A career in Corporate Finance means you would work for a company to help it find money to run the business, grow the business, make acquisitions, plan for it’s financial future and manage any cash on hand. You might work for a large multinational company or a smaller player with high growth prospects. Responsibility can come fast and your problem-solving skills will get put to work quickly in corporate finance.
The job of the financial officer is to create value for a company. For example, the finance group at American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio has four main areas of concentration: liquidity, flexibility, compliance with laws and regulatory support. The goals of the objective are met through four main activities carried out by AEP’s Finance Department: 1) designing, implementing and monitoring financial policies, 2) planning and executing the financing program, 3) managing cash resources, and 4) interfacing with the financial community and investors.
Jobs in corporate finance are also relatively stable while performance in these jobs counts. But it’s not like your job is going to depend on whether you’re selling enough this week or getting good deals finished this quarter. Rather the key to performing well in corporate finance is to work with a long view of what going to make your company successful. Many would argue that corporate finance jobs are the most desirable in the entire field of finance.
Some of the benefits of working in corporate finance are:
1. You generally work in teams which help you work with people.
2. it’s allot of fun to tackle business problems that really matter
3. You’ll have many opportunities to travel and meet people and
4. The pay in corporate finance is generally quite good.
A principle of Corporate Finance is the worldwide leading text that describes the theory and practice of corporate finance. Throughout the book the authors show how managers use financial theory to solve practical problems and as a way of learning how to respond to change by showing not just how but why companies and management act as they do.
CDM Electronics
CDM Electronics is a certified small business, CCR# 42827, founded in 1993, CDM Electronics' mission is to provide our customers with exceptional interconnect products and value added services that meet or exceed our customers' expectations. We welcome the chance to design a creative solution to the most challenging issues.
Our Products
CDM Electronics is a NEDA Authorized Supplier for electronic connectors, coaxial cables and other interconnect products. This assures you that you are receiving factory new and approved products. With today's ever changing business climate, particularly in light of RoHS initiatives which transpired in July 2006, it is imperative that your applications perform to specification and in compliance with environmental and other government regulations. For those applications not requiring RoHS compliance, there are still several performance and reliability factors that are compromised when superior products are not deployed. Choose CDM for all of your interconnect sourcing requirements and you are guaranteed excellent products with on time deliveries.
Our Services
In 1999, CDM management recognized that customers wanted access to thousands of parts in stock ready for same day shipment. But this only represented half of our customers' needs. So
we embarked upon a program to expand our offering into the arena of cable assembly and value added programs. Since that time, CDM has experienced explosive growth and now provides a host of value added services, from "womb to tomb". We provide quick turn engineering and cable assembly services for prime contractors, as well as 2nd and 3rd tier providers. Our satisfied customer list includes Northrop Grumman, BAE, General Dynamics, and all branches of the United States military: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
CDM credits our great staff, especially our brilliant engineering team, with our enormous success in this area.
Proactive Cost Reduction Program™
Process improvement and cost-saving solutions are as important to us as they are to you. Our "Proactive Cost Reduction Program" is a trademarked initiative created by CDM Electronics to constantly create cost-saving solutions for our customers.
Our People
From Reception to Shipping, CDM Electronics is proud to have the most loyal & dedicated employees. But it takes more than just our own employees to make our company great. We rely heavily on the expertise of several of our providers, especially our web designers:
LUXURY VİLLA
Description
Modern new construction villa in high quality,
built in 2004 on a plot of 900 qm.
Equipment
The villa features high standards:
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lining rooms with fireplace,
dining room, kitchen, storage room, all with wooden beam
in mediterrean style.
Finished garden with nice pool, exclusive terraces and bbq.
Location
In quiet and central location.
Extras
Parking place, central heating.
Acer Aspire One AOD150 Hits The US
Folks living in the US will now be able to pick up the spanking new 10.1" Acer Aspire One AOD150 netbook that will see out the current 8.9" model, offering a larger display with other specifications to get you started in the world of netbooks. Prices begin from $349 upwards depending on the configuration, and you will get the following at the very least.
Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)
Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3
10.1-inch WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD 1024 x 600
Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
Three USB 2.0 Ports
6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh)
You can choose from four high-gloss color options including seashell white, sapphire blue, ruby red and diamond black, all in an aerodynamic-shaped metallic hinge with a colored accent and a brushed-metal palm rest
DUBAİ
Dubai (in Arabic: دبيّ, transliteration: dubaīy) can either refer to an emirate (one of seven) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, or that emirate's main city, sometimes called "Dubai city" to distinguish it from the emirate.
Written accounts documenting the existence of the city have existed at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE. Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to possess veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. The emirates' current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE.
A majority of the emirate's revenues are from trade, real estate and financial services. Revenues from petroleum and natural gas contribute less than 6% (2006)[8] of Dubai's US$ 37 billion economy (2005). Real estate and construction, on the other hand, contributed 22.6% to the economy in 2005, before the current large-scale construction boom. Dubai has attracted world-wide attention through innovative real estate projects and sports events. This increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a world business hub, has also highlighted human rights issues concerning its largely foreign workforce.
Etymology
In the 1820s, Dubai was referred to as Al Wasl by British historians. However, few records pertaining to the cultural history of the UAE or its constituent emirates exist due to the region's vocal traditions in recording and passing down folklore and myth. The linguistic origins of the word Dubai are also in dispute, as some believe it to have originated from Persian, while some believe that Arabic is the linguistic root of the word. According to Fedel Handhal, researcher in the history and culture of the UAE, the word Dubai may have come from the word Daba (a derivative of Yadub), which means to creep; the word may be a reference to the flow of Dubai Creek inland.
History
Very little is known about pre-Islamic culture in the south-east Arabian peninsula, except that many ancient towns in the area were trading centers between the Eastern and Western worlds. The remnants of an ancient mangrove swamp, dated at 7,000 years, were discovered during the construction of sewer lines near Dubai Internet City. The area had been covered with sand about 5,000 years ago as the coastline retreated inland, becoming a part of the city's present coastline. Prior to Islam, the people in this region worshiped Bajir (or Bajar). The Byzantine and Sassanian empires constituted the great powers of the period, with the Sassanians controlling much of the region. After the spread of Islam in the region, the Umayyad Caliph, of the eastern Islamic world, invaded south-east Arabia and drove out the Sassanians. Excavations undertaken by the Dubai Museum in the region of Al-Jumayra (Jumeirah) indicate the existence of several artifacts from the Umayyad period. The earliest recorded mention of Dubai is in 1095, in the "Book of Geography" by the Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri. The Venetian pearl merchant Gaspero Balbi visited the area in 1580 and mentioned Dubai (Dibei) for its pearling industry. Documented records of the town of Dubai exist only after 1799.
In the early 19th century, the Al Abu Falasa clan (House of Al-Falasi) of Bani Yas clan established Dubai, which remained a dependent of Abu Dhabi until 1833.[18] On 8 January 1820, the sheikh of Dubai and other sheikhs in the region signed the "General Maritime Peace Treaty" with the British government. However, in 1833, the Al Maktoum dynasty (also descendants of the House of Al-Falasi) of the Bani Yas tribe left the settlement of Abu Dhabi and took over Dubai from the Abu Fasala clan without resistance. Dubai came under the protection of the United Kingdom by the "Exclusive Agreement" of 1892, with the latter agreeing to protect Dubai against any attacks from the Ottoman Empire. Two catastrophes struck the town during the mid 1800s. First, in 1841, a smallpox epidemic broke out in the Bur Dubai locality, forcing residents to relocate east to Deira. Then, in 1894, fire swept through Deira, burning down most homes. However, the town's geographical location continued to attract traders and merchants from around the region. The emir of Dubai was keen to attract foreign traders and lowered trade tax brackets, which lured traders away from Sharjah and Bandar Lengeh, which were the region's main trade hubs at the time
Dubai's geographical proximity to India made it an important location. The town of Dubai was an important port of call for foreign tradesmen, chiefly those from India, many of whom eventually settled in the town. Dubai was known for its pearl exports until the 1930s. However, Dubai's pearling industry was damaged irreparably by the events of the First World War, and later on by the Great Depression in the late 1920s. Consequently, the city witnessed a mass migration of people to other parts of the Persian Gulf. Since its inception, Dubai was constantly at odds with Abu Dhabi. In 1947, a border dispute between Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the northern sector of their mutual border, escalated into war between the two states. Arbitration by the British and the creation of a buffer frontier running south eastwards from the coast at Ras Hasian resulted in a temporary cessation of hostilities. However, border disputes between the emirates continued even after the formation of the UAE; it was only in 1979 that a formal compromise was reached that ended hostilities and border disputes between the two states. Electricity, telephone services and an airport were established in Dubai in the 1950s, when the British moved their local administrative offices from Sharjah to Dubai. In 1966 the town joined the newly independent country of Qatar to set up a new monetary unit, the Qatar/Dubai Riyal, after the deflation of the Gulf rupee. Oil was discovered in Dubai the same year, after which the town granted concessions to international oil companies. The discovery of oil led to a massive influx of foreign workers, mainly Indians and Pakistanis. As a result, the population of the city from 1968 to 1975 grew by over 300%, by some estimates.
On 2 December 1971 Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi and five other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates after former protector Britain left the Persian Gulf in 1971 In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates to adopt a uniform currency: the UAE dirham. In the 1970s, Dubai continued to grow from revenues generated from oil and trade, even as the city saw an influx of Lebanese immigrants fleeing the civil war in Lebanon. The Jebel Ali Free Zone, comprising the Jebel Ali port (reputedly the world's largest man made port) was established in 1979, which provided foreign companies unrestricted import of labour and export capital.
The Persian Gulf War of 1990 had a huge impact on the city. Economically, Dubai banks experienced a massive withdrawal of funds due to uncertain political conditions in the region. During the course of the 1990s, however, many foreign trading communities — first from Kuwait, during the Persian Gulf War, and later from Bahrain, during the Shia unrest, moved their businesses to Dubai. Dubai provided refueling bases to allied forces at the Jebel Ali free zone during the Persian Gulf war, and again, during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Large increases in oil prices after the Persian Gulf war encouraged Dubai to continue to focus on free trade and tourism. The success of the Jebel Ali free zone allowed the city to replicate its model to develop clusters of new free zones, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Maritime City. The construction of Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest freestanding hotel, as well as the creation of new residential developments, were used to market Dubai for purposes of tourism. Since 2002, the city has seen an increase in private real estate investment in recreating Dubai's skyline[30] with such projects as The Palm Islands, The World Islands and Burj Dubai. However, robust economic growth in recent years has been accompanied by rising inflation rates (at 11.2% as of 2007 when measured against Consumer Price Index) which is attributed in part due to the near doubling of commercial and residential rental costs, resulting in a substantial increase in the cost of living for residents
THE LUXURY GOLF
GHIKGIMME: Slang is used as. Stroke at a location very close to the top of the pit stop is. Such a situation is the top hole is counted for future stroke
. GOLF ARTICLES: Teams in the club s case, bags, towels, game cards, umbrellas, gloves, balls, tee s, s ball mark, Pitchfork, and is the golf rule book.
