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The 50 States of the United States: 44) Utah By Bart, February 07, 2010 at 06:26:29 :: United States of America Utah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S. The name "Utah" is derived from the Ute language, meaning "people of the mountains." Utah is bordered by Arizona on the south, Colorado on the east, Wyoming on the northeast, Idaho on the north and Nevada on the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico. Utah is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union. Between 58% and 72% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church), which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. The state is a center of transportation, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates, Utah was the fastest growing state in the United States as of 2008. St. George, Utah was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000–2005. Utah ranks 13th in the US in term of area but only 34th in term of population. Salt Lake City is the largest city and the capital of Utah. Utah Fun Facts: - Landscape Arch is 291 feet from one end to the other and rises about 100 feet above the ground. You can find it in Arches National Park along with many other impressive rock formations. - The biggest dinosaur footprints in the world are in Utah. The prints belonged to a hadrosaurid (duckbill). - The Great Salt Lake is 3 to 5 times saltier than the ocean. Fish free, the lake's largest aquatic critters are brine shrimp. - Utah has a higher percentage of residents (30.8%) under the age of 18 than any other state. - Sixty percent of Utah's land is owned by the federal government. - Utah is home to more than 4,000 species of plants, including a variety of cacti. - Nearly 70 percent of Utahns are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has its headquarters in Salt Lake City. - Nearly 14 million people visit Utah each year to check out its national parks, ski resorts and historic sites. - The nation's first transcontinental railroad line was completed when the "golden spike" was driven into the tracks at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. - Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, at which China won its first and second Olympic gold medals and the Canadian men's ice hockey team ended a 50-year gold medal drought. - The Utah region was first explored for Spain by Franciscan friars Escalante and Dominguez in 1776. In 1821, Mexico gained independence of Spain and took control of Utah. - Salt Lake City was the host for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. - Kanab is known as Utah's Little Hollywood because of the large number of motion pictures that are filmed in the area. - Utah is the Jello capital of the world. More jello is eaten in Utah than any where else in the world. Visit Utah and the United States now on The World In Photos 0 comment :: Add a comment The 50 States of the United States: 43) Texas By Bart, January 31, 2010 at 10:51:02 :: United States of America Texas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States. The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies". Located in the South Central United States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2), and a growing population of 24.7 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston are the fourth- and sixth-largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities include San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin which is the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and the Southwest. Although Texas is popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10% of the land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend. Due to its long history as a center of the American cattle industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. Congress admitted twice Texas as a constituent state of the Union, first on December 29, 1845, then once again after the civil war, in 1870. Texas Fun facts: - Texas comes from a Spanish misunderstanding of the Caddo Indian word tejas, meaning friend. - The LBJ Space Center in Houston was named for the 36th U.S. president, Texas-born Lyndon Baines Johnson. - Houston, Texas, is also home of the world-famous Astrodome. The Astrodome was the world's first all-purpose, air-conditioned domed stadium. - The colors in the Texas flag, red, white and blue, symbolize bravery, liberty and loyalty, respectively. - Six different flags have flown over the state of Texas since 1519: the Spanish, French, Mexican, Texan, United States and Confederate. In all, the government has changed hands eight times. - Corn was a staple crop of Native Americans in Texas long before the arrival of white settlers—it has been grown in Texas for more than 2,000 years. - Contrary to popular belief, there were survivors of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo between Texas and Mexico—20 women and children survived the siege and were allowed to return to their homes. - Texas is the second largest U.S. state, after Alaska. - Texas is home to mountain lions, bobcats, coyote and red wolves, as well as 400 species of birds. - Texas produces more fuel, including petroleum and natural gas, than any other state. - Rodeo is the official state sport of Texas, though High School Football is more popular. - Seventy-five percent of the world's Snickers bars are made in Waco at the M&M/Mars plant. Visit Texas and the United States now on The World In Photos. 0 comment :: Add a comment The 50 States of the United States: 42) Tennessee By Bart, January 24, 2010 at 05:31:31 :: United States of America Tennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,214,888, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers 42,169 square miles (109,220 km2), making it the 36th-largest by total land area. Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississipi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state's western border. Tennessee's capital and second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 626,144. Memphis is the state's largest city, with a population of 670,902. Nashville has the state's largest metropolitan area, at 1,521,437 people. Tennessee is the birthplace of country music, and has played a critical role in the development of rock and roll and early blues music. Beale Street in Memphis is considered by many to be the birthplace of the blues, with musicians such as W.C. Handy performing in its clubs as early as 1909. Memphis was also home to Sun Records, where musicians such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Charlie Rich began their recording careers, and where rock and roll took shape in the 1950s. The 1927 Victor recording sessions in Bristol generally mark the beginning of the country music genre, and the rise of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s helped make Nashville the center of the country music recording industry. Tennessee's major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Tobacco, cotton, and soybeans are the state's primary agricultural crops, and major manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment, and electrical equipment. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is headquartered in the eastern part of the state, and a section of the Appalachian Trail roughly follows the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Other major tourist attractions include Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Tennessee Fun Facts: - Nashville, Tennessee, is the country music capital of the world. The greatest stars of country music perform at Nashville's famous Grand Ole Opry. - Each August, Memphis holds a citywide celebration honoring the King of Rock and Roll—Elvis Presley. - President Andrew Jackson named Memphis after a city in Egypt. - Each year the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is held as part of the Memphis in May International Festival. Lucky attendees can sample all kinds of succulent pork barbecue while the pitmasters duel it out in the "Super Bowl of Swine." - Graceland, Elvis Presley's home and 14-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, was opened to the public in 1982. - Dollywood is Dolly Parton's 125-acre theme park in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains. It features rides, entertainment and craft demonstrations. - The Smoky Mountain National Park is America's most visited national park. It is home to 30 species of salamanders and an estimated 1,600 black bears. - Pat Summit, the longtime coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team, is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history (men or women's). - The architect of Tennessee's State Capitol Building in Nashville, William Strickland, died during its construction. He is buried within the building's walls. - Tennessee's state tree, the tulip poplar, can grow to be 200 feet tall. Pioneers used the tree in the construction of their homes and farms. - Three groups of Native Americans lived in the Tennessee region. Cherokee claimed Middle Tennessee for hunting, Chickasaw lived in West Tennessee, and Creek lived in the southeastern region. - “The Volunteer State” nickname originated during the War of 1812, in which the volunteer soldiers from Tennessee serving under Gen. Andrew Jackson displayed marked valor in the Battle of New Orleans. - In 1835 an Indian Treaty was signed which resulted in the "Trail of Tears." Cherokee Indians were marched thousand miles to reservations in Oklahoma. About 4000 Cherokee died as a result of the removal. - On a clear day seven states are visible from Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga. - Coca-Cola was first bottle in 1899 at a plant in Chattanooga. Visit Tennessee and the USA now on The World In Photos 0 comment :: Add a comment The 50 States of the United States: 41) South Dakota By Bart, January 17, 2010 at 10:42:24 :: United States of America South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota; to the south by Nebraska; to the east by Iowa and Minnesota; and to the west by Wyoming and Montana. The geographical center of the U.S. is 17 miles (27 km.) west of Castle Rock in Butte County. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota was carved out of the southern half of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889. Centrally located Pierre is the state capital and Sioux Falls is the state's largest city. As of 2009, South Dakota had an estimated population of 812,383. South Dakota ranks 17th in the U.S. in term of area but 46th in term of population. South Dakota is bisected by the Missouri River, dividing the state into two socioeconomically distinct halves, known to residents as "West River" and "East River". Fertile soil in the eastern part of the state is used to grow a variety of crops, while ranching is the predominant agricultural activity in the west. The Black Hills, a group of low pine-covered mountains, is located in the southwest part of the state. The area is of great religious importance to local American Indian tribes. Mount Rushmore is a major state tourist destination in the Black Hills. Historically dominated by an agricultural economy and a rural lifestyle, South Dakota has recently sought to diversify its economy to attract and retain residents. However, it is still largely rural and has the fifth-lowest population density among U.S. states. While several Democratic senators have represented South Dakota for multiple terms at the federal level, the state government is largely dominated by the Republican Party, which has carried South Dakota in the last eleven presidential elections. South Dakota’s unique national treasures include national parks and monuments, like Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and state parks, like Custer State Park, which offer memorable vacation experiences. South Dakota Fun Facts: - The faces carved into South Dakota's Mt. Rushmore belong to four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The carvings average 60 feet from the top of the head to the chin. That's taller than a four-story building. - The famous gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back in Deadwood, South Dakota. His friend Calamity Jane is buried beside him. - 90 percent of South Dakota is covered with ranches and farms. - The Black Hills region of South Dakota—named because the region looks black from a distance—was the site of a late 1870s gold rush, which resulted in the forced removal of many of the area's native peoples. - The Crazy Horse Memorial, currently being created in North Dakota's Black Hills, will be the largest sculpture in the world when it is completed. The sculpture is a rendering of Oglala warrior Crazy Horse on horseback. - The exterior of Mitchell, South Dakota's Corn Palace is decorated each year with new murals, made entirely of corn and other grains and grasses grown in the area. It has been a tribute to South Dakota's farmers since 1892. - In South Dakota's Custer State Park, nearly 1,500 bison roam free—it is one of the world's largest publicly owned herds. - In 1973, the reservation town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, was occupied by 200 Sioux and members of AIM (American Indian Movement) to protest broken Indian treates and demand an investigation into the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The occupation lasted 70 days, and violence in the area continued for the rest of the decade. - Only 3 percent of South Dakota is forest. - South Dakota produces nearly 6 million metric tons each of corn and hay every year. - Pierre, South Dakota is the only example of a state and capital in the U.S. that don't share any letters. Visit South Dakota and the United States of America now on The World In Photos. 0 comment :: Add a comment The 50 States of the United States: 40) South Carolina By Bart, January 10, 2010 at 12:44:00 :: United States of America South Carolina is a southern U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named in honor of King Charles I, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union and was a founding state of the Confederate States of America. According to an estimate by the United States Census Bureau, the state's population in 2008 was 4,479,800 and ranked 24th among the U.S. states. South Carolina contains 46 counties and its capital is Columbia. South Carolina's cities are actually much larger than their city population counts suggest. South Carolina law makes it difficult for municipalities to annex unincorporated areas into the city limits, so city proper populations look smaller than the actually size of the area. For example, Spartanburg and Myrtle Beach each have municipal populations less than 50,000 persons, but their metro areas (MSA's) are over 200,000. Anderson's municipal population is smaller than Sumter's, but the Anderson area is actually much larger. The Sumter area population is under 100,000, but Anderson's is over 120,000, while Anderson County's population is nearing 200,000. Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville all area have urbanized area populations between 350,000-500,000, while their metro area (MSA) populations are all over 600,000. The Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson consolidated statistical area population consists of approximately 1.2 million people. Fun facts about South Carolina: - The swamps of South Carolina are good for growing rice. South Carolina is known as the Rice State and the Swamp State. - The Carolina colony was named for France's King Charles IX and England's Kings Charles I and Charles II. - On April 12, 1861, the Confederate attack on Charleston's Fort Sumter set off the American Civil War. - The barrier islands of South Carolina and Georgia are famous for Gullah language and culture, a mixture of various West African and English influences. - The Chitlin' Strut festival is held every year in Salley, South Carolina—attendees take part in a feast of chitlins, or boiled hog intestines. - South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond served in the U.S. Senate for a record 46 years. - South Carolina is the only gold-producing state east of the Mississippi River. - Tobacco is still South Carolina's premier crop—the state produces 50,000 metric tons of it each year. - South Carolina is sometimes referred to as the Iodine State because of the large amounts of the element found there. In fact, the nickname once graced South Carolina's license plates. - South Carolina's license plates bear the phrase "Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places." Visit South Carolina and the United States of America now on The World In Photos 0 comment :: Add a comment Happy New Year 2010 By Bart, December 23, 2009 at 13:19:00 :: General From Egypt... ...to Puerto Rico... ...From England... ...to South Korea... ...Where ever you live on this small planet, the TWIP team thanks you for being a visitor and/or a member of the TWIP photo database (more than 10,000 photos now, and counting!). We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2010. The TWIP team. 0 comment :: Add a comment Brezno, Slovakia By Bart, December 13, 2009 at 07:28:46 :: Slovakia Brezno (German: Bries(en), Hungarian: Breznóbánya) is a town in central Slovakia, with a population of 22,279 (2005). It lies in the beautifully natural surroundings in the centre of the Horehronie valley of the inner Breznianske basin. The town is protected from the north by the Nizke Tatry range and from the south by the Slovenske Rudohorie range. The country side has been formed for a long length of time by the upper part of the Hron river. The town of Brezno is called the gate-way to the touristic surroundings of the Nizke Tatry, Cierny Hon and Horehronie areas. The place has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the current town arose from an old Slovak settlement, next to which newly arrived German miners erected a typical square market in the early 13th century. The first written evidence of the town's existence is dated 1265 when King Béla IV of Hungary issued a charter for the hunters from the area of Liptov allowing them to use woods around the settlement, known as Berezuno. The name is derived from the Slovak word "breza" for birch. In the nineteenth century Brezno was a typical almost purely Slovak town and was one of the centres of the Slovak national movement. Since Second World War it has developed into an industrial town. Brezno is twinned with the towns of Meudon in France, Nový Bydžov in the Czech Republic and Ciechanów in Poland. Places of interest in Brezno: The town hall: this renaissance building was built in the 16th century. During the period of 1779-1780 it was rebuilt in a late barok style. Today, it is the seat of the Information Centre and the Horehronie Museum, where the permanent exposition about the life and culture of the people of Horehronie is exhibited. One of the most interesting attractions of the museum is the "Treasure of Brezno", which dates back from the Late Bronze Age, and was discovered in the year of 1882. Parts of the treasure are exhibited there. In the old town house of the 16th century is the seat of the permanent exhibition of "Brezno, in the changing of time". The piaristic monastery, a barok styled structure built in the years of 1694-1713 was reconstructed later into classical area. Inside the monastery´s chapel beside the wing of the alter is the painting of St. Barbora and the polychrome carving of the Holy Madonna with a child which were created in the late 15th century. The town Tower: a classical era structure built in the year of 1830, and served as a watch tower and bell tower in the past. The "Mariansky pole", a barok monument that stands on the spot of the first parsonage church which burned to the ground in the year of 1517. Dominating the urban premises of the town of Brezno is distinct town square with its uniqueness of form and extent in all of Slovakia. Visit Brezno and Slovakia, now on The World In Photos. 0 comment :: Add a comment The 50 States of the United States: 39) Rhode Island By Bart, December 06, 2009 at 12:56:31 :: United States of America Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island, is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area. Rhode Island borders Connecticut to the west, Massachusetts to the north and east, and shares a water boundary with New York's Long Island to the southwest. Despite the name, most of Rhode Island is on the mainland United States. The name Rhode Island and Providence Plantations derives from the merger of two colonies, Providence Plantations and Rhode Island. Providence Plantations was the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams in the area now known as the City of Providence. Rhode Island was the area now known as Aquidneck Island, which now comprises the city of Newport and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth, the largest of several islands in Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original colonies to declare independence from British rule and the last to ratify the United States Constitution. Rhode Island's official nickname is "The Ocean State", a reference to the state's geography, since Rhode Island has several large bays and inlets that amount to about 30% of its total area. Its land area is 1,045 square miles (2706 km2), but its total area is significantly larger (in the United States, all seawater and ocean floors that are more than three nautical miles from land belong to the Federal Government.) As of 2008, the population of Rhode Island is estimated to a bit over 1 million inhabitants (ranked 43rd in the USA). The capital and largest city of the State is Providence. Fun facts about Rhode Island: - The composer George M. Cohan was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1878. He wrote "Yankee Doodle Dandy." - The origin of Rhode Island's name is not certain. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block might have called it Roodt Eylandt, meaning red island for the state's reddish soil. - Rhode Island was the first colony to declare its independence from the British Crown in 1776. They celebrate their own independence day on May 4th! - This state is the smallest in the Union. Alaska is almost 425 times bigger than Rhode Island. - With 1,003 people per square mile, Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state in the nation. New Jersey ranks first. - Portsmouth became the first town to be established by a woman, Anne Hutchinson, in 1638. - The oldest synagogue in the United States, Touro Synagogue in Newport, was founded in 1762. - Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. constitution on May 29, 1790. Rhode Islanders wanted to make sure individual rights were protected and signed on only after a Bill of Rights was passed. - Popular underwear manufacturer Fruit of the Loom can trace its roots back to 1851 and a Rhode Island textile mill owned by Robert Wright. - Future President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier married at Newport's St. Mary's Church, the oldest Roman Catholic parish in Rhode Island, on September 12, 1953. - Rhode Island never ratified the 18th Amendment prohibition. - Judge Darius Baker imposed the first jail sentence for speeding in an automobile on August 28, 1904 in Newport. - The state was home to the first open golf tournament. The event occurred in 1895. - The first torpedo boat “Stiletto” was built in Bristol in 1887. Visit Rhode Island and the United States now on The World In Photos. 0 comment :: Add a comment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 23 24 NEXT |
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