Shetland

Shetland (; ; ), also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated in the Northern Atlantic, between Great Britain, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost part of Scotland and of the wider United Kingdom.
The islands lie about to the northeast of Orkney, from Scotland and west of Norway. They form part of the border between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. Their total area is , and the population totalled 22,920 in 2019. The islands comprise the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament. The local authority, the Shetland Islands Council, is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The islands' administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick, which has been the capital of Shetland since 1708, before which time the capital was Scalloway.
The largest island, known as "the Mainland", has an area of , making it the third-largest Scottish island and the fifth-largest island in the British Isles. There are an additional 15 inhabited islands in Shetland. The archipelago has an oceanic climate, a complex geology, a rugged coastline, and many low, rolling hills.
Humans have lived in Shetland since the Mesolithic period. In early medieval times the islands were dominated by Scandinavian influences, especially from Norway. The islands became part of Scotland in the 15th century. In 1707, when Scotland became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain, trade between Shetland and continental northern Europe decreased. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted Shetland's economy, employment and public-sector revenues. Fishing has always been an important part of the islands’ economy.
The local way of life reflects the Norse and Scottish heritage of the isles, including the Up Helly Aa fire festivals and a strong musical tradition, especially the traditional fiddle style. The islands have produced a variety of prose writers and poets, who have often written in the distinctive Shetland dialect of the Scots language. Numerous areas on the islands have been set aside to protect the local fauna and flora, including a number of important seabird nesting sites. The Shetland pony and Shetland Sheepdog are two well-known Shetland animal breeds. Other animals with local breeds include the Shetland sheep, cow, goose, and duck. The Shetland pig, or grice, has been extinct since about 1930.
The islands' motto, which appears on the Council's coat of arms, is "" (“By law shall land be built"). The phrase is of Old Norse origin, is mentioned in "Njáls saga", and was likely borrowed from tenets of ancient provincial Norwegian laws such as the Frostathing Law.
Etymology.
The name "Shetland" may have been derived from the Old Norse words, ('hilt'), and ('land'). Another possibility is that the first syllable is derived from the name of an ancient Celtic tribe.
In AD 43, the Roman author Pomponius Mela made reference in his writing to seven islands he called the . In AD 77, Pliny the Elder called these same islands the . Scholars have inferred that both of these references are to islands in the Shetland group. Another possible early written reference to the islands is Tacitus' report in "Agricola" in AD 98. After he described the Roman discovery and conquest of Orkney, he added that the Roman fleet had seen "Thule, too". In early Irish literature, Shetland is referred to as — "the Isles of Cats" (meaning the island inhabited by the clan called "Cat"). This may have been the pre-Norse inhabitants' name for the islands. The Cat clan occupied parts of the northern Scottish mainland (see Kingdom of Cat); and their name survives in the names of the county of Caithness and in the Scottish Gaelic name for Sutherland, , which means "among the Cats".
The oldest known version of the modern name Shetland is , which is the Latinised adjectival form of the Old Norse name. It is recorded in a letter written by Harald, Count of Shetland, in 1190. By 1431, the islands were being referred to as "Hetland", after various intermediate transformations. It is possible that the Pictish "cat" sound contributed to this Norse name. In the 16th century, the Shetlands were referred to as .
When the Scandinavian Norn language previously spoken by the inhabitants of the islands was replaced by the Shetland dialect of Scots (a gradual process), became . The initial letter is the Middle Scots letter, "yogh", the pronunciation of which is almost identical to the original Norn sound, . When the use of the letter yogh was discontinued, it was often replaced by the similar-looking letter z (which at the time was usually rendered with a curled tail: ⟨ʒ⟩) hence , the form used in the name of the pre-1975 county council. This is also the source of the ZE postcode used for Shetland.
Most of the individual islands have Norse names, although the derivations of some are obscure and may represent pre-Norse, possibly Pictish or even pre-Celtic names or elements.
Geography and geology.
Shetland is around north of mainland Scotland and west of Bergen, Norway. It covers an area of and has a coastline long.
Lerwick, the capital and largest settlement, has a population of 6,958 and about half of the archipelago's total population of 22,920 people live within of the town.
Scalloway on the west coast, which was the capital until 1708, has a population of less than 1,000.
Only 16 of about 100 islands are inhabited. The main island of the group is known as Mainland. The next largest are Yell, Unst, and Fetlar, which lie to the north, and Bressay and Whalsay, which lie to the east. East and West Burra, Muckle Roe, Papa Stour, Trondra and Vaila are smaller islands to the west of Mainland. The other inhabited islands are Foula west of Walls, Fair Isle south-west of Sumburgh Head, and the Out Skerries to the east.
The uninhabited islands include Mousa, known for the Broch of Mousa, the finest preserved example in the world of an Iron Age broch; Noss to the east of Bressay, which has been a national nature reserve since 1955; St Ninian's Isle, connected to Mainland by the largest active tombolo in the United Kingdom; and Out Stack, the northernmost point of the British Isles. Shetland's location means that it provides a number of such records: Muness is the most northerly castle in the United Kingdom and Skaw the most northerly settlement.
The geology of Shetland is complex, with numerous faults and fold axes. These islands are the northern outpost of the Caledonian orogeny, and there are outcrops of Lewisian, Dalradian and Moine metamorphic rocks with histories similar to their equivalents on the Scottish mainland. There are also Old Red Sandstone deposits and granite intrusions. The most distinctive feature is the ophiolite in Unst and Fetlar which is a remnant of the Iapetus Ocean floor made up of ultrabasic peridotite and gabbro.
Much of Shetland's economy depends on the oil-bearing sediments in the surrounding seas. Geological evidence shows that in around 6100 BC a tsunami caused by the Storegga Slides hit Shetland, as well as the east coast of Scotland, and may have created a wave of up to high in the voes where modern populations are highest.
The highest point of Shetland is Ronas Hill at . The Pleistocene glaciations entirely covered the islands. During that period, the Stanes of Stofast, a 2000-tonne glacial erratic, came to rest on a prominent hilltop in Lunnasting.
Shetland has a national scenic area which, unusually, includes a number of discrete locations: Fair Isle, Foula, South West Mainland (including the Scalloway Islands), Muckle Roe, Esha Ness, Fethaland and Herma Ness. The total area covered by the designation is 41,833 ha, of which 26,347 ha is marine (i.e. below low tide).
In October 2018, legislation came into force in Scotland to prevent public bodies, without good reason, showing Shetland in a separate box in maps, as had often been the practice. The legislation requires the islands to be "displayed in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland", so as make clear the islands' real distance from other areas.
Climate.
Shetland has an oceanic temperate maritime climate (Köppen: "Cfb"), bordering on, but very slightly above average in summer temperatures, the subpolar variety, with long but cool winters and short mild summers. The climate all year round is moderate owing to the influence of the surrounding seas, with average night-time low temperatures a little above in January and February and average daytime high temperatures of near in July and August. The highest temperature on record was on the 6th of August 1910 and the lowest in the Januaries of 1952 and 1959. The frost-free period may be as little as three months. In contrast, inland areas of nearby Scandinavia on similar latitudes experience significantly larger temperature differences between summer and winter, with the average highs of regular July days comparable to Lerwick's all-time record heat that is around , further demonstrating the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, winters are considerably milder than those expected in nearby continental areas, even comparable to winter temperatures of many parts of England and Wales much further south.
The general character of the climate is windy and cloudy with at least of rain falling on more than 250 days a year. Average yearly precipitation is , with November and December the wettest months. Snowfall is usually confined to the period November to February, and snow seldom lies on the ground for more than a day. Less rain falls from April to August although no month receives less than . Fog is common during summer due to the cooling effect of the sea on mild southerly airflows.
Because of the islands' latitude, on clear winter nights the "northern lights" can sometimes be seen in the sky, while in summer there is almost perpetual daylight, a state of affairs known locally as the "simmer dim". Annual bright sunshine averages 1110 hours, and overcast days are common.
Prehistory.
Due to the practice, dating to at least the early Neolithic, of building in stone on virtually treeless islands, Shetland is extremely rich in physical remains of the prehistoric eras and there are over 5,000 archaeological sites all told. A midden site at West Voe on the south coast of Mainland, dated to 4320–4030 BC, has provided the first evidence of Mesolithic human activity in Shetland. The same site provides dates for early Neolithic activity and finds at Scord of Brouster in Walls have been dated to 3400 BC. "Shetland knives" are stone tools that date from this period made from felsite from Northmavine.
Pottery shards found at the important site of Jarlshof also indicate that there was Neolithic activity there although the main settlement dates from the Bronze Age. This includes a smithy, a cluster of wheelhouses and a later broch. The site has provided evidence of habitation during various phases right up until Viking times. Heel-shaped cairns, are a style of chambered cairn unique to Shetland, with a particularly large example in Vementry.
Numerous brochs were erected during the Iron Age. In addition to Mousa there are significant ruins at Clickimin, Culswick, Old Scatness and West Burrafirth, although their origin and purpose is a matter of some controversy. The later Iron Age inhabitants of the Northern Isles were probably Pictish, although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states in relation to King Bridei I of the Picts in the sixth century AD: "As for Shetland, Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles, their inhabitants, most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time, are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence". In 2011, the collective site, "The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland", including Broch of Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof, joined the UKs "Tentative List" of World Heritage Sites.
History.
Scandinavian colonisation.
The expanding population of Scandinavia led to a shortage of available resources and arable land there and led to a period of Viking expansion, the Norse gradually shifting their attention from plundering to invasion. Shetland was colonised during the late 8th and 9th centuries, the fate of the existing indigenous population being uncertain, though it is now seen that Modern Shetlanders have overwhelmingly Scottish DNA according to a major research project, which shows that only 20% of isles DNA is traceable to Norwegian ancestors.
Vikings then used the islands as a base for pirate expeditions to Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king Harald Hårfagre ("Harald Fair Hair") annexed the Northern Isles (comprising Orkney and Shetland) in 875. Rognvald Eysteinsson received Orkney and Shetland as an earldom from Harald as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland, and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd the Mighty.
The islands converted to Christianity in the late 10th century. King Olav Tryggvasson summoned the "jarl" Sigurd the Stout during a visit to Orkney and said, "I order you and all your subjects to be baptised. If you refuse, I'll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel". Unsurprisingly, Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke. Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norse "jarls" owed allegiance both to Norway and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as Earls of Caithness.
In 1194, when Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Shetland, a rebellion broke out against King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway. The ("Island Beardies") sailed for Norway but were beaten in the Battle of Florvåg near Bergen. After his victory King Sverre placed Shetland under direct Norwegian rule, a state of affairs that continued for nearly two centuries.
Increased Scottish interest.
From the mid-13th century onwards Scottish monarchs increasingly sought to take control of the islands surrounding the mainland. The process was begun in earnest by Alexander II and was continued by his successor Alexander III. This strategy eventually led to an invasion of Scotland by Haakon Haakonsson, King of Norway. His fleet assembled in Bressay Sound before sailing for Scotland. After the stalemate of the Battle of Largs, Haakon retreated to Orkney, where he died in December 1263, entertained on his deathbed by recitations of the sagas. His death halted any further Norwegian expansion in Scotland and following this ill-fated expedition, the Hebrides and Mann were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth, although the Scots recognised continuing Norwegian sovereignty over Orkney and Shetland.
Absorption by Scotland.
In the 14th century, Orkney and Shetland remained a Norwegian possession, but Scottish influence was growing. Jon Haraldsson, who was murdered in Thurso in 1231, was the last of an unbroken line of Norse jarls, and thereafter the earls were Scots noblemen of the houses of Angus and St Clair. On the death of Haakon VI in 1380, Norway formed a political union with Denmark, after which the interest of the royal house in the islands declined. In 1469, Shetland was pledged by Christian I, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, betrothed to James III of Scotland. As the money was never paid, the connection with the Crown of Scotland became permanent. In 1470, William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness ceded his title to James III, and the following year the Northern Isles were directly absorbed to the Crown of Scotland, an action confirmed by the Parliament of Scotland in 1472. Nonetheless, Shetland's connection with Norway has proved to be enduring.
