Kovilj Monastery

The Kovilj Monastery () is a 13th-century Serb Orthodox monastery in the Bačka region, in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina. According to the legend, the monastery was founded by the first Serb archbishop, Saint Sava, in the 13th century. The monastery, often cited as one of the most beautiful, has been nicknamed the "Jewel of Bačka". Considered "one of the most monumental cultural-historical objects in Bačka", it is protected by the state since 4 August 1949 as a cultural monument.
Location.
The monastery is located near Kovilj, a suburban village of Novi Sad. It is situated just south of the village at the point where the Special Natural Reserve "Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit" begins, a wetland in the valley of the Danube, stretched along its left bank. The Monastery Kovilj is in the western section of Šajkaška, a historical region of south Bačka.
History.
In 1217, Serbian ruler, Grand Župan Stefan the First-Crowned was crowned the King of Serbia by the papal legate. King Andrew II of Hungary, angered by the fact that the ruler of Serbia is now equal to him and considering Serbia its vassal, decided to attack Stefan. In 1220, Andrew II encamped at the location of modern Kovilj, which at the time was the territory of Hungary. Saint Sava, brother of Stefan, arrived and began diplomatic talks to prevent the war and managed to reconcile two kings.
According to tradition, to commemorate the event, Saint Sava founded the monastery in 1220, and dedicated it to the Saint Archangels Gabriel and Michael. Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi, who visited the region in the 17th century, wrote that the monastery was founded by the "Serbian king, the owner of Belgrade", which would be King Stefan Dragutin, who was the only mediaeval Serbian king who ruled Belgrade, 1284-1316. Some theories claim that the monastery was built on the ruins of the Franciscan monastery from 1421. None of these theories can be confirmed in historical documents.
Kovilj was mentioned for the first in the Munich Serbian Psalter from the 14th century. It was mentioned as having a "joint properties" with the Privina Glava Monastery, which indicates that Kovilj was originally a metochion of Privina Glava. Later sources mention the "old wooden church", which was painted with frescoes in 1651. During the wars between the Austria and Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 17th century, the Ottomans demolished the monastery and burned the church on four occasions from 1686 to 1697. After the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, the surviving monks restored the old church, with the help from the other monks and people which settled in the area from the other parts of Hungary, while the monastery was renovated in 1705-1707.
The present, stone church was built from 1741 to 1749 by the "neimars" (builders) Teodor Kosta and Nikola Krapić. It was built in the Morava architectural school style of Serbo-Byzantine architecture and patterned after Manasija (to which it especially resembles) and Ravanica. In 1758, Empress Maria Theresa issued a document which set the monastery's estate. By the imperial privilege, the land was strictly divided between the monastery and the nearby settlement of Koviljski Šanac. The imperial "gramata" confirmed monastery's ownership over some of land.
The establishment of the Šajkaš Battalion in 1763, Serbian settlements surrounding the monastery were repopulated and preserved, which also influenced the prosperity of the monastery. Forerunner of the modern Serbian historiography, Jovan Rajić, became a priest in Kovilj and was appointed the archimandrite of the monastery in 1772, where he died in 1801. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the rebels used the monastery as their base in 1849 which forced the monks to move across the Danube, into the Syrmia region. When they returned after the collapse of the rebellion, the monastery was looted and burned, and many historical treasures were lost. All objects within the monastery were burned. The new church was damaged inside while the old one was almost completely ruined, so it was demolished in 1850. Since 1850, the monks began to collect funds for the restoration. Some of it was secured by the Austrian state, some by the donations of the population, and some was help from Russia. Young painter Aksentije Marodić painted the new iconostas in the 1880s, including the scenes from the life of Christ and replicas of the most famous paintings from that period which Marodić copied from the galleries in Vienna, Munich, Paris, Rome, Venice, and Naples. The walls themselves are not painted. Woodworks and carvings are the work of Jovan Kisner, while the gold plating and marble work were done by Ludvig Tauš. The work on the interior turned out to be quite lengthy, as it lasted until 1891/92.
The monastery wasn't damaged during World War I. After the partial agrarian reform in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the estate of Kovilj was reduced, and in 1933 it became a female monastery. The Hungarian occupational forces looted the monastery in 1941, during World War II, and some artifacts are today still being exhibited in several museums in Budapest. They also expelled the nuns, which moved to the Fenek Monastery, but when Ustaše forced them out from Fenek, too, they settled in the Monastery of Saint Petka, near Paraćin, in central Serbia. After the war ended, the new Communist authorities confiscated almost the entire monastic estate. In 1946 the monastery kept only , but then even this was reduced by half. The number of monks dwindled and so did the number of believers and visitors, as the state became officially atheistic. From 1980 to 1990 there were no monks at all and the monastery was virtually abandoned.
In 1990, three hieromonks were sent to revitalize the monastery: Porfirije Perić, Fotije Sladojević and Andrej Ćilerdžić. All three later became bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. They began the renovation and expansion of the complex. Construction of the new "konak" began in 2003, when the renovation of the church started, too. Winter chapel was completed in 2009 and the church was repainted. The monastic life includes the daily holy liturgy; fasting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the absence of meat from the menu.
The monastery gained media attention due to the airing of the "Bukvar pravoslavlja" (the "Primer of Orthodoxy"), from 1996 to 2007. The episodes were shot in Kovilj and they were hosted and edited by then hegumen of the monastery, Porfirije Perić. The monastery also has a choir, noted for its Byzantine chanting. They basically renewed the tradition which almost died out. The choirmasters established the School of Byzantine Chanting in Novi Sad, in 2011. The choir published four CDs by 2020, including "Посредъ Цркве Воспою Та" in 2000, and "Псалми" in 2019.
Characteristics.
Interior.
Church's iconostasis is one of the few in modern Vojvodina, not being made in the baroque manner. Marodić painted iconostasis contrary to the canons of the Orthodox faith. Trained in Italy, he was heavily influenced by the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" is not being painted in Orthodox churches but Marodić painted it in the prominent, central position. Other non-canonical deviations include lack of the visible halos around the saints' heads, no names of the saint on the icons, God painted in human form, and representations of the Holy Trinity and the Coronation of the Virgin. The frescoes on the walls and columns, on the other hand, followed the church canons. Some additional work on the paintings and the icons was later done by Uroš Predić.
Treasury.
After the 1850 renovation, the monastery gathered a vast new artistic and historical collection. It includes rare and valuable books and manuscripts which are kept in a large monastic library, the paintings of Uroš Predić and Rafailo Momčilović, the collection of musical literature (assembled by Damaskin Davidović), numerous icons from the 18th and 19th centuries, the monastic archive, etc. The monastery also has spacious rooms and salons equipped with antique furniture, chandeliers, stoves, etc., but also a modern dining room and an ophthalmology cabinet. There is also a tomb of Jovan Rajić and his original works can be found in his memorial museum.
Complex.
On the location of the old church, which was demolished in 1850, there is a stone marker. Also part of the complex is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Petka, which is just outside of the walls. It leans on the hollow oak, which was estimated to be 600 years old in 2010.
Economy.
Kovilj is known for its honey and rakia. In the process of restitution, the state returned to the monastery previously nationalized of arable land and of forests. As of 2017, a brotherhood of 30 monks cultivates some . They keep 200 bee hives and produce a famed white basil honey (from "Stachys annua L."). The monastery produces a variety of brandies made of quince, plums, green nuts, and also cognac and walnut liqueur. The monastery produces of brandy per year. There is also a small dairy.
Other activities include production of candles and crafting of icons, which, together with numerous herbal balms, can be bought in the monastic shop.
Land of the living.
From the first citations of the monastery, there was a monastic school in it. In 2004, heguman Porfirije decided to change the purpose of the object and adapted it into the drug rehabilitation center for young drug addicts, within his project "Zemlja živih" ("Land of the living"). The project expanded beyond the monastery so in 2006 a community was formed on the salaš in Čenej, and then houses were opened in the villages of Vilovo and Brajkovac. A female community was formed in the monastery in Bačko Petrovo Selo. Within the scope of the program, which lasts from 12 to 36 months, there were 120 wards in 2017. They are supervised by the priests and former addicts and do numerous works, like cooking and cultivating the land, while those with artistic leanings make icons and woodcuts.


Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories


Carchi River

The Carchi River is a river of Ecuador. It rises on the slopes of Chiles Volcano, elevation , on the border of Ecuador and Colombia. The river flows eastward across the high plateau of El Angel. The Carchi has a total course of about , forming the border between Colombia and Ecuador for about . It passes between the cities of Tulcan, Ecuador and Ipiales, Colombia and beneath the Rumichaca Bridge, the principal terrestrial link between Colombia and Ecuador. Entering Colombia, the Carchi becomes known as the Guáitara River which is a tributary of the Patía River.
The Pasto people lived along the Carchi River in pre-Columbian times. At the northernmost point of the Inca Empire the Pasto were never fully conquered by the Incas. The Carchi was known as the Angasmayo River by the Incas and the early Spanish colonists. A natural stone bridge at Rumichaca was the northernmost outpost of the Inca Empire.


