I have become a cliché machine in my own lifetime. Sigh.
The tropical climate has also produced the Congo River system which dominates the region topographically along with the rainforest it flows through, (though they are not mutually exclusive). The name for the "Congo" state is derived in part from the river. The river basin (meaning the Congo River and all of its myriad tributaries) occupies nearly the entire country and an area of nearly one million square kilometers (400,000 sq mi). The river and its tributaries (major offshoots include the Kasai, Sangha, Ubangi, Aruwimi, and Lulonga) form the backbone of Congolese economics and transportation. They have a dramatic impact on the daily lives of the people.Democratic Republic of Congo: Healing the Wounds of War (this video is a year old, put out by the International Medical Corps (IMC). It gives us a graphic image of the people's plight.
Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Rwanda is supporting rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo, while the Congolese government is arming a Rwandan militia, a United Nations report said yesterday.Democratic Republic of Congo - The Faces of Peace
The report to the UN Security Council “found evidence that the Rwandan authorities have been complicit in the recruitment of soldiers, including children, have facilitated the supply of military equipment, and have sent officers and units from the Rwandan Defense Forces” to the DRC. The support is for the National Congress for the Defense of the People, or CNDP, led by Laurent Nkunda.
A “Group of Experts” appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to monitor UN sanctions in Congo also cited “extensive collaboration” between Congolese government troops and rebel groups in the country’s North Kivu province that fight against Nkunda, the report said. Groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, are getting government support.
Nkunda says he is fighting to protect Congo’s Tutsi minority from militias such as the ethnic Hutu FDLR that took refuge in the east of the country after participating in the genocide in neighboring Rwanda in 1994. Since August, more than 250,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, the UN said.
The CNDP is accused of war crimes by the UN. Its military leader General Bosco Ntaganda is wanted by the International Criminal Court for recruiting child soldiers.
The Congolese rebels’ funding sources include local and export taxes, payments from landowners in areas they control and the charcoal trade, the report said.
The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level. Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island's most famous landmark. They are located between Soufrière and Choiseul on the western side of the island. Saint Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano.
We have had first-time visitors from a few more countries and I am still a bit behind on my welcomes, for which I apologize. My body is adjusting back to life at 5000 feet altitude and I have been sluggish ever since returning from sea level in Louisiana. Indeed, I was still in New Orleans when these visitors arrived the same day as our first visitors from Mongolia and French Polynesia. So, a very tardy but hearty welcome to our first visitors from Haiti and the Gambia.
It is made up of several groups of islands, the largest and most populated of which is Tahiti.French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity of which the official languages are French and Tahitian. The capital is Papeete.
The island groups are:
Austral Islands
Bass Islands often considered part of the Austral Islands
Gambier Islands often considered part of the Tuamotu Archipelago
Marquesas Islands
Society Islands (including Tahiti)
Tuamotu Archipelago
Aside from Tahiti, some other important atolls, islands, and island groups in French Polynesia are: Ahe, Bora Bora, Hiva `Oa, Huahine, Maiao, Maupiti, Mehetia, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tetiaroa, Tubuai, and Tupai.
The humidity. (I had not lived in New Orleans yet.)
The casual security (by the standards I was used to).
My purchase of an Antiguan flag in a gift shop at the airport. As I recall, the woman who sold it to me said that I would smile when I saw it. I have smiled when I put it on the flagpole at our former home.
Waiting - on the plane on the tarmac - for hours before taking off.
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the islands of Haiti, Guadeloupe and Martinique. It has its roots in compas music from Haiti,. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local creole of French with English influences. In Africa, it is popular in franco/luso countries, while on the African islands of Cape Verde they have developed their own type of zouk. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, and in North America the Canadian province of Quebec.
The two most recent nations from which we've had first-time visitors are Belarus and Angola. Welcome to this site!
Christ of the Khmers
On or around September 25 we had our first visitors from Cambodia and the Cayman Islands. A hearty welcome to them and to all their fellow citizens who may follow.Modern satellites have revealed Angkor to be the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world, larger than modern day New York.As part of the area known (though less so nowadays) as Indochina it has a culture shaped by India and China. The early Hindu heritage transformed to a Buddhist one and the primary religion is Theravada Buddhism. The ancient Khmer Empire establishes both cultural identity and memories of former glory. Wikipedia notes that its main industries today are garments, tourism, and construction. Anyone who would like to understand what happened to Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge took over should see the movie The Killing Fields. and check the website of the Yale Cambodian Genocide Program.
Five former members of the Khmer Rouge have gone on trial in Cambodia, accused of kidnapping and killing two members of a mine clearance team.Traditional Cambodian music played by musicians who survived land mines:
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The trial is seen as a sign that Khmer Rouge figures no longer enjoy immunity.
Separately, the trial of a senior Khmer Rouge leader facing war crimes charges has reportedly been delayed.
The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for a four-year period in the late 1970s.
Forced from power by a Vietnamese invasion, the Maoist guerrillas continued to battle government troops from strongholds in the north-west for two decades.
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The communist group implemented radical policies considered responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people from starvation, disease, overwork and execution.
The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. It is a major financial centre in the Caribbean.
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The Cayman Islands have the dubious honour of having experienced the most hurricane strikes in history. Due to the proximity of the islands, more hurricane and tropical systems have affected the Cayman Islands than any other region in the Atlantic basin (brushed or hit every 2.23 years). The Cayman Islands enjoy a high global standard of living fully dependent upon tourism and tax-haven dependent banking.
Historian Lawrence Cunningham in 1992 wrote, "In a Chamorro sense, the land and its produce belong to everyone. Inafa'maolek, or interdependence, is the key, or central value, in Chamorro culture … Inafa'maolek depends on a spirit of cooperation. This is the armature, or core, that everything in Chamorro culture revolves around. It is a powerful concern for mutuality rather than individualism and private property rights."Guam Chant & Dance-I Fanlalai'an Chant Group
It is over a month since we had our first visitors from these three nations and they bring our virtual flag collection up to 131. We have, however, had visitors from 140 nations (as you can see in the sidebar), so I need to do some catching up.
I could not find an image of the flag with their logo, so faked it.The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent, intergovernmental, world-wide body competent in Customs matters and has a mission to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. A regional structure was established to provide practical assistance in order to:Welcome to our visitor from the Asia Pacific Region. And no, at the moment I have nothing to declare.The Far East, South and South East Asia, Australasia and the Pacific Islands Region of the World Customs Organization is composed of the following members:
- Ensure the permanent presence of the WCO in each region of the world;
- Ensure that the WCO is kept informed of regional interests;
- Promote greater involvement of members in WCO activities;
- Encourage non-Members to join the WCO;
- Establish close co-operation with regional organizations working in the Customs field;
- Promote cooperation between Members in each region.
Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao China, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Kingdom of Tonga and Vietnam.
There are now 127 flags listed in the neocounter sidebar. Someone from Bangladesh visited us today. Welcome!
Bosnia (Bosnian/Croatian (Latin script): Bosna i Hercegovina, Serbian (Cyrillic script): Босна и Херцеговина) is a country on the Balkan peninsula of Southern Europe with an area of 51,129 square kilometres (19,741 sq mi). The last official census in 1991 recorded 4.4 million people, which was prior to the 1992-1995 war, while an unofficial census in 1996 by UNHCR recorded a post-war population of 3.9 million. Its 2007 residential population is estimated at approximately 4 million. Formerly one of the six federal units constituting the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina gained its independence during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. Bosnia and Herzegovina can be described as a federal democratic republic that is transforming its economy into a market-oriented system, and it is a potential candidate for membership in the European Union and NATO.
Here is your visual tour!
I can only guess at a few words of this but the music is soothing and I am all about balm for souls these days.
Perhaps you are needing something more energetic and modern feeling with a touch of modern dance thrown in?
Zehra Deović singing MOJ DILBERE
Enjoy!
--the BB
We have just had our first visitors from Syria and Montenegro. A hearty welcome to you and all visitors from your countries!
While glancing through Wikipedia's article on Montenegro I got nostalgic. The photo in the flag graphic above is the Bay of Kotor and I can hear Dr. Krekič saying "Kotor" in my memory of two semesters of medieval Balkan history at UCLA. This is the ancient land of the Illyrians. A referendum in May 2006 decided for independence from Serbia. The capital is Podgorica. The official languages include the following: Montenegrin (a Slavic language), Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian. The old royal capital is Cetinje.
Today we welcome our first visitor from the Republic of Maldives. Located south of India and southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives is a nation of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The capital and largest city is Malé and the language is Dhivehi.The Maldives holds the record for being the flattest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 m (7½ ft), though in areas where construction exists this has been increased to several metres. Over the last century, sea levels have risen about 20 centimetres (8 in); further rises of the ocean could threaten the existence of Maldives.Your virtual tour:
