Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

South Shields

2007-05-02T10:42:39Z

Leatherman:

'''South Shields''' is an industrial and port town in the north-east of [[England]], part of the metropolitan borough of [[South Tyneside]] in [[Tyne and Wear]], and historically (until 1974) part of [[County Durham]]. It is located on the south bank of the [[River Tyne]] where the river enters the [[North Sea]].

==== Early History ====

The Romans established a fort, Arbeia, on the headland overlooking rivermouth and sea, and archaeologists believe that there was a small supply port on the river bank. Arbeia was rediscovered in the late nineteenth century and its excavated ruins are open to the public. Attempts to found a medieval town at the site by the Bishops of Durham, in whose domains South Shields lay, were frustrated by the monopoly control over river trade and traffic held by the Corporation of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] until 1850.

==== Economic Development ====

Only in the eighteenth century did the town begin to develop from something other than a scatter of fishermens' huts (the ''shielings'' that give the town its name). Salt boiling on the coast had been a traditional activity; and, combined with iodine from seaweed collected locally, gave the raw ingredients for the manufacture of soda. From these beginnings, substantial chemical, soap and glass industries grew in the nineteenth century. Coal mining also took place locally (the last deep mine in the town, at harton, only closed in the 1990s), and coal export wa simportant: Tyne Dock, created in South Shields by the [[North Eastern Railway Company]], was for many years the largest coal dock in the world in terms of tonnage handled. the town also had a shipbuilding industry, and ship repair and conversion is still carried on.

==== Yemeni Shieldsmen ====

South Shields gained a Muslim Yemeni minority population - descendants of seamen - in the 1890s and despite some disturbances in 1919 between jobless (white) ex-servicemen and Yemenis, community relations are by and large harmonious.

==== Wartime South Shields ====

South Shields suffered a double blow in the [[Second World War]]. The town was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe, and, as a very high proportion of its men were merchant seaman, losses from [[U-boat]] sinkings were heavy. South Shields lost a greater percentage of its civilian population to enemy action than any other town in Britain.

==== Transport ====

South Shields is connected to [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and other districts in [[Tyne & WEar]] by the [[Tyne & Wear Metro]], and to [[North Shields]], on the north bank of the [[River Tyne]], by the [[Shiields Ferry]], the last surviving of dozens of ferries across the river.

==== Sport ====

South Shields is the finishing point of the [[Great North Run]].

South Shields

2007-05-02T10:22:33Z

Leatherman: New page: '''South Shields''' is an industrial and port town in the north-east of England, part of the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, and historically (until 19...

Newcastle upon Tyne

2007-05-02T10:19:32Z

Leatherman:

{{expand}}

'''Newcastle upon Tyne''' (usually referred to simply as Newcastle or locally as 'Toon') is a city in the northeast of [[England]]. It has many interesting [[bridges]] across the [[River]] [[Tyne]]. It has a population of 270,000, and has existed since being founded by the Roman emperor [[Hadrian]]. The people of Newcastle are known as "Geordies" and have a distinctive accent.

The New Castle for which the city was named was first established in 1080 at a strategic crossing-point of the [[River Tyne]] and a medieval borough was chartered to serve the castle. In 1400 Newcastle became 'the town and county of Newcastle upon Tyne' - that is, it was removed from the authority of the Sheriff of [[Northumberland]] and became a county in its own right. It became a city in 1882, and St Nicholas's church was elevated to become a [[cathedral]] in 1906, when the [[diocese]] of Newcastle was formed from the diocese of [[Durham]].
[[
Newcastle's prosperity was at first based upon the castle and on the export of hides, but from the early modern period coal mining and coal export grew to become a massive part of the local economy; glass-manufacture, chemicals , iron smelting, armaments manufacture and shipbuilding followed (all industries making use of the regional coal reserves). Heavy industry is now a thing of the past (with the exception of turbine manufacture, a technology invented in Newcastle by [[Sir Charles Algernon Parsons]] of [[Turbinia]] fame). The economy is based on public administration (the Department of Work & Pensions offices on the edge of the city are the biggest concentration of civil servants outside London), local government, food manufacture, education (the city has two higher education institutions, [[Northumbria University]] and the [[University of Newcastle upon Tyne]]), retailing, and leisure & tourism. Newcastle has a thriving night life, based on clubs and bars in the Bigg Market and Quayside areas.

Sport plays an important role in Newcastle, principally the local football team, [[Newcastle United Football Club]], who play at St James' Park in the city centre. There is also a successful rugby union team, the [[Newcastle Falcons]], and basketball and speedway teams. Horse racing takes place at [[Gosforth]] Park, and greyhound racing and speedway at Brough Park in [[Byker]]. Newcastle is the starting point for the world's largest road race, the [[Great North Run]]. Every year in the early autumn tens of thousands of people run this half-marathon along public roads between Newcastle and [[South Shields]].

Major suburbs of Newcastle include [[Benwell]] [[Byker]], [[Elswick]], [[Fenham]], [[Gosforth]], [[Heaton]], [[Jesmond]], [[Walker]], and [[Westerhope]].

[[Category:UK Towns and Cities]]

St Kilda

2007-05-02T10:13:35Z

Leatherman: Islands in St Kilda Archipelago

An [[archipelago]] in the North [[Atlantic]] [[Ocean]], and an integral part of [[Scotland]]. It lies 41 miles WNW of Griminish Point. In 1901 the St Kilda group had a population of around 150, but the last of these were evacuated in the 1930s. There is now an [[RAF]] missile tracking station on [[Hirta]] (also called St. Kilda), the largest island of the group. Other islands in the St Kilda group are Levenish, Hamalan, Dun, Soay, Am Plastair, Soay Stac, Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin. The islands are owned by the [[National Trust for Scotland]].

== St Kilda trivia ==

There was no Saint Kilda. The name derives from a mistaken transcription by a medieval clerk of the name Skilda.

St Kilda is also a suburb of [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]

[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

OBE

2007-05-02T10:07:26Z

Leatherman: New page: OBE is one of the ranks of honour in the Order of the British Empire; the initials stand not for 'Order of the British Empire' as is commonly assumed, but for ''Officer'' of the Order of t...

OBE is one of the ranks of honour in the Order of the British Empire; the initials stand not for 'Order of the British Empire' as is commonly assumed, but for ''Officer'' of the Order of the British Empire. The award is superior to that of an MBE (Member), but inferior to CBE (Commander) and KBE (Knight). The Order also made provision for the award of the British Empire Medal. This was for decades awarded to [[lollipop ladies]], long-serving milkmen, and other humble toilers, before being abolished, as too patronising, by the government of [[John Major]] in the 1990s.

The order was established by George V during the [[First World War]], and OBEs were lavishly handed out to prosperous suppliers to the military, desk-bound warriors, and the like, so that to the Tommy in the trenches the letters OBE famously stood for "other b*gg*rs' efforts".

Jack Hargreaves

2007-05-02T10:01:50Z

Leatherman: New page: John Herbert ('Jack') Hargreaves, OBE (1911-1994) was a much-loved British television presenter and countryman. His greatest successes were with two long-running [[Southern Television]...

John Herbert ('Jack') Hargreaves, [[OBE]] (1911-1994) was a much-loved British television presenter and countryman. His greatest successes were with two long-running [[Southern Television]] productions, [[How]] and [[Out of Town]]. ''How'' was a children's programme where the presenters - Jack, Bunty, and Fred Dineage - answered questions and made demonstrations in popular science and party tricks (such as 'How do I hold a glass of water upside down without is spilling?'). ''Out of Town'' was a more sedate affair. Jack would often go fishing, or would visit country craftsmen - carvers of shepherds' crooks, makers of fishing flies and the like - and quiz them gently about their work. His role in this programme was parodied by the comedian [[Paul Whitehouse]], whose character Bob Fleming in [[The Fast Show]] was based on Hargreaves.

Jack Hargreaves was [[Pipeman of the Year]] in 1969, an honour doubly deserved, since he grew his own tobacco.

County

2007-05-02T09:50:48Z

Leatherman: /* Pronounciation */

A county, otherwise known as a shire, is a unit of local government that exists in most, and historically, all English speaking countries of the world. The first shires were the ancient divisions of the kingdom of [[Wessex]], and this system was expanded to the whole of [[England]] when the kings of Wessex became kings of England in the 10th century. Towards the end of the [[Medieval]] period the system was further expanded to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. With the growth of the [[British Empire]] the system was expanded to America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Traditionally, the chief officer of a county was a [[sheriff]], a word that comes from the [[Old English]] "shire-reeve" (a "reeve" was a general name for an administrative officer). The most famous sherrif in history was the Sheriff of [[Nottingham]] from the [[Robin Hood]] legends. This office still survives in modern times, though administrative practice has gradually diverged and whereas in the USA a sheriff is nowadays a chief of police, in the UK he is a council officer responsible for enforcing court orders.

