Poll: Bollywood actress in short Skirt.. Who
- Kareena Kapoor
- Esha Deol
- Katrina Kaif
- Priyanka Chopra
- Aishwarya Rai
- Deepika Padukone
- Shamita Shetty
- Rani Mukerji
Who according to you looks the hottest in a short skirt?? COMMENT...!!!
Oil Stones: A Soviet City in the Middle of the Sea
And that was really a city! Just one fact: the length of the streets of this one-of-a-kind town was exceeding 350 km (200 miles) if combined. There were nine stored buildings, schools, industry complexes and fountains. Lawns with green grass and children playing ball. And all that is forty two kilometeres from the nearest Earth surface close!
As Soviet Union was keeping its achievements behind the iron curtain less was known to the rest of the world about such engineering wonder being built. Later, the new Northern reserves of oil were discovered which exceeded hundred times the ones they had in Caspian Sea region so the Soviet oil production industry giant moved away from that place, making it semi abandoned. But even now this place according to what has been said has more than the 2,000 inhabitants. A true example of what human is capable of achieving, maybe one of the biggest man made structures on Earth and how small we sometimes know on such places around the world.
And that was really a city! Just one fact: the length of the streets of this one-of-a-kind town was exceeding 350 km (200 miles) if combined. There were nine stored buildings, schools, industry complexes and fountains. Lawns with green grass and children playing ball. And all that is forty two kilometeres from the nearest Earth surface close!
As Soviet Union was keeping its achievements behind the iron curtain less was known to the rest of the world about such engineering wonder being built. Later, the new Northern reserves of oil were discovered which exceeded hundred times the ones they had in Caspian Sea region so the Soviet oil production industry giant moved away from that place, making it semi abandoned. But even now this place according to what has been said has more than the 2,000 inhabitants. A true example of what human is capable of achieving, maybe one of the biggest man made structures on Earth and how small we sometimes know on such places around the world.
These amazing embryonic animal photographs of dolphins, sharks, dogs, penguins, cats and elephants are from a new National Geographic Documentary called “Extraordinary Animals in the Womb”. The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth. They are the most detailed embryonic animal pictures ever seen.
The most incredible scars given to the earth
10. Kalgoorlie Super Pit
Kalgoorlie Super Pit is what it says on the tin. Irishman Paddy Hannan first saw the glimmer of gold here back in 1893, and this gigantic pockmark in Western Australia is now its continent’s largest open cut gold mine at 3.5 km long, 1.5 km wide and 360 m deep. It’s huge. And it’s growing. At least, that is, until 2017 when it is expected to cease being productive.
While the Super Pit has the pull of a benign black hole for tourists into good hole-some fun, air pollution, water usage, noise and vibration issues and mining waste are all bones of contention for local residents. Still, as well as coughing up almost 30 tonnes of gold each year, the pit provides work and silver for around 550 employees.
9. The Big Hole, South Africa
Another open pit whose name leaves little to the imagination, the Big Hole in Kimberly, South Africa, is said to be the largest hole excavated by hand – despite recent claims that the nearby Jagersfontein Mine holds the some might say dubious title. While it was closed in 1914, during its 43-year lifetime, the 50,000 workers who broke their backs using picks and shovels shifted 22.5 million tonnes of earth, yielding almost 3 tonnes of diamonds for their jolly bosses, the de Beer brothers.
The Big Hole is 463 metres wide and was dug to a depth of 240 m – though infilling and water-accumulation have left just 175 m of the hole visible.
8. Diavik Diamond Mine
Diavik Diamond Mine is located in Canada’s charmingly named North Slave Region – hopefully no reflection on the way the 700 workers here are treated. This is an open cast mine like no other. Gouged into a 20 square km island, 220 km from the Arctic Circle, there are particularly jaw-dropping views of this cold spot when the surrounding waters freeze over.
Connected by a treacherous ice road, this remote mine takes some getting to and so even has its own airport big enough to accommodate Boeing 747s. With a lifespan of 16 to 22 years, the owners will be happy as long as this yawning hole continues to throw up 8 million carats (1600 kg) of diamonds a year.
