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Frankfurt am and Belgrade in Europe 2Posted September 30th, 2011 at 09:06am
Velotaxi at the Zeil Velotaxis are also available in Frankfurt. A velotaxi is a cycle rickshaw, a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers in addition to the driver. The advantage of a velotaxi is that it is allowed to drive in pedestrian-only areas and is therefore practical for a sightseeing tour in the city. Sony VAIO PCG-5G2L Battery Frankfurt has also a network of modern cycle routes throughout city. Many of the long distance bike routes into the city have cycle tracks that are separate from automobile traffic. A number of roads in the city centre are "bicycle streets" where the cyclist has the right of way and where motorised vehicles are only allowed access ifSony VAIO PCG-5G3L Battery Economy and business Frankfurt is one of the leading financial centres in Europe. According to an annual study (2007) by Cushman & Wakefield it is one of the top three cities for international companies in Europe, along with London and Paris. According to a ranking list (2001) produced by the University of Liverpool, Frankfurt is the richest city in Europe by GDP per capita. Sony VAIO PCG-5J2L Battery Frankfurt is commonly known as "the city of the banks" in Germany. It is sometimes referred to as Mainhattan (a portmanteau of the local river Main and Manhattan in New York City) or nicknamed Bankfurt.[citation needed] In 2006, six Sony VAIO PCG-6S1L Battery The German Federal Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank) is an integral part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It was established in 1957. Trade fairs Advertising agencies Accountancy and professional services Management consulting Electronic communication Frankfurt has the highest concentration of lawyers in Germany, with one lawyer per 99 inhabitants. Most of the large international law firms maintain offices in Frankfurt, among them Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Debevoise & Plimpton, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Sony PCG-7z1L Battery Working in Frankfurt
Frankfurt International Airport is the single largest place of work in Germany.
economically sound cities like Frankfurt and other cities in the west of Germany, have a buoyant housing market, which attracts a lot of buyers from the Far East. Sony VAIO VGN-NR21S/T Battery Establishments and organisation Frankfurt hosts 88 consulates. Only New York and Hamburg have more foreign representation, excluding capital cities. Russia and China have recently opened general consulates in Frankfurt. The Consulate General of the United States in Frankfurt in Eckenheim Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery
Editorial department building of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Frankfurt is also home to the German headquarters of the news agency Reuters. Frankfurt's first radio station was the S dwestdeutsche Rundfunkdienst AG (Southwest German Radio Service), founded in 1924. Its successor service is the public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk. Its "Funkhaus am Dornbusch" station is one Sony VAIO FW Battery Since August 1945, the American Forces Network had broadcasted from Frankfurt. Due to troop reductions, the AFN's Frankfurt location has been abandoned. Since October 2004, the AFN has broadcast its European programs from Mannheim. Sony VAIO VGN-FW11S Battery Education and research In Frankfurt am Main, there are two universities and several specialist schools. There are two Business Schools in Frankfurt; Goethe University Frankfurt's Goethe Business School and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt School of Finance & Management St delschule Music School and Conservatories Other notable schools The Philosophical-Theological Institution of Saint George (Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen')', a private institution with membership in the German Jesuit Association, has been located in Sachsenhausen since 1950. Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/S Battery The city is also home of three Max Planck Society institutes: the Max Planck Institute for European History of Law (MPIeR), Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, and the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/T Battery The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, sponsored by several institutional and private sources, is involved in theoretical research in physics, chemistry, neuroscience, and computer science. Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/T Battery Frankfurt is host to the R misch-Germanische-Kommission (RGK), the German Archaeological Institute branch for prehistoric archaeology in Germany and Europe. The RGK is involved in a variety of research projects. Its library, with over 130,000 volumes, is one of the largest specialised archaeological libraries in the world. Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S Battery Education and media Belgrade / b l re d/ (Serbian: or Beograd, [b rat] ( listen))[needs IPA][missing tone] is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans.[5Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery One of the largest prehistoric cultures of Europe, the Vin a culture, prospered here in the 6th millennium BC. In antiquity, the area was held by Thraco-Dacians, and after 279 BC the Celts conquered the city, naming it Singid n.[6] It was conquered Sony VGP-BPS13A/S Battery Belgrade has a special administrative status within Serbia.[10] Its metropolitan territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each with its own local council.[11] It covers 3.6% of Serbia's territory, and 15% of the country's population lives in the city.[12] Sony VGP-BPS13B/G Battery Belgrade lies 116.75 metres (383.0 ft) above sea level and is located at confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, at coordinates 44 49'14" North, 20 27'44" East. The historical core of Belgrade, Kalemegdan, is on the right bank of the rivers. Sony VGP-BPS13B/S Battery Climate
21][22] Some scholars believe that the prehistoric Vin a signs represent one of earliest known forms of alphabet.[23]
Following the Battle of Maritsa in 1371 and the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the Serbian Empire began to crumble as the Ottoman Empire conquered its southern territory.[40][41] The north resisted through the Serbian Despotate, which had Belgrade as itsSony VAIO VGN-FW411ZRU Battery In 1427, Stefan's successor ura Brankovi had to return Belgrade to the Hungarians, and Smederevo became the new capital. During his reign, the Ottomans captured most of the Serbian Despotate, unsuccessfully besieging Belgrade first in Sony VAIO VGN-AW11XU/Q Battery
Belgrade in the 16th century Occupied by the Habsburgs three times (1688-1690, 1717-1739, 1789-1791), headed by the Holy Roman Princes Maximilian of Bavaria and Eugene of Savoy,[50] and field marshal Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon respectively, Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S Battery
Austrian conquest of Belgrade: 1717 by Eugene of Savoy, during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18Sony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/S Battery Capital of Serbia On 10 June 1868, Prince Mihailo was walking through the park of Ko utnjak, near his country residence in the outskirts of Belgrade, with his wife Katarina and her mother, Princess Anka, when they were shot by assassins. Mihailo and Anka were both killed, and Katarina was wounded.[56] Sony VAIO VGN-SR19XN Battery With the Principality's full independence in 1878, and its transformation into the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882, Belgrade once again became a key city in the Balkans, and developed rapidly.[52][57] Nevertheless, conditionsSony VAIO VGN-SR21RM/H Battery The first-ever projection of motion pictures in the Balkans and Central Europe was held in Belgrade, in June 1896 by Andre Carr, a representative of the Lumi re brothers. He shot the first motion pictures of Belgrade in the next year; however, they have not been preserved.[60] Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/W Battery World War I / Unified city
Knez Mihailova street at the end of the 19th century Gavrilo Princip's assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 triggered the start of World War I. Most of the subsequent Balkan offensives occurred near Belgrade. Austro-Hungarian monitors shelled Belgrade on July 29, Sony VAIO VGN-SR11M Battery On March 25, 1941, the government of regent Crown Prince Paul signed the Tripartite Pact, joining the Axis powers in an effort to stay out of the Second World War. This was immediately followed by mass protests in BelgradeSony VAIO VGN-NS10E/S Battery U e Tower on fire because of NATO bombing, 1999 NATO bombing (during the Kosovo War in 1999) caused substantial damage to the city. Among the sites bombed were the buildings of several ministries, the RTS building, which killed 16 technicians, several hospitals, the Jugoslavija Hotel, the Central Committee building, the Avala TV Tower, and the Chinese embassy.[80] Sony VAIO VGN-FW21M Akku After the elections in 2000, Belgrade was the site of major street protests, with over half a million people on the streets. These demonstrations resulted in the ousting of president Milo evi .[81][82] Sony VAIO VGN-FW31M Akku Names through history Name Notes Singid num Romans conquered the city and Romanized the Celtic name of Singid n (in turn derived from Paleo-Balkan languages of earlier rulers) Sony VAIO VGN-FW31ZJ Akku Administration