==Pronounciation==
The word "shire" is often mis-pronounced. When used on its own, the word is pronounced as "shy-er". This pronounciation also applies to other uses, such as in Shire Horse, Shire Hall, Shire Way, Shire Barn and so on.

When pronounced as part of a county name in the UK, the word is pronounced as "sheer", or alternatively as "shu" (ending with the 'shway' sound conventionally represented by an inverted lower case letter 'e').
[[Category:sociology]]

Newcastle upon Tyne

2007-05-02T09:39:01Z

Leatherman:

{{expand}}

'''Newcastle upon Tyne''' (usually referred to simply as Newcastle or locally as 'Toon') is a city in the northeast of [[England]]. It has many interesting [[bridges]] across the [[River]] [[Tyne]]. It has a population of 270,000, and has existed since being founded by the Roman emperor [[Hadrian]]. The people of Newcastle are known as "Geordies" and have a distinctive accent.

The New Castle for which the city was named was first established in 1080 at a strategic crossing-point of the [[River Tyne]] and a medieval borough was chartered to serve the castle. In 1400 Newcastle became 'the town and county of Newcastle upon Tyne' - that is, it was removed from the authority of the Sheriff of [[Northumberland]] and became a county in its own right. It became a city in 1882, and St Nicholas's church was elevated to become a [[cathedral]] in 1906, when the [[diocese]] of Newcastle was formed from the diocese of [[Durham]].

Newcastle's prosperity was at first based upon the castle and on the export of hides, but from the early modern period coal mining and coal export grew to become a massive part of the local economy; glass-manufacture, chemicals , iron smelting, armaments manufacture and shipbuilding followed (all industries making use of the regional coal reserves). Heavy industry is now a thing of the past (with the exception of turbine manufacture, a technology invented in Newcastle by [[Sir Charles Algernon Parsons]] of [[Turbinia]] fame). The economy is based on public administration (the Department of Work & Pensions offices on the edge of the city are the biggest concentration of civil servants outside London), local government, food manufacture, education (the city has two higher education institutions, [[Northumbria University]] and the [[University of Newcastle upon Tyne]]), retailing, and leisure & tourism. Newcastle has a thriving night life, based on clubs and bars in the Bigg Market and Quayside areas.

Major suburbs of Newcastle include [[Benwell]] [[Byker]], [[Elswick]], [[Fenham]], [[Gosforth]], [[Heaton]], [[Jesmond]], [[Walker]], and [[Westerhope]].

[[Category:UK Towns and Cities]]

Harvey Crippen

2007-04-28T20:22:28Z

Leatherman: New page: Harvey Hawley Crippen was an American quack medicine practitioner who posed as a qualified medical doctor and worked in London as a representative for a patent medicine company. He was...

Harvey Hawley Crippen was an American quack medicine practitioner who posed as a qualified medical doctor and worked in [[London]] as a representative for a patent medicine company. He was married to Kunigunde Mackamotski, a music hall artiste who went by the stage name of Belle Elmore, and the couple lived, unhappily, at Hilldrop Crescent in north London.

(unfinished)

Guglielmo Marconi

2007-04-28T20:19:14Z

Leatherman:

'''Guglielmo Marconi''' was an Italian electrical engineer who is often credited as the "inventor" of the wireless telegraph and the radio.

The groundwork for radio had been laid by [[James Clerk Maxwell]], whose equations predicted the existence of radio waves, and [[Heinrich Hertz]], who first discovered them in the laboratory. Several inventors, notably [[Oliver Lodge]], were working on wireless telegraphy.

Marconi, however, had the entrepreneurial spirit and a relentless drive to turn wireless telegraphy into a practical reality. Working mostly by trial and error, he made improvement after improvement, constantly making his receivers more sensitive and his transmitters more powerful. He also built up a business, originally in ship-to-shore communication, training Marconi operators and installing Marconi service in ships.

He was driven by the desire to demonstrate communication across the Atlantic ocean. He built stations at Wellfleet on Cape Cod, in [[Newfoundland]], and [[Cornwall]], England. It is not completely clear why he thought this was so important, as the Atlantic Cable was already in operation, providing reliable telegraph service, but he may have known that this would capture the public imagination and prove the practicality of radio as nothing else would. He succeeded in 1902, and perhaps it was this as much as anything else that made "Marconi" synonymous with "radio."

Marconi did not develop "radio" as we use the word today, i.e. voice communication (radio telephony), or the the broadcasting of radio programs. That was the work of others, notably [[Reginald Fessenden]]

For his achievements, Marconi shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1909.

A recent bestselling nonfiction book by Erik Larson, ''Thunderstruck,'' tells the interleaved stories of Marconi's development of radio and a famous real murder case, the [[Crippen]] murder. The stories converge because Crippen and his mistress believed they were safely escaping from England on an ocean liner. They were unaware that the captain of the ship suspected them and had radioed back to London. Crippen would chat at dinner with the captain, totally unaware that the Marconi operator was in touch with the British police, that a detective had boarded a faster ocean liner and was chasing Crippen, and that millions of people were reading about the chase in newspapers every day.

[[Category:Inventors|Marconi, Guglielmo]]

Shetland Islands

2007-04-28T20:09:58Z

Leatherman:

The '''Shetland''' Islands are the most northerly county of the [[British Isles]]. Lying to the north of the [[Orkney]] Islands, the group comprises the large Mainland or Zetland, Yell, Unst, Fetlar and Whalsay, the isolated outlying islands of Foula and Fair Isle, and many smaller stacks and skerries.

The islands are on the whole low-lying, windswept, waterlogged and desolate. There is a conspicuous absence of trees. Only a few of the islands are inhabited. The capital is at Kirkwall on Mainland, and other important settlements are at Sumburgh, Scalloway, Otterswick and Baltasound.

The name Zetland was until the early 20th century applied to the county as a whole; and survives in the truncated form of the postcode (US: zip code) prefix for the islands, which is ZE. It is also the origin of the given name Zeta, popular for Shetland girl children and still sometimes encountered, for example in the film actress Catherine Zeta Jones, from [[Swansea]], [[Wales]], whose maternal grandmother was a Shetlander.

== Economy ==

Farming activities on the islands are today mostly restricted to the rough grazing of [[sheep]] and Highland [[cattle]], though historically [[crofting|crofters]] grew [[oats]], [[barley]] and mangelwurzels for their own use. The islands have characteristic breeds of pony and sheepdog, both considerably smaller than mainland varieties.

Fishing, especially for [[cod]] and ling was historically important, the catches being exported in Medieval times to the cities of the [[Hanseatic League]].

Today, the [[oil]] industry dominates the islands economy, and is served by the huge terminal at Sullom Voe.

Fair Isle is famous for its jumpers, colorfully patterned woollen sweaters, traditionally knitted with no arms so that they can be worn while gathering [[seaweed]] from rockpools to be used as [[fertiliser]]; making these is still the primary occupation of the islands womenfolk today, although now they are exported worldwide and fetch high prices.

== Wildlife ==

Native wildlife includes large [[seal]] colonies of both grey and common seals, and there are many local tales about [[mermaid]]s who disguised themselves as seals.

[[Basking shark]]s migrate past the islands.

Internationally important colonies of sea birds including [[gannet]]s, [[guillemot]]s, [[razorbill]]s, [[puffin]]s.

The isolated nature of the islands draws in a surprising number of avian rarities, especially in spring and autumn, from as far afield as [[Siberia]] and [[Alaska]], which in turn draw large numbers of birdwatchers.

[[Category:UK Counties]]
[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

Shetland Islands

2007-04-28T20:08:22Z

Leatherman: typo

The '''Shetland''' Islands are the most northerly county of the [[British Isles]]. Lying to the north of the [[Orkney]] Islands, the group comprises the large Mainland or Zetland, Yell, Unst, Fetlar and Whalsay, the isolated outlying islands of Foula and Fair Isle, and many smaller stacks and skerries.

The islands are on the whole low-lying, windswept, waterlogged and desolate. There is a conspicuous absence of trees. Only a few of the islands are inhabited. The capital is at Kirkwall on Mainland, and other important settlements are at Sumburgh, Scalloway, Otterswick and Baltasound.

