Marsala the area has been conquered by Norman, Angevin and Aragonese troops. During this time, Marsala became wealthy, primarily through trade. However the blocking up of the harbour of Punta Alga, decreed by Emperor Charles V so as to stop Saracen forays, brought an end to this period of prosperity. The development of Marsala wine at the end of the 18th century, headed by English merchants settled in Sicily, considerably improved local trade. This triggered an economic expansion in Marsala, including the funding of infrastructure projects such as the current harbour of Margitello. On 11 May 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi landed at
Sverdrup Island (Kara Sea) Sverdrup Island (Kara Sea) Sverdrup Island or Svordrup Island (Russian: Остров Свердрупа) is an isolated island in the southern region of the Kara Sea. This island is covered with tundra vegetation. It is located 120 km north of Dikson on the Siberian coast. The nearest land mass is the Arkticheskiy Institut Islands, about 90 km to the northeast. The island has a wide bay opening towards the west. Its length is 15 km and its maximum width 10 km. The sea surrounding Sverdrup Island is covered with pack ice with some polynias in the long winter and there are many