GOLF Tees: Starting to be able to hit the ball over the ball to keep in place for more than 3 - 5 cm lik are plastic or wooden sticks.
GOLF Widow: All time spent in the field is the name given to the golfer's wife
. Grain: Green on the grass on some extensions.
GREAT TRIUMVIRATE: England before the First World War through to the three successful professional golfer, James Braid, JH is a name attached, and Harry Vardon.
GREEN: in the end of each fairway, the ball found a hole to enter the private çimle are covered islet.
GREEN FEE: Golf paid to play the game field ücretidi
Green Jacket: Every year, people with U.S. Masters Champion, a previous U.S. Masters green jacket that is worn by the Champion is.
Green Keeper: Golf is a person responsible for the layout of the field
. GREENIES: This is a betting game. Some players bet among themselves to accept the longest tee shot on the green that players will pay. This game is over 3 parlık pit. Falling on top of the green is essential. The ball closest to the hole wins
. GREENSOMES: Golf is one of the types of games. This game is played with four people bigamous. Four players in all hollow tee itself will make the first stroke. With the co-ball game of the best stroke is initiated. The second shot by the other spouse is doing while playing with the same policy to collect the 18 hole is completed. This game in three ways Matchplay, Strokeplay, Stableford Bogey be played according to the system.
GRIP: the stroke of the handle shaft to prevent hand from slipping on top is equipped with the appropriate materials. Clutch should be smooth in order to adapt to any part formed by hand is not.
GROOVES: Stroke in parallel to each other, extending on the surface in the shape of the groove are thin crevasse. They spin the ball movement will win.
GROOSS SCORE / brutto: 18 hole is made in the total number of strokes. Europe is also given brutto name.
GROUND UNDER REPAIR: to re-order parts to get damaged, temporarily taken off the playground is part of the game. The ball drops here, given penalty points in accordance with the rules of the game continue to be made to drop.
HALF SET: Golf game, which is needed for the entire club s is called Full Set. These Woods-9 Irons 4 to-1 Putter is 14. Normal, according to the unofficial rules of golf to play, players "Half Set" is called and the club in a 7-8 game with golf bag in the field has to go.
HALVED ÇUKUR: Holes to be shared. With equal number of strokes of the parties to complete the pit hole is considered to be shared.
Handicap: Golf game as a result of the players to finish the game with the par rating is the difference between the numbers. For example, a professional 72 par 78 strokes at the end of a game the player's handicap is 6. Determination is made in the official golf club handicap players. Is the average score of three games. Is determined by a special card. For men the highest handicap of 28 points, 36 for women, as has been approved.
COMPETITION Handicap: Handicap scores are taken into account the competition
. Hanging LIE: Top of the front or back of the field on the surface of a slant towards the stop.
HASKEL BALL: In 1898 the invention by Coburn Haskel, rubber cored ball is the first name HAZARDS: Devamlıllık showing is the name given to any obstacle. (Water obstacle, ditch, water beds, bunker,
HEEL (Of Club): Club head, shaft la is the last part of the merger.
HIGH SIDE: inclined upward at a higher Greene pit area is the name given to the surface. Further down on the field side is low.
HOLE: Green the ball in the hole is inserted into. Pit diameter 108 mm, depth is at least 100 mm. Pit to the inside of the mouth of a hive at the top of the bucket place, if not prevent the soil structure, grass layout will be buried at least 25 mm aşğıya. 108 mm external diameter of hollow you can not exceed bucket.
HOLE: Golf field, starting with the teeing ground of ongoing green fairway le 18 games over the last one found, and is named according to the number. (5th hole, 10th hole v.s.)
HOLE IN - ONE: The first ball is hit into the hole. Ace is named as.
Honor: honor the start of the game. A hole to start the game is played over the first shot is right. Rules are determined by the first initial stroke. Ongoing beginning in the pit of the previous game-winning shot a player makes. In honor of these players the right to draw on. More than two people in groups to sort the good from the bad players to keep score of the players to continue to keep score
. HOOD - HOODED: Played on the club's loft angle to reduce as much as possible. For this situation to the closed club face, shaft inclination is slightly towards the target
HOOK: a plain in the direction of the ball fan then changed direction to the fold is going. Right hand for players the ball from right to left, left-handed players from left to right for the ball change the direction of the fold is going to do. There are three different types: raight Hook: Go to the top of the plait yapmasıdır.Puul Target Hook: The ball went right to the left of the target is to plait
. Push Hook: The ball went right to the right of the target plat yapmasıdır.Not: Pull and Push the directions, right or left-handed players are based on both the opposite direction.
HOSEL: the bat's head with the handle portion of the heel is where the merger. Combined with the head in the shaft is.
IMPACT: Club face hit the ball the moment, is the moment of collision
. INSERT: Wood is placed in the club face square to the nearest At a plastic parçadır.INSIDE: Field of the collector according to the target line (according to Intended Line) is a player on the remaining section. That is the part of the left side.
INSIDE OUT: Stroke is made, intended line (Target Line) from inside to outside the club head is moving to the area.
INSIDE THE LEATHER: Putt the ball hit the hole close distance from the distance between the putter's head and grip in the case of less is more.
Intended LINE / TARGET LINE: If a player wants to go to the ball after the shot is right.
Interlocking GRIP: Right hand little finger of the left hand index finger grip of the club under the wrap up on the right is the name given to the flu. Usually, by the short hand and fingered players are used to create a proper grip.
IRON: Fairway used to stroke the ball in and with different angles, so the club have different numbers lardır. There are eleven different types. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, pw, sw.)
KWEEK GRASS: South African origin is the name of a green plant. This golf course is not used much in the game be played on grass species is quite difficult.
Financing Subprime is killing the Global Economy
Financing subprime mortgages is something that many Americans are currently dealing with. The major problem is that financing subprime loans is extremely difficult with the economy in a recession. If an individual did not have great credit during the housing bubble, it is HIGHLY unlikely that their credit has improved anytime since then. With unemployment on the rise, it does not look like it is going to get any easier when financing subprime loans.
Subprime lenders are also going to see a tough challenge ahead as they can no longer provide subprime mortgage loans at all! Many of the financial companies with exposure to subprime loans have already imploded and the ones that still exist have been gobbled up by larger and stronger financial institutes. Ultimately, financing subprime will remain an issue for this country for many years to come as the economic environment does not look much better in the near future.
How Do I Get a Subprime Mortgage?
How do I get a subprime mortgage?” is going to be a question that we start to hear a lot more in the next few months. First we need to research a little bit of the background before answering this question. Unfortunately, borrowers have fallen prey to the fangs of a troubled economy. Prior to 2008, many American citizens did not even consider saving money for the future. It was almost a given that a “rainy day” would not be anytime soon. Most of the younger generation had not lived through a struggling economic period until now. With that being the case, many Americans will be considered subprime borrowers as their credit rating has dropped and they have very little, if any, money in their savings account. This is the perfect storm for the housing market.
Financing subprime is something that has buried the global economy for over nine months. In all reality, the inability to finance subprime loans has been going on for years, but the subprime lenders have swept it under the rug to make their balance sheets look pretty. This has led us to an economy that is in a deep recession and even though mortgage rates continue to drop, it is not helping the housing market.
So, how do I get a subprime mortgage? Well, it is going to be difficult because subprime lenders realize that they made mistakes in the recent past. Do not discourage though. Subprime lenders are out there and they are going to have to lend to someone. If most Americans are considered subprime borrowers, you are in the majority and will get a subprime loan, even though it may not be at the interest rate you desire. If you need a subprime mortgage now, you are going to pay extremely high rates as the lenders know you are very risky. Our advice at Subprime Blogger is to wait it out until other borrowers are in the same financial situation you are and you will have an easier time getting a subprime mortgage.
Subprime Finance may very well be the next major course of study in major universities as this mortgage mess will continue to ruin this economy.
Subprime lenders are also going to see a tough challenge ahead as they can no longer provide subprime mortgage loans at all! Many of the financial companies with exposure to subprime loans have already imploded and the ones that still exist have been gobbled up by larger and stronger financial institutes. Ultimately, financing subprime will remain an issue for this country for many years to come as the economic environment does not look much better in the near future.
How Do I Get a Subprime Mortgage?
How do I get a subprime mortgage?” is going to be a question that we start to hear a lot more in the next few months. First we need to research a little bit of the background before answering this question. Unfortunately, borrowers have fallen prey to the fangs of a troubled economy. Prior to 2008, many American citizens did not even consider saving money for the future. It was almost a given that a “rainy day” would not be anytime soon. Most of the younger generation had not lived through a struggling economic period until now. With that being the case, many Americans will be considered subprime borrowers as their credit rating has dropped and they have very little, if any, money in their savings account. This is the perfect storm for the housing market.
Financing subprime is something that has buried the global economy for over nine months. In all reality, the inability to finance subprime loans has been going on for years, but the subprime lenders have swept it under the rug to make their balance sheets look pretty. This has led us to an economy that is in a deep recession and even though mortgage rates continue to drop, it is not helping the housing market.
So, how do I get a subprime mortgage? Well, it is going to be difficult because subprime lenders realize that they made mistakes in the recent past. Do not discourage though. Subprime lenders are out there and they are going to have to lend to someone. If most Americans are considered subprime borrowers, you are in the majority and will get a subprime loan, even though it may not be at the interest rate you desire. If you need a subprime mortgage now, you are going to pay extremely high rates as the lenders know you are very risky. Our advice at Subprime Blogger is to wait it out until other borrowers are in the same financial situation you are and you will have an easier time getting a subprime mortgage.
Subprime Finance may very well be the next major course of study in major universities as this mortgage mess will continue to ruin this economy.
Sigma702 Tensiometer
Sigma 702 is a stand-alone tensiometer for measuring surface and interfacial tension in situations requiring high sensitivity and simple operation.
As a result of KSV's long experience in tensiometer design, Sigma 702 is user friendly and highly reliable. Precise temperature control can be ensured by the water-jacketed vessel holder. The option of connecting to an external PC and/or serial printer enables reliable data storage and simple reporting.
