 | საქართველო სურათებში -Georgia in Pictures My pictures of Kakhety, Kartli and Kazbeghi in Summer 2006 Climate Climate is excellent for wine-making and there are 500 different kinds of wine in GeorgiaThe climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation's small size. There are two main climatic zones, roughly separating Eastern and Western parts of the country. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating Georgia's climate and protects the nation from the penetration of colder air masses from the north. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south as well. Much of western Georgia lies within the northern periphery of the humid subtropical zone with annual precipitation ranging from 1000--4000mm. (39--157 inches). The precipitation tends to be uniformly distributed throughout the year, although the rainfall can be particularly heavy during the Autumn months. The climate of the region varies significantly with elevation and while much of the lowland areas of western Georgia are relatively warm throughout the year, the foothills and mountainous areas (including both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains) experience cool, wet summers and snowy winters (snow cover often exceeds 2 meters in many regions). Ajaria is the wettest region of the Caucasus, where the Mt. Mtirala rainforest, east of Kobuleti receives around 4500mm (177 inches) of precipitation per year. Eastern Georgia has a transitional climate from humid subtropical to continental. The region's weather patterns are influenced both by dry, Central Asian/Caspian air masses from the east and humid, Black Sea air masses from the west. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by several mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. Annual precipitation is considerably less than that of western Georgia and ranges from 400--1600mm (16--63 inches). The wettest periods generally occur during Spring and Autumn while Winter and the Summer months tend to be the driest. Much of eastern Georgia experiences hot summers (especially in the low-lying areas) and relatively cold winters. As in the western parts of the nation, elevation plays an important role in eastern Georgia as well, and climatic conditions above 1500 metres (4920ft) above sea level are considerably cooler (even colder) than those of the low-lying areas. The regions that lie above 2000 meters (6560ft) above sea level frequently experience frost even during the summer months. Economy Main article: Economy of Georgia Georgian twenty lari bill portraying Ilia ChavchavadzeIn the 20th century Georgia's economy was concentrated on Black Sea and Caucasus mountains tourism, cultivation of agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea and grapes, mining of manganese and copper. There was a small industrial sector producing wine, metals, machinery, chemicals and textile. After the downfall of Soviet Union Georgia like other successor states of the Soviet Union underwent an economic collapse. The civil war and military conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia deepened the crisis. The country suffered from hyperinflation and industry output diminished. From the mid 1990s with financial help from the West Georgia began economic recovery. Centrally planned economy dominant in Soviet Georgia was replaced by market economy. There are visible positive developments in the economy of Georgia after the Rose Revolution. The government budget has grown from 350 million to 2.1 billion USD. In 2004 a 12% flat income tax was introduced, and tax collection increased significantly. In its report "Doing Business 2007" the World Bank praised Georgia's economic reforms. The country was able to improve its standing on the Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 112 to 37.[32] Goeriga is developing into an international transport corridor through Batumi and Poti ports, an oil pipeline from Baku through Tbilisi to Ceyhan, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) and a parallel gas pipeline, the South Caucasus Pipeline. By 2006 estimates Georgia's GDP (PPP) is US$17.79 billion. The country's GDP growth of 10% in 2006 was one of the highest in Europe. Georgia's economy is becoming more dependent on services (54.8% of GDP), and moves away from the agricultural sector (17.7%).[33] 2006 imports and exports accounted for 10% and 18% of GDP, respectively.[33] The country has unemployment rate of 12.6% and considerable underemployment. The median income remains low compared to other European countries. In 2006 Russia banned imports of Georgian wine. Russia has also occasionally cut natural gas supply to the country, harming its economy. |