7. Ekati Diamond Mine, Canada
Another giant crater in the grizzled face of Canada, the Ekati Diamond Mine is North America’s first commercial diamond mine – having opened in 1998 – and those still dazzled by diamond rush fever no doubt hope it won’t be the last. It’s actually only a stone’s throw from the Diavic Mine just 20 km closer to the Arctic Circle – ensuring things here stay colder than a penguin’s pecker.
Like its brethren blemish in Diavic, the Ekati Mine is accessed by hair-raising ice roads and got its 15 minutes of fame on The History Channel’s Ice Road Truckersprogramme. Darned crazy canucks? Driven mad perhaps by the 40 million plus carats (8,000 kg) of diamonds the steady scouring has so far produced.
6. Grasberg Mine, Indonesia
Opened in 1973, Indonesia’s Grasberg Mine is the world’s biggest gold mine and third largest copper mine. This industrial eyesore in the mountains of Papua employs a staggering 19,500 workers but is majority owned by smiling US subsidiaries. Built with permission it was not really the Indonesian government’s to give, the mine was attacked by the rebel Free Papua Movement in 1977.
These days, steep aerial tramways ferry equipment and people in and out. In 2006, the mine coughed up 610,800 tonnes of copper and 58 tonnes of gold, but it doesn’t take much digging to find environmental controversy surrounding the site, with water contamination and landslides heading the list of concerns. Contentious.
5. Chuquicamata, Chile
Chuquicamata in Chile is a colossus of a mine that has churned up a record total of 29 million tonnes of copper. Despite almost 100 years of intensive exploitation, it remains among the largest known copper resources, and its open pit is one of the biggest at a whopping great 4.3 km long, 3 km wide and over 850 m deep.
Copper has been mined for centuries at Chuquicamata, as shown by the 1898 discovery of a mummy dated around 550 AD found trapped in an ancient mine shaft by a cave-in. A great influx of miners was sucked in by ‘Red Gold Fever’ after the War of the Pacific, when at one stage the area was covered with unruly mining camps where alcohol, gambling, prostitution and even murder were rife. Yee-haw.
4. Escondida, Chile
The Minera Escondida Mining Co. runs twin open pit mines cut into the skin of the copper capital of the world that is Chile. Construction began in 1990, and this sucker recently overtook Chuquicamata as the world’s largest annual copper producer, with its 2007 yield of 1.48 million tonnes worth US$ 10.12 billion – a whole lot of dollar.
Environmental impact aside, Escondida has become a key part of the Chilean economy and employs some 2,951 people directly. A strike in 2006 broke out because workers felt they were not sharing in the super high profits being made on the back of record copper prices. After wrangling for pay demands, the union briefly blockaded the road to the mine. Testy stuff.
3. Udachnaya Diamond Mine, Russia
Like the Sarlacc Pit on Steroids, the Udachnaya Mine in Russia is a gigantic open-pit diamond mine that plunges more than 600 metres into the earth’s crust. Yep, it’s one heck of a hole. Located in Russia’s vast but sparsely populated Sakha Republic, just outside the Arctic circle, it seems that mining for these precious stones demands a good set of thermal undies.
The nearby settlement of Udachny was named after the diamond deposit, which was discovered in 1955 just days after the Mir (below). The Udachnaya pipe is controlled by Alrosa, Russia’s largest diamond company, which boasts that it plans to halt open-pit mining in favour of underground mining in 2010. Glad to hear it.
2. Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia
Siberia’s Mir Diamond Mine comes close to taking the cake as numero holie. The largest open diamond mine in the world, this Russian monster has a surface diameter of 1.2 km and is 525 m deep. The size of the hole is such that wind currents inside cause a downdraft that has resulted in helicopters being sucked in and crashing. Good to know the area above it is now a no-fly zone.