Features
Large built-in LCD display
Super-sensitive microbalance with transport locking and overload protection, optimized for Surface tension/Interfacial tension measurements
Illuminated, specially coated and easily cleanable measuring area
Motor-driven sample stage with high resolution movement control
Built-in magnetic stirrer
Built-in touchpad for simple operator control, chamber illumination, stage up/down drive, magnetic stirrer
Built-in thermostattable jacket with inner diameter 70 mm for temperature control of the sample liquid Sample vessels with outer diameter 70 mm and 50 mm
Embedded software to measure surface tension (ST) and interfacial tension (IT) using DuNouy ring and/or Wilhelmy plate, as well as the density of liquids
RS-232C connection to optional printer
USB-connection for data output to optional external PC computer
PC software module to read the data to and ASCII file and/or Spread sheet, such as Microsoft Excel (not included)
LONDON
London is the largest urban area and the capital of England and United Kingdom. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been part of many important movements and phenomena throughout history, such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited medieval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis which has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly.
London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres,and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. London boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and its popularity has increased over the years due to economic growth.
London's diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of 2006, it has an official population of 7,512,400 within the boundaries of Greater London and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area has a population of 8,278,251 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 and 14 million. London will be hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Architecture
London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time and drawn on a wide range of influences. It is, however, mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London stock brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from Portland stone. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. A majority of buildings in London date from the Edwardian or Victorian periods. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the south-west is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally).
The density of London varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in inner London and lower densities in the suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium-rise and high-rise buildings. London's skyscrapers such as the notable "Gherkin", Tower 42 and One Canada Square are usually found in the two financial districts, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Other notable modern buildings include City Hall in Southwark with its distinctive oval shape, the British Library in Somers Town/Kings Cross, and the Great Court of the British Museum. What was formerly the Millennium Dome, located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O2.
The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf. The 72-storey, 1,017 feet (310 m) "Shard London Bridge" by London Bridge station, the 945 feet (288 m) Bishopsgate Tower and around 20 other skyscrapers over 500 feet (150 m) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline.
A great many monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London, which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Column is a nationally-recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the centre.
Parks and gardens
The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge. This park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular for sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts.
A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenwich Park to the south-east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the 791-acre (3.2 km²) Hampstead Heath of North London. This incorporates Kenwood House, the former stately home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.
London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres,and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. London boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and its popularity has increased over the years due to economic growth.
London's diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of 2006, it has an official population of 7,512,400 within the boundaries of Greater London and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area has a population of 8,278,251 and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 and 14 million. London will be hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Architecture
London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time and drawn on a wide range of influences. It is, however, mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London stock brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from Portland stone. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. A majority of buildings in London date from the Edwardian or Victorian periods. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the south-west is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally).
The density of London varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in inner London and lower densities in the suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium-rise and high-rise buildings. London's skyscrapers such as the notable "Gherkin", Tower 42 and One Canada Square are usually found in the two financial districts, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Other notable modern buildings include City Hall in Southwark with its distinctive oval shape, the British Library in Somers Town/Kings Cross, and the Great Court of the British Museum. What was formerly the Millennium Dome, located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O2.
The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf. The 72-storey, 1,017 feet (310 m) "Shard London Bridge" by London Bridge station, the 945 feet (288 m) Bishopsgate Tower and around 20 other skyscrapers over 500 feet (150 m) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline.
A great many monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London, which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Column is a nationally-recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the centre.
Parks and gardens
The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge. This park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular for sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts.
A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenwich Park to the south-east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the 791-acre (3.2 km²) Hampstead Heath of North London. This incorporates Kenwood House, the former stately home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.
SAFARİ
A safari (pronounced /səˈfɑri/) is an overland journey. It usually refers to a trip by tourists to Africa, traditionally for a big-game hunt and in more modern times to watch and photograph big game and other wildlife as a safari holiday. There is a certain theme or style associated with the word, which includes khaki clothing, belted bush jackets, pith helmets or slouch hats, and animal skins—like leopard's skin
Etymology
Entering the English language in the late 19th century, the word safari means "journey" in Swahili. Originally from the Arabic سفر (safara) meaning travel The verb for "to travel" in Swahili is "kusafiri", the noun for the journey is "safari". These words are used for any type of journey, e.g. by bus from Nairobi to Mombasa. The person generally attributed to having used the word in English is Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous explorer.
The Regimental March of the King's African Rifles was 'Funga Safari', literally 'Halt the March', or, in other words, stop work for the day.
Funga safari, funga safari. Funga safari, funga safari. Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya Bwana Kapteni, Hamari ya keyaa.
Halt the march? On whose orders? On the order of the boss captain On the order of the KAR.
On Kenya's independence from Britain, Funga Safari was retained as the Regimental March of the Kenya Rifles, successor to the K.A.R.
Touristic usage
Although the word safari came to popular usage in reference to hunting and touring expeditions in East Africa, it is now used generally to mean any long or adventurous journey or expedition, e.g. whale watching safaris, photography safaris, eco-safari etc.
As a cinema genre
The safari provided countless hours of cinema entertainment in sound films from Trader Horn (1931) onwards. The safari was used in many adventure films such as the Tarzan, Jungle Jim, and Bomba the Jungle Boy film series up to The Naked Prey (1966) where Cornel Wilde, a white hunter, becomes game himself. Also, safaris and the safari genre films were parodied in the Bob Hope comedies Road to Zanzibar and Call Me Bwana. An instant 15-minute helicopter safari was shown in Africa Addio where clients are armed, flown from their hotel and landed in front of an unlucky and baffled elephant.
Fashion and architecture
Many items worn on safari became fashion statements such as bush hats, pith helmets, bush jackets, with the costume eventually becoming a safari outfit.
The 1998 book Safari Style by Natasha Burns with photographs by Tim Beddow features interior and exterior design inspired by African safari lodges.
What is IBAN?
European Union within the framework of regulations, carried out between countries with the speed of money transfer to improve the quality and reduce costs for International Bank Account Number-IBAN name, bank account number in the international standard has been developed. IBAN is used for today 33 European countries.
In European countries, banks and other financial IBAN'ın purpose institutions through the money transfer is performed to prevent the errors and the resulting delays. Faster and the money transfer through IBAN an accurate account of the sender to the recipient's account later, so that errors arising from transactions in the waiting time and additional costs are eliminated.
IBAN Account Owner How To Ease?
Today each country and the bank's account number and length of the format is different. Another country or to transfer funds to bank customers, account numbers is not a specific standard, the money transfer people, they will make sure of the accuracy of the account number can not be.
Purchase of goods or services in question is a lot of invoices from different vendors on the side of the account number is located in different buildings, which will send money importing firms / individuals to make mistakes cause. As a result, monetary transfers take place with the wrong account number do not have the account number was incorrect, the money reaches the bank has emerged. Many operations are done for the correction of faulty operation, and prolonged duration of action to increase the cost.
IBAN bank account number to each of the countries of the account holder is given an IBAN. Each country has a specific format and standard encryption algorithm with a special IBAN'ın obtained in the two-digit "control number" are available. Another country or a customer who wants to transfer money to the bank, give to the bank in the hands IBAN'ı sender, the funds, the recipient's bank account before going to the recipient bank is controlled IBAN'ı sender. Send the money to the bank for IBAN is wrong and wrong actions would be blocked.
IBAN'ın Use
Ahmet Bey's living in Germany, Turkey's son, Ali, let's assume you want to send to the transfer.
1. Ali, if you do not know going to the X bank account IBAN number belongs to learn.
2. Ali, IBAN number is transmitted to the father.
3. The son of the account to transfer money from the learning IBAN'ını Y bank in Germany, go to the Ahmet Bey. Ahmet Bey's son given to officials in the bank IBAN'ını Y and tells you want to transfer to this account.
4. A bank official, Ahmet Bey is given by IBAN'ın right of the screen controls. Given that the money transfer IBAN occurs.
Money transfer through IBAN is correct, banks in Germany, from Y to transfer the message reaches the bank in Turkey Ahmet Bey's from X amount, the son of Ali's account automatically passes.
IBAN length as the 26 households in our country has been identified. Turkey IBAN'ın form below:
Country Code
Control Steps
Bank Code (5 digits)
Rez.Alan (1 household)
Account Number (16 digits)
TR
56
00061
0
0000012990022302
In European countries, banks and other financial IBAN'ın purpose institutions through the money transfer is performed to prevent the errors and the resulting delays. Faster and the money transfer through IBAN an accurate account of the sender to the recipient's account later, so that errors arising from transactions in the waiting time and additional costs are eliminated.
IBAN Account Owner How To Ease?
Today each country and the bank's account number and length of the format is different. Another country or to transfer funds to bank customers, account numbers is not a specific standard, the money transfer people, they will make sure of the accuracy of the account number can not be.
Purchase of goods or services in question is a lot of invoices from different vendors on the side of the account number is located in different buildings, which will send money importing firms / individuals to make mistakes cause. As a result, monetary transfers take place with the wrong account number do not have the account number was incorrect, the money reaches the bank has emerged. Many operations are done for the correction of faulty operation, and prolonged duration of action to increase the cost.
IBAN bank account number to each of the countries of the account holder is given an IBAN. Each country has a specific format and standard encryption algorithm with a special IBAN'ın obtained in the two-digit "control number" are available. Another country or a customer who wants to transfer money to the bank, give to the bank in the hands IBAN'ı sender, the funds, the recipient's bank account before going to the recipient bank is controlled IBAN'ı sender. Send the money to the bank for IBAN is wrong and wrong actions would be blocked.
IBAN'ın Use
Ahmet Bey's living in Germany, Turkey's son, Ali, let's assume you want to send to the transfer.
1. Ali, if you do not know going to the X bank account IBAN number belongs to learn.
2. Ali, IBAN number is transmitted to the father.
3. The son of the account to transfer money from the learning IBAN'ını Y bank in Germany, go to the Ahmet Bey. Ahmet Bey's son given to officials in the bank IBAN'ını Y and tells you want to transfer to this account.
4. A bank official, Ahmet Bey is given by IBAN'ın right of the screen controls. Given that the money transfer IBAN occurs.
Money transfer through IBAN is correct, banks in Germany, from Y to transfer the message reaches the bank in Turkey Ahmet Bey's from X amount, the son of Ali's account automatically passes.
IBAN length as the 26 households in our country has been identified. Turkey IBAN'ın form below:
Country Code
Control Steps
Bank Code (5 digits)
Rez.Alan (1 household)
Account Number (16 digits)
TR
56
00061
0
0000012990022302
BERN
View of the city.
The city of Berne or Bern (German: Bern (help·info) [b̥ɛrn], French: Berne [bɛʀn], Italian: Berna [ˈbɛrna], Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnə], Bernese German: Bärn [b̥æːrn]) is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland and, with 128,041 people (agglomeration: 344,000), the fifth most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne).
Most of Berne's residents speak German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch[citation needed], a language game used in the former workers' quarter of Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.
Berne also functions as the capital of the Canton of Berne, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.
Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Hans Fries, Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.
Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen founded the city on the River Aare in 1191 and allegedly named it after a bear (Bär in German) he had killed. It was made an Imperial Free City by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir. In 1353 Berne joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state. It invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, when it was stripped of most of its territories. In 1831 the city became the capital of the Canton of Berne and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss capital.
The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aar. Initially, the Zytglogge tower marked the western boundary of the city from 1191 until 1256, when the Käfigturm took over this role until 1345, which, in turn, was then succeeded by the Christoffelturm (located close to today's train station) until 1622. During the time of the Thirty Years' War two new fortifications, the so-called big and small Schanze (entrenchment), were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. The protection by these edifices was sufficient for the prosperous growth of the city of Berne up to the 19th century.
A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War I when Switzerland was neutral. (See Berne International.)
Berne lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland and 20 km north of the Alps. The landscape around Berne was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Berne are the Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the Bantiger with a height of 947 meters. The site of the old observatory in Berne is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are 46°57′08.66″N, 7°26′22.50″E.
The city was originally built on a mountain engulfed by the river Aar but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:
1844 Nydeggbrücke (at the bottom, i.e. the East-End)
1883 Kirchenfeldbrücke (at the South-side)
1898 Kornhausbrücke (at the North-side)
The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aar (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).
Politics
Berne is governed by an 80-member legislative council (Stadtrat) and a 5-member executive council (Gemeinderat).
As of 2005, the representatives of the Social Democratic Party and of the three Green parties hold a majority in both councils (3 to 2 and 43 to 37, respectively). For this reason, it is they, collectively referred to as "Red-Green-Center" (Rot-Grün-Mitte), who mostly determine City policy, although no formal coalition agreement exists and, under the system of direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland, most important issues are settled by general referendum. The other major political parties of Berne are the Free Democratic Party (FDP, free-market liberal) and the Swiss People's Party (SVP, nationalist, conservative).
The office of mayor (Stadtpräsident), as a primus inter pares (first among equals) in the executive council, is mostly representative. As of 2005, the mayor of Berne is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.
Main sights
Berne's city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben), which can be visited off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke. The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses the national parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited.
Einstein lived in an apartment at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus, from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis Papers were published.
The Garden of Roses (Rosengarten), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.
Berne's most recent sight is the set of fountains in front of the Federal Palace. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004.
Berne features many heritage sites of national significance.[1] Apart from the entire Old Town and many sites within it, these include the Bärengraben, the Gewerbeschule Bern (1937), the Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege, the Kirchenfeld mansion district (after 1881), the Thunplatzbrunnen, the Federal Mint building, the Federal Archives, the Swiss National Library, the Historical Museum (1894), Alpine Museum, Museum of Communication and Natural History Museum.
Berne features numerous museums including:
Museum of Arts
Art-Hall
Psychiatry Museum
Historic Museum
Natural History Museum
Alpine Museum
Einstein House
Marksmen Museum
The city of Berne or Bern (German: Bern (help·info) [b̥ɛrn], French: Berne [bɛʀn], Italian: Berna [ˈbɛrna], Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnə], Bernese German: Bärn [b̥æːrn]) is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland and, with 128,041 people (agglomeration: 344,000), the fifth most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne).
Most of Berne's residents speak German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch[citation needed], a language game used in the former workers' quarter of Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.
Berne also functions as the capital of the Canton of Berne, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.
Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Hans Fries, Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.
Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen founded the city on the River Aare in 1191 and allegedly named it after a bear (Bär in German) he had killed. It was made an Imperial Free City by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir. In 1353 Berne joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state. It invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, when it was stripped of most of its territories. In 1831 the city became the capital of the Canton of Berne and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss capital.
The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aar. Initially, the Zytglogge tower marked the western boundary of the city from 1191 until 1256, when the Käfigturm took over this role until 1345, which, in turn, was then succeeded by the Christoffelturm (located close to today's train station) until 1622. During the time of the Thirty Years' War two new fortifications, the so-called big and small Schanze (entrenchment), were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. The protection by these edifices was sufficient for the prosperous growth of the city of Berne up to the 19th century.
A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War I when Switzerland was neutral. (See Berne International.)
Berne lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland and 20 km north of the Alps. The landscape around Berne was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Berne are the Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the Bantiger with a height of 947 meters. The site of the old observatory in Berne is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are 46°57′08.66″N, 7°26′22.50″E.
The city was originally built on a mountain engulfed by the river Aar but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:
1844 Nydeggbrücke (at the bottom, i.e. the East-End)
1883 Kirchenfeldbrücke (at the South-side)
1898 Kornhausbrücke (at the North-side)
The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aar (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).
Politics
Berne is governed by an 80-member legislative council (Stadtrat) and a 5-member executive council (Gemeinderat).
As of 2005, the representatives of the Social Democratic Party and of the three Green parties hold a majority in both councils (3 to 2 and 43 to 37, respectively). For this reason, it is they, collectively referred to as "Red-Green-Center" (Rot-Grün-Mitte), who mostly determine City policy, although no formal coalition agreement exists and, under the system of direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland, most important issues are settled by general referendum. The other major political parties of Berne are the Free Democratic Party (FDP, free-market liberal) and the Swiss People's Party (SVP, nationalist, conservative).
The office of mayor (Stadtpräsident), as a primus inter pares (first among equals) in the executive council, is mostly representative. As of 2005, the mayor of Berne is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.
Main sights
Berne's city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben), which can be visited off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke. The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses the national parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited.
Einstein lived in an apartment at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus, from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis Papers were published.
The Garden of Roses (Rosengarten), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.
Berne's most recent sight is the set of fountains in front of the Federal Palace. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004.
Berne features many heritage sites of national significance.[1] Apart from the entire Old Town and many sites within it, these include the Bärengraben, the Gewerbeschule Bern (1937), the Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege, the Kirchenfeld mansion district (after 1881), the Thunplatzbrunnen, the Federal Mint building, the Federal Archives, the Swiss National Library, the Historical Museum (1894), Alpine Museum, Museum of Communication and Natural History Museum.
Berne features numerous museums including:
Museum of Arts
Art-Hall
Psychiatry Museum
Historic Museum
Natural History Museum
Alpine Museum
Einstein House
Marksmen Museum
GERMANY
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland IPA:[ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant]), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With over 82 million inhabitants, it comprises the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.
A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Since the 10th century German territories have formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states along the lines of allied occupation in 1949. The two states became reunified again in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Länder). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G4 nations, and signed the Kyoto protocol. It is the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked sixth. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.
History
The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds
Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans to define a territory running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains), and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germany, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands
Geography
The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km² (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km² (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Because of its central location, Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west
Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, which is the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea including the peninsula of Jutland and the area along the Rhine, which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and the north, the climate is oceanic; rainfall occurs year round with a maximum during summer. Winters there are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for prolonged periods. In the east, the climate is more continental; winters can be very cold, summers can be very warm, and long dry periods are often recorded. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. Again, the maximum temperature can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) in summer
A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Since the 10th century German territories have formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states along the lines of allied occupation in 1949. The two states became reunified again in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Länder). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G4 nations, and signed the Kyoto protocol. It is the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked sixth. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.
History
The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds
Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans to define a territory running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains), and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germany, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands
Geography
The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km² (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km² (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Because of its central location, Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west
Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, which is the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea including the peninsula of Jutland and the area along the Rhine, which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and the north, the climate is oceanic; rainfall occurs year round with a maximum during summer. Winters there are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for prolonged periods. In the east, the climate is more continental; winters can be very cold, summers can be very warm, and long dry periods are often recorded. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. Again, the maximum temperature can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) in summer
PAMUKKALE
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site and attraction in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. Pamukkale is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which enjoys a temperate climate over the greater part of the year.
The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2700 meters long and 160m high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away
Origin
The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin triggered frequent earthquakes, and gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. The water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content — chalk in particular — that created Pamukkale.
Apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which leads to the precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate. Every second 250 liters of hot water arises from this spring, precipitating 2.20 grams of chalk per liter of water or 0.55 kilograms of chalk every second. In the course of time some sources dried up because of earthquakes, while new ones arose in the neighbourhood.
The effect of this natural phenomenon has left thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope resembling a frozen waterfall. One type of these formations consists of crescent-shaped travertine terraces with a shallow layer of water, lying in a step-like arrangement down the upper one-third of the slope, with the steps ranging from 1m to 6 meters in height. The other form consists of stalactites, propping up and connecting these terraces.
The oldest of these rocks is crystalline marble, quartzites and schists. These date back to the Pliocene period, while the top layer belongs to the Quaternary. Fresh deposits of calcium carbonate give the site a dazzling white look.
These sources were well-known in the Antiquity. They were described by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The Phrygian Greeks built Hierapolis on top of the hill. They ascribed medical properties to the spring water, bestowed by the gods, especially Asklepios (demigod of medicine) and his daughter Hygieia (goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation), under the protection of Apollo (god of medicine and healing).
Tourist attraction
Pamukkale is a tourist attraction. It is recognized as a World Heritage Sites together with Hierapolis. A few other places in the world resemble it, including the Mammoth Hot Springs in the USA and Huanglong in Sichuan Province of China (another UNESCO World Heritage Site). Hierapolis-Pamukkale was made a World Heritage Site in 1988.
Before the World Heritage designation, Pamukkale went unprotected for decades in the late 20th century and hotels were built on top of the site, destroying parts of the remains of Hierapolis. Hot water from the springs was taken to fill the hotel pools and the waste water was spilled over the monument itself, turning it brownish. A tarmac road ramp was built into the main part. People walked around with shoes, washed themselves with soap and shampoo in the pools and rode bikes and motorbikes up and down the slopes.
By the time UNESCO turned its attention to Pamukkale, the site was losing its attraction. Officials made attempts to restore the site. The hotels were demolished, and the road ramp was covered with artificial pools which today are accessible to bare-footed tourists, unlike most other parts of the site. Tadpoles can be found in the pools. A small trench was carved along the outside of the ramp to collect the water and prevent it from spilling. The brownish parts have been left to be bleached by the sun without being covered by water to diminish the problem. Therefore many pools are empty. Others parts are covered with water for an hour or two, on a rotating schedule.
The underground volcanic activity which causes the hot springs also forced carbon dioxide into a cave. The result was called the Plutonium meaning place of the god, Pluto.
The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2700 meters long and 160m high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away
Origin
The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin triggered frequent earthquakes, and gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. The water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content — chalk in particular — that created Pamukkale.
Apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which leads to the precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate. Every second 250 liters of hot water arises from this spring, precipitating 2.20 grams of chalk per liter of water or 0.55 kilograms of chalk every second. In the course of time some sources dried up because of earthquakes, while new ones arose in the neighbourhood.
The effect of this natural phenomenon has left thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope resembling a frozen waterfall. One type of these formations consists of crescent-shaped travertine terraces with a shallow layer of water, lying in a step-like arrangement down the upper one-third of the slope, with the steps ranging from 1m to 6 meters in height. The other form consists of stalactites, propping up and connecting these terraces.
The oldest of these rocks is crystalline marble, quartzites and schists. These date back to the Pliocene period, while the top layer belongs to the Quaternary. Fresh deposits of calcium carbonate give the site a dazzling white look.
These sources were well-known in the Antiquity. They were described by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The Phrygian Greeks built Hierapolis on top of the hill. They ascribed medical properties to the spring water, bestowed by the gods, especially Asklepios (demigod of medicine) and his daughter Hygieia (goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation), under the protection of Apollo (god of medicine and healing).
Tourist attraction
Pamukkale is a tourist attraction. It is recognized as a World Heritage Sites together with Hierapolis. A few other places in the world resemble it, including the Mammoth Hot Springs in the USA and Huanglong in Sichuan Province of China (another UNESCO World Heritage Site). Hierapolis-Pamukkale was made a World Heritage Site in 1988.
Before the World Heritage designation, Pamukkale went unprotected for decades in the late 20th century and hotels were built on top of the site, destroying parts of the remains of Hierapolis. Hot water from the springs was taken to fill the hotel pools and the waste water was spilled over the monument itself, turning it brownish. A tarmac road ramp was built into the main part. People walked around with shoes, washed themselves with soap and shampoo in the pools and rode bikes and motorbikes up and down the slopes.
By the time UNESCO turned its attention to Pamukkale, the site was losing its attraction. Officials made attempts to restore the site. The hotels were demolished, and the road ramp was covered with artificial pools which today are accessible to bare-footed tourists, unlike most other parts of the site. Tadpoles can be found in the pools. A small trench was carved along the outside of the ramp to collect the water and prevent it from spilling. The brownish parts have been left to be bleached by the sun without being covered by water to diminish the problem. Therefore many pools are empty. Others parts are covered with water for an hour or two, on a rotating schedule.
The underground volcanic activity which causes the hot springs also forced carbon dioxide into a cave. The result was called the Plutonium meaning place of the god, Pluto.
KUSADASI
Kuşadası is a resort town in the province of Aydın on the Aegean coast of Turkey, 90 km (56 mi) south of İzmir, and 71 km (44 mi) from the inland provincial capital of Aydın. Kuşadası is also a district centre and neighbour to districts of Germencik, Söke and Selçuk.
Kuşadası is near the ancient city of Ephesus and to other places of interest including Miletos, Didim and Pamukkale, and a short distance across from Kuşadası lies the island of Samos.
The city stands on a bay in the Aegean with the peninsula of Guvercin Ada sticking out into the sea at one end, and the mountain of Kaz Dağı behind.
The Yavansu Fault Line passes near Kuşadası and there have been earthquakes here throughout history.[citation needed] In the hot summer forest fires are another danger.[citation needed]
Demographics
Kuşadası has a residential population of 50,000 rising to over half a million during the summer when the large resort fills with tourists (from Turkey itself, northern Europe and the Balkans), plus the hotel staff, bar staff, construction workers, and drivers who are needed for work in the restaurants, the holiday villages, aquaparks, rock bars beach clubs and big hotels servicing all these visitors. In addition to the visitors from overseas there is a substantial community of foreigners resident in the area.
Industry
Kuşadası caters to tourists, arriving by land, and as the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. In a controversial deal in 2003 the previously public-owned port was leased to a private company and renovated to attract luxury cruise liners. These range from the huge Grand Princess to smallers tours.
Real estate agents sell holiday flats and villas. Among all the ice-cream, carpets, leather, and software, there are bookshops selling books in English, German, Russian and other languages.
Old houses near the seafront, some of them converted to bars and cafes, are the remnants of old Kuşadası, which has become a modern-European looking town. The hills behind are built up with big hotels and blocks of holiday flats. The building boom in the late 80s and onwards has been continued into the hinterland of Kuşadası.
Transportation
Transport around the town is by dolmuş (minibus). There are bus and taxi services to the nearest airports, in İzmir and Bodrum. Day trips are available by boat from Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı.
Etymology
The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. Some people from the Aegean region shorten the name to Ada
History
Antiquity
The area has been a centre of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th century. Originally seamen and traders the Ionians built a number of settlements on this coast including Neopolis.
An outpost of Ephesus in ancient Ionia, the area between the Büyük Menderes and Gediz rivers, the original Neopolis is thought to have been founded on the nearby point of Yılancı Burnu. Later settlements were probably built on the hillside of Pilavtepe, in the district called Andızkulesi today. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up. From the 7th century BC onwards the coast was ruled by Lydians from their capital at Sardis, then from 546 BC the Persians, and from 334 BC along with all of Anatolia the coast was conquered by Alexander the Great. From then onwards the coastal cities were the centre of the mixed Greek and Anatolian culture called Hellenistic.
Rome and Christianity
The Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and in the early years of Christianity, Mary (mother of Jesus) and St John the Evangelist both came to live in the area, which in the Christian era became known as "Ania", although the spirituality was clearly not ingrained as during the Middle Ages the port was a haven for pirates.
Later as Byzantine, Venetian and Genoese traders began to work the coast the port was founded (as Scala Nuova "new port"), a garrison was placed on the island, and the town centre moved from the hillside to the coast
The Turkish era
From 1086 the area came under Turkish control and the Aegean ports became the final destination of caravan routes to the Orient. However this arrangement was overthrown by the Crusades and the coast again came under Byzantine control until 1280 when first the Menteşe and then the Aydınoğlu Anatolian Turkish Beyliks took control. Kuşadası was brought into the Ottoman Empire by Mehmet I in 1413. The Ottomans built the city walls and the caravanserai that still stand today.
In 1834 the castle and garrison on the island was rebuilt and expanded, becoming the focus of the town, to the extent that people began to refer to the whole town as Kuşadası (bird island). However in the 19th century, trade declined in favor of İzmir with the opening of the İzmir-Aydın railway, as Kuşadası had no rail connection.
During the Turkish War of Independence Kuşadası was occupied from 1919-1922 first by Italian, then by Greek troops. It was eventually captured on September 7th 1922.
Under the Turkish Republic the Greek population was exchanged for Turkish people as part of the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922. It was a district in Izmir Province until 1954 and become the district of Aydın Province. Until the first holiday apartments were built here in the 1970s Kuşadası was a fruit-growing rural district, it then grew into a small resort town with holiday flats. These were built as housing co-operatives, membership sold to families in Ankara, Izmir, Denizli and other Turkish cities. From the mid 1980s Kuşadası grew again into the centre of mass tourism that we have today.
In 2005, the town was the location of a bomb attack causing five casualties, three Turkish nationals, British citizen Helen Bennett and the Irish student Tara Whelan.
Kuşadası is near the ancient city of Ephesus and to other places of interest including Miletos, Didim and Pamukkale, and a short distance across from Kuşadası lies the island of Samos.
The city stands on a bay in the Aegean with the peninsula of Guvercin Ada sticking out into the sea at one end, and the mountain of Kaz Dağı behind.
The Yavansu Fault Line passes near Kuşadası and there have been earthquakes here throughout history.[citation needed] In the hot summer forest fires are another danger.[citation needed]
Demographics
Kuşadası has a residential population of 50,000 rising to over half a million during the summer when the large resort fills with tourists (from Turkey itself, northern Europe and the Balkans), plus the hotel staff, bar staff, construction workers, and drivers who are needed for work in the restaurants, the holiday villages, aquaparks, rock bars beach clubs and big hotels servicing all these visitors. In addition to the visitors from overseas there is a substantial community of foreigners resident in the area.
Industry
Kuşadası caters to tourists, arriving by land, and as the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. In a controversial deal in 2003 the previously public-owned port was leased to a private company and renovated to attract luxury cruise liners. These range from the huge Grand Princess to smallers tours.
Real estate agents sell holiday flats and villas. Among all the ice-cream, carpets, leather, and software, there are bookshops selling books in English, German, Russian and other languages.
Old houses near the seafront, some of them converted to bars and cafes, are the remnants of old Kuşadası, which has become a modern-European looking town. The hills behind are built up with big hotels and blocks of holiday flats. The building boom in the late 80s and onwards has been continued into the hinterland of Kuşadası.
Transportation
Transport around the town is by dolmuş (minibus). There are bus and taxi services to the nearest airports, in İzmir and Bodrum. Day trips are available by boat from Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı.
Etymology
The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. Some people from the Aegean region shorten the name to Ada
History
Antiquity
The area has been a centre of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th century. Originally seamen and traders the Ionians built a number of settlements on this coast including Neopolis.
An outpost of Ephesus in ancient Ionia, the area between the Büyük Menderes and Gediz rivers, the original Neopolis is thought to have been founded on the nearby point of Yılancı Burnu. Later settlements were probably built on the hillside of Pilavtepe, in the district called Andızkulesi today. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up. From the 7th century BC onwards the coast was ruled by Lydians from their capital at Sardis, then from 546 BC the Persians, and from 334 BC along with all of Anatolia the coast was conquered by Alexander the Great. From then onwards the coastal cities were the centre of the mixed Greek and Anatolian culture called Hellenistic.
Rome and Christianity
The Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and in the early years of Christianity, Mary (mother of Jesus) and St John the Evangelist both came to live in the area, which in the Christian era became known as "Ania", although the spirituality was clearly not ingrained as during the Middle Ages the port was a haven for pirates.