Bermejo River

The Bermejo River (Spanish, Río Bermejo) is a river in South America that flows from Bolivia to the Paraguay River in Argentina. The river is generally called Bermejo in spite of its different names along its way, but it also has its own Native American names; in Wichí it is called Teuco, and in Guaraní it is called Ypitá. In the plains of Argentina's Gran Chaco the Bermejo forms wetlands and splits into two branches. The southern branch is the bed of the old Bermejo River, now an intermittent stream called Río Bermejito. The northern branch is now the main stem of the Bermejo and is called the Teuco River ("Río Teuco"), Bermejo Nuevo, or simply the Bermejo River. The two branches rejoin at , near Villa Río Bermejito, forming the Lower Bermejo River.
The Bermejo River is long and has a drainage basin of in area. Its mean annual discharge is irregular and varies between and .
The river is born in a mountain range known as Sierra de Santa Victoria around coordinates near Tarija, a few kilometres southeast of Chaguaya in Bolivia, and not far from La Quiaca, Jujuy Province, Argentina. In general, it maintains a southeastern direction. At its highest part, its main tributaries are the Lipeo River, and further downstream the Grande de Tarija, the Iruya River, and the San Francisco River. It forms part of the international boundary between Argentina and Bolivia.
The Bermejo is not navigable. In the late 19th century, numerous attempts were made to open up the commercial navigation of the river, but all of them failed, largely due to the river's shallow waters, which carry enormous amounts of sediment. Near the Tropic of Capricorn, the river splits in two; the smaller southern branch, Bermejito, and the northern branch that known as the Teuco River (also called Bermejo or "Bermejo Nuevo"). When leaving the province of Salta, the Teuco marks the boundary between the provinces of Chaco and Formosa.
The Bermejito, is intermittent and meandering. It crosses Chaco Province near the El Impenetrable jungle. On the shores of this river can still be seen the ruins of the former towns of Concepcion del Bermejo, San Bernardo de Vértiz (), and La Cangayé ().
The Teuco follows its course to finality and into the Paraguay River, in front of the city of Pilar, in Paraguay.
The river carries red-coloured sediments and produces irregular accumulations that can even alter its course, leaving the older paths as wet depressions.


Lappmarken

Lappmarken was an earlier Swedish name for the northern part of the old Kingdom of Sweden inhabited by the Sami people. In addition to the present-day Swedish Lapland, it also covered Västerbotten, Jämtland and Härjedalen, as well as the Finnish Lapland. As a name, it is related to Finnmark, an old Norwegian name for the Sami area. "Finn" and "Lapp" are mutually exchangeable old names for the Sami people, although the latter is sometimes deemed offensive.
Already in the Middle Ages, Lappmarken consisted of "lappmarks" whose Sami people were loosely governed either by the crown or birkarls. The purpose of lappmarks was largely colonial in nature. Originally, each consisted of a river valley with its surrounding areas from the Gulf of Bothnia up to the fjelds. The first lappmarks were:
State took Lappmarken to tighter control in the 17th century with the downfall of the birkarl system and establishment of the state controlled towns. County of Norrland was established in 1634 for the state administration on the region while the parallel concept of Lappmarken continued to regulate the Sami people and their relations with the settlers.
Lappmark Proclamation in 1673 stipulated that anybody who settled in the Sami region would be granted tax exemption for 15 years and would not have to serve as a soldier in any war. Since Sami people contributed significantly to the public treasury, the settlers were allowed only to colonise land that was considered "unused".
The proclamation was renewed in 1695. Sami people heavily protested against it, but in vain. Sami people were "de facto" forced to leave large areas and retreat northwards. Individual taxes were also removed from the Sami people, and their taxes were put on the Sami villages. This system was in place until 1928.
Lappmark Regulation in 1749 ordered settlers to stay away from hunting and devote themselves to farming and the keeping of livestock. The colonial rights were now also opened up to the Sami people. Two years later, Västerbotten was separated from Lappmarken and its inhabitants were forbidden to hunt or fish in the Sami area. By now the then Lappmarken was also known as Lappland.
In the 19th century, with the loss of Kemi and Tornio lappmarks along with Finland in 1809 and further retreat of the Sami people, Lappmarken gradually lost its purpose. The remaining area was incorporated to the general state administration in the early 20th century. However, the name "lappmark" still bears a legal meaning and is widely used in the Sami related legislation in Sweden.


Outline of Punjab, India

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Punjab:
Punjab – state in North India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast, Rajasthan to the southwest, and the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west. The state capital is located in Chandigarh, a Union Territory and also the capital of the neighbouring state of Haryana. After the partition of India in 1947, the Punjab province of British India was divided between India and Pakistan. The Indian Punjab was divided in 1966 with the formation of the new states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh alongside the current state of Punjab. Punjab is the only Sikh majority state in India.
Geography of Punjab, India.
Geography of Punjab, India
Regions of Punjab, India.
Regions of Punjab, India
Administrative divisions of Punjab, India.
Districts of Punjab, India.
Districts of Punjab, India
Demography of Punjab, India.
Demographics of Punjab, India
Government and politics of Punjab, India.
Politics of Punjab
Branches of the government of Punjab, India.
Government of Punjab, India
Legislative branch of the government of Punjab, India.
Punjab Legislative Assembly
History of Punjab, India.
History of Punjab, India
Culture of Punjab, India.
Culture of Punjab, India
Fairs and festivals in Punjab, India.
Fairs and festivals in Punjab, India
Religion in Punjab, India.
Religion in Punjab, India
Sports in Punjab, India.
Sports in Punjab, India
Symbols of Punjab, India.
Symbols of Punjab, India
Economy and infrastructure of Punjab, India.
Economy of Punjab, India
Transport in Punjab, India.
Transport in Punjab, India
Education in Punjab, India.
Education in Punjab, India


Tawi River

Tawi is a river that flows through the city of Jammu. The Tawi is a major left bank tributary of the river Chenab. Tawi river is considered sacred and holy, as is the case with most rivers in India.
Origin from Kailash Kund glacier.
Tawi river originates from the lap of Kailash Kund glacier and adjoining area southwest of Bhadarwah in Doda district. Its catchment is delineated by latitude 32°35'-33°5'N and longitude 74°35'-75°45'E. The catchment area of the river up to Indian border (Jammu) is 2168 km² and falls in the districts of Jammu, Udhampur and a small part of Doda. Elevation in the catchment varies between 400 and 4000 m.
The flow of water in the river has been decreasing in recent years as the source glacier (Kali Kund glacier) has been retreating.
Religious Importance.
It is a belief of the Hindus of Jammu city that the river was brought to Jammu by 'Raja Pehar Devta' to cure his father and was given the throne of Jammu City and was declared as 'Raja', i.e. King of Jammu with the blessings of 'Bawe wali Shri Mata Kali Ji'. Most Hindus of Jammu city at present perform 'Mundan' (tonsuring) ceremony of their children at Dev Sthan of 'Pehar Devta Ji'.
Confluence with Chenab.
The length of Tawi river is about . The river in general flows through steep hills on either side excepting the lower reach for about . The river is about wide at the bridge in Jammu city.The height of gujjar nagar bridge is 90m.
After traversing Jammu city, the river crosses into Pakistan's Punjab and joins Chenab river. Tawi is a major left bank tributary of river Chenab.
Passage through Jammu city.
Tawi river transverses through and divides Jammu city in two parts. The old Jammu town is located on the hill overlooking river Tawi. The new town is across the river. Tawi river is a major source of drinking water for the old city. Untreated sewage in Jammu pollutes Tawi river as it passes through the city.
Four bridges have been built over Tawi river in Jammu city: Two join Gumat with Vikram Chowk and the other connects Gujjar Nagar with Bahu fort area, the third joins Bhagwati Nagar with Ratnuchak. A fifth bridge has been built on the river on the city bypass near Nagrota.
Artificial lake project.
Jammu and Kashmir government is in the process of constructing an artificial lake on River Tawi at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu for promotion of tourism and providing water supply to dry areas of the city. A team of Pakistani officials visited the site and studied the details of the project which will help allay any apprehensions about violation of provisions of Indus Water Treaty


North Rock

North Rock () is an offshore rock near the boundary between the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy east of the North American continent. Its ownership is disputed between the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Maine as part of the territorial and maritime boundary dispute surrounding Machias Seal Island nearby to the south. The disputed area is referred to colloquially as the "Grey Zone".


List of tripoints

This is a list of all three-country tripoints on land or internal waters. Many of the coordinates listed below are only approximate.


Ukatny Island

Ukatnyy or Ukatny is an island in the northern Caspian Sea. It is located off the eastern end of the mouths of the Volga.
Ukatnyy Island is marshy. It has a length of 6.2 km and a maximum width of 4.3 km. It lies in an offshore oil producing area.
Ukatnyy is a disputed island. According to Russia administratively this island belongs to the Astrakhan Oblast of the Russian Federation, but Kazakhstan had assumed the island was part of its historical territory and includes it in its Atyrau Region.
Other disputed islands near Ukatny are the following:


List of Bengalis

This article provides lists of famous and notable Bengali people in the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and India, and people with Bengali ancestry or people who speak Bengali as their primary language.
Monarchs.
Pala Dynasty.
"Chronological order"


