Russia

After a week off from posting (call it a holiday) I am filing this one on Russia!

The topic of Russia is vast. The history, archaeology and geography each could be a blog. Russia is easily the largest country in the world by land area. It is the 9th largest in population behind Nigeria and ahead of Japan. Much of the land is harsh--but it is beautiful. The capital and largest city is Moscow (Москва). Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург) Novosibirsk (Новосибирск), Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбург) and Nizhny Novgorod (Нижний Новгород) round out the top 5 cities in Russia.Within Russia is 1/4th of the worlds fresh water, 100,000 rivers and the worlds largest timber reserves. Also, Russia has the second most total renewable water resources after Brasil.

Russia is a powerhouse in intellectual fields such as mathematics, science and strategy games (like chess). Russians are also a growing power in the music production field (which I am involved in). Some notable people from these fields include Grigori Perelman, Yakov Eliashberg, Nikolai Efimov, Albert Shiryaev and Garry Kasparov.

At different points in history, Russia has been considered a 'super-power'. Now, few would say it is. However, this could (and I think will) change soon. If the West continues its mindless direction, the future is Asia's and Russia is included in this. Russia is rich in oil and natural gas, a sure sign of strength. Rail transportation in Russia is dominated by Russian Railways, a monopoly which employs 950,000 people. The economy continues to improve for Russians.

Russia's physical geography is immense. Within Russia are many mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, deserts and tundra, taiga and almost every type of landscape. The land can be bleak but this makes it interesting. Cities are found all across Russia. From the northern most natural border with the artic to the eastern most natural border with the vast bering sea. Many parts of Russia get as cold as anywhere on the planet. The continental climate of much of Siberia means it also can get hot, sometimes, 99 degrees. I am definatly going to write more on Russia in the future.

Osyotr river (Осётр река) 



All Religions Temple. A building and cultural center build by the local artist Ildar Xanov. Photo and description: Maarten



Peterhof, St. Petersburg


Outskirts of Serpeevka village. Cleyabinsk region, Russia. Окрестности деревни Серпеевка. Челябинская область, Россия. Photo: Скампецкий



Megalith near village Kazanovka in Republic Khakassia, Russian Federation. Photo by Anatoly Terentiev, 13 September 2000.

Khakassia view. Photo by Philipp Poddubitsky, 14 October 2000.


Megalith near village Safronov in Republic Khakasiya, Russian Federation. Photo by Anatoly Terentiev, 13 September 2000.


Kezenoy Am (Кезеной Ам), 29 July 2009. Photo: Agidel


  
Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky at night.
 

Amga
 

Altai, Lake Kutsherla in Altay Mountains, Russia 2001. Photo: Stefan Kühn.




Taiga Forest near Lake Baikal, Russia, 2008. Photo: Christophe Meneboeuf.


 
Ignateva cave entry 2009 (Вход в Игнатьевскую пещеру) Photo: Sultan Brukhanov.


Ripe Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus), February 2006 common to the Urals. Photo: Philipum.



Ob River (Река Обь) Photo: Игоревич



Lake Uvs (Убса) Photo: Jan Sysel.

^^Look how desolate the above picure is! Just earth and water, nothing else. It is stark, vast and a contradiction of inviting and uninviting. On the one hand, I would like to be there and see this place, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to be there forever.


Yakutsk, 2007. Photo: "synchroswimr"/Stacy

*Caleb's Sidenote: Doesn't this picture look like it could have been taken in the 60's, 70's or 80's (it is dated 2007) ? I think Russia is fasinating, but it seems VERY depressing in some parts.


Lone Maiden Formation, Lena River.


Circum-Baikal Railway, southwestern tip of Lake Baikal.


Nagayevo Bay near Magadan, Russia (Бухта Нагаева, вид с Магадана) 2006. Photo: Obersachse



Forest-tundra landscape example (Norilsk, Russia environment) Образец заповедной  (2006-06-26) Photo: Grain


The cliffs Brat ("Brother") and Sestra ("Sister") in the environs of Nakhodka, 2006. Photo: adfoto

A Look Back

I started this blog in December 2010, the ink in my pen went all but dry until about April 2011, then I started a more organized schedule of posts, 4 days a week. I am somewhat surprised by the amount of unique hits I have gotten so far, somewhere around 500. Some of the most popular countries for people to access the site from are Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Britain and Singapore. I am always looking for more comments and for people to send me their digital photographs (via link) to publish as a blog entry. If anyone has an interesting hobby or cause, I am always up to interview you via email and post the interview on my blog. As with any blogger, I want to make this blog viral. I would love to have a million hits a day. But even if I could get 100-200 hits a day (which I am not currently) I would be really happy.

