Tag Archive | "africa"
Ethiopia’s Cross-Shaped Church Carved out of Unbroken Stone
During the so-called Dark Ages, Islam was seen by Europeans as a plague engulfing the Orient like a black shroud. Yet amidst decades of such thinking, wild rumours of a great Christian king in the East were finally tied down to the wonders of a real-life civilisation. This vast kingdom was rich and wondrous, and contained architectural wonders literally dug out of the ground the like of which the West had never seen – the great rock churches of Ethiopia.
Continue reading...Africa’s Atrocities in Pictures [Disturbing Images]
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
![Africa’s Atrocities in Pictures [Disturbing Images]](http://i37.tinypic.com/23mpwub.jpg)
Since the grip of colonialism weakened, instability, corruption, violence and despotism have marred the histories of many African states. Far from setting the tone for freedom, democratic governments have proven difficult to sustain in most cases, leaving many republics to instead cycle through a series of coups giving rise to dictatorships. Civil war and grave human rights violations have never been far away, as names like Sierra Leone and Rwanda bear witness.
Continue reading...The Most Fearless Animal On Earth
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Meet the honey badger, named “world’s most fearless animal” by the Guinness Book of World Records. Its ferocious reputation stems from the fact that the honey badger doesn’t hesitate to attack animals larger than itself. Scorpions, porcupines, snakes, young gazelles, lions and even small crocodiles - everything’s fair game. No surprise then that it is rarely preyed upon. See for yourself how a honey badger’s day goes by…
Continue reading...The Serengeti: Host of the Greatest Overland Migration on Earth
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Synonymous with the Serengeti is the migration of the zebra and wildebeest as they chase the rains north. In east Africa, nearly two million mammals make this epic journey as they follow the rains that bring life to this vast, parched area. Thousands will die, and those that survive will have faced one of the most arduous of nature's journeys – only to do it again and again.
Continue reading...The Life and Times of the Baby Aardvark
Monday, July 6, 2009
The aardvark is an animal only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its strange looks can probably be attributed to the fact that it is a living fossil – yes, the aardvark’s chromosomes reflect much of life before modern taxonomy. Let’s see how life begins for little aardvarks because guess what, as placentals, they are more closely related to us humans than marsupials. Ready for pics that’ll make you go cuuuuuute?
Continue reading...20 Amazing Images of Earth as Seen From Space
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Earth is a truly beautiful and fascinating place – even more so when seen from Space as distances and proportions take on a whole new dimension. Is this how ants see their world, we wonder? Follow us on a tour of our Blue Planet as seen from Space and be ready for some stunning pictures.
Continue reading...10 Most Diabolical Fish On Earth
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
On the one hand, fish are inoffensive creatures. Wet, slimy, and not especially gifted in the brain cell department, the majority aren’t much to worry about unless they’re getting overcooked on the barbecue. Yet on the other hand there are a few species that are slightly more loathsome to our palates. These are creatures straight out of our nightmares – some more fangs than fish; others that look like they’ve barely swum out of the primeval sludge. Brace yourself.
Continue reading...Google Earth Uncovers the Lost Forest of Mount Mabu
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Scientists from the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) in search of biological riches made incredibly good use of Google Earth imagery when they used it to find a pristine rainforest on top of little-known Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique in 2005. They put a big 'X' on their map and journeyed out to Africa in 2008, where they were happily rewarded with the discovery of three new species of butterflies, a previously undiscovered species of snake and seven threatened bird species.
Continue reading...The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Only a select few have conquered the Seven Summits, a grueling challenge that involves climbing the tallest peak of every continent. They've seen the spectacular mountain-top views firsthand, and now you get a chance to soak in the scenery too as we go on a whirlwind tour of images captured by these exceptional mountaineers. Come along as we travel from the most famous Everest to the Western Hemisphere and Europe, to warm climes in Australia, Indonesia and Africa, and to the coldest ends of the earth.
Continue reading...Africa Running Out of Natural Resources
Monday, June 9, 2008
According to the conservation organization WWF, African countries are slowly but surely draining the continent of its natural resources. The statement is part of a report issued by the organization on Africa's ecological footprint - it takes into account a country's land and sea surface that is used in meeting the peoples' consumption needs. The report entitled "Africa-Ecological Footprint and Human Well-being" was released along with a U.S.-based research body, the Global Footprint Network.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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