Later as Byzantine, Venetian and Genoese traders began to work the coast the port was founded (as Scala Nuova "new port"), a garrison was placed on the island, and the town centre moved from the hillside to the coast
The Turkish era
From 1086 the area came under Turkish control and the Aegean ports became the final destination of caravan routes to the Orient. However this arrangement was overthrown by the Crusades and the coast again came under Byzantine control until 1280 when first the Menteşe and then the Aydınoğlu Anatolian Turkish Beyliks took control. Kuşadası was brought into the Ottoman Empire by Mehmet I in 1413. The Ottomans built the city walls and the caravanserai that still stand today.
In 1834 the castle and garrison on the island was rebuilt and expanded, becoming the focus of the town, to the extent that people began to refer to the whole town as Kuşadası (bird island). However in the 19th century, trade declined in favor of İzmir with the opening of the İzmir-Aydın railway, as Kuşadası had no rail connection.
During the Turkish War of Independence Kuşadası was occupied from 1919-1922 first by Italian, then by Greek troops. It was eventually captured on September 7th 1922.
Under the Turkish Republic the Greek population was exchanged for Turkish people as part of the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922. It was a district in Izmir Province until 1954 and become the district of Aydın Province. Until the first holiday apartments were built here in the 1970s Kuşadası was a fruit-growing rural district, it then grew into a small resort town with holiday flats. These were built as housing co-operatives, membership sold to families in Ankara, Izmir, Denizli and other Turkish cities. From the mid 1980s Kuşadası grew again into the centre of mass tourism that we have today.
In 2005, the town was the location of a bomb attack causing five casualties, three Turkish nationals, British citizen Helen Bennett and the Irish student Tara Whelan.
ANTALYA
Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Αττάλεια Attália) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the capital city of Antalya Province. The population of the city is 775.157 (2007 census). The population of Antalya is 798.507 (2008 estimate). The city of Antalya corresponds to the lands of ancient Pamphylia to the east and Lycia to the west. Antalya has a Mediterranean climate. Situated on a cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is surrounded by mountains. Atatürk claimed that without [a] doubt Antalya is the most beautiful place in the world. Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970s, transformed the city into an international resort
In 150 BC Attalos II, king of Pergamon, founded the city of Attalia (present day Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet. Later Antalya became part of the Roman Republic in 133 BC when King Attalos III of Pergamum willed his kingdom to Rome at his death and the city grew and prospered in the Ancient Roman period. Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), (wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia). St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia. The city later became a naval base for the Christian Crusades against the Muslims in the Levant and in Cyprus.
It was a major city in the Byzantine Empire. At the time of the ascension of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost against the Turks, accessible only by sea.. The following year, with the aid of his commander-in-chief John Axuch, John II drove the Turks from the land routes to Antalya and recconected the city with the rest of the empire.
The city, along with the whole region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
“ From Alaya I went to Antaliya [Adalia], a most beautiful city. It covers an immense area, and though of vast bulk is one of the most attractive towns to be seen anywhere, besides being exceedingly populous and well laid out. Each section of the inhabitants lives in a separate quarter. The Christian merchants live in a quarter of the town known as the Mina [the Port], and are surrounded by a wall, the gates of which are shut upon them from without at night and during the Friday service. The Greeks, who were its former inhabitants, live by themselves in another quarter, the Jews in another, and the king and his court and Mamluks in another, each of these quarters being walled off likewise. The rest of the Muslims live in the main city. Round the whole town and all the quarters mentioned there is another great wall. The town contains orchards and produces fine fruits, including an admirable kind of apricot, called by them Qamar ad-Din, which has a sweet almond in its kernel. This fruit is dried and exported to Egypt, where it is regarded as a great luxury.
By the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi recorded a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish neighbourhoods and four Greek. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port could hold up to 200 boats.
In the 18th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its actual lord was a Dere Bey. The family of Tekke Oglu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor till within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great Beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency here till 1825, contain information as to the local Dere Beys.
In the 19th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters, round the walled mina or port. The port was served by coasting steamers of the local companies only. Antalya (then Adalia) was an extremely picturesque, but ill-built and backward place. The chief thing to see was the city wall, outside which runs a good and clean promenade and which survives to this day. The government offices and the houses of the better class were all outside the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
In 150 BC Attalos II, king of Pergamon, founded the city of Attalia (present day Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet. Later Antalya became part of the Roman Republic in 133 BC when King Attalos III of Pergamum willed his kingdom to Rome at his death and the city grew and prospered in the Ancient Roman period. Christianity started to spread in the region after 2nd century. Antalya was visited by Paul of Tarsus, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:25-26), (wherein Antalya is referred to as Attalia). St. Paul and St. Barnabas went to Antalya and sailed from there to Antioch after preaching in Pisidia and Pamphylia. The city later became a naval base for the Christian Crusades against the Muslims in the Levant and in Cyprus.
It was a major city in the Byzantine Empire. At the time of the ascension of John II Comnenus (1118) it was an isolated outpost against the Turks, accessible only by sea.. The following year, with the aid of his commander-in-chief John Axuch, John II drove the Turks from the land routes to Antalya and recconected the city with the rest of the empire.
The city, along with the whole region, was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the early 13th century. The Arabic traveler Ibn Battuta who came to the city in between 1335-1340 noted:
“ From Alaya I went to Antaliya [Adalia], a most beautiful city. It covers an immense area, and though of vast bulk is one of the most attractive towns to be seen anywhere, besides being exceedingly populous and well laid out. Each section of the inhabitants lives in a separate quarter. The Christian merchants live in a quarter of the town known as the Mina [the Port], and are surrounded by a wall, the gates of which are shut upon them from without at night and during the Friday service. The Greeks, who were its former inhabitants, live by themselves in another quarter, the Jews in another, and the king and his court and Mamluks in another, each of these quarters being walled off likewise. The rest of the Muslims live in the main city. Round the whole town and all the quarters mentioned there is another great wall. The town contains orchards and produces fine fruits, including an admirable kind of apricot, called by them Qamar ad-Din, which has a sweet almond in its kernel. This fruit is dried and exported to Egypt, where it is regarded as a great luxury.
By the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi recorded a city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in twenty Turkish neighbourhoods and four Greek. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port could hold up to 200 boats.
In the 18th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its actual lord was a Dere Bey. The family of Tekke Oglu, domiciled near Perge, though reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II, continued to be a rival power to the Ottoman governor till within the present generation, surviving by many years the fall of the other great Beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency here till 1825, contain information as to the local Dere Beys.
In the 19th century the population of Antalya increased as Turks from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. By 1911 it was a city of about 25,000 people, including many Christians and Jews, still living in separate quarters, round the walled mina or port. The port was served by coasting steamers of the local companies only. Antalya (then Adalia) was an extremely picturesque, but ill-built and backward place. The chief thing to see was the city wall, outside which runs a good and clean promenade and which survives to this day. The government offices and the houses of the better class were all outside the walls.
The city was briefly occupied by the Italians from the end of the First World War until the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Huntron Scanners
Benefit from Huntron's 30 years of providing quality Diagnostic Tools for PCA Recovery
With today's valid concerns for protection of our environment, the recovery, repair and recycling of printed circuit assemblies (PCAs) is a positive move towards sustainable environmental-friendly practices.
Huntron has been helping businesses troubleshoot and repair printed circuit assemblies for over 30 years. Repairing rather than discarding failed PCAs keeps the potentially harmful chemical components such as lead out of our world's landfills and disposal sites.
Below is a list of Huntron products to help you recover, repair and recycle PCAs:
Huntron Tracker 2800
Huntron Tracker Model 30
Huntron TrackerPXI
NFSA RF Prober
New Version of Huntron Workstation Available!
A new version of Huntron Workstation is now available for download. Go to the Workstation Support web page to download version 4.1.3273! Update December 22, 2008.
New Automated Near Field Signature Analysis
Combining the Huntron Access Robotic Probing Station, Huntron Workstation Software and the new Test Evolution (TEV) Non-Contact RF Near Field Probe with local synthetic measurement technology sets the standard for Near Field Signature Analysis (NFSA).
Placing the sensor, receiver and signal processing in one compact RF Probe assembly allows the sensing of EM fields emanating from RF circuitry. A specific position in a Near Field is defined as a Virtual Test Point™ (VTP) where a NFSA measurement is made. Identical circuits emanate nearly identical fields at the VTP. The combination of Huntron Prober and TEV RF Probe allows accurate positioning and measurement of VTPs. This provides the repeatability to measure VTP's from 200MHZ to 3GHZ on RF assemblies.
When used for test, an engineer examines the UUT schematic with an eye toward following the RF signal path. Using Huntron Workstation Software, points along that path are selected for Virtual Test Points (VTP). A set of known good boards are then scanned making and saving Near Field signatures at the VTP's. Unknown UUT's are scanned with the same VTP's against the saved signatures. Any deviation against stored signatures indicates areas of concern.
Near Field Signature Analysis (NFSA) is close proximity sensing of EM fields emanating from RF circuitry. Near Fields are close to active circuits with the strength dependent on power and circuit design. AC circuits radiate a unique frequency and magnitude “signature” being a function of frequency of operation, magnitude, distance to the test probe and geometric location of the probe.
The RF NFSA Prober will be available from Huntron to USA customers only in early 2009. Contact Huntron for more details on Near Field Signature Analysis.
Download the latest NFSA RF Prober brochure now!
Huntron Access USB Probers
The NEW Huntron Access USB Probers are the latest versions of the popular robotic probers used to automate testing of complex printed circuit boards. The Access USB Probers come in two sizes - the Access USB Prober can handle PCBs up to 19.4” by 14” and the larger Access 2 USB Prober can hold PCBs up to 22” by 23” in size. The new Probers come with a USB Probe Tip camera to monitor the probe placement as the test progresses. Both Probers uses linear encoders for incredible 20 micron accuracy. The new Access USB Probers can also be ordered with the Tracker Model 30 embedded inside the chassis for a space saving, all-in-one platform.
Download the latest Diagnostic Systems brochure now!
Huntron's flexible, automated diagnostic solutions help people solve circuit card problems.
Huntron was founded in 1976 with the introduction of the Huntron Tracker®, the pioneering troubleshooting tool that uses power-off signature analysis to identify component failures on printed circuit boards.
Today, Huntron's reputation in providing automated power-off diagnostics results in instrumentation and software for test, inspection and repair of electronic printed circuit assemblies.
As density and complexity increase, printed circuit assemblies become tougher to probe and test. Huntrom complements conventional test equipment with access and test tools that catch the elusive problems other test methods often miss. The keys are physical and virtual access, which translates into meaningful results such as shorther design cycles, improved production yield and lower warranty costs. When you need to test, diagnose or troubleshoot complex circuit boards, Huntron lets you access, explore and discover more.
Contact us for more information on how we can help solve your test and troubleshooting needs.
With today's valid concerns for protection of our environment, the recovery, repair and recycling of printed circuit assemblies (PCAs) is a positive move towards sustainable environmental-friendly practices.
Huntron has been helping businesses troubleshoot and repair printed circuit assemblies for over 30 years. Repairing rather than discarding failed PCAs keeps the potentially harmful chemical components such as lead out of our world's landfills and disposal sites.
Below is a list of Huntron products to help you recover, repair and recycle PCAs:
Huntron Tracker 2800
Huntron Tracker Model 30
Huntron TrackerPXI
NFSA RF Prober
New Version of Huntron Workstation Available!
A new version of Huntron Workstation is now available for download. Go to the Workstation Support web page to download version 4.1.3273! Update December 22, 2008.
New Automated Near Field Signature Analysis
Combining the Huntron Access Robotic Probing Station, Huntron Workstation Software and the new Test Evolution (TEV) Non-Contact RF Near Field Probe with local synthetic measurement technology sets the standard for Near Field Signature Analysis (NFSA).
Placing the sensor, receiver and signal processing in one compact RF Probe assembly allows the sensing of EM fields emanating from RF circuitry. A specific position in a Near Field is defined as a Virtual Test Point™ (VTP) where a NFSA measurement is made. Identical circuits emanate nearly identical fields at the VTP. The combination of Huntron Prober and TEV RF Probe allows accurate positioning and measurement of VTPs. This provides the repeatability to measure VTP's from 200MHZ to 3GHZ on RF assemblies.
When used for test, an engineer examines the UUT schematic with an eye toward following the RF signal path. Using Huntron Workstation Software, points along that path are selected for Virtual Test Points (VTP). A set of known good boards are then scanned making and saving Near Field signatures at the VTP's. Unknown UUT's are scanned with the same VTP's against the saved signatures. Any deviation against stored signatures indicates areas of concern.
Near Field Signature Analysis (NFSA) is close proximity sensing of EM fields emanating from RF circuitry. Near Fields are close to active circuits with the strength dependent on power and circuit design. AC circuits radiate a unique frequency and magnitude “signature” being a function of frequency of operation, magnitude, distance to the test probe and geometric location of the probe.
The RF NFSA Prober will be available from Huntron to USA customers only in early 2009. Contact Huntron for more details on Near Field Signature Analysis.
Download the latest NFSA RF Prober brochure now!
Huntron Access USB Probers
The NEW Huntron Access USB Probers are the latest versions of the popular robotic probers used to automate testing of complex printed circuit boards. The Access USB Probers come in two sizes - the Access USB Prober can handle PCBs up to 19.4” by 14” and the larger Access 2 USB Prober can hold PCBs up to 22” by 23” in size. The new Probers come with a USB Probe Tip camera to monitor the probe placement as the test progresses. Both Probers uses linear encoders for incredible 20 micron accuracy. The new Access USB Probers can also be ordered with the Tracker Model 30 embedded inside the chassis for a space saving, all-in-one platform.
Download the latest Diagnostic Systems brochure now!
Huntron's flexible, automated diagnostic solutions help people solve circuit card problems.
Huntron was founded in 1976 with the introduction of the Huntron Tracker®, the pioneering troubleshooting tool that uses power-off signature analysis to identify component failures on printed circuit boards.
Today, Huntron's reputation in providing automated power-off diagnostics results in instrumentation and software for test, inspection and repair of electronic printed circuit assemblies.
As density and complexity increase, printed circuit assemblies become tougher to probe and test. Huntrom complements conventional test equipment with access and test tools that catch the elusive problems other test methods often miss. The keys are physical and virtual access, which translates into meaningful results such as shorther design cycles, improved production yield and lower warranty costs. When you need to test, diagnose or troubleshoot complex circuit boards, Huntron lets you access, explore and discover more.
Contact us for more information on how we can help solve your test and troubleshooting needs.
Wİ-Fİ
Technically, the wireless network connection is used in 802.11b/802.11g standards generally used as the name Wi-Fi, wireless fidelity of the shortened version, the English you need to like the freedom of wireless means and the general public as kullanılıyor.Bu as wireless standards, wireless network providers coverage to be recorded in any place with wireless internet as yarıyor.Kullanmak able to connect to a wireless network provider for the first (wireless router / wi-fi access point) var.Kullanmak need for your wireless network provider in your local web server (adsl / Kablonet) bağlıyorsunuz.Masaüstü your computer or a laptop / pda statute installing the necessary equipment would (your wireless receiver), and now your own servers within range (approximately 10 meter radius of a circle) from anywhere wirelessly to the internet bağlanabiliyorsunuz.Türkiye 'popular cafe and some airports for wireless Internet services are provided, the notebook Go to your computer and give this service in a café when you sit on the internet girebilirsiniz.Avrupa in the wireless internet service is very common, popular in the streets, shopping centers, airports continuous alabilirsiniz.Kablolu this service according to network security is still being debated if the (large U.S. businesses, workers and business related to internet / lan connection using the wireless network has been banned) in the near future seems certain to hold the position of a cable network
Flow Meter
Ideal for the measurement of flow, density and temperature of liquids and slurries, such as aggressive or contaminated, sanitary or particle-filled fluids.
Features:
Flow ranges from 60 to
60K Kg/Hr (2.2 to 1650 lb/min)
Accuracy up to 0.25% of reading
Materials: flow tubes -
316 L, splitter flanges -
316 Ti, housing - cast iron
Process temperature
-40°F to 356°F
Ambient temperature
-40°F to 140°F
Wide flow ranges
ACCURATE AND RELIABLE
This meter has the ability to
maintain high accuracy,
despite changing viscosity conditions, with accuracy of +0.25% of reading.
EASY CLEANING
The ACM series has smooth stainless steel tubes and no moving parts, and is therefore very easy to flush and clean.
MULTI-TASKING
The ACM series of mass coriolis flow meters measure flow, density and temperature.
MATERIAL COMPATIBILITY
Because of the meter's 316 stainless steel flow tubes, the ACM series can measure a wide range of materials.
VARIETY OF ELECTRONICS
Electronics available for the ACM series include a local, hazardous rated display and a remote, panel-mount digital display
10 Bargain Destinations
For travelers on a budget, these places offer great value: With a wealth of attractions, they're affordable without necessarily being cheap.
Going on vacation doesn't have to cost a fortune. It's possible to see the world without breaking the bank — and you don't have to bunk in hostels or pack a sleeping bag to do it. Money-saving strategies include venturing to off-the-beaten track destinations, avoiding tourist traps, traveling during periods of low demand or simply seeing a place the way the locals do. Here are some of our favorite travel bargains around the globe.
Kuala Lumpur: The cheapest big city on the planetThe Swiss banking company UBS recently ranked Kuala Lumpur as the world's best travel bargain. The study found that the average tourist would pay $260 for a first-class hotel room, three meals, transportation and a theater outing — less than a quarter what that same night on the town would cost in London or Tokyo. An undervalued currency, low inflation rates and subsidized oil prices (which keep taxi fares low) combine to make all of Malaysia an unrivaled travel bargain. Take in the city's colonial history at Merdeka Square, or marvel at its modern side from the sky bridge linking the Petronas Towers, which reigned as the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Admission is free for up to 1,300 visitors per day.
Zion: The jewel of America's national parksZion recently raised its admission prices, but at $25 per carload (good for seven days), it's still a fraction of what you'd pay to haul the kids to a theme park. All of America's national parks are serious bargains, but maybe none more so than this peaceful oasis just two hours from Las Vegas. Zion has no single central attraction, so crowds are dispersed throughout the park. To get even farther away from it all, ascend the switchback trail to Observation Point. Camping is free (obtain a permit in advance from www.nps.gov/zion), while numerous hotels and lodges outside the park offer luxurious comforts for less than $100 a night for those who don't want to rough it, or who need a hot tub to soothe their trail-weary muscles.
Nicaragua: The new Costa RicaLeave it to the surfers to find gorgeous, deserted white-sand beaches with cheap eats, free-flowing rum and simple accommodations at discount prices. But their secret is out. Nicaragua is commonly considered the next Costa Rica, its neighbor to the south. The countries share much in common: language, cuisine, tropical climate, volcanoes and great opportunities to spot sea turtles. For years, the biggest difference was political: Costa Rica has long been a peaceful oasis, while up until recently, Nicaragua continually was the scene of ruthless bloodshed. But as political stability has taken root in Nicaragua, so has a burgeoning tourism industry, attracting numerous visitors for whom Costa Rica has become too expensive. Hotel rooms that might fetch $200 a night or more on Costa Rica's most desirable beaches often cost $50 or less on similar strands in Nicaragua's San Juan del Sur
Alaska by ferryThe Alaska Marine Highway System (www.akferry.org) is the public-transportation system for the 49th state, and it plies many of the same waterways as luxury cruises costing thousands of dollars more. But the scenery — humpback whales breaching in Frederick Sound, bears romping in the Tongass National Forest, or the majestic fjord at Lynn Canal — is completely free. You can get off at ports of call along the way to explore Alaska on foot or by bike, or spend the night onboard the ferry in a cabin or your own tent. Best of all, you'll meet actual Alaskans on the ferry, something that rarely happens on a cruise ship.
Turkey: The cradle of civilizationTurkey has more historic sites than Greece, and more Roman ruins than all of Italy. Most of the archaeological attractions are free, and those that aren't are thoroughly inexpensive. So too is the Grand Bazaar — the world's largest — where 400,000 people come to trade their wares daily. Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, is home to modern luxury hotels (with European-style prices). But get outside the big city and you'll be flooded with bargain options, including charming hotels that occupy their own private beach, for just $50 a night (check www.nisanyan.net). To soak in Turkey's rich history — literally — take a hamam (a traditional Turkish steam bath) in a bathhouse once used by Roman soldiers or Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm.
Milwaukee: Great museum, great music, great lakeName a bustling city on the shores of Lake Michigan, with a world-class museum, excellent architecture and a thriving nightlife scene. Chicago? No, it's Milwaukee, where dining, lodging and attractions are significantly more affordable than those in the Windy City. The spectacular addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum (www.mam.org), designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, single-handedly has made the city an architectural destination. There's no charge to watch the museum's “wings” open and close (come at noon for the full show), but admission is a mere $8. In summer, Milwaukee becomes the “City of Festivals,” with a different celebration every weekend. The biggest of them all is Summerfest (www.summerfest.com; June 26-July 6) the world's largest music festival, which attracts acts like Tom Petty, Steely Dan and Paul Simon. For $15, you get admission to 10 stages from noon to midnight.
South Africa: Beautiful beaches before spectacular safarisThe rand is one of the few currencies performing as poorly as the U.S. dollar, making South Africa's glorious beaches and spectacular wildlife parks a relative bargain for American travelers. Safari packages advertised in the U.S. may not seem like much of a deal, but if you book your safari when you get to South Africa instead of from home, you'll save hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Savvy travelers fly straight to Cape Town, a modern coastal city that's routinely named one of the most beautiful in the world. To recover from jet lag, spend a few days in the nearby wine country or simply relax on one of the Cape's pristine beaches. When you're ready to go out on safari, walk over to Long Street and choose from the numerous tour operators lining the boulevard. You'll be surprised at how affordable these once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be if you book in person
Telluride: Prices drop when the mercury risesSkiing destinations, even super-luxurious ones, are surprising bargains after the snow melts. Rooms that command top dollar in February and March often sit empty in July and August, forcing hotels to offer deep discounts. The drawback is that some ski resorts can feel abandoned in the off-season. Not so in Telluride, Colo., a real town with a real history: Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank here during Telluride's original heyday in 1889. The beautiful alpine scenery is ideal for hiking and biking in summer and early fall; Telluride's free gondola will even ferry you up the mountain so you can hike or bike down it. In the summer, Telluride stages countless events including a Jazz Festival, a well-regarded Film Festival and a Blues and Brews Festival that combines great music with the region's best microbrewed beers
Buenos Aires: The Paris of South AmericaAs you sip a glass of wine from a sidewalk table overlooking the wide boulevard, it's easy to think you're in the City of Light. But good luck finding a steak this good in France, especially at these prices. Buenos Aires has long been considered the Paris of South America, and you'll get an argument from the locals if you try to tell them otherwise. But when it comes to nightlife, Argentines have more in common with their ancestors from Spain. They go out for dinner around 10 p.m. and then party into the wee hours. Better yet, the best of Buenos Aires won't break your vacation budget. Admission to the outlandish mausoleums of Recoleta Cemetery (where Evita Perón is buried) is free. Tango lessons at a milonga (dance hall) cost just a few dollars. And shopping for shoes along Calle Florida or antiques in San Telmo unearths bargains that might make even Parisians head south of the equator.
North Carolina on two wheels
A statewide bicycle ride is a terrific way to get to know a place up close and personal, at speeds of 15 mph or less. Several states sponsor organized rides across their length; one of the best is Cycle North Carolina (www.ncsports.org/nccyclemain.php), which has traversed the Tar Heel state since 1999. The route varies slightly from year to year, but usually starts in the mountains near Asheville and stops in communities in the Blue Ridge and the Piedmont before ending at the Atlantic Ocean. Expect to cycle about 400 miles over seven days; shorter options are also possible. The $200 cost includes mechanical support, hot showers and entertainment at the campgrounds each night, baggage transportation and food and drinks at the rest stops. Most riders camp in their own tents, but hotel rooms are also available for those willing to pay for the privilege. After a long day's biking, a comfortable bed may be the best bargain of all.
John Rosenthal, a resident of Santa Monica, Calif., has written for The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post and Fast Company.
Going on vacation doesn't have to cost a fortune. It's possible to see the world without breaking the bank — and you don't have to bunk in hostels or pack a sleeping bag to do it. Money-saving strategies include venturing to off-the-beaten track destinations, avoiding tourist traps, traveling during periods of low demand or simply seeing a place the way the locals do. Here are some of our favorite travel bargains around the globe.
Kuala Lumpur: The cheapest big city on the planetThe Swiss banking company UBS recently ranked Kuala Lumpur as the world's best travel bargain. The study found that the average tourist would pay $260 for a first-class hotel room, three meals, transportation and a theater outing — less than a quarter what that same night on the town would cost in London or Tokyo. An undervalued currency, low inflation rates and subsidized oil prices (which keep taxi fares low) combine to make all of Malaysia an unrivaled travel bargain. Take in the city's colonial history at Merdeka Square, or marvel at its modern side from the sky bridge linking the Petronas Towers, which reigned as the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Admission is free for up to 1,300 visitors per day.
Zion: The jewel of America's national parksZion recently raised its admission prices, but at $25 per carload (good for seven days), it's still a fraction of what you'd pay to haul the kids to a theme park. All of America's national parks are serious bargains, but maybe none more so than this peaceful oasis just two hours from Las Vegas. Zion has no single central attraction, so crowds are dispersed throughout the park. To get even farther away from it all, ascend the switchback trail to Observation Point. Camping is free (obtain a permit in advance from www.nps.gov/zion), while numerous hotels and lodges outside the park offer luxurious comforts for less than $100 a night for those who don't want to rough it, or who need a hot tub to soothe their trail-weary muscles.
Nicaragua: The new Costa RicaLeave it to the surfers to find gorgeous, deserted white-sand beaches with cheap eats, free-flowing rum and simple accommodations at discount prices. But their secret is out. Nicaragua is commonly considered the next Costa Rica, its neighbor to the south. The countries share much in common: language, cuisine, tropical climate, volcanoes and great opportunities to spot sea turtles. For years, the biggest difference was political: Costa Rica has long been a peaceful oasis, while up until recently, Nicaragua continually was the scene of ruthless bloodshed. But as political stability has taken root in Nicaragua, so has a burgeoning tourism industry, attracting numerous visitors for whom Costa Rica has become too expensive. Hotel rooms that might fetch $200 a night or more on Costa Rica's most desirable beaches often cost $50 or less on similar strands in Nicaragua's San Juan del Sur
Alaska by ferryThe Alaska Marine Highway System (www.akferry.org) is the public-transportation system for the 49th state, and it plies many of the same waterways as luxury cruises costing thousands of dollars more. But the scenery — humpback whales breaching in Frederick Sound, bears romping in the Tongass National Forest, or the majestic fjord at Lynn Canal — is completely free. You can get off at ports of call along the way to explore Alaska on foot or by bike, or spend the night onboard the ferry in a cabin or your own tent. Best of all, you'll meet actual Alaskans on the ferry, something that rarely happens on a cruise ship.
Turkey: The cradle of civilizationTurkey has more historic sites than Greece, and more Roman ruins than all of Italy. Most of the archaeological attractions are free, and those that aren't are thoroughly inexpensive. So too is the Grand Bazaar — the world's largest — where 400,000 people come to trade their wares daily. Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, is home to modern luxury hotels (with European-style prices). But get outside the big city and you'll be flooded with bargain options, including charming hotels that occupy their own private beach, for just $50 a night (check www.nisanyan.net). To soak in Turkey's rich history — literally — take a hamam (a traditional Turkish steam bath) in a bathhouse once used by Roman soldiers or Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm.
Milwaukee: Great museum, great music, great lakeName a bustling city on the shores of Lake Michigan, with a world-class museum, excellent architecture and a thriving nightlife scene. Chicago? No, it's Milwaukee, where dining, lodging and attractions are significantly more affordable than those in the Windy City. The spectacular addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum (www.mam.org), designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, single-handedly has made the city an architectural destination. There's no charge to watch the museum's “wings” open and close (come at noon for the full show), but admission is a mere $8. In summer, Milwaukee becomes the “City of Festivals,” with a different celebration every weekend. The biggest of them all is Summerfest (www.summerfest.com; June 26-July 6) the world's largest music festival, which attracts acts like Tom Petty, Steely Dan and Paul Simon. For $15, you get admission to 10 stages from noon to midnight.
South Africa: Beautiful beaches before spectacular safarisThe rand is one of the few currencies performing as poorly as the U.S. dollar, making South Africa's glorious beaches and spectacular wildlife parks a relative bargain for American travelers. Safari packages advertised in the U.S. may not seem like much of a deal, but if you book your safari when you get to South Africa instead of from home, you'll save hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Savvy travelers fly straight to Cape Town, a modern coastal city that's routinely named one of the most beautiful in the world. To recover from jet lag, spend a few days in the nearby wine country or simply relax on one of the Cape's pristine beaches. When you're ready to go out on safari, walk over to Long Street and choose from the numerous tour operators lining the boulevard. You'll be surprised at how affordable these once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be if you book in person
Telluride: Prices drop when the mercury risesSkiing destinations, even super-luxurious ones, are surprising bargains after the snow melts. Rooms that command top dollar in February and March often sit empty in July and August, forcing hotels to offer deep discounts. The drawback is that some ski resorts can feel abandoned in the off-season. Not so in Telluride, Colo., a real town with a real history: Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank here during Telluride's original heyday in 1889. The beautiful alpine scenery is ideal for hiking and biking in summer and early fall; Telluride's free gondola will even ferry you up the mountain so you can hike or bike down it. In the summer, Telluride stages countless events including a Jazz Festival, a well-regarded Film Festival and a Blues and Brews Festival that combines great music with the region's best microbrewed beers
Buenos Aires: The Paris of South AmericaAs you sip a glass of wine from a sidewalk table overlooking the wide boulevard, it's easy to think you're in the City of Light. But good luck finding a steak this good in France, especially at these prices. Buenos Aires has long been considered the Paris of South America, and you'll get an argument from the locals if you try to tell them otherwise. But when it comes to nightlife, Argentines have more in common with their ancestors from Spain. They go out for dinner around 10 p.m. and then party into the wee hours. Better yet, the best of Buenos Aires won't break your vacation budget. Admission to the outlandish mausoleums of Recoleta Cemetery (where Evita Perón is buried) is free. Tango lessons at a milonga (dance hall) cost just a few dollars. And shopping for shoes along Calle Florida or antiques in San Telmo unearths bargains that might make even Parisians head south of the equator.
North Carolina on two wheelsA statewide bicycle ride is a terrific way to get to know a place up close and personal, at speeds of 15 mph or less. Several states sponsor organized rides across their length; one of the best is Cycle North Carolina (www.ncsports.org/nccyclemain.php), which has traversed the Tar Heel state since 1999. The route varies slightly from year to year, but usually starts in the mountains near Asheville and stops in communities in the Blue Ridge and the Piedmont before ending at the Atlantic Ocean. Expect to cycle about 400 miles over seven days; shorter options are also possible. The $200 cost includes mechanical support, hot showers and entertainment at the campgrounds each night, baggage transportation and food and drinks at the rest stops. Most riders camp in their own tents, but hotel rooms are also available for those willing to pay for the privilege. After a long day's biking, a comfortable bed may be the best bargain of all.
John Rosenthal, a resident of Santa Monica, Calif., has written for The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post and Fast Company.
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)