From the early 15th century onward Shetlanders sold their goods through the Hanseatic League of German merchantmen. The Hansa would buy shiploads of salted fish, wool and butter, and import salt, cloth, beer and other goods. The late 16th century and early 17th century were dominated by the influence of the despotic Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, who was granted the islands by his half-sister Mary Queen of Scots, and his son Patrick. The latter commenced the building of Scalloway Castle, but after his imprisonment in 1609, the Crown annexed Orkney and Shetland again until 1643, when Charles I granted them to William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton. These rights were held on and off by the Mortons until 1766, when they were sold by James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton to Laurence Dundas.
18th and 19th centuries.
The trade with the North German towns lasted until the 1707 Act of Union, when high salt duties prevented the German merchants from trading with Shetland. Shetland then went into an economic depression, as the local traders were not as skilled in trading salted fish. However, some local merchant-lairds took up where the German merchants had left off, and fitted out their own ships to export fish from Shetland to the Continent. For the independent farmers of Shetland this had negative consequences, as they now had to fish for these merchant-lairds.
Smallpox afflicted the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries (as it did all of Europe), but as vaccines became available after 1800, health improved. The islands were very badly hit by the potato famine of 1846 and the government introduced a Relief Plan for the islands under the command of Captain Robert Craigie of the Royal Navy who stayed in Lerwick to oversee the project 1847-1852. During this period Craigie also did much to improve and increase roads in the islands.
Population increased to a maximum of 31,670 in 1861. However, British rule came at price for many ordinary people as well as traders. The Shetlanders' nautical skills were sought by the Royal Navy. Some 3,000 served during the Napoleonic wars from 1800 to 1815 and press gangs were rife. During this period 120 men were taken from Fetlar alone, and only 20 of them returned home. By the late 19th century 90% of all Shetland was owned by just 32 people, and between 1861 and 1881 more than 8,000 Shetlanders emigrated. With the passing of the Crofters' Act in 1886 the Liberal prime minister William Gladstone emancipated crofters from the rule of the landlords. The Act enabled those who had effectively been landowners' serfs to become owner-occupiers of their own small farms. By this time fishermen from Holland, who had traditionally gathered each year off the coast of Shetland to fish for herring, triggered an industry in the islands that boomed from around 1880 until the 1920s when stocks of the fish began to dwindle. The production peaked in 1905 at more than a million barrels, of which 708,000 were exported.
20th century.
During World War I, many Shetlanders served in the Gordon Highlanders, a further 3,000 served in the Merchant Navy, and more than 1,500 in a special local naval reserve. The 10th Cruiser Squadron was stationed at Swarbacks Minn (the stretch of water to the south of Muckle Roe), and during a single year from March 1917 more than 4,500 ships sailed from Lerwick as part of an escorted convoy system. In total, Shetland lost more than 500 men, a higher proportion than any other part of Britain, and there were further waves of emigration in the 1920s and 1930s.
During World War II, a Norwegian naval unit nicknamed the "Shetland Bus" was established by the Special Operations Executive in the autumn of 1940 with a base first at Lunna and later in Scalloway to conduct operations around the coast of Norway. About 30 fishing vessels used by Norwegian refugees were gathered and the Shetland Bus conducted covert operations, carrying intelligence agents, refugees, instructors for the resistance, and military supplies. It made over 200 trips across the sea, and Leif Larsen, the most highly decorated allied naval officer of the war, made 52 of them. Several RAF airfields and sites were also established at Sullom Voe and several lighthouses suffered enemy air attacks.
Oil reserves discovered in the later 20th century in the seas both east and west of Shetland have provided a much-needed alternative source of income for the islands. The East Shetland Basin is one of Europe's prolific petroleum provinces. As a result of the oil revenue and the cultural links with Norway, a small Home Rule movement developed briefly to recast the constitutional position of Shetland. It saw as its models the Isle of Man, as well as Shetland's closest neighbour, the Faroe Islands, an autonomous dependency of Denmark.
The population stood at 17,814 in 1961.
Economy.
Today, the main revenue producers in Shetland are agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, renewable energy, the petroleum industry (crude oil and natural gas production), the creative industries and tourism. Unst also has a rocket launch pad called the Shetland Space Centre. A February 2021 news item indicated that a rocket manufacturer from Germany, HyImpulse Technologies, planned to launch spacecraft powered by hydrogen from the Space Centre, starting in 2023. During the previous month, the Space Centre had filed plans with Council for a "satellite launch facility and associated infrastructure".
As of February 2021, information on the Promote Shetland Web site indicated that "Shetland is less reliant on tourism than many Scottish islands" and that oil was an important sector of the economy. The "process of gradually transitioning from oil to clean renewable energy ... production of clean hydrogen" was also emphasized. Fishing remained the primary sector and was expected to grow.
Fishing.
Fishing is central to the islands' economy today, with the total catch being in 2009, valued at over £73.2 million. Mackerel makes up more than half of the catch in Shetland by weight and value, and there are significant landings of haddock, cod, herring, whiting, monkfish and shellfish.
A report published in October 2020 was optimistic about the future of this sector in: "With new fish markets in Lerwick and Scalloway, and plans to expand its aquaculture offerings in Yell, Shetland is preparing for more growth in its biggest industry".
As of February 2021, the Promote Shetland Web site stated that "more fish is landed in Shetland than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined', that "Shetland harvests 40,000 tonnes of salmon a year, worth £180 million" and that "6,500 tonnes of mussels are grown in Shetland, more than 80 per cent of the total Scottish production".
Energy and fossil fuels.
Oil and gas were first landed in 1978 at Sullom Voe, which has subsequently become one of the largest terminals in Europe. Taxes from the oil have increased public sector spending on social welfare, art, sport, environmental measures and financial development. Three quarters of the islands' workforce is employed in the service sector, and the Shetland Islands Council alone accounted for 27.9% of output in 2003. Shetland's access to oil revenues has funded the Shetland Charitable Trust, which in turn funds a wide variety of local programmes. The balance of the fund in 2011 was £217 million, i.e., about £9,500 per head.
In January 2007, the Shetland Islands Council signed a partnership agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy for the Viking Wind Farm, a 200-turbine wind farm and subsea cable. This renewable energy project would produce about 600 megawatts and contribute about £20 million to the Shetland economy per year. The plan met with significant opposition within the islands, primarily resulting from the anticipated visual impact of the development. The PURE project in Unst is a research centre which uses a combination of wind power and fuel cells to create a wind hydrogen system. The project is run by the Unst Partnership, the local community's development trust.
A status report on hydrogen production in Shetland, published in September 2020, stated that Shetland Islands Council (SIC) had "joined a number of organisations and projects to drive forward plans to establish hydrogen as a future energy source for the isles and beyond". For example, it was a member of the Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA). The ORION project, previously named the Shetland Energy Hub, was underway; the plan was to create an energy hub that would use clean electricity in the development of "new technologies such as blue and green hydrogen generation".
In December 2020 the Scottish government released a hydrogen policy statement with plans for incorporating both blue and green hydrogen for use in heating, transportation and industry. The government also planned an investment of £100 million in the hydrogen sector "for the £180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund". Shetland Islands Council planned to obtain further specifics about the availability of funding. The government had already agreed that the production of "green" hydrogen from wind power near Sullom Voe Terminal was a valid plan. A December 2020 report stated that "the extensive terminal could also be used for direct refuelling of hydrogen-powered ships" and suggested that the fourth jetty at Sullom Voe "could be suitable for ammonia export".
Farming and textiles.
Farming is mostly concerned with the raising of Shetland sheep, known for their unusually fine wool.
Knitwear is important both to the economy and culture of Shetland, and the Fair Isle design is well known. However, the industry faces challenges due to plagiarism of the word "Shetland" by manufacturers operating elsewhere, and a certification trademark, "The Shetland Lady", has been registered.
Crofting, the farming of small plots of land on a legally restricted tenancy basis, is still practised and is viewed as a key Shetland tradition as well as an important source of income. Crops raised include oats and barley; however, the cold, windswept islands make for a harsh environment for most plants.
Media.
Shetland is served by a weekly local newspaper, "The Shetland Times" and the online "Shetland News" with radio service being provided by BBC Radio Shetland and the commercial radio station SIBC.
Tourism.
Shetland is a popular destination for cruise ships, and in 2010 the Lonely Planet guide named Shetland as the sixth best region in the world for tourists seeking unspoilt destinations. The islands were described as "beautiful and rewarding" and the Shetlanders as "a fiercely independent and self-reliant bunch". Overall visitor expenditure was worth £16.4 million in 2006, in which year just under 26,000 cruise liner passengers arrived at Lerwick Harbour. This business has grown substantially with 109 cruise ships already booked in for 2019, representing over 107,000 passenger visits. In 2009, the most popular visitor attractions were the Shetland Museum, the RSPB reserve at Sumburgh Head, Bonhoga Gallery at Weisdale Mill and Jarlshof. Geopark Shetland (now Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark) was established by the Amenity Trust in 2009 to boost sustainable tourism to the islands.
According to the Promote Shetland ogranisation's Web site, tourism increased "by £12.6 million between 2017-19 with more than half of visitors giving their trip a perfect rating".
Extremely popular in many countries, with five series having been filmed and aired by early 2021, Shetland (TV series) was inspired by the Ann Cleeves books about the fictional Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez. This has created an interest in Shetland and some tourists visit because they wish to see the places where the series is set and filmed. In 2018, series star Douglas Henshall said in an interview, "When we were there filming, there’s people from Australia and different parts of America who had come specifically because of the show ... It’s showing all over the world. Now you get a lot of people from Scandinavia on these noir tours".
An October 2018 report stated that 91,000 passengers from cruise ships arrived that year (a record high), an increase over the 70,000 in 2017. There was a drop in 2019 to "over 76,000 cruise ship passengers".
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourism would drop significantly in 2020 (and into 2021) due to restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the major decline in the number of cruise ships that continued to operate worldwide.
As of early February 2021, the Promote Shetland Web site was still stating this information: "At present, nobody should travel to Shetland from a Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area in Scotland, unless it's for essential purposes". That page reiterated the government recommendation "that people avoid any unnecessary travel between Scotland and England, Wales, or Northern Ireland".
A September 2020 report stated that "The Highlands and Islands region has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to date, when compared to Scotland and the UK as a whole". The tourism industry required short term support for "business survival and recovery" and that was expected to continue as the sector was "severely impacted for as long as physical distancing and travel restrictions". As of 31 December 2020, the usage of ferries and buses was restricted to those traveling for essential purposes. The Island Equivalent scheme was introduced in early 2021 by the Scottish government to financially assist hospitality and retail businesses "affected by Level 3 coronavirus restrictions". Previous schemes in 2020 included the Strategic Framework Business Fund and the Coronavirus Business Support Fund.
Transport.
Transport between islands is primarily by ferry, and Shetland Islands Council operates various inter-island services. Shetland is also served by a domestic connection from Lerwick to Aberdeen on mainland Scotland. This service, which takes about 12 hours, is operated by NorthLink Ferries. Some services also call at Kirkwall, Orkney, which increases the journey time between Aberdeen and Lerwick by 2 hours. There are plans for road tunnels to some of the islands, especially Bressay and Whalsay; however, it is hard to convince the mainland government to finance them.
Sumburgh Airport, the main airport in Shetland, is located close to Sumburgh Head, south of Lerwick. Loganair operates flights to other parts of Scotland up to ten times a day, the destinations being Kirkwall, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Lerwick/Tingwall Airport is located west of Lerwick. Operated by Directflight Limited in partnership with Shetland Islands Council, it is devoted to inter-island flights from the Shetland Mainland to Fair Isle and Foula.
