The largest animal that has ever lived. The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed. During the 20th century, the species was an important whaling target and even after it was protected and commercial whaling stopped in 1964, exploitation efforts by the former Soviet Union persisted.
The Erie Canal is the place where the young United States, and its religiosity, ceased looking to the East and the past â Europe and New England â and began looking West and to the future â to a grand unfolding continent.
The Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world and a famous tourist destination. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, but the various sections were first connected during the Sui dynasty. The Yuan and Ming dynasties significantly rebuilt the can