Chavin Culture

The Chavin culture thrived from 900 to 200 BC in what is now Peru. Chavin followed the Norte Chico culture but preceded both the Moche and Chimú periods as well as the Inca. The capital of this land was Chavín de Huantar which is located at a spectacular 10,430 ft. The people of Chavin cultivated potatoes, maize, cotton (of the variety Gossypium Barbadense) gourds and quinoa. They domesticated llama, alpaca and guinea pigs and collected clams and other shellfish. It is also suggested certain members of society use San Pedro Cactus for its' psychotropic properties.

Peru has always been rich in gold. All the civilisations of Peru used gold extensively. In fact, the Spanish took over 25,000 pounds of gold from the Americas after their conquests. The people of Chavin were skilled metalworkers. They built a sophisticated drainage systems. Jaguars, felines and anacondas played an important part in the religious life of Chavin.



Quinoa, Photo: Maurice Chédel.


Chavín de Huántar Photo: Sharon odb


Cabeza Clava Chavin. Photo: Jorge Mori

Lighthouses Around The World

A lot of people have an interest in lighthouses. It isn't one of my main interests, however, I found this site which has lighthouses all across the world, from Denmark to Indonesia. It is interesting to look through the pages. I like the connection to water and the ocean:

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/index.htm

The Canaanites

The Canaanites inhabited only a small region of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, yet, it inhabits a large place in history and the imagination. Due to Canaan's location at the crossroads of the world, it like Israel has always been important and invovled in conflict. They built cities like Jericho, the oldest big city in the world. There typical city was walled, with a market. In the surrounding countryside, farms of barley, wheat, pistachios, olives and grapes abounded. The Canaanites were one of many groups in the complex and confusing world of the ancient Middle East.

The Canaanite religion was polytheistic. Among the gods worshiped were Moloch (Molech and also Molekh), Asherah, Dagon, Hadad and the main deity, El. Though Ba‘al (Baal) is the most well known god of the Canaanites, this is actually a generic name that can apply to many Canaanite deities, often Hadad. The religion of the Canaanites drew heavily on the Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions and possibly involved human sacrifice, particularly to the horned demonic god, Molech. Today, there are still some followers of the Canaanite religion.

City Profile 010: San Diego, California, United States Of America

CITY PROFILE 010: SAN DIEGO, CALFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Coordinates: 32°42′54″N 117°09′45″W
Elevation: 72–400 ft (22 m)
Daily Mean Temp: 61.25 Fahrenheit (16.25 Celcius)
Metro Population: 3,095,313
Estimated 2030 Metro Population: Over 4 Million.
Risks: Earthquakes, overpopulation, vulnerable state (California), high tax state.
Advantages: Cool weather, scenery, good shopping and dining.
Resources: Immediate: Port. Regional:

The Obelisk

Obelisks are man made monuments found across the globe. They are especially widespread today and virtually every developed country has erected an obelisk somewhere. General, they are associated with government, central authority and capital cities. Some places which have this feature are Caracas, Dublin, Buenos Aires, France, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brazil and Mexico City.

No civilisation has been more associated with obelisks than the Ancient Egyptians, although, Ancient Rome is possibly responsible for building the most. Some of the Pharaohs who have obelisks are Senusret I, Seti II, Ramses II, Tuthmosis III, Amenhotep II, Hatshepsut, Nectanebo II and Tuthmosis I. The Assyrians built obelisks as well and Peru is home to at least one ancient obelisk, the 'Tello Obelisk'. Axum, Ethiopia was home to many as was Byzantium. In modern times, Washington DC is home to the Washington Monument.

Where ever power and empire has gone, obelisks have seemed to follow. They have become a symbol of civilization, grandeur and strength. The organized manpower and architectural skill needed to creat such a monument is extraordinary. But I find it important to point out, while these monuments are impressive, they have largely been built by slave or near slave labor in brutal working conditions, for the sake of one person or a few elites.


 
Washington Monument, 2005. Photo: David Bjorgen



Obelisk of Pharaoh Senusret I, Al-MasallaMatariyyah district in Heliopolis, Cairo.