EASTER ISLAND - Islands

 

• Valparaíso, Chile

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

Polynesian people most likely settled on Easter Island sometime between 700 to 1100 CE, and created a thriving and industrious culture as evidenced by the island's numerous enormous stone moai and other artifacts. However, human activity, the introduction of the Polynesian rat and overpopulation led to gradual deforestation and extinction of natural resources which severely weakened the Rapa Nui civilization. By the time of European arrival in 1722, the island's population had dropped to 2,000–3,000 from an estimated high of approximately 15,000 just a century earlier. European diseases and Peruvian slave raiding in the 1860s further reduced the Rapa Nui population, to a low of only 111 inhabitants in 1877.

Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The nearest inhabited land (around 50 residents in 2013) is Pitcairn Island, 2,075 kilometres (1,289 mi) away; the nearest town with a population over 500 is Rikitea, on the island of Mangareva, 2,606 km (1,619 mi) away; the nearest continental point lies just in central Chile, 3,512 kilometres (2,182 mi) away.

Easter Island is a special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888. Administratively, it belongs to the Valparaíso Region, and, more specifically, it is the only commune of the Province Isla de Pascua. According to the 2012 Chilean census, the island has about 5,800 residents, of whom some 60 percent are descendants of the aboriginal Rapa Nui.

HUMMINGBIRD LANE

 HUMMINGBIRD LANE

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This woman lives in
a Hummingbird fly
zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard. She took
the little red dish, filled it with  sugar water and this is  the result.
The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been studying  them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her hand;  as they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She  says in touching they are as light as a feather.
Abagail also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures
 she would have put on makeup.'

Beautiful Borders Between Two Countries

Crocodile & Hippo Unseen Fight

 Crocodile & Hippo Unseen Fight

 

 

 

  

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10 Incredible Conflux of The World

A Conflux, also known as a Confluence is the meeting of two or more Bodies of Water. It refers either to the point where a Tributary joins a Larger River, called the Main Stem or where two Streams meet to become the Source of a River of a New Name.

As the Confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania creating the Ohio River.

The term is also used to describe the meeting of Tidal or other Non-Riverine Bodies of Water, such as two Canals or a Canal and a Lake.

Below is a collection of 10 Incredible Conflux Of The World. The Confluences below were selected for their Dramatic Visual Contrast.

Thus, culturally significant confluences such as the Sangam near Allahabad, (India) where the Sacred Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati meet to create "One Of The Holiest Places In Hinduism", were not included for this reason.

01. Confluence of the Rhone and Arve Rivers in Geneva, Switzerland
In this incredible photograph we see the confluence of the Rhone and Arve rivers in Geneva, Switzerland. The river on the left is the Rhone, which is just exiting Lake Lehman. The river on the right is the Arve, which receives water from the many glaciers of the Chamonix Valley (mainly the Mer de Glace) before flowing North-West into the Rhone on the West side of Geneva, where its much higher level of silt brings forth a striking contrast between the two rivers.


02. Confluence of the Ilz, Danube and Inn Rivers in Passau, Germany
The Ilz is a relatively Small Mountain Stream and has a Blueish Color while the Inn is a fairly Large River flowing in from Salzburg, Austria at the top. The Inn River has more water flow than the Danube, yet flowing away from the City the Three Combined Rivers are called Danube. This photo was taken from the Oberhaus-Fortress (now a City Museum) on top of the Ilzstadt Cliff above the city of Passau in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or “City of Three Rivers”.


03. Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo, IL, USA
The Ohio River becomes a Tributary of the Mississippi River directly South of Cairo, Illinois, a Small City on the spit of land where the Rivers converge (at center of this astronaut photograph). Brown, sediment-laden water flowing generally Northeast to South from the Ohio River is distinct from the Green and relatively sediment-poor water of the Mississippi River (flowing northwest to south). The color of the Rivers in this image is reversed from the usual condition of a Green Ohio and a Brown Mississippi. This suggests that the very high rainfall in December 2005 over the Appalachians and the northeastern United States has led to greater-than-normal amounts of sediment in the Rivers and Streams of the Ohio River Watershed.



04. Confluence of the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers in Chongqing, China
 Jialing River on the right stretches 119 kilometers. In the City of Chongqing it falls into Yangtze River. The clean water of Jialing River meets the Brownish Yellow Water of Yangtze River. The Yangtze becomes more powerful after it absorbs the water of Jialing as it continues its Path, passing through the Three Gorges and stretching thousands of miles.



05. Confluence of the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes near Manaus, Brazil
The Meeting of Waters is the confluence between the Rio Negro, a river with Dark (almost Black Coloured) Water and the Sandy-coloured Amazon River or Rio Solimões, as it is known the upper section of the Amazon in Brazil. For 6 km (3.7 mi) the River’s Waters run side by side without mixing. It is one of the main Tourist Attractions of Manaus, Brazil. This Phenomenon is due to the differences in Temperature, Speed and Water Density of the Two Rivers. The Rio Negro flows at near 2 km per hour at a temperature of 28°C, while the Rio Solimões flows between 4 to 6 km per hour a temperature of 22°C.



06. Confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA
The Green River is a very Long Stream forming in the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains in Bridger Teton National Forest of Sublette County, Wyoming. It winds its way south into Utah, turning east into Colorado and finally back south down into Utah where it terminates at the confluence of the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park in San Juan County.



07. Confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers in Lytton, BC, Canada
The Thompson River ends here in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada where it meets the Fraser River. The contrast is striking as the clear Thompson River water joins with the muddy Fraser.



08. Confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers in Devprayag, India
 Devprayag is a town and a nagar panchayat (municipality) in Tehri Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River and it is where the Ganges River is formed. The Alaknanda rises at the confluence and feet of the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers in Uttarakhand. The headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at Gaumukh, at the foot of the Gangotri glacier and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal Himalaya. These two sacred rivers join to form the Ganges (Ganga) in Devprayag.



09. Confluece of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers in Koblenz, Germany
 In the German city of Koblenz, the Mosel flows into the Rhine river. The Name “Koblenz” itself has its origin in the latin name “Confluentes”.

10. Confluence of the Drava and Danuve Rivers near Osijek, Croatia

 Located on the right bank of the river Drava 25 km upstream of its confluence with the Danube is the city of Osijek, Croatia.

Nature Mystical Colors

Nature 

Mystical Colors

Modern 7 Wonders of the World

Great Wall of China

Great might be an understatement. One of the world’s largest building-construction projects, the Great Wall of China is widely thought to be about 5,500 miles (8,850 km) long; a disputed Chinese study, however, claims the length is 13,170 miles (21,200 km). Work began in the 7th century BCE and continued for two millennia. Although called a “wall,” the structure actually features two parallel walls for lengthy stretches. In addition, watchtowers and barracks dot the bulwark. One not-so-great thing about the wall, however, was its effectiveness. Although it was built to prevent invasions and raids, the wall largely failed to provide actual security. Instead, scholars have noted that it served more as “political propaganda.”

Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá is a Mayan city on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, which flourished in the 9th and 10th centuries CE. Under the Mayan tribe Itzá—who were strongly influenced by the Toltecs—a number of important monuments and temples were built. Among the most notable is the stepped pyramid El Castillo (“The Castle”), which rises 79 feet (24 meters) above the Main Plaza. A testament to the Mayans’ astronomical abilities, the structure features a total of 365 steps, the number of days in the solar year. During the spring and autumnal equinoxes, the setting sun casts shadows on the pyramid that give the appearance of a serpent slithering down the north stairway; at the base is a stone snake head. Life there was not all work and science, however. Chichén Itzá is home to the largest tlachtli (a type of sporting field) in the Americas. On that field the residents played a ritual ball game popular throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

Petra

The ancient city of Petra, Jordan, is located in a remote valley, nestled among sandstone mountains and cliffs. It was purported to be one of the places where Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth. Later the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe, made it their capital, and during this time it flourished, becoming an important trade center, especially for spices. Noted carvers, the Nabataeans chiseled dwellings, temples, and tombs into the sandstone, which changed color with the shifting sun. In addition, they constructed a water system that allowed for lush gardens and farming. At its height, Petra reportedly had a population of 30,000. The city began to decline, however, as trade routes shifted. A major earthquake in 363 CE caused more difficulty, and after another tremor hit in 551, Petra was gradually abandoned. Although rediscovered in 1912, it was largely ignored by archaeologists until the late 20th century, and many questions remain about the city.

Machu Picchu

This Incan site near Cuzco, Peru, was “discovered” in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, who believed it was Vilcabamba, a secret Incan stronghold used during the 16th-century rebellion against Spanish rule. Although that claim was later disproved, the purpose of Machu Picchu has confounded scholars. Bingham believed it was home to the “Virgins of the Sun,” women who lived in convents under a vow of chastity. Others think that it was likely a pilgrimage site, while some believe it was a royal retreat. (One thing it apparently should not be is the site of a beer commercial. In 2000 a crane being used for such an ad fell and cracked a monument.) What is known is that Machu Picchu is one of the few major pre-Columbian ruins found nearly intact. Despite its relative isolation high in the Andes Mountains, it features agricultural terraces, plazas, residential areas, and temples.

Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer, a colossal statue of Jesus, stands atop Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. Its origins date to just after World War I, when some Brazilians feared a “tide of godlessness.” They proposed a statue, which was ultimately designed by Heitor da Silva Costa, Carlos Oswald, and Paul Landowski. Construction began in 1926 and was completed five years later. The resulting monument stands 98 feet (30 meters) tall—not including its base, which is about 26 feet (8 meters) high—and its outstretched arms span 92 feet (28 meters). It is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world. Christ the Redeemer is made of reinforced concrete and is covered in approximately six million tiles. Somewhat disconcertingly, the statue has often been struck by lightning, and in 2014 the tip of Jesus’s right thumb was damaged during a storm.

Colosseum

The Colosseum in Rome was built in the first century by order of the Emperor Vespasian. A feat of engineering, the amphitheater measures 620 by 513 feet (189 by 156 meters) and features a complex system of vaults. It was capable of holding 50,000 spectators, who watched a variety of events. Perhaps most notable were gladiator fights, though men battling animals was also common. In addition, water was sometimes pumped into the Colosseum for mock naval engagements. However, the belief that Christians were martyred there—namely, by being thrown to lions—is debated. According to some estimates, about 500,000 people died in the Colosseum. Additionally, so many animals were captured and then killed there that certain species reportedly became extinct.

Taj Mahal

This mausoleum complex in Agra, India, is regarded as one of the world’s most iconic monuments and is perhaps the finest example of Mughal architecture. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to honor his wife Mumtāz Maḥal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child. It took about 22 years and 20,000 workers to construct the complex, which includes an immense garden with a reflecting pool. The mausoleum is made of white marble that features semiprecious stones in geometric and floral patterns. Its majestic central dome is surrounded by four smaller domes. According to some reports, Shah Jahān wished to have his own mausoleum made out of black marble. However, he was deposed by one of his sons before any work began.