PRELIM NOTES FOR TOUR 2A Introduction to World Geography & Tourism Geography: Meaning & Concepts Geography (Greek

Geo () or Gaea (), meaning "Earth", and graphein () meaning "to describe" or "to write") is the study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes (275-195 B.C.). Four historical traditions in geographical research are the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land relationship, and research in earth sciences. Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the world and all of its human and natural complexities-- not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches human geography and physical geography. Geography as a discipline can be split broadly into two main sub fields: human geography and physical geography. The former focuses largely on the built environment and how space is created, viewed and managed by humans as well as the influence humans have on the space they occupy. The latter examines the natural environment and how the climate, vegetation & life, soil, water and landforms are produced and interact. As a result of the two subfields using different approaches a third field has emerged, which is environmental geography. Environmental geography combines physical and human geography and looks at the interactions between the environment and humans. Below are the BASIC GEOGRAHIC CONCEPTS one must understand in the study of the earth: 1. LOCATION - - starting point of all geographic study a. Absolute Location - - identification of a place by some precise and accepted system of coordinates. Referred to as Mathematical Location b. Relative Location - - position of a place/thing in relation to that of other places or things. Usually expresses spatial interconnection and interdependence. 2. DIRECTION a. Absolute Direction - - based on the cardinal points of North, South, East and West b. Relative Direction - - culturally based and locationally variable. It is the position of one point with respect to another point without the linear measurement information. 3. DISTANCE a. Absolute Distance - - spatial separation between two points on earth s surface measured by some accepted standard unit (i.e. miles, kilometers, etc.). Generally referred as Linear Measurement between two points. b. Relative Distance - - transforms the linear measurements into other units, more meaningful for the space relationship in questions. It is said that if two people are far apart from each other that the meaning of their distance is that these two are enemies. World Map & Map Reading A map is a visual representation of an areaa symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Many maps are static two-dimensional, geometrically accurate representations of three-dimensional space, while others are dynamic or interactive, even three-dimensional. Although most commonly used to depict geography, maps may represent any space, real or imagined, without regard to context or scale; e.g. Brain mapping, DNA mapping, and extra-terrestrial mapping. Maps of the world or large areas are often either 'political' or 'physical'. The most important purpose of the political map is to show territorial borders; the purpose of the physical is to show features of geography such as mountains, soil type or land use. Geological maps show not only the physical surface, but characteristics of the underlying rock, fault lines, and subsurface structures. A geographic coordinate system, more popularly known as the GRID SYSTEM, enables every location on the earth to be specified by the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. The spherical coordinates are: N pole, S pole and the equator. The first two spherical coordinates are points of the Earths axis while the latter is an imaginary line that encircles the Earth s surface halfway between the poles, perpendicular to the axis. Borrowing from theories of the ancient Babylonians, later expanded by the famous Greek thinker and geographer Ptolemy, a full circle is divided into 360 degrees (Borrowing from theories of the ancient Babylonians' angle) (360).

Latitude (abbreviation: Lat.) is the angle at the centre of the coordinate system between any point on the earth's surface and the plane of the equator. Lines joining points of the same latitude are called parallels, and they trace concentric circles on the surface of the earth. Each pole is 90 degrees: the north pole 90 N; the south pole 90 S. The 0 parallel of latitude is designated the equator, an imaginary line that divides the globe into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Longitude (abbreviation: Long.) is the angle east or west, at the centre of the coordinate system, between any point on the earth's surface and the plane of an arbitrary north-south line between the two geographical poles. Lines joining points of the same longitude are called meridians. All meridians are halves of great circles, and are not parallel: by definition they converge at the north and south poles. The line passing through the (former) Royal Observatory, Greenwich (near London in the UK) is the international zero-longitude reference line, the Prime Meridian. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180W and 180E.

By combining these two angles, the horizontal position of any location on Earth can be specified. For example, Baltimore, Maryland (in the USA) has a latitude of 39.3 North, and a longitude of 76.6 West (39.3 N 76.6 W). So, a vector drawn from the center of the earth to a point 39.3 north of the equator and 76.6 west of Greenwich will pass through Baltimore. This latitude/longitude "webbing" is known as the common graticule. There is also a complementary transverse graticule (meaning the graticule is shifted 90, so that the poles are on the horizontal equator), upon which all spherical trigonometry is ultimately based. Other concepts PRIME MERIDIAN - - an imaginary line passing through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England GREENWICH MEAN TIME (GMT0) - - is the time at the prime meridian INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE (IDL) - - an imaginary line that generally follows the 180 th meridian. Crossing this imaginary line means beginning a new day or losing a new day. In reality it zigzags in order to avoid having two (2) different dates within a country or island group. Continents of the World A continent is a large body of land, above water, that has a natural geological border. Depending on how you count them, there are anywhere from 4 to 7 continents. The difference of opinion arises because some people consider Europe and Asia to be one continent, some people consider North and South America to be one continent, and a few people even consider Europe, Asia, and Africa to be one huge continent called Eurafrasia. As mentioned above, not everyone agrees on exactly how the world is divided into continents, but these are the entities you will sometimes see referred to as continents: Africa Antarctica America Asia Europe North America Eurasia Oceania South America Eurafrasia Australia The class shall follow the seven continents count as follows: Africa - - The continent of Africa includes the Sahara Desert countries in Northern Africa, the sub-Sahara African countries, the islands close to Africa in the Indian Ocean, and the islands close to Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Antarctica - - The existence of a far southern land mass was not confirmed until British, United States, and Russian national expeditions and commercial operations began exploring the region in the early 1820's. In 1840 it was established that Antarctica was actually a huge continent, and not just a group of islands. Asia - - is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with almost 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population. Europe - - one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, to the southeast by the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. To the east, Europe is generally divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, and by the Caspian Sea. Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering about 10,180,000 square kilometers (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. North America - - a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast. South America - - a continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. Oceania - - The region of Oceania includes Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Guinea, and New Zealand, and when it is used as the name of a continent it also includes Australia. Sometimes this continent is only called "Australia", and a few people call it Australasia (the latter term can be confusing because some people use it to mean all of Asia and the Pacific Ocean Islands) Tourism: Meaning & Concepts

Tourism is a major global industry. Its contribution to economic development has encouraged countries to pursue this highly dynamic sector. Its growth has been fueled by several factors such as development in transportation and communication, opening up barriers and growing demand of people to travel. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the number of international tourists has greatly increased from a mere 25 million in 1950 to 842 million in 2006. It is not surprising then for tourism to be described as one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of the past century. However, tourism remains to be a complex phenomenon that has been perceived at different perspectives by different by different sectors of society. Tourism has no universal definition until 1993 when the WTO came up with the Recommendations on Tourism Statistics. These recommendations included a definition of tourism, the forms of tourism and tourists among other tourism statistics that could be used for statistical comparisons among countries. It should be noted, however, that these were merely suggestions and the WTO could not impose on every country to adopt these definitions. WTO defines tourism as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation and business, and the provision of its services . It is also comprised of activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. Travel is one word that is used interchangeably with tourism. However, not all travels are tourism. Thus, there is a need to differentiate travelers from visitors. Travelers are people on a trip between two or more places, while visitors are people who engage in tourism. Visitors are different from other travelers because of the following three criteria: 1. the trip should be to a place than that of the usual environment 2. the stay in the place visited should not last more than 12 consecutive months 3. the main purpose of the trip should be other than the exercise of activity remunerated from within the place visited

NORTHERN EUROPE: SCANDINAVIAN REGION and the UNITED KINGDOM Introduction Northern Europe is one of the wealthiest regions of the world, which is remarkable given the marginal environment that has limited the agricultural base of the individual countries. The region is also referred to as Scandinavia. Anciently it was the name of the country of the Norsemen (hence sometimes called the Nordic Countries). Today the region encompasses Denmark, Norway and Sweden and is sometimes expanded to include Finland and Iceland. All five countries jointly market tourism under the Scandinavian Tourist Board. "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question, as well as interpretation by outsiders who attempt to give the term their own meaning. Geographic Characteristics High latitude location and rugged physical geography Population centers are concentrated along the region s southern margins Lutherian religion predominates Relatively isolated Homogeneous population with few minorities Lingua franca for the region is English Highly urbanized, highly skilled, and highly educated people Individual countries have high standards of living Tourism Characteristics Major attractions are scenic and outdoor sports related Character of travel industry varies greatly from country to country Tourism is less important to the economies of these countries than to the rest of Europe Fewer tourists visit the area than other regions of Europe Most visitors stay only for short periods of time Kingdom of Denmark: The help of God, the love of People, the strength of Denmark Capital: Copenhagen Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Queen Margrethe II) Language: Danish Currency: Danish Krone (DKK) a.ka. Kroner People: Danes/Danish The Kingdom of Denmark, commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries. The mainland is bordered to the south by Germany; Denmark is southwest of Sweden and south of Norway. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland (Jylland) and many islands, most notably Zealand (Sjlland), Funen (Fyn), Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has long controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and these waters are also known as the Danish straits. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are autonomous provinces of Denmark with home rule, but are not members of the European Union. Greenlandic is, however, an official language of the union. Denmark is the second-most visited destination in Scandinavia, after Sweden, with 4.7 million visitors in 2007. (UNTWO June 2008. "UNTWO World Tourism Barometer, Vol.5 No.2". Retrieved on 2008-03-26). Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Denmark has a state-level government and local governments in 98 municipalities. Denmark has been a member of the European Union (formerly European Economic Community) since 1973, although has not joined the Eurozone. Denmark is a founding member of NATO. Denmark, with a free market capitalist economy, and a large welfare state, ranks according to one measure as having the world's highest level of income equality. From 2006 to 2008, surveys ranked Denmark as "the happiest place in the world," based on standards of health, welfare, and education. The 2008 Global Peace Index survey ranks Denmark as the second most peaceful country in the world, after Iceland. Denmark was also ranked as the least corrupt country in the world in the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index, sharing a top position with Sweden and New Zealand. In 2008, the capital and largest city, Copenhagen, was ranked the most livable city in the world by Monocle magazine. The national language, Danish, is close to Swedish and Norwegian, with which they share strong cultural and historical ties. 82.0% of the inhabitants of Denmark and 90.3% of the ethnic Danes are members of the Lutheran state church. About 9% of the population has foreign citizenships. A large portion of the foreign citizens are of Scandinavian ancestry, while the rest are of a variety of nationalities. One need not have a VISA if a local resident of Europe provided stay will not exceed ninety (90) days. Passports, however, is a must. If a foreigner to Europe, a VISA is necessary. For Filipinos, one needs a European VISA, and if granted a Scandinavian VISA, he can travel to countries found within the region. Direct flights are available between Copenhagen and a number of North American and European cities. There are excellent rail and ferry linkages to other major European centers. Copenhagen serves as a hub for train service into the other Scandinavian countries and western Europe. Public transportation to Copenhagen is excellent by bus, sub-urban

train and taxi service. The Danish government hopes to have its Kastrup Airport at Copenhagen become one of the major international airports in Europe and an intercontinental gateway, particularly for Northern Europe, similar to Heathrow at London or Schiphol at Amsterdam. Attractions in Denmark 1. Aalborg Zoo Aalborg Zoo is situated in one of Denmarks most beautiful areas, on the edge of a green beech forest high above Aalborg. With its forward-thinking and developmental way of running the zoo - and its idealism -Aalborg Zoo is one of the countrys most-visited tourist attractions with approx. 375,000 visitors each year. Aalborg Zoo ranges across almost 8.5 hectares and is home to nearly 1,600 exciting animals from 140 different species. Aalborg Zoo also features grassy lawns, flower gardens, springs, tall trees and best of all - peace and quiet in the midst of Aalborgs hustle and bustle. 2. Bon-Bon Land BonBon Land is the worlds largest candy land and has become Denmarks fifth most popular tourist destination in record time. People must have thought the folks responsible for BonBon Land were crazy when they built something as odd as an amusement park based on the resident candy factory and its interestingly named and popular candy products: Hundeprutter, Mgeklatter, Andemad, Lossepladsen etc. But the idea took off, and children of all ages have become extremely fond of the entire BonBon universe. The connection with the popular candy products has proved almost magical: The amusement park began in 1992 as a small exhibition space with a replica candy factory, a cinema, a shop and a couple of boats - and approx. 172,000 people visited during the first year! At BonBon Land you can ride the rollercoaster with Henry Hundeprut, bump into ge Mgeklat, test the Flying Crazy Tortoise or take a ride on Denmarks largest rafting course featuring more than 5 million litres of water. On Pirates Island you can hop across crocodile skulls, or try your hand at making candy in the popular candy factory. The huge rollercoaster, the Vild-Svinet, has been voted Denmark s wildest and most exciting rollercoaster. Try it if you dare - it begins with a 22 meter free fall then takes off at 70 km an hour into a 17 meter high loop! 3. Canal Tours Each year more than 500,000 tourists experience Copenhagen from one of DFDS Canal Tours 15 comfortable open and covered boats. The tour is great fun in the sunshine but also offers a unique look at Copenhagen on a rainy day, thanks in part to the knowledgeable guides who tell the city s eternal story in several languages. Copenhagens story is also that of a big city undergoing constant growth. Since 1904, touring the city s beautiful old buildings and harbour front by boat has been one of Denmark s most popular sightseeing attractions. You can board the boat either at Kongens Nytorv at the start of Nyhavn, or at Gammel Strand near Christiansborg. Experience the beautiful and idyllic canals, the picturesque churches, the unique old buildings, ships and houseboats, the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Castle, Trekroner Fortress, Holmen, the Royal Library (The Black Diamond), Christiansborg, the Stock Exchange, Nyhavn and much more. You will sail through old and new Copenhagen - all the while hearing tales of kings, wars, and adventures. If you would like to design your own Copenhagen tour by boat, and to be able to get on and off to wherever you like, youll enjoy the waterbuses. The waterbuses run from the Little Mermaid (Trekroner Fortress) in the north of the city to Fisketorvet (Shopping Center) in the south by changing at Gammel Strand or the Royal Library (The Black Diamond). The bus comes every half hour. 4. Djurs Sommerland Djurs Sommerland is the ideal amusement park for your family. Djurs Sommerland offers numerous opportunities for relaxation between activities - as well as plentiful choices when it comes to food and drink. There are plenty of cafs and restaurants but you are also welcome to bring your own food to enjoy at the complimentary tables and benches. You can even roast a hotdog over our large barbecue. A fun day for the family is in the bag at Djurs Sommerland! 5. Dyrehavsbakken Sun, summer, happy people, green trees, fun, food and drink - and maybe a nap in the shade? It s no coincidence that Bakken has so many happy and faithful customers who return to enjoy themselves year after year. Bakken offers something for everyone: Good food and plenty of atmosphere in numerous restaurants, cafs and taverns, musical revue, live music and dance, cabaret singers on Bakkens hvile - or perhaps a ride on the big rollercoaster, in the ghost train or on 35 other rides and amusements? Or try your luck in one of the 11 gaming halls jam-packed with slot machines of all sorts? Attractions include shooting galleries, wheels of fortune, the circus, candy floss, Revue, Pierrot and his tricks, Master Jakel theatre - there s something here for the whole family. And if you need a rest, visit neighbouring Jgersborg deer park with its elegant grass lawns, ancient trees and approximately 2000 freely roaming deer. Today Bakken is a prime example of Danish folksiness. Approximately 2.5 million people visit Bakken each year, making it tenth in Europe in competition with theme parks such as Euro Disney in Paris. However, that s where the similarity ends. Bakken is far from homogenised entertainment with its own special atmosphere and casual cosiness. Bakken is not an industry - rather its an association of 57 independent businesses known for their variety, charm and traditions. Pure Danish folksiness at its best. 6. Experimentarium

The Experimentarium is Denmarks largest "science centre" -- an activity and cultural centre for nature and technology. Science centres originated in the USA but can now be found throughout the world. Wherever they are, science centres have achieved incredible popularity due to the fact that they have developed an entirely new and exciting method of museum education based on active participation, experimentation and discovery. At the Experimentarium, visitors play their way to learn answers and gain wisdom on such questions as Are there green rabbits? and Can you lift yourself? You can also try an earthquake simulator or a whispersatellite - or musical hopscotch! You will find more than 300 interactive exhibits at the Experimentarium, which introduce you to the mysteries of nature and the unquenchable curiosity and creativity of humankind all the way from the mists of antiquity right up to the newest super-technology! The Experimentarium is constantly developing new ideas and special exhibitions like Cirkus Fysikus, where you become a circus artist in a world filled with exciting physical phenomena. 7. Han Herred Nature Centre At Han Herred Nature Centre in Fjerritslev, you ll find plenty of inspiration for enjoying nature in this beautiful area located between the Lim Fjord and the North Sea. See the fascinating display about the lovely regional birds and large and small animals in their natural habitat. Han Herred is home to a wealth of natural surroundings, from the gentle Lim Fjord with its salt marshes to the rough North Sea coast with its cliffs, unique landscape and hidden inhabitants. The nature workshop has a number of activities on offer: see nature through a microscope, pet the animals, polish the stones youve collected on the beach, or make a bird nesting box. There are new activities at the nature workshop throughout the opening season. Small children can pretend to be field Magic Forest, the Nature Centre s playground. Here, everything is huge to the little field mouse. And when its time for a break, take a restful pause in the cosy, child-friendly caf. 8. Kattegat Centre The Kattegat Centre in Grenaa is one of Denmarks most exciting and dynamic attractions and offers a wide range of activities and experiences. Take a ride on the moving sidewalk through the shark tunnel under 500,000 litres of warm, tropical water and feel the thrill when a nearly 3 meter long sand tiger shark swims above your head - just half a metre away! The Centre also features aquariums filled with animals and fish from the nearby marine environment of the Kattegat: the beach, the tidal stream, the cliffs, the harbor and the open sea. You can also pet a ray or a sturgeon on the back. Out in the Lagoon, seals romp and perform happily during their daily feeding at 12:00 pm. The experimental corner is a popular component of the environmental exhibition and offers fun ways to learn more about the sea and its environment. The environmental exhibition makes it possible to gain current scientific knowledge on the sea as a resource, dumping ground and recreational area. The science exhibition is the place where you can both play and learn more about the sea at the same time. 9. Knuthenborg Safari Park Youll find the impressive Knuthenborg Safari Park close to Maribo and just off the E47 motorway on the Knuthenborg mansion grounds. The park was originally laid out in English manor style around 1866, and a 7.5 km long stone wall with 4 distinctive entrances was built around the nearly 600 hectare park. While farm animals and deer once grazed the romantic landscape, now rhinoceroses, antelopes, giraffes, zebras, yaks, bison and elephants roam Northern Europes largest safari park. Knuthenborg is tailor-made for children. Smland is a huge map of Denmark where children can sail in hippopotamuses; drive vintage cars or mini steam trains, and much more. Smland offers countless opportunities for fun and enjoyment and is Denmark s biggest and safest playground. 10. Copenhagen Zoo The Copenhagen Zoo is a modern and lively zoo situated in beautiful surroundings for both people and animals. The Zoo offers numerous activities and experiences including the Tropical Zoo complete with crocodile swamp and rain forest environment, where tropical birds and butterflies fly free. And the Children s Zoo, featuring Bunnyland, is a fantastic play area for children. Even cold, grey winters can be fun at the Zoo, with lots of indoor activities and sights including the Tropical Zoo and other exciting indoor environments. Naturally, IT technology has also made its mark on the Zoo. Borrow a zoo mobile telephone at the entrance, pull up the menu and use it as your guide: Search for animal facts, select a theme tour, see the day s events, get an SMS message 10 minutes before animal feedings. You can also borrow a handheld ZooPC with a map of the zoo area; kept updated by satellite, it makes it easier for you to find your way around. 11. Legoland It all started in 1968 with an outdoor collection of LEGO models of well-known buildings and environments. Today LEGOLAND has developed into Jutlands most visited tourist attraction with 1.6 million visitors each year, and there are sister parks in Germany, California and England. LEGOLAND has continues to grow by leaps and bounds, with imagination the only limit to what can be achieved with the LEGO blocks. Legoland offers speed, excitement and fun experiences for children of all ages. Here, Lego blocks are used in a way that will amaze and delight you.

LEGOLAND is a unique mix of interactive amusements, thrilling rollercoasters, audience-involved shows and much more. There are amusements and activities children can do themselves, exciting building challenages and a chance for everyone to let their imagination soar. 30,000 tiny lamps illuminate the model buildings by night. Experience the park from a one-track train that cruises 4 meters above the ground, or hop on board the Xtreme Racers rollercoaster, which is over 400 meters long, wild and fast as lightning. Children have their own "land" with tons of large DUPLO blocks, a farm, a police station and hospital, planes that can fly up and down, trains and much more. The 4-D cinema offers an unusual sensory bombardment with the most advanced techniques in light, sound and effects - at a cost of DKK 40 million to build! Experience the "Wild West" right in the middle of peaceful LEGOLAND, try to program a robot, test the latest LEGO game, sail a canoe between wild animals, ride a mine train through the gold mine, program your own fabulous trip in the new Power Builder or try a wild water scooter ride in the lightning-fast Jungle Racers. Pirateland is lots of fun, and Castleland takes you back to the fairytale world of the middle ages. LEGOLAND is - and will always be - full of surprises. 12. Givskud Zoo That observation from the African savannah was the idea behind Givskud Zoo, which opened its doors in 1969. Since then over 10 million visitors have tested the hypothesis without receiving even a single scratch - and theyve had a wonderful time watching lions, separated from them only by a thin pane of glass. The Zoo is a combination of zoo and safari park situated on 116 hectares offering plenty of room for both animals and visitors. Take an exciting safari bus trip, walk around the Zoo or take a bus ride that features over 120 different species of animals from five continents. 13. Odense Zoo One of Odense Zoo's main attractions is the almost 4 hectare area bordering on the Odense River, where a reproduction of an African nature reserve in Botswana has been constructed. The area consists of both savannah and marsh areas and can be experienced from both nature trails and wooden bridges. See lions, chimpanzees, zebras, ostriches, storks and other large African birds in the Okavango delta - right in the heart of Odense. Odense Zoos Oceanium is the largest project ever undertaken in a Danish zoo. You ll take a fantastic trip through the seemingly endless continent of South America from its humid rain forests to the sub-arctic cold way down south. Walk among tapirs, capybaras, myriad birds, apes and more inside the large aviary. The rain forest temperature and humidity rise as the birds sing and the enormous 800 kilogram sea cows splash in the river. The tour takes you below the water, first into freshwater and then through the fantastic world of the coral reef with its countless colourful fish. The tour concludes in the world s coldest area where youll meet giant squid, a killer whale and a large flock of penguins. 14. Randers Regnskov At Randers Regnskov Tropical Zoo, the emphasis is on pleasure, presentation, reproduction and research. First of all, a visit to the Tropical Zoo should be enjoyable. Discover the jungle by walking the jungle paths through rock groupings and waterfalls. The walk offers a look at over 350 different plant and 175 animal species, many of which live freely in glass enclosures that mimic their natural environments. Keep your eyes and ears open as you walk between the animals because many of them like to hide. Make sure that you take sufficient time as well. As for weather, its between 22 - 30 degrees here, even in the winter, with a humidity level of nearly 100%, so leave your winter clothing outside. The visit is also a fascinating presentation of the exciting world of the rain forest, but also of the countless threats poised to destroy it. Randers Regnskov is also a zoo devoted to caring and reproducing animals both rare and endangered. The unique rain forest environment also provides special research opportunities. Randers Regnskov is filled with wonderful trees and plants including banana trees, strangler figs, passion flower, cigar box trees, cocoa and coffee bushes, orchids and much more. And you ll have the opportunity to get close to tropical snakes and pythons - if you want to, of course! 15. Etrebolle Stone Age Center The Stone Age Centre works with experimental archaeology as well as the exhibition and excavation of flint tools, preparation and tanning of hides, etc. Stone Age tools from Indian cultures are also on display on certain occasions. Erteblle is a small village but is well known in internationally archaeological circles despite its size and has lent its name, the Erteblle Culture (c. 5000 - 4000 BC) to the historical period itself. The culture was discovered in the 1890s by the Danish National Museum when archaeologists excavated a gigantic heap of oyster and mussel shells near Erteblle and discovered that humans had not only created the heap but had more or less lived on top of it. The concept of the kitchen midden gained credence in European archaeological literature due to the discovery of the Erteblle Culture. Settlements established by this hunting and gathering culture have been found all over Denmark, Southern Sweden, and Schleswig-Holstein and along the North German Baltic coast. 16. Tivoli

No other amusement park in the entire world is located as centrally as Tivoli. Simply put, the park is Copenhagens green heart of nearly 8 hectares between City Hall Square and Central Station. Stepping inside the impressive main gate is like entering a wonderland. Here you ll find an enchanting park-like setting brimming with tradition and history and filled with super-modern amusements and activities. Tivoli is also home to gorgeous gardens, ancient trees and the Tivoli lake, a legacy from Copenhagen s old city ramparts. When night falls, the fountains, flowers and old buildings in the Chinese garden are illuminated by 110,000 colourful lamps and lights. Twice a week, the entire amusement park is lit by a huge firework display. The world-famous Tivoli is Denmarks most popular amusement park with over 3 million visitors in the 5 months it is open each year. Traditional and free entertainments like Pierrot, Harlequin and Columbine, and the cabaret singers and Friday rock concerts at the Open Air Stage are on offer along with international artists in Glassalen and the Concert Hall. Many visitors also come to Tivoli to enjoy a good meal at one of Tivoli s 21 restaurants and 20 cafs and bistros. Tivolis 70 food concessions include everything from hotdogs to homemade candies, candyfloss and roasted almonds. 17. Tivoli Friheden The Sky Tower affords a tree-top view of the park, the forest, the city and Aarhus bay. You can choose to enjoy the view at 40 metres high, and you can also decide to take the next step into the thin air - minus safety belts, parachutes, bungee cords or anything else. You ll fall 35 metres down as the ground rockets towards you at 100 km per hour. The drama suddenly ends as you fall softly into the safety net, but that one step will take all the courage youve got! Tivoli Friheden is located in a beautiful beech forest filled with colourful flowers, plants, idyllic lakes, and springs. It is also home to various free entertainments and amusements throughout the lovely old gardens. Youll see the Aarhus Girls Marching Band, the performers of Circus Fantastico and enjoy entertainment at the large open air stage. Since humble beginnings 100 years ago as a forest dance pavilion Tivoli Friheden has become an international amusement park with over 300,000 visitors each year. But when darkness falls and the lamps are lit, the charm and atmosphere havent changed a bit. 18. Tivoliland Aalborg Theres a world-class tourist attraction close to downtown Aalborg: Tivoliland Aalborg, chosen by the Discovery Channel in 2003 as the fourth wildest amusement park in the world. One of the reasons is that many of Tivolilands star attractions were built especially for the amusement park itself and can only be enjoyed here. The biggest attraction is the 40 metre high Boomerang, Scandinavia s largest ride - a rollercoaster that loops, curves and corkscrews both forwards and backwards! You ll also experience two of the worlds wildest and most thrilling rides: the Gravity Tower - a 55 metre free fall tower, and Star Discovery with its 3-D ride effect. 19. Tycho Brahe Planiterium The Tycho Brahe Planetarium & Omnimax Theatre is an advanced centre for popular astronomy and space research. Spectacular IMAX films are shown every hour in the Space Theatre, allowing you to experience nature in the worlds largest film format - or to watch the starry skies through the advanced star projector. The Planetarium produces its own star shows, laser shows and develops Danish versions of international IMAX films. An IMAX film is an experience that can take your breath away - a gigantic 1000 m2 dome-shaped screen surrounds you and 256 other viewers and makes you feel that you re part of the action. The Tycho Brahe Planetarium takes pride in staying up to date with the latest scientific knowledge and presenting it so everyone understands it. When it comes to news from space, such as the Mars probe landing, reports from the International Space Station or a new comet, the Planetarium is always up to the minute. The permanent exhibition is far from permanent, but always current, and the public can follow events on the large screen or visit the huge space and astrology portals on the Internet with super-fast connections that allow visitors to make the most of every possibility. 20. Fyrkat Viking Center The Viking age has a special attraction for people of all ages: Majestic ships, blood-thirsty Danish warriors roaming Europe, mysticism, pagan worship, chieftains, kings and impressive fortresses. The Fyrkat Viking Centres mission is both to disseminate knowledge and information and provide activities for its visitors. The Centre was built as a reproduction of a rich Vikings manor farm in Vorbasse, near the royal town of Jelling, home of Harald Bluetooth. The farm is located approx. 1 km from the Fyrkat ring fortress built during the time of Harald Bluetooth. The manor farm was intended to provide various activities that help visitors gain insight into the daily lives of the people of the Viking age. School groups and tourists may stay at the farm and live as the Vikings did and participate in numerous activities. At the Visitor s Centre you can dress up as a Viking - both in everyday clothing and in battle dress. Particularly well-fortified against intruders, Fyrkat was likely a military stronghold. The fortress was an ideal place from which to monitor all traffic through Jutland. All of the ring fortresses were built at strategically important locations. The inhabitants themselves may have served to uphold and render visible the power of the king. 21. Nyhavn (New Haven)

A charming picturesque area built along a canal with row houses that now express the Danish style of architectural design. Originally sailors quarters the area now consists of a jungle of bars, cafes, restaurants and the home where Hans Christian Andersen wrote his first fairy tales. 22. Langelinie Promenade Located along the harbor where the most photographed mermaid in the world is found. Langelinie promenade begins at the impressive Gefionspringvandet fountain showing the Goddess Gefion and her four sons transformed into bulls. At the marina, the "Little Mermaid" is gazing dreamily over the resund. Sculptor Edvard Eriksen created the bronze statue in 1913 by order of the brewer Carl Jacobsen who was so fascinated by H. C. Andersen's fairytale of the little mermaid and her prince that he presented this gift to the city. Culinary Arts & Gastronomy The cuisine of Denmark, like that in the other Nordic countries as well as that of northern Germany, is neighbor to the south, consists mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the country s agricultural past, as well as its geography and climate of long, cold winters. Traditional Danish food includes frikadeller (fried meatballs, often served with potatoes and various sorts of gravy), karbonader/krebinetter (breaded and fried minced meat), steaks and so on, usually eaten with potatoes. Fish is also widely eaten, especially on the west coast of Jutland. A traditionally favorite condiment, remoulade, is eatean with french fies, on fried plaice, on salami or roast beef sandwiched. Smoked fish dishes (herring, mackerel, eel) from local smoking houses or rogerier, especially on the island of Bornholm, are increasingly popular. Danish food also includes a variety of open rugbrod (rye-bread) sandwiches or smorrebrod traditionally served for the mid-day meal or frokost. This usually starts with fish such as marinated herring, smoked eel or fried breaded plaice. Then come meat sandwiches such as cold roast beef with remoulade and fried onions, roast pork and crackling with red cabbage, hot veal medallions, Danish meat balls or liver pate with bacon and mushrooms. Some typically Danish items are Sol over Gudhjem, literally sun over Gudhjem, consisting of smoked herring, chives and with raw egg yolk (the sun) on top; or Drylaegens natmad, vets late-night bite, with liver pate, saltmeat (corned veal), onions and jellied consomme. Finally cheese is served with radishes, nuts or grapes. Lager beer accompanies by small glasses of snaps or aquavit are the preferred drinks for a Danish frokost. Culture in Denmark The Culture of Denmark is quite rich and there are some general characteristics often associated with Danish society and everyday culture. Danes are generally a reserved people, though they are often considered positively outgoing compared to their northern cousins in Norway and Sweden. Danes are fun loving, as a trip through any town on a Friday night can attest, but hard working when there's something to be done. Danes like the idea of 'civilized' nature. They are generally compassionate, articulate, and clean. Equality is an important part of Danish culture, so much so that, 'success' or what may be seen as a deliberate attempt to distinguish oneself from others may be viewed with hostility. This characteristic is called Janteloven or Jante's Law by Danes. The Danes do not traditionally consider themselves a "warm" culture or people, and generally consider themselves reserved. However, one of the fundamental aspects of Danish culture is "hygge", which, although translated as "coziness" has no exact English equivalent. Hygge is a complete absence of anything annoying, irritating, or emotionally overwhelming, and the presence of and pleasure from comforting, gentle, and soothing things. Hygge is often associated with family and friends so close that they are understood as family. Christmas time with loving family indoors with candles lit on a cold raining night is "hygge", as is grilling a plse (Danish sausage) on a long summer evening. These are necessary examples which, although they do not precisely define "hygge", can give an English speaker an idea of a deeply valued traditional concept of Danish culture. Culturally Danes do not like bragging, flattery or ostentatiousness, although this, like other traits across cultures, varies from person to person (see Janteloven). It is also traditional to have freedom of opinion (ytringsfrihed); all people should feel comfortable expressing their opinions. To an outsider, this can be perceived as rude, but it is not intended to be nor should it be perceived as such. For example, a Dane may call an opinion "stupid", but it is not intended to be insulting as "stupid" would be in English. The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), Ludwig A. Colding's (1815-1888) neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the brilliant contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr (1885-1962) indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75), the philosophical essays of Sren Kierkegaard (1813-55), the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen, 18851962), the plays of playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754), the authors of the modern breakthrough including Nobel laureate Henrik Pontoppidan and author Herman Bang and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein (19051996), have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). During the Christmas holidays (or Jul) paper cutting of Christmas ornaments is a very big family event. Spending hours around a table with the family cutting intricate designs into paper is a national holiday standard pastime. Visitors to Denmark will discover a wealth of cultural activity. The Royal Danish Ballet, an exceptional company, specializes in the work of the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville (1805-79). Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. The modern pop and rock scene is not as well developed as that of, say, Sweden but has still produced a few bands of note (for example, The Raveonettes, Junior Senior and Mew). International collections of modern art enjoy unusually attractive settings at the Louisiana Museum north of Copenhagen and at the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg. The State Museum of Art and the Glyptotek, both in Copenhagen, contain treasures of Danish and international art. The Museum of Applied Art and Industrial Design in Copenhagen exhibits the best in Danish design.

Among today's Danish writers, probably the best-known to international readers is Peter Heg (Smilla's Sense of Snow; Borderliners). Benny Andersen writes poems, short stories, and music. Poems by both writers have been translated into English by the Curbstone Press. Kirsten Thorup's Baby, winner of the 1980 Pegasus Prize, is printed in English by the University of Louisiana Press. The psychological thrillers of Anders Bodelsen also appear in English. Suzanne Brgger and Vita Andersen focus largely on the changing roles of women in society. In music, Hans Abrahamsen and Per Nrgrd are the two most famous living composers. Hans Abrahamsen's works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. Sexual equality is a high priority in Denmark. Danes are quite liberal and tolerant towards sexual minorities. Copenhagen is a popular destination for lesbian and bisexual travellers. It has an active gay community and lots of nightlife options. The main gay and lesbian festival of the year is the Mermaid Pride parade, a big Mardi Gras-like bash that occurs on a Saturday in early August. There's also the Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, held each year in October. The LBL (Landsforeningen for Bsser og Lesbiske, a national organisation for gay men, lesbians and sex) was established in 1948, and in 1989 Denmark became the first country in Europe to offer gay partners most of the same legal rights as sexual! couples. Adoption laws are liberal compared to other Western countries and public displays of affection between people and sex are unlikely to provoke ire. Lesbians wishing to have access to artificial insemination do not provoke the sort of scandals that can occur in other societies. Below are some cultural hints unique to Danes: A handshake is the most common greeting Cover your mouth when yawning Eye contact is important Danes do not use hand gestures in conversation Politeness is important Eating and food: o In restaurants, the service charge is usually included in the bill o Call a waiter by raising the hand and index finger o Dont get up from dining until the host or hostess does Kingdom of Norway: United and loyal until the mountains of Dovre crumble Capital: Oslo(w) Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Harald V) Language: Norwegian (Bokmal and Nynorsk), Lapp & Finnish Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK) a.ka. Kroner People: Norwegian Norway or Noreg (nynorsk), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, stretching from its northern extremity to its southern one. The majority of the country shares a border to the southeast with Sweden; its northern region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east. The United Kingdom and the Faroe Islands lie to its west across the North Sea, and Denmark lies south of its southern tip across the Skagerrak Strait. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean, is home to its famous fjords. In the 1920s, Norway annexed Jan Mayen and was given the sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Svalbard Treaty. The polar territories of Bouvet Island, Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land are external dependencies, but not parts of Norway. Becoming the first European nation to declare independence in the 20th century since World War II, Norway has experienced rapid economic growth, and is now amongst the wealthiest countries in the world. Norway is the world's fourth largest oil exporter and the petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of GDP. The oil industry is mainly situated outside and controlled from the oil capital Stavanger. Norway also has rich resources of gas fields, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Norway was the second largest exporter of seafood (in value, after China) in 2006. Other main industries include food processing, shipbuilding, metals, chemicals, mining, fishing and pulp and paper products. Norway has a Scandinavian welfare model and the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. Norway was ranked highest of all countries in human development from 2001 to 2007. It was tied for first with Iceland in 2007. It was also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index. It is a founding member of NATO. One need not have a VISA if a local resident of Europe provided stay will not exceed three months. Passports, however, is a must. If a foreigner to Europe, a VISA is necessary. For Filipinos, one needs a European VISA, and if granted a Scandinavian VISA, he can travel to countries found within the region. International air service provides access to Oslo from North American and European cities. Rail connections through Sweden and Denmark connect Norway with Western Europe. It is part of the Eurail system. Ferry service from Bergen and Stavanger connect to Newcastle, England. Other ferries connect along the west coast to Western Europe. Major cities have excellent public transportation.

Tourism in Norway The main attractions of Norway are the varied landscapes that extend across the Arctic Circle. It is famous for its fjordindented coastline and its mountains, ski resorts, lakes and woods. The main tourist cities in Norway are Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and Troms. Much of the nature of Norway remains unspoiled, and thus attracts numerous hikers and skiers. The fjords, mountains and waterfalls in Western and North Norway attract several hundred thousand foreign tourists each year. In the cities, cultural idiosyncrasies such as the Holmenkollen ski jump attract many visitors, as well as historic and cultural buildings and areas such as Bryggen in Bergen and the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. The culture of Norway evolved as a result of its sparse population, harsh climate, and relative isolation from the rest of Europe. It is therefore distinct from other countries in Europe in that it has fewer opulent palaces and castles, smaller agricultural areas, and longer travel distances. Regionally distinct architecture, crafts, and art are presented in the various folk museums, typically based on an ethnological perspective. Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdy in Oslo is the largest of these. The Norwegian highway system covers more than 90,000 kilometres, of which about 67,000 are paved. The highway system includes ferry transit across waterways, numerous bridges and tunnels, and several mountain passes. Some of these mountain passes are closed during the winter months, and some may close during winter storms. With the opening of the Oresund Bridge and the Great Belt Fixed Link, Norway is connected to the European continent by a continuous highway connection through Sweden and Denmark. The 4,058 kilometres long rail network connects most of the major cities south of Bod. The Norwegian rail network is also connected to the Swedish network. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the most important airport in Norway, with 19 million passengers in 2007. Most cities and towns have nearby airports, and some of the largest also have international flights. The cruise ferry Hurtigruten connects the cities on the coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. In the summer, the coastal cities are visited by numerous foreign cruise ships, Bergen being the main cruise port. Below are major tourist attractions in Norway: 1. Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim Nidaros Cathedral is the largest medieval building in Scandinavia and is regarded as Norway s national shrine. Construction commenced in 1070, but the oldest remains date from the 12th century. Parts of the cathedral are adorned with rows of ornate biblical, religious and royal stone statues as well as magnificent stained glass windows. If you visit during the summer months you will get to see the Norwegian Crown Jewels on display. 2. Tromso Troms is regarded as the 'Gateway to the Artic', a lively and cheery town with street music, cultural activities, lots of bars and restaurants and the countrys best brewery. The scenery is wonderful with snow-capped mountains interspersed with fjords and beautiful period buildings. Make sure to visit The Northern Lights Planetarium - Norways first virtual planetarium boasting lots of visual and special effects. 3. Lofoten Islands The Lofoten Islands are a cluster of mountainous islands situated 60 miles above the Arctic Circle on the northern Norwegian coastline. They are beautiful islands and have been inhabited for more than 6,000 years. The islands are also home to the worlds oldest mountain, an extinct volcano situated on the island of Bo. Stay in one of the traditional fishermans huts, which can be rented easily. Because of the Gulf Stream, the islands never get too cold. There is also an incredible variety of marine, animal and plant life here as well as stunning scenery and plenty of activities. In the western and northern islands the midnight sun is visible from 27 May till 17 July - something not to be missed. 4. Adjostedal Glacier National Park Ajostedal Glacier National Park is a stunningly beautiful national park situated between a fjord and a glacier known as Jostedalsbreen. At over 432 sq kilometers, Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in Europe although there are many smaller separate glaciers throughout the park. Reaching 1,000 meters in height, the frozen waterfalls are an impressive site as are the glacier movements of up to 1.5 meters per day. Take an exciting guided tour of the Glacier; walk, hike and ski in the national park or simply visit the Jostedal Glacier Centre and Museum. 5. Nordkapp Nordkapp, a peninsula often referred to as the most northerly point of Europe, is actually not part of mainland Norway but part of an Island called Magerya. Nordkapp is home to 90 percent of the 25,000 Norwegian samer (also known as Saami or Lapps). The main town is Honningsvg which has about 3000 inhabitants and is a lively and culturally active town. The world-famous cliff formation located at the northern point of Magerya is known as the North Cape and is a popular tourist attraction in summer. From an underground exhibit center, you can view the midnight sun from inside the cliff or walk along the cliffs which plunge more than 1,000 feet into the Arctic Ocean. 6. The Geiranger Fjord Geiranger is Norways most famous and most dramatic Fjord. It is stunningly beautiful with 6000 ft mountains towering above it. The Waterfalls of Geiranger are also astonishing. 7. The Saulstraumen Experience, near Bodo The Saltstraumen Experience is located at the foot of Saltstraumen Bridge, 33 km from Bod. The centre overlooks the strongest maelstrom in the world, Saltstraumen. Exhibitions, models and a modern multimedia show illustrate life in and around the maelstrom as well as tracing its history and culture. There are pools where you can see fish, seals and penguins and you can see seals being fed at 5pm each evening!!.

8. Bergen Once the capital of Norway, Bergen is known as the city between seven mountains as well as the gateway to the fjords. The old parts of town are steeped in history with museums and galleries keeping the ancestral art and heritage of Bergen alive. Along the eastern side of the harbour lie the fascinating buildings of Bryggen (The Warf). These have been recognised on UNESCO's list of the world's most valuable historical and cultural places. Visit the Fish Market, composer Edvard Grieg s home at Troldhaugen, Rasmus Meyers art collection, the Aquarium and Old Bergen. If you are feeling really energetic you can climb Bergen s highest mountain - Mount Ulriken. If you fancy some relaxation, just take the panoramic cable car ride to the top and enjoy a hot drink at the Ulriken Mountain Caf. 9. Stavanger Probably the tidiest and most user-friendly of all of Norway s cities, Stavanger is an interesting mix of old and new, with its historic harbour being home to some modern and eclectic architecture and its many museums offering an insight into history both local and national. Immerse yourself in the history of Stavanger by taking a casual stroll around the old town whose cobblestone walkways wind around row upon row of early 18th-century whitewashed wooden houses, probably the best preserved timber buildings to be found anywhere in Northern Europe. Here you will find an impressive array of artists studios and craft and antique shops. 10. The Norwegian Folk Museum The Norweigan Folk Museum is the largest museum of cultural history in Norway. Set in beautiful surroundings, it boasts fascinating exhibits reflecting Norwegian heritage. Don t miss the distinctive wooden stave church dating from 1200, as well as the period costumes and Lapp exhibitions. 11. The Resistance Museum at Akershus Castle Akershus Castle boasts splendid dark dungeons, luxurious upper floors, banquet halls and staterooms that are still used for royal events. It holds the crypts of King Hkon VII and Olav V. During WW II the Nazis used Akershus Castle as a prison and carried out many executions here. Today the castle houses the Resistance Museum which gives a graphic account of German occupation in Norway. The castle has beautiful grounds and during the summer, many concerts, dances and theatrical productions are held here. 12. The Kon-Tiki Museum The Kon-Tiki Museum contains the world-famous balsa-log raft that scientist Thor Heyerdahl used in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia. Artefacts from the voyage include lava statues from Easter Island and other exciting archaeological finds from East Polynesia, Galapagos and Peru. There are also interactive touch screens with CD-ROM facilities to guide you through the museum. Also exhibited is the papyrus boat Ra II that Heyerdahl sailed on an experimental voyage from North Africa to Barbados in 1970. 13. Vikingshiphuset (Viking Ship Museum) The three Viking burial vessels - the Gokstad, Tune, and Oseberg - dating from AD 800 900 can be seen here. These three ships are the best-preserved Viking ships in the world. The Oseburg is the most impressive. It is a 20-meter-long royal ship with a dragon-shaped keel, which was found containing royal remains. There is also a fine collection of beautiful ceremonial sleighs, household utensils, and tools on display. 14. Radhuset (City Hall) The Oslo City Hall is universally regarded as either "aggressively ugly" or "the pride of Norway." Visit it and make up your own mind. Built in 1950, it houses splendid murals by some of Norway's most respected artists. The murals depict life in Oslo during World War II and include illustrations of the Nazi occupation. There are also tapestries, frescoes, sculpture, and woodcarvings on display. 15. The Munch Museum Munch is probably best known for his painting The Scream. The museum houses a collection of 1,100 paintings including The Scream, as well as some 4,500 drawings, 18,000 prints, several graphic plates, sculptures, and important documentary material about Munch and other Norwegian artists. 16. Barnekunst Museum (International Childrens Art Museum) A pleasure for children and adults alike, the Barnekunst Museum houses a vast collection of children s drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, tapestries, and handcrafts from more than 30 countries. Children can get involved in special workshops devoted to painting, drawing, music, and dancing. 17. Slottsparken (The Royal Palace Park) Slottsparken is the park that surrounds the Royal Palace. From here you can see the changing of the guard each day at 1:30pm. Walk through the grounds at your leisure and admire the Royal Palace from afar, entrance is only allowed by special invitation from the king! 18. Vigeland Sculture Park Located in popular Frogner Park, the Vigeland Sculpture Park is one of Oslo s most well known attractions. Its dramatic outdoor granite, bronze and iron sculptures portray Adolf Gustav Vineland s vision of the life cycle. The park is only open during the summer and there is an outdoor swimming pool as well as an ice rink if you are feeling energetic. 19. National Theatre Norways national theatre opened its doors in 1899. This much-cherished building is a major example of Norwegian architecture. Built to stage Ibsens plays, it boasts a lavish Rococo hall and is adorned by some of the countrys finest artists and sculptors. As well as plays, operas, ballets and concerts are held here.

Culinary Arts & Gastronomy Norwegian cuisine is in its traditional form largely based on the raw materials readily available in a country dominated by mountains, wilderness and the sea. Hence, it differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus on game and fish. Modern Norwegian cuisine, although still strongly influenced by its traditional background, now bears the marks of globalization: Pastas, pizzas and the like are as common as meatballs and cod as staple foods, and urban restaurants sport the same selection you would expect to find in any western European city. The one traditional Norwegian dish with a claim to international popularity is the smoked salmon. It is now a major export, and could be considered the most important Norwegian contribution to modern international cuisine. Smoked salmon exists traditionally in many varieties, and is often served with scrambled eggs, dill, sandwiches or mustard sauce. Close to smoked salmon is gravlaks, (literally "dug salmon"), which is salt-and-sugar-cured salmon seasoned with dill and (optionally) other herbs and spices. Gravlaks is often sold under more sales-friendly names internationally. A more peculiar Norwegian fish dish is Rakfisk, which consists of fermented trout, a culinary relation of Swedish surstrmming. Until the 20th century, shellfish was not eaten to any extent. This partly due to the abundance of fish and the relative high cost of time to catch shellfish over nutritional value, and that such food spoils rather quickly, even in a northern climate. However, prawns, crabs and mussels have become quite popular, especially during summer. Lobster is of course popular, but restrictions on the catch (size and season) limit the consumption, and in addition lobster has become rather rare, and indeed expensive. People will gather for feasts; "krabbelag - crab-party," either eating ready cooked crabs from a fishmonger, or cooking live crabs in a large pan. This is typically done outdoors, the style being rather rustic with only bread, mayonnaise and wedges of lemon to go with the crab. Crabs are caught in pots by both professionals and amateurs; prawns are caught by small trawlers and sold ready cooked at the quays. It is popular to buy half a kilo of prawns and eat it at the quays, feeding the waste to seagulls. Beer or white wine is the normal accompaniment. Mussels will normally be bought live from a fishmonger that guaranties them to be free of harmful micro-organisms, few people gather mussels themselves, due to the risk of poisoning. Preparation is simple: steamed with garlic, parsley and perhaps some white wine, and served with bread. The juice can be enriched with double cream to make a soup. The largest Norwegian food export in the past has been (Trrfisk, Beef) - stockfish in English, in Portuguese 'bacalhau', - dried codfish. The Atlantic cod variety known as 'skrei' because of its migrating habits, has been a source of wealth for millennia, fished annually in what is known as the 'Lofotfiske' after the island chain of 'Lofoten'. Trrfisk has been a staple food internationally for centuries, in particular on the Iberian peninsula and the African coast. Both during the age of sail and in the industrial age, trrfisk played a part in world history as an enabling food for cross-Atlantic trade and the slave trade triangle. A large number of fish dishes are popular today, based a large variety of species, such as salmon, cod, herring, sardine products and mackerel. Seafood is used fresh, smoked, salted or pickled. Variations on creamed seafood soups are common along the coastline. Due to its availability, seafood dishes along the coast are usually based on fresh produce, cooked by steaming and very lightly spiced with herbs, pepper and salt. While coastal Norwegians may consider the head, caviar sack and liver an inseparable part of a steamed seafood meal, most inland restaurants will spare diners this part of the experience. A number of the species available have traditionally been avoided or reserved for bait, but most common seafood is part of the modern menu. High cuisine is very reliant on game, such as moose, reindeer, duck, and fowl. These meats are often hunted and sold or passed around as gifts, but are also available at shops nationwide, and tend to be served at social occasions. Because these meats have a distinct, strong taste, they will often be served with rich sauces spiced with crushed juniper berries, and a sour-sweet jam of lingonberries on the side. Preserved meat and sausages come in a bewildering variety of regional variations, and are usually accompanied by sour cream dishes and flat bread or wheat/potato wraps. Particularly sought after delicacies include the fenalr (a slowcured lamb's leg) and morr (usually a smoked cured sausage); though the exact definition may vary regionally. Due to a partial survival of an early medieval taboo against touching dead horses, eating horse meat was nearly unheard of until recent decades, though it does find some use in sausages. Lamb's meat and mutton is very popular in autumn, mainly used in frikl (mutton stew with cabbage). Pinnekjtt, cured and sometimes smoked mutton ribs that is steamed for several hours, is traditionally served as Christmas dinner in the western parts of Norway. Another Western specialty is smalahove, a smoked lamb's head. Because of industrial whaling, whale was commonly used as a cheap substitute for beef early in the 20th century. More recently, a combination of rising prices stemming from a quota reduced to ca. 300 animals p.a. and the easily ruined flavour of the meat has made whale a much rarer delicacy. Eating whale meat, although not common, is not controversial in Norway. Although Norwegian cuisine has become as international as any other western cuisine, traditional dishes remain popular. As Norwegian cuisine has its roots in a fairly poor society, dishes are simple. 100 years ago potatoes would

have been the main part of the dishes, using fish and meat more as a condiment than ingredients in their own right. Salted and dried foods have become less common in favour of fresh or frozen fish and meat. Torsk - Cod: poached, simply served with boiled potatoes and melted butter. Carrots,fried bacon, roe and cod liver may also accompany the fish. Lutefisk - lyed fish: a traditional preparation made of stockfish (dried cod or ling) that has been steeped in lye. The dish most likely came about as an accident; stockfish became covered in ashes after a fire, then the rain caused lye from the ashes to seep into the fish. Poverty will have prevented people from throwing it away, and after watering it out the lyed fish was found edible. Preparation and accompaniment is as for fresh cod, although beer and aquavit is served on the side. Stekt fisk - braised fish: almost all fish is braised, but as a rule the larger specimen tend to be poached and the smaller braised. The fish is filleted, dusted with flour, salt and pepper and braised in butter. Potatoes are served on the side, and the butter from the pan used as a sauce. Fatty fish like herring and brisling are given the same treatment. Popular accompaniments are sliced and fresh-pickled cucumbers and sour cream. Sursild - pickled herring: a variety of pickle-sauces are used, ranging from simple vinegar- sugar based sauces to tomato, mustard and sherry based sauces. Pickled herring is served as an horse d'ouvre or on rye bread as a lunch buffet Kjttkaker - meatballs: the Norwegian variety is coarser than the Swedish, and served in a brown sauce (sauce espagnol) rather than a cream-sauce. Potatoes, stewed peas or cabbage and carrots are served on the side. Many like to use a jam of red bilberries as a relish. Svinekoteletter - pork chops: simply braised and served with whatever vegetables available and gravy. Svinestek - roasted pork: a typical Sunday dinner, served with pickled cabbage (a sweeter variety of the German sourkraut), gravy, vegetables and potatoes. All good cuts of meat are roasted, as in any cuisine. Side dishes vary with season and what goes with the meat. Roast leg of lamb is an Easter classic, roast beef is not very common and game is roasted for the bigger occasions. Lapskaus - stew: resembles Irish stew, but mincemeat, sausages or indeed any meat except from fresh pork may go into the dish. Fr-i-kl - mutton stew: very simple preparation: cabbage and mutton is layered in a big pot along with black pepper, salt and some wheat flour to thicken the sauce, covered with water and simmered until the meat is very tender. Potatoes on the side. Stekte plser - fried sausages: fresh sausages are fried and served with vegetables, potatoes (of course!), peas and perhaps some gravy.

Along with the rest of Scandinavia, Norway is the only place outside Asia where sweet and sour flavouring is used extensively. The sweet and sour flavour is utilized best with fish. There is also the treatment of "graving," literally burying, a curing method where salt and sugar is used as curing agents. Although salmon or trout are the most used fish for this method, other fish and meat also get a treatment similar to gravlax.

Gravlax - sweet and sour cured salmon: a filleted side of salmon or trout that has been frozen for at least 24 hours to kill off parasites, is cured like this; the fillet is covered in half and half sugar and salt spiced with black pepper, dill and brandy, covered with cling-wrap and cured in the fridge for three days. Remember to turn once a day. Gravet elg - sweet and salt cured moose: this treatment may be used for all red meat, but game and beef work best. Same procedure as for gravlax, but brandy is often substituted with aquavit and dill with junipers. Pickled herring: a pickle is made with vinegar, sugar, herbs/spices like dill, mustard seed, black peppercorns, onion and so on. Remember that the pickle must be sour enough to prevent growth of bacteria. Watered out saltcured herring is put in, let stand for at least 24 hours. Tomato pickled herring: the pickle is more like a thick sauce; four tbsp of tomato paste, three tbsp of sugar and three tbsp vinegar are mixed and thinned with about four tbsp of water, flavoured with black pepper and bay leaf. Salt-cured herring is watered out, cut in 1 cm (1/3in) slices and put in along with a raw, sliced onion.. Let stand for at least 24 hours.

Fruits and berries mature slowly in the cold climate. This makes for a tendency to smaller volume with a more intense taste. Strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries and apples are popular and are part of a variety of desserts, and cherries in the parts of the country where those are grown. The wild growing cloudberry is regarded as a delicacy. A typical Norwegian dessert on special occasions is cloudberries with whipped or plain cream. Also Norwegians eat a lot of apple desserts with biscuits. German and Nordic-style cakes and pastries, such as sponge cakes and Danish pastry (known as "wienerbrd", literal translation: "Viennese bread") share the table with sweet breads - "kaffebrd" (literally: "coffee bread", named for its accompaniment, not ingredients), waffles and biscuits. Cardamom is a common flavouring. Common cookies are krumkake, sandkaker and fattigmann. Another Norwegian cake is Eplekake or apple cake. Coffee is an extremely common part of social life, enjoyed both before and after dinner, with bread, desserts and liquor. The average Norwegian consumes 160 litres of coffee p.a, or ten kilogrammes per person. 80% of the population drinks coffee. As in the rest of the west, recent years have seen a shift from coffee made by boiling ground beans to Italian-style coffee bars, tended by professional baristas. Dairy is still extremely popular in Norway, though the variety of traditional products available and commonly in use is severely reduced. Cheese is an export, in particular the plain-brand favourite Jarlsberg cheese. The sweet geitost or brown/red cheese (not a true cheese, but rather caramelized lactose from goat milk or a mix of goat and cow milk) is very popular in cooking and with bread. More sophisticated or extreme cheeses include the gammelost (lit. "old cheese"), an over-matured, highly pungent brown cheese.

Both industrial and small-scale brewing has long traditions in Norway. Restrictive alcohol policies have encouraged a rich community of brewers, and a colourful variety of beverages both legal and illegal. The most popular industrial beers are usually pilsners and red beers (bayer), while traditional beer is much richer, with a high alcohol and malt content. The ancient practice of brewing Julel (yule beer) persists even today, and imitations of these are available before Christmas, in shops and, for the more potent versions, at state monopoly outlets. Cider brewing has faced tough barriers to commercial production due to alcohol regulations, and the famous honey wine, mjd (mead), is mostly a drink for connoisseurs and practitioners of satru and other Norse neopagan religions. The climate has not been hospitable to grapes for millennia, and wines and more potent drinks are available only from the wine monopolies. Distilled beverages include akevitt, yellow-tinged liquor spiced with caraway seeds, also known as akvavit or other variations on the Latin aqua vitae - water of life. The Norwegian "linie" style is distinctive for its maturing process, crossing the equator in sherry casks stored the hull of a ship, giving it more taste and character than the rawer styles of other Scandinavian akevitter. Norway also produces some vodkas, bottled water and fruit juices. Culture in Norway Norwegian culture should be understood in the context of Norwegian history as well as Norwegian geography. The unique Norwegian farm culture resulted not only from scarce resources and a harsh climate, but also from Norway's ancient property laws, which sustained a unique character still visible in Norway today. This unique character resulted in a strong romantic nationalistic movement in the 18th century which is visible to this day in the Norwegian language and media. The greatest sources on influence on Norwegian culture have been the Protestant church and Germany during the Middle Ages, France during the 18th century, Germany again during the 19th century and the English-speaking world after World War II. Norway is today very Americanized with a strongly adapted western culture. Norwegians have an egalitarian outlook. The concept of Jante Law is in many areas and fields still today strong in Norway, and any form of elitism is likely to meet strong criticism. Norwegians generally express themselves in very modest terms, especially when it comes to compliments and praises - when they say something is totally okay that means it is very good indeed. There is a strong drive for more individualist values, and these have during the 20th century taken over from the more collectivist tradition. Notably there is very strong support for tolerance toward same-sex relationships compared to most European countries, and Norwegians are often thought of (and most Norwegians think of their country) as a country with little xenophobia, which does not necessarily make it true. Environmentalism and animal protection are important values in Norway. Norwegians celebrate their national day on May 17, dedicated to the Constitution of Norway. Many people wear bunad (traditional costumes) and most participate in or watch the Norwegian Constitution Day parade that day, consisting mostly of children, through the cities and towns. The national romanticist author Henrik Wergeland was the founder of the 17 May parade. Common Christian holidays are also celebrated, the most important being Christmas (called Jul in Norway after the pagan and early Viking winter solstice) and Easter (Pske). Jonsok (St. John's Passing), or St. Hans (St. John's Day), i.e. 24 June, is also a commonly revered holiday. It marks midsummer and the beginning of summer vacation, and is often celebrated by lighting bonfires the evening before. Physical culture is also important in one of the most prosperous nations in the world. In terms of the opportunities for enjoying leisure, few countries compare with Norway. With great forests and wide mountain plateaus for winter pleasure and extensive coastal areas and rivers for summer recreation, Norway provides a natural environment which encourages outdoor sports and to a large degree hiking. Many Norwegians own at least one pair of skis, and the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association stands strong. Below are some of the cultural practices unique to Norwegian: There is little personal touching except among relatives Do not speak in a loud voice Dont start eating until the host does A service fee is usually included in the bill, but a small tip is customary Kingdom of Sweden: For Sweden In Time Capital: Stockholm Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (King Carl XVI Gustaf) Language: Swedish, Lapp & Finnish Currency: Swedish Krona (SEK) People: Swedish/Swedes Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and is connected to Denmark by the Oresund Bridge. It has been a member of the European Union since January 1, 1995. Its capital and largest

city is Stockholm, with a population of 802,611 and 2 million in metropolitan area, and is by far the most populous city in Sweden and Scandinavia. Sweden is the most visited country of the Nordic countries with 5.2 million visitors in 2007. At 449,964 km2 (173,732 sq mi), Sweden is the largest country by area in Northern Europe and fourth largest in Europe. With a total population of over 9.2 million, of whom about 7.8 million are ethnic Swedes, Sweden has a low population density of 20 people per km (52 per sq. mi). About 84% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397, and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden constituted by the eastern half of Norrland and sterland was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union with Sweden, a union which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime. One need not have a VISA if a local resident of Europe provided stay will not exceed three months. Passports, however, is a must. If a foreigner to Europe, a VISA is necessary. For Filipinos, one needs a European VISA, and if granted a Scandinavian VISA, he can travel to countries found within the region. International airlines connect North America, Europe and other countries with Stockholm and Goteborg. There is excellent connection by rail and road to other countries. Sweden in part of the Eurail System. The longest road and rail bridge in Europe (the Oresund Bridge) between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden was completed in 1999, which increased visitors to Sweden. Public transportation is excellent by train, bus, subway and streetcars. Tourism in Sweden Sweden is mostly visited by tourists from its neighbouring countries Denmark, Norway and Finland. Thereafter follow tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom. A popular route for German tourists is to go by train from southern Sweden, through the European routes, up to Sweden's northern parts. Attractions along the way are historical, natural and cultural. According to the CIA World Factbook, Sweden is the 21st most visited country in the world, with 7 627 000 arrivals in 2006. In the summer the sun hardly sets in Sweden, especially in the far north where it does not set at all. This allows activity until late in the evening, or even through the night. Sweden has a large number of lakes and forests, and it is very good for fishing and canoeing. There are several large lakes, including lakes Vttern and Vnern. Walking is quite a popular activity in the summer. There are no very high mountains in Sweden, so climbing is somewhat limited. The highest mountain is Kebnekaise near Kiruna. Kebnekaise is 6926 ft, 2111 metres high. The Gta Canal from Stockholm to Gothenburg provides some good trips in the summer. Swedish horse racing is a little unusual, in that many races are actually trotting races. The horses are not allowed to gallop, and they pull a small trap with the racer on. In the winter, the ICEHOTEL is built every year near the northern town of Kiruna. Kiruna is also a good place from which to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. Tourists in the north of the country in winter often enjoy trips in reindeer sleighs with Sami drivers, or in dog sleighs. It is also possible to ski, with downhill resorts at re and Vemdalen, and many cross country ski tracks throughout the northern part of the country. Vasaloppet in the beginning of March is the oldest, longest and largest cross-country ski race in the world. Ice hockey is a popular sport in winter. Many of the bays in the northern part of the country are frozen in winter, and it is possible to go ice yachting, or ice skating on the ice. Many lakes are also frozen, so ice fishing (pimpelfiske) is quite popular. Most Swedish cities are small compared to other European cities such as those in the United Kingdom and Germany. The largest city is Stockholm, with approx. 802.000 inhabitants, followed by Gothenburg with 493.000 and Malm with 270,000. Stockholm has been Sweden's capital since at least the 14th century. It is Sweden's metropolis, the centre of the parliament, government and media. Not only is its waterfront and adjacent Stockholm Archipelago one of a kind, but the old parts of Stockholm with its history and culture are spectacular in their own kind. Gothenburg is a relatively recently built city dating from the 17th century, and is visited for its beauty, attractions, friendliness and shopping opportunities. According to a recent survey of Swedish media, Gothenburg was voted the most popular major city in Sweden. More than 60% of all Swedes would like to live in Gothenburg, which has a reputation of being even friendlier and more welcoming than the Swedish capital. Malm has recently emerged as the eastern part of the Oresund region, tied together with Copenhagen, Denmark, through the impressive Oresund Bridge. During the last 15 years, Malm has been focusing more on culture, as it previously had a solid reputation as a working class city. The twisted skyscraper Turning Torso has become the new landmark, replacing the ship-crane at Kockums. Other cities have solid places in Sweden's history:

Uppsala became the seat of the Archbishop of Sweden in 1167, with Sweden's and Scandinavia's largest church building Uppsala Cathedral inaugurated in the 1440s. Uppsala also became the center of education in Sweden with the Uppsala University founded in 1477. Lund was among the cities belonging to Denmark until 1658. Previously, it had been the seat of Denmark's archbishop, in the city of Lund. In 1666, Lund was granted Sweden's second university, the Lund University, Scandinavia's largest.

Below are some attractions famous in Sweden: 1) LAPPLAND covering a quarter of the total area of Sweden yet with only 5% of the population. Lapland is probably best known as the home of Santa Claus, indeed a visit to Santa World at Mora in Dalarna is what most children dream of. Lapland is both an inviting as well as a magical and unusual place. There are plenty of outside adventures to be had - climb Sweden's highest peak, Kebnekaise; walk in the national parks of Sarek and Padjelanta; or try crosscountry dog-sledding, snow-mobiling and skiing. Stay in the Ice Hotel at Jukksjrvi, a very unusual experience! 2) SKOTKLOSTER SLOTT CASTLE Skokloster Slott Castle is a magnificent 17th-century castle as well as being one of the most fascinating baroque museums in Europe. It is renowned for its unusual interiors as well as its vast collections of paintings, furniture, applied art, tapestries, arms and books. The castle also houses a restaurant, conference facilities and an automobile museum. 3) VIKING TOWN OF BIRKA Birka is situated on a lush island in Lake Mlaren, about 18 miles from Stockholm. It was a major port over 1,200 years ago. A new museum houses finds from extensive excavations around the site. Visit the museum and see how the Vikings lived. 4) GRIPSHOLM CASTLE Gripsholm Castle is located in the small town of Mariested on Lake Maaleren outside Stockholm. A stunning renaissance castle, it was first built in 1540. The castle contains exceptional Renaissance interiors as well as a theatre and the world's oldest and largest portrait collections. 5) SAREKS NATIONAL PARK The enchanted landscape of Sareks National Park plays hosts to over 100 glaciers as well as mountains reaching over 2,000m. It should only be experienced with the help of a guide unless you re an expert in outdoor survival. The best views are over the lake and delta of Laiture on the Rapa lv, near the eastern edge of the park. 6) OLD UPPSALA Located just outside modern day Uppsala, Old Uppsala is regarded as the most important prehistoric monument in Sweden and the cradle of Swedish civilization. The three "Kungshgarna" or royal mounds are situated on a ridge and can be seen from miles away. There is a cairn in the centre of each mound where the actual grave was situated. The dead king was burned on a funeral pyre together with his grave gifts which generally included jewellery and gold. There is information provided nearby in numerous languages in addition to an exhibition. A fascinating site, there is plenty of interpretive material on site to guide you through the long and interesting history of the area. 7) THE KINGDOM OF CRYSTAL The Kingdom of crystal is located in the province of Smland, in southeastern Sweden. Many of the world s most famous glassworks can be found here. The Kingdom of Crystal came into existence when the first batch of glass was melted at Kosta in 1742. Kosta is now the oldest glasswork in Sweden and is still making handmade glass. In the Glasshouse see the glass-workers work in front of the furnaces. This trip is a must, especially if you are looking for bargains in crystal treasures. 8) Riddarholm Church (Riddarholmskyrkan) Originally built in 1270 as a Greyfriars Monastery, Riddarbolm Church soon became the burial place of Swedish kings and it is the second-oldest church in Stockholm. A beautiful church with its ancient brick walls and distinctive spire, it is renowned all over Sweden. There are three royal chapels including the Bernadotte wing which belongs to the present ruling family. Karl XIV Johan, the first king of the Bernadotte dynasty, is buried here in an immense marble sarcophagus. The last king buried here was King Gustav V who died in 1950. 9) Drottningholm Palace Referred to as the Versailles of the North, Drottningholm is the residence of the Swedish Royal family. The palace is full of exquisite art and furnishings, and the park surrounding the palace is just as beautiful. One of the best-preserved 18th century theatres, Drottningholm Court Theatre, stands on the grounds. You can see opera performances throughout the season in this intimate theatre. Tickets tend to be booked out well in advance. 10) Skansen Skansen is regarded as one of Europes finest open-air museums and provides a unique insight into the history and culture of Sweden. It was also the worlds first museum, opening to the public in 1891. It contains a collection of over 150 authentic houses and buildings dating from the 19th century and earlier. You can see local craftsmen recreate the crafts and skills of bygone Sweden in the Nordic Village. The Rose Garden has fascinating information on the medicinal uses for herbs and spices and the Zoo, with its rare species of Swedish and Scandinavian animals, is an essential part of the visit. You will need a whole day to get the most from this 75-acre park. Culinary Arts & Gastronomy

Swedish food is traditionally simple. A typical meal consists of boiled potatoes, some kind of meat or fish, a simple sauce and some vegetables. Fish has historically been very important. Today Swedes eat roughly the same as other Westerners, with spaghetti rivaling the previously dominant potato in popularity. Swedes are among the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world, second only to Finland. Brewed coffee is totally dominant. For meals beer, milk or water is standard. Swedish cuisine tends to be practical and sustaining but due to Sweden's large north-south extent there have been strong regional differences historically. In the far north, variations such as reindeer, and other (semi-) game dishes, have their roots in the Sami people, while fresh vegetables has played a larger role in the south. Although many traditional dishes are simple, the cuisine is in large parts very similar to many other European cuisines. Swedes have traditionally been very open to foreign influences, ranging from French cuisine during the 17th and 18th century, to the sushi and cafe latte of today. Many Swedish restaurateurs mix traditional husmanskost (see below) with a modern, gourmet approach. On the fast food side, pizza has been an integral part of swedish culture since the 1960s. Twenty years later, the same could be said about kebab and falafel, as many small restaurants specialise in such dishes. Swedes usually have three main meals per day, but there are at least two traditions followed: The older tradition, still common among blue collar workers, consists of breakfast in the early morning (morgonml), a light lunch before noon (called frukost earlier, today named lunch), and a heavy dinner (middag) at around five. Since the early sixties, most 9 to 5 workers eat breakfast (frukost or morgonml) when they wake up, a lunch around noon, and a dinner (middag) around six or seven in the evening. It is also common to have a snack, often a sandwich or fruit, in between meals (mellanml). In all schools including high school, a hot meal is served at lunch as part of Sweden's welfare state. It's also common to have coffee after lunch, and a coffee break in the afternoon, often together with a biscuit or similar. Breakfast often consists of smrgsar (open sandwiches), possibly crisp bread (knckebrd). The smrgs is most often buttered, with toppings such as hard cheese, cold cuts, caviar, messmr (a sweet spread made from butter and whey), ham (skinka), vegetables (grnsaker) like tomatoes (tomat) or cucumber (gurka). Swedes sometimes have sweet toppings on their breads, such as jam (like the French and Americans), or chocolate (like the Danes), although many older Swedes chose not to use these sweet toppings. However, orange marmalade on white bread is common, usually with morning coffee or tea. Many traditional kinds of Swedish bread, such as sirapslimpa (less fashionable today, but still very popular) are somewhat sweetened in themselves, baked with small amounts of syrup. Like in many other European countries, there are also lots of non-sweetened breads, often made with sourdough (surdeg). Swedish breads may be made from wholegrain, fine grain, or anything in between, and there are white, brown, and really dark (like in Finland) varieties which are all common. "Barkis" or "bergis" is a localised version of challah usually made without eggs and at first only available in Stockholm and Gteborg where Jews first settled but now available elsewhere. Filmjlk (fermented milk), or sometimes yogurt, is also traditional breakfast food, usually served in a bowl with cereals such as corn flakes, muesli, or knckebrd, and sometimes with sugar, fruit, and/or jam. A third food that is sometimes eaten at breakfast is porridge (grt), often made of rolled oats or rice, and eaten with milk and jam or cinnamon with sugar. Common drinks for breakfast are milk, juice, tea, or coffee. Swedes are among the most avid milk and coffee drinkers in the world. Although, modern day Swedish cuisine is in large parts highly internationalized, many "typical" Swedish attributes, traditions and dishes remain, some of which are many hundreds of years old, others perhaps a century or less. Internationally, the most renowned Swedish meal is Kttbullar, Swedish meatballs. A well known Swedish buffet tradition is the Smrgsbord and, at Christmas, the Julbord can often be in the form of a "Christmas-smrgsbord". In August, Swedes traditionally eat boiled crayfish at feasts known as krftskivor. The most highly regarded mushroom is the chanterelle. It is considered a real treat. The chanterelle is usually served together with a piece of meat, or just fried with a sauce and some onions and put on a sandwich. Second to the chanterelle, and considered almost as delicious, is the porcini mushroom, or Karl-Johansvamp named after Charles XIV John (Karl XIV Johan) who introduced its use as food. Traditionally, Thursday has been soup day because the maids had half the day off and it was easy to prepare. One of the most traditional Swedish soups is the pea soup, or rtsoppa. It dates back to the old tradition of peas being associated with Thor. This is a simple meal, basically consisting of yellow peas, a little onion and often pieces of pork. It is often served with a little mustard and followed by thin pancakes (see Pannkakor). The Swedish Army still serve their conscripts pea soup and pancakes every Thursday. Potatoes are the main complement to most dishes. Only in the last 50 years have other complements such as rice and spaghetti become standard on the dinner table. There are several different kinds of potatoes: the most appreciated is the new potato, which ripens in early summer, and is enjoyed at the feast called Midsummer. Other sorts of potatoes are eaten all year around. Other traditional Swedish dishes:

rtsoppa Pea soup Blodpudding Black pudding Falukorv Sausage originating from Falun. The lifts and pumps at the Kopparberg copper mine in Falun were, during the 16th and 17th centuries before the introduction of steam engines, powered by oxen. When these oxen died from strain or old age, the skin was turned into leather ropes used in the mine, and some of the meat was turned into Falukorv sausages. Fiskbullar - Fish buns, made from minced white fish meat Gravad lax Lox. Salmon, salted, and cured Inkokt lax - Boiled Salmon Isterband Sausage made of coarsely ground pork, barley and potatoes Janssons frestelse ("Jansson's temptation") Grated potatoes, onion, "anchovy" and cream; the fish used is usually the sprat, a different species, but similarly spiced. Pannkakor and Plttar Pancakes Julskinka Christmas ham Inlagd sill Pickled herring Kalops Kldolmar Cabbage rolls Kttsoppa A rustic beef and root vegetable soup Kroppkakor Boiled potato-dumplings, filled with pork Lutfisk Stockfish Palt dumplings with a filling of pork Pitepalt Blodpalt Leverpalt Blbrspalt

Plsa Similar to Hash Raggmunk Potato pancakes Rotmos med flsk Korv stroganoff Biff stroganoff Stekt flsk och bruna bnor Pork and brown beans Pyttipanna Chopped and fried meat, onions, and pre-boiled potatoes. Smrgstrta Sandwich cake

Surstrmming Fermented Baltic herring - a rather different tasting species of herring - it has about 10% fat whereas Atlantic herring is 16% - this may occur because of the Baltic having half the salt concentration of many seas. Surstrmming has a strong odor and unique flavour and is considered an acquired taste. Common desserts include: Ostkaka -- Swedish cheesecake (very different from American cheesecake). Smulpaj and Smrdegspaj -- ("Simple" pie and "pastry based" pie) Various kinds of pies and cookies are typical desserts, mostly served with coffee. Typical pies are apple pie, blueberry pie and rhubarb pie and there are many different recipes for each. Pannkaka -- Pancakes are almost never served "American style" (for breakfast) but either as dessert with sweet jam and/or whipped cream, or as a meal in itself, using less sweet toppings. (Pancakes for dinner are sometimes made thick (using an oven) and sometimes with pork meat or apples inside.) Spettekaka -- A sweet Swedish cake shaped like a hollow cylinder, only common in the southern regions of Sweden, Skne. Vfflor (Waffles) Often served with jam with ice cream or whipped cream. Waffles also have their own day on March 25.

Sweden is one of the heaviest coffee drinking countries in the world, before Finland. Milk consumption in Sweden is very high, also only second to Finland. Milk is bought in milk cartons, and it is no coincidence that Tetra Pak, the world's largest maker of milk cartons, is Swedish. Milk is considered the standard drink to have with meals during weekdays in many families, for both children and adults. Drinks would include: Julmust -- Traditional stout-like, sweet seasonal soft drink (jul means Christmas in Swedish) Also called pskmust when sold during Easter (psk meaning Easter) (carbonated) Mumma -- A traditional Christmas beverage. Usually a mix of porter or another dark beer, some light beer (pilsner), port wine (or some other wine), and something sweet (sockerdricka or julmust); commonly spiced with cardamom. Glgg -- Mulled wine Blbrssoppa -- Sweet soup or drink made from blueberries, served either hot or cold Enbrsdricka -- Traditional juniper berry soft drink Sockerdricka -- Traditional sweet-sour soft drink (carbonated), Sockerdricka means "Sugardrink" in Swedish. Fruktsoda -- Traditional lemon-lime soft drink (carbonated) Champis -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine (carbonated) Pommac -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine (carbonated) Trocadero (drink) -- Traditional soft drink with the taste of apple and oranges, with its roots in the north of Sweden. (carbonated) Lingondricka -- lingonberry drink Those who are not familiar with the cuisine may think of it as similar to that of its neighbor across the Baltic Sea, Germany, but, in fact, Swedish cuisine could more accurately be described as similar to Japanese food, centered around fish and pickled vegetables, but with potatoes instead of rice. In addition to fish, shellfish, and root vegetables, staples include vegetables in the kale and cabbage families, pork, cultured dairy products, rye breads, berries and stone fruits. Butter is the primary fat source, although olive oil is becoming more popular, as are other Italian imports, especially pasta, pizza and wine. Sweden's unique pastry tradition features a variety of yeast buns and cakes, which are considerably less sugary than those in the U.S. Although the number of overweight Swedes has been rising in recent

years with the increase in more highly processed junk food, the obesity rate is still well below that of the U.S., at least in part due to smaller portions and a more active lifestyle. Low-fat products, whole meal bread and other healthy alternatives are common - grocery stores usually sell milk in four or five different fat levels, from 3 to 0.1%. Swedish alcohol consumption has increased during the last decades due to more "continental" habits, as Swedes combine their traditional weekend binge drinking with casual weekday drinking, and relaxed import regulations - see alcoholic beverages in Sweden. Tobacco smoking has decreased greatly during the last decades, mostly because of many Swedes' transition to the national specialty snus and (more recently) due to smoking being prohibited in bars and public places.[citation needed] Recreational drugs other than alcohol and tobacco are less common in Sweden than in continental Europe, partly due to the long distance to areas of production. Culture in Sweden The Swedish people are concerned about the environment and animal protection. Swedish farmers actively advertise their products as free from genetic engineering, cruelty against animals, un-organic chemicals and excessive transportation (with the implication that these features are common in foreign food production and that Swedish farmers actually live up to animal protection laws). The national organic farming label, KRAV, is popular, and a fair trade label was recently established. The vegetarian and straight edge movements are widespread among Swedish youths. Below are practices unique to Swedes: Do not break into lines Do not put your hands into your pockets when talking When eating hands should be above the table Toasting is common in Sweden When finished eating, place utensils side by side on your plate Republic of Finland Capital: Helsinki Form of Government: Semi-Presidential Republic (Pres. Tarja Halonen) Language: Finnish Currency: Finnmarks (FIK), Euro () People: Finns/Finnish Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It has borders with Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. Around 5.3 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern part of the country. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. The native language for most of the population is Finnish, a member of the Finno-Ugric language family most closely related to Estonian and one of the four official EU languages not of Indo-European origin. The second official language, Swedish, is spoken by a 5.5 percent minority. Finland is a democratic, parliamentary republic with a mostly Helsinkibased central government and local governments in 415 municipalities. A total of a million residents live in Greater Helsinki (including Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) and a third of the GDP is produced there. Other major cities include Tampere, Turku, and Oulu. Finland was historically a part of Sweden and from 1809 an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Finland's declaration of independence in 1917 from Russia was followed by a civil war, wars against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and a period of official neutrality during the Cold War. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Union in 1995 and participates in the Eurozone. Finland has been ranked the second most stable country in the world, in a survey based on social, economic, political, and military indicators. Finland has good results in many international comparisons of national performance such as the share of hightechnology manufacturing, public education, health care, the rate of gross domestic product growth, and the protection of civil liberties. One need not have a VISA if a local resident of Europe provided stay will not exceed three months. Passports, however, is a must. If a foreigner to Europe, a VISA is necessary. For Filipinos, one needs a European VISA, and if granted a Scandinavian VISA, he can travel to countries found within the region. International airlines connect North America, Europe and other countries with Stockholm and Goteborg. There is excellent connection by rail and road to other countries. Sweden in part of the Eurail System. The longest road and rail bridge in Europe (the Oresund Bridge) between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden was completed in 1999, which increased visitors to Sweden. Public transportation is excellent by train, bus, subway and streetcars. Tourism in Finland Finland attracted over 4 million tourists in 2005, with most coming from Sweden. The value added by tourism is about 2.4% of the Finnish GDP, and provides around 60,000 jobs. The Finnish tourism brand is stated by the Finland Promotion Board. The brand has four main dimensions beginning with letter C: Cool, Contrasts, Credible, Creative.

The summer is marked by long days in Finland, especially in the far north where the sun does not set at all. Tourists can go fishing and canoeing. There are several large lakes, including lakes Saimaa, Inari, and Pijnne. Walking is quite a popular activity in the summer. There are no high mountains in Finland, so climbing is somewhat limited. The highest mountain is Halti near Enonteki. It rises 1328 metres above sea level. Finland is famous for its many lakes, nearly 200,000 of them, not including the small ones. Finland is also known to have excellent water quality, and green deep woods and forests around the sea, rivers, and the waterways. In Finland, tourists can sit on the shore of a lake, fishing, watching reindeer or moose and enjoying silence. Alcoholic drinks form an important part of the Finnish culture. When travelling through Finland it is imperative to try national favorites like: the national vodka Koskenkorva, the liquorice flavored Salmiakki Koskenkorva, and a mixture of vodka and sparkling wine that can be roughly translated into English as the "Bitch slammer". In wintertime Finland provides excellent opportunities for cross-country skiing and some for alpine skiing too. Many of the popular ski resorts are situated north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, but there are exceptions like Kuusamo in the northeastern part of Oulu Province. Santa Claus is commonly known to live on Korvatunturi in Finland. In the town of Rovaniemi there is the Santa Claus Village for tourists to visit. In the winter there is a large snowcastle with an Ice hotel built every year in the northern town of Kemi. Rovaniemi is a place from which to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. Tourists in the north of the country in winter often enjoy trips in reindeer sleighs with Sami drivers, or in dog sleighs. It is also possible to ski, with downhill resorts at Saariselk and Levi, and many cross country ski tracks throughout the northern part of the country. Ice hockey is a popular sport in winter, and it is possible to go ice yachting, or ice skating on the ice. Most lakes are also frozen, so ice fishing (pilkkiminen) is quite popular. Below are a list of the Major Attractions in Finland: 1) Old Rauma Old Rauma recently made UNESCOs World Heritage List on its 550th anniversary. It boasts one of the oldest harbours in Finland as well as an impressive array of ancient vernacular architecture. Fine craftsmen such as lace makers, goldsmiths and furniture makers actively use many of these preserved buildings. Old Rauma also contains one of the narrowest streets in Finland. The 15th century Franciscan Holy Cross Church and the Rauma Museum, located in the town hall, are also well worth a look. 2) The Island Fortress of Suomenlinna The 18th century Fortress of Suomenlinna is a must-see on any trip to Finland. It is located on an island at the entrance to Helsinki harbour and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure since 1991. The unique fortress is a fine example of European military architecture. Besides being a being a historical site and tourist attraction, Suomenlinna is also a well-loved recreation area for Helsinki citizens. With 900 permanent inhabitants, Suomenlinna remains a lively island with an impressive array of museums, galleries, restaurants and cafes to keep you occupied! 3) St. Olaf's Castle, Olavinlinna Balanced on the edge of a tiny green island in a lake, this beautiful 500-year-old castle resembles something from a fairytale. Founded in 1475, it is comprised of the main castle as well as three towers and a bailey with a surrounding wall reinforced by towers. It is among Finland's most well-known tourist attractions. There is a very interesting orthodox museum in the castle grounds displaying Russian Orthodox artifacts from Finland and Russia. 4) The King's Road The King's Road is the historical route between the old northern capitals of Oslo, Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, and St. Petersburg. Dating back to the 13th century, the ancient road winds along the Finnish southern coastline past castles, manor houses and frame cottages. Originally, the King's Road served as an important connection between the powerful kingdoms of Sweden and Russia. Today, it is a remarkable testament to history. Taverns and inns that offered refuge to the weary traveler are still intact. Old stone churches and iron mills also remain. 5) Turku Turku is the oldest and most fascinating of Finland's medieval towns. Once the capital of Finland, this 750-year-old town has a fully restored 13th-century castle which is now a Viking museum. Its medieval Gothic cathedral is one of the most impressive in Finland. The Handicrafts Museum is located in the quaint old town where most of original medieval houses still stand. Make sure to visit the thirty workshops which represent different trades and that tell the story of the old professions. If you happen to visit near Christmas, Turku is regarded as Finland's Christmas City. In the old great square at 12 noon every Christmas Eve, a crowd of several thousand people gather to listen to the proclamation of a Christmas peace declaration which has resounded throughout Finland since the middle ages. 6) Arktikum Science Museum The Arktikum is an award-winning multi-disciplinary science museum depicting life in the Arctic region. The museum is divided into two areas - The Arctic Centre and the Provincial Museum of Lapland. The Arctic Centre interprets nature and local life in the far north. The Provincial Museum of Lapland looks at the Lapp wilderness as well as the cultural heritage it has moulded. Discover how ordinary Lapps live in austere surroundings of the Arctic. There are lots of interactive audio-visuals as well as some really captivating exhibits. 7) Retretti Art Centre, Punkaharju

If you want to experience something truly different, the Retretti Art Centre is the place to go. It is famous for its highly unique exhibition space, which includes a ground level building and an underground space hollowed out of the bedrock. The labyrinthine space is used as an exhibition area for contemporary art. Exhibitions at the art centre exhibition are as stunning as their surroundings. Prepare to be amused, astounded and informed. The centre also houses a concert hall and a restaurant. 8) The land Islands The land Islands are a unique, self-governing set of islands off the Finnish coast. With their own distinct culture, flag and postage stamps, they are dotted with medieval churches and old-world fishing villages and are particularly ideal for get-away-from-it all cycling, camping and cabin holidays. 9) Lapland Land of the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, the Finnish province of Lapland is one of the world s most wild and unspoiled regions, sparsely populated with truly friendly and welcoming people. Blessed with wide open fells and hills, uninhabited forests, magnificent lakes as clear as crystal, quietly babbling brooks and foaming rapids, this region offers the tourist the holiday of a lifetime. Lapland is also the home of Santa Claus. Pay a visit to Santapark Santas theme park and meet with Santa himself! 10) Ainola Ainola is the place where Finland's greatest composer Jean Sibelius spent much of his life. It is a destination of pilgrimage for Sibelius lovers. Absorb the unbroken tranquility and gain a sense of the world in which the composer and his family lived. When he was composing there Sibelius insisted on silence; he believed that music should be heard without disturbance from extraneous noise. For this reason none of the maestro's work is amplified through loudspeakers in an effort to create the same mood. 11) Senate Square in Helsinki The Senate Square is one of the main tourist attractions of Helsinki. Various art happenings, ranging from concerts to snow buildings to controversial snow board happenings, have been set up on the Senate Square. It presents Carl Ludvig Engel's architecture as a unique allegory of political, religious, scientific and commercial powers. Cuisine in Finland The cuisine of Finland is notable for the use of wholemeal products (rye, barley, oats) and berries (such as blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, and sea buckthorn). Milk and its derivatives like buttermilk are commonly used as food, drink or in various recipes. Various turnips were common in traditional cooking, but were substituted by the potato after its introduction in the 18th century. Modern Finnish cuisine combines traditional country fare and haute cuisine with contemporary continental style cooking. Fish and meat play a prominent role in traditional Finnish dish from the western part of the country, while the dishes from the eastern part have traditionally included various vegetables and mushrooms, of which especially the latter were introduced to the dining tables of the western side as late as during World War II by refugees from Karelia. In the new Finnish kitchen, dishes are lighter, smaller, and generally contain several different vegetables. This mode of cooking is highly influenced by European and American cuisine. Traditional Finnish cuisine shares a lot with Swedish, German and Russian cuisines. However, there are differences in preparation techniques: for example, Finnish dishes tend to be less sweet than Swedish ones, and Finns use little or no sour cream (smetana) in preparation compared to their Russian neighbours. Several traditional Swedish or Russian dishes are also absent. Note that the term perinneruoka ("traditional dish" ) is often applied to specialities that are rarely eaten on a daily basis. These are often regional, associated with the older generations or confined to a specific holiday (for example, mmmi in Easter), and most people eat them rarely or not at all. To contrast with perinneruoka, the term kotiruoka ("home-made food", even if in a restaurant) is applied to daily staple dishes. Meatballs, pea soup and rye bread are examples of such staples. The following list is a sample of typical dishes traditionally consumed in Finland. Traditional dishes o Cabbage rolls (kaalikryleet) o Leipjuusto, alternate name juustoleip. o Game food. Moose, deer, grouse, duck, o Viili, a yogurt-like fermented milk product hare, etc... dishes. Rarely attainable in o Mashed potato restaurants. Common amongst those whose o Lihapullat Finnish meatballs hobby is hunting. o Pickled Herring (usually with small o Cold smoked fish potatoes) o Cold smoked salmon, Lox (Kylmsavustettu o Smoked fish (Many types of fish, like lohi) salmon, zander, pike, perch and Baltic o Graavilohi (Gravlax) herring) o Cold smoked Perch o Smoked ham or beef (palvikinkku) o Hernekeitto Peasoup (palviliha) Holidays o Mmmi in Easter o Joulupyt Christmas dishes, such as ham, different casseroles from liver, swede and carrot, potato salad, rosolli (beetroot and apple salad)

Region-specific o Kalakukko in Savo o Mykyrokka from Savo, blood dumpling soup o Karelian pasties from Karelia, also popular o Lohikeitto from Lapland, salmon soup with elsewhere cream o Karelian Stew/Hot Pot from Karelia, also o Pepu (a cooked dish made of water and popular elsewhere flour, usually barley in a ratio of 1:3) o Klimppisoppa from Ostrobothnia, flour o Rssypottu from Oulu dumpling soup o Sauted reindeer traditional in Lapland o Mustamakkara blood sausage from Tampere Bread o Maitorieska, milk flat bread o Pulla, sweet bread eaten with coffee or as dessert o Ruisleip, rye bread o Sihtileip, rye and wheat bread o Rieska, common name for flat bread, usually made of barley (in the shape of a half ball, Savo, or very flat and baked on naked flame, Kainuu North Finland; there is also potato variant o Lskirieska, flat(ish) barley bread with pieces of lard (west coast) o Pettuleip, Bread made from a mixture of flours of rye and pine phloem (the living, soft layer of bark) was eaten up to the 19th century in very poor times, when the food was in short supply, and the tradition of making this bread has had a minor come-back with claims of health benefits. o Swedish svartbrd "black bread" is eaten in Swedish-speaking land; similar dark bread, known as saaristolaisleip ("islander's bread", referring to land), is made on southern coast, and in Malax on the Ostrobothnian coast (Maalahden limppu). This bread, colored dark brown, is made from rye and contains a substantial quantity of dark syrup. Drinks o Drinking water - fresh water from lakes like o Jaloviina (cut brandy) Pijnne and ground water o Kilju (a notorious home-brewed beverage o Coffee - While not native to the area traditionally fermented without flavouring) o Milk - drinking milk is also common among o Koskenkorva (famous vodka-like clear adults spirit) o Piim - a fermented milk o Salmiakkikossu a cocktail of koskenkorva o Alcoholic and salmiakki o Sima (mead) o Cloudberry liqueur o Pontikka (Finnish moonshine) o Glgi Mulled wine o Sahti (traditional beer) o Marskin ryyppy (Marshal Mannerheim's shot) Desserts o Mmmi, usually eaten around Easter time, in catholic era it was lent food o Golden cloudberry dessert o Fruit soups (similar to fruit fools) water, sugar, berry juice and berries (nowadays often canned or frozen) thickened with potato flour, served with milk/cream and sugar. o Runeberg's tart o cinamon rolls (korvapuustit) - a kind of pulla (sweet bread) Sweets o Salmiakki ammonium chloride flavored candy o Variety of licorice, most famous manufacturer are Panda and Halva o Fazer Sininen milk chocolate o Wood tar (terva) flavored candy, such as Terva Leijona

Meals : There are three meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. In all primary and secondary schools, including high school, a hot free lunch is served as part of Finland's welfare state agenda. Among workers, lunch is often not so heavy, and may be a sandwich or a salad, depending on whether the company has a lunch restaurant. In the evening, the dinner is usually a hot meal. Breakfasts : Breakfast usually consists of open sandwiches. The sandwich is often buttered (with margarine), with toppings such as hard cheese or cold cuts. Finns usually do not have sweets on their breads such as jam (like the French and the Americans), or chocolate (like the Danes). Sour milk products such as yogurt or viili are also common breakfast foods, usually served in a bowl with cereals such as corn flakes, muesli, and sometimes with sugar, fruit or jam. A third food that is commonly eaten at breakfast is porridge (puuro), often made of rolled oats, and eaten with a pat of butter (voisilm, lit. "butter eye") and/or with milk, or fruit or jam, especially the sort made of raspberries or strawberries (sometimes lingonberries). Culture in Finland The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage, as represented for example by the country's rare Finno-Ugric national language Finnish and the sauna, with common Nordic and European culture. Because of its history and geographic location Finland has been influenced by the adjacent areas' various Finnic, Baltic and Germanic peoples as well as the former dominant powers Sweden and Russia. Finnish culture may be seen to build upon the relatively ascetic environmental realities, traditional livelihoods and a heritage of egalitarianism, (see e.g.: Everyman's right and

universal suffrage) and the traditionally widespread ideal of self-sufficiency (see, e.g.: Summer cottage). Today, cultural influences from the United States have become visible in Finland. In the twenty-first century, Finns have had an increasing amount of contact with other cultures, such as those in Asia and Africa. There are still cultural differences between regions, especially minor differences in accents and vocabulary. Minorities, such as the Sami, Swedish-speaking Finns, Romani, Jews, and Tatar, maintain their own cultural characteristics. Many Finns are emotionally connected to the countryside and nature, as urbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon. The Finnish family life is usually understood to be centered on the nuclear family, rather than the extended family.There are usually one or two children in a family. Traditionally, men are the wage-earners and women remain in the home and care for children. However, since the Second World War, gender roles have changed. Today, both men and women are dual wage-earners. The welfare system allows for generous parental leave with income-based benefits (Leitner, A. & Wroblewski, A., 2006). Finnish parents have the option to take partial or total leave they are entitled to. A majority of mothers opt to take longer leave, up to one year. Finland's divorce rate is 51% of marriages being dissolved (Statistics Finland, updated 5/07). Cohabitation is also common. Youth seek independence and typically move from their parents' residence around the age of twenty and relocate to youth hostels or apartments. Females tend to leave the family home earlier in pursuit of education. Males remain in the home longer due to obligations to the military. Members of the extended family typically live apart. Finnish holidays are similar to the Western Christian calendar and Protestant traditions. Holidays and traditions are a blend of the thousand-year old Christian presence and vestiges of old Finnish pagan traditions. Notable among these is Juhannus, the Finnish Midsummer. A majority of Finns retreat to summer cottages (mkki) on any one of Finland's numerous lakes. Depending on the region, a bonfire at midnight celebrates the summer solstice, and in land, the Swedish-originated tradition of dancing around the Maypole is observed. The midsummer traditions also include different versions of pairing magic and folklore in the festivities. The Finnish Christmas, Joulu, follows traditions of Christmas trees and the Advent calendars. Holidays start on the 23rd of December. Gift giving occurs on Christmas Eve with a visit from Joulupukki (Father Christmas, Santa Claus). Traditional meals are typically only eaten on Christmas followed by sauna. Christmas Day is reserved for a "quiet day" and the holidays end after the 26th, St. Stephen's Day (tapaninpiv). Easter is a combination of Christian and Pagan customs. Either on Palm Sunday or the Holy Saturday, children dress up as witches (noita) and go from door to door, giving away daffodil adorned branches of willow in exchange for sweets. Burning Easter bonfires is a Pagan custom meant to keep witches at bay. Vappu, or May Day is a national holiday, an event for Finns to emphatically welcome spring after several months of little daylight. It can be compared to Mardi Gras with parades and parties. Traditionally, the event begins on the eve of Vappu by former and current students putting on their student caps (graduation cap). Finnish Independence Day is the 6th of December and a national holiday. Sauna is a steam bath practiced widely in Finland. The word is of Proto-Finnish origin (found in Baltic-Finnic and Smi languages) dating back 7,000 years.[4] The sauna's purpose is to bathe, and the heat (either dry or steam) opens pores in the skin and thoroughly cleanses the body. Cedar or birch branches can be tapped along the body to stimulate blood circulation. The sauna soothes sore and aching muscles. The Finns often use and have used the sauna to recover from hard physical labor. Sauna culture dictates subdued speech and time for thought to soothe the mind. Sauna is not to be rushed as it is essential to spiritual living. The structure of the sauna began as a small log building partially buried in the earth. A "smoke sauna" was used to cure meats in pre-industrial years as well as, to bathe or a sterile environment for childbirth, but this tradition has declined in favor of a modern invention, the continuously heated sauna, which is hotter, cleaner and faster to heat up. In Finnish saunas, temperature is set to about 60 100 C, and small amounts of water thrown on rocks atop the stove emit steam, which produces a heat sensation. Some Finns prefer the "dry sauna" using very little steam, if any. Traditional sauna includes the process of perspiring and cooling several times. A part of the cooling process may be a swim in the lake before returning to the sauna for an additional sweat. Similar steam baths have been part of European tradition elsewhere as well, but the sauna has survived best in Finland, in addition to Sweden, Estonia, and Russia. Moreover, nearly all Finnish houses have either their own sauna, or in multistory apartment houses, a timeshared sauna. Public saunas were previously common, but the tradition has declined when saunas have been built nearly everywhere (private homes, municipal swimming halls, hotels, corporate headquarters, gyms, etc.). Finland has a great amount of summer festivals, the biggest being music festivals. Republic of Iceland Capital: Reykjavik Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic (Pres. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson) Language: Icelandic Currency: Icelandic Krona (ISK) People: Icelander/Icelandic Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland, is an island country in Northern Europe, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavk.

Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment and nature. The settlement of Iceland began in 874 when, according to Landnmabk, the Norwegian chieftain Inglfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Until the twentieth century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. In the twentieth century, Iceland's economy and welfare system developed quickly. In recent decades, Iceland has implemented free trade in the European Economic Area and diversified from fishing to new economic fields in services, finance, and various industries. Today, Iceland has some of the world's highest levels of economic and civil freedoms. In 2007, Iceland was ranked as the most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index. It is also the fourth most productive country per capita, and one of the most egalitarian, as rated by the Gini coefficient. Icelanders have a rich culture and heritage, such as cuisine and poetry, and the medieval Icelandic Sagas are internationally renowned. Iceland is a member of the UN, NATO, EFTA, EEA and OECD, but not of the European Union, though it may join in 2011. Tourism in Iceland The number of tourists in Iceland has grown rapidly in the recent years. Over the past decade the number of travellers to Iceland has grown at an average annual rate of 11%. In 2004, Iceland had more than 360.000 visitors. Iceland is also very attentive towards sustainable tourism, and many companies work for a more sustainable future. Icelandic Farm Holidays won the environmental reward in 2004, given by the Icelandic Tourist Board, for their work. As the nature is very fragile and also important for tourism, it is necessary to preserve nature and the sensitive ecosystem. In Iceland one is therefore very attentive towards the fact that tourists should not only be concentrated in the cities, but be spread out all over the Island. Nature and all the activities related are a great incentive to get people away from the cities. Below are the attractions found in Iceland: 1) Lake Mvatn Conservation Area The Mvatn region was set aside as a special Conservation area in I974 and since then the area has become one of the top tourist attractions due to the selection of natural attractions in the area. It is one of the most geologically active and stunningly beautiful areas in Iceland. Check out the bubbling mud flats, volcanic craters, newborn lava fields, teeming birdlife, and crystal blue lake. The waterfall of the Gods is one of Europe s most powerful waterfalls (163 metres) and is also located in the park. 2) The Westmann Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) The Westmann Islands are a paradise at the end of the world. Teeming with wildlife, they are the place where Free Willy (Keiko) has chosen to make his home. Back in November 1963, a fresh volcano broke through the waves, creating the worlds youngest island, Surtsey. Tours of the islands can be arranged. 3) Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the Snaefellsjokull glacier Despite lying 60 miles away from Reykjavik, Snaefellsjokull glacier is visible from the city on a clear day. The Glacier was mentioned in Jules Verne's book, Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Snaefellsnes peninsula is a magical landscape dotted with lava caves, waterfalls, and hot springs. The Peninsula is home to many charming fishing towns and farms. Enjoy the stunning coastal views of this extraordinary part of the world. 4) Thingvellir Thingvellir is located about 50km east of Reykjavk and is one of the most important sites in Iceland. Iceland s parliament, the Althing, first met here in AD930 at a time when most of the rest of the world was involved in feudalism and conflict. The parliament met here to resolve conflicts and make laws for more than 300 years. Check out the cliff overlooking the Althing where speakers stood to address the parliament gatherings from the top. You can fish in lake Thingvallavtn, the largest natural lake of the country or hike through the wonderful natural landscape of the Thingvellir National Park. 5) The Blue Lagoon The Blue Lagoon is the most photographed natural feature in Iceland and probably the most ghostly looking body of water in the world. Blue-green algae and white Silica mud form a light natural sediment on the bottom of the lagoon giving it its gentle, opaque, aquamarine colour. This man-made lagoon has a water temperature of 40C, and is reputed to have curative powers, especially for psoriasis. Whether you choose to bathe surrounded by snow in mid-winter or during the long summer nights, a visit to the Blue Lagoon will be a truly unique experience. 6) The rnesinga Folk Museum The rnesinga Folk Museum is located in Hsi in the village of Eyrarbakki. Hsi, dating back to 1765, is one of the oldest and most remarkable buildings in Iceland. It was originally the residence of the Eyrabakki trading post merchants and their staff, and was for a long time considered one of the most cultivated homes in the country. Part of the museum is dedicated to the history of Hsi and its inhabitants. The museum also traces the history of the rnesssla (rnes region). 7) The Geysers (Stri-Geysir)

Located close to the capital, the Great Geyser was once the greatest natural attraction in Iceland. 19th-century tourists marveled at its 80-meter-high eruption. Today, the great Geyser lies almost dormant and has done so since 1916. Several attempts to bring it to life using soap have temporarily induced an eruption, but probably have damaged its workings even further. Now an 18 meter hole with a 20 meter chamber is all that is left. When the Great Geyser was active it sent a 60-80 meter jet of boiling water and steam into the air. However, Strokkur - one of the most famous and predictable geysers in Iceland - is located only 20 meters from the Great Geyser. It erupts every 5 to 10 minutes and the spout reaches up to 20 meters' high. The whole area around the Geyser is literally a boiling sulphurous landscape dotted with steaming vents and hot and cold springs as well as specimens of rare and primitive plant life. 8) The Vidimyri Turf Church Vidimyri is considered to be one of the finest examples of Icelandic architecture. Built in 1834 from a mixture of driftwood and turf, it is probably one of the strangest buildings that you will ever see. The pulpit dates back to an earlier church and the Danish altar dates from 1616. This strange architectural style stems from a lack of natural resources. The Vidimyri turf church is one of the six so-called turf churches that are still standing in Iceland. It has been preserved as a monument and still functions as a parish church. 9) Skgar Folk Museum The Skgar Folk Museum is a very interesting museum with a collection of over 6,000 artifacts and examples of various types of Icelandic dwellings from earliest times. 10) The rbr Open-air Museum The rbr Folk Museum is Icelands biggest open-air museum. It traces the development of society in Reykjavik and Iceland from their beginnings to the present day. There are over 27 buildings in the museum. 11) The Old town The colourful old town of Reykjavik is the perfect place for a stroll at any time of day especially at sunset when the burnt reds, brilliant yellows and indigo blues of the tin houses seem to glow. You ll also find some great restaurants and lively nightclubs here. 12) The Reykjavk Municipal Art Museum (Kjarvalsstair) The Reykjavk Municipal Art Museum houses an extensive range of modern and more established Icelandic and foreign art. The Museum also houses the smundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum, the Kjarval Collection, the Err Collection, the Architectural Museum and the Reykjavk Municipal Art Collection. The building is also the main setting for various exhibitions, concerts, lectures and meetings. 13) The Church of Hallgrmur (Hallgrmskirkja) The Church of Hallgrmur is the most recognisable, and probably the most controversial building in Iceland. At 73 metres high, its steeple rises above all other buildings in Reykjavik and the church can seat over 1000 worshipers at a time. Named after the Icelandic poet Hallgrmur Ptursson, the grounds also house a statue to the first Viking said to have discovered America, Leifur Eirksson. The Nave is open to the public each day. 14) Sundlaugar Reykjavikur Located just outside the city, Sundlaugar Reykjavikur is a massive volcanically-heated swimming pool. It is the veritable centre of Icelandic social life and is a treat to visit in summer or winter, even if it s just to people-watch. 15) Mt Esja Mount Esja is located just outside Reykjavik and offers simply stunning views over the city. The climb to the summit is not particularly steep so youve no excuse! 16) Lake Tjornin Lake Tjornin, located in the centre of Reykjavik, is a birdwatchers paradise and an ideal location for a quite stroll. It is full of artic bird life - especially in spring when you can spot the Artic Terns returning for the summer. 17) Videy Island Videy Island is just a five-minute boat trip from northern Reykjavik. It is a wild island paradise of birds and flowers. Videy was inhabited until the 1940s and it is here that you can find Videyjarstofa, the oldest stone building in Iceland built for the High Sheriff in 1752. There is also a church dating from the same period and a very interesting sculpture by renowned sculptor Richard Serra.

18) skjuhl Oskjuhli is a leafy hillside located near the Pearl observatory. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and is a haven for walkers. From here you can visit Nautholsvik beach where you can take pleasure in natural hot water running into the sea. Walk the beach or cycle along the southern shoreline that stretches all the way from the Seltjarnarnes headland to the Heidmrk nature reserve. 19) The Perlan The Perlan is probably Reykjaviks most recognisable landmark. It is a spectacularly designed multi-functional building, which serves as an observatory, restaurant, conference centre and visitor attraction. Check out the great views from the revolving gourmet restaurant which sits on top of the four gigantic tanks which hold the city's hot water after it is pumped from geothermal wells outside of town. If you fancy something more casual, there is a great caf too.

Icelandic Cuisine Important parts of Icelandic cuisine are fish, being in an area where fish is plentiful, lamb and dairy. Popular foods in Iceland include skyr, hangikjt (smoked lamb), kleinur, laufabrau and bollur. orramatur is a traditional buffet served at midwinter festivals called orrablt and containing a selection of traditionally cured meat and fish products served with rgbrau (dense dark rye bread) and brennivn (an Icelandic akvavit). Much of the taste of this traditional country food is determined by the preservation methods used; pickling in lactic acid or brine, drying and smoking. Modern Icelandic chefs usually place an emphasis on the quality of the available ingredients rather than age-old cooking traditions and methods. Hence, there is a number of restaurants in Iceland that specialise in seafood and at the annual Food and Fun chef's competition (since 2004) competitors create innovative dishes with fresh ingredients produced in Iceland. Points of pride are the quality of the lamb meat, seafood and (more recently) skyr. Other local ingredients that form part of the Icelandic chef's store include seabirds and waterfowl (including their eggs), salmon and trout, crowberry, blueberry, rhubarb, lichens, wild mushrooms, wild thyme, lovage, angelica and dried seaweed as well as a wide array of dairy products. Animal products dominate Icelandic cuisine and pursuing a vegan lifestyle in Iceland is impossible without relying on imported foods. Popular taste has developed, however, to become closer to the European norm, and consumption of vegetables has greatly increased in recent decades while consumption of fish has diminished.[1] Fresh lamb meat remains very popular while traditional meat products, such as various types of sausages, have lost a lot of their appeal with younger generations.[ Fish dishes in Iceland are Icelandic fish which is caught in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Fresh fish can be had all the year round. Icelanders eat mostly haddock, plaice, halibut, herring and shrimp. Perhaps the best is lamb meat (Icelandic: lambakjt), mostly because the sheep range freely in the mountains. Iceland has strict regulations relating to meat production and the use of hormones is strictly forbidden. Poultry farming is considerable in Iceland. The most common types of bird reared are chicken, duck and turkey. Certain species of wild birds are hunted, including geese ducks and ptarmigan. Traditionally the main source of meat was the domestic sheep, the most common farm animal in Iceland. However, sheep were also used for their milk and wool and thus were worth more alive than dead. This meant that once a sheep was slaughtered (usually the young rams and infertile ewes) most or all of the carcass was used for making food, which was carefully preserved and cherished. Traditionally lambs are slaughtered in the autumn, when they are more than three months old and have reached a weight of almost 20kg. Horses were not eaten after Christianisation except as a last resort, but this attitude started changing after the middle of the 18th century and horse meat, usually salted and served boiled or in bjgu, a form of smoked sausage, has been common in Iceland from the 19th century onwards. Icelandic beef is usually of top quality with good marbling due to the cold climate. Icelandic cattle are grass-fed and raised without growth hormones and drugs. However, the lack of tradition for eating beef (mutton being the dominant meat) means that lower quality meat is sometimes sold without distinction requiring careful choice from the buyer. Small game in Iceland consists mostly of seabirds (Puffin, Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gull) and waterfowl (Mallard, Greylag goose and Pink-footed Goose). The meat of some seabirds contains fish oil and is therefore placed in a bowl of milk overnight to extract the oil before cooking. One species of wildfowl, Ptarmigan, is also found in Iceland although dramatically declining stocks in later years have led to a ban on their hunting. Ptarmigan, served with a creamy sauce and jam, is a traditional Christmas main course in many Icelandic households. Seal hunting, especially the more common Harbor Seal, was common everywhere farmers had access to seal breeding grounds, which were considered an important commodity. Whereas mutton was almost never eaten fresh, seal meat was usually eaten immediately, washed in seawater, or conserved for a short time in brine. Seal meat is not commonly eaten anymore and is rarely found in stores. A potential source of meat, systematic whaling was not possible in Iceland until the late 19th century due to the lack of ocean-going ships. Small whales were hunted close to the shore with the small rowboats used for fishing. Beached whales were also eaten and the Icelandic word for beached whale, hvalreki, is still used to mean a stroke of good luck. When Iceland started commercial whaling (mostly Minke Whales) in the early 20th century whale meat became popular as low-priced red meat which can be prepared in much the same manner as the more expensive beef. When Iceland withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 1992, commercial whaling stopped but some whale meat could still be found in specialised stores coming from small whales accidentally caught in nets or beached. In 2002 Iceland rejoined the IWC and commercial whaling recommenced in 2006. Whale meat is thus commonly available again, although the price has gone up due to the cost of whaling itself. Reindeer were introduced in Iceland in the late 18th century and live wild on the moorlands in the eastern farthing. A small number is killed by hunters each autumn and their meat, with its characteristic taste, can be found in stores and restaurants most of the year. Reindeer meat is considered a special delicacy and is usually very expensive. In Iceland the Christmas dinner is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Traditional main courses are hangikjt, hamborgarhryggur (salted pork rib) and various types of game, especially Ptarmigan stew, Puffin (sometimes lightly smoked) and roast Greylag Goose where these are available. These are usually accompanied by a bchamel or mushroom sauce, boiled potatoes and peas, pickled beetroot or red cabbage and jam. A traditional dessert is rice pudding with raisins, topped with ground cinnamon and sugar called jlagrautur ("Yule pudding"). On December 23 (mass of Saint Thorlak) there is a tradition (originally from the Westfjords) to serve fermented skate with melted tallow and boiled potatoes. Boiling the Christmas hangikjt the day after serving the skate is said to dispel the strong smell which otherwise tends to linger around the house for days.

In the weeks before Christmas many households bake a variety of cookies to keep in store for friends and family throughout the holidays. These include piparkkur, a type of ginger biscuits often decorated with colored glaze. Laufabrau is also fried some days before Christmas and decorating it is for many an occasion for holding a family gathering. The concept of orramatur was invented by a restaurant in Reykjavk in 1958 when they started advertising a platter with a selection of traditional country food linking it to the tradition of orrablt popular since the late 1800s. The idea became very popular and for older generations the taste of the food will have brought back fond memories of growing up or spending summers in the countryside before World War II] and the urbanisation boom. In recent years, however, orramatur has come to represent the supposed strangeness and peculiarity of traditional Icelandic food, and its very mention will send shivers down the spine of many modern Icelanders, overlooking the fact that many commonplace foods are also traditional though not generally thought of as part of the orramatur category. Culture of Iceland The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which stems from authors from the 12th to 14th centuries. Other Icelandic traditional arts include weaving, silver crafting, and wood carving. The Reykjavk area has several professional theatres, a symphony orchestra, an opera, and a large amount of art galleries, bookstores, cinemas, and museums. Iceland's literacy rate is among the highest in the world, and a love of literature, art, chess, and other intellectual pursuits is widespread. Icelanders generally have a traditional liberal Nordic outlook, similar to other Nordic countries such as Norway and Sweden. Yet, an important key to understanding Icelanders and their culture (and which differentiates them from the majority of their contemporary Nordic peoples) is the high importance they place on the traits of independence and self-sufficiency. In the June 2005 European Commission Eurobarometer public opinion analysis, over 85% of Icelanders found independence to be "very important" contrasted with the EU25 average of 53%, and 47% for the Norwegians, and 49% for the Danes. Icelanders are proud of their Viking heritage and Icelandic language and take great care to preserve their traditions and language. Modern Icelandic remains close to the Old Norse spoken in the Viking Age. For example, the word for computer (an introduced object) is tlva which combines the ancient terms for number and seer. Until the Christianisation of Iceland, many traditional Viking beliefs were strongly held, remnants of which remain today. According to a 2005 New York Times article, the majority of Icelanders either believe in elves or are unwilling to rule out their existence. Even today, roads have been re-routed and building plans redesigned or abandoned to avoid disturbing rocks where elves are said to live. Icelandic society and culture has a high degree of gender equality, with many women in leadership positions in government and business. Iceland also has a highly progressive gay rights legislation, with couples having been able to register civil unions since 1996, and adopt since 2006. Women retain their names after marriage, since Icelanders generally do not use surnames but patronyms or (in certain cases) matronyms. See Icelandic name for further discussion. Iceland also has the most extensive and progressive child protection law. The new Children's Act, passed in March 2003, and effective as of November 1, 2003, not only places Iceland on the list of twenty-five nations that have outlawed spanking, the act also outlaws verbal and emotional abuse and makes child protection a priority. Physical or mental violence is punishable by imprisonment and/or fine, and there is no legal defense. In 2006, Iceland was ranked as the fourth happiest nation in the world by an independent scientific study. Local and national festivals include the annual National Day, celebrating the country's independence in 1944, Sumardagurinn fyrsti which celebrates the first day of summer, and Sjmannadagurinn which is held every June to pay tribute to the country's seafaring past. Though changing in the past years, Icelanders remain a very healthy nation. Children and teenagers participate in various types of leisure activities. Popular sports today are mainly soccer, athletics, handball and basketball. Sports such as golf, tennis, swimming, chess and horseback riding on Icelandic horses are also popular. Chess is a popular type of recreation favored by the Icelanders Viking ancestors. The country's chess clubs have created many chess grandmasters including Fririk lafsson, Jhann Hjartarson, Margeir Ptursson, and Jn Arnason. Glma is a form of wrestling that is still played in Iceland, thought to have originated with the Vikings. Swimming and horseback riding are popular as well as leisure activities without competition. Golf is especially common; around 1 in 8 Icelanders play the sport. Team handball is often referred to as a national sport, Iceland's team is one of the top ranked teams in the world, and Icelandic women are surprisingly good at football compared to the size of the country, the national team ranked the eighteenth best by FIFA. Ice and rock climbing are a favorite among many Icelanders, for example to climb the top of the 4,167-foot (1,270 metre) umall peak in Skaftafell National Park is a challenge for many adventurous climbers, but mountain climbing is considered to be more suitable for the general public and is a very common type of leisure activity. Hvt, among many other of the Icelandic glacial rivers, attracts kayakers and river rafterers worldwide. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: God and my right Capital: London Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Queen Elizabeth II)

Language: Currency: People:

English (Welsh, Irish, Scot, Gaelic) British Pounds (Pound Sterling, GBP) British/Britton

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain, is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning Great Britain, the northeast part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel. The United Kingdom is a unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The UK is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies and not part of the UK, but form a federacy with it. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. Queen Elizabeth II remains the head of the Commonwealth of Nations and head of state of each of the Commonwealth realms. The UK is a developed country, with the fifth (nominal GDP) or sixth (PPP) largest economy in the world. It was the world's first industrialized country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence and is a nuclear power, with the second highest defence spending in the world. It is a Member State of the European Union, holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the G8, NATO, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Trade Organization and the Commonwealth of Nations. Tourism in UK The United Kingdom is the world's 6th biggest tourist destination, with 24.8 million tourists visiting in 2003. US$17.2 billion was spent in the UK by tourists. Tourism plays a significant part in the economic life of England. Many English people travel abroad, which takes money out of the country. However, many other people come to England as tourists, and this is economically beneficial. There is significant economic benefit from American and Australian tourists, as well as other tourists from European countries. England's tourist industry is principally "cultural" and "heritage" based, and many tourists are attracted to England because of its history, particularly in London. Although the majority of London's tourist attractions are located in Central London, others can also be found outside the city centre. Within central London, the City of London is home to St Paul's Cathedral, with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge just outside its official boundary. The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace bring visitors to the City of Westminster to the west, which also counts many of London's top museums and galleries amongst its attractions, including the British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Britain and Madame Tussaud's. Royal attractions are always popular as well as the various palaces, Horse Guards Parade is a ceremonial photo opportunity, whilst nearby Downing Street is home to the Prime Minister whom, in June 2007 changed from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown. Below are some attractions in Great Britain: 1. To the north of the City of Westminister, the London Borough of Camden - Josh Williams feautures the northern end of Regent's park and the famous London Zoo, both inside Central London. Just outside is Camden Town, home to the well-known market, an attractor just to the north. 2. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea further to the west includes the museum district of South Kensington (home to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Kensington Palace. Many hotels are also located in this area. 3. Recent years have seen the regeneration of the South Bank and Bankside areas across the river from the City and Westminster, featuring the Globe Theatre, the London Eye, the London Aquarium and the Tate Modern. 4. Outside the centre, the Greenwich, in the eastern area of South London, is a popular tourist destination with the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum.

5. On the other side of the city, in West London, is the London Borough of Richmond, which features Kew Gardens and
Richmond, with Hampton Court Palace in the south-western edge of the borough on the other side of the river.

6. Many of London's museums offer free entry while historic or cultural attractions like the Tower of London, St Paul's
Cathedral and the Globe Theatre charge an entry fee of anything between 5 to 20 per adult. The London Sightseeing Pass offers entry to many London Tourist Attractions with one ticket, purchased in advance. Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at 4bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk of visitors to Scotland. In 2002 , for example, UK visitors made 18.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 64.5

million nights and spending 3.7bn. In contrast, overseas residents made 1.58 million visits to Scotland, staying 15 million nights and spending 806m. In terms of overseas visitors, those from the United States made up 24% of visits to Scotland, with the United States being the largest source of overseas visitors, and Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%) and Australia (6%), following behind. Scotland is generally seen as clean, unspoilt destination with beautiful scenery which has a long and complex history, combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions. These include prehistoric stone circles, standing stones and burial chambers, and various Bronze Age, Iron Age and Stone Age remains. There are also many historic castles, houses, and battlegrounds, ruins and museums. Many people are drawn by the culture of Scotland. The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are increasingly being seen as a cosmopolitan alternative to Scotland's countryside, with visitors year round, but the main tourist season is generally from April to October inclusive. In addition to these factors, the national tourist agency, VisitScotland, have deployed a strategy of niche marketing, aimed at exploiting, amongst other things, Scotland's strengths in golf, fishing and food and drink tourism. Another significant, and increasingly popular reason for tourism to Scotland - especially by those from North America - is genealogy, with many visitors coming to Scotland to explore their family and ancestral roots. Below are attractions in Scotland: 1. Edinburgh is the capital city in Scotland, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Old and New Towns of the city constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Edinburgh is the largest tourist destination in Scotland, and the second largest in the United Kingdom after London. The cities' major tourist attractions include Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Zoo, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Our Dynamic Earth and the Royal Mile. It has three universities including the University of Edinburgh founded in 1583. 2. Glasgow is the largest city in the country, and the second largest tourist destination after Edinburgh. Its attractions include the Burrell Collection, Glasgow Cathedral, the Glasgow Science Centre and the Kelvingrove Museum. In addition to this many tourists come to Glasgow for its renowned Victorian architecture and Gothic architecture as well as its shopping. The city has three universities, including the University of Glasgow. 3. Stirling is a historic town in central Scotland, some 30 miles to the north-west of Edinburgh, and is generally known as the "Gateway to the Highlands", due to its geographical position between highland and lowland Scotland. Amongst its attractions are Stirling Castle and the Wallace National Monument. 4. Aberdeen is known as the "Granite City" and is renowned for its gothic architecture. It is a city of approximately 210,000 people and serves as the main administrative centre for the north east of Scotland. With its large port and harbour, Aberdeen serves as the departure point for the many ferries that connect the Scottish mainland with the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Aberdeen also has two universities, and a large student population. 5. St Andrews is a small, but busy town in north-east Fife. The royal burgh's economy is centred around the golf industry, with St Andrews being regarded as the home of the modern game. The University of St Andrews (the oldest in Scotland) has colleges located throughout the town. 6. Dundee is known as the "City of Discovery" and is the home of Scott of the Antarctic's ship the RRS Discovery. Dundee has two universities. It has a Jute museum called Verdant Works, an Anchor Point of ERIH - The European Route of Industrial Heritage. 7. Perth is a small but historic town on the east coast, which stands on the River Tay. Perth is known for its abundant parkland. Close by is the village of Scone, ancient capital of Scotland and former home to Scottish kings. 8. Inverness is the administrative centre for the Highlands, close to Loch Ness and serves as a transport hub for much of the Highlands, with rail and bus services departing here to much of the northern and west Highlands. It is a popular destination for tourists wishing to explore the north of Scotland. 9. Other areas which are popular for tourists include the Highlands and the Hebrides, such as the Isle of Skye. Perthshire, the Scottish Borders and Orkney and Shetland are also popular tourism destinations. 10. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, but there are many other significant mountains in Scotland, though by international standards all the mountains are relatively small. The Cuillin on the Isle of Skye offer some challenging climbs, such as the Inaccessible Pinnacle. 11. Scotland also has many lochs, including Loch Lomond, and Loch Ness, which is considered by some to be the home of the Loch Ness monster. There are also many rivers, which are good for salmon and fly fishing. These include the Tay, Tweed, Don, and Dee. Scotland's best known export is Scotch Whisky and over a million visitors a year[2]. enjoy a tour around its Whisky distilleries Scotland has some good hunting, especially deer and grouse. Scotland is also the home of golf, with many historic and famous courses including, St Andrews, Gleneagles, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, and Muirfield. There are hundreds of other courses in the country. Wales is an emerging tourist destination, with 8,078,900 visitors to National Trust and Welsh Tourist Board destinations in 2002.

In 2005 tourism in Wales supported over 100,000 service-sector jobs, more than 8% of total employees in Wales. The most popular activities undertaken by tourists in Wales were walking, shopping, and visiting historic attractions, museums and galleries. Over 1.1 million trips were made to Wales by overseas tourists in 2006. The main countries of origin of overseas visitors were the Republic of Ireland, USA, and Germany. The capital, Cardiff is the most popular area in Wales for tourists, with 9.6 million day visitors in 2004, an increase of 8.4%, and provides 8,400 full time jobs. In the same year, tourists spent the most money in Gwynedd, followed by Conwy and Cardiff. Below are attractions in Wales: 1. Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons National Park, South-East Wales 2. There are several towns and cities that are popular with tourists and visitors in Wales. 3. Cardiff is the capital and largest city. Cardiff Bay is the site of the Wales Millennium Centre, a venue for the performing arts. The city's other major tourist attractions include Cardiff Castle, Millennium Stadium, National Museum Cardiff, Museum of Welsh Life, Cardiff Bay, Techniquest, Senedd, Pierhead Building, Castell Coch, Llandaff Cathedral, St. David's Cathedral and St. David's Spa 4. Swansea is the second-largest city. Its attractions include the National Waterfront Museum, Dylan Thomas Centre, Plantasia, the Mumbles, Oystermouth Castle and Swansea Bay itself. 5. Newport is the third-largest city in Wales. An influx of visitors are expected in 2010 when the city hosts golf's Ryder Cup, at the Celtic Manor Resort. Attractions include Tredegar House and Gardens, the Transporter Bridge, the ancient Roman fortress at Caerleon, St. Woolos Cathedral, the Westgate Hotel. The Big Pit National Coal Museum is located at Blaenavon, 15 miles to the north. 6. St David's in Pembrokeshire is the UK's smallest city and resting place of St David and gateway to the Pembrokeshire coast and Pembrokeshire Coast Path. 7. Bangor is between the mountains of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait and close to Anglesey. Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path, a 60 mile long-distance coastal walking route, and is close to the Menai Suspension Bridge, one of the first modern suspension bridges in the world. There are several features of the Welsh landscape that are popular with visitors: Mount Snowdon in Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales and a popular mountaineering destination. Pen y Fan is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. Wye Valley AONB includes Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath on the English border in the historic Welsh Marches. Taff Trail is a foot and cycle path running along the River Taff through the city and countryside, from Cardiff Bay to Brecon. Glyndr's Way is a long-distance trail between Knighton and Welshpool in Powys. The Gower peninsula is the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. It is has a number of castles and sandy beaches, some easily accessible by car, some relatively remote.

Heritage Cities in England 1. Bath: A spa, famous for its Regency architecture and crescents, and also for its Roman baths. 2. Brighton: Brighton is a seaside resort which includes two piers, West Pier and Brighton Pier, and also has the Royal Pavilion. 3. Bristol: Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge is a famous landmark, and the ship, the SS Great Britain is another of Brunel's famous constructions, which is now in dry dock in Bristol. 4. Cambridge: A famous university town. 5. Canterbury: Renowned for its cathedral. 6. Dover: A major port with access to the continent. Also well known for its white cliffs, and to a lesser extent for its castle, Dover Castle. 7. Haworth: where the Bront Sisters lived, is very popular with Japanese tourists, as Wuthering Heights has a cult following in Japan. 8. Liverpool: A major port and World Heritage Site, with two cathedrals, plus the most listed buildings in the UK outside of London. There is also an orchestra and art galleries. 9. Oxford : now a busy commercial city, which also has a famous university. 10. Nottingham : The city and Nottingham Castle are famed worldwide for their links with the legend of Robin Hood. Sherwood Forest is nearby. 11. Portsmouth: Portsmouth is a naval dockyard, and has some famous ships on display, including the Mary Rose, and HMS Victory, all within its Historic Dockyard. Also home to Gunwharf Quays retail centre, with its iconic Spinnaker Tower. 12. Salisbury: Salisbury cathedral is well known, and has the tallest spire in the country. Nearby is the pre-historic site of Stonehenge, which is administered by English Heritage. 13. Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare's birthplace is probably the most visited place in Stratford 14. Wells: best known for Wells Cathedral 15. York: Famous for York Minster. Also the location of the National Railway Museum and a wealth of preserved medieval streets and buildings, such as the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and the Shambles.

16. Other places in England are also of historical interest. The cities of Manchester and Birmingham are the two
17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. cities receiving the most foreign tourists after London. Many foreign tourists also visit the neighbouring countries Scotland and Wales see tourism in Scotland and tourism in Wales. Domestic tourists, and foreign tourists who have specific interests in art, music, history etc, also visit the following: Birmingham: A major city, with an orchestra, major exhibition venues (NEC, ICC) and art galleries. Of historical interest for its significant role in the industrial revolution. Also the childhood home and inspiration of Tolkien Hadrian's Wall: The Roman wall built by order of the Emperor Hadrian. Hereford: A cathedral city, famous for the chained library in the cathedral, and the Mappa Mundi Ironbridge: The cradle of the industrial revolution and the site for the legendary Iron bridge. Manchester: A major city, famous for the Hall orchestra and many museums and art galleries, a classic example of buildings from the Victorian era. Also well known for the Manchester Ship Canal. Home of Manchester United F.C., world famous football club, the host city of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Manchester is also known for being the world's first industrialised city. Also noted for its shopping, cuisine and nightlife. Leeds: A base to explore the historic county of Yorkshire. It is popular for shopping, nightlife and museums, including the Henry Moore foundation.

23.

Cuisine in UK British cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom. Historically, British cuisine means "unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it". However, British cuisine has absorbed the cultural influence of those that settled in Britain, producing hybrid dishes, such as the Anglo-Indian Chicken tikka masala, hailed as "Britain's true national dish". Vilified as "unimaginative and heavy", British cuisine has traditionally been limited in its international recognition to the full breakfast and the Christmas dinner. However, Celtic agriculture and animal breeding produced a wide variety of foodstuffs for indigenous Celts and Britons. Anglo-Saxon England developed meat and savoury herb stewing techniques before the practice became common in Europe. The Norman conquest introduced exotic spices into Great Britain in the Middle Ages. The British Empire facilitated a knowledge of India's elaborate food tradition of "strong, penetrating spices and herbs". Food rationing policies, put in place by the British government during wartime periods of the 20th century, are said to have been the stimulus for British cuisine's poor international reputation. British dishes include fish and chips, the Sunday roast, and bangers and mash. British cuisine has several national and regional varieties, including English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine, which each have developed their own regional or local dishes, many of which are geographically indicated foods such as Cheshire cheese, the Yorkshire pudding, Arbroath Smokie and Welsh rarebit. Modern British (or New British) cuisine is a style of British cooking which emerged in the late 1970s, and has become increasingly popular since. It uses high-quality ingredients local to the United Kingdom, preparing them in ways which combine traditional British recipes with modern innovations, and has an affinity with the Slow Food movement. It is not generally a nostalgic movement, although there are some efforts to re-introduce pre-twentieth-century recipes. Ingredients not native to the islands, particularly herbs and spices, are frequently added to traditional dishes (echoing, perhaps not always intentionally, the highly spiced nature of much British food in the medieval era). Much Modern British cooking also draws heavily on influences from the cuisines of the Mediterranean and, more recently, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. The influence of northern and central European cuisines is significantly slighter. The Modern British style of cooking emerged as a response to the perceived poor quality of British cuisine following the Second World War, and the resulting popularity of foreign cuisine, especially cuisine introduced to Britain by immigrants in the decades that followed.[citation needed] Modern British cuisine has been very much influenced and popularised by television personalities such as Fanny Cradock, Delia Smith, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver. A major influence has been the Food Programme, made by BBC Radio 4. Varieties 1. English cuisine English cuisine is shaped by the climate of England, its island geography and its history. The latter includes interactions with other European countries, and the importing of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of immigration. 2. Scottish cuisine Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It shares much with British cuisine, but has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own. Traditional Scottish dishes such as haggis exist alongside international foodstuff brought about by migration. In addition to foodstuffs, Scotland produces a variety of Scotch whiskies. 3. Welsh cuisine Welsh cuisine has influenced, and been influenced by, other British cuisine. Although both beef and dairy cattle are raised widely, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales is best known for its sheep, and thus lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking.

Culture of UK The culture of the United KingdomBritish cultureis informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, monarchy, imperial power and, particularly, as a political union of four countries, which each have their own preserved and distinctive heritage, customs and symbolism. As a result of the British Empire, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies such as Canada, Australia, India, and the United States. The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the British people and the United Kingdom. It is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, monarchy, imperial power and, particularly, as consisting of four countriesEngland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Waleswhich each have their own preserved and distinctive customs and symbolism. As a direct result of the British Empire, British cultural influence (such as the English language) can be observed in the language and culture of a geographically wide assortment of countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the United States, and the British overseas territories. These states are sometimes collectively known as the Anglosphere. As well as the British influence on its empire, the empire also influenced British culture, particularly British cuisine. Innovations and movements within the wider-culture of Europe have also changed the United Kingdom; Humanism, Protestantism, and representative democracy are borrowed from broader Western culture. The Industrial Revolution, with its origins in the UK, brought about major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation, and had a profound effect on the socio-economic and cultural conditions of the world. Popular culture of the United Kingdom has impacted upon the world in the form of the British invasion, Britpop and British television broadcasting. British literature and British poetry, particularly that of William Shakespeare, is revered across the world. The social structure of Britain, with the monarchy of the United Kingdom at its top, has played a central cultural role throughout the history of British society. As a result of the history of the formation of the United Kingdom, the cultures of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are diverse and have varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness. England has one of the highest population densities in Europe. Housing, therefore, tends to be smaller and more closely packed than in other countries. The British have a particular affinity with the terraced house, dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. The majority of surviving housing built before 1914 is of this type, and consequently it dominates inner residential areas. In the twentieth century the process of suburbanisation led to a spread of semi-detached and detached housing. In the aftermath of the second world war, public housing was dramatically expanded to create a large number of council estates, although the majority of these have since been purchased by their tenants. Although many British people live in flats, it is commonly argued that they are less comfortable with this form of living than their European counterparts. This may be mainly due to English love of gardening, dislike of common entrances and a desire for privacy and space (it is not the case in Scotland, where many more people live in this type of housing). There is a wealth of historic country houses and stately homes in rural areas of the UK. However the majority of these are now put to other uses than private living accommodation. In the modern United Kingdom more detached housing has started to be built, most beginning in the mid-nineties. Driven by the strong economy, city living has boomed with city centre population's rising rapidly. Most of this population growth has been accommodated through new apartment blocks in residential schemes, such as those in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. Demographic changes (see below) are putting great pressure on the housing market, especially in London and the South East. Historically most people in the United Kingdom lived either in conjugal extended families or nuclear families. This reflected an economic landscape where the general populace tended to have less spending power, meaning that it was more practical to stick together rather than go their individual ways. This pattern also reflected gender roles. Men were expected to go out to work and women were expected to stay at home and look after the families. In the 20th century the emancipation of women, the greater freedoms enjoyed by both men and women in the years following the Second World War, greater affluence and easier divorce have changed gender roles and living arrangements significantly. The general trend is a rise in single people living alone, the virtual extinction of the extended family (outside certain ethnic minority communities), and the nuclear family arguably reducing in prominence. From the 1990s, the break up of the traditional family unit, when combined with a low interest rate environment and other demographic changes, has created great pressure on the housing market, in particular regarding the accommodation of key workers such as nurses, other emergency service workers and teachers, who are priced out of most housing, especially in the South East. Some research indicates that in the 21st century young people are tending to continue to live in the parental home for much longer than their predecessors[1][2]. The high cost of living, combined with rising cost of accommodation, further education and higher education means that many young people cannot afford to live independent lives from their families. There is no national costume of the United Kingdom. Scotland has the kilt and Tam o'shanter. In England certain military uniforms such as the Beefeater or the Queen's Guard are considered national symbols. Morris dancers or the costumes for the traditional English May dance are cited by some as examples of traditional English costume.

This is in large part due to the critical role that British sensibilities have played in Western dress since the eighteenth century. Particularly during the Victorian era, British fashions defined acceptable dress for men of business. Key figures such as Beau Brummell, the future Edward VII and Edward VIII created the modern suit and cemented its dominance. The naming convention in most of the United Kingdom is for everyone to have a given name , (or forename) usually (but not always) indicating the child's sex, followed by a parent's family name. This naming convention has remained much the same since the 15th century in England although patronymic naming remained in some of the further reaches of the other home nations until much later. Since the 19th century middle names have become very common and are often taken from the family name of an ancestor. Traditionally, Christian names were those of Biblical characters or recognized saints; however, in the Gothic Revival of the Victorian era, other Anglo Saxon and mythical names enjoyed something of a fashion among the literati. Since the middle of the 20th century, however, first names have been influenced by a much wider cultural base. BENELUX REGION The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that includes three neighboring monarchies, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Belgi/Belgique/Belgien - Nederland - Ltzebuerg/Luxembourg/Luxemburg), which lie in the north western European region between France and Germany. The name is formed from the beginning of each country's name; it was possibly created for the Benelux Customs Union, although according to The Economist it was coined somewhat earlier, in August 1946, by that newspaper's correspondent in Belgium. However, it is now used in a more generic way. The Benelux region has a total population of about 27,598,666 and occupies an area of approximately 74,640 km (28,819 sq mi). Thus, the Benelux has a population density of 370/km (958/sq mi). The treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union will expire in 2010. It will be replaced by a new legal framework, which has been signed on June 17th 2008. The main objectives of the treaty are the continuation and enlargement of the cooperation between the three member states within a larger European context. The name of the "Benelux economic union" will change to Benelux union to reflect this broader scope. Kingdom of Belgium: Strength through Unity Capital: Form of Government: Language: Currency: People: Brussels Constitutional Monarchy (King Albert II) Dutch, French, German Euro Belgian

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 km (11,787 square miles) and has a population of about 10.5 million. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home for two main linguistic groups, the Flemings and the French speakers, mostly Walloons, plus a small group of German speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 59% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 31%. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region and near the Walloon Region, and has 10% of the population. A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia.[5] Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government. The name 'Belgium' is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the 16th century until the Belgian revolution in 1830, many battles between European powers were fought in the area of Belgium, causing it to be dubbed "the battlefield of Europe" and "the cockpit of Europe" a reputation strengthened by both World Wars. Upon its independence, Belgium eagerly participated in the Industrial Revolution, and, at the end of the nineteenth century, possessed several colonies in Africa. The second half of the 20th century was marked by the rise of communal conflicts between the Flemings and the Francophones fuelled by cultural differences on the one hand and an asymmetrical economic evolution of Flanders and Wallonia on the other hand. These still-active conflicts have caused far-reaching reforms of the unitary Belgian state into a federal state. There is constant speculation by observers that this process of devolution might lead to the partition of the country Tourism in Belgium Tourism is one of Belgium's industries, and its accessibility from elsewhere in Europe still makes it a popular tourist destination. The tourist industry generates 2.8% of Belgium's Gross Domestic Product and employs 3.3% of the working

population (142,000 people). 6.7 million People traveled to Belgium in 2005. Two thirds of them come from the larger nearby countries - France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany. In 1993, 2% of the total workforce was employed in tourism, less than in many neighbouring countries. Much of the tourism industry is located either at the heavily developed coastline or in the Ardennes. Brussels and the Flemish cities of Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp attract many cultural tourists. Belgium ranked 21st on the World Economic Forum's 2007 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, lower than all the neighboring countries. Although the country scored highly for 'natural and cultural resources', it was ranked only 114th in the world for both 'price competitiveness' and 'availability of qualified labor'. In recent years the number of international tourists has stayed relatively stable, but the income they generate has increased to 9.863 billion US Dollars in 2005. Below are attractions in Belgium: 1. Royal Museum of Fine Art, Antwerp The Royal Museum of Fine Art in Antwerp houses a vast collection of paintings from the 14th century onwards. These include Antwerps most significant painters - Rubens, Van Dijck and Jordaens. Apart from the superb art collection, the neoclassical architecture of the museum is magnificent. Built as a temple to fine art for the 1894 Antwerp World Exposition, the building is decorated with Corinthian columns and two large bronze hoses. 2. Waterloo The battle of Waterloo on June 18th, 1815 ended the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon I was defeated by the Duke of Wellington. Immortalised by Victor Hugo in "morne plaine as well as by ABBA in their 1974 hit, the site is now a very popular tourist attraction. There is plenty of battle paraphernalia to visit including the Lion of Waterloo victory monument (Butte du Lion), a huge man-made hill topped by a 28-ton lion. For those energetic enough to climb the more than 200 steps, the lion provides a commanding view of the site. Visit the battlefield site, the H.Q. of Wellington and Napoleon, the Column of Victor Hugo and the Wellington Museum for an audio-visual reconstruction of the battle. 3. The Groeninge Museum, Flanders The Groeninge Museum houses an extensive display of six centuries of Flemish, Dutch and Belgian paintings. The museum's many exhibitions include the world-famous collection of 'Flemish Primitive' art, works by an array of Renaissance and Baroque masters, a collection of paintings from the 18th and 19th-century Neo-classical and Realist periods, milestones of Belgian Symbolism and Modernism, masterpieces of Flemish Expressionism and many pieces from the city's collection of post-war modern art. 4. The Ypres War Memorials and the Flanders Battlefields The town of Ypres is synonymous with the First World War. Scattered throughout the surrounding countryside are silent memorials to the dead of the 1st World War. Visit the authentic trenches in Sanctuary Wood, the life-sized reconstructions of scenes from the War in the Hooge Crater Museum and the bunker of John McCrae where he wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields", etc. The most moving sites include the 170 British military cemeteries located around Ypres. The Tyne Cot cemetery alone has nearly 12, 000 graves of soldiers from around the world, many unidentified. 5. Tongeren Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium. Originally a major Roman stronghold, the town was destroyed twice. Once by the 4th century Norsemen and then by the Salian Franks in 881. The Gallo Roman Museum in the town centre, which is built on the remains of a large luxury Roman villa, provides an amazing insight into the town and its history and culture. The remains of a 4th century Roman tower can also be visited. One of the most remarkable monuments of Tongeren is Our Ladys Basilica with its majestic 64-metre-high bell tower. This marvelous Gothic church has a long history, since its first stone was laid in 1240. Also worth checking out are the Church of Notre Dame with its Romanesque cloisters, the towns Roman walls and its many houses dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. There is also a great weekly Sunday flea market. 6. Gravensteen Castle, Ghent Belgium has over 3,000 castles, about 300 of which are open to the public. Gravensteen is one of the best-known and most popular. Also known as the Castle of the Counts, it is one of the strongest moated fortresses in Europe. Built between 1180 and 1200, it is beautifully situated, surrounded by the river Lieve. Gravensteen was used as a military base for many years, until the 14th century when it served many official functions such as the town s mint, a court, a prison and a cotton mill! Check out the castle s crypt, its underground dungeon and its instruments of torture. Not for the faint hearted! 7. The Town of Spa The town of Spa has been known since Roman times for its baths. It became so prominent the very word "spa" became synonymous with "a place to be restored and pampered" in the English language. Since the 16th century, the rich, royal and famous have come to Spa to be refreshed and rejuvenated by the curative powers of the region's waters and baths. The writer Victor Hugo was a great advocate of Spa's waters. Today you can still relax or seek cures in the waters of the town, in the Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand Spa (named after Peter the Great) or the Spa Monopole to name but a few. If you are not interested in relaxing in its fine waters, Spa also offers beautiful architecture and unrivalled historic charm. 8. Bruges (Brugge)

Bruges is often referred to as the "Venice of the North" due to its network of canals and the 50 bridges which span them. In the 13th to the 15th centuries it was one of the most important centres of trade in Northern Europe. Today it is a living history book due to its well-preserved medieval architecture and attractions which span the centuries. Bruges is one of the most exciting and romantic tourist attractions in Europe and offers plenty to see and do. Visit its superb museums and churches, wander its narrow cobblestone streets or take a boat trip along its canals. 9. The Diamond Museum, Antwerp Antwerp has long been the world centre of diamond processing and the diamond trade. The famous Antwerp cut and the advanced scientific research are documented in this fascinating museum. It traces the production process from mining to the dazzling finished product. There is a reconstructed nineteenth-century diamond and a treasure chamber in which to view some priceless pieces of jewellery. Each Saturday afternoon you can watch a diamondcutter at work. 10. The Atomium The Atomium was originally built for the 1958 World Fair and since its construction it has become the symbol of Belgium. The 102-metre-tall steel and aluminum structure is meant to be a symbol of the atom concept, increased by 165 billions times! It offers a superb panoramic view of Brussels and its surroundings. 11. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre (Centre Belge de la Bande Dessine) The Belgian Comic Strip Centre is housed in a charming art nouveau building designed by the creator of Lucky Luke, Spirou, the Smurfs and Gaston Lagaffe - Victor Horta. In the museum you will see how cartoons are made, learn about production techniques and see antique cartoon strips of many recognisable characters. The museum shop, packed full of books, gadgets and posters, is well worth a visit. 12. The Grand Place & Htel de Ville Described by Victor Hugo as "the most beautiful square in Europe," the Grand Place is located in the very heart of Brussels. The square contains numerous impressive baroque and gothic buildings, many of which have dazzling gilt details. The Htel de Ville (town hall), a gothic masterpiece dating from the early 15th century, is also located in the square. Dont miss a guided tour of the town hall, which takes you into many of its art-adorned rooms. During the summer months there is free nightly entertainment including fireworks and light shows. 13. The Manneken Pis Measuring just 30cm, this little bronze boy having a pee has been the pride and joy of the inhabitants of Brussels for centuries! Nobody actually knows why the Manneken Pis is there and much mythology surrounds him. He also has a collection of more than 500 costumes, which are on display in the Muse de Ville in the town. He received his first costume as far back as 1698. Youll find the Manneken Pis on the corner of Stoofstraat/Rue de L'Etuve and the Eikstraat/Rue du Chne. 14. The Brussels Gueuze Museum (Muse Bruxellois de la Gueuze) Brussels' Gueuze Museum is located in the last artisan brewery of Gueuze Beer in Brussels. Gueuze is a dark, semisparkling beer, slightly acidic and often regarded as "the burgundy of beers." It is a speciality of Brussels. This museum includes a brewery tour which allows you to taste the beer. 15. Galries St. Hubert The Galries St. Hubert is a grand 19th-century shopping arcade near the Grand Place in central Brussels which has been recently restored to its original grandeur. Once the stomping ground of such names as Baudelaire and Victor Hugo - who kept his mistresses in an upstairs apartment - the arcade is now a welcome escape from modern day shopping. With its cinema, cafs, bookshops and theatre, there is plenty to see and do. Indulge in some chocolate tasting at the original Neuhaus shop - famous for Belgium Pralines - which opened its doors back in 1857. 16. Brussels City Museum (Muse de la Ville de Bruxelles) The city museum is located in the King's House on the Grand Place. The museum tells the story of Brussels and how it grew from a tiny village to become the capital of Europe. Probably the most interesting exhibit is the outlandish collection of some 600 costumes donated to the Manneken Pis over the centuries. 17. The Palais Royale Located in the centre of Brussels, the sumptuous public apartments are only open for about 6 weeks during the summer, starting from July 21st each year. Originally a 12th century fortress, the building has since then overlooked the Park of Brussels across the road. In 1731, the Palace burned to the ground and the present neoclassical palace has been modified several times during subsequent Austrian, French and Dutch rule. The palace is currently used as the state offices of King Albert II as well as for state receptions, royal audiences and court ceremonies. Take a guided tour and visit the impressive 150 foot long Throne Room with its intricate mosaic parquet floor and majestic chandeliers. The Blue Room, the Louis XVI Music Salon, the Goya Room, the Empire and the Mirror Room are equally breathtaking. If youre in Brussels during the summer months, this tour is not to be missed. 18. The Cinquantenaire Museum (The Royal Art and History Museum) The Cinquantenaire Museum houses a very valuable collection of works from different civilizations throughout the world. Its artefacts give an overview of the history of mankind in five continents (with the exclusion of Africa) from prehistory to the present day. Recently modernised and expanded, the new "treasure room" is worth a look as well as old favorites like the array of European decorative arts, the folklore section and the antiquities. 19. Autoworld Car Museum

Strictly for the car mad, this museum has over 400 cars on display. The entire 20th century history of the motor vehicle is covered from 1886 to the 1970s. There are rare pre-World War II models on show as well as cars from all over the world. Belgian Cuisine Belgium is the nation of Gourmands rather than Gourmets which translates into big cuisine rather than fine cuisine. In reality this means that along with big portions, you get pretty good quality and a kind of unpretentiousness. The word Gourmandise originally meant gluttony, but like in France it has taken over the above meaning. It is often said Belgium serves food with the quantity of Germany and the quality of France. "French" fries, which the Belgians invented, are very popular. They are called frieten in Dutch or frites in French. The best place to enjoy Belgian frites is at a frituur (friterie in French or informally frietkot in Dutch) which is a temporary construction usually strategically placed in busy squares. Another Belgian speciality is beer. Although a comparatively small country, there are a large number of beers available in a range of different styles. Almost every different beer has its own unique drinking vessel, usually a glass of some description. Several home and restaurant dishes use typical Belgian beers. Other typical Belgian foods include waffles, chocolate, and mussels. Typical dishes would include the following: Mosselen-friet/moules frites: mussels and chips. Konijn in geuze/lapin la gueuze: rabbit in geuze, which is a spontaneously fermented, sour beer from the area around Brussels. Stoemp: potato mashed with other vegetables, often served with sausages. Salade Ligeoise: a salad with green beans, pieces of bacon, onions and vinegar, associated with Lige. Vlaamse stoofkarbonaden: a Flemish beef stew, similar to the French Beef Bourguignon, but made with beer instead of red wine. Waterzooi: a rich stew/soup of chicken (or sometimes fish), vegetables, cream and eggs, associated with Ghent. Paling in 't groen/anguilles au vert: Eel in a green sauce of mixed herbs. Gegratineerd witloof/chicons au gratin: a gratin of chicory in bchamel sauce with cheese. Slices of rustic bread and an uncovered spread, often pt or soft cheese, served on a board and eaten with knife and fork. A typical variety is a slice of bread with quark and sliced radishes, typically accompagnied with a glas of geuze. Pensen/Boudins: a type of sausage, often eaten with potatoes and apple sauce. The Ardennes is notable for Charcuterie, or cold meat products, particularly pat, which may be made of game such as wild boar. Waffles, sometimes eaten as a street snack. Chocolate, particularly pralines (filled chocolates). Culture of Belgians A discussion of Belgian culture requires discussing both those aspects of cultural life shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities, the Flemish people from Flanders and Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels and Wallonia. Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture or Western culture; nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on cultural life in Paris and elsewhere in the French-speaking world (la Francophonie), and less outside. A truly scientific discussion would also include discussion of the different cultures of Belgian ethnic minorities such as the Jews who have formed a remarkable component of Flemish culture - in particular that of Antwerp for over five hundred years. Festivals play a major role in Belgium's cultural life. Nearly every city and town has its own festival, some that date back several centuries. And these aren't just tricks for tourism, but real, authentic celebrations that take months to prepare. Two of the biggest festivals are the three-day carnival at Binche, near Mons, held just before Lent (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Bruges in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles" lead the procession, which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling, and many of these festivals fall under the category of kermesse. An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6. This is Sinterklaasdag in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French (English: Saint Nicholas). This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, kids put their shoes by the hearth with some water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey. Supposedly St. Nicholas then comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, puts down presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues his course. He also knows whether kids have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus. Kingdom of the Netherlands: I shall stand fast

Capital: Amsterdam Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Queen Beatrix) Language: Dutch Currency: Euro People: Dutch The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces. For more on this issue see terminology of the Netherlands. The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything appertaining to the Netherlands. The Netherlands has an international outlook. Among other affiliations the country is a founding member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. With Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the Benelux economic union. The country is host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The former four are situated in The Hague as is the EU's criminal intelligence agency Europol. This has led to the city being dubbed "the world's legal capital." The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 27% of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level. Significant areas have been gained through land reclamation and preserved through an elaborate system of polders and dikes. Much of the Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills of the Ardennes in the far southeast and several low-hill ranges in the central parts created by ice-age glaciers. The Netherlands is a densely populated country. It is popular for its traditional windmills, tulips, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), delftware and gouda pottery, for its bicycles, and in addition, traditional values and civil virtues such as its classic social tolerance. Being an old parliamentary democracy, the country is more recently known for its rather modern, liberal policies toward drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, and euthanasia. It also has one of the most free market capitalist economies in the world, ranking 13th of 157 countries on one index Tourism in the Netherlands Tourism is an important economic sector in the Netherlands. The country receives some 10 million foreign visitors every year, primarily from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Belgium. The Netherlands is a densely populated country with famous cities like Amsterdam known for its many canals, red light district (De Wallen) and cannabis coffee shops. One can purchase and use cannabis legally in the Netherlands, which is rare for most western countries, and has led to a large number of "drug tourists" from abroad. Amsterdam is also a city of rich culture and history with popular attractions like the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum (national museum), Rembrandt House Museum and Anne Frank House. Other tourist destinations in the Netherlands are cities like the royal seat The Hague with its elegant downtown, beaches and Madurodam miniature city; modern Rotterdam with its harbour, shopping and skyline; and Delft and Utrecht - formerly rich trading cities. In the south you have one of the oldest (Roman) cities, Maastricht and a very old village called Valkenburg lying in a romantic landscape with old castles and hills. Many tourists seeking to experience the typically Dutch tulips and windmills visit the Keukenhof flower gardens, the windmills of the Zaanse Schans and Kinderdijk, and the traditional fishing villages of Volendam and Marken. Popular souvenirs from the Netherlands are flower bulbs, delftware and clogs (wooden shoes). But the Netherlands also has to offer a great coastline along the North Sea, the IJsselmeer and the Wadden Sea - great resorts for sailing with picturesque little typical Dutch towns like Elburg or Harderwijk. The Netherlands is a great country for cycling, sailing or ice skating in winter. They have mainly flat landscapes with many canals, windmills, little villages, rivers like the Rhine or IJssel, Maas or Schelde.

Below are attractions found in the Netherlands: 1. Keukenhof Gardens Visit Keukenhof in Spring to see the vast displays of the Netherland s most famous flower the tulip. The are also magnificent displays throghout the the year. The Zomerhof (Summer Garden) is a summer flower exhibition held on the grounds, and in autumn, Keukenhof also hosts a huge flower bulb market. Visit the newly opened Japanese Garden with a layout that is more fanciful than that of traditional Japanese gardens. The garden is a symbol of the 400-year-long relationship between Japan and Holland. 2. Hoge Veluwe National Park The Hoge Veluwe is the Netherlands biggest national park, covering over 5,500 hectares. The park is a mixture of forests and woods, shifting sands and heath moors. The area gives off a strange sense of isolation which is hard to

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comprehend, considering it lies in one of Europe s most densely populated country. Red deer, wild boar and mouflon (a Mediterranean sheep) roam wild here. The Krller-Mller Museum lies at the edge of the park. Entrance to the museum, entitles you to roam freely around the national park also. Hoge Veluwe is accessible by bus from Arnhem, which is one hour's train ride east of Amsterdam. The Krller-Mller Museum The Krller-Mller Museum houses a world-famous collection of fine art, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are 278 works by Van Gogh, as well as collections of Picasso and Mondrian. At the back of the museum you can wander through Europes largest sculpture garden, with over 21 hectares accommodating a unique collection of sculptures. Amongst the sculptors represented here are Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Richard Serra, Mario Merz, Jean Dubuffet and Claus Oldenburg. Anne Frank's House Visit the house where the young diarist Anne Frank and her family hid from German occupation during World War II. Over twenty-five million copies of her diary have been sold worldwide. Anne s original diary is on display as part of the House's permanent exhibition. The Burgers' Zoo The Burgers Zoo spreads over 18 hectares and houses more than 3,000 animals. Check out the safari park where giraffes, zebras, antelopes, rhinoceroses, and a number of African bird species can be studied and admired. There is also an amazing variety of realistically constructed habitats including 1.5 hectares of jungle, a mangrove hall, a living desert consisting of flatlands, numerous rock masses, canyons, dry riverbeds and an oasis. The desert is home to all types of exotic animals and insects, as well as a 100-year-old cacti. The recently opened ocean area is stunning. See real wave crash onto white coral sand, walk through corridors of transparent acrylic walls that keep the path dry. This allows you to admire the underwater world of a shallow coral lagoon on both sides. Madurodam Madurodam is Hollands most famous miniature city. See the canal houses of Amsterdam, the Alkmaar cheese market, and parts of the Delta Works. The whole park has been created in minute detail on a scale of 1:25. Watch the Windmills turn; the ships sail and see the world's largest miniature railway. Sand World, the only indoor sand sculpture show in the world relates the history of the struggle of the Dutch against the water in spectacular panoramas. Throughout the year there are various theme weeks and at nightfall the miniature city is romantically lit with more than 50,000 tiny lights. Castle De Haar, Haarzuilens Castle De Haar rises above a densely wooded park like a fairytale castle surrounded by old gardens and ponds. The original 14th century house was constructed on high ground along a dead tributary of the Rhine. The Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the largest museum in Holland and attracts well over a million visitors each year. It is internationally celebrated for its exhibitions and publications as well as its scholarships and research. The museum features works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Breitner, as well as dolls houses, silver, prints and drawings, delftware, furniture, weaponry, ship models and Buddhas. The museum is well worth a visit for the dcor alone as it devotes considerable resources to the design and layout of exhibitions. Cutting edge designers are regularly commissioned to work on Rijksmuseum projects. Marken Island, Zuiderzee Located close to Amsterdam, in the former Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer), Marken Island is now joined to the mainland by a land bridge. It boasts many wooden houses and you can still see people wearing local costume. Spend a couple of hours strolling along the shore, viewing the magical houses - all painted green with white trim. The Windmills at Kinderdijk The Netherlands is world- famous for its windmills. Today there still over 1,000 mills left in the country but the village of Kinderdijk is the best place to see them. Built in 1740, the 19 windmills are remarkably well preserved. They drain the excess water from the Alblasserwaard polders (which are situated below sea-level) and then the water is sluiced into the river Lek. The mill sails are incredibly powerful, and are used to force the wind onto large paddle wheels that scoop up the water. Today the mills are no longer used to drain the polders and the work is carried out engines. In 1997 the mills of Kinderdijk were put on UNESCO s World Heritage List.

Holland Cuisine Dutch cuisine is shaped by the practice of farming, including the cultivation of the soil for raising crops and the raising of domesticated animals and the history of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is renowned for its varieties of cheese and chocolate. The Duch cuisine is characterized by its somewhat limited diversity in dishes (like many Northern European cuisines), the high consumption of vegetables compared to the consumption of meat, and the wholesomeness of the dishes. Dinner, traditionally served early by international standards, starts at about 6 o'clock in the evening. The classic Dutch dinner consists of one simple course: beans/potatoes, meat and vegetables. Traditionally potatoes with a large portion of vegetables and a small portion of meat with gravy, or a potatoe and vegetable stew. Typical Dutch dinner include stamppot (Dutch mashed potato mixed with other mashed vegetables) and pea soup. Vegetable stews served as side dishes are for example rode kool met appeltjes (red cabbage with apples), or rode bieten (red beets). Regular spices used in stews of this kind may be bayleaves, juniper berries, cloves, and vinegar. Stews are often served with mixed pickles, including zure zult (head cheese) or stewed pears (stoofperen). If there is a starter, it is usually soup. The final course is a sweet dessert, traditionally yoghurt with some sugar or vla, thin milk pudding (cooked milk with custard). Famous Duch stew are: Hutspot, made with potatoes, carrots, and onions served with meats like rookworst (smoked sausage), slowcooked meat, or bacon. This is a legacy of the Spanish invaders, who, according to legend, left a pot of this stew behind in their abandoned trenches when the town of Leiden, which they had been besieging, was

liberated in 1574 so this hutspot was one of the first foods its starving inhabitants found. Before potatoes were introduced in Europe hutspot was made from parsnips, carrots, and onions. Stamppot rauwe andijvie, raw endive mashed with hot potatoes, served with diced fried speck (a kind of bacon). Hete bliksem, boiled potatoes and green apples, served with "stroop" (syrup) or tossed with diced speck Zuurkoolstamppot, sauerkraut mashed with potatoes. Served with fried bacon or a sausage. Sometimes curry powder, raisins or slices of pineapple are used to give a stamppot an exotic touch. Boerenkoolstamppot, curly kale mixed with potatoes, served with gravy, mustard, and rookworst sausage. This dish, boerenkool met rookworst, (which could be translated literally as farmers cabbage with smoked sausage), is made of mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage and it is usually eaten with smoked sausage. 'Boerenkool met worst' is one of the oldest and most popular Dutch dishes. Boerenkool was mentioned in cookbooks from the year 1661. 1661 mashed potatoes were not used in this dish yet, although the sausage was already served with the cabbage in this dish. The dish became popular after a few bad corn-seasons when potatoes became popular as food. Boerenkool contains a lot of carbohydrates, which makes it a popular meal for cold winter days. [4]

Another dish served at the dinner table is a very thick pea soup, called snert and it can be served either as a main dish or as an appetizer. Snert is a popular nickname for what in Dutch is really called erwtensoep. Traditionally eaten in wintertime. Erwtensoep has a very thick consistency and often includes pieces of pork and sausage, and is almost a stew rather than a soup. A Dutch saying about erwtensoep says: "You should be able to stand a spoon upright in a good pea soup. It is customarily served with roggebrood (rye bread) spread with butter and topped with cheese slices. The meat may also be put on the rye bread and eaten with mustard. Meat dishes include gehaktballen meatballs, blinde vink, minced meat wrapped in bacon, balkenbrij, a type of liverwurst and meatloaf. The gravy in which the meat is cooked is also served. A variant of this, eaten around the IJsselmeer (a shallow lake in the central Netherlands), is butter en eek, where vinegar is added to the gravy. An other Duch dinner dish is pannenkoeken pancakes. The Dutch make them in several forms, including poffertjes (miniature pancakes) and spekdik (a Northern variant with bacon), Wentelteefjes (French toast) are similar. Broeder, a type of cake, also eaten for dinner, mainly in West Friesland. Desserts often include vla (milk pudding), pudding, or yoghurt. Regional variants include broodpap, breadpudding made from old bread, milk, butter and sugar. Other puddings are griesmeelpudding, grutjespap, Haagse bluf, Hangop, Jan in de zak, Karnemelksepap, Rijstebrij (rice pudding), Krentjebrij and Watergruwe. Today Dutch dinners and the Dutch cuisine is often heavily influenced by foreign cuisines. Dishes such as Italian pastas, Indonesian meat and rice dishes, Mexican enchiladas, and Swiss cheese fondue are commonly encountered on the Dutch dinner table and on the menus of local restaurants. The Indian and Japanese cuisine seem to be rising in popularity. On special occasions, pastries are eaten. When a baby is born in a family, the young parents traditionally serve their guests beschuit met muisjes (Dutch rusk covered with sugared aniseed). The Dutch festival of Sinterklaas (dedicated to Saint Nicholas, celebrating his name day) is held on the 5 December. Saint Nicholas (known in America as Santa Claus), leaves gifts in the children s shoes. On this occasion, the Dutch drink hot chocolate milk and eat spice cookies, like speculaas. These special pastries are said to be distributed by Saint Nicholas aide Zwarte Piet; and they include pepernoten (gingernut-like biscuits but made with cinnamon, pepper, cloves and nutmeg mix of spices), boterletter[6] (a baked pastry crust filled with an sugared almond paste filling and shaped into a letter), letters made from chocolate, marzipan, borstplaat (discs of fondant); and several other types of spiced cookies: taai-taai and kruidnoten and banketstaaf made from almond meal. On New Year's Eve, Dutch houses smell of the piping hot oil used to prepare oliebollen, appelflappen and appelbeignets (battered apple rings) in deep-fat fryers. These yeast dough balls, filled with glac fruits, pieces of apple and raisins and sultanas, are served with powdered sugar and are a special treat for New Year's Eve. The Dutch also took their oliebollen to America, where they are now known in a slightly different form as doughnuts. In Limburg nonnevotte are sometimes served during New Year's Eve, although it is mostly eaten during Carnaval On birthdays all kinds of cakes and cookies are eaten, including appeltaart (apple pie), Bossche bol, dikke koek, cream cake, Fryske dumkes, gevulde koek (cookies filled with almond meal), Groninger koek, Janhagel, Ketelkoek, Kindermanstik, Knieperties, Krakeling, Krentenwegge, Kruidkoek, Limburgse vlaai, Ouwewijvenkoek, peperkoek (gingerbread), Rijstekoek, Spekkoek (from Indonesia), Sprits, Tompouce, Trommelkoek, Bitterkoekjes, Kletskop and Stroopwafel. Poffertjes are tiny puffed pancakes served on special occasions, served warm with melting butter and powdered sugar on top. They are mostly combined with a drink: milk, chocolate milk or yoghurt drink. Cafeterias all around Holland sell poffertjes. Dutch people call such a restaurant a poffertjeskraam. Poffertjes can be eaten as a dessert after dinner or as a sweet lunch. A famous Dutch sweet is zoute drop, salty liquorice and liquorice sweets. These sweets are small, black and look much like gums. The four types of drop are soft sweet, soft salt, hard sweet and hard salt drop. Drop can be bought in shops and pharmacies and has a medical function as it helps to cure throat and stomach aches [7]. Dutch drop is sold in a large variety of shapes and forms. Drop can be either sweet or salty (or very salty). It is sometimes flavoured with coconut fondant (Engelse drop or English drop ), honey (honingdrop ), mint (muntdrop ), salmiak ( salmiakdrop ), or laurel (laurierdrop). Typical shapes are diamonds, ovals, oblongs and coins. Honeycomb shape for honeydrop are also

familiar. Some manufacturers have introduced speciality ranges where the drop is made in thematic shapes, such as cars (autodrop), farm animals and farm machines, rys (boerderijdrop), etc. In 1828, Coenraad Johannes van Houten developed the first cocoa powder producing machine in the Netherlands. [8] When he returned to England, he brought the recipe with him, introducing milk chocolate to Europe. [8] The powder much like the instant cocoa powder used today was easier to stir into milk and water, and led to another very important discovery: solid chocolate. and making powdered cocoa and cocoa butter. Van Houten also developed the so-called Dutch process of treating chocolate with alkali to remove the bitter taste. By using cocoa powder and low amounts of cocoa butter, bar chocolate was then possible to manufacture. Droste is today one of the main Dutch chocolate brands. Vegetarianism is fairly common in The Netherlands, about 5 percent of the Dutch population doesn't eat meat or fish at all. Around 22 percent of the Dutch call themselves 'part-time vegetarians' and abstain from eating fish or meat a few days a week. As a result meat substitutes are popular, with an annual growth of around 25%. Veganism is uncommon in the Netherlands. Culture of the Netherlands Dutch culture or culture of the Netherlands is diverse, reflecting regional differences as well as the foreign influences thanks to the merchant and exploring spirit of the Dutch and the influx of immigrants. The Netherlands and Dutch people have played an important role for centuries as a culturally liberal and tolerant center, with the Dutch Golden Age regarded as the zenith. One of the most characteristic festivities in the Netherlands is the feast of Sint Nicolaas or Sinterklaas. It is celebrated on the evening before Sinterklaas' dying day on December 6th, especially in families with little children. In the United States the original figure of Dutch Sinterklaas has merged with Father Christmas into Santa Claus. In the Netherlands, gift-bringing at Christmas has recently gained some popularity too, but Sinterklaas is much more popular. Another characteristic festivity in the Netherlands is the feast of Sint Maarten. The day is celebrated in the evening of November 11 in some parts of the Netherlands. Children go by the doors with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St. Martin and about their lantern in return for a treat. In some regions the paper lantern is replaced by a self made lantern, made from a hollowed out sugar beet (suikerbiet). Kingdom of Luxembourg: We want to remain what we are Capital: Luxembourg Form of Government: Constitutional Grand Duchy (Grand Duke Henri) Language: German, French, Luxembourgish Currency: Euro People: Luxembourgers Luxembourg is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi). Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the second highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency 2007 est.). Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 14th 17th centuries. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, Benelux, and the Western European Union, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration. The city of Luxembourg, the capital and largest city, is the seat of several institutions and agencies of the European Union. Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; German, French and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic. Tourism in Luxembourg Below are the attractions in Luxembourg: 1. The Chateau of the Counts of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City Perched on a jutting promontory known as the Bock, the castle of the counts of Luxembourg dates to 963. Ravaged by fire in 1459, the ruins of the castle were incorporated into a new system of fortifications at the Bock. Archaeological excavations carried out in 1993 revealed several elements of the original chateau. An archaeological crypt retraces the history of the chateau and the fortress. 2. The Casemates, Luxembourg City The casemates are a labyrinth of defensive passageways that helped forge Luxembourg s impressive military reputation. The first underground tunnels were built in 1644, in the era of Spanish domination. The 23-kilometrelong galleries were enlarged forty years later by Vauban, the French military engineer and fortress builder, and in the 18th century by the Austrians. The subterranean defensive passages were placed on different levels and reached down as far as 40 metres. It is these impressive defence works that caused Luxembourg to get the name

"Gibraltar of the North." After the dismantling of the fortress in 1867, 17 kilometres of the casemates were spared and left in good condition. The casemates have been open to the public since 1933 so go and explore! 3. Tour of the Valley of the Seven Castles The real name of the Valley of the Seven Castles is the Valley of the Eisch River. This small triangular area northwest of Luxembourg City is home to one of Europe s most scenic and spectacular concentrations of castles. Take the N4 westwards from Luxembourg City to Steinfort, the entrance to the valley. Journey eastwards to Koerich and visit its ruined medieval castle. Then follow the course of the river with its imposing castles on both sides. The region offers excellent country inns and small hotels in all price ranges. 4. The Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg City The Grand Ducal Palace was constructed between 1572 and 1574 as a town hall in the Spanish Renaissance style. It went on to become the Prefecture and the seat of government before being converted in 1890 into a Grand Ducal Palace by the State Architect Charles Arendt and by Brussels architect Bordian. You can visit the palace from 15 July to 2 September. 5. The Petrusse Express A special open-air tourist train called the 'Petrusse Express' offers frequent guided tours through the Petrusse Valley (from which many of the remaining fortifications can easily be viewed), giving visitors an insight into life in the former fortress, with commentaries in several languages. The train departs from underneath one of the arches of the Pont Adolphe viaduct. 6. The Moselle Valley The Moselle Valley is Luxembourgs vineyard and winery region. The gentle slopes on both sides of the Moselle River are covered in vineyards. Step into the region s wineries and theyll take you on a guided tour and explain just how their still and sparkling wines are made. Make sure and sample some! Luxembourg s only casino and a well-known health spa are located in Mondarf-les-Bains in the south of this region. 7. The Market at Place Guillaume, Luxembourg City Place Guillaume is a riot of colour every Wednesday and Saturday when a market selling flowers, vegetables and a wide assortment of other goods goes into full swing. Sharpen your bargaining skills and join in the fun! 8. The US Military Cemetery The US Military Cemetery lies 5 kilometres east of Luxembourg City. It is the final resting place of more than 5,076 of the 10,000 American troops who fought in Luxembourg during World War II. There are 101 graves of unknown soldiers and airment, and 22 pairs of brothers buried side by side. The identical graves are arranged without regard to rank, religion, race, or place of origin with the exception of the grave of General George Patton. The German Military Cemetery lies a mile away. To get to the US Cemetery take bus no.5 from the Gare Centrale. If driving take the Boulevard General Patton East which becomes the E42 as you leave town. 9. National Museum of Art and History, Luxembourg City This museum on March-aux-Poissons showcases interesting archaeological, geological, and historical exhibits as well as the superb Bentinek-Thyssen Collection of works of art by 15th to 18th-century Low Countries artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Breughel, Rembrandt and others. 10. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg City Built between 1613 and 1621, this magnificent Gothic cathedral houses the royal family vault and the large sarchophagus of John the Blind as a well as a notable treasury. The treasury can be viewed on request. The charming annual Octave of Our Lady of Luxembourg takes place here every year on the fifth Sunday after Easter. Thousands of pilgrims gather to pray to the miraculous statue of the Holy Virgin for protection. They then form a procession to carry the statue from the cathedral through the streets to an altar covered in flowers in the Avenue de la Porte Neuve. Cuisine of Luxembourg Luxembourgish cuisine reflects Luxembourg's position on the border between the Latin and Germanic worlds, being heavily influenced by the cuisines of neighbouring France and Germany. More recently, it has had influence from its many Italian and Portuguese immigrants. Most particularly native Luxembourgian dishes, consumed as the traditional daily fare, share roots in the Luxembourgian peasantry, similarly to German cuisine and in marked contrast to more sophisticated French. Luxembourg has many delicacies: pastries, Luxembourg Cheese, the fresh fish from local rivers (trout, pike, and crayfish), Ardennes ham smoked in saltpeter, game during hunting season (such as hare and wild boar), small plum tarts in September (quetsch), smoked neck of pork with broad beans (judd mat gaardebounen), fried small river fish (such as bream, chub, gudgeon, roach, and rudd), calves' liver dumplings (quenelles) with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, black pudding (treipen) and sausages with mashed potatoes and horseradish, and green bean soup (bouneschlupp). French cuisine is featured prominently on many menus, and German and Belgian cuisine (but not as much). These are some specialties of Luxembourg: Thringer - Inexpensive, small sausages that taste like a spicy version of the German bratwurst. They are often sold by street vendors and at roadside stands. New regulations prohibit the use of the word "Thringer" as it is now regionally protected and reserved to sausages produced in the German free state of Thuringia. Instead, they are now officially referred to as Ltzebuerger Grillwurscht, translating as Luxembourgian barbecue sausage.

Gromperekichelcher - Carefully spiced potato pancake with chopped onions and parsley, then deep-fried. They are available at roadside stands as well. isleker Ham - Smoke-cured uncooked ham, said to look like the Italian Proscuitto crudo, sliced paper-thin and commonly served with fresh bread. Kachkis (cooked cheese) - A soft cheese spread. Pt - A spreadable paste, usually made of meat but vegetarian versions exist. Quetschentaart - A plum tart; it, along with peach, cherry, and pear tarts are a typical dessert and can be found in any pastry shop. Miel luxembourgeois de marque nationale is a honey from Luxembourg that is protected under EU law.

Culture in Luxembourg The culture of Luxembourg refers to the cultural life and traditions of the small European nation of Luxembourg. Most citizens are trilingual; speaking the Germanic national language of Luxembourgish, in addition to French and German. Long a deeply rural and folkloric nation, Luxembourg retains folk traditions. Notable is the Echternach Dancing Procession which happens annually. Ensemble caolklorique Valle des Sept Chteaux Mersch, under the leadership of Manuel Gillet. SOUTHERN EUROPE: The Mediterranean Introduction Southern Europe has become the playground of Europe. While there are various places throughout Europe (such as the Riviera) that also claim to be Europes playground, as an entire region Southern Europe best epitomizes the concept of a continental playground. While there are major cultural and historical attractions in the region, the massive number of European tourists to the region returns regularly because of the favorable climate, warm sea and excellent beaches. Geographic Characteristics Nearly all of Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate Mountains have formed a barrier between Western Europe and Southern Europe The region occupies three major peninsulas Wealth is increased as a result of joining the European Union Nations share a common cultural heritage created from the Greek and Roman empires The region lacks major deposits of important minerals Populations are located on coastal or riverine plains Agriculture is concentrated in coastal and river plain locations Agricultural productivity is lower than in Western and Northern Europe Tourism Characteristics The regions major tourism emphasis for Europeans is sun-sea-sand Tourism costs are lower than in Western and Northern Europe Religious pilgrimages are important to the region Cruises and excursions are popular in the region Tourism to the region is mostly destination oriented Tourism is highly localized to specific regions within each country The archeological and cultural heritage of Western civilization is an important attraction Kingdom of Spain Capital: Madrid Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy (King Juan Carlos I) Language: Spanish (Castilian), Aranese, Basque Currency: Euro People: Spanish/Spaniard Spain) or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de Espaa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. With an area of 504,030 km, Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe after France. Because of its location, Spain has been subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, since prehistoric times. At times the country itself has been an important source of influence to other regions. Archaeological and genetic evidence strongly suggests that the Iberian Peninsula acted as one of three major refugia from which northern Europe was repopulated following the end of the last ice age. It has also played an important part in Europe and even the world at certain historic times; in the latter case when it was the seat of a global empire that has left a legacy of 416 million Spanish speakers today. The combination of external influences with the interactions of the culturally and

politically differentiated regions of the rugged peninsula has produced a dramatic history, typified by alternating periods of unity and disunity under very different regimes. Spain is a democracy organized in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the eighth largest economy in the world based on nominal GDP. It is a member of the European Union and NATO. Tourism in Spain Tourism in Spain was developed during the last years of Francisco Francos dictatorship, when the country became a popular place for summer holidays, especially for tourists from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Scandinavia. Since then Spain has been the second most visited country of the world after France. In 2007 almost 60 million foreign tourists were received, according to the World Tourism Organization that has its headquarters in Madrid. Spain's tourism spending annually is over $46 Billion, the highest tourism spending in any nation worldwide except the USA with $74 Billion. Below are the major attractions in Spain: 1. The Prado Museum, Madrid The Prado Museum is regarded as one of the worlds great museums. The multinational exhibits include works by Spanish artists such as El Greco and Velzquez, Italian painters such as Fra Angelico and Raphael and Flemish artists as Bosch, Rubens and Van Dyck. The best known works include Velzquez s Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor), Goyas Naked Maja and Clothed Maja, and Boschs The Garden of Delights. 2. Sagrada Famlia, (Gauds unfinished Cathedral), Barcelona Work began on this rather ordinary neo-Gothic church in 1882. Two years later, the architect resigned and Gaud secured the commission to complete it. The Sagrada Famlia became his favourite project; he even secluded himself on the site and lived in the workshop until his death in 1926. The church was left incomplete upon his death. At first sight, the building is reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral but Gaudi has so transformed the style by his sidewalls, vaults and piers that the spirit of Gothic architecture has found new parameters and contexts. Since 1979 work has been underway to finish the church as true to Gaud's conception as possible. 3. The Alhambra, Granada Granada is set against the mountain backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. The city is most famous for being the ancient Moorish capital of Spain and home to La Alhambra, one of the greatest undertakings of Islamic art and architecture. Nothing can prepare you for a day wandering around the magnificent palace, patios and gardens. The Alcazaba is the Alhambra's Muslim fortress dating from the 11th century and offers great views of the city from the tops of its towers. The Casa Real is the showpiece of the Alhambra, and is renowned for the intricacy of its stonework. Finally, there is the Generalife, the summer palace of the sultans, set in the peaceful Alhambra gardens. There is plenty to see and do in Granada. Wander the narrow streets and see the Albaicn, the city's old Muslim quarter. Visit the Casa del Castril (Archaeological Museum) and the Baos rabes (Arab Baths). The graves of Fernando III and Isabel, the Christian conquerors of Granada, in the Capilla Real are worth as look as are the Gypsy caves of Sacromonte, burrowed into a hillside in the north of the city. 4. The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao opened its doors to the public in October 1997. It is one of the most important centres of modern and contemporary art in the world. The outstanding design of the building by Frank O. Gehry makes the Guggenheim in Bilbao one of the most significant constructions of the 20th century. It is a huge futuristic structure and a 10-foot dog made from flowering plants by the American artist Jeff Koons guards the entrance. 5. La Tomatina Festival, Buol, Valencia Fancy a visit to the worlds largest food fight? Then the La Tomatina festival in Buol is the place for you. Over 240,000 pounds of tomatoes are hurled by townspeople at each other from 11 am to 1pm on the last Wednesday of August each year. Once the bottle rocket goes off they all have to get together to clean up the mess. The streets are literally flooded with tomato juice, pulp, seeds, and skins. How do you dress? Bring at least one change of clothes! If you get there the night before the fight enjoy the paella night when gigantic pans simmer over wood fires. 6. Cordoba and the Mezquita The city of Cordoba was founded by the Romans. Realising the strategic importance of Cordoba as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River, the Romans built a majestic bridge (El Puente Romano) across the river which still exists today. Cordoba was once the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus and is home to the Mezquita - one of the largest and most impressive mosques in the whole of Islam. When the city was conquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city were so impressed by its magnificence that they left it standing and built their cathedral in the heart of its rows of arches and columns. This resulted in the truly amazing building which is left today. As well as this unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba's treasures include the Alcazar, constructed by the Christians in 1328; the Calahorra Fort, built by the Arabs to guard the Roman Bridge and the ancient Jewish Synagogue, now a museum. The medieval quarter - La Judera - was once the home of the Jewish community and is a fascinating labyrinth of twisting, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and pretty squares. 7. The Feria de Abril, Seville The Feria de Abril is a gigantic festival with flamenco dancing and lots of partying. It was originally a cattle market and evolved into a popular festival held annually two weeks after Semana Santa (Easter Week). The festival commences each year with the official lighting of the lanterns when half a million little lights are turned on at once. See the natural beauty of the Sevillian ladies, enhanced by the typical flamenco dresses. The Ferra de Abril is the ideal place to see the real Spain. Enjoy glasses of manzanilla wine (sherry) and sample some delicious tapas -small Andalusian snacks. 8. The Picos de Europa The Picos de Europa is a magnificent mountain range situated in northwestern Spain and straddling the regions of Austurias, Cantabria and Castille-Leon. These unique mountains are an easy two hour drive from Santander. Though fairly modest in terms of altitude and extent, the Picos are unique among Europe's mountains for a number of

reasons. Geologically, they are the largest single mass of mountain limestone in the continent and the only true maritime range Europe possesses. The Picos are a haven for walkers, hikers and climbers. The rugged limestone peaks are home to a significant number of the world's deep caves and attract potholers from all over the world. The area is rich in both plant and animal life. Red squirrels, wild cats, wild boar, short-toed eagles and buzzards can be seen on occasion and, if you are very lucky, you may see some wolves or bears. 9. The Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands lie just off the eastern Spanish mainland. They are made up of four main islands Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Each island has its own distinct personality and charm. 10. Toledo The city of Toledo was officially granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1987. It is built on a rugged cliff and surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. It has a lengthy and colourful history. It was captured by the Romans in 193 BC, then by the Visigoths and later by the armies of Islam. The Moorish period lasted from 712 until 1085. Toledo is dominated by the large 16th century Alczar fortress which now houses the Army Museum. The 13th century Gothic cathedral contains many works of art including a series of paintings by artists such as El Greco, Goya and Van Dyck. The city is dotted with ancient mosques, synagogues, and churches. Make sure to visit the 16th-century Hospital de Santa Cruz which is now the Provincial Museum of Archaeology and Fine Arts. Spanish Cuisine Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots. Spain's extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine with literally thousands of recipes and flavors. It is also renowned for its fantastic flavours and fresh ingredients Among the multitude of recipes that make up the varied cuisines of Spain, a few can be considered common to all or almost all of Spain's regions, even though some of them have an origin known and associated with specific places. Examples include the potato omelette ("tortilla de patata", "tortilla espaola" or just "tortilla"), paella, various stews, migas, sausages (such as embutidos, chorizo, and morcilla), jamn serrano, and cheeses. There are also many dishes based on beans (chickpeas, lentils, green beans); soups, with many regional variations; and bread, that has numerous forms, with distinct varieties in each region. The regional variations are less pronounced in Spanish desserts and cakes: flan, custard, rice pudding (arroz con leche), torrijas, churros, and madeleines are some of the most representative examples. Others foods include: Arroz a la Cubana Arroz Con Leche (rice pudding) Calamares (Fried squid) Cocido (a chickpea and meat stew of sorts) Cocido Montas typical from Cantabria Chorizo (spicy sausage) Chuletillas (grilled chops of milk-fed lamb) Gazpacho (cold bread and tomato soup) Gooseneck barnacles typical from Galicia Hake (fish) Fabada Asturiana (bean stew) Jamn serrano (cured ham) Lechazo asado (roasted milk-fed lamb) Shellfish Marmita typical from Cantabria Paella (saffron rice) Pescaito Frito, battered (sometimes in adobo) fried fish, typical from Mlaga and Western Andalusia Tortilla de patatas or tortilla espaola (potato omelette) Turrn, a type of nougat with almonds and honey, typical at Christmas Tortas de Aceite, from Seville, a sweet olive oil pastry meat is also a very popular cuisine, sheep, lamb and beef are staples.

Culture of Spain The culture of Spain is an Iberian culture marked by the period of Roman influences. In the areas of language and religion, the Ancient Romans left a lasting legacy. The subsequent course of Spanish history also added elements to the country's cultural development. Spain's culture to some extent. Muslim influences were very strong during the period of 711 A.D. to the 1400s, especially in the area of language. The Spanish language, besides being influenced by Latin, has also borrowed numerous words and accents from Arabic. Spain's cultural mix became richer during the Middle Ages because of the presence of a large and influential Jewish population. After the defeat of the Muslims and Jews during the Christian "Reconquista" (Reconquest) period between 1000 to 1492, Spain became a Roman Catholic country. In addition, the history of the nation and its Mediterranean and Atlantic environment have played a significant role in shaping its culture. By the end of the 19th and 20th century, the Spanish government made expressions of cultural diversity easier than it had been for the last seven centuries. This occurred at the same period that Spain became increasingly drawn into a diverse international culture. Spain is an industrial and developed country, and most of its inhabitants live in an increasingly modern urban society. Almost all people live in urban areas, while farmers and agriculturalists live in the rural villages or small towns. However, most people in the country still follow a number of age old traditions in addition to the latest fashion and cultural trends. Large populated urban areas include the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville, Mlaga, and Zaragoza. While rural areas include Salamanca, Santander, Cantabria, and many more. The most important Spanish holiday is "Semana Santa" (Holy Week), celebrated the week before Easter with large parades and other religious events. Spaniards also hold celebrations to honour their local patron saints in churches,

cities, towns and villages. The people decorate the streets, build bonfires, set off fireworks and hold large parades, bullfights and beauty contest. One of the best known Spanish celebration is the festival of "San Fermin", which is celebrated every year on July in Pamplona. Bulls are released into the streets, while people run ahead of the animals to the bullring. A strong sense of regional identity exists in many regions of Spain. These regions or nationalities even those that least identify themselves as Spanishhave contributed greatly to many aspects of mainstream Spanish culture. Spaniards are very proud of their heritage and culture. Most notably, the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia have widespread nationalist sentiment. Many Basque and Catalan nationalists back statehood for their respective regions. Basque aspirations to statehood have been a cause of violence (notably by ETA), although most Basque nationalists (like virtually all Catalan nationalists) currently seek to fulfill their aspirations peacefully. There are also several communities where there is a great sense of regional identity: Andalusia, Asturias, Navarre, Balearic Islands and Valencia (the last two feeling attached to Catalan culture in different ways) each have their own version of nationalism, but generally with a smaller percentage of nationalists than in the Basque Country and Catalonia. There are other regions which, despite a broad Spanish nationalist feeling, have strong regional identities: Cantabria, Rioja, Aragon, and Extremadura. There are also the cases of Madrid, an administrative autonomous community inside the two Castilles; the two north African autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the autonomous community of Murcia. Castile was the core kingdom under which Spain eventually unified after centuries of evolution and incorporations. Yet there are also strong movements in the provinces of the extinct region of Leon, pushing to separate from Castilla and Leon. Spain has a long history of tension between centralism and regionalism. The current organization of the state into autonomous communities (similar to a federal organization) under the Spanish Constitution of 1978 is intended as a way to incorporate these communities into the state. While nearly everyone in Spain can speak Spanish, which is almost universally known in Spain as "Castellano" (Castilian); rather than "Espaol" (Spanish), other languages figure prominently in many regions: Basque "Euskara" in the Basque Country and Navarre; Catalan in Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencia (where it is usually referred to as Valencian), and Galician in Galicia. Spanish is official throughout the country; the rest of these have co-official status in their respective regions and all are major enough that there are numerous daily newspapers in these languages and (especially for Catalan and Basque) a significant book publishing industry. Many citizens in these regions consider their regional language as their primary language and Spanish as secondary; these languages cover broad enough regions to have multiple distinct dialects. Spanish itself also has distinct dialects around the country, with the Andaluz dialect being closer to the Spanish of the Americas, which is heavily influenced.