 | The global climate is changing: St Kitts and Nevis Series of four films about climate change in the Caribbean Islands. The global climate is changing, and the Caribbean region is feeling the change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007), stated that climate change is unequivocal. Observed trends include higher global surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves. The impacts of climate change are particularly worrying for the Caribbean, with many small island states that are extremely vulnerable: Hurricanes have increased in intensity since the 1970s, and it is likely that we will see further increases during the 21st century. Sea level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge and other coastal hazards. Coastal conditions are likely to deteriorate, for example through beach erosion and coral bleaching. Water resources in many islands are expected to become insufficient to meet demand during low-rainfall periods. New climate patterns are expected to change the geographic range of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and dengue), as well as increase heat stroke and other health risks, notably for children and the elderly. The potential implications of these climatic changes are enormous, not only from the perspective of disaster risk reduction but also with regards to regional development. Economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture are very sensitive to climatic conditions. Climate change threatens vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support livelihoods. While the worst long-term effects may still be avoided if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, global climate change is here to stay -- and will accelerate. The Caribbean region has no choice but to cope with the impacts of climate change, which may be aggravated by increasing vulnerability resulting from unsound environmental practices, demographic changes, social inequities and economic short-sightedness. Additionally, there is the risk that the increased occurrence of climate-related disasters may trap people in vicious circles: if the most vulnerable communities are hit more frequently or intensely, they become even more vulnerable to disasters. More information: http://www.caribbeanredcross.org/ Climate change in Antigua and Barbuda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUib6kEUCtY Climate change in the Cayman Islands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgdsPprjSc Climate change in The Bahamas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3lbjeG8JM Year: 2007 Duration: 5 minutes 42 seconds |
 | The global climate is changing: The Bahamas Series of four films about climate change in the Caribbean Islands. The global climate is changing, and the Caribbean region is feeling the change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007), stated that climate change is unequivocal. Observed trends include higher global surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves. The impacts of climate change are particularly worrying for the Caribbean, with many small island states that are extremely vulnerable: Hurricanes have increased in intensity since the 1970s, and it is likely that we will see further increases during the 21st century. Sea level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge and other coastal hazards. Coastal conditions are likely to deteriorate, for example through beach erosion and coral bleaching. Water resources in many islands are expected to become insufficient to meet demand during low-rainfall periods. New climate patterns are expected to change the geographic range of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and dengue), as well as increase heat stroke and other health risks, notably for children and the elderly. The potential implications of these climatic changes are enormous, not only from the perspective of disaster risk reduction but also with regards to regional development. Economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture are very sensitive to climatic conditions. Climate change threatens vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support livelihoods. While the worst long-term effects may still be avoided if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, global climate change is here to stay -- and will accelerate. The Caribbean region has no choice but to cope with the impacts of climate change, which may be aggravated by increasing vulnerability resulting from unsound environmental practices, demographic changes, social inequities and economic short-sightedness. Additionally, there is the risk that the increased occurrence of climate-related disasters may trap people in vicious circles: if the most vulnerable communities are hit more frequently or intensely, they become even more vulnerable to disasters. More information: http://www.caribbeanredcross.org/ Climate change in Antigua and Barbuda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUib6kEUCtY Climate change in the Cayman Islands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgdsPprjSc Climate change in St Kitts and Nevis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miIY7T40vhA Year: 2007 Duration: 4 minutes 56 seconds |
 | The global climate is changing: Antigua and Barbuda Series of four films about climate change in the Caribbean Islands. The global climate is changing, and the Caribbean region is feeling the change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007), stated that climate change is unequivocal. Observed trends include higher global surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves. The impacts of climate change are particularly worrying for the Caribbean, with many small island states that are extremely vulnerable: Hurricanes have increased in intensity since the 1970s, and it is likely that we will see further increases during the 21st century. Sea level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge and other coastal hazards. Coastal conditions are likely to deteriorate, for example through beach erosion and coral bleaching. Water resources in many islands are expected to become insufficient to meet demand during low-rainfall periods. New climate patterns are expected to change the geographic range of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and dengue), as well as increase heat stroke and other health risks, notably for children and the elderly. The potential implications of these climatic changes are enormous, not only from the perspective of disaster risk reduction but also with regards to regional development. Economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture are very sensitive to climatic conditions. Climate change threatens vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support livelihoods. While the worst long-term effects may still be avoided if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, global climate change is here to stay -- and will accelerate. The Caribbean region has no choice but to cope with the impacts of climate change, which may be aggravated by increasing vulnerability resulting from unsound environmental practices, demographic changes, social inequities and economic short-sightedness. Additionally, there is the risk that the increased occurrence of climate-related disasters may trap people in vicious circles: if the most vulnerable communities are hit more frequently or intensely, they become even more vulnerable to disasters. More information: http://www.caribbeanredcross.org/ Climate change in the Cayman Islands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgdsPprjSc Climate change in St Kitts and Nevis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miIY7T40vhA Climate change in The Bahamas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3lbjeG8JM Year: 2007 Duration: 4 minutes 21 seconds |
 | The global climate is changing: Cayman Islands Series of four films about climate change in the Caribbean Islands. The global climate is changing, and the Caribbean region is feeling the change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007), stated that climate change is unequivocal. Observed trends include higher global surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves. The impacts of climate change are particularly worrying for the Caribbean, with many small island states that are extremely vulnerable: Hurricanes have increased in intensity since the 1970s, and it is likely that we will see further increases during the 21st century. Sea level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge and other coastal hazards. Coastal conditions are likely to deteriorate, for example through beach erosion and coral bleaching. Water resources in many islands are expected to become insufficient to meet demand during low-rainfall periods. New climate patterns are expected to change the geographic range of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and dengue), as well as increase heat stroke and other health risks, notably for children and the elderly. The potential implications of these climatic changes are enormous, not only from the perspective of disaster risk reduction but also with regards to regional development. Economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture are very sensitive to climatic conditions. Climate change threatens vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support livelihoods. While the worst long-term effects may still be avoided if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced, global climate change is here to stay -- and will accelerate. The Caribbean region has no choice but to cope with the impacts of climate change, which may be aggravated by increasing vulnerability resulting from unsound environmental practices, demographic changes, social inequities and economic short-sightedness. Additionally, there is the risk that the increased occurrence of climate-related disasters may trap people in vicious circles: if the most vulnerable communities are hit more frequently or intensely, they become even more vulnerable to disasters. More information: http://www.caribbeanredcross.org/ Climate change in Antigua and Barbuda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUib6kEUCtY Climate change in St Kitts and Nevis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miIY7T40vhA Climate change in The Bahamas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3lbjeG8JM Year: 2007 Duration: 4 minutes 2 seconds |
 | Bad Religion - Fertile Crescent lyrics (words and music by Greg Graffin) The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East incorporating the Levant, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egypt, known as the "Cradle of Civilization." The term "Fertile Crescent" was coined by University of Chicago archaeologist James Henry Breasted, around 1900. Watered by the Nile, Euphrates and Tigris rivers and covering some 400,000-500,000 square kilometers, the region extends from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea around the north of the Syrian Desert and through the Jazirah and Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf. These areas correspond to the present-day Egypt, Israel, West Bank, Gaza strip, and Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, south-eastern Turkey and south-western Iran. The population of