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CHILDREN
Spain
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| Capital (and largest city)
Madrid
Official language - Spanish
Recognised regional languages - Aranese,
Basque, Catalan/Valencian and Galician
Ethnic groups - 87.8 percent Spanish - 12.2
percent (Romanian, Moroccan, Germans, Ecuadorian, British)
Demonym - Spanish,
Spaniard
Area - Total 504,030 km2
Population - 2010 estimate 46,030,109
Currency Euro |
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Madrid’s world-class art museums and royal palaces attract many
visitors. Courtesy: Google |
Kingdom of Spain is a country and member state of the European Union
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 the British Overseas Territory
of Gibraltar; to the North by France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay and
to the Northwest and 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 kmý, it is the second largest
country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.
Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many
external influences since prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a
country.
Spain emerged as a unified country in the 15th Century, following the
marriage of the Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the reconquest
or Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. Conversely, it has been
an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the
modern era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of
over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second
most spoken first language.
Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a Parliamentary
government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country
with the ninth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and very high
living standards. It is a member of the United Nations, European Union,
NATO, OECD and WTO.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
World Food Day:
United against hunger
Dear children,
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Healthy food for healthy life. File photo |
This week we celebrate World Food Day which is an important day
concerning all of us. World Food Day is celebrated every year on October
16 in honour of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations in 1945.
World Food Day theme for 2010 is 'United against hunger' chosen to
recognise the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at
national, regional and international level. 'Achieving food security in
times of crisis' was the 2009 theme.
World Food Day aims to heighten public awareness of the plight of the
world's hungry and malnourished and to encourage people worldwide to
take action against hunger. More than 150 countries observe this event
every year.
The irony is that while poor and developing countries struggle to
feed their populations some part of the world have excess food which is
thrown away. We must use the technology carefully to increase food
production.
Research on food and agriculture at regional and global level is also
needed to meet the future challenges.
The world needs to fight together to end hunger.
Children should not waste their food. Don't forget there are millions
of children around the world who go to bed in hunger. So spare a thought
and help the world fight against hunger.
I am sure every child can play an important part in a small way to
meet this common goal.
Toxic mud sludge in Hungary
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Toxic sludge affected areas in Hungary. Pic.courtesy: Google |
As you know the environment plays a key role in sustaining life. If
you have been watching the news recently you would have seen the
environment disaster in Hungary where toxic sludge or waste had affected
many villages in this Easter European country.
The toxic sludge had also contaminated parts of the Danube which is
Europe's second largest river.
It is estimated that at least one million cubic metres of toxic
chemicals were leaked out and have had profound affect on the lives of
the locals.
This red mud sludge is full of toxic waste from the aluminum factory,
the heavy metals which are found in the laboratory tests, are extremely
harmful for the environment and the life forms. There was a fear that
the toxic flood would affect neighbouring countries like Romania,
Croatia, from where the Danube River flows. So let's protect our
environment because our lives depend on it.
Bye for now. Have fun.
- Aunt Anji
Rise of the Phoenix
- Part 41
By Uncle Sachi
and Aunt Ruwi |
In 'Kid's Den'...
Four children, Pramodaka, Nalaka, Champika and Chinthaka, go
on a trip to the woods with their parents for their school holidays.
In the middle of the night the children are awakened by a strange
noise. On following their dog, Scooby, Chinthaka is snared by the
spell of the 'luring stones'. Pramodaka departs with Ruwi, a pixie,
to recall a book of spell to cast off the spell while the others
remain behind with Sachi, a gnome. A storm breaks and the kids are
scattered.
Meanwhile Sulo, the goblin who is always trying to make
trouble for the mythical creatures, comes up with a nasty plan. She
rushes off gang up the rest of her pack and reveals an age old
secret.
However the group discovers that it is not only Sulo's secret
that is uncovered by the storm. Something dark and deadly had been
hidden in the depths of the earth waiting to release itself and
return for revenge...
('Return of the Kids' is the sequel to 'Kid's Den')
He stopped and listened. There it was again. It was a noise as if
something was fluttering. A shiver ran through his body. Was he being
stalked?
Pramodaka stood still and listened. This time he was sure that he
could hear a noise.
 I
sounded as if it was coming from ahead. Could it be a good sign or a bad
one? Uncertain, he waited. That was when he heard the noise.
It sounded like a sound coming from a flute. It had a captivating
magical quality. It was simply beautiful. What could it be?
There was noting he could do but move ahead. There was no turning
back because he needed help to save the others. He did not know whether
he was doing the right thing but he had no other choice. Maybe whatever
that was making the noise would be able to help him. He only hoped that
it was not that creep creature which had appeared before his eyes
minutes earlier.
He took his steps slowly careful not to catch the attention of
whatever that laid ahead. Maybe if it was something dangerous looking he
would be able to escape quietly. That is how they had escaped from the
policemen at the camp.
He parted a clump of bushes and was just about to step over them when
he saw it.
He nearly choked in amazement. He had never seen anything more
magnificent.
Perched on a tree ahead was a bird with two long features at the
crest of its head. It looked like a heron except it had brilliant
scarlet and gold plumage. He watched it as it dug its beak into its
feathers and nipped. It was probably cleaning itself.
Though Pramodaka did not know the name of the bird it was actually a
phoenix.
These birds were one of the most powerful magical emblems in history.
A mark of immortality it was believed that the Phoenix would appear
every morning to sing a song so enchanting that all the mythical
creatures and forest animals stopped to listen to its tune.
But no one had set eyes on the magnificent creature - except Arizack,
the most powerful wizard in the land who had been able to beckon the
bird to him at rare moments. No one knew that the elves had defeated
Balthazar with the Phoenix's help many years ago.
Was history about to repeat itself? Were dark clouds of tragedy
gathering over the woods again after so many years of peace and harmony?
The bird stopped and flapped its wings. Then it gave a cry and landed
back on the branch.
Pramodaka frowned. Why didn't it fly away? I seemed as if it was
snared to the place.
To be continued
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