Meuse

The Meuse ( , , , ; ) or Maas ( , ; or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of .
History.
From 1301 the upper Meuse roughly marked the western border of the Holy Roman Empire with the Kingdom of France, after Count Henry III of Bar had to receive the western part of the County of Bar ("Barrois mouvant") as a French fief from the hands of King Philip IV. The border remained stable until the annexation of the Three Bishoprics Metz, Toul and Verdun by King Henry II in 1552 and the occupation of the Duchy of Lorraine by the forces of King Louis XIII in 1633. Its lower Belgian (Walloon) portion, part of the sillon industriel, was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe.
The Afgedamde Maas was created in the late Middle Ages, when a major flood made a connection between the Maas and the Merwede at the town of Woudrichem. From that moment on, the current Afgedamde Maas was the main branch of the lower Meuse. The former main branch eventually silted up and is today called the Oude Maasje. In the late 19th century and early 20th century the connection between the Maas and Rhine was closed off and the Maas was given a new, artificial mouth – the Bergse Maas. The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Maas reduced the risk of flooding and is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of the Zuiderzee Works and Delta Works. The former main branch was, after the dam at its southern inlet was completed in 1904, renamed "Afgedamde Maas" and no longer receives water from the Maas.
The Meuse and its crossings were a key objective of the last major German WWII counter-offensive on the Western Front, the Battle of the Bulge (Battle of the Ardennes) in the winter of 1944/45.
The Meuse is represented in the documentary "The River People" released in 2012 by Xavier Istasse.
Etymology.
The name "Meuse" is derived from the French name of the river, derived from its Latin name, "Mosa", which ultimately derives from the Celtic or Proto-Celtic name *"Mosā". This probably derives from the same root as English "maze", referring to the river's twists and turns.
The Dutch name "Maas" descends from Middle Dutch "Mase", which comes from the presumed but unattested Old Dutch form *"Masa", from Proto-Germanic *"Masō". Modern Dutch and German "Maas" and Limburgish "Maos" preserve this Germanic form. Despite the similarity, the Germanic name is not derived from the Celtic name, judging from the change from earlier "o" into "a", which is characteristic of the Germanic languages.
Geography.
The Meuse rises in Pouilly-en-Bassigny, commune of Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse on the Langres plateau in France from where it flows northwards past Sedan (the head of navigation) and Charleville-Mézières into Belgium.
At Namur it is joined by the Sambre. Beyond Namur the Meuse winds eastwards, skirting the Ardennes, and passes Liège before turning north. The river then forms part of the Belgian-Dutch border, except that at Maastricht the border lies further to the west. In the Netherlands it continues northwards through Venlo closely along the border to Germany, then turns towards the west, where it runs parallel to the Waal and forms part of the extensive Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, together with the Scheldt in its south and the Rhine in the north. The river has been divided near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas on the right and the Bergse Maas on the left. The Bergse Maas continues under the name of Amer, which is part of De Biesbosch. The Afgedamde Maas joins the Waal, the main stem of the Rhine at Woudrichem, and then flows under the name of Boven Merwede to Hardinxveld-Giessendam, where it splits into Nieuwe Merwede and Beneden Merwede. Near Lage Zwaluwe, the Nieuwe Merwede joins the Amer, forming the Hollands Diep, which splits into Grevelingen and Haringvliet, before finally flowing into the North Sea.
The Meuse is crossed by railway bridges between the following stations (on the left and right banks respectively):
There are also numerous road bridges and around 32 ferry crossings.
The Meuse is navigable over a substantial part of its total length: In the Netherlands and Belgium, the river is part of the major inland navigation infrastructure, connecting the Rotterdam-Amsterdam-Antwerp port areas to the industrial areas upstream: 's-Hertogenbosch, Venlo, Maastricht, Liège, Namur. Between Maastricht and Maasbracht, an unnavigable section of the Meuse is bypassed by the 36 km (22.4 mi) Juliana Canal. South of Namur, further upstream, the river can only carry more modest vessels, although a barge as long as 100 m (328 ft). can still reach the French border town of Givet.
From Givet, the river is canalized over a distance of 272 kilometres (169 mi). The canalized Meuse used to be called the "Canal de l'Est — Branche Nord" but was recently rebaptized into "Canal de la Meuse". The waterway can be used by the smallest barges that are still in use commercially almost 40 metres (131 ft) long and just over 5 metres (16 ft) wide. Just upstream of the town of Commercy, the Canal de la Meuse connects with the Marne–Rhine Canal by means of a short diversion canal.
The Cretaceous sea reptile Mosasaur is named after the river Meuse. The first fossils of it were discovered outside Maastricht in 1780.
Basin area.
An international agreement was signed in 2002 in Ghent, Belgium about the management of the river amongst France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Also participating in the agreement were the Belgian regional governments of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels (which is not in the basin of the Meuse but pumps running water into the Meuse).
Most of the basin area (approximately 36,000 km2) is in Wallonia (12,000 km2), followed by France (9,000 km2), the Netherlands (8,000 km2), Germany (2,000 km2), Flanders (2,000 km2) and Luxembourg (a few km2).
An International Commission on the Meuse has the responsibility of the implementation of the treaty.
The costs of this Commission are met by all these countries, in proportion of their own territory into the basin of the Meuse: Netherlands and Wallonia 30%, France 15%, Germany 14.5%, Flanders 5%, Brussels 4.5%, Kingdom of Belgium and Luxemburg 0.5%.
The map of the basin area of Meuse was joined to the text of the treaty.
As for culture, as a major communication route the River Meuse is the origin of Mosan art, principally (Wallonia and France).
The first landscape painted in the Renaissance was the landscape of Meuse by Joachim Patinir. He was likely the uncle of Henri Blès, who is sometimes defined as a Mosan landscape painter active during the second third of the 16th century (i.e. second generation of landscape painters).
Tributaries.
The main tributaries of the Meuse are listed below in downstream-upstream order, with the town where the tributary meets the river:
Distributaries.
The mean annual discharge rate of the Meuse has been relatively stable over the last few thousand years. One recent study estimates that average flow has increased by about 10% since 2000 BC. The hydrological distribution of the Meuse changed during the later Middle Ages, when a major flood forced it to shift its main course northwards towards the river Merwede. From then on several stretches of the original Merwede were renamed "Maas" (i.e. Meuse) and served as the primary outflow of that river. Those branches are currently known as the Nieuwe Maas and Oude Maas.
However during another series of severe floods the Meuse found an additional path towards the sea, resulting in the creation of the Biesbosch wetlands and Hollands Diep estuaries. Thereafter the Meuse split near Heusden into two main distributaries, one flowing north to join the Merwede and one flowing direct to the sea. The branch of the Meuse leading direct to the sea eventually silted up (and now forms the Oude Maasje stream), but in 1904 the canalised Bergse Maas was dug to take over the functions of the silted-up branch. At the same time the branch leading to the Merwede was dammed at Heusden (and has since been known as the Afgedamde Maas) so that little water from the Meuse entered the old Maas courses or the Rhine distributaries. The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Meuse is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of the Zuiderzee Works and Delta Works. In 1970 the Haringvlietdam has been finished. Since then the reunited Rhine and Meuse waters have reached the North Sea either at this site or, during times of lower discharges of the Rhine, at Hook of Holland.
A 2008 study notes that the difference between summer and winter flow volumes has increased significantly in the last 100–200 years. It points out that the frequency of serious floods ("i.e." flows > 1000% of normal) has increased markedly. They predict that winter flooding of the Meuse may become a recurring problem in the coming decades.
Départements, provinces and towns.
The Meuse flows through the following departments of France, provinces of Belgium, provinces of the Netherlands and towns:
Mention in patriotic songs.
The Meuse ("Maas") is mentioned in the first stanza of Germany's old national anthem, the "Deutschlandlied". However, since its re-adoption as national anthem in 1952, only the third stanza of the "Deutschlandlied" has been sung as the German national anthem, the first and second stanzas being omitted. This was confirmed after German reunification in 1991 when only the third stanza was defined as the official anthem. The lyrics written in 1841 describe a then–disunited Germany with the river as its western boundary, where King William I of the Netherlands had joined the German Confederation with his Duchy of Limburg in 1839. Though the duchy's territory officially became an integral part of the Netherlands by the 1867 Treaty of London, the text passage remained unchanged when the "Deutschlandlied" was declared the national anthem of the Weimar Republic in 1922.
The name of the rivers also forms part of the title of "Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse", written after the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and a popular patriotic song for the rest of the 19th century and into the 20th.


Gimhwa County

Gimhwa County was a historical county of Korea. In 1914, Geumseong (Kumsong) County was merged to Gimhwa. In 1953, most of original Gimhwa County became part of South Korea. North Korea abolished Kimhwa County in 1952, but restored it in 1954. South Korea restored it in 1954, however Gimhwa County of South Korea was merged to Cheolwon County in 1962. After a reform in 2001, most of the original (pre-1914) Gimhwa County in North Korea was annexed to Pyonggang County.


List of enclaves and exclaves

In political geography, an enclave is a piece of land that is totally surrounded by a foreign territory. An exclave is a piece of land that is politically attached to a larger piece but not physically conterminous (having the same borders) with it because of surrounding foreign territory. Many entities are both enclaves and exclaves.
Enclaves that are also exclaves.
Each enclave listed in this section has the equivalent administrative level as the one other entity that entirely surrounds it. Each enclave is also a part of a main region; hence, it is an exclave of that region.
Enclaves that are not exclaves.
Each enclave listed in this section has a legal status equivalent to the one other entity that entirely surrounds it. None of the enclaves has a separate main region of which it is a part.
National level.
Some enclaves are sovereign states, completely surrounded by another one, and therefore not exclaves. Three such sovereign countries exist:
Exclaves that are not enclaves.
An exclave must always be grouped with a main region of which it is a legal part. In the case of international waters, the main region consists of all international waters not in EEZs. "All" potential paths of travel from the exclave to its main region "must" cross one or more different administrative-territorial regions having the equivalent legal level. Each exclave listed in this section borders on more than one other region.
Semi-enclaves and semi-exclaves.
Semi-enclaves and semi-exclaves are areas that, except for possessing an unsurrounded sea border, would otherwise be enclaves or exclaves. Semi-enclaves can exist as independent states that border only one other state. "Vinokurov (2007)" declares, "Technically, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada also border only one foreign state, but they are not enclosed in the geographical, political, or economic sense. They have vast access to international waters. At the same time, there are states that, although in possession of sea access, are still enclosed by the territories of a foreign state." Therefore, Vinokurov applies a quantitative principle: "the land boundary must be longer than the coastline." Thus he classifies a state as a "sovereign semi-enclave" if it borders on just one state, and its land boundary is longer than its sea coastline. Vinokurov affirms that "no similar quantitative criterion is needed to define the scope of non-sovereign semi-enclaves/exclaves."
Pene-enclaves/exclaves (including inaccessible districts).
A pene-exclave is a part of the territory of one country that can be approached conveniently — in particular by wheeled traffic — only through the territory of another country. Such areas are enclaves or exclaves "for practical purposes," without meeting the strict definition; hence they are also called functional enclaves or practical enclaves. Many pene-exclaves partially border their own territorial waters (i.e., they are not surrounded by other nations' territorial waters). A pene-enclave can also exist entirely on land, such as when intervening mountains render a territory inaccessible from other parts of a country except through alien territory. Thus, a "pene-exclave" has land borders with other territory but is not completely surrounded by the other's land or territorial waters. They can exhibit continuity of state territory across territorial waters but, nevertheless, a discontinuity on land, such as in the case of Point Roberts. Along rivers that change course, pene-enclaves can be observed as complexes comprising many small pene-enclaves. Attribution of a pene-enclave status to a territory can sometimes be disputed, depending on whether the territory is considered to be practically inaccessible from the mainland or not.
Historic enclaves/exclaves.
Temporary enclaves or exclaves.
Sometimes land is ceded temporarily to another country as a form of legal fiction.