the Nile River Basin is about 70 million, the Jordan River Basin about 20 million, and the Tigris and Euphrates Basins about 30 million, giving the present-day Fertile Crescent a total population of approximately 120 million, or at least a quarter of the population of the Middle East. As crucial as rivers were to the rise of civilization in the Fertile Crescent, they were not the only factor in the area's precocity. Ecologically the area is important as the "bridge" between Africa and Eurasia. This "bridging role" has allowed the Fertile Crescent to retain a greater amount of biodiversity than either Europe or North Africa, where climate changes during the Ice Age led to repeated extinction events due to ecosystems becoming squeezed against the waters of the Mediterranean sea. Coupled with the Saharan pump theory, this Middle Eastern land-bridge is of extreme importance to the modern distribution of Old World flora and fauna, including the spread of humanity. The fact that this area has borne the brunt of the tectonic divergence between the African and Arabian plates, and the converging Arabian and Eurasian plates, has also made this region a very diverse zone of high snow-covered mountains, fertile broad aluvial basins and desert plateaux, which has also increased its biodiversity further and enabled the survival into historic times of species not found elsewhere. Euphrates River in Iraq.Furthermore the Fertile Crescent had a climate diversity and major climatic changes which encouraged the evolution of many "r" type annual plants, which produce more edible seeds than "K" type perennial plants, and the region's dramatic variety of elevation gave rise to many species of edible plants for early experiments in cultivation. Most importantly, as Jared Diamond shows in Guns, Germs, and Steel, the Fertile Crescent possessed the wild progenitors of the eight Neolithic founder crops important in early agriculture (i.e. wild progenitors to emmer wheat, einkorn, barley, flax, chick pea, pea, lentil, bitter vetch), and four of the five most important species of domesticated animals — cows, goats, sheep, and pigs — and the fifth species, the horse, lived nearby. |
 | Climate Trackers: Bengal Tiger http://www.climatetrackers.net The Bengal tiger is a large solitary predator that needs a hunting ground of more than 100 km2. At present, the largest population of Bengal tigers live in the Sudarbans delta, a region straddling India and Bangladesh, where 100,000 km2 of mangrove forests and swamps still subsist. Mangrove swamps have an essential stabilising role in coastal zones, creating a natural barrier between the coast and the extreme climatic events from the ocean, such as high tides, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Throughout the world, mangrove swamps are subject to irreversible damage due to human constructions, chemical pollution and the extensive breeding of shrimps. The climate change underway brings a supplementary destructive factor and the rise in sea levels can eliminate mangrove swamps forever as evidenced in the hundred Sudarbans islands, where four have already been swallowed up. In fact, the seas only have to rise one more metre and the largest mangrove forest in the world will disappear forever, in turn depriving the Bengal tigers of their living space. Download: http://www.ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/video_prod_en.cfm?type=detail&prodid=5445&src=1 |
 | UAE Real Estate Market Information on how you can buy, sell and rent property in Dubai, UAE and enjoy huge returns on investments. The UAE real estate market is the most active market of gulf region especially Dubai real estate market for its climatic, political and tourism attractions. |
 | Nature Wonders KILAUEA CRATER Hawai'i NWG-DVD-107 - The Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes are located on the American Pacific island of Hawaii. On the coast the climate is warm and humid whereas in the more elevated regions of the volcanoes the temperatures can reach freezing point. The fertile volcanic earth, added to the high humidity of the Passat Winds, create dense jungle areas as the climatic conditions are ideal for plant life and the region that borders the north eastern side of the Kilauea Volcano is today the home of several unique Hawaiian plants. In the shade of the Kilauea and its giant crater the Caldera there's a proliferation of numerous plants that are only to be found on this group of islands. The dark desert of volcanic rock extends south west of the crater and to serve as a reminder of Kilauea's relatively young age steam rises from below the ground. This is the location of the most active volcano in the world. However, unlike the volcanoes of other continents, those in Hawaii are considered to be benign. |
 | Super briefly about Yakutia!^-^ An adittion (the facts, which were not included to the video): 1) The capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is Yakutsk. 2) Yakutsk is the biggest city built on continuous permafrost (*Permafrost is defined on the basis of temperature, as soil or rock that remains below 0°C throughout the year, and forms when the ground cools sufficiently in winter to produce a frozen layer that persists throughout the following summer). That's why most houses in Yakutia are built on concrete piles. 3) The official languages are both Russian and Sakha, also known as Yakut, which is spoken by approximately 25% of the population. 4) The climate in the republic is severe continental. Yakutia is known for being the coldest region of the northern hemisphere, where seasonal temperature variations exceed 100 °C (from +40 during the summer to -60 during the winter). 5) Actually, we don't have an anti-fur movement, and it's purely for climatic reasons. You just can't wear anything else in this weather. The thing is, furs ( so called Shubas and Shapka-ushankas)are not a decoration in Yakutia. They serve as a function, it's just a way to protect yourself against the cold. When it gets down to -50°C, -60°C, what else can you wear? 6) Usually in winter people look like this: http://i029.radikal.ru/0711/d2/4a6d4d1fdc18.jpg http://i009.radikal.ru/0711/87/0d9a1ffdc1c0.jpg http://i009.radikal.ru/0711/53/95b84f23ee9f.jpg But "stylish" new generation looks more or less like this: http://i048.radikal.ru/0711/d0/e7950d681e9a.jpg 7) The Yakut language belongs to the Turkic group of languages, which belongs to the Altaic family of languages. Turkic languages are characterised by vowel harmony, general lack of consonant groups, the specific lack of initial l and r in native words, the use of possessive suffixes, lack of gender and a general agglutination of suffixes in word formation... P.S.: * There are some contradictions in certain numbers in the information about Yakutia given in Internet, so I consulted the book in Russian written by K. A. Nikolaev. Origins of the Sakha (Yakut): http://homepage.ntlworld.com/heather.hobden1/Yakutia16c.htm * Music used: 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE5be_-Dzk4 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGtTaaEwM8Q |
 | Nature Parks GRAND CANYON PARK Arizona NPM-DVD-113 - The Grand Canyon National Park is the most beautiful and well-known nature reserve in the USA, its 5000 square kilometres covering more than four different climatic zones and rising to 2200 metres above sea level. The Grand Canyon is also Indian Territory, the Navajo, Hopi and Havasuapi Indians still inhabit this region. Neatly piled one above the other, the Grand Canyon feautes twelve geological layers of various time periods. Its time-span ranges from the fossil rich 250 million year old limestone of the Kaibab Plateau to the almost two million year old Vishu slate at the bottom of the ravine. The Colorado River created this natural masterpiece in less than ten million years with severe heat and extreme cold eroding the rock, followed by rainfall that drove it down into a mighty river. Up to 1600 metres deep and averaging 16 kilometres wide, the incredible dimensions of this huge abyss are difficult to comprehend, the descent into the canyon being like a journey into the Earth's distant past. The rays of the sun make the geological strata appear brown from above and green and blue from below. The cream-coloured strata in the upper parts of the valley walls contain fossils of sponges, corals, snails and crustaceans. The beige-coloured sandstone contains fish skeletons and in the purple limestone there are the impressions of water lilies and primitive crustaceans, with green slate revealing traces of mussels and worms. At the bottom of the canyon there are no further signs of life, only dark slate that is nearly two billion years old, interspersed with grainy pink granite. There is almost nowhere else in the world where the layman is provided with such a rich and comprehensive insight to the history of the formation of the Earth's geological layers created during the course of the past two billion years. |
 | Summoning - Habbanan Beneath The Stars I'm a big fan of the Austrian band Summoning, whose lyrics draw inspiration from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. I had the idea of gathering the best pictures i could find about the place i live, Madeira Island, and make a video using Summoning's music because the scenery fits perfectly the music. This island is special because it is where there are some of the oldest forests in the world. The laurisilva forests of Macaronesia are relicts of a vegetation type which originally covered much of the Mediterranean Basin when the climate of the region was more humid. With the drying of the Mediterranean Basin during the Pliocene, the laurel forests gradually retreated, replaced by more drought-tolerant sclerophyll plant communities. Most of the last remaining laurisilva forests around the Mediterranean are believed to have disappeared approximately 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene, when the Mediterranean basin became warmer and drier, although some remnants of the laurel forest flora still persist in the mountains of southern Spain, north-center of Portugal and northern Morocco, and two constituent species (Laurus nobilis and Ilex aquifolium) remain widespread. The location of the Macaronesian Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean moderated these climatic fluctuations, and maintained the relatively humid and mild climate which has allowed these forests to persist to the present day. more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurisilva http://www.madeira-island.com/features/1999/laurissilva/ Summoning homepage: http://www.summoning.info/ |
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