After its discovery in 1955, workers at the Mir had to endure incredibly harsh temperatures that froze the ground and everything else in the winter, making car tires and steel shatter. The mine ceased operations in 2001, having produced 10 million carats (2 tonnes) of diamond per year at its peak. Our survey says: ka-bling.
1. Bingham Canyon Mine, USA
So here it is, the carbuncle supremo, Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, the world’s biggest manmade pit. This mammoth mine measures 4 km wide and drops a stomach-churning 1.2 km into the ground, the result of extraction begun in 1863. The ore-inspiring fruits of its labour include more than 17 million tonnes of copper and 715 tonnes of gold – a mental load of metal.
In the early 1900s, mining camps lined the steep canyon walls, but several of these were swallowed up by the ever-expanding mine. Now it employs 1,400 people and 50,000 tonnes of material are removed from it each day. What’s more, this giant earth scar and National Historic Landmark is growing – and will continue to until at least 2013.
Top 5 Most Dangerous Cities for live of the World
The crime statistics of world's five most dangerous cities are disheartening and shocking. With such high rates of homicide, robberies and violence these cities deservedly bear the names of 'the places of chaos and death' or 'the murder capitals of the world'. Despite the scary data, some of them still remain wanted tourist destinations, though extreme caution is strongly advised when visiting.
5. Cape Town. South Africa.
62 killings per 100 000 residents
Crime has been a major problem in South Africa (both for locals and travelers) for many years now, and the murder and robbery statistics loom large in today's society.
The "good" news is that the number of killings declined by 3.4% to around 18 000 (sic!) between April 2008 and March 2009. Still there are 50 murders a day in South Africa. The latest data shows that there have been 71,500 sexual offenses (10% increase), 18,400 burglaries (27% increase), and 13,900 business robberies (41% increase) reported from April 2008 to March 2009. If it's any consolation, the street robbery declined by 7% to 72,194.
The "good" news is that the number of killings declined by 3.4% to around 18 000 (sic!) between April 2008 and March 2009. Still there are 50 murders a day in South Africa. The latest data shows that there have been 71,500 sexual offenses (10% increase), 18,400 burglaries (27% increase), and 13,900 business robberies (41% increase) reported from April 2008 to March 2009. If it's any consolation, the street robbery declined by 7% to 72,194.
The beautifully located Cape Town is among the most dangerous towns in the country due to its high level of robberies, rapes, kidnappings and murders. The city is about the same size as Caracas and it has a murder rate of 62 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the police, the homicides usually occur in the poorer districts and suburbs of the town rather than in upscale areas. Due to the poverty (the country has been facing a deep recession) the robberies are common. Therefore, traveling alone and using ATM's at night is not advised.
4. New Orleans. The USA.
95 killings per 100 000 residents
The homicide rate in New Orleans ranks way above other American cities and towns, and therefore the city has been named the murder capital of the USA. The total number of murders equaled 179 in 2008 in this small city of around 300,000 residents. Nevertheless, there have been 15% fewer killings in 2008 than in 2007 when the police reported 210 murders. Also other crime rates are dropping in the town. Rape went down by 44% and armed robbery 4.85% in 2008 in comparison to 2007.
Still, according to the FBI data there have been 95 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008. In turn New Orleans Police Department reported 67 murders per 100,000 in 2008. A scary comparison has recently been made by the Time magazine stating that Baghdad in Iraq with its murder rate of about 48 per 100,000 people is now being safer, considering the statistics, than New Orleans.
Violent crime is a serious problem especially in the low-income neighborhoods of the town. Lonely Planet advises travelers to New Orleans to be cautious and avoid walks at night, especially if you are alone.
Violent crime is a serious problem especially in the low-income neighborhoods of the town. Lonely Planet advises travelers to New Orleans to be cautious and avoid walks at night, especially if you are alone.
3. Caracas. Venezuela.
130 killings per 100 000 residents
Another unsafe destination among world's most dangerous cities is Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
At the end of 2008 the Foreign Policy magazine called the city "the murder capital of the world". According to the official statistics there have been 130 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008. Only in December 2008 there were at least 510 people killed in the capital, as CNN reported.