Scatsta Airport was an airport near Sullom Voe which allowed frequent charter flights from Aberdeen to transport oilfield workers. The airport closed on 30 June 2020.
Public bus services are operated in Mainland, Whalsay, Burra, Unst and Yell.
The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous sites of wrecked ships. Lighthouses are sited as an aid to navigation at various locations.
Public services.
The Shetland Islands Council is the Local Government authority for all the islands and is based in Lerwick Town Hall.
Shetland is sub-divided into 18 community council areas and into 12 civil parishes that are used for statistical purposes.
Education.
As of early 2021, Shetland had 22 primary schools, five junior high schools, and two high schools: Anderson High School and Brae High School.
Shetland College UHI is a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). UHI’s Centre for Rural Creativity partners with Shetland Arts Development Agency to provide courses on film, music and media up to Masters level at Mareel. The North Atlantic Fisheries College (NAFC) also operates in partnership with UHI offering "a range of training courses relevant to the maritime industries".
The Institute for Northern Studies, operated by UHI, provides "postgraduate teaching and research programmes"; one of the three locations is at Shetland.
Sport.
The Shetland Football Association oversees two divisions — a Premier League and a Reserve League — which are affiliated with the Scottish Amateur Football Association. Seasons take place during summer.
The islands are represented by the Shetland football team, which regularly competes in the Island Games.
Churches and religion.
The Reformation reached the archipelago in 1560. This was an apparently peaceful transition and there is little evidence of religious intolerance in Shetland's recorded history.
In the 2011 census, Shetland registered a higher proportion of people with no religion than the Scottish average. Nevertheless, a variety of religious denominations are represented in the islands.
The Methodist Church has a relatively high membership in Shetland, which is a District of the Methodist Church (with the rest of Scotland comprising a separate District).
The Church of Scotland had a Presbytery of Shetland that includes St. Columba's Church in Lerwick.
On 1 June 2020 the Presbytery of Shetland merged with the Presbytery of Aberdeen becoming the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland. In addition there was further church reorganisation in the islands with a series of church closures and all parishes mergeing into one, covering the whole of Shetland.
The Catholic population is served by the church of St. Margaret and the Sacred Heart in Lerwick. The Parish is part of the Diocese of Aberdeen.
The Scottish Episcopal Church (part of the Anglican Communion) has regular worship at St Magnus' Church, Lerwick; St Colman's Church, Burravoe; and the Chapel of Christ the Encompasser, Fetlar; the last of which is maintained by the Society of Our Lady of the Isles, the most northerly and remote Anglican religious order of nuns.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a congregation in Lerwick. The former print works and offices of the local newspaper, The Shetland Times, has been converted into a chapel.
Politics.
Shetland is represented in the House of Commons as part of the Orkney and Shetland constituency, which elects one Member of Parliament. As of February 2021, and since 2001, the MP is Alistair Carmichael, a Liberal Democrat. He grew up on Islay, the son of hill farmers who raised sheep and cattle and worked at various occupations before running for election.
This seat has been held by the Liberal Democrats or their predecessors the Liberal Party since 1950, longer than any other seat in the United Kingdom.
In the Scottish Parliament the Shetland constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system. Tavish Scott of the Scottish Liberal Democrats had held the seat since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Beatrice Wishart MSP, also of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, was elected to replace Tavish Scott in August 2019. Shetland is within the Highlands and Islands electoral region.
The political composition of the Shetland Islands Council is 21 Independents and 1 Scottish National Party.
In the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, Shetland voted to remain in the United Kingdom by the third largest margin of the 32 local authority areas, by 63.71% to 36.29% in favour of the status quo.
In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, Shetland voted to remain an EU member state, with 56.5% voting to remain and 43.5% voting to leave.
The Wir Shetland movement was set up in 2015 to campaign for greater autonomy. In September 2020, the Shetland Islands Council voted 18-2 to explore replacing the council with a new system of government which controls a fairer share of the islands revenue streams and has a greater influence over their own affairs, which could include very lucrative oil fields and fishing waters.
Shetland flag.
Roy Grönneberg, who founded the local chapter of the Scottish National Party in 1966, designed the flag of Shetland in cooperation with Bill Adams to mark the 500th anniversary of the transfer of the islands from Norway to Scotland. The colours are identical to those of the flag of Scotland, but are shaped in the Nordic cross. After several unsuccessful attempts, including a plebiscite in 1985, the Lord Lyon King of Arms approved it as the official flag of Shetland in 2005.
Local culture and the arts.
After the islands were officially transferred from Norway to Scotland in 1472, several Scots families from the Scottish Lowlands emigrated to Shetland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Studies of the genetic makeup of the islands' population, however, indicate that Shetlanders are just under half Scandinavian in origin, and sizeable amounts of Scandinavian ancestry, both patrilineal and matrilineal, have been reported in Orkney (55%) and Shetland (68%). This combination is reflected in many aspects of local life. For example, almost every place name in use can be traced back to the Vikings. The Lerwick Up Helly Aa is one of several fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter, starting on the last Tuesday of January. The festival is just over 100 years old in its present, highly organised form. Originally held to break up the long nights of winter and mark the end of Yule, the festival has become one celebrating the isles' heritage and includes a procession of men dressed as Vikings and the burning of a replica longship.
Shetland also competes in the biennial International Island Games, which it hosted in 2005.
The cuisine of Shetland is based on locally produced lamb, beef and seafood, some of it organic. Inevitably, the real ale-producing Valhalla Brewery is the most northerly in Britain. The Shetland Black is a variety of blue potato with a dark skin and indigo-coloured flesh markings.
Language.
The Norn language was a form of Old Norse spoken in the Northern Isles, and continued to be spoken until the 19th century. It was gradually replaced in Shetland by an insular dialect of Scots, known as Shetlandic, which is in turn being replaced in some areas by Scottish English. Although Norn was spoken for hundreds of years, it is now extinct and few written sources remain, although influences remain in the Insular Scots dialects. Shetland dialect is used in local radio and dialect writing, and is kept alive by organisations such as Shetland Forwirds, and the Shetland Folk Society.
Music.
Shetland's culture and landscapes have inspired a variety of musicians, writers and film-makers. The Forty Fiddlers was formed in the 1950s to promote the traditional fiddle style, which is a vibrant part of local culture today. Notable exponents of Shetland folk music include Aly Bain, Jenna Reid, Fiddlers' Bid, and the late Tom Anderson and Peerie Willie Johnson. Thomas Fraser was a country musician who never released a commercial recording during his life, but whose work has become popular more than 20 years after his death in 1978.
The annual Shetland Folk Festival began in 1981 and is hosted on the first weekend of May.
Writers.
Walter Scott's 1822 novel "The Pirate" is set in "a remote part of Shetland", and was inspired by his 1814 visit to the islands. The name "Jarlshof" meaning "Earl's Mansion" is a coinage of his. Robert Cowie, a doctor born in Lerwick published the 1874 work.
Hugh MacDiarmid, the Scots poet and writer, lived in Whalsay from the mid-1930s through 1942, and wrote many poems there, including a number that directly address or reflect the Shetland environment, such as "On A Raised Beach", which was inspired by a visit to West Linga. The 1975 novel "North Star" by Hammond Innes is largely set in Shetland and Raman Mundair's 2007 book of poetry "A Choreographer's Cartography" offers a British Asian perspective on the landscape. The "Shetland Quartet" by Ann Cleeves, who previously lived in Fair Isle, is a series of crime novels set around the islands. In 2013, her novel "Red Bones" became the basis of BBC crime drama television series "Shetland".
Vagaland, who grew up in Walls, was arguably Shetland's finest poet of the 20th century. Haldane Burgess was a Shetland historian, poet, novelist, violinist, linguist and socialist, and Rhoda Bulter (1929–1994) is one of the best-known Shetland poets of recent times. Other 20th- and 21st-century poets and novelists include Christine De Luca, Robert Alan Jamieson who grew up in Sandness, the late Lollie Graham of Veensgarth, Stella Sutherland of Bressay, the late William J. Tait from Yell and Laureen Johnson.
There are two monthly magazines in production: "Shetland Life" and "i'i' Shetland". The quarterly "The New Shetlander", founded in 1947, is said to be Scotland's longest-running literary magazine. For much of the later 20th century, it was the major vehicle for the work of local writers — and of others, including early work by George Mackay Brown.
Films and television.
Michael Powell made "The Edge of the World" in 1937, a dramatisation based on the true story of the evacuation of the last 36 inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda on 29 August 1930. St Kilda lies in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Outer Hebrides but Powell was unable to get permission to film there. Undaunted, he made the film over four months during the summer of 1936 in Foula and the film transposes these events to Shetland. Forty years later, the documentary "Return to the Edge of the World" was filmed, capturing a reunion of cast and crew of the film as they revisited the island in 1978.
A number of other films have been made on or about Shetland including "A Crofter's Life in Shetland" (1932), "A Shetland Lyric" (1934), "Devil's Gate" (2003) and "It's Nice Up North" (2006), a comedy documentary by Graham Fellows. The Screenplay film festival takes place annually in Mareel, a cinema, music and education venue.
The BBC One television series "Shetland", a crime drama, is set in the islands and is based on the book series by Ann Cleeves. The programme is filmed partly in Shetland and partly on the Scottish mainland.
Wildlife.
Shetland has three national nature reserves, at the seabird colonies of Hermaness and Noss, and at Keen of Hamar to preserve the serpentine flora. There are a further 81 SSSIs, which cover 66% or more of the land surfaces of Fair Isle, Papa Stour, Fetlar, Noss and Foula. Mainland has 45 separate sites.
Flora.
The landscape in Shetland is marked by the grazing of sheep and the harsh conditions have limited the total number of plant species to about 400. Native trees such as rowan and crab apple are only found in a few isolated places such as cliffs and loch islands. The flora is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, moss and lichen. Spring squill, buck's-horn plantain, Scots lovage, roseroot and sea campion are abundant, especially in sheltered places. Shetland mouse-ear ("Cerastium nigrescens") is an endemic flowering plant found only in Shetland. It was first recorded in 1837 by botanist Thomas Edmondston. Although reported from two other sites in the nineteenth century, it currently grows only on two serpentine hills in the island of Unst. The nationally scarce oysterplant is found in several islands and the British Red Listed bryophyte "Thamnobryum alopecurum" has also been recorded. Listed marine algae include: "Polysiphonia fibrillosa" (Dillwyn) Sprengel, "Polysiphonia atlantica" Kapraun and J.Norris, "Polysiphonia brodiaei" (Dillwyn) Sprengel, "Polysiphonia elongata" (Hudson) Sprengel, "Polysiphonia elongella", Harvey The Shetland Monkeyflower is unique to Shetland and is a mutation of the Monkeyflower "(mimulus guttatus") introduced to Shetland in the 19th century.
Fauna.
Shetland has numerous seabird colonies. Birds found in the islands include Atlantic puffin, storm-petrel, red-throated diver, northern gannet and great skua (locally called the "bonxie"). Numerous rarities have also been recorded including black-browed albatross and snow goose, and a single pair of snowy owls bred in Fetlar from 1967 to 1975. The Shetland wren, Fair Isle wren and Shetland starling are subspecies endemic to Shetland. There are also populations of various moorland birds such as curlew, lapwing, snipe and golden plover.
One of the early ornithologists that wrote about the wealth of birdlife in Shetland was Edmund Selous (1857-1934) in his book "The Bird Watcher in the Shetlands" (1905). He writes extensively about the gulls and terns, about the arctic skuas, the black guillemots and many other birds (and the seals) of the islands.
The geographical isolation and recent glacial history of Shetland have resulted in a depleted mammalian fauna and the brown rat and house mouse are two of only three species of rodent present in the islands. The Shetland field mouse is the third and the archipelago's fourth endemic subspecies, of which there are three varieties in Yell, Foula and Fair Isle. They are variants of "Apodemus sylvaticus" and archaeological evidence suggests that this species was present during the Middle Iron Age (around 200 BC to 400 AD). It is possible that "Apodemus" was introduced from Orkney where a population has existed since at the least the Bronze Age.
Domesticated animals.
There is a variety of indigenous breeds, of which the diminutive Shetland pony is probably the best known, as well as being an important part of the Shetland farming tradition. The first written record of the pony was in 1603 in the Court Books of Shetland and, for its size, it is the strongest of all the horse breeds. Others are the Shetland Sheepdog or "Sheltie", the endangered Shetland cattle and Shetland goose and the Shetland sheep which is believed to have originated prior to 1000 AD. The Grice was a breed of semi-domesticated pig that had a habit of attacking lambs. It became extinct sometime between the middle of the nineteenth century and the 1930s.