The name Zetland was until the early 20th century applied to the county as a whole; and survives in the truncated form of the postcode (US: zip code) prefix for the islands, which is ZE. It is also the origin of the given name Zeta, popular for Shetland girl children an still sometimes encountered, for example in the film actress Catherine Zeta Jones, from [[Swansea}}, [[Wales]], whose maternal grandmother was a Shetlander.

== Economy ==

Farming activities on the islands are today mostly restricted to the rough grazing of [[sheep]] and Highland [[cattle]], though historically [[crofting|crofters]] grew [[oats]], [[barley]] and mangelwurzels for their own use. The islands have characteristic breeds of pony and sheepdog, both considerably smaller than mainland varieties.

Fishing, especially for [[cod]] and ling was historically important, the catches being exported in Medieval times to the cities of the [[Hanseatic League]].

Today, the [[oil]] industry dominates the islands economy, and is served by the huge terminal at Sullom Voe.

Fair Isle is famous for its jumpers, colorfully patterned woollen sweaters, traditionally knitted with no arms so that they can be worn while gathering [[seaweed]] from rockpools to be used as [[fertiliser]]; making these is still the primary occupation of the islands womenfolk today, although now they are exported worldwide and fetch high prices.

== Wildlife ==

Native wildlife includes large [[seal]] colonies of both grey and common seals, and there are many local tales about [[mermaid]]s who disguised themselves as seals.

[[Basking shark]]s migrate past the islands.

Internationally important colonies of sea birds including [[gannet]]s, [[guillemot]]s, [[razorbill]]s, [[puffin]]s.

The isolated nature of the islands draws in a surprising number of avian rarities, especially in spring and autumn, from as far afield as [[Siberia]] and [[Alaska]], which in turn draw large numbers of birdwatchers.

[[Category:UK Counties]]
[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

Shetland Islands

2007-04-28T20:07:53Z

Leatherman:

The '''Shetland''' Islands are the most northerly county of the [[British Isles]]. Lying to the north of the [[Orkney]] Islands, the group comprises the large Mainland or Zetland, Yell, Unst, Fetlar and Whalsay, the isolated outlying islands of Foula and Fair Isle, and many smaller stacks and skerries.

The islands are on the whole low-lying, windswept, waterlogged and desolate. There is a conspicuous absence of trees. Only a few of the islands are inhabited. The capital is at Kirkwall on Mainland, and other important settlements are at Sumburgh, Scalloway, Otterswick and Baltasound.

The name Zetland was until the early 20th century applied to the county as a whole; and survives in the truncated form of the postcode (US: zip code) prefix for the islands, which is ZE. It is also the gorigin of the given name Zeta, popular for Shetland girl children an still sometimes encountered, for example in the film actress Catherine Zeta Jones, from [[Swansea}}, [[Wales]], whose maternal grandmother was a Shetlander.

== Economy ==

Farming activities on the islands are today mostly restricted to the rough grazing of [[sheep]] and Highland [[cattle]], though historically [[crofting|crofters]] grew [[oats]], [[barley]] and mangelwurzels for their own use. The islands have characteristic breeds of pony and sheepdog, both considerably smaller than mainland varieties.

Fishing, especially for [[cod]] and ling was historically important, the catches being exported in Medieval times to the cities of the [[Hanseatic League]].

Today, the [[oil]] industry dominates the islands economy, and is served by the huge terminal at Sullom Voe.

Fair Isle is famous for its jumpers, colorfully patterned woollen sweaters, traditionally knitted with no arms so that they can be worn while gathering [[seaweed]] from rockpools to be used as [[fertiliser]]; making these is still the primary occupation of the islands womenfolk today, although now they are exported worldwide and fetch high prices.

== Wildlife ==

Native wildlife includes large [[seal]] colonies of both grey and common seals, and there are many local tales about [[mermaid]]s who disguised themselves as seals.

[[Basking shark]]s migrate past the islands.

Internationally important colonies of sea birds including [[gannet]]s, [[guillemot]]s, [[razorbill]]s, [[puffin]]s.

The isolated nature of the islands draws in a surprising number of avian rarities, especially in spring and autumn, from as far afield as [[Siberia]] and [[Alaska]], which in turn draw large numbers of birdwatchers.

[[Category:UK Counties]]
[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

Kent

2007-04-28T20:03:20Z

Leatherman:

Kent is a [[county]] that covers the south east tip of [[England]], nearest to [[Europe]]. Towns and cities include [[Maidstone]], [[Margate]], and [[Canterbury]]. Canterbury is the headquarters of the [[Church of England]]. On 28 April 2007 east Kent was struck by an [[earthquake]] which caused significant damage.

Sudetenland

2007-04-28T18:20:54Z

Leatherman: New page: The Sudetenland was the area of mountains and hills forming a 'rim' around the western part of Czechoslovakia (corrsponding to the modern Czech Republic). Although the area was inh...

The Sudetenland was the area of mountains and hills forming a 'rim' around the western part of [[Czechoslovakia]] (corrsponding to the modern [[Czech Republic]]). Although the area was inhabited mainly by ethnic Germans, it became part of the new state of Czechoslovakia when the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] disintegrated in 1918. Elements within the Sudeten German population, led by Henlein, agitated for union with Germany claiming discrimination by the majority Czech population of the new state; and they were supported in this by [[Adolf Hitler]] following his rise to power in 1933. In 1938, by a mixture of threats and bluff, Hitler persuaded Britain and France to agree to the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany (already enlarged by the annexation of [[Austria]], or [[Anschluss]], earlier the same year). This not only gained him kudos within Germany and with the Sudeten Germans, but it robbed Czechoslovakia of a defendable border and made the nation easy prey for the German subversion and agression which led to its dismemberment in 1939. Following Germany's defeat in the [[Second World War]], the Czech population and armed forces in 1945 turned on the now defenceless Sudeten German population, killing thousands and expelling the remainder.

Neville Chamberlain

2007-04-28T18:11:45Z

Leatherman: England and Britain are not synonymous.

[[Image:Neville Chamberlain2.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Neville Chamberlain holding the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both [[Adolf Hitler]] and himself on his return from Germany at Heston Airport on September 1938. He said: ''My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time''.]]

British Prime Minister '''Neville Chamberlain''' was born in 1869 and died in 1940. He became Prime Minister in 1937 and together with France's [[Edouard Daladier]] signed the [[Munich Pact]] with [[Germany]]. This allowed Germany to annex the [[Sudetenland]] in exchange for peace. Chamberlain received a hero's welcome upon his return to Great Britain, declaring that the pact had provided "peace in our time." He also immediately took steps to bring the Britsh armed forces into a state of readiness for war.

Not long after, Hitler took all of [[Czechoslovokia]] and then invaded [[Poland]], starting [[World War II]]. Shortly thereafter, Chamberlain resigned and Churchill became Prime Minister. Without the months to prepare that Chamberlain had gained by making the Munich Pact, the war would undoubtably have gone far worse for the United Kingdom than it did.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, Neville}}
[[Category:UK Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:World War II]]

Kursk

2007-04-28T18:04:17Z

Leatherman: date & significance.

{{move|Battle of Kursk}}

{{stub}}

The '''Battle of Kursk''' in 1943 was the largest [[tank]] battle in history. It was between the [[German]] [[Werhmacht]] and the [[Russian]] [[Red Army]]. German forces attempted to encircle Soviet forces in the Kursk Salient on the eastern front, but strong Soviet resistance defeated the German assault. Kursk was the last German offensive of any strategic significance in the east; henceforth, they would conduct a fighting retreat.

[[Category:World War II]]

Conurbation

2007-04-28T12:48:26Z

Leatherman: New page: A conurbation is an agglomeration of urban areas forming a single large multi-centred built-up area. The term was coined by the Scottish biologist and urban theorist Patrick Geddes (18...

A conurbation is an agglomeration of urban areas forming a single large multi-centred built-up area. The term was coined by the Scottish biologist and urban theorist [[Patrick Geddes]] (1854-1932).

Category talk:Bodies of Water

2007-04-28T12:43:14Z

Leatherman: New page: And canals ~~~~

And canals [[User:Leatherman|Leatherman]] 08:43, 28 April 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Haltwhistle

2007-04-28T12:41:31Z

Leatherman: New page: Merger? Fairy nuff, I suppose. But the temptation will now be there to spend all weekend adding Northumberland stuff... ~~~~

Merger? Fairy nuff, I suppose. But the temptation will now be there to spend all weekend adding Northumberland stuff... [[User:Leatherman|Leatherman]] 08:41, 28 April 2007 (EDT)

Haltwhistle

2007-04-28T12:35:36Z

Leatherman: New page: Haltwhistle is a small market town in Northumberland, north-east England, on the River North Tyne. It lies at the geographical centre of the island of Great Britain. Th...

