Sunday, July 5, 2009

History of England

7dug8qphsj > England's history is long, diverse and interesting … the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age. Then, the Romans ruled England from 50 BC to 410 AD. Some time later, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings had their day and, in 1066, William of Normandy killed Saxon King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings and so began a new chapter in English history - that of The Normans. This led on to the Middle Ages, which ended in 1485, when Henry Tudor won the War of the Roses.

The Tudors

One of the best known periods of English history - because of the exploits of King Henry VIII and his eight wives – is that of The Tudors. Henry VIII took the throne of England upon his father’s death in 1509. Religion played a major part in the politics of Tudor England as Henry broke with Rome and established the Church of England. In 1558 following the death of her father, her brother, and then eventually her sister, each of whom spent some time on the throne of England, Elizabeth I would be given the opportunity to leave her mark on English history books. Upon her death without an heir in 1603, the Tudor period came to an end.

The Stuarts

James I of England (also James IV of Scotland) joined the English and Scottish thrones for the first time and was the first Stuart monarch. It was during the Stuart era that the English tradition of Guy Fawkes Night has its roots in the plot of a group led by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Later in this period the country would fall into Civil War which would lead to Charles I (son of James I) being executed at Whitehall in London, and Oliver Cromwell becoming Protectorate of the country. Charles II would eventually regain the crown in 1660. The Stuart era came to an end with the death of Queen Anne in 1714.

The Hanover Period

From 1714 to 1835 the House of Hanover sat on the English throne. This was a time of great social change in England with the appointment of the first Prime Minster, Sir Robert Walpole, and changes in laws such as the transportation of criminals to Australia, abolitionist movement against slavery and the creation of the United Kingdom which brought together England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Victorian England

In 1837, a young Queen Victoria took the English throne and so began her long reign. During this period the Industrial Revolution helped the country prosper as people left traditional jobs in service for the better pay in mills and factories. The Crimea War, which set England and France against Russia, took place during this period, as did the Great Exhibition held at the specially built Crystal Palace in London. The Victorian age came to an end in January 1901 when Queen Victoria died, age 81.

Modern Times

The 20th century was a time of more change for England. There were two world wars in the first half of the century, both of which had a big effect on the social culture as women stopped their traditional roles of service and instead began to drive buses and work in factories. After World War I many women returned to their pre-war lives, but World War II saw a shift towards women working in the workplace instead of the home.

The monarchy became weaker after Victoria, but one notable King was Edward VIII, who abdicated in order to marry the woman he loved - American Wallis Simpson. Edward passed the crown to his brother and married Mrs Simpson in 1936.

Apart from wars and political intrigue, in 1948 the National Health Service was set up and in 1952 the present Queen - Elizabeth II - took the throne upon the death of her father, George IV.

In the opening years of the 21st Century England is back to war with troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Labour is on its third term in 10 Downing Street, and healthcare and education reforms are back on the social agenda.

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2

HISTORY :
Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.
The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.
Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

DEMOGRAPHICS :
There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people. As of 1999, Rinca’s population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people. The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area immediately surrounding the Park.

EDUCATION :
The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages, but new students are not recruited each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, Papagaran, Mesa) do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those which do graduate from elementary school will continue to high school since the major economic opportunity (fishing) does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen’s families.

SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ANTHROPOLOGIC CONDITIONS :
Traditional Customs: Traditional communities in Komodo, Flores and Sumbawa have been subjected to outside influences and the influence of traditional customs is dwindling. Television, radio, and increased mobility have all played a part in accelerating the rate of change. There has been a steady influx of migrants into the area. At the moment nearly all villages consist of more than one ethnic group.
Religion: The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the Park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Moslems.
The community from Manggarai are mostly Christians. Anthropology and Language: There are several cultural sites within the Park, particularly on Komodo Island. These sites are not well documented, however, and there are many questions concerning the history of human inhabitance on the island. Outside the Park, in Warloka village on Flores, there is a Chinese trading post remnant of some interest. Archeological finds from this site have been looted in the recent past. Most communities in and around the Park can speak Bahasa Indonesia. Bajo language is the language used for daily communication in most communities.

MARINE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT :
The marine area constitutes 67% of the Park. The open waters in the Park are between 100 and 200 m deep. The straits between Rinca and Flores and between Padar and Rinca, are relatively shallow (30 to 70 m deep), with strong tidal currents. The combination of strong currents, coral reefs and islets make navigation around the islands in Komodo National Park difficult and dangerous. Sheltered deep anchorage is available at the bay of Loh Liang on Komodo’s east coast, the South East coast of Padar, and the bays of Loh Kima and Loh Dasami on Rinca.
In the North of the Park water temperature ranges between 25 – 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest in the South, ranging from 22 – 28°C. Water salinity is about 34 ppt and the water is quite clear, although the waters closer to the islands are relatively more turbid.

taken from: http://www.komodoisland-tours.com

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