Oonchi Mosque

The Oonchi Mosque, or Oonchi Masjid (Punjabi, , "High Mosque") is a Mughal-era mosque located along the Hakiman Bazaar, near the Bhati Gate which leads into the Walled City of Lahore, in Pakistan. The mosque may date from the reign of the Emperor Akbar. It has been extensively renovated throughout its history, resulting in little of the original mosque's decorative elements being preserved.
Background.
The mosque's name means "High Mosque," and refers to the fact that the mosque was built upon a high platform. Unlike the grand Mughal mosques such as Wazir Khan Mosque and Badshahi Mosque, no inscription exists which signifies the year of the mosque's construction.
History.
The mosque is often said to date from the reign of Akbar, however, evidence also suggest that the mosque may have been built later, during the reign of Aurangzeb.
It is said that the spiritual master of the great Punjabi poet and Sufi saint, Baba Bulleh Shah, Shah Inayat Qadiri, was Imam of the mosque. Mulla Abdul Qadir Badayuni mentions in his writing the mosque as a platform during the reign of Akbar.
The mosque has been ascribed to a "mashki" - a water carrier. A tughra was once located on the mosque's outer gate which read:
Architecture.
The mosque features three archways and a small ablution pool for the performance of the Islamic ritual washing. Two niches along the mosque's western wall bear Quranic verses, while a third bears the name of Abul Fateh Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar Badshah Ghazi.


