 miles), is the longest river in Africa and in the world. It is formed from the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and the White Nile, which originates at Lake Victoria.
The Great Africa Rift Valley
The Rift Valley extends more than 4,830 km (3,000 mi) from Syria in south-western Asia to Mozambique in south-eastern Africa.
The width of the valley ranges from a few miles to more than 160 km (100 mi). In eastern Africa, the valley splits into two branches: the Eastern Rift and the Western Rift
The fault in which the Rift sits is still moving: the western side of the rift is pulling away from the eastern ridge at about 6 mm per year, while in the south it is moving together at a rate of 2 mm per year.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world, probably over 500 from ten families. Particularly noteworthy are the Cichlidae, of which all but five of over 400 species are endemic to Lake Malawi. The lake contains 30% of all known cichlid species. Of particular interest is the 'mbuna' rock fish.
Namib Desert
The Namib is the world's oldest desert, and the only desert in Africa inhabited by elephant, rhino, giraffe and lion
Namibia - Fish River Canyon
The Fish River canyon is the second largest canyon in the world.
The Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert alone is expanding southwards at an average of 0.8 km (½ mile) a month.
Wildlife
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - the cheetah (70 mph), wildebeest, lion, and Thomson's gazelle (all about 50 mph).
Penguins (see our photo)
South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.
Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar. ( more info )
Seals
The largest seal colony in the southern hemisphere is a Cape Cross in Namibia. ( more info )
Frogs
The world's biggest frog is found in Cameroon. Named the goliath frog, their body can be one-foot long. ( more info )
Nile Crocodiles
The Nile crocodile is Africa's largest living reptile - growing to an average length of 5 m. (more info )
African Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
An elephant can weigh up to 6-7 tons and has no natural enemies for he is not a predator and there is none large enough to challenge him.
Did you know elephants drink up to 160 liters of water per day and a mature elephant can carry up to 6.8 liters of water in its trunk
An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually turn the pages of a book with it. (more info )
Giraffes
Did you know that the tongue of a giraffe can be as long as 45 cm?
Giraffes are 6 ft tall when they are born. (more info )
Even though their necks can be 6-7 feet in length, Giraffe have the same number of vertabrae in their necks as humans (7)
The tallest animal on earth is the giraffe - its horn tops being up to 6 metres above ground level.
Gorillas
The Gorilla is the largest of the living primates, male gorillas weight up to 200kg, yet are shy and retiring. ( more info )
Cheetahs
The cheetah is the fastest land animal at 95 km/h (60mph).
Beetles
The world's largest and heaviest beetle, the Goliath Beetle is found in tropical Africa. It can reach a length of 5 inches and weigh up to ¼ lb more info
Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly is in the world is found in South Africa. It is know as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly
Fish
The only place where shools of fresh water sardines are found is in Lake Tanganyika.
Culture
Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone. ( find out more about Ancient Egypt )
Beer
Apart from Muslim nations, Ghana has the lowest per capita consumption of beer in Africa, yet its brewery industry is one of the most competitive
Weddings
Did you know that in Africa it is almost imposible to hold a small wedding? The idea of a private wedding is unknown and is greatly frowned upon. Friends and relatives expect to be invited to a wedding and to play a role in the ceremony.
)
Health
Malaria
90% of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa
3,000 children under the age of five die each day from malaria in Africa
1-5% of GDP in Africa covers costs of malaria control and lost labour days
Did you know, that Africa would have been an estimated US $100 billion better off in 1999 if malaria had been eliminated years ago?
Aids
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS
At least 25 million people in Africa are HIV-positive.
12 million children who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.
Hospitals
The world's biggest hospital is in Soweto.
Language
Kiswahili
The word "Crossword" in Kiswahili is "chemshebongo" which, when translated, means "boil brains".
In East & Central Africa the British Army was still remembered. One regiment was known in Kiswahili as "Magi Bareedi Askari", translated this is "Water Cold Soldiers" or in other words the "Cold Stream Guards".
(supplied by Simon Vivian)
Misc
Diamonds
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.
Windmills
Did you know there are about 280 000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number only to Australia?
Most Populated Country
With a population of more than 113 million, Nigeria is easily the most populated country in Africa and the 10th most populous country in the world.
Source--http://www.africaguide.com/facts.htm
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