The Old Palace, seat of City Assembly The City Assembly of Belgrade has 110 councilors who are elected on four-year terms. The current majority parties are the same as in the Parliament of Serbia (Democratic Party-G17 Plus and Socialist Party of Serbia-Party of United Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/T Akku According to the 2002 census, the main population groups according to nationality in Belgrade are: Serbs (1,417,187), Yugoslavs (22,161), Montenegrins (21,190), Roma (19,191), Croats (10,381), Macedonians (8,372), and Muslims by nationality (4,617).[87] Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S Akku As of August 2, 2008, the city's Institute for Informatics and Statistics has registered 1,542,773 eligible voters, which confirms that Belgrade's population has risen dramatically since the 2002 Census, as the number of the registered voters has almost Sony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/P Akku Belgrade is home to many ethnicities from all over the former Yugoslavia. Many people came to the city as economic migrants from smaller towns and the countryside, while hundreds of thousands arrived as refugees from Croatia, Bosnia-HerzegovinaSony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/W Akku Although there are several historic religious communities in Belgrade, the religious makeup of the city is relatively homogenous. The Serbian Orthodox community is by far the largest, with 1,429,170 adherents. There are also 20,366 Muslims, 16,305 Roman HP Pavilion DV6-1211AX Battery Belgrade is the financial centre of Serbia, and is home to the country's National Bank. Many notable companies are based in Belgrade, including Jat Airways, Telekom Srbija, Telenor Serbia, Delta Holding, Elektroprivreda Srbije, Komercijalna banka, Ikarbus, regional centers for AXA,[96] Soci t G n rale, Asus,[97] Intel,[98] Motorola, MTV Adria,[9HP Pavilion DV5-1015EA Battery Culture Main article: Culture of Belgrade
The building of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, erected in 1922 The city was one of the main centres of the Yugoslav New Wave in the 1980s: VIS Idoli, Ekatarina Velika, arlo Akrobata and Elektri ni Orgazam were all from Belgrade. Other notable Belgrade rock acts include Riblja orba, Bajaga i Instruktori and Partibrejkers.[115] HP Pavilion DV4-1125BR Battery There are many foreign cultural institutions in Belgrade including the Spanish Instituto Cervantes, German Goethe-Institut and French Centre Culturel Fran ais which are all located in the central pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street. Other cultural centresHP Pavilion DV6-3013SL Battery Following the victory of Serbia's representative Marija erifovi at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, Belgrade hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.[119] HP Pavilion DV6-1215SA Battery The most prominent museum in Belgrade is the National Museum, founded in 1844; it houses a collection of more than 400,000 exhibits, (over 5600 paintings and 8400 drawings and prints) including many foreign masterpieces and the famousHP Pavilion DV5-1005EL Battery HP Pavilion G62-110SW BatteryIvan Me trovi and others since 1900.[122] The Military Museum houses a wide range of more than 25,000 military exhibits dating as far back as to the Roman period, as well as parts of a F-117 stealth aircraft shot down by Serbian army.[123][124] The Museum of Aviation in Belgrade has more than 200 aircraft, of HP Pavilion DV6-1100EG Battery Architecture
Beogra anka Belgrade has wildly varying architecture, from the centre of Zemun, typical of a Central European town,[131] to the more modern architecture and spacious layout of New Belgrade. The oldest architecture is found in Kalemegdan park. Outside of Kalemegdan, the oldest buildings date only from the 18th century, due to its geographic positionHP Pavilion DV6-1145EG Battery and frequent wars and destructions.[132] The oldest public structure in Belgrade is a nondescript Turkish turbe, while the oldest house is a modest clay house on Dor ol, from late 18th century.[133] Western influence began HP Pavilion DV6-1160EG Battery
The Church of Saint Sava at night Beli Dvor or 'White Palace', house of royal family Kara or evi , is open for visitors. The palace has many valuable artworks, including Rembrandt, Nicolas Poussin, and Franz Xaver Winterhalter.[134] HP Pavilion G62-104SA Battery Kalemegdan park
Extreme sports are available, such as bungee jumping, water skiing and paintballing.[135] There are numerous tracks on the island, where it is possible to ride a bike, go for a walk or go jogging.[135] Apart from Ada, Belgrade has total of 16 islands[1HP Pavilion G62-107SA Battery Nightlife
Belgrade by night Many weekend visitors particularly from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia prefer Belgrade nightlife to that of their own capitals, due to a perceived friendly atmosphere, great clubs and bars, cheap drinks, the lack of language difficulties, and the lack of restrictive night life regulation.[142][143] HP Pavilion G62-110EO Battery Famous alternative clubs include Akademija and the famed KST (Klub Studenata Tehnike) located in the basement of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Electrical Engineering.[144][145][146] One of the most famous sites for alternative cultural happenings HP Pavilion G62-110EY Battery
Skadarlija, the city's old bohemian neighbourhood (called kafanas in Serbian), which date back to that period.[148] At one end of the neighbourhood stands Belgrade's oldest beer brewery, founded in the first half of the 19th century.[149] One of the city's oldest kafanas is the Znak pitanja.[150] HP Pavilion G62-112SO Battery Sport
FC Red Star stadium, popularly known as "Marakana" European Volleyball Championship, the 2006 European Water Polo Championship, and the European Youth Olympic Festival 2007. Belgrade was the host city of the 2009 Summer Universiade chosen over the cities of Monterrey and Pozna .[154] HP Pavilion G62-115SO Battery
Belgrade Arena volleyball and Davis Cup, and in May 2008 it was the venue of Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Along with Pionir Hall for KK Partizan and KK Crvena zvezda [157][158] while the Ta majdan Sports Centre is used for swimming competitions and water polo matches. HP Pavilion G62-120EG Battery See also: List of media organisations in Belgrade another media company, which has its own TV station, radio station, and music and book publishing arms, as well as the most popular website on the Serbian internet.[161][162] Other TV stations broadcasting from Belgrade include Fox HP Pavilion G62-120EP Battery Televizija, Avala, Ko ava, and others which only cover the greater Belgrade municipal area, such as Studio B. Numerous specialised channels are also available: SOS channel (sport), Metropolis (music), Art TV (art), Cinemania (film), and Happy TV (children's programs). HP Pavilion G62-120ES Battery High-circulation daily newspapers published in Belgrade include Politika, Blic, Ve ernje novosti, Press, Kurir and Danas. There are 2 sporting dailies, Sportski urnal and Sport, and one economic daily, Privredni pregled. A new free distribution daily, 24 sata, was founded in the autumn of 2006. HP Pavilion G62-120SE Battery Education
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Architecture and Civil Engineering There are also 195 primary (elementary) schools and 85 secondary schools. Of the primary schools, there are 162 regular, 14 special, 15 art and 4 adult schools. The secondary school system has 51 vocational schools, 21 gymnasiums, 8 art schools and 5 special schools. The 230,000 pupils are managed by 22,000 employees in over 500 buildings, covering around 1,100,000 m .[165] HP Pavilion G62-120SW Battery Main article: Transport in Belgrade
Public transportation in Belgrade. Parts of the bypass, railway junction and bridges across Save and Danube are under construction or part of the general urban planning. The proposed Metro lines are based on the final Metro plan from 1982 from the Belgrade Metro planning group. HP Pavilion G62-121EE Battery
Underground station Vukov Spomenik
Belgrade Trolleybus of vehicles, congestion has become a major problem; this is expected to be alleviated by the construction of a bypass connecting the E70 and E75 highways.[167] Further, an "inner magistral semi-ring" is planned, including a new Ada Bridge across the Sava river, which is expected to ease commuting within the city and unload the Gazela and Branko's bridge.[168] HP Pavilion G62-134CA Battery The Port of Belgrade is on the Danube, and allows the city to receive goods by river.[169] The city is also served by Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (IATA: BEG), 12 kilometres west of the city centre, near Sur in. At its peak in 1986, almost 3 million passengers travelled through the airport, though that number dwindled to a trickle in the 1990s.[170HP Pavilion G62-140EL Battery New Railway bridge Belgrade was one of the last big European capitals, and cities with over a million people, to have no metro/subway or other rapid transit system. Construction has been started twice before but was postponed. The Belgrade Metro is considered to be theHP Pavilion G62-140SS Battery third most important project in the country, after work on roads and railways. The two projects of highest priority are the Belgrade bypass and Pan-European corridor X. However, the Belgrade Cityrail (S-Bahn) by was opened in 2010 as the first phase of the metro, and includes two underground stations that were built for an earlier abandoned metro project. HP Pavilion G62-140US Battery International cooperation and honours the Czechoslovak War Cross (awarded October 8, 1925), the Yugoslavian Kara or e's Star with Swords (awarded May 18, 1939) and the SFR Yugoslavian Order of the National Hero (proclaimed on October 20, 1974, the 30th anniversary of the overthrow of Nazi German occupation during World War II).[184] All of these decorationsHP Pavilion G62-144DX Battery Frankfurt am and Belgrade in EuropePosted September 30th, 2011 at 09:02am
Frankfurt am and Belgrade in EuropeFrankfurt am Main (German pronunciation: [ f a kf t am ma n] ( listen), English: / fr kf rt/), commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11E Battery In English, the city's name translates to "Frankfurt on the Main" (pronounced like English mine or German mein). Frankfurt is located on an ancient ford on the river Main, the German word for which is "Furt". As a part of early Franconia, the inhabitants were the early Franks, thus the city's name reveals its legacy as being the "ford of the Franks".[5] Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11M Battery Frankfurt is the financial and transportation centre of Germany and the largest financial centre in continental Europe. It is seat of the European Central Bank, the German Federal Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Trade Fair, as well Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S Battery Frankfurt is considered an alpha world city as listed by the Loughborough University group's 2010 inventory,[6] was ranked 20th among global cities by Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index[7] and was ranked 6th among global cities for economic and social innovation by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index in 2010.[8] Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery Frankfurt is an international centre for commerce, finance, culture, transport, education, and tourism. According to the Mercer cost of living survey, Frankfurt is Germany's second most expensive city, and the 48th most expensive in the world.[ Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery Among English speakers, the city is commonly known simply as Frankfurt, though Germans occasionally call it by its full name when it is necessary to distinguish it from the other (significantly smaller) Frankfurt in the state of Brandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder). Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery Frankfurt has an excellent transportation infrastructure: Frankfurt Airport (Flughafen Frankfurt am Main) is the third busiest airport by passenger traffic in Europe and is the main hub for Germanys flag carrier Lufthansa, the largest airline iSony VAIO PCG-5K2L Battery A unique feature of Frankfurt is its significant number of skyscrapers in the city center which form the Frankfurt skyline. Frankfurt is one of only a few cities in the European Union that have such a skyline, the others being London, Warsaw, Madrid, Rotterdam and La D fense in the outer Paris region. With 12 skyscrapers (i.e. buildings taller than 150 m Sony VAIO PCG-8Z1L Battery In the area of the R mer, Roman settlements were established, probably in the 1st century; some artifacts from that era are found even to this day. The city district Bonames has a name probably dating back to Roman times it is thought to be derived from bona me(n)sa. Nida (Heddernheim) was also a Roman civitas capital. Sony VAIO PCG-7113L Battery The name of Frankfurt on Main is derived from the Franconofurd of the Germanic tribe of the Franks; Furt (cf. English ford) where the river was shallow enough to be crossed by wading. Alemanni and Franks lived there and by 794 Charlemagne presided over an imperial assembly and church synod, at which Franconofurd (-furt -vurd) was first mentioned. Sony VAIO PCG-7131L Battery Frankfurt was one of the most important cities in the following Holy Roman Empire. From 855 the German kings and emperors were elected in Frankfurt and crowned in Aachen. From 1562 the kings/emperors were also crowned in Frankfurt, Sony VAIO PCG-7132L Battery The Frankfurter Messe (Frankfurt Trade Fair) was first mentioned in 1150. In 1240, Emperor Friedrich II granted an Imperial privilege to its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the Empire. The fair became particularly important whenSony VAIO PCG-7Z1L Battery Frankfurt managed to remain neutral during the Thirty Years' War, but suffered from the bubonic plague that was brought to the city by refugees. After the end of the war, Frankfurt regained its wealth. Sony VAIO VGN-CR31E Battery In the Napoleonic Wars Frankfurt was occupied or bombarded several times by French troops. It nevertheless still remained a free city until the total collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1805/6. In 1806 it become part of the principality of Aschaffenburg under the F rstprimas (Prince-Primate), Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg. Sony VAIO VGN-CR31S Battery After Napoleon's final defeat and abdication, the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815, redrawing the map of Europe) dissolved the grand-duchy, Sony VAIO VGN-CR41S Battery After the ill-fated revolution of 1848, Frankfurt was the seat of the first democratically elected German parliament, the Frankfurt Parliament, which met in the Frankfurter Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church) and was opened on 18 May 1848. The institution failedSony VAIO VGN-CR41Z Battery Frankfurt lost its independence after the Austro-Prussian War as Prussia in 1866 annexed several smaller states, among them the Free City of Frankfurt. The Prussian administration incorporated Frankfurt into its province of Hesse-Nassau. The formerly independent towns of Bornheim and Bockenheim were incorporated in 1890. Sony VAIO VGN-CR41S Battery In 1914 the citizens of Frankfurt founded the University of Frankfurt, later called Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. This is the only civic foundation of a university in Germany; today it is one of Germany's largest universities. Sony VAIO VGN-NR21E/S Battery From April 6 to May 17, 1920, following military intervention to put down the Ruhr Uprising, Frankfurt was occupied by French troops.[13] The French claimed that Articles 42 to 44 of the peace treaty of Versailles concerning the demilitarisation Sony VAIO VGN-NR21J/S Battery The city of Frankfurt was severely bombed in World War II (1939-1945). About 5,500 residents were killed during the raids, and the once famous medieval city centre, by that time the largest in Germany, was destroyed. Post-war reconstruction took place Sony VAIO VGN-NR21S/T Battery Frankfurt became a ground battlefield commencing 26 March 1945, when the Allied advance into Germany was forced to take the city in contested urban combat that included a river assault. The US 5th Infantry Division and US 6th Armored Division Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S Battery After the end of the war, Frankfurt became a part of the newly founded state of Hesse, consisting of the old Hesse-(Darmstadt) and the Prussian Hesse provinces. The city was part of the American Zone of Occupation of Germany. Sony VAIO VGN-NR11M/S Battery During the 1970s, the city created one of Europe's most efficient underground transportation systems. That system includes a suburban rail system (S-Bahn) capable of reaching outlying communities as well as the city centre, and a deep underground light rail system with smaller coaches (U-Bahn) also capable of travelling above ground on street rails. Sony VAIO VGN-SR21M/S Battery Since the postwar period Frankfurt has emerged once again as the financial and transportation centre of Germany. Geographic location To the west, Frankfurt borders the administrative district (Landkreis) of Main-Taunus-Kreis with cities such as Hattersheim am Main, Kriftel, Hofheim am Taunus, Kelkheim (Taunus), Liederbach am Taunus, Sulzbach (Taunus), Schwalbach am Taunus and Eschborn; to the northwest the Hochtaunuskreis with Steinbach (Taunus), OberurselSony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P Battery Demographics Population
Frankfurt seen from the air Frankfurt has been a Gro stadt (a city with at least 100,000 residents by definition) since 1875. With 414,576 residents in 1910 it was the 9th largest city in Germany and the number of inhabitants grew to 553,464 before World War II. After the war, Sony Vaio VGN-NW21MF Battery Frankfurt is one of five Independent cities (kreisfreie St dte) in Hesse which means that it does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity, in this case it is not part of a Landkreis. The other four cities are the second to fifth largest cities in Hesse: Wiesbaden, Kassel, Darmstadt and Offenbach am Main. A kreisfreie Stadt has territorial sovereignity within its defined city limits. Sony Vaio VGN-NW31EF Battery Since 1995 Frankfurt's municipal leader is Lord Mayor (Oberb rgermeisterin) Petra Roth of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The CDU und the Alliance '90/The Greens (B ndnis '90/Die Gr nen) currently form the governing parties in Frankfurt. Sony Vaio VGN-NS10E/S Battery
Frankfurt's financial district The largest city district by population and area is Sachsenhausen, the smallest is Altstadt, Frankfurt's historical center. Three larger city districts (Sachsenhausen, Westend and Nordend) are divided for administrative purposes into Sony Vaio VGN-NS11J/S Battery Some larger housing areas are often falsely called city districts, even by locals, like Nordweststadt (part of Niederursel, Heddernheim and Praunheim), Goldstein (part of Schwanheim), Riedberg (part of Kalbach-Riedberg) and Europaviertel (part of Gallus). Sony Vaio VGN-NS20J/P Battery Many city districts are incorporated suburbs (Vororte), or were previously independent cities, like H chst. Some like Nordend and Westend arose during the rapid growth of the city in the Gr nderzeit following the Unification of Germany, while others were formed from territory which previously belonged to other city district, like Dornbusch and Riederwald. Sony Vaio VGN-NS30E/S Battery Population by districts Bornheim, which was part of an administrative district called Landkreis Frankfurt, became part of the city on January 1st, 1877, followed by Bockenheim on April 1st, 1895. Seckbach, Niederrad and Oberrad followed on July 1st, 1900. The Landkreis Frankfurt was finally dispersed on April 1st, 1910, and therefore Berkersheim, Bonames, Sony Vaio VGN-NS20EF/P Battery On April 1st, 1928, the City of H chst became part of Frankfurt, as well as its city districts Sindlingen, Underliederbach and Zeilsheim. Simultaneously the Landkreis H chst was dispersed with its memeber cities either joining FrankfurtSony Vaio VGN-NS20EF/W Battery At the beginning of the 1970s the goverment of Hesse developed plans to significantly reduce the number of administrative districts in Hesse (Hessische Gebietsreform). On August 1st, 1972, the smaller suburbs of Harheim, Kalbach, Nieder-Erlenbach Sony VAIO VGP-BPS13A/B Battery Bergen-Enkheim was the last city to became part of Frankfurt on January 1st, 1977. Kalbach was officially renamed "Kalbach-Riedberg" in 2006 because of the large residential development in the area which goes by the name Riedberg. Saint Bartholomew's Cathedral (Dom Sankt Bartholom us), named after Bartholomew the Apostle, is a gothic building which was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church from the Merovingian time. From 1356Sony VAIO VGP-BPS13B/S Battery Saint Paul's Church St. Paul's was partially destroyed in World War II, particularly the interior of the building, which now has a modern appearance. It was quickly and symbolically rebuilt after the war; today it is not used for religious services, but mainly for exhibitions and events. Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery Arch ologischer Garten Frankfurt "R mer" is the German word for "Roman" and is the name of a complex of nine houses that form the Frankfurt city hall (Rathaus). The houses where acquired by the city council in 1405 from a wealthy merchant family. The middle houseSony VAIO VGN-NW11S/S Battery Eiserner Steg Alte Oper Eschenheimer Turm Saint Catherine's Church Hauptwache
Frankfurter Hof
20th-century architecture
IG Farben Building, built 1928-1930, now housing the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
21th-century architecture
i MyZeil, built 2004-2009, a shopping mall at the Zeil with an imposing vaulted glass-structure.
See also: List of tallest buildings in Frankfurt
Skyline of Frankfurt in August 2010, view from Goethe Tower in the south
12 buildings, with two more (European Central Bank Headquarters, 185 m, and Taunusturm, 170 m) under construction in 2011. Only Bonn also has one building (Post Tower, 163 m) over 150 m. Most of the skyscrapers in Frankfurt are located in the western part of the city centre known as Bankenviertel (banking district or financial district) and around the trade fair premises. Europaturm
Henninger Turm
Goetheturm
Shopping streets
second most expensive street for shops to rent in Germany after the Kaufingerstra e in Munich. 85 percent of the shops there are retail store chains like H&M, Saturn or Esprit. In 2009 a new shopping mall (MyZeil) opened on the Zeil with new chains like Hollister Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery "Fre gass" is the well-known unofficial name for a pedestrian-only street section between the Zeil and the Opernplatz. The name literally translates as "devour alley" because of its high concentration of gastronomy, but latetly more and more prestigious clothes shops displace old-established restaurants, butchers or delicatessen. Sony VAIO VGN-FW21L Battery Goethestra e Berger Stra e Braubachstra e M nchener Stra e Kaiserstra e Kleinmarkthalle With more than 30 museums, many of them considered prestigious, Frankfurt has one of the largest variety of museums in Europe. 20 museums are part of the Museumsufer (Museums Riverbank), which means that their location is on the front row of both sides of the Main riverbank or within spitting distance. Sony VAIO VGN-FW21ZR Ten museums are located on the southern riverbank in Sachsenhausen between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbr cke. The street itself, Schaumainkai, is partially closed to traffic on Saturdays for Frankfurt's largest flea market. Sony VAIO VGN-FW3ZJ Battery Other museums in Frankfurt are the Dialogmuseum (Dialogue Museum) in the Ostend district, Eintracht Frankfurt Museum at Commerzbank-Arena, Explora Museum+Wissenschaft+Technik (Explora Museum of Science and Engineering) in Sony VAIO VGN-FW46M Battery Schauspiel Frankfurt Commerzbank-Arena Alte Oper The English Theatre The Tigerpalast (Tiger Palace) is a variet in the city centre near the Zeil. It was established in 1988 and houses the famous Tiger-Restaurant which was awarded a Michelin star. Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery K nstlerhaus Mousonturm Die Schmiere (literally: The Grease) is a cabaret and the oldest private-owned theatre in Frankfurt. It is located in the Karmeliterkloster in the Altstadt district. According to its own advertising it is the worst theatre in the world. Sony VGP-BPS21/S Battery Die Kom die
Amerika-Haus Frankfurt The Central and Eastern European Online Library (C.E.E.O.L.) is an online archive providing access to full text articles from humanities and social science scholarly journals on Central, Eastern and South Eastern European topics. The subject areas include: SONY VGN-FW41E/H BATTERY anthropology, culture and society, economy, gender studies, history, Judaic studies, fine arts, literature, linguistics, political sciences and social sciences, philosophy, religion, reviews, etc. The C.E.E.O.L. is initiated and maintained by Questa.Soft GmbH in Frankfurt. SONY VGN-FW41J/H BATTERY Festivals A major festival in the city is the Museumsuferfest (Museums Riverbank Festival). It is one of the biggest cultural festivals in Germany which attracts more than 3 million visitors over a period of 3 days. It takes place yearly at the end of August onSONY VGN-FW41M/H BATTERY both sides of the Main riverbank in the city centre. More than 20 museums are located there and they are open far into the night. Furthermore there are special attractions like live-bands, dance shows, several booths for crafts, jewellery, clothes and food from all around the world. It ends with a spectacular firework display . SONY VGN-FW41ZJ/H BATTERY Sony VAIO VGN-NW21JF/S Battery Dippemess W ldchestag At the Nacht der Museen (Night of the museums), taking place every year in April or May, 50 museums in Frankfurt and in the neighbouring city of Offenbach am Main are opened to the public far into the night (2:00 am). Additionally Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF/P Battery Nacht der Clubs Luminale The Sound of Frankfurt was a music festival held in the city centre. It took place regularly from 1994 to 2004. Various artists and bands performed open-air and for-free concerts on eight stages located mainly around the Zeil. Different types of music (rock, Latino, techno, house, alternative and pop) attracted about 500,000 visitors each year. Sony VAIO VGN-NS11SR/S Battery Nightlife The roots of techno music can be traced back to Germany, and in particular, Frankfurt. It was here, in the early 1990s, that local DJs like Sven V th and DJ DAG (of Dance 2 Trance) first played a harder, deeper style of acid house that became hugely Sony VAIO VGN-NS11ZR/S Battery King Kamehameha Club, named after the first king of Hawaii, is a disco club at Hanauer Landstra e. It was opened in 1999 and has since then expanded its business with a beach club in Offenbach am Main and a restaurant (King Kamehameha Suite) in Frankfurt's financial district. U60311 is a techno club in the city centre. "60311" is the zip code of the area. It was voted best club of the year by music magazines "Groove" and "Raveline" multiple times. Its location is an underground former pedestrian underpass. Sony VAIO VGN-NS21M/P Battery Living XXL Club 101 is a club in the financial district, located on the 24th floor of the Japan Center. Velvet Club Apfelwein (apple wine or cider) is regionally known as "Ebbelwoi", " ppler" oder "St ffsche". It has an alcohol content of 5.5%-7% and a tart, sour taste. It is traditionally served in a lozenge-shaped glass called "Geripptes", a full glass isSony VAIO VGN-NS21Z/S Battery Gr ne So e Frankfurter W rstchen Frankfurter Rindswurst Handk s mit Musik Frankfurter Kranz
Airports
Frankfurt Airport (with the fourth runway under construction in 2010) