South Africa

South Africa is a wonderful country.

Official name: Republic of South Africa

Capital: Pretoria

Official Language: Eleven official languages, including Zulu, Xhosa and English. Hello in Zulu is Sawubona!

Climate: Cold winters and hot, humid summers

Products: Gold, diamonds, iron ore, platinum, silver, machinery, corn, wheat, sugarcane and grapes

The main cities of South Africa are Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. It is also famous for Kruger National Park, and it’s big 5 anim

als - buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions and rhinoceroses.

South Africa was colonised by the Dutch and the British and practised Apartheid till 1990.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is one of the most important leaders of the world.

He was a member of ANC party.

He fought against Apartheid in South Africa.

He spent 27 years in a Jail on Robben Island

He received Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Ancient Egypt

The Egyptian civilization was one of the world’s great civilizations. It was different from the rest of Africa, because the flood waters of Nile nourished it every year, turning the area near Nile fertile. The far away lands were still deserts. The natural borders of desert and Mediterranean sea provided good protection to the Egyptians, and they flourished for thousands of years until Roman conquest.

The Egyptian Kings were called Pharoahs, and were as revered by their subjects as Gods, Hieroglyphics, the sacred inscription, found in their buildings let us decipher a lot about their lives. Hieroglyphs is a language made up by using pictographic symbols for letters and sounds. A name in hieroglyphs will be written in an oval box called Cartouche. Egyptians used Papyrus reeds to make paper, baskets and boats!

They strongly believed in Afterlife and would bury their pharaohs in pyramids with all the things he might need in afterlife. They mummified the body using naturally occurring salts called Natron and wrapping the body in bandages. The stone coffin in which mummies were kept are called sarcophagus.

Delhi.

Delhi is the capital of India. Delhi and its’ surrounding areas are together called NCR- National Capital Region.



Delhi is second largest city in India, and sixth largest in the World by population. Delhi shares its’ borders with Haryana and U.P.. Delhi NCT has it’s own state govt. that governs it in consultation with the union Govt.

River Yamuna divides Delhi in East Delhi and the rest. A large part of Delhi is called New Delhi, or Lutyen’s delhi, as it was made by the british architect Edwin Lutyens to house the British Capital of India.

Delhi will host CommonWealth Games in 2010.

Delhi has been inhabitated since long time in History. During Mahabharta it was known as Indraprastha. It has been the capital of Mughals and British , before being crowned as the Capital of independent India.

Delhi has many great places to visit:



Lal Quila: So called because of the red stone with which it is built, the Red Fort is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. India's history is also closely linked with this fort. It was from here ht the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bhadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three century long Mughal rule. It was also from its ramparts that the first prime. Minister of India, pandit Jawharlal Nehru, announced to the nation that India was free form colonial rule.

Chandani Chowk: is the major street in the walled city of Old Delhi. Chandni Chowk runs through the middle of the walled city, from the Lahori Darwaza (Lahore Gate) of the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. Originally a canal ran through the middle of the street as a part of the water supply scheme. It is said that moonlight reflecting on its canal, earned it its name, 'Chandni (Moonlit). Chandni Chowk was once the grandest of the markets in India.

Parliament House :The Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan) is a circular building designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens. The roof of the outer circle of the structure is supported by 144 granite pillars. The Houses are located on Janpath, a stone's throw away from the presidential palace (Rashtrapati Bhavan).It is also seen from the India Gate.

Rashtrapati Bhawan : Formely the Viceregal Lodge, the building is the highlight of Lutyen's New Delhi and was completed in 1929. The palace has 340 rooms.

Akshar Dham: World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India.[1] The complex displays centuries of traditional Indian and Hindu culture, spirituality, and architecture. The building was inspired and moderated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham in Nov. 2005.

India Gate and Amar Jawan Jyoti: Built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers killed in World War I, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens .Built from sandstone, the arch also houses the Eternal Flame, a gesture in memory of the Indian soldiers who laid their lives in the 1971 war with Pakistan. It marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior). This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches that are perpetually kept alive.

Qutub Minar :It is a tower in Delhi, India, is the world's tallest brick minaret.[2] Made by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, it is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. Recent studies shows that this structure has been tilted in one direction.

Jantar Mantar :At first sight, the Jantar Mantar appears like a gallery of modern art. It is, however, an observatory. Sawai Jia Singh II of Jaipur (1699-1743), a keen astronomer and a noble in the Mughal court, was dissatisfied by the errors of brass and metal astronomical instruments.

Jama Masjid: Work on the Jama Masjid mosque was begun in 1650 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to complement his palace at the Red Fort. More than 5,000 workers toiled for six years to complete the largest mosque in India. Every Friday, the emperor and his retinue would travel in state from the fort to the mosque to attend the congressional prayers.

Lotus Temple: It is a Bahai place of Worship. As with all other Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.Inspired by the lotus flower, its design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.

Commonwealth Games 2010: are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India between 3 October and 14 October 2010. This will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi and India generally, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi. The Mascot is Shera, who calls out to all people to “Come out and Play”. The logo is a upward spiraling colourful chakra.