Palestine Association

The Palestine Association, formerly the Syrian Society, was formed in 1805 by William Richard Hamilton to promote the study of the geography, natural history, antiquities and anthropology of Palestine and the surrounding areas, "with a view to the illustration of the Holy Writings.
The society appears to have been active for only the first five years of its existence. Scholars have suggested that the founding was ahead of its time, given that the country was at the early stages of opening to world influence, and that the timing was inopportune in the midst of the ongoing Napoleonic Wars. Scholarly work in the region began in earnest around the time of the Oriental Crisis of 1840, with the travels of Edward Robinson, the appointment of the first British consul to Jerusalem and the establishment of the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. In 1834, the Palestine Association was formally disbanded and incorporated into the Royal Geographical Society.
The Palestine Association was the forerunner of the Palestine Exploration Fund, established 60 years later, in 1865.
Formation.
The society was founded on 31 March 1805, with its first meeting of 13 members taking place on 24 April 1805, at which it was decided with no further explanation that the Syrian Society "shall henceforth be denominated The Palestine Association"
The society was formed on the basis of the 1788 African Association, and the inquiries of the Society were directed to ascertaining:
British interest in Palestine had been stoked by the 1798-1801 French campaign in Egypt and Syria. Scholars have debated whether the founding of the society was driven primarily by religious and spiritual motives, or rather "reconstituted, redeployed, redistributed" in a secular orientalist framework.
Publication.
In 1810, the association published the account of the travels of Ulrich Jasper Seetzen, entitled "A Brief Account of the Countries Adjoining the Lake of Tiberias, the Jordan, and the Dead Sea" In the preface to the publication, the editors noted that "We use the word Palestine not in its confined sense of a province or part of
Judea, but in its most extended sense as comprehending all the countries on either side of the river Jordan, inhabited by the Tribes of Israel"


Talysh National Movement

The Talysh National Movement is a Talysh movement created in 2007 in the Netherlands, where part of the Talysh leadership lives in exile. Many of the movement's members had previously participated in the formation of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic in 1993, including board member Alikram Hummatov.
The Talysh National Movement joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization on June 26, 2007, terminated its membership on March 1, 2008, and was re-admitted on June 29, 2014.
History.
In the second half of August 1993, the members of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic and servicemen associated with the President of the TMAR Alikram Hummatov were recalled from the front, then arrested and subjected to repression. Alikram Hummatov's relatives were also repressed, his brothers and uncle were arrested and convicted of harboring a state criminal. Alikram Hummatov's wife was hiding from arrest for a long time. Alikram Hummatov's twelve-year-old son was tortured by the police by burning his hands with cigarettes. Alikram Hummatov was arrested and sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison. Under pressure from the Council of Europe, he was pardoned in 2004. From the Netherlands and other European countries, he and other refugees from Talysh try to support the still active national movement in Azerbaijan.
Since 2007, Alikram Hummatov has been heading the Talysh National Movement (TNM) in the Netherlands, where part of the Talysh leadership of the TMAR lives in exile. In particular, the TNM stands for the creation of a Talysh province with regional administration within the borders of Azerbaijan. The organization calls for the decentralization of power in order to promote more equitable representation of minority groups, as well as to guarantee cultural and linguistic freedoms.
The headquarters of the organization is considered to be The Hague, where the head of the Gummat movement lives; the organization is headed by a political council of 15 people.
On May 5, 2015, the Organization of Nations and Peoples without Representation (UNPO), together with the European Parliament and in cooperation with the Talysh National Movement (TNM), convened a conference entitled "Azerbaijan: Double Standards and Abuses of Minority Rights". The second part of the conference, entitled “Ways Forward: Civil Society Initiatives, Economic Development and International Strategies,” was aimed at discussing theoretical and practical alternatives for protecting the rights of minorities in Azerbaijan. The second part was opened by TNM President Alikram Hummatov, who addressed the problems arising from the extreme political centralization of the Aliyev government. While in theory it is a democracy, he said, there is no real separation of powers in the country, and its current political system leaves no room for dissent or alternative opinions. In his opinion, a possible solution lies in political reforms and decentralization, which will give each of the country's regions the opportunity to change their social, cultural and economic life in accordance with their needs and identity.
An important role in the movement is played by the former chairman of the People's Mejlis of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, philosopher and political scientist Fahraddin Abbaszadeh, who emigrated to Russia in 1995, but returned to his homeland in 2005 and published a newspaper in Baku, but in 2008 was forced to emigrate to Russia because of harassment. In July 2018, F. Abbaszadeh was detained by the Russian authorities and at the beginning of 2019 extradited to Azerbaijan, where he was brought to trial for anti-state activities. When studying the materials on the basis of which the accusatory decision was made, the international human rights organization Amnesty International, in its report "Azerbaijan authorities must release Talysh activists", came to the conclusion that none of these materials contains evidence of any recognized crimes in accordance with international law and standards, or contains any incitement to acts of violence. Calls for secession are protected by international law, and Abbaszadeh exercised his right to freedom of expression in upholding his vision of an independent Talysh state.
Movement goals.
The Talysh National Movement stands for the Talish region with regional joint administration within the borders of Azerbaijan. This requires decentralization of power in order to promote fairer representation of minority groups, as well as to guarantee cultural and linguistic freedoms. <br>On July 15, 2018, a group of young activists, together with Alikram Hummatov, formed the government of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic in exile. The TNM government sends letters and statements to international organizations, states and world human rights organizations to reflect the position of the Talysh in the country. It also calls on the Azerbaijani government to end discrimination against Talysh people, demands that the Talysh language be taught in schools and that Talysh people can earn their living in their own country, and not be forced to leave abroad. All ministers of the government of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic live in exile, in countries such as the Netherlands.
Problems.
According to the UNPO website, like many other minorities in Azerbaijan, the inhabitants of Talish are subjected to aggressive attempts at assimilation - the Talysh language has no formal education, and reading and speaking this language is not welcomed by the authorities. Instead, Talysh are encouraged to use Azeri or Persian in official situations. Thus, the number of young people studying in the Talysh language is decreasing, as this language is currently classified by UNESCO as "vulnerable". This poses a serious threat to the cultural integrity of the Talysh, and therefore one of the key goals of the TNM is greater linguistic freedom.
Active Talysh figures who claimed the rights of the Talysh people, who were conducting human rights work, or who had a point of view not conforming to the official authorities were persecuted, for example, the deaths in prison of the scientist Novruzali Mammadov and Fahraddin Abbaszadeh, the prison sentence of journalist Hilal Mammadov, the oppression of Atakhan Abilov and the arrest of Elvin Isaev.
The leaders of the Talysh national movement are convinced that the current authorities of Azerbaijan continue the course for the complete assimilation of the Talysh on the principle "no people - no problem".


Department of the Army Special Photographic Office

Department of the Army Special Photographic Office (DASPO) was a unit of the United States Department of the Army from 1962 to 1974. The unit provided numerous images of the Vietnam War.
Unit history.
DASPO was authorized by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Col. Arthur A. Jones was tasked with providing documentary films to the United States Army, the staff at the Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and United States Congress. DASPO had three sections: DASPO CONUS (Continental United States), DASPO Panama, and DASPO Pacific.
On assignment, DASPO teams captured photographs and videos of combat action, military movements, and military equipment. The officers assigned to the unit coordinated activities. Enlisted personnel assigned to the unit served on the front lines to provide the photography.
DASPO photographers operated with nearly unlimited access and took direct orders from the Army Chief of Staff.
DASPO CONUS.
DASPO CONUS (Continental United States) was headed by SFC Jack Yamuguchi. Unlike DASPO Pacific and DASPO Panama, DASPO CONUS was stationed in the United States and was capable of being sent anywhere in the world.
In April 1965, civil unrest broke out in the Dominican Republic and President Lyndon Johnson sent U.S. troops to secure peace. Shortly after, the DASPO office at the Pentagon lost contact with the DASPO Panama Detachment. A team working for DASPO CONUS at the time was assigned to cover the invasion in the Dominican Republic and was led by First Lieutenant Carl Conn.
This DASPO CONUS team was to document the military operation in the Dominican Republic as U.S. troops came under sniper fire in an urban environment. Early on in the invasion, the civilian press was invited to a press tour hosted by the rebel group. The DASPO team disguised themselves in civilian clothes and accompanied civilian journalist on the press tour, filming the rebels' equipment and combat positions along the way. Later, Lieutenant Conn and other members of the DASPO CONUS team were awarded the Combat Army Commendation Medal for their service in the Dominican Republic.
DASPO Panama.
The Panama Detachment was based in Fort Clayton within the Panama Canal Zone and provided photographic and video coverage documenting political activity in Central and South America. DASPO Panama was the smallest of the three DASPO unites. It was authorized for seven members and a single commanding officer.
DASPO Panama covered many historical events, including the Panama Riots of 1964, the interrogation of Che Guevara after his capture, the inauguration and later overthrow of President Arnulfo Arias Madrid, and U.S. relief efforts following national disasters. They also documented the training of U.S. troops in the Panama Canal Zone and other areas of Central and South America.
DASPO Pacific.
The Pacific Detachment, nicknamed "Team Charlie" by its members, was the most active of the DASPO sections due to its coverage of Vietnam War combat operations. It was based in Fort Schafter in Hawaii. DASPO Pacific sent rotating teams of photographers into Vietnam for three-month tours of duty. Although other military departments and press organizations sent their own photographers into the war zones, DASPO was considered "the Army's elite photographic unit."
The Vietnam teams usually consisted of a commanding officer, a non-commissioned officer, and 10-18 enlisted sound specialists, motion picture cameramen, and still photographers. From their base in Saigon, DASPO photographers would follow combat units through swamps and jungles, capturing the soldiers' experiences. In his book "Vietnam: Images from Combat Photographers", author C. Douglas Elliott writes that DASPO Pacific "showed soldiers--often teenagers--coping as best they could with unrelenting heat and humidity, heavy packs, heavy guns, and an invisible enemy whose mines, booby traps, and snipers could cut life short without a moment's warning."
The DASPO photographers put themselves at personal risk and suffered many of the same hardships as the soldiers that they documented.
"Faces of War" exhibit.
On September 24, 2015, the exhibit "Faces of War: Documenting the Vietnam War from the Front Lines" opened at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago, Illinois. The exhibit was largely planned by DASPO veterans Bill San Hamel, Dick Durrance, and Ted Acheson. They raised more than $30,000 from members and supporters of the DASPO organization to cover operating costs of the exhibit, and raised additional funds through a Kickstarter campaign.
San Hamel, president of the DASPO Combat Photographers Association, said: "I’m proud of the men of DASPO with whom I’ve served, and we are grateful to the Pritzker Military Museum & Library for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to inform the American public about who we were as combat photographers and what we and our fellow veterans went through."
The exhibit is scheduled to run until May 2016.
Legacy.
The photographs and videos captured by DASPO document the Vietnam War and are now historical artifacts of this period. The purpose of DASPO was to inform the Pentagon and the Department of the Army, but their photos also often accompanied news reports and introduced the American public to the realities of the faraway war. These special operations photographers produced "some of the most iconic and important images from the conflict."
DASPO members established the DASPO Archive and a scholarship fund at Texas Tech University. The scholarship funds the preservation of images and audio recordings and is in the names of Kermit H. Yoho and Charles "Rick" F. Rein, DASPO members who were killed in action in Vietnam.
Veterans' association.
The unit has an active veterans' association.


Brandon Oakes

Brandon Oakes is a Canadian/American actor from Akwesasne. He is most noted for his role in the film "Through Black Spruce", for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019.
He has also appeared in the films "Rhymes for Young Ghouls", "The Saver" , "Blood Quantum", "Togo" and "Akilla's Escape", the television series "Arctic Air", "Saving Hope", "Cardinal", "Bad Blood", "Diggstown" and "Anne with an E", and the web series "Decoys".


Swains Island

Swains Island (; Tokelauan: "Olohega" ; Samoan: "Olosega" ) is a remote coral atoll about 340 km north of Pago Pago in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States, which has administered it as part of American Samoa since 1925. Privately owned by the family of Eli Hutchinson Jennings since 1856, Swains Island was used as a copra plantation until 1967. It has not been permanently inhabited since 2008 but has often been visited by members of the Jennings family, scientific researchers, and amateur radio operators.
The island is located south of Fakaofo (Tokelau) and north of Savai‘i (Samoa). The land area is , and the total area including the lagoon is .
Etymology.
A persistent misconception about Swains Island is its supposed discovery on 2 March 1606 by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, a famous Portuguese navigator who sailed for Spain. On that day, he reckoned an island at 10°36'S 171°W, and his ship's historian named it Isla de la Gente Hermosa (meaning "island of the beautiful people" in Spanish), after its inhabitants. The closest island to that reckoned location is Swains Island at 11°03'S 171°05'W, leading later authors to identify it as the same, and thus refer to it by that Spanish name or by the Spanish version of the navigator's last name, Quirós (also spelled Quiros in English). However, the island described by Queirós was significantly larger, and at the time the calculation of longitude had a much greater uncertainty than latitude, leading later scholars to conclude that the island found by Queirós was actually Rakahanga, lying 1,100 km to the east at 10°02'S 161°05'W.
Captain William L. Hudson of the USS "Peacock" saw the island on 1 February 1841, during the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–42. He claimed to have learned about the island's location from a certain Captain Swain of Nantucket, and after concluding that it did not match the description by Queirós, resolved to call it Swain's Island (the apostrophe was later dropped):
"[F]rom having its position very nearly pointed out to me by Capt. Swain of Nantucket who stated to me at Tahiti that he had seen it in passing – and in consequence of its being a considerable distance in latitude from, and not agreeing in size or character with the island described by Queros – in addition to this in view of it being peopled with a beautiful race – it is uninhabited and perhaps we are the first that have ever set foot upon it – thus much for its name."
This Captain Swain has not been conclusively identified. Authors have suggested Jonathan Swain of whaler "Independence" in 1820, or William C. Swain of whaler "George Champlain" in the 1830s. Other evidence suggests Obed Swain of whaler "Jefferson" of Nantucket, who, unlike William C. Swain, actually was at Tahiti when the United States Exploring Expedition was there with the USS "Peacock" and Captain Hudson.
In Tokelauan, the main language formerly spoken in Swains Island, the island is called Olohega . The name is composed of the prefix "olo-", indicating a collective noun, and the word "hega", meaning a tuft of feathers tied to the end of a skipjack lure, possibly referring to the island's location at the end of the Tokelau chain. A variant of this name is Olosega , either also in Tokelauan or in Samoan, another language formerly spoken there. It should not be confused with the homonymous island in the pair Ofu-Olosega of the Manu‘a group in American Samoa.
It is also called Jennings Island, after Eli Hutchinson Jennings, who settled there in 1856 and whose family still owns and manages the island.
Geography.
Swains Island has a total area of about , of which is land. The central lagoon accounts for .
The atoll is somewhat unusual, featuring an unbroken circle of land enclosing a lagoon separated from the sea. The lagoon has a maximum depth of and contains algae and fish. Its water has a salinity of about 0.4%, described as brackish, useful for bathing and washing but not for drinking. Drinking water in the island is derived entirely from rainfall collected in tanks.
Nearly all of the land is filled with coconut palms. The village of Taulaga (meaning harbor or town), in the west of the island, consists of a "malae" (open ceremonial space) surrounded by houses, but as of 2013 the only structure still standing was a church, built around 1886. The village of Etena (meaning Eden), in the south, contains the former residence of the Jennings family, also built in the 1880s but abandoned after a cyclone severely damaged it in 2005. A road named Belt Road used to circle the entire island, but as of 2013 only the portion connecting the two villages was usable, the rest being covered in vegetation. The island also contains several cemeteries.
Fauna.
The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding population of white terns. Seven reptile species have been recorded from the island, including three geckos and three skinks, as well as the green sea turtles which formerly nested on the island, but now occur only as visitors to inshore waters.
Demographics.
Swains Island first appeared in the U.S. census in 1930, following its annexation to American Samoa in 1925.
The 2010 census counted 17 people in 6 households. There were 8 males (ages 20 to 61) and 9 females (3 under age 18, 6 ages 18 to 61). There were 11 U.S. nationals (8 born in American Samoa, and 3 in the United States) and 6 foreign nationals (4 born in Samoa, 1 in Tokelau, and 1 in the Philippines). They reported their ethnic origins as 15 Samoans, 1 Tokelauan, and 1 Filipino. Of the 16 people over age 5, 15 spoke mainly Samoan, and 1 spoke another Oceanic language, but all also spoke English.
However, the people counted in the census did not permanently reside in Swains Island. Multiple visitors have reported the island as uninhabited since 2008.
History.
Anthropological evidence and oral history indicate that the island was initially settled by Polynesians and later conquered by Tokelauans from Fakaofo.
Whalers from New England began visiting the island in the 1830s or earlier. Frenchmen established copra production there around that time, during which the native population fled due to violence by the foreigners.
Captain William L. Hudson of the USS "Peacock" saw the island on 1 February 1841, during the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–42. He named it Swain's Island after a certain Captain Swain, from whom he had learned about the island's location.
The Jennings family.
Fakaofoans returned to the island soon after Hudson's visit, and were joined by three Frenchmen, who then left to sell the coconut oil they had accumulated. In 1856, an American, Eli Hutchinson Jennings (14 November 1814 – 4 December 1878), joined a community on Swains with his Samoan wife, Malia. Jennings claimed to have received title to the atoll from a British Captain Turnbull, who claimed ownership of the island by discovery and named it after himself. According to one account, the sale price for Swains was 15 shillings per acre (37 shillings per hectare), and a bottle of gin. One of the Frenchmen later returned, but did not care to share the island with Jennings and left.
On 13 October 1856, Swains became a semi-independent proprietary settlement of the Jennings family (although under the U.S. flag), a status it would retain for approximately seventy years. It was also claimed for the U.S. by the United States Guano Company in 1860, under the Guano Islands Act.
Jennings established a coconut plantation, which flourished under his son, Eli Jr. Eli Jennings Sr. was also instrumental in helping Peruvian "blackbird" slave ships to depopulate the other three Tokelau atolls—see H.E. Maude's "Slavers in Paradise" (A.N.U., Canberra, 1981).
American sovereignty.
In 1907, the Resident Commissioner of the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands (then a British protectorate; since 1979 the sovereign nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu) claimed that Swains belonged to the United Kingdom, demanding payment of a tax of US$85. Jennings paid, but he brought the matter before the U.S. State Department, and his money was ultimately refunded. The British government furthermore conceded that Swains was an American possession.
The ownership of the island came into question after Eli Jr.'s death in 1920 and that of his wife in 1921. The United States decided to give the right of administration jointly to Eli's daughter Ann and son Alexander, while making it officially part of American Samoa by annexation on 4 March 1925. Alexander Jennings, the son of Eli Jennings, Jr., became managing owner of the island. The population at this time was around 100. During the Pacific War, the island had a population of 125, and had a naval radio station.
In 1953, labor troubles arose on Swains when Tokelauan-hired workers decided to claim "squatters' rights" to the atoll, by virtue of having lived on it year-round. After Alexander Jennings evicted 56 workers and their families from the island, the governor of American Samoa intervened. By executive order, the governor acknowledged Jennings' proprietary rights to Swains Island, while instituting a system of labor contracts and a local governmental structure to protect the rights of his employees. The islanders were also guaranteed a representative in the territorial legislature.
Recent sovereignty and trade issues.
On 25 March 1981, New Zealand, of which Tokelau is a dependency, confirmed U.S. sovereignty over Swains Island in the Treaty of Tokehega, under which the United States surrendered its territorial claims to the other islands of Tokelau. In the draft constitution that was the subject of the 2006 Tokelau self-determination referendum, however, Swains Island is claimed as part of Tokelau. As of March 2007, American Samoa has not yet taken an official position, but the Governor of American Samoa Togiola Tulafono has said he believes that his government should do everything it can to retain control of the island.
In 2007 Tokelau's regional parliament, the General Fono, considered the adoption of a new flag for their nation which showed a map depicting Swains Island, as a fourth star in addition to three others, at a proportional distance to that of the others. Ultimately a compromise was adopted whereby the four stars were retained, but with the arrangement and proportionality suggestive of the Southern Cross.
During a recent visit to Tokelau, Alexander Jennings, representative of Swains Island to the American Samoa legislature, indicated a desire for better trade links between Swains and its neighbor. The head of government of Tokelau, Kuresa Nasau, was reported to be "interested," and further talks were anticipated.
Cyclone Percy 2005.
In February 2005, Cyclone Percy struck the island, causing widespread damage and virtually destroying the village of Taulaga, as well as the old Jennings estate at Etena. Only seven people were on the island at the time. Coast Guard airdrops ensured that the islanders were not left without food, water and other necessities. A United States Coast Guard visit in March 2007 listed 12 to 15 inhabitants, and showed that the island's trees had largely survived the cyclone.
Power and radio issues.
Swains Island was first "discovered" as a possible amateur radio "entity" for American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Award purposes by Kan Mizoguchi JA1BK in 2005. He led a ham radio DXpedition there in 2005, however, the ARRL did not accept it for credit. Eventually the ARRL decided to approve Swains Island as a new "entity" based on the separation distance between it and American Samoa. Once accepted, Kan JA1BK led another DXpedition to the island (KH8SI) which did qualify as the first valid operation. The team consisted of JA1BK F6EXV JH1JGX/AH7C K1ER & K8YSE. 16,390 contacts were made.
Due to its remoteness, Swains Island is considered a separate amateur radio "entity" and several visits have been made by ham operators. The 2007 amateur radio "DXpedition", with call sign N8S, made more than 117,000 contacts worldwide. This set a new world record for an expedition using generator power and tents for living accommodations, since broken by the 2012 DXpedition to Malpelo Island.
In 2012, Swains Island hosted the DXpedition NH8S; this group arrived on September 5, 2012 and departed on September 19, 2012. A total of 105,455 radio contacts were made.
Island government.
According to the Interior Department survey cited above, Swains Island is governed by the American Samoa "government representative", a village council, a "pulenu'u" (civic head of the village), and a "leoleo" (policeman). Swains Island officials have the same rights, duties, and qualifications as in all the other villages of American Samoa. Neither the proprietor of Swains Island nor any employee of his may serve as government representative.
The government representative has the following duties:
The government representative has the following rights, powers, and obligations:
Swains Island's village council consists of all men of sound mind over the age of twenty-four. According to the federal census in 1980, five men fell into this category.
Swains Island sends one non-voting delegate to the American Samoan territorial legislature. In March 2007, this office was held by Alexander Jennings.
The Jennings dynasty.
Styling themselves "leaders" or "proprietors", members of the Jennings family ruled Swains Island virtually independent of any outside authority from 1856 to 1925. After 1925, while retaining proprietary ownership of the island, they were subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. territory of American Samoa.
Jenningses who ruled as semi-independent "proprietors":
Jenningses who ruled under direct American jurisdiction:
In popular culture.
"Swains Island: One of the Last Jewels of the Planet" (2014) is the first American Samoa film to make an entry at the renowned Blue Ocean Festival in Florida. The 90-minute documentary is directed and narrated by Jean-Michel Cousteau, and showcases the ecological and cultural aspects of Swains Island, including the coral reef, the tapua, the lagoon, and village.
The band Te Vaka has written a song called "Haloa Olohega ("Poor Olohega"" in Tokelauan), lamenting about the loss of the island for Tokelau.


Kitsman

Kitsman (, ; ; ; ) is a city located in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, in the historical region of Bukovina of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Kitsman urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The town is about 20 km (12 mi) northwest from Chernivtsi on the road to Zalishchyky. Population:
Name.
The old surname "Kitzman"/"Kotzman" (and variations thereof) originated in Jewish culture, which had gradually become more common in parts of western Ukraine. The name was occupational and derivative of Hebrew roots; shortening the phrase "kohen Tsedek" ("priest of righteousness"). It was widespread in the Yiddish culture, where "-man" was the standard suffix applied to commoners' surnames.
History.
The first historical mention of Kitsman is dated to 1413, which also appears on the city's crest. Kuzmyn Forest ("Codrii Cozminului"), woods are situated between Siret and Prut valleys next to the town are named so, because they are traversed by the roads that connect Suceava, the Middle Ages' capital of the Principality of Moldavia, with what was then its boundary town of Cozmin / Kozmyn (modern village Valia Kuzmyna in Chernivtsi Raion).
In the Austrian period (1774-1918), Kitsman (known as Kotzman / Kotzmann in German), as part of the Duchy of Bukovina, was the seat of the planning section of the district administration and it had a district court and a state gymnasium, where instruction was given in the Ruthenian (Ukrainian) language. The Ruthenian (Ukrainian) farmers from the 13 surrounding villages brought their produce to the market in Kitsman.
During the period of Romanian rule (1918-1944), the Romanian authorities viewed both the Ukrainians (Ruthenes) and the Jews as enemies of the state whose suppression was one of the goals of the state.
A local newspaper is published here since June 1, 1941.
In January 1989 the population was 9500 people.
In January 2013 the population was 6762 people.
Until 18 July 2020, Kitsman served as an administrative center of Kitsman Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Chernivtsi Oblast to three. The area of Kitsman Raion was split between Chernivtsi Raion and Vyzhnytsia Raion, with Kitsman being transferred to Chernivtsi Raion.
Notable figures.
Remarkably, Kitsman is the birthplace of several nationally well-known musicians including Volodymyr Ivasyuk and Ani Lorak.
Jewish community.
Out of the population of 6000 that Kitsman had, approximately 700 (11.6%) were Jews who had immigrated from nearby areas of Galicia at the beginning of the 19th century and who dealt mainly with commerce in agricultural products. They also were occupied as craftsmen and were practically the only representatives of the intellectual professions. There were Jews in the ranks of the judges and in the bureaucracy. To name a few, Nathan Seidmann, a clerk in the planning section of the district administration in Kitsman who in his time as a member of the executive committee 2 during the years 1921 to 1927 and intermittently as chairman of the Zionist organization, performed notable service. Before 1914, the Jews and the Ruthenian (Ukrainian) population of the town and the surrounding villages co-existed in peace.