At the end of 2008 the Foreign Policy magazine called the city "the murder capital of the world". According to the official statistics there have been 130 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008. Only in December 2008 there were at least 510 people killed in the capital, as CNN reported.
The problems of Caracas are not only drug trade and gang battles, but also increasing poverty of the city inhabited by around 4 million people. Murders mainly take place in the capital's poorest areas - between 1970s and 1990s the poverty rate increased by 300% to 65%. Although during the oil boom the economic situation improved, the poverty level remains very high.
Moreover, experts underline that the murder ratio has increased by 67% since President Chavez took control over the country. There is police abuse, no gun control, and no good control over the militias, as various media report.
2. Ciudad Juárez. Mexico
130 killings per 100 000 residents
Also Mexico, one of the world's greatest travel destinations thanks to its fascinating history and stunning natural sites, is, unfortunately, facing a serious problem of robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault and drug-related crimes.
Among worst affected areas in the country is the Chihuahua state and, above all, Ciudad Juárez. The city located across the U.S and Mexican border, home to 1.5 million people, has recently got a very bad reputation due to its shocking rates of violence. Bloody and violent fighting between the drug cartels have spread across the town, posing a serious threat to locals and travelers.
Since January 2007 there have been 8330 drug-related murders reported in Mexico, of which 50% accounted for Ciudad Juárez. The city reports 130 murders per 100,000 inhabitants (as of August 2009), which is currently the world's highest murder rate ( outside the official war zone). In February 2009 the U.S. State Department announced that since January 2008 there had been 1,800 people killed in the city. Among worst affected areas in the country is the Chihuahua state and, above all, Ciudad Juárez. The city located across the U.S and Mexican border, home to 1.5 million people, has recently got a very bad reputation due to its shocking rates of violence. Bloody and violent fighting between the drug cartels have spread across the town, posing a serious threat to locals and travelers.
1. Mogadishu. Somalia.
No data
The governments' warnings about traveling to Somalia are unanimous: this African country remains extremely dangerous and there is an enormous risk to anyone's security due to the threat of terrorism, clan-based and ethnic fighting as well as high level of kidnapping and piracy off the coast.
The epicenter of this brutal crimes and cruelty is Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. The city has been devastated by the ongoing civil war. As of 2008, around half of the city's population (0.5 million) have left the war-torn capital, according to the United Nations. Dozens of people are wounded every day in Mogadishu, and frequent bombings kill many of civilians. No one really knows how many people have been killed in the city, but without dispute Mogadishu remains the most lawless and dangerous city in the world. This is how BBC describes the everyday scenes in Mogadishu: "The crump of mortars; the crackle of gunfire; eerily empty streets; prowling guerrillas and looters; sprawling refugee camps; hospitals overflowing with casualties, their bodies smashed open by bullets, shells and shrapnel...".
Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991 one million people have lost lives in Somalia due to the civil war and famine.
MYSTICAL RIVER
The greatest river of South America, the Amazon is also the world's largest river in water volume and the area of its drainage basin. Together with its tributaries the river drains an area of 2,722,000 square miles (7,050,000 square kilometers)—roughly one third of the continent. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate of about 58 billion gallons (220,000 cubic meters) per second.
The Amazon varies in width from 4 to 6 miles (6 to 10 kilometers); its mouth is more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) wide. The largest oceangoing steamers can ascend the river 1,000 miles to Manaus, a Brazilian inland port.
For most of its course the river flows just south of the Equator, and so the Amazonian climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall amounts to about 50 inches (130 centimeters), while the average temperature over a year is about 85° F (30° C). Most of the Amazon Basin is a lowland forest of hardwoods and palms. The northeastern portion has extensive savannas, or grasslands, with occasional trees and shrubs.