Anacortes Community Forest Lands

Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL) consists of mostly forested lands surrounding and adjoining Little Cranberry, Heart, and Whistle Lakes on Fidalgo Island, west and south of Anacortes, Washington. Its highest point is Mount Erie, the highest point on the island at . Sugarloaf, 1,044 feet (318 m) and 0.6 miles (1.0 km) north of Mount Erie, is its second highest peak. As well as the aforementioned lakes, ACFL contains a number of smaller lakes, ponds and wetlands.
ACFL originated in the August 2, 1919, purchase by the city of Washington Power, Light and Water Company equipment and lands for $135,000.
Prior to 1989, the forest was logged for the revenue that it produced. In the late 1980s, the forest produced little or no net income and a community organization, Friends of the Forest, was formed to oppose logging. Subsequently, a survey by the Parks Department indicated that the community favored non-forestry uses of those lands, and a study showed that the forest trails were highly valued for recreational use. In 1990, the Forest Endowment Fund was started. On April 15, 1991, the City Council ended logging, except to remove downed or dangerous trees, from the permitted uses of the forest. In 1998, a Conservation Easement Program (CEP) was adopted by the city council as a means of funding ACFL and preserving the forest. Contributions to the CEP preserve the forest at a rate of $1000 per acre. The conservation easements are held and monitored by Skagit Land Trust. As of mid-2007, over $1.5 million had been contributed and was preserved.
The forest includes lakes, bogs and wetlands, low mountains and rocky cliffs. Most of the forest has been logged once or twice, but a notable grove of low-elevation old-growth forest remains. The upper story is dominated by Pinaceae (Pine Family) including "Pseudotsuga menziesii" (Douglas-fir), "Tsuga heterophylla" (Western Hemlock), "Pinus contorta" (Shore Pine), and "Abies grandis" (Grand Fir), as well as "Acer macrophyllum" (Bigleaf Maple), "Arbutus menziesii" (Pacific Madrone), and "Alnus rubra" (Red Alder). Important understory species are "Gaultheria shallon" (Salal) and "Acer circinatum" (Vine Maple).


The Village of Rochester Hills

The Village of Rochester Hills is an upscale retail lifestyle center located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Metro Detroit. Built in 2002, the center replaced a former enclosed shopping mall called Meadowbrook Village Mall. The Village of Rochester Hills features more than forty inline tenants as well as one anchor store: Whole Foods Market. The second anchor store, Carson's closed on August 29, 2018, and will be replaced by Von Maur.
History.
The northeastern corner of Walton Boulevard and Adams Road in Rochester Hills, Michigan was originally occupied by Meadowbrook Village Mall. This was a small enclosed shopping mall built in 1976, which did not feature any major anchor stores, and Frank's Nursery & Crafts as the largest tenant.
Starting in the mid-1980s, Meadowbrook Village Mall's owners, Robert B. Aikens & Associates, had made unsuccessful attempts to attract national chain stores to the mall. In 1996, the company made the decision to demolish the property for a lifestyle center complex anchored by a Parisian department store and a Farmer Jack Food Emporium supermarket, with the other stores arranged along a "main street." The Village of Rochester Hills opened on September 20, 2002 as the Detroit area's first lifestyle center, with more than fifty inline tenants, including the largest Talbots clothing store in the state, and the state's first Coldwater Creek. Upon opening the Village of Rochester Hills store, Detroit became the second most-profitable market for the Parisian chain.
In 2006 and 2007, Belk acquired the Parisian name and converted most of the Parisian stores to the Belk name, although the three Parisian stores in Michigan were sold to The Bon-Ton, which retained the Parisian name for these stores. Farmer Jack closed the last of its stores in 2007 when its parent company, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), decided to exit the Detroit market, and Whole Foods Market moved from an existing store into the former Farmer Jack building.
Parisian was re-branded to Carson's in January 2013.
On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Carson's would be closing due to The Bon-Ton going out of business. The store closed on August 29, 2018. The store was sold to Von Maur, which plans to open there in Spring 2022.
In April 2019, Barnes & Noble opened a new store at the Village. This is a concept store, smaller than most Barnes & Noble locations.


Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route

The Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route is a Pure Michigan Byway on the Leelanau Peninsula in Leelanau County in the US state of Michigan that follows three different highways:


Phong Nha Cave

Phong Nha Cave is a cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam. It is 7,729 metres long and contains 14 grottoes, as well as a 13,969 metre underground river. While scientists have surveyed 44.5 kilometres of passages, tourists are only allowed to explore the first 1500 metres.
Climate.
The climate at Phong Nha Cave is hot, sometimes with heavy rain.
See also.
Phong Nha cave, from which the name to the whole system and the park is derived, is famous for its rock formations which have been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”. Phong Nha cave is 7729 m long but tourists can only penetrate to a distance of 1500 m.and contains several grottoes or chamber, including the Bi Ky grottoes.
Its cave system features underground passageways and river caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The stalagmites that used to stand at the cave’s entrance apparently inspired its name: Phong Nha means ‘Wind and Teeth’.
Phong Nha is famous for its rock formation that bear intriguing names such as the ‘Lion’, ‘Unicorn’, ‘Kneeling elephant’ and ‘the Buddha’. After flowing about 19 km underground, the Son river emerges from the mouth of this cave, draining a huge area of the limestone mountains around Phong Nha.
Phong Nha has been voted as one of the most wonderful caves in the world for a number of reasons: for its longest underground river, for its most beautiful underground lake. for its highest and widest entrance, for its most beautiful and widest dry cave, for its most beautiful sandbank and reef, as well as for its most spectacular stalactites, stalagmites and longest water grottos.


Cocopa Point

Cocopa Point is a -cliff-elevation Point located in the central, (to beginning Western), Grand Canyon, Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States. Cocopa Point is 1.1 miles from its closest highest scenic viewpoint, Yuma Point (6,654 ft), located east at Eremita Mesa (Spanish for Hermit Mesa), at the northeast, overlooking Central Hermit Canyon. (Hermit Canyon, with the Hermit Trail is located at the west terminus of West Rim Drive.) Cocopa Point is in a region of points, at the headwaters of canyons, and landforms below the South Rim. Mimbreno Point lies ~1.7 miles west, and Hermit Canyon and Pima Point, at the west-terminus of West Rim Drive, are about 1.5 mi and 2.0 miles due-east. Cocopa Point is at the northwest of Eremita Mesa; Yuma Point is at the northeast; the mesa lies between Hermit Canyon, east, and Upper Boucher Canyon, west. Cocopa Point is a sheer-walled cliff, sitting at the northwest headwaters of short, Travertine Canyon. At the west of Lower Travertine Canyon, adjacent the Colorado River (south, at Granite Gorge), sits Whites Butte, about 1.2 miles distant from Cocopa Point.
Geology.
The cliff of Cocopa Point is a high-angle cliff of Kaibab Limestone, three rock units below, upon a similar thickness unit of the red-orange Supai Group. The sequence is Kaibab Limestone, on Toroweap Formation, cliffs of Coconino Sandstone, on slopes of dk-burnt-red Hermit Shale. Below is the Supai Group, on cliffs of Redwall Limestone, on members of the Tonto Group, namely, Muav Limestone, Bright Angel Shale, and closer to the Colorado River, short cliffs of Tapeats Sandstone.


Centro Habitat Mediterraneo

The Centro Habitat Mediterraneo (CHM; Italian for "Center for Mediterranean Habitat") is an oasis of on the coast near Rome (Italy), included in the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve and managed by the Italian Bird Protection League (LIPU).
History.
In the 1990s, the area of the Ostia Seaplane Base was occupied by an open landfill site, known for being the scene of the murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini on November 2, 1975.

In 1995 the area caught the attention of an Australian company, which proposed the construction of an oceanarium that would irreparably alter the ecosystem of the mouth of the Tiber. To oppose this proposal, the Ostia delegation of the Italian Bird Protection League (LIPU) proposed the creation of a nature reserve and – after a heartfelt campaign to collect signatures within the XIII "Circoscrizione" (today the Municipio X) – the project was approved; after the reclamation of the area, the oasis opened in 2001. This was also accompanied by the inauguration of the nearby Marina of Rome, part of a project for the redevelopment of the seaplane base area.
The 20 hectares of greenery, with an artificial pond in the center, are a refuge and a stopping place for various species of animals (mainly birds) and attract professional photographers and birdwatchers from all over the world. Inside the oasis there is the "Pier Paolo Pasolini" Literary Park, inaugurated on November 2, 2005, where a concrete sculpture was erected to commemorate the well-known Italian writer and director. The sculpture, the work of Mario Rosati, was damaged in 2016 by some vandals but was restored over the following year.

In 2016 a bunker dating back to World War II, probably for anti-aircraft use, was unearthed in the oasis.
Flora.
The flora is typical of the maquis shrubland, with Italian buckthorn, bay laurel, giant cane, strawberry tree, "phillyrea", sea daffodil, broom, rushes, evergreen oak, lentisk, silver poplar, rosemary, blackberry, willow, cork oak, tamarisk.
Fauna.
Little mammals.
Coypu, European hedgehog, red fox.
Birds.
Great egret, grey heron, western cattle egret, purple heron, Eurasian teal, white wagtail, zitting cisticola, gadwall, Eurasian blackcap, black-winged stilt, mute swan, great cormorant, little ringed plover, common pheasant, western marsh harrier, peregrine falcon, common firecrest, red-crested pochard, Eurasian coot, moustached warbler, yellow-legged gull, common moorhen, little egret, mallard, common kestrel, European bee-eater, common chiffchaff, pygmy cormorant, common kingfisher, garganey, northern shoveler, common reed bunting, whiskered tern, ferruginous duck, common pochard, black-crowned night heron, Sardinian warbler, common greenshank, Eurasian penduline tit, European robin, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper, common buzzard, water rail, barn swallow, little crake, squacco heron, Eurasian spoonbill, great crested grebe, western jackdaw, Eurasian bittern, little bittern, Eurasian collared dove, European turtle dove, spotted redshank, little grebe, Cetti's warbler, common shelduck
Reptiles and amphibians.
Green whip snake, four-lined snake, Italian three-toed skink, grass snake, edible frog, common toad, Hermann's tortoise, European pond turtle.
Ichthyofauna.
Common carp, flathead grey mullet, pumpkinseed.
Invertebrates.
Damselfly, two-tailed pasha, skimmer, European mantis.
Facilities.
The Centro Habitat Mediterraneo includes:
Transport.
 The center can be reached from the bus stops "Idroscalo/Atlantici 1" and "Idroscalo/Atlantici 2".


Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park

Wild Basin a region in the southeast corner Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, United States. The primary entrance is located north of Allenspark off State Highway 7.
A dirt road leads to a ranger station, parking and horseback or hiking trails. The trail to Bluebird Lake and Ouzel Lake follows the North St. Vrain Creek (which is a tributary of the South Platte River) passing Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls along the way, leading to Ouzel Lake and Bluebird Lake. Both Ouzel Falls and Ouzel Lake are named after a North American species of bird, "Cinclus mexicanus", also known as a dipper. Other trails lead to Thunder Lake, Finch Lake, and Pear Lake.


Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness

The Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness is in the eastern Mojave Desert and within Mojave Trails National Monument, located in San Bernardino County, California.
Geography.
The wilderness lies in the northern end of the Sacramento Mountains, east of the Piute Mountains and west of Needles, California, along Interstate 40 as its northern border. The wilderness covers approximately . Elevations range from at the top of the Sacramento range's Bannock Peak.
Flora and fauna.
In the wilderness area the vegetation types are predominantly of the creosote bush scrub plant community. The densest concentration of Bigelow cholla ("Cylindropuntia bigelovii") in all California's deserts is found within the wilderness area and the surrounding terrain.
Wildlife is typical for the Mojave Desert; including coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrel, kangaroo rat, quail, roadrunner, rattlesnakes, and several species of lizards. The area provides habitat for migrating desert bighorn sheep. The western half of the wilderness area provides critical habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.


Myths and Legends Byway

The Myths and Legends Byway is a Louisiana Scenic Byway that follows several different state highways, primarily:


Harzer Hexenstieg

The Harz Witches' Trail () is a footpath, just under 100 km long, in Germany that runs from Osterode through the Harz mountains and over its highest peak, the Brocken, to Thale. It is a project by the Harz Transport Association and Harz Club and is part of the system of trails known as the "Harzer Wandernadel".
Footpath.
The trail runs from Osterode via Lerbach to Buntenbock, which is in the borough of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and surrounded by the Upper Harz Ponds. The ponds are part of a cultural monument to the former mining industry of the Harz, known as the Upper Harz Water Regale and to which the Dyke Ditch belongs.
Following the Dyke Ditch, the path passes the Dam House as well as the Grabenhaus Rose which belongs to the town of Altenau. Passing the Förster Ludwig Platz and Naben Valley Waterfall the path reaches Torfhaus via the "Steile Wand" ("Steep Wall").
In Torfhaus the Witches' Trail splits into two routes. The main route runs along the Goethe Way to the Brocken, in places parallel to the Brocken Railway, and from there to Königshütte. An alternative route bypasses the Brocken and runs to other features of the Upper Harz Water Regale such as the Oderteich and the Rehberg Ditch. After passing Sankt Andreasberg and Braunlage this path rejoins the main route.
From Königshütte two alternative routes go to Altenbrak. One way runs through Rübeland along the Rübeland Railway, the other past the Rappbode Reservoir.
From Altenbrak the path continues to Thale, where the Harz Witches' Trail ends.
The name of the footpath is derived from the association of a number of sites with witches, including the Brocken and the "Hexentanzplatz" ("Witches' Dance Floor") in Thale and other sites such as the Bruchberg and Braunlage.
Accommodation.
The trail cannot be walked in one day, and in any case there are many points of interest en route, including unspoiled areas of nature as well as cultural landscapes and quaint villages. There are several hostels and shelters where walkers may overnight:
Walking badge.
There is a walking badge called the "Harzer Hexenstieg" for the total of 11 check points of the "Harzer Wandernadel" network of paths that may be found along the path.


Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge

Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County, California. The refuge is one of four units of the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex for California condors.
Geography.
The Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is part of the cooperatively-managed Blue Ridge Wildlife Habitat Area, an area set aside as an important roosting area located close to historic nesting and foraging habitat for the California condor. This refuge consists of almost of coniferous forests dominated by Ponderosa Pine and Incense Cedar.
As of July 2014, there is a total population of 437 condors living in sites in California, Baja California and Arizona. This includes a wild population of 232 and a captive population of 205. 68 free-flying Condors are managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Southern California.
Owners.
There are three principal private owners, and four public owners:


Grand Caverns

Grand Caverns, formerly known as Weyer's Cave, is located in the central Shenandoah Valley in the town of Grottoes, Virginia, United States. A limestone cavern, it claims the distinction of being America's oldest show cave, in operation since 1806.
In 1973, the National Park Service designated the cave a National Natural Landmark in recognition of its shield formations and other features, such as flowstone, stalactites, and stalagmites.
History.
According to legend, the cavern system was discovered in 1804 by 17-year-old Bernard Weyer, manager of the local distillery, looking for a missing trap. Originally, it was called Amend's cave, named after the land's owner, Matthias Amend. In two years, Amend opened it for the public, one of the first show caves of the United States. The locals, however, preferred to name it after the original discoverer.
During the Civil War and the Valley Campaign, the cave was visited by both Confederate and Union soldiers. During their visits, over 230 soldiers signed their names on the cave's walls. One noted signature is that of W.W. Miles, signed on September 26, 1864. Once, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was apparently camped near Port Republic and allowed his soldiers to visit the caverns.
From 1974 until October 2009 Grand Caverns was owned by the Upper Valley Regional Park Authority (UVRPA); they also claimed ownership of Natural Chimneys. In October 2009 Grand Caverns and its surrounding parks were given to the Town of Grottoes; the UVRPA has since dissolved.
In 2004, the Grand Caverns management requested that the Virginia Region chapter of the National Speleological Society conduct a re-survey of the cave system which had not been done since the 1930s. With completion of the re-survey in the original, commercial portion of the cave (), the cavers pushed through a passage, which led them to of unexplored cave. The total surveyed passage now stands at making Grand Caverns the 215th longest surveyed cave in the United States as of May 2008. The newly discovered portion of cave (closed to the public) is highly decorated with many forms of speleothems, including the celebrated shields. The passages to the north are fairly dry with abundant brilliant white formations, earning them the name "New Mexico". The southern portion of the new cave includes a series of large rooms with massive breakdown, the largest of which ("Kentucky") is over long by wide. The highest and lowest points in the cave are found in the new passage.
Grand Caverns is currently open seven days a week. Monday through Friday, tours typically run every hour from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday tours run every 45 minutes starting at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m.
Geology.
The cave is developed in Cambrian limestone/dolomite, and is known for its abundance of shield formations. It is also replete with stalactites, stalagmites, columns (where stalactites and stalagmites meet), draperies and other flowstone formations. The most stately room, "Cathedral Hall", is long and over high. It is one of the largest rooms of any cavern in the eastern United States. Other sights include "Bridal Veil", "Stonewall Jackson's Horse", the "Tapestry Room", and "Dante's Inferno".
Grounds and events.
The caverns are surrounded by a tourist-driven area. Other activities in the park include hiking and biking trails, five picnic shelters for general use, a swimming pool, and a mini-golf course. The caverns also host an annual bluegrass festival.


Deep Creek North Wilderness

Deep Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in the US state of Utah. It was designated March 30, 2009, as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Together with the Deep Creek Wilderness to the south it encompasses and protects much of Deep Creek, a tributary of the Wild & Scenic Virgin River, as well as of the surrounding land.


Lighthouse Route

The Lighthouse Route is a scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It follows the province's South Shore for from Halifax to Yarmouth.


Talang Satang National Park

The Talang Satang National Park is a national park in Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is Sarawak's first marine protected area, and covers the four islands Pulau Talang-Talang Besar, Pulau Talang-Talang Kecil, Pulau Satang Besar and Pulau Satang Kecil and surrounding coral reefs.
The park was established to protect marine turtles; four species of marine turtles are known to nest in the park, including green turtles and hawksbill turtles.
Although turtles come ashore all year round, the main nesting season is from April to October.
Talang Satang is open to nature tourism although its primary purpose is nature conservation. Activities that visitors can engage in are scubadiving and snorkeling, but only outside the area of protection and conservation.


Mall (film)

Mall, known in French as Mall: A Day to Kill, is a 2014 American thriller based on a novel of the same name written by Eric Bogosian. It was released on June 18, 2014, in France, on July 16 in Sweden, and on October 17 in North America. The film is directed by Linkin Park turntablist Joe Hahn, with Vincent D'Onofrio serving as executive producer. D'Onofrio has also worked as an actor in the film as Danny. Peter Stormare, Gina Gershon, Mimi Rogers, Brian Rodriguez and Cameron Monaghan also star in the film. The film was produced by Hahn, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Sam Maydew. The film is Hahn's full-length directorial debut and his second directed film after "The Seed", which was a 10-minute short. The story for the film features lives of five disaffected suburbanites come together at a shopping mall.
Plot.
Mal, an addict, shoots his mother, sets their trailer on fire, and heads to the mall. At the same time, a cop urges philosophical college student Jeff to stop loitering on private property. Jeff and his friend Adelle also go to the mall, as Jeff tells her about his belief that modern society has become soulless and a shallow facsimile of itself. Jeff describes several of the people that they see at the mall and narratives what he imagines their back story to be: Donna, a bored housewife who obsesses over her attractiveness; Barry, a salesman who hates his business but stays in it because he understands it; Michael, a security guard who, after immigrating, becomes a widower and lives only for his job; and Danny, a married businessman who engages in casual sex.
Jeff and Adelle meet up with Beckett and Shel, and Beckett shares ecstasy with Jeff. Beckett attempts to talk Jeff out of his crush on Adelle, to no avail. When Danny is arrested (by the same cop who hassled Jeff) for peeping on Donna who forgets to lock the fitting room door while she changes clothes, Beckett and Shel leave to gawk at the scene. Alone with Adelle, Jeff confesses to her that he has fallen in love with her, but she calls him unexciting and wanders off. Mal arrives at the mall and kills Barry, who is his father, and several cops. Hurt, Jeff stumbles in a drug-addled daze through the mall, not aware of the crowds that have begun to flee. Mal leaves the mall, kills the cops who arrested Danny, and heads to the forest. Michael grabs a spare rifle from Mal's car and follows him.
Beckett, Shel, and Adelle arrive in the parking lot, where they find Danny still handcuffed. As they discuss what to do with him, he begs them to free him so that he can go home. After Beckett and Shel leave to vandalize the mall, Adelle points out that she can do anything she wants to Danny. She moves him to his own car, binds him in place with a seat belt, tightens his handcuffs, and molests him while forcing him to repeat, "I'm a pervert." She leaves once he passes out. Meanwhile, Jeff meets Donna in a bar, and after he tells her that she does not look old enough to have kids, she invites him to a motel room, where they have sex. Unconcerned with what has happened at the mall, Donna merely asks for details so that she can craft a believable cover story.
Jeff wanders back to the mall, where he discovers Beckett and Shell taking pictures of Danny with their cell phones. Jeff chases them away and offers to take Danny to a hospital. Danny requests that he brought back to his home. When Danny asks Jeff if he knows Adelle based on her description, Jeff says that she is not a friend. Satisfied, Danny approaches his house, still handcuffed. As Jeff walks off, he encounters Mal, who ended up wounded after a shootout with Michael. Mal and Jeff talk briefly, and Mal requests that Jeff kill him. Jeff refuses and calls him a coward who is willing to die but not to live. As Jeff runs off, the cops gather for an assault on Mal's location. As Donna returns to her boring life, Jeff quotes "Steppenwolf", saying that one day he will learn to laugh. The film ends as he laughs.
Cast.
The casting for the film was done by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy.
Kimberly Kane and Juelz Ventura appear in cameos as pornographic actresses.
Production.
The production of the film was handled by various producers. But it was mainly handled by Vincent D'Onofrio. Whereas the others were Erika Hampson and Sam Maydew. The executive producers included Shaked Berenson and Patrick Ewald.
The film was directed by Joe Hahn of American rock band Linkin Park. Other band members, including Chester Bennington, assisted in scoring the film's soundtrack.
Filming.
Principal Photography took place in the Eastern part of Los Angeles. More information about the location of the set was kept as a secret. A bit of information was given to Linkin Park Underground members who lived in Los Angeles by giving them a chance to meet Joe Hahn. Shooting began in April 2012.
In the tweet-out sessions, Hahn answered a question that, "The movie was shot a year ago, and we're finishing the album right now." In another question, Hahn said that "the movie is coming along well. We finished it, and we are getting ready to put it out, and hopefully you would see it soon." Hahn stated about the comparison between directing a video and a film:
In another interview with "Forbes", Hahn again explains the difference as:
Promotion.
A trailer was released in the promotion of the film, which was also leaked on the internet at the end of May. But in support of that the film had few teasers which were launched on the Facebook page of the film. All the teasers were available on July 25, 2014. Another list of sneak peeks was released via Facebook and YouTube on October 14.
Another trailer of the film was officially released on the Facebook page of the band, which is a couple of minutes long.
An Art exhibition inspired by the film named as "Beast Astray" was put up on September 25, 2014, at Known Gallery, Los Angeles, for the promotion of the film. The exhibition was put up by the sponsorship and support of Machine Shop, Red Bull, Good Smile company, and various others.
Music.
The music for the film was composed by Deadsy drummer Alec Puro and Linkin Park members Chester Bennington, Dave Farrell, Hahn and Mike Shinoda. The soundtrack for "The Seed", the first installment by Hahn featured three songs. One of them was "There They Go" by Fort Minor (originally from his studio debut album, "The Rising Tied") played during the credits, and the other two were untitled and were played during the fight scenes. This would be the sixth soundtrack and the second score by the band, after their soundtracks for the hit music series of the 2007 hit film, "Transformers". The previous soundtrack by the band was the 2011 film . The first score by the band was a collaboration with Steve Jablonsky for the 2009 film . The soundtrack for the film was released under the Warner Bros. and Machine Shop record labels on December 12, 2014.
In a tweet-out session, Joe answered the question about the score: "The movie is done! The score is finished! And we are putting it out to distributors and see who's going to put it out. So it's going to come soon." A song named as "It Goes Through", which Shinoda provides lead vocals on, as he also did for "The Last Line" and "Devil's Drop", for the 2-minute trailer that was released on May 28, 2014, in promotion for "Mall", was featured in the movie trailer, which could be the first single from the soundtrack of the film. The official trailer to "Mall" was launched via Linkin Park's official Facebook page on August 9, 2014.
Release.
In October 2013, Joe Hahn had developed a few toys for , and there in an interview, he said that the film would be released in 2014. The film made an exclusive screening at Zachary Levi and The Nerd Machine's 5th annual Nerd HQ event on July 24, 2014, at Petco Park in San Diego immediately after the band's performance at the MTVU Fandom Awards, as well as performing their second hit single "Until It's Gone" from "The Hunting Party". "Mall" had its theatrical premiere in Los Angeles on October 14, 2014, and had a limited released on October 17, 2014. It was released in Canada on October 24 and debuted on iTunes on October 31. It was released on video on demand in November 2014.
Reception.
Zach Hollwedel of "Under the Radar" rated it 4/10 stars and called it "an angry letter to consumerist America with little redemptive value".


Greater Udupi

Greater Udupi is the fast growing city in Karnataka State.Greater Udupi is the proposed extension of Municipal Limits of Udupi City Municipal Council. Greater Udupi which will be formed by merging adjacent villages surrounding Udupi city is proposed by the Government of Karnataka and declared by ex- Deputy Commissioner of Udupi District, V. Ponnuraj.
Areas covered by Udupi Urban Development Authority will be brought under Greater Udupi and will be provided with better infrastructure and roads will be widened. From this expansion Udupi is expected to be upgraded into a City Corporation by 2025 after the population of the city exceeds 3.0 lakhs( approx. 2.5 lakhs at present 2010).


Fairview Mall

Fairview Mall (corporately designated CF Fairview Mall) is a large shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada of about . Opened in 1970, the centre has over 180 stores, offices and a cinema complex. It is located several kilometres north-east of downtown, at the northeast corner of Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue East in the former borough of North York.
Description.
The mall is on two levels east to west with a vacant space (formerly Sears) at the west end and the Hudson's Bay at the east end. Its 170 stores include numerous clothing stores, speciality shops and kiosks. The mall also has a multiplex cinema, a food court and a few restaurants. The shopping centre also provides a personal style program that offers clients individual image consultations, personal shopping sessions, and other customized services for a fee.
Nearby, the Toronto Public Library's Fairview Public Library branch is located to the north of the mall. A community health centre is located next to the mall along Don Mills Road. It includes a pharmacy, various doctors offices and dentist offices, and eye exam clinics.
Fairview Mall is located near the intersections of two major highways: Highways 401 and 404. The mall is surrounded on all sides by parking lot and parking garages. Parking is free. The shopping centre is also served by a Toronto Transit Commission subway line and a York Region bus rapid transit line.
The mall is jointly owned by Cadillac Fairview (50%) and Ivanhoé Cambridge (50%), two of Canada's largest real estate property managers and developers. Cadillac Fairview Corporation also owns and operates Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener, Ontario, and co-owns Fairview Pointe-Claire (Centre Fairview Centre) with Ivanhoé Cambridge, in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
History.
Fairview Mall opened in 1970 with The Bay and Simpsons as its department store anchors, and at the time was the fourth fully enclosed, as well as the first multi-level, shopping centre in Metropolitan Toronto. In 1991, the Hudson's Bay Company sold its Simpsons store at Fairview Mall to Sears Canada.
From 1987 to 1989, the Cadillac Fairview Corporation and previous co-owner Markborough Properties Ltd spent CAD$90M to provide Fairview Mall's first major expansion. Renovations at that time included a glass-tiered ceiling, similar to Toronto's Eaton Centre, which opened much of its interior to natural lighting.
In the late 1990s, a major portion of the shopping centre's parking lot was redeveloped into a large bus terminal as part of the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC's) Don Mills subway station (the eastern terminus of Toronto's new Sheppard subway line), which opened in 2002, and also as the southern terminus of York Region Transit's Viva Green bus rapid transit line.
In late 2008, Fairview Mall completed a CAD$90 million (previously planned as $84 million) three-phase full renovation and redevelopment project which had been started in July 2006. The redevelopment phases included an expanded Shoppers Drug Mart and a large format Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store. The food court was moved to the lower level under a high skylight near The Bay. All entrances to the mall were updated to incorporate hands-free technology and the common areas inside the centre were transformed with greater open spaces and wood finishes. Elevators serving the third floor offices were added for the first time, located near entrance #4.
In 2009, retailers Bath & Body Works, Forever 21, Sephora, Hollister Co., and Zara opened within the mall. The facade along Sheppard Avenue received a complete facelift by the end of 2009. During that time, work on Fairview Mall's new "dining experience" area was undertaken. The Rainbow Cinema had originally been an older style Cineplex theatre.
The Sears store closed in late 2017 as part of the liquidation of Sears Canadian operations. In 2019, Cadillac Fairview announced the expansion of the mall which includes adding a row of restaurants, a Sears box redevelopment, a renovation of the existing mall, and a new pedestrian access to the TTC. It is expected to be completed in 2023.
Incidents.
On 13 December 2006, three handguns, a machine gun, ammunition and drugs were found in a locker meant for shoppers to store their belongings as they shopped.
On 25 June 2008, an 18-year-old was stabbed and seriously injured outside of a shoe store within the mall.
On 12 January 2009, a serial purse snatcher drove slightly into a woman, striking her leg. As the woman was checking out her injury, a man in the car grabbed her carry-all. The victim attempted to hold onto her purse as he drove away, dragging her for a short distance before she let go.
On 13 September 2010, a plainclothes mall security guard, Owen Baker, attempted to arrest a man for allegedly stealing a sample bottle of cologne, resulting in a foot-chase in which the security guard was shot at. Baker originally said he was looking down the barrel of the gun because it was pointed directly at his head, and that he dove into a jewellery store to dodge the bullet. Security camera footage contradicted his statements, and Baker later revised his story to say he didn't know which direction the gun was pointed and that he dropped to his knees as opposed to diving into a store. Once Baker regained his composure he got back up and continued chasing the suspect for the sample bottle of cologne. Toronto Police initially named Christopher Alexander and Shaun Mobeen as suspects. Mobeen turned himself in but was released after police cleared him of being the man in the video footage.
On 21 January 2014, an armoured truck transporting from the mall was robbed by two gunmen, leading to an exchange of gunfire. No one was injured, and the robbers made off with a bag of money containing $100,000.
On 13 November 2016, a car crashed into the mall, demolishing part of a wall. The driver was trapped in the debris, later being freed by emergency workers.
On 12 March 2017, a teenager was seriously wounded in a stabbing near the movie theater.


Balve Cave

The Balver Höhle (German for Balve Cave) is the biggest cave used as a cultural venue in Europe. It is located in Balve, Germany.
History.
The Balve Cave was mentioned in the Thidrekssaga. It has been used by the local "Schützenfest" (marksmen's festival) each year for over 160 years.
Since 1985 it has also been the venue of an annual theatre festival, the "Festspiele Balver Höhle". Its first play was the "Katharina von Georgien" directed by Hermann Wedekind.In 1991 it staged dramas based on fairy tales festival was installed by "Festspiele Balver Höhle". In 1998 the "Festspiele Balver Höhle" performed their first oriental musical. In 2009 they did their second, "Der kleine Muck".
Semi-professionals and professionals are working together at "Irish Folk & Celtic Music", "Balver Märchenwochen" and other activities of "Festspiele Balver Höhle".


Stanichno-Luhansk Reserve

Stanichno-Luhansk Reserve () is a protected nature reserve of Ukraine that covers a portion of the left bank of the Donets River floodplain. The reserve is about 30 km north of Luhansk, near the town of Stanytsia Luhanska in the administrative district of Stanytsia-Luhanska Raion of Luhansk Oblast
Topography.
The site is set back from the Donets River itself, on the terrace supporting a strip of flood lakes about 50 meters above sea level. In the 1990s the lakes in the middle of the reserve were frequently connected to the river by flooding. The soils are chernozym (black soils) on 15–20 meters of alluvium and limestone rocks.
Climate and ecoregion.
The official climate designation for the Stanichno-Luhansk area is "Humid continental climate - warm summer sub-type" (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over , but no month averaging over . The growing season lasts 200–210 days. The average annual precipitation is 460 mm, but varies from 300-680.
Flora and fauna.
The reserve is covered mostly with deciduous forest (70%), meadow-steppe, and floodplain lakes. The lower sandy regions near the river feature willow and poplar; on the terrace are oak forests.
Public use.
As a strict nature reserve, Stanichno-Luhansk's primary purpose is protection of nature and scientific study. Public access is limited: mass recreation and construction of facilities is prohibited as are hunting and fishing.


Ko Olina Station and Center

Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center make up a lifestyle center in the resort town of Ko Olina, a neighborhood in Kapolei, Hawaii. The shopping mall opened in 2009 and consists of two centers located across a street from each other. Ko Olina Station debuted in 2009, while the more recent Ko Olina Center finished construction in 2010. The centers contain a total of approximately 31 retail tenants, with the majority of them being native Hawaiian businesses, such as ABC Stores and Peter Merriman's MonkeyPod Kitchen.
The center was modeled after a "rural" Hawaiian community, with its grocery store modeled after a "country store". It is located directly north along the old Oahu Railway and Land Company tracks, and includes a mix of dining and retail options.
History.
Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center were built to cater to those staying at any of the four Ko Olina resorts: Aulani, Four Seasons' Ihilani Resort, Ko Olina Beach Villas, and Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club. The shopping mall was built in the center of the Ko Olina Golf Club, which hosts the Lotte Championship for golf every spring since 2012. The lifestyle center was developed by Honu Group, with its first phase, Ko Olina Station, opening in 2009. Ko Olina Center opened in 2010, and unlike Station, featured a second floor for office space. Located directly across from Aulani, the center's purpose is to "offer office space, speciality stores, restaurants, amenities and other services" to Ko Olina. Together, they consist of of retail and office space, with Station consisting of sixteen tenants and Center consisting of fourteen.
In 2014, the center added several new retailers to their lineup, including Wyland Galleries, Island Sole, and Honolua Surf Co. After this announcement followed the expansion of Pineapple Boutique, a luxury apparel retailer, that stated the opening of a second location within the mall. However, when the JW Marriott Ihilani, a former resort in Ko Olina, announced its closure, the center's tenants became worried about their businesses; Frank Mento, the owner of Pizza Corner, a local pizzeria, joked that his pizza parlor would "lose a slice of its sales". As of June 2016, the lifestyle center is approaching full capacity, with only 3 vacant retail tenants and 5 vacant office tenants.
Design.
Many of the stores and tenants that are located in Ko Olina Station and Center were designed to resemble rural Hawaii. Island Country Market, the center's grocery store owned by ABC Stores, is modeled after a Hawaiian "rural country store". Jessica Goolsby of "MidWeek" described the store as a "fresh-market concept" with "high-quality foods" that contributes to a "one-of-a-kind shopping experience". The mall is located next to the old Oahu Railway and Land Company tracks, which originally hauled freight and passengers to the North Shore of Oahu; this location influenced the overall design of the center, incorporating the "historic" feel of the railroads.


Ohio State Route 643

State Route 643 (SR 643, OH 643) is a two-lane north–south state highway in the central portion of Ohio, a U.S. state. The highway's southern terminus is at a T-intersection with State Route 83 north of Coshocton. Its northern terminus is at a T-intersection with the concurrency of State Route 93 north of Baltic. A section of the route is part of a scenic byway.
The route was commissioned in the late 1930s. The northern terminus was relocated to a temporary end with Temporary SR 557, in late 1940s. The highway was paved during the 1950s and 1960s. In the late 1960s the highway's northern terminus was moved to its current location.
Route description.
SR 643 begins at a T-intersection with SR 83 in rural Coshocton County. The highway heads northwest, before turning northeast. The road passes through farmland, with some woodlands and houses. The route enters New Bedford and has an intersection with SR 651. The highway leaves New Bedford and continues towards the northwest, before turning easterly. The road makes a sharp curve towards the north. After turning due north, the route has a T-intersection with SR 557. SR 557 heads west and SR 643 heads east from the T-intersection. SR 643 heads east-northeast, before its northern terminus at a T-intersection with SR 93.
The highway between SR 651 and SR 557 is inclusive in the Amish Country Byway, an officially designated National Scenic Byway. The route is not included in the National Highway System. SR 557 has its lowest traffic counts; within the 2011 ODOT survey, the road is listed with an average annual daily traffic (AADT) of 830 vehicles on a section of highway between SR 651 and Holmes County line. ODOT figured that the peak traffic levels were present on the section that is between SR 557 and SR 93, where 1,350 vehicles used the highway daily.
History.
SR 643 was commissioned in 1937, on most of the same route as today. The northern terminus of SR 643 was about south of the current intersection at SR 93. In 1949, the northern terminus was at Temporary SR 557, when Temporary SR 557 was commissioned. Between 1953 and 1955, SR 557 was paved, in Holmes County. The route in Coshocton County was paved between 1957 and 1961. The Temporary SR 557 was removed by 1969 and SR 643 was extended to the current intersection with SR 557. SR 643 replaced SR 557 from that intersection to SR 93. No significant changes have taken place to this state route since 1969.


Ediacara Conservation Park

Ediacara Conservation Park is a protected area located in the Australian state of South Australia about south west of the town of Leigh Creek in the state's Far North.
The conservation park was proclaimed under the "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" on 26 April 2007 over land previously declared as a conservation reserve under the "Crown Lands Act 1929" in 1993 and as a fossil reserve in 1958. On 28 March 2019, the Government of South Australia purchased of adjacent land, to enlarge the conservation park by ten times.
The conservation park protects and conserves an "assemblage of fossilised Ediacaran soft-bodied marine organisms of international importance," "places of significance" to the Adnyamathanha people, "remnants of mining history associated with the Ediacara mineral field," and an "important chenopod habitat."
The name of the conservation park is derived from the Adnyamathanha language name ""Ithiaka-na-danha", where "Ithi" means ‘Zebra Finch’ and "aka – na-danha" means ‘to come out’" which is used as the name for the area in which the conservation park is located.
The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area. The fossil reserve is also listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.