Iturup

Iturup (; ; , historically also called "Etrof" and "Yetorup") is one of the Kuril Islands. It was formerly known as "Staten Island". It is the largest and northernmost island in the southern Kurils, ownership of which is disputed by Japan and Russia.
The island was Japanese territory until the end of the Second World War in 1945, when Soviet forces took possession of all the Kurils and forced out Japanese residents. The island is still claimed by Japan, which considers a site on Iturup to be its northernmost point.
Iturup is located near the southern end of the Kuril chain, between Kunashiri (19 km to the SW) and Urup (37 km to the NE). The town of Kurilsk, administrative center of Kurilsky District, is located roughly midway along its western shore.
Iturup and Urup are separated by the Vries Strait, named after Dutch explorer Maarten Gerritsz Vries, the first recorded European to explore the area.
Geography.
Iturup consists of volcanic massifs and mountain ridges. A series of a dozen calc-alkaline volcanoes running NE to SW form the backbone of the island, the highest being Stokap (1,634 m) in the central part of Iturup. The shores of the island are high and abrupt. The vegetation mostly consists of spruce, larch, pine, fir, and mixed deciduous forests with alder, lianas and Kuril bamboo underbrush. The mountains are covered with birch and Siberian Dwarf Pine scrub, herbaceous flowers (including "Fragaria iturupensis", the Iturup strawberry) or bare rocks.
The island also contains some high waterfalls, such as the Ilya Muromets.
Rheniite, a rhenium sulfide mineral (ReS2), was discovered in active hot fumaroles on Kudriavy volcano and first described in 2004. In the field it was originally mistaken for molybdenite.
History.
Post-classical (500 to 1450).
The native inhabitants of Iturup and the Kuril islands are the Ainu. They lived there since before the 14th century.
Edo period.
Iturup was reached in 1661 by the Japanese Shichirobei and his fellows after they had drifted there. The island saw both a Russian settlement (late 18th century) and a Japanese garrison (1800) at the site of the present-day Kurilsk. In 1855 Iturup was ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Shimoda. Its name comes from the Ainu エツ゚ヲロㇷ゚ (Etuworop), meaning "Place possessing [many] capes."
Showa period.
On 26 November 1941, a Japanese carrier fleet left Hitokappu Bay (now called Kasatka Bay), on the eastern shore of Iturup, and sailed for an attack on the American base of Pearl Harbor.
Shana Village was located on Iturup (Etorofu) in the Showa era, before 1945. It was the administrative capital of the Kuril islands. There was a village hospital, an Etorofu Fisheries factory, a radio tower of the post office with a radio receiving antenna. The receiver was battery-powered.
Post-WW2.
In 1945, according to decisions of the Yalta Conference, it was occupied by the Soviet Union after Japan's defeat in World War II. The Japanese inhabitants were expelled to mainland Japan. In 1956 the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations, but the peace treaty, , has not been concluded due to the disputed status of Iturup and some other nearby islands.
A Soviet Anti-Air Defense (PVO) airfield, Burevestnik (English: storm-petrel), is located on the island and was until 1993 home for a number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter jets. In 1968, Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253A was intercepted over the Kurils and forced to land at Burevestnik with 214 American troops bound for Vietnam. An older airfield, Vetrovoe, exists on the eastern part of the island and may have been used primarily by Japanese forces during World War II.
Contemporary period.
A new international airport, Iturup Airport, was opened in 2014, east of Kurilsk. It was the first airport built from scratch in Russia's post-Soviet history. It has a , runway and can receive Antonov An-74-200 aircraft. It also has a military use. The Burevestnik military airfield to the south, in the past received civilian aircraft as well, but was often closed because of fog. Burevestnik is now a reserve airfield for the new airport. On February 2, 2018, PBS NewsHour reported that Russia announced it is sending fighter planes to Iturup. Su-35 aircraft landed on a reserve airfield on the island in March 2018 and Su-35s were then deployed to Iturup airport on a trial basis in August 2018.
Administratively the island belongs to the Sakhalin Oblast of the Russian Federation. Japan claims Iturup as part of Nemuro Subprefecture.


Party of New Forces (Belgium)

Parti des forces nouvelles (PFN) or Party of New Forces was a Belgian far-right political party active in Wallonia. Although they share a name it is not directly connected to the Party of New Forces in France.
Emergence.
The PFN first emerged in 1975 under the name "Forces Nouvelles", initially operating as a coalition of like-minded extremists rather than a political party. Early members of the group had come from the "Front de la Jeunesse". Its early years were dominated by internal struggles, resulting in the group doing little publicly between 1975 and 1980 due to this strife.
In 1979 the group was instrumental in the formation of "Eurodroite", an alliance of European far-right political parties that also included the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the French PFN and Fuerza Nueva amongst others.
Ideology.
Ideologically the party tended towards the neo-fascist or neo-Nazi end of the far-right and sought early contact with the MSI. It celebrated the heritage of Rexism and shared with it contempt for parliamentary democracy and support for corporatism in economics. The group also adopted a strongly anti-American strain to its discourse. Whilst anti-immigration has been at the centre of its appeal the PFN has also focused on anti-Semitism and has been active in promoting Holocaust denial. Its anti-immigrant rhetoric frequent included calls to biological racism. Repatriation of immigrants was a central part of their position. The group has also campaigned vigorously against abortion.
Elections.
The group contested the 1989 regional elections but failed to attract much support, capturing only 1.1% of the vote in Brussels. The PFN spent much of the 1980s competing with the "Front National" for votes and tended to come off worse. Thus in Brussels in 1985 the PFN won 0.7% of the vote to the FN's 0.5% (the FN having been formed only that year) but by the 1988 municipal elections this had shifted to 0.5% for the FN to 0.9% for the FN whilst by 1991 the FN had won seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Nonetheless it did manage to gain pockets of local support, with its vote rising as high as 15% in some districts.
Decline.
The PFN supported the use of publicity stunts in order to raise its profile and took a stand at the Brussels International Book Fair where its stock of Holocaust denial material attracted police attention. A scuffle broke out when the police attempted to remove the stall, with the incident widely covered in the Belgian press. The incident however exacerbated internal divisions and in 1989 Willy Freson and the Liège group of the PFN split to form their own movement, Agir. Robert Destrouder, a member of the PFN secretariat, also switched over to this new group.
After 1989 the PFN continued to decline, with many party members switching allegiance to the FN thereafter. Having been seriously weakened by these splits and having failed to make any headway in the elections it contested the PFN formally dissolved in 1991. Following its disappearance some members joined the Walloon Regional Front, a short-lived group that was itself absorbed by the FN in 1993 whilst others went into a new group, "Renouveau Nationaliste" (formed in 1993), a group closely associated with the French and European Nationalist Party.


Lempa River

The Lempa River () is a long river in Central America.
Geography.
Its sources are located in between the Sierra Madre and the Sierra del Merendón in southern Guatemala, near the town of Olopa. In Guatemala the river is called "Río Olopa" and flows southwards for before entering Honduras and changing its name to Lempa river at . In Honduras it flows through Ocotepeque Department for , and crosses the border with El Salvador at the town of Citalá () in the department of Chalatenango. The river continues its course for another in El Salvador, flowing in a generally southwards direction until it reaches the Pacific Ocean in the department of San Vicente. The river forms a small part of the international boundary between El Salvador and Honduras.
The river's watershed covers , of which (56 percent) is in El Salvador, in Honduras and in Guatemala. Forty-nine percent of El Salvador's territory is covered by the Lempa river basin, and 77.5 percent of the Salvadoran population lives in cities, towns, and villages that are in its basin, including the capital city of San Salvador.
Hydroelectricity.
There are several hydroelectric dams along the river. In El Salvador there is the Guayojo dam, the Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Dam, the 5 de Noviembre dam, and the 15 de Septiembre dam which can be easily seen from the Pan-American highway.


Okanagan Country

The Okanagan Country, also known as the Okanagan Valley, is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (where it is spelled the Okanogan Country), defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Okanagan River. With an estimated 400,000 residents, the Okanagan Country spans from the Thompson Plateau near Grindrod, British Columbia in the Okanagan to the Okanagan Highland near Douglas County, Washington in the Okanogan. The largest city in the Canadian portion is Kelowna, with a metropolitan population of 194,882  residents as of 2016, while the largest city in the American portion is Omak, with 4,881 residents as of 2011. The region took its current name in honor of the Okanagan term, "ukʷnaqín". The mild climate and close proximity to lakes, rivers and mountainous regions make the Okanagan Country an outdoor recreational destination. The region's economy is dominated by the primary sector industries of agriculture and forestry, although economic diversification has also occurred with retirement communities and recreational tourism. The American portion is considered to be more remote than the Canadian division, with approximately 10 percent of the population.
Geography.
The Shuswap Highland and Thompson Plateau, coming out of the unincorporated community of Grindrod, defines the northern border of the region; the terrain here is mountainous and hilly. The southern border is defined by Chelan, Douglas and Grant counties, although portions of these counties lie within the Okanagan Country. The Canada–United States border, which features an official crossing into Osoyoos from Oroville, separates the Okanagan and Okanogan subregions from each other. The Okanagan Highland and Okanagan Basin define the main geographic features, serving as plateau-like hilly areas. The Okanagan River and Okanagan Lake are the most prominent water features in the Okanagan Country, with a combined area of . According to Statistics Canada and the United States Census Bureau, the divided region comprises a total area of more than , larger than Belgium and Taiwan. The extended region within Chelan, Douglas and Grant divisions make a larger area. The largest municipality by area in the Okanagan Country is Spallumcheen, covering , making it larger than Seattle by land area. The southernmost community is Electric City, in Grant County. Other geographic features include Alta Lake, Columbia River, Cascade Mountains, Kalamalka Lake, North Gardner Mountain, Mahoney Lake, Mara Lake, McIntyre Bluff, Omak Lake, Osoyoos Lake, Similkameen River, Shuswap River, Skaha Lake, Swan Lake, Tuc-el-nuit Lake, Vaseaux Lake and Wood Lake.
Climate.
Like most of southern British Columbia and central Washington, the Okanagan Country experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification "BSk"), with little precipitation, hot summers and moderate winters. Northern communities have more precipitation and receive cooler temperatures. The city of Kelowna is generally considered to be a transition point between the semi-arid south and the somewhat wetter north, accompanied by a change in climate classification to humid continental (Dfb). Vegetation ranges from cactus and sagebrush in the southern portion, to cedar and hemlock trees in the northern portion. The region was affected by 1872 North Cascades earthquake, the state's largest historical earthquake, on December 14, 1872. The center of the earthquake was located at Omak Lake. The earthquake had a magnitude between 6.5 and 7.0 and was followed by an aftershock.
Government.
Population estimates from 2009 and 2011 released by BC Stats and United States Census Bureau indicated that there were over 400,000 residents. The American portion covers 10 percent of the population. Federally, the Canadian portion of the Okanagan Country is part of the British Columbia Southern Interior electoral district, while the American portion is part of Washington's 4th congressional district. The Okanagan Country is part of the North Okanagan, Central Okanagan, Okanagan-Similkameen regional districts, and the Okanogan and Ferry counties; however, portions of Grant, Clark and Douglas counties also lie within the divided region.


Khokhar Zer

Khokhar Zer is a village of Chakwal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Chakwal Tehsil and also of Khokhar Zair Union council, to which the villages of Junga, Shamsabad, Khai and Khokhar Zair belong. It is located 18 km south of Chakwal city through Choa Road. It is surrounded by Khokhar Bala, Dharyala Kahoon, Waryamal, Shamsabad and Janga. It is believed to be the largest village of "Dhan Chorasi" with population of more than 10,000 people.
The inhabitants of Khokhar Zer speak Dhani.
There are two educational institutes in the village, a Government High School for girls and a Government High School for boys. There is also a private school named "Cresent Public School" (mohahla Bhatti) and Air born School in the village. The village was very famous for its "Madrasa" in early 40s. Mostly every house this village has a Hafiz (Ma Sha Allah) The Hafiz of this village served whole Punjab for Traveeh in Ramdan Kareem. Ex Khateeb-e-Pakistan (Imam of Badshahi Mosque) Maulana Abdur Rehman Jami, Professor Abdur Razzaq of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (author of famous book Tasawwuf Aur T'amir-e-Sirat), Major General Hafiz Masroor Ahmedand Air Marshal Tariq Mahmud Ashraf
Ex Defence Attaché and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) and current member Provincial Assembly Ms. Asia Amjad of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf belongs to Khokhar Zer.
The village holds the Basic Health Unit - BHU (Bunyadi Markz-e- Sehat).
There are two dams in the village known as Khokhar Zer Dam & Surlah Dam.


Novo Nevesinje

Novo Nevesinje (, ) is a settlement in the region of Baranja, Croatia. Administratively, it is located in the Petlovac municipality within the Osijek-Baranja County. Population is 63 people.
History.
Novo Nevesinje has existed as part of the settlement from 1880. Its name was Piskora from 1880–1931. It was formally established as an independent settlement in 1991, when it was separated from the territory of Baranjsko Petrovo Selo.


Arauca River

The Arauca River () rises in the Andes Mountains of north-central Colombia and ends at the Orinoco in Venezuela. For part of its run it is the boundary between Colombia and Venezuela. The major city on its banks is Arauca, Colombia and El Amparo, Venezuela.
Course.
The Arauca is typical of the rivers that flow east across the Llanos Orientales starting as a swift mountain stream and becoming wider and slower as it crosses the plains.
It starts high in the Andes, in the Páramo del Almorzadero at over above sea level. Initially, it is called the Chitagá, and it receives inflows from the Carabo and the Cacota, and then twists its course towards the east joining with the Culaga and the Bochaga. Its name then changes to the Margua. The Negro, the Colorado, and the San Lorenzo then flow into it.
From the right bank come the Cubugón and the Cobar from the Sierra Nevada de Chita. The Tunebo Indians call this stretch the Sarare. Now flowing across a flat zone, it divides to form the Charo Island. Serving as the demarcation line between Colombia and Venezuela for of border, on the right side, the Royata, Bojabá and Banadía flow in, and on the left the Cutufí enters.
From thin on, it takes the name Arauca in tribute to the Araucana tribe, which inhabited the mountain ranges of the upper course and belonged to the great Arawak family. Now in the savannas of the Llanos Orientales, it often becomes a braided river with the main course splitting to form the subsidiary channels, such as the one called Agua Limón.
Various subsidiary channels are used extensively for transportation from the town of Arauca down to its mouth on the Orinoco. The course of the river is 80 percent navigable in small boats.


Southern Jutland

Southern Jutland () is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called . Both territories had their own ting assemblies in the Middle Ages (in Viborg and Urnehoved). Southern Jutland is mentioned for the first time in the Knýtlinga saga.
In the 13th century South Jutland became a duchy. The first duke was Canute Lavard ("Knud Lavard"). In the late 14th century it took the name of the Duchy of Schleswig. The duchy was named after the city of Schleswig ("Slesvig"). The dukes of Schleswig also became kings of Denmark.
With the demise of the Holy Roman Empire in the 19th century, the term "Sønderjylland" was revived by Denmark and became the subject of a naming dispute between Danes and Germans (the latter continuing the centuries-old "Schleswig") - part of the struggle over possession of the territory itself, resulting in the Schleswig Wars, fought in 1848-1852 and again in 1864. Though Denmark was militarily defeated in the first conflict, pressure from the Great Powers prevented the region being relinquished to the German Confederation.
Denmark failed to capitalize on the situation, opting instead to antagonize the situation-including charging heavy tolls on German shipping through the Danish Straits, pressuring Austria and Prussia into deciding to construct the Kiel Canal to circumvent the expense; which would require sovereignty over Holstein. After the Danish government breached certain political terms laid out in the treaty ending the first conflict, Austro-Prussian forces invaded and swiftly conquered South Jutland from Denmark. Diplomatic efforts, including a personal offer by Christian IX that his whole Kingdom would join the German Confederation if it could remain united with Holstein and Schleswig, failed. Two year later Prussian forces expelled the Austrians from the region altogether and South Jutland was annexed into the German Empire.
The loss of South Jutland is considered to have caused a "national trauma" for Denmark and marked the end of force being viewed as a viable tool of Danish foreign policy. South Jutland became part of the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein. The over 200,000 ethnic Danish inhabitants living in South Jutland were given imperial citizenship and enjoyed and suffered all the rights and responsibilities that came with it. Accordingly, when World War I broke out in 1914, both the German and Danish people of South Jutland were subject to conscription in the German army, Danish protests were ignored. Ultimately more than 30,000 ethnically Danish men served in the German Imperial Army, with thousands dying.
The casualty rate for ethnic Danes fighting in German army were disproportionate and led to decades of ill feelings towards Germany. At Versailles, the Danish government petitioned the allies to hold a plebiscite in South Jutland in accordance with American President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. This request was granted and following the Schleswig Plebiscites in 1920, South Jutland was divided into Danish Northern and German Southern Schleswig. The Schleswig Plebiscite was the only cession of German territory that was never contested by Hitler and the Nazis.
Northern Schleswig was also known as South Jutland County (1970–2006) and is now part of the Region of Southern Denmark. Southern Schleswig is a part of the German federal state Schleswig-Holstein. Both parts cooperate today as a Euroregion called Sønderjylland–Schleswig, which covers most of Southern Jutland.


Lusatian Neisse

The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: "Łužiska Nysa"; Lower Sorbian: "Łužyska Nysa"), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe. It rises in the Jizera Mountains, near Nová Ves nad Nisou, at the Czech border becoming the Polish–German border for its remaining , to flow into the similarly northward-flowing Oder.
Its drainage basin covers , of which in Poland, the rest is mainly in Germany. The river reaches the tripoint of the three nations by Zittau, a German town/city, after , leaving the Czech Republic. It is a left-bank tributary of the Oder, into which it flows between Neißemünde-Ratzdorf and Kosarzyn – north of the towns of Guben and Gubin.
Since the 1945 Potsdam Agreement in the aftermath of World War II, the river has partially demarcated the German-Polish border (along the Oder-Neisse line).
It is the longest and most watered of the three rivers of its non-adjectival name in both the main languages (the two other rivers being the Eastern Neisse (; ) and Raging Neisse (Polish: "Nysa Szalona"; German: "Wütende Neiße" or "Jauersche Neiße")). It is usually simply referred to as the Neisse.
Name.
Since the river runs through the historic region of Lusatia, the adjective "Lusatian" or "Western" before the name of the river Neisse is used whenever differentiating this border river from the Eastern Neisse (Polish: "Nysa Kłodzka", German: "Glatzer Neisse") and the smaller Raging Neisse (Polish: "Nysa Szalona"; German: "Wütende Neisse" or "Jauersche Neisse"), both in Poland.
Towns and villages.
At Bad Muskau the Neisse flows through Muskau Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cities and towns on the river from source to mouth include:
Tributaries.
Right bank:
Left bank:


Novi Sad Airport

Novi Sad Airport ( / "Aerodrom Novi Sad") , also known as Čenej Airport ( / "Aerodrom Čenej"), is located near the village of Čenej in Serbia.
At the moment, the site is mostly used for sport and agriculture.
Novi Sad Airport is expected to be opened for civilian flights soon. The City of Novi Sad plans to launch civil aviation operations, and connect Novi Sad to airports like Thessaloniki, Tivat, Budapest, Ljubljana, Vienna and others.
It is 16 km (10 mi) north of the city of Novi Sad, on the eastern side of the A1 motorway.
History.
The idea of building an international airport on this site is not new. The construction of the control tower began in 1994, however as of 2021, the airport has not been completed. A 2,500 meters asphalt runway capable of accommodating 70 to 80 seater aircraft is planned. The air corridor above Novi Sad has about 800 movements per day, of which 50 are so-called 'mini-business' flights.
The site also has favourable prevailing winds. Meteorological data for the last 20 years shows the fewest fog affected days in the area per year.
On May 22, 2004, a Let L-410UVP-E Turbolet aircraft with 20 passengers aboard, which had departed from Tivat Airport, landed at the airport. The aircraft belonged to Di Air, a Montenegrin airline. It was a promotional flight aimed at showing interest in developing this airport in the future.
On August 14, 2019 the first international flight landed at Novi Sad Airport. A German businessman who has a factory in Vojvodina flew in on a Cessna 340, and Novi Sad Flight Club which operates the airfield, did the groundwork for the first international flight.
Development.
On April 5, 2012 Government of Vojvodina decided to develop the airport for civilian traffic. It was planned that the Čenej Airport finish construction of its terminal building by the end of 2015, in order to service passenger, business, low cost and cargo flights.
Provincial authorities originally planned that the airport would open for passenger service in 2015, and upon completion, to use the concept of public-private partnerships to provide additional funding.
The airport is expected look similar to the airport in Tivat, Montenegro.
A model of the airport are presented by the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad.
The airport was designed as an airport of "C" type with the outgoing and the incoming terminal, business object, with the control tower, and will occupy an area of about 7 hectares without a runway and internal roads.
Total investment in the airport will be 20 million euros.
The plan is to retain a grass runway for sports aviation and to build a 1,760-meter concrete runway, 30 meters wide for commercial flights. The airport will then bear the 3-C mark, which will be able to land planes with wingspan from 24 to 36 meters and a maximum capacity of about 100 passengers.