Haltwhistle is a small market town in [[Northumberland]], north-east [[England]], on the River North [[Tyne]]. It lies at the geographical centre of the [[island]] of [[Great Britain]]. The name has no railway connections (although Haltwhistle is on one of the earliest railways in the world, the [[Newcastle & Carlisle Railway]] of 1835); it derives from the 'junnction of streams (OE ''twisla'') by the hill (OE ''heafod''). Paint manufacture was the town's sole major industry; since the paint factory closed in the early 21st century Haltwhistle has been attempting to reinvent itself as a centre for tourism.

River Tyne

2007-04-28T12:29:17Z

Leatherman: South Tyne

The River Tyne is formed by the confluence of the rivers North Tyne and South Tyne at Warden, near [[Hexham]], [[Northumberland]], in north-east [[England]], and flows eastwards past the city of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and through the former industrial heartland of the [[Tyneside]] [[conurbation]] before entering the [[North Sea]] between [[Tynemouth]] and [[South Shields]].

=== The Coaly Tyne ===

It is best known for the industry that grew up on its banks from the early modern period, principally shipbuilding, chemicals manufacture, and the mining and export of coal. Coal was mined and shipped on a small scale from the medieval period, becoming an increasingly capitalised industry from the early seventeenth century. The presence of large supplies of cheap coal boosted other industries, notably glass, chemicals, iron smelting and founding, and, from the 1840s, iron ship building. But coal was predominant (the river is hymned as "the coaly Tyne"), millions of tons being exported each year at the river's peak.

=== The 19th century river ===

By the early nineteenth century the state of the river was impeding trade: it was shallow and shoaly, with low tide and droughts often holding up colliers (coal carrying vessels) for weeks on end; one contemporary, invited to comment on the river, described it as "a curs'd horse-pond". Newcastle Corporation held the rights to the river, and, as well as preventing developoment by other riverside communities, and drawing a rich income from tolls, did little to improve the navigation. Change only came once a combination of commercial and municipal interests had wrested sovereignty of the river away from Newcastle in 1850, vesting it in an independent body, the [[Tyne Improvement Commission]]. The TIC appointed engineer [[John F. Ure]] (who had improved the River Clyde in Glasgow), who drew up a major scheme for dredging and straightening the course of river for 18 miles and creating coal export docks. Shoals were dredged, rocky outcrops blasted away, the river bed deepened, piers constructed at the mouth, and the 18th century [[Tyne Bridge]] in Newcastle was demolished and replaced by a hydraulic swing bridge. The TIC constructed the Northumberland and Albert Edward docks on the north bank of the Tyne to facilitate coal export; but these were eclipsed by the huge Tyne Dock, built on the south bank by the [[North Eastern Railway]] Company, which held a regional monopoly on coal traffic.

=== "Waterside Living" ===

Heavuy industry dominated the lower Tyne until the late nineteenth century, but from the 1980s onwards has virtually disappeared, although ship repair and conversion yards are still in operation and [[North Shields]] has a fishing fleet. The chemical industry faded in the late 19th century; mining and shipbuilding in the second half of the 20th. Since the 1980s the river has seen various efforts at urban regeneration (of the kind pioneered in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]), involving the erection of houses and flats with river views, an art gallery, a major concert hall, prestigious business premises, restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and nightclubs, catering for a new leisure culture.

=== River North Tyne ===

The River North Tyne rises at Deadwater, on the Anglo-Scottish border, flowing sout-eastwards past Kielder and into [[Kielder Water]], the largest man-made reservoir in Europe, formed in the 1970s by damming the North Tyne near Falstone, [[Northumberland]]. Issuing from the reservoir, the river flows past the small market town of [[Bellingham]] and the [[Roman]] cavalry fort at [[Chesters]], where [[Hadrian's Wall]] crossed the river on a bridge whose abutments are still visible, before joining the South Tyne at Warden.

=== River South Tyne ===

The River South Tyne rises (as Black Burn) on [[Cross Fell]], [[Cumberland]], within a mile of the springs of two other major northern rivers - the [[River Tees]] and the [[River Eden]]. It flows northwards through [[Alston]], the highest market town in England, turning eastwards near [[Haltwhistle]] before meeting the North Tyne at Warden.

River Tyne

2007-04-28T12:24:31Z

Leatherman: North Tyne

The River Tyne is formed by the confluence of the rivers North Tyne and South Tyne at Warden, near [[Hexham]], [[Northumberland]], in north-east [[Eangland]], and flows eastwards past the city of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and through the former industrial heartland of the [[Tyneside]] [[conurbation]] before entering the [[North Sea]] between [[Tynemouth]] and [[South Shields]].

=== The Coaly Tyne ===

It is best known for the industry that grew up on its banks from the early modern period, principally shipbuilding, chemicals manufacture, and the mining and export of coal. Coal was mined and shipped on a small scale from the medieval period, becoming an increasingly capitalised industry from the early seventeenth century. The presence of large supplies of cheap coal boosted other industries, notably glass, chemicals, iron smelting and founding, and, from the 1840s, iron ship building. But coal was predominant (the river is hymned as "the coaly Tyne"), millions of tons being exported each year at the river's peak.

=== The 19th century river ===

By the early nineteenth century the state of the river was impeding trade: it was shallow and shoaly, with low tide and droughts often holding up colliers (coal carrying vessels) for weeks on end; one contemporary, invited to comment on the river, described it as "a curs'd horse-pond". Newcastle Corporation held the rights to the river, and, as well as preventing developoment by other riverside communities, and drawing a rich income from tolls, did little to improve the navigation. Change only came once a combination of commercial and municipal interests had wrested sovereignty of the river away from Newcastle in 1850, vesting it in an independent body, the [[Tyne Improvement Commission]]. The TIC appointed engineer [[John F. Ure]] (who had improved the River Clyde in Glasgow), who drew up a major scheme for dredging and straightening the course of river for 18 miles and creating coal export docks. Shoals were dredged, rocky outcrops blasted away, the river bed deepened, piers constructed at the mouth, and the 18th century [[Tyne Bridge]] in Newcastle was demolished and replaced by a hydraulic swing bridge. The TIC constructed the Northumberland and Albert Edward docks on the north bank of the Tyne to facilitate coal export; but these were eclipsed by the huge Tyne Dock, built on the south bank by the [[North Eastern Railway]] Company, which held a regional monopoly on coal traffic.

=== "Waterside Living" ===

Heavuy industry dominated the lower Tyne until the late nineteenth century, but from the 1980s onwards has virtually disappeared, although ship repair and conversion yards are still in operation and [[North Shields]] has a fishing fleet. The chemical industry faded in the late 19th century; mining and shipbuilding in the second half of the 20th. Since the 1980s the river has seen various efforts at urban regeneration (of the kind pioneered in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]), involving the erection of houses and flats with river views, an art gallery, a major concert hall, prestigious business premises, restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and nightclubs, catering for a new leisure culture.

=== River North Tyne ===

The River North Tyne rises at Deadwater, on the Anglo-Scottish border, flowing past Kielder and into [[Kielder Water]], the largest man-made reservoir in Europe, formed in the 1970s by damming the North Tyne near Falstone, [[Northumberland]]. Issuing from the reservoir, the river flows past the small market town of [[Bellingham]] and the [[Roman]] cavalry fort at [[Chesters]], where [[Hadrian's Wall]] crossed the river on a bridge whose abutments are still visible, before joining the South Tyne at Warden.

River Tyne

2007-04-28T12:17:45Z

Leatherman: New page: The River Tyne is formed by the confluence of the rivers North Tyne and South Tyne at Warden, near Hexham, Northumberland, in north-east Eangland, and flows eastwards past the ...

The River Tyne is formed by the confluence of the rivers North Tyne and South Tyne at Warden, near [[Hexham]], [[Northumberland]], in north-east [[Eangland]], and flows eastwards past the city of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and through the former industrial heartland of the [[Tyneside]] [[conurbation]] before entering the [[North Sea]] between [[Tynemouth]] and [[South Shields]].

=== The Coaly Tyne ===

It is best known for the industry that grew up on its banks from the early modern period, principally shipbuilding, chemicals manufacture, and the mining and export of coal. Coal was mined and shipped on a small scale from the medieval period, becoming an increasingly capitalised industry from the early seventeenth century. The presence of large supplies of cheap coal boosted other industries, notably glass, chemicals, iron smelting and founding, and, from the 1840s, iron ship building. But coal was predominant (the river is hymned as "the coaly Tyne"), millions of tons being exported each year at the river's peak.