Plants and Animals
The remarkably rich and diverse Amazon Basin plant and animal life is a resource of world importance. Of all the species of plants in the world, almost three fourths, many of which are still unidentified, live in the Amazon Basin. The Amazon has often been described as a vast sea of fresh water that supports about 1,500 to 2,000 species of fish, including catfish, electric eels, and piranhas. The basin also has an immense variety of insect, bird, reptile, and mammal life.
The vegetation of the Amazon jungle grows rapidly, soon covering cleared areas unless it is cut back constantly. Again and again the jungle has defeated settlement efforts. At the same time, conservationists are concerned about the overcutting of valuable plants such as hardwood trees and also the destruction of rare plant species when the jungle is burned over for clearing. The many Amazonian plants are a valuable source for development of new hybrids.
Mammals include the capybara, a rodent weighing up to 110 pounds (50 kilograms) whose flesh is eaten; the tapir, an edible kind of pig; the nutria, a tropical otter whose pelt is traded; the great anteater; and many kinds of monkeys. Markets along the river sell a variety of fish, including the pirarucu, which weighs up to 325 pounds (150 kilograms), and the giant catfish. Silver carp, neon tetras, and the flesh-eating piranhas are shipped to tropical fish stores throughout the world. The electric eel is a dangerous fish capable of discharging up to 500 volts.
The wide range of vividly colored Amazonian birds includes hummingbirds, toucans, and parrots. Among the reptiles are the anaconda, a huge snake that crushes its victims; the poisonous coral snake; and alligators. Giant butterflies are among the most spectacular of the insects.
The People
Prior to European colonization, the Indian population in the basin was about 6,800,000. The Indians lived by hunting and fishing, gathering fruits and nuts, and planting small gardens. A typical house consisted of a frame of poles, walls woven of branches, and a roof thatched with palm leaves. For several reasons the Indian population had declined to less than one million by the early 1980s.
In the 17th century many Indians were enslaved and taken from Brazil. As Europeans attempted to settle the Amazon Basin and to establish mines and farms there, they killed many Indians and took their land. Also during construction of the Trans-Amazon and the Manaus-Boa Vista highways, the Brazilian government seized Indian reservation land. At that time the Indians obtained weapons, fought government troops, and either died or were displaced in great numbers. Most now live in remote reservations.
The Economy
Plant products such as rubber, hardwoods, Brazil nuts, rosewood and vegetable oils, and jute and other fibers are major Amazon Basin exports. Manganese ore, diamonds, gold, and petroleum are extracted and sold. Fish are marketed locally but also are frozen and sent to other countries.
The 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) Trans-Amazon highway traverses the basin, linking the road system of northeastern Brazil with others of countries to the north; it continues to Brazil's border with Colombia and Peru. This highway together with connecting roads in the network has improved trade within the basin, greatly lowering transportation costs and opening up large new areas for development. All highways were designed to connect to the existing water transportation network.
History
The Amazon River was discovered by Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish explorer, in 1541. After descending the river from Quito, Ecuador, to the Atlantic, Orellana claimed to have seen women tribal warriors, and he named the river Amazonas for the women warriors of Greek mythology. In 1637 Pedro Teixeira, a Portuguese explorer, ascended the Amazon with 2,000 men in 47 canoes.
About 1751 Charles Marie de la Condamine, a French scientist, made the first geographical survey of the basin and brought the deadly Indian arrow poison curare to Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the French botanist Aimé Bompland mapped portions of the area.
In the 1980s the Amazon Basin was undergoing one of its many periods of rapid economic development. There have been several such booms in the past. In most cases the jungle and the climate defeated all but the hardiest settlers. However, stubborn ingenuity and modern technology seem to have made permanent large-scale settlement of the region possible. (See also Brazil; South America.)
The Amazon varies in width from 4 to 6 miles (6 to 10 kilometers); its mouth is more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) wide. The largest oceangoing steamers can ascend the river 1,000 miles to Manaus, a Brazilian inland port.
For most of its course the river flows just south of the Equator, and so the Amazonian climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall amounts to about 50 inches (130 centimeters), while the average temperature over a year is about 85° F (30° C). Most of the Amazon Basin is a lowland forest of hardwoods and palms. The northeastern portion has extensive savannas, or grasslands, with occasional trees and shrubs.Plants and Animals
The remarkably rich and diverse Amazon Basin plant and animal life is a resource of world importance. Of all the species of plants in the world, almost three fourths, many of which are still unidentified, live in the Amazon Basin. The Amazon has often been described as a vast sea of fresh water that supports about 1,500 to 2,000 species of fish, including catfish, electric eels, and piranhas. The basin also has an immense variety of insect, bird, reptile, and mammal life.
The vegetation of the Amazon jungle grows rapidly, soon covering cleared areas unless it is cut back constantly. Again and again the jungle has defeated settlement efforts. At the same time, conservationists are concerned about the overcutting of valuable plants such as hardwood trees and also the destruction of rare plant species when the jungle is burned over for clearing. The many Amazonian plants are a valuable source for development of new hybrids.Mammals include the capybara, a rodent weighing up to 110 pounds (50 kilograms) whose flesh is eaten; the tapir, an edible kind of pig; the nutria, a tropical otter whose pelt is traded; the great anteater; and many kinds of monkeys. Markets along the river sell a variety of fish, including the pirarucu, which weighs up to 325 pounds (150 kilograms), and the giant catfish. Silver carp, neon tetras, and the flesh-eating piranhas are shipped to tropical fish stores throughout the world. The electric eel is a dangerous fish capable of discharging up to 500 volts.
The wide range of vividly colored Amazonian birds includes hummingbirds, toucans, and parrots. Among the reptiles are the anaconda, a huge snake that crushes its victims; the poisonous coral snake; and alligators. Giant butterflies are among the most spectacular of the insects.
The People
Prior to European colonization, the Indian population in the basin was about 6,800,000. The Indians lived by hunting and fishing, gathering fruits and nuts, and planting small gardens. A typical house consisted of a frame of poles, walls woven of branches, and a roof thatched with palm leaves. For several reasons the Indian population had declined to less than one million by the early 1980s.
In the 17th century many Indians were enslaved and taken from Brazil. As Europeans attempted to settle the Amazon Basin and to establish mines and farms there, they killed many Indians and took their land. Also during construction of the Trans-Amazon and the Manaus-Boa Vista highways, the Brazilian government seized Indian reservation land. At that time the Indians obtained weapons, fought government troops, and either died or were displaced in great numbers. Most now live in remote reservations.The Economy
Plant products such as rubber, hardwoods, Brazil nuts, rosewood and vegetable oils, and jute and other fibers are major Amazon Basin exports. Manganese ore, diamonds, gold, and petroleum are extracted and sold. Fish are marketed locally but also are frozen and sent to other countries.
The 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) Trans-Amazon highway traverses the basin, linking the road system of northeastern Brazil with others of countries to the north; it continues to Brazil's border with Colombia and Peru. This highway together with connecting roads in the network has improved trade within the basin, greatly lowering transportation costs and opening up large new areas for development. All highways were designed to connect to the existing water transportation network.History
The Amazon River was discovered by Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish explorer, in 1541. After descending the river from Quito, Ecuador, to the Atlantic, Orellana claimed to have seen women tribal warriors, and he named the river Amazonas for the women warriors of Greek mythology. In 1637 Pedro Teixeira, a Portuguese explorer, ascended the Amazon with 2,000 men in 47 canoes.
About 1751 Charles Marie de la Condamine, a French scientist, made the first geographical survey of the basin and brought the deadly Indian arrow poison curare to Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the French botanist Aimé Bompland mapped portions of the area.
In the 1980s the Amazon Basin was undergoing one of its many periods of rapid economic development. There have been several such booms in the past. In most cases the jungle and the climate defeated all but the hardiest settlers. However, stubborn ingenuity and modern technology seem to have made permanent large-scale settlement of the region possible. (See also Brazil; South America.)