=== The 19th century river ==

By the early nineteenth century the state of the river was impeding trade: it was shallow and shoaly, with low tide and droughts often holding up colliers (coal carrying vessels) for weeks on end; one contemporary, invited to comment on the river, described it as "a curs'd horse-pond". Newcastle Corporation held the rights to the river, and, as well as preventing developoment by other riverside communities, and drawing a rich income from tolls, did little to improve the navigation. Change only came once a combination of commercial and municipal interests had wrested sovereignty of the river away from Newcastle in 1850, vesting it in an independent body, the Tyne Improvement Commission. The TIC appointed engineer [[John F. Ure]] (who had improved the River Clyde in Glasgow), who drew up a major scheme for dredging and straightening the course of river for 18 miles and creating coal export docks. Shoals were dredged, rocky outcrops blasted away, the river bed deepened, piers constructed at the mouth, and the 18th century Tyne Bridge in Newcastle was demolished and replaced by a hydraulic swing bridge. The TIC constructed the Northumberland and Albert Edward docks on the north bank of the Tyne to facilitate coal export; but these were eclipsed by the huge Tyne Dock, built on the south bank by the North Eastern Railway Company, which held a regional monopoly on coal traffic.

=== "Waterside Living2 ===

Heavuy industry dominated the lower Tyne until the late nineteenth century, but from the 1980s onwards has virtually disappeared, although ship repair and conversion yards are still in operation and North Shields has a fishing fleet. The chemical industry faded in the late 19th century; mining and shipbuilding in the second half of the 20th. Since the 1980s the river has seen various efforts at urban regeneration (of the kind pioneered in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]), involving the erection of houses and flats with river views, an art gallery, a major concert hall, pretigious business premises, restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and nightclubs, catering for a new leisure culture.

Talk:Taiwan

2007-04-28T11:56:51Z

Leatherman: /* Status of Taiwan as a nation and in relation to PRC */

== Status of Taiwan as a nation and in relation to PRC ==

While Taiwan's status as a nation remains disputed, it surely satisfies the criteria sufficiently to be included in this category. I suspect most people here on Conservapedia regard it as a more legitimate state than the PRC.

I've placed it in <nowiki>[[Category:Asian Countries]]</nowiki> not because I hold strong opinions about its status, but purely because it seems sensible to include it here.

But I'd welcome an expanded discussion of Taiwan's status vis-a-vis the PRC within the page. --[[User:Jeremiah4-22|Jeremiah4-22]] 16:13, 5 April 2007 (EDT)

:Since "Taiwan's status as a nation remains disputed", I would assume it does not qualify for this category. If anything, the other article on the [[Republic of China]] should fall under this category, and not Taiwan. [[User:Scriabin|Scriabin]] 16:21, 5 April 2007 (EDT)

To state that the Japanese occupation of Taiwan was beneficial is erroneous. For the indigenous, non-Han, Taiwanese people, the Japanese were an enemy (and to some tribes, a food source), and the Japanese were responsible for massacring aboriginal people and banning many aspects of their traditional ways of life. It could be argued that the Japanese occupation was beneficial to the Han in terms of transport, modernisation, etc, however.
On that note, Taiwanese aboriginal people are not mentioned at all in the article. Why? They were the only people there for the vast majority of history.

Given that neither the RoC government on Taiwan not the PRC government regard Taiwan as anything other than a province of China, surely it is mere propaganda to treat Taiwan as if it were a separate nation. Also, it is inaccurate to say that 'most' of the world recognised RoC rather than PRC until the US changed horses in 1971. The following is a list of non-communist states recognising the PRC, with dates: 1950: India, Indonesia, Sweden, Denmark, Burma, Switzerland, Finland. 1951: Pakistan. 1955: Afghanistan, Nepal. 1956: Egypt, Syria, Yemen. 1957: Sri Lanka. 1958: Cambodia, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria. 1959: Sudan, Guinea. 1960: Ghana, Mali, Somalia. 1961: Zaire, Laos. 1962: Uganda. 1963: Kenya, Burundi. 1964: Tunisia, France, Congo, Tanzania, Central African Republic, Benin. 1965: Mauritania. 1968: Yemen (Aden). 1970: Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Italy, Ethiopia, Chile.
[[User:Leatherman|Leatherman]] 07:56, 28 April 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Taiwan

2007-04-28T11:55:17Z

Leatherman:

Wallsend

2007-04-28T11:39:16Z

Leatherman: New page: Wallsend is an industrial town lying on the north bank of the River Tyne in north-east England, between Newcastle upon Tyne and North Shields. Wallsend is so named because ...

Wallsend is an industrial town lying on the north bank of the [[River Tyne]] in north-east [[England]], between [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and [[North Shields]]. Wallsend is so named because it marked the eastern terminus of [[Hadrian's Wall]], and the town grew on the site of a Roman fort, [[Segedunum]]. It became a singificant coal mining centre in the eighteenth century, and in the latter nineteenth and twentieth centuries shipbuilding was a very major industry: the [[Mauretania]] was built at Wallsend. The last shipyard, Swan, Hunter & Co., closed in the early twenty-first century.

== Famous people from Wallsend ==

Gordon Sumner (Sting), rock musician.
[[T. Dan Smith]] (Thomas Daniel Smith), city politician (known as 'Mr. Newcastle', he implemented a major redevelopment of Newcastle city centre and was head of the regional development agency for north-east England, before being gaoled for corruption in the [[Poulson Affair]]).

Whitley Bay

2007-04-28T11:32:45Z

Leatherman:

Whitley Bay is a residential district and seaside resort in the Metropolitan Borough of [[North Tyneside]], [[Tyne & Wear]], in north-east [[England]]. It gained its current name in the early twentieth century, having previously been known just as Whitley. The change was made to avoid confusion in sending letters and parcels to, or booking railwat tickets to, [[Whitby]] in [[Yorkshire]].

Whitley Bay's position on the coast, overlooking scenic bays, and its closeness to main-line railway connections, helped it to gain a positive reputation as a resort for working-class holidaymakers from [[Glasgow]] and other towns in central [[Scotland]], as well as for day-trippers from industrial [[Tyneside]]. It also prospered as a middle-class dormitory for [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], to which it was connected by one of England's earliest commuter railways.

In the Edwardian period the [[Spanish City]] was opened, a pleasure park built of white-painted reinforced concrete in a Spanish-Moorish style by architects [[Cackett & Burns Dick]] of Newcastle. The Spanish City survives, but is no longer (2007) a funfair. Derelict, it awaits new uses. The Spanish City was mentioned in the plangent ''Tunnel of Love'' by ''The Police'' - Sting (Gordon Sumner), coming from the nearby industrial town of [[Wallsend]], would have been well familiar with Whitley Bay.

Today Whitley Bay retains popularity as a residential centre (linked by the modern Metro system to Newcastle and other towns in [[Tyne & Wear]]), but the sea front is depressing and run down: Glasgow workers no longer wish for the chilly Northumbrian coast, but go abroad to warmer climes. The local council periodically produces plans to rejuvenate the resort, but it remains a fine location and subject for students of melancholy.

Qing dynasty

2007-04-28T11:26:41Z

Leatherman:

The Qing (''Ch'ing'' in [[Wade-Giles]] transliteration) dynasty, sometimes known as the [[Manchu]] dynasty, was the last dynastic house to rule Imperial [[China]]. The Qing dynasty succeeded the [[Ming]] in 1644, and was itself replaced by the [[Republic of China]] in 1912.

=== Origins of the Qing ===

The Qing dynasty had its origins in the area north of the [[Great Wall]] in what is now NE China, known in the west as [[Manchuria]]. A local semi-[[nomadic]] [[Jurchen]] tribal leader,Nurhachi (1559-1626), amalgameted a number of tribes and reorganised them along state lines, with an army divided into Banners; in 1625 he established a capital at [[Shenyang}} ([[Mukden]]). In 1635 Nurhachi's successor Abahai (1592-1643) decreed that the nation be known by the name Manchu, and in 1636 named his dynasty Qing and proclaimed himself emperor. As Manchu power grew north of the Wall, to its south the Ming government was in terminal decline. The Chinese empire was ravaged by revolt, and in 1644 one rebel leader, Li Zicheng, occupied Beijing and declared himself emperor. The last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, hanged himself on Coal Hill, overlooking the [[Forbidden City]]. Horrified by the rebel success, the Ming commander of the garrison at the strategic pass of Shanhaiguan - where the Great Wall meets the Bohai gulf - allowed Qing forces to pass through the Wall, and they quickly occupied Beijing, establishing the new dynasty as rulers of China. Resistance to the Qing persisted in southern China (under the so-called Southern Ming) for another decade and a half, and all resistance was not stifled until 1681.

== High Qing ==

The Qing reached its zenith of power, prestige and cultural achievement under the emperors [[Kangxi]] (reigned 1662-1722), Yongzheng (r. 1722-36) and [[Qianlong]] (r. 1736-99).

[[Category:Chinese History]]

Qing dynasty

2007-04-28T11:20:39Z

Leatherman:

The Qing (''Ch'ing'' in [[Wade-Giles]] transliteration) dynasty, sometimes known as the [[Manchu]] dynasty, was the last dynastic house to rule Imperial [[China]]. The Qing dynasty succeeded the [[Ming]] in 1644, and was itself replaced by the [[Republic of China]] in 1912.

=== Origins of the Qing ===

The Qing dynasty had its origins in the area north of the [[Great Wall]] in what is now NE China, known in the west as [[Manchuria]]. A local semi-[[nomadic]] [[Jurchen]] tribal leader,[Nurhaci (1559-1626), amalgameted a number of tribes and reorganised them along state lines, with an army divided into Banners; in 1625 he established a capital at [[Shenyang}} ([[Mukden]]). In 1635 Nurhaci's successor Abahai (1592-1643) decreed that the nation be known by the name Manchu, and in 1636 named his dynasty Qing and proclaimed himself emperor. As Manchu power grew north of the Wall, to its south the Ming government was in terminal decline. The Chinese empire was ravaged by revolt, and in 1644 one rebel leader, Li Zicheng, occupied Beijing and declared himself emperor. The last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, hanged himself on Coal Hill, overlooking the [[Forbidden City]]. Horrified by the rebel success, the Ming commander of the garrison at the strategic pass of Shanhaiguan - where the Great Wall meets the Bohai gulf - allowed Qing forces to pass through the Wall, and they quickly occupied Beijing, establishing the new dynasty as rulers of China. Resistance to the Qing persisted in southern China (under the so-called Southern Ming) for another decade and a half.

[[Category:Chinese History]]

Qing dynasty

2007-04-28T11:04:03Z

Leatherman: New page: The Qing (''Ch'ing'' in Wade-Giles transliteration) dynasty, sometimes known as the Manchu dynasty, was the last dynastic house to rule Imperial China. The Qing dynasty succeed...

Magnus Magnusson

2007-04-28T00:41:25Z

Leatherman:

'''Magnus Magnusson''' was a Icelandic [[BBC]] television presenter, resident in [[Scotland]] for most of his life and [[Pipeman of the Year]]. He hosted the quiz show Mastermind for many years. He was the father of [[Sally Magnusson]], though strictly speaking she should have been called Sally Magnusdottir.

[[Category:Broadcasters]]

Magnus Magnusson

2007-04-28T00:40:38Z

Leatherman:

'''Magnus Magnusson''' wass a Icelandic [[BBC]] television presenter, resident in Scotland for most of his life and Pipeman of the Year. He hosted the quiz show Mastermind for many years. He was the father of [[Sally Magnusson]], though strictly speaking she should have been called Sally Magnusdottir.

[[Category:Broadcasters]]

Eva Braun

2007-04-28T00:37:19Z

Leatherman: Can I say mistress on CP?

{{stub}}

'''Eva Braun''' was the mistress of [[Adolf Hitler]] Shortly after marrying him, they committed [[suicide]] together on April 25 1945.

[[Category:Women|Braun, Eva]]

Blandford

2007-04-28T00:30:59Z

Leatherman: Rebuilt by the Bastards.

'''Blandford''', more formally known as Blandford Forum, is a town in [[Dorset]].

It is known for a biting insect, the Blandford Fly, which has occasionally caused fatalities.

It was burned down in the eighteenth century and rebuilt in a unified classical style by the Bastard brothers.

Wuchang

2007-04-28T00:29:16Z

Leatherman: New page: Urban area of central China, in Hubei province; with Hankou and Hanyang part of the triple-city of Wuhan. A military mutiny in the Wuchang Garrison on 10 October 1911 (the 'dou...

Urban area of central [[China]], in [[Hubei]] province; with Hankou and Hanyang part of the triple-city of [[Wuhan]]. A military mutiny in the Wuchang Garrison on 10 October 1911 (the 'double ten') sparked the 1911 Revolution in China.

Magnus Magnusson

2007-04-28T00:26:00Z

Leatherman: New page: Icelandic BBC television presenter and Pipeman of the Year. He hosted the quiz Mastermind for mnaty years.

Icelandic [[BBC]] television presenter and Pipeman of the Year. He hosted the quiz Mastermind for mnaty years.

Boxer Rebellion

2007-04-28T00:20:14Z

Leatherman: /* In popular culture */ 55 Days in Peking

The so-called '''Boxer Rebellion''' occurred in [[China]] in 1899-1900. The uprising was prompted by [[xenophobia|xenophobic]] resentment of the increasing numbers of [[Christian]] [[missionary|missionaries]] in north China and from popular outrage at the failure of the [[Qing]] court to effectively resist the depredations of foreign powers in China (which had been increasing in scope since the [[Opium War]] of 1839-42). The lack of openness to the Christian message on the part of the Chinese authorities - both imperial and commmunist - has been a source of much misfortune to the population of that country throughout history.

The Boxer movement was known in Chinese as the 'Society of Righteous (or Harmonious) Fists', and it practiced a martial art which appeared much like sparring to western observers, hence its western name. It built upon a tradition of secret society activity among the lower orders of society and dispossessed intelligentsia, and initially adopted the slogan 'destroy the Qing, restore the Ming' (the Qing being the non-[[Han]] Chinese 'Manchu' dynasty; the [[Ming]], predecessors of the Qing, being ethnic Han Chinese). The Boxer movement arose at a time of division and faction in the Qing court, and anti-Western courtiers believed that it could be harnessed as a means of overcoming foreign influence. Slowly a new slogan prevailed among the Boxers, 'Support the Qing, destroy the foreigners'.

The [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] herself appeared to give support to the Boxers, who occupied [[Peking]] and beseiged the foreign legations in the city in the summer of 1900. However, although Cixi declared [[war]] on the powers and committed official Chinese forces to the [[siege]], moderate elements at court were able to moderate her actions. The legation quarter siege was pursued only half-heartedly; and senior statesmen such as [[Li Hongzhang]] (known as 'the [[Bismark]] of China', in temporary eclipse at court and at that time Governor General of Canton) and [[Yuan Shikai]] (Governor of [[Shandong]], and head of the country's most modern armies) were able to come to a separate agreement with the powers. This unpublished agreement ensured that the war was confined to a few provinces of northern China, and, although the imperial government had declared war, the western powers would 'overlook' this and continue to see the violence as a 'rebellion' against the Qing.

During the summer of 1900 a large multinational expedition occupied the Dagu Forts, [[Tianjin]] and ultimately Peking itself. The defeat of the Boxers was accompanied by mass slaughter, and Peking was thoroughly looted by the occupying armies. Li Hongzhang was recalled to Peking to negotiate and sign (1901) a treaty with the allied powers, which provided for a large indemnity to be paid by China and allowed the powers to maintain sizeable [[garrison]]s in the heart of the Chinese capital.

== In popular culture ==

The patriotic nature of the Boxer rebellion has made it a popular theme in Chinese cinema, notably in [[Jet Li]]'s ''Once Upon A Time In China'' series of martial arts films. A more western-centred version of the story is ''55 Days in Peking'' (1963), starring [[Ava Gardner]] and [[Charlton Heston]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:China]]
[[Category:Wars]]

Germany

2007-04-28T00:13:53Z

Leatherman: The two World Wars were not forced upon Germany by external circumstances.

{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:GermanyMap.gif|250px]]
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Federal Republic of Germany
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:Flag of Germany.JPG|250px]]
Flag of Germany
|-
|Capital
|Berlin
|-
|Government
|Federal Republic (parliamentary)
|-
|Official Language
|[[German language|German]]
|-
|President
|Horst Köhler
|-
|Chancellor
|Angela Merkel
|-
|Area
|137,858 sq. miles
|-
|Population (2006)
|82,310,000
|-
|GDP (2006)
|$3.045 trillion
|-
|GDP per capita (2006)
|$36,975
|-
|}

'''Germany''' is a federally organized [[Democracy]] in Western [[Europe]] with a population of about 82.4 million. The capital is [[Berlin]].

As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. The central German bank, the [[Bundesbank]], has historically been the most influential force within the financial markets of the European Union.

==History==

The emergence of Germany as a nation in its own right came later than for most European powers. The German-speaking areas of Europe had historically been parts of diverse other nations, among them [[Prussia]], [[Austria]], and the [[Holy Roman Empire]], along with numerous smaller principiates.

===Early Germanic Tribes===
The first distinct Germanic tribes emerged around 100BC in northern Germany, and are usually thought to have migrated south from [[Scandinavia]]. From there, the tribes continued to expand, coming in contact with the [[Celts]] of [[Gaul]] in the west, and Slavic tribes to the east. However, not much is known about the early Germanic people due to the lack of a written language. Most of what is known is due to contact with the [[Roman Empire]] and archaeological digs. To the rest of the world, the Germanic tribes inhabited a region known as [[Germania]], Latin for "Land of the Germans".<ref>[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html Medieval Sourcebook Tacitus: Germania]</ref> Soon, the Germanic people began low-intensity coflict with the Roman Empire, climaxing at the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]]. From this point, the Germanic tribes began winning battles against the Romans. In 410AD, The Germanic tribes assisted the [[Visigoths]] under [[Alaric I]] in sacking the city of [[Rome]].<ref>[http://www.vinland.org/scamp/grove/kreich/chapter7.html The Sack of Rome]</ref> This was a blow to the Western Empire, but not a killing one as the capital had moved to Ravenna in 402 AD. But in 476 AD, dissatisfied German mercanaries led by Odoacer captured Ravenna and deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus. Since Odoacer refused to assume the title of Emperor, this date is generally considered to be the official end of the Western Roman Empire.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/od/Odoacer.html]</ref>

===The Holy Roman Empire (843–1806)===

The medieval German empire originated from the division of the [[Carolingian Empire]] in 843, and was known as the ''Holy Roman Empire''. It gradually expanded through the addition of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Thuringia, and Bavaria, and the German king was crowned [[Holy Roman Emperor]] of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the [[Salian]] emperors (1024–1125), the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern [[Italy]] and Burgundy. The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the constitution of the empire; it established the election of the emperor by seven Prince-Electors, each of whom ruled one of the more powerful principalities or archbishoprics. Notably, one of these Electors, George Louis the Elector of Hanover (1660-1727), was recruited by the heirless [[Great Britain]] in 1714 to become its king, taking the name George I.

===The Reformation===

In 1517, [[Martin Luther]] wrote his [[The 95 Theses|95 Theses]] questioning the [[Roman Catholic Church]], an act which began the [[Protestant Reformation]]. A separate [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] church was acknowledged as the new sanctioned religion in many states of Germany in 1530. Religious conflicts known as the 30 Years War pitted Protestant German states against Catholic one, and devastated the former Empire. The [[Peace of Westphalia]] (1648) ended religious warfare in Germany, but the empire broke down into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian [[Habsburg Monarchy]] and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] dominated German history. In 1806, the ''Imperium'' was overrun and dissolved as a result of the [[Napoleonic Wars]].

===Nationalism===

It was not until after the fall of French Emperor [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] in 1814 that the [[German Confederation]], a loosely-organized league of 39 states, began to lay the ground for nationhood. Numerous conflicts between these sates marked the first half of the nineteenth cenrury, and it was not until [[Otto von Bismarck]]'s ascension as Prime Minister of [[Prussia]] in mid-century that something resembling the modern sense of "Germany" came into being. Austria was, however, not a part of this new [[North German Confederation]]. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, the German Empire was formally proclaimed, under [[Wilhelm I]], with its capital in [[Berlin]].

Aggressive nationalism fostered under the second empire of 1871, given greater impetus by the hubris of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and perverted into Naziism by the shock of defeat and the economic travails of the 1920s immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious [[Allied powers]] of the [[USA]], [[UK]], [[France]], and the [[Soviet Union]] in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western [[Federal Republic of Germany]] (FRG) and the eastern [[German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the [[EC]], which became the [[European Union]] (EU), and the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the [[Cold War]] allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the [[euro]].

== Economic Overview ==

Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth largest in the world in [[PPP]] terms - showed considerable improvement in 2006 with 2.7% growth. After a long period of stagnation with an average growth rate of 0.7% between 2001-05 and chronically high unemployment, stronger growth has led to a considerable fall in unemployment to about 8% at the end of 2006. Among the most important reasons for Germany's high unemployment during the past decade were [[macroeconomic]] stagnation, the declining level of investment in plant and equipment, company restructuring, flat domestic consumption, structural rigidities in the labor market, lack of competition in the service sector, and high interest rates. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The former government of Chancellor [[Gerhard Schroeder]] launched a comprehensive set of reforms of labor market and [[welfare]]-related institutions. The current government of Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] has initiated other reform measures, such as a gradual increase in the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67 and measures to increase female participation in the labor market. Germany's aging population, combined with high chronic unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions, but higher government revenues from the cyclical upturn in 2006 reduced Germany's budget deficit to within the EU's 3% debt limit. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could help Germany meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html] CIA World Factbook</ref>
==Government==
===Executive Branch===
Germany has a President as [[Head of State]]. However real power is exercised by a Chancellor.
The current Chancellor is [[Angela Merkel|Dr. Angela Merkel]].

==Famous Germans==
*[[Pope Benedict XVI]]
*[[Ludwig van Beethoven]]
*[[Albert Einstein]]
*[[Friedrich Engels]]
*[[Daniel Fahrenheit]]
*[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]
*[[Henry Kissinger]]
*[[Martin Luther]]
*[[Karl Marx]]
*[[Dirk Nowitzki]]
*[[Friedrich Nietzsche]]
*[[Friedrich Schiller]]
*[[Richard Wagner]]
*[[Otto von Bismarck]]
*[[Wernher von Braun]]
*[[Thomas Mann]]
*[[Hannah Arendt]]
*[[Rosa Luxemburg]]
*[[Marlene Dietrich]]
*[[Käthe Kollwitz]]
*[[Anne Frank]]
*[[Angela Merkel]]
*[[Gutenberg|Johannes Gutenberg]]
*[[Franz Beckenbauer]]

==War on Terror==
Germany currently contributes troops to the NATO-led operation in [[Afghanistan]], but did not support the invasion of [[Iraq]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

Whitley Bay

2007-04-28T00:04:07Z

Leatherman: New page: Whitley Bay is a residential district and seaside resort in the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside, Tyne & Wear, in north-east England. It gained its current name in the ea...

Whitley Bay is a residential district and seaside resort in the Metropolitan Borough of [[North Tyneside]], [[Tyne & Wear]], in north-east [[England]]. It gained its current name in the early twentieth century, having previously been known just as Whitley. The change was made to avoid confusion in sending letters and parcels to, or booking railwat tickets to, [[Whitby]] in [[Yorkshire]].

Whitley Bay's position on the coast, overlooking scenic bays, and its closeness to main-line railway connections, helped it to gain a positive reputation as a resort for working-class holidaymakers from [[Glasgow]] and other towns in central [[Scotland]], as well as for day-trippers from industrial [[Tyneside]]. It also prospered as a middle-class dormitory for [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], to which it was connected by one of England's earliest commuter railways.

In the Edwardian period the [[Spanish City]] was opened, a pleasure park built of white-painted reinforced concrete in a Spanish-Moorish style by architects [[Cackett & Burns Dick]] of Newcastle. The Spanish City survives, but is no longer (2007) a funfair. Derelict, it awaits new uses. The Spanish City was mentioned in the plangent ''Tunnel of Love'' by ''The Police'' - Sting (Gordon Sumner), coming from the nearby industrial town of Wallsend, would have been well familiar with Whitley Bay.

Today Whitley Bay retains popularity as a residential centre (linked by the modern Metro system to Newcastle and other towns in [[Tyne & Wear]]), but the sea front is depressing and run down: Glasgow workers no longer wish for the chilly Northumbrian coast, but go abroad to warmer climes. The local council periodically produces plans to rejuvenate the resort, but it remains a fine location and subject for students of melancholy.

James Joyce

2007-04-27T23:49:02Z

Leatherman:

'''James Joyce''' was born in 1882 in [[Dublin]], [[Ireland]]. Joyce was an author and a poet. He lived in poverty until the publishing of his controversial book [[''Ulysses'']] in 1922. Joyce revolutionized the treatment of plot and characterization in fiction and is best known for his use of the [[Stream of consciousness | stream of consciousness]] style. He died in [[Zurich]] in 1941. Other notable works include [[''Finnegan's Wake'']] and [[''Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man'']].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joyce, James}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Poets]]

Shandong

2007-04-27T23:38:04Z

Leatherman: New page: Shandong (''Shantung'' in Wade-Giles transliteration) is a province of eastern China, taking the form of a large peninsula protruding into the East China Sea and Bohai Gulf. Th...

Shandong (''Shantung'' in Wade-Giles transliteration) is a province of eastern [[China]], taking the form of a large peninsula protruding into the [[East China Sea]] and [[Bohai]] Gulf. The provincial capital is [[Jinan]]; other major centres are [[Qingdao]] (Tsingtao, a German territory between 1898 and 1914 and subsequently Japanese-occupied) , [[Yantai]] (known as Chefoo, a summer base for the US China squadron), and [[Weihai]] (formerly Weihaiwei, a British leased territory between 1898 and 1930).

Talk:Yuan Shiakaj

2007-04-27T23:21:18Z

Leatherman: New page: i have written a proper entry on Yuan Shikai (note spelling). Could someone please delete this?

i have written a proper entry on Yuan Shikai (note spelling). Could someone please delete this?

Kevin Keegan

2007-04-27T23:17:22Z

Leatherman:

'''Kevin Keegan''' was one of the most important [[soccer]] players in the history of the sport in [[England]], and was later manager of the national side.

He began his career at [[Scunthorpe]], but was at his peak during his years at [[Liverpool]] (1971-7) and [[Hamburg]] (1977-80). He surprised many by joining recently promoted [[Southampton]] in 1980, and helped them to high-place finishes in the First Division in 1981 and 1982. He then helped [[Newcastle United]] to achieve promotion to the First Division.

He played only a few minutes of World Cup football, however - England did not qualify in 1974 or 1978, and he had barely recovered from injury in time to come on as a substitute in their last game of the 1982 World Cup.

His managerial career was initially successful, once more helping Newcastle into the top flight, , and, building up a team the like of which had not been seen in England for several decades, led them to massive popularity and on-field success in the 1992-93 season: on 1 January 1993 they had a twelve point lead over their nearest rivals, [[Manchester United]], only for frailties in the team's defence, and in the psychology of Keegan himself, to allow Man U to grasp victory at the last gasp. His tenure as England manager was disappointing, however, and he resigned after a 1-0 defeat by Germany in a world cup qualifier.

Square

2007-04-27T23:12:49Z

Leatherman: Urban squares

A square is a rectangular [[polygon]] with four sides of equal length.
[[Image:square.gif]]

In townscape terms, a square is an open space within a town or city, of a perfect or approximately squre shape, or of a regular rectangular shape. A square can be open for public intercourse, as in a market square or public square, or the centre of the square can comprise private grounds (as in the garden squares constructed in the high-class residential suburbs of west [[London]] in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries).

Greenlaw

2007-04-27T23:09:06Z

Leatherman: New page: Greenlaw is a small town in Berwickshire, south-east Scotland. After the final cession of Berwick-upon-Tweed to England in 1482, Greenlaw became the county town of Berwickshire...

Greenlaw is a small town in [[Berwickshire]], south-east [[Scotland]]. After the final cession of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]] to England in 1482, Greenlaw became the county town of Berwickshire. It finally lost this status to [[Duns]] in 1904, its legal and jurisdictional dignities having slipped across to its larger rival by stages across the intervening centuries. The name is a reflection of its status in the late 14th century: a new, or fresh, 'green', centre of jurisdiction, 'law'.

Hot dog

2007-04-27T23:03:08Z

Leatherman:

A '''hot dog''' is a sausage made from [[beef]] or [[pork]] or both; many tinned and readily available types contain chicken and mechanically-recovered meat of various unspecified kinds. The Hot Dog in a bun was first invented at the [[Chicago]] World Fair of 1893. Hot dogs contain seasonings and are cured and cooked. Hot dogs are among [[America]]'s favorite foods. Every year, Americans consume on average 60 hot dogs{{fact}}. Hot dogs are primarily regarded as a fun, summertime food, and most are eaten between [[Memorial Day]] and [[Labor Day]] {{fact}}. Americans are not the only ones who love hot dogs. The Spanish call them ''perrito caliente,'' in Italian, it's ''cane caldo,'' the French refer to them as ''chien chaud,'' Germans call them ''Heisser Hund,'' and the Dutch have dubbed them ''worstjes.'' Hot dogs are usually served with [[condiment]]s:
*[[Ketchup]]
*[[Mustard]]
*[[Relish]]
*[[Chili]]
*[[Onions]]

[[Category:Meat]]

Boxer Rebellion

2007-04-27T21:04:06Z

Leatherman: Boxers from martial art, not shorts.

The so-called '''Boxer Rebellion''' occurred in [[China]] in 1899-1900. The uprising was prompted by [[xenophobia|xenophobic]] resentment of the increasing numbers of [[Christian]] [[missionary|missionaries]] in north China and from popular outrage at the failure of the [[Qing]] court to effectively resist the depredations of foreign powers in China (which had been increasing in scope since the [[Opium War]] of 1839-42). The lack of openness to the Christian message on the part of the Chinese authorities - both imperial and commmunist - has been a source of much misfortune to the population of that country throughout history.

The Boxer movement was known in Chinese as the 'Society of Righteous (or Harmonious) Fists', and it practiced a martial art which appeared much like sparring to western observers, hence its western name. It built upon a tradition of secret society activity among the lower orders of society and dispossessed intelligentsia, and initially adopted the slogan 'destroy the Qing, restore the Ming' (the Qing being the non-[[Han]] Chinese 'Manchu' dynasty; the [[Ming]], predecessors of the Qing, being ethnic Han Chinese). The Boxer movement arose at a time of division and faction in the Qing court, and anti-Western courtiers believed that it could be harnessed as a means of overcoming foreign influence. Slowly a new slogan prevailed among the Boxers, 'Support the Qing, destroy the foreigners'.

The [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] herself appeared to give support to the Boxers, who occupied [[Peking]] and beseiged the foreign legations in the city in the summer of 1900. However, although Cixi declared [[war]] on the powers and committed official Chinese forces to the [[siege]], moderate elements at court were able to moderate her actions. The legation quarter siege was pursued only half-heartedly; and senior statesmen such as [[Li Hongzhang]] (known as 'the [[Bismark]] of China', in temporary eclipse at court and at that time Governor General of Canton) and [[Yuan Shikai]] (Governor of [[Shandong]], and head of the country's most modern armies) were able to come to a separate agreement with the powers. This unpublished agreement ensured that the war was confined to a few provinces of northern China, and, although the imperial government had declared war, the western powers would 'overlook' this and continue to see the violence as a 'rebellion' against the Qing.

During the summer of 1900 a large multinational expedition occupied the Dagu Forts, [[Tianjin]] and ultimately Peking itself. The defeat of the Boxers was accompanied by mass slaughter, and Peking was thoroughly looted by the occupying armies. Li Hongzhang was recalled to Peking to negotiate and sign (1901) a treaty with the allied powers, which provided for a large indemnity to be paid by China and allowed the powers to maintain sizeable [[garrison]]s in the heart of the Chinese capital.

== In popular culture ==

The patriotic nature of the Boxer rebellion has made it a popular theme in Chinese cinema, notably in [[Jet Li]]'s ''Once Upon A Time In China'' series of martial arts films.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:China]]
[[Category:Wars]]

Talk:Boxer Rebellion

2007-04-27T20:52:23Z

Leatherman:

The Boxer rebellion was not a rebellion against Christian missionaries, it was a rebellion against all foreigners.
The Chinese became xenophobic when the western powers started carving China up into spheres of influence, usually surrounding a port controlled by a European country.

http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html

[[User:Middle Man|Middle Man]]

I have said that an important underlying factor was anger at foreign influence. However, a very important manifestation of this influence was the presence of Christian missionaries in rural and small-town China, away from the Treaty Ports. The rights of missionaries to work and prosyletise in the interior of China was one which was won by treaty (secured under the threat of armed force), and missionaries enjoyed powers by treaty which rivalled those of their main enemies, the Confucian local gentry and magistrates.

Some grievances against missionaries were invented (missionaries and nuns running orphanages, for example, were frequently slandered by the accusation that they were taking abandoned children in for human sacrifice). Others had more substance: the building of western-style churches with spires was held to offend local geomancy and was, at best, culturally insensitive; even more significant was the attraction of the church to 'bad characters' (so-called 'rice Christians') who would seek the protection of Christian status, which was believed to bring with it the protection of foreign arms (and often did so). This is not to deny the genuine converts; but there were many false converts. The Boxer Rising was initially a rural affair, and their target was not the business magnates and foreign garrisons of the treaty ports; it was the foreigners they new and, sadly, distrusted: missionaries. [[User:Leatherman|Leatherman]] 16:52, 27 April 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Boxer Rebellion

2007-04-27T20:51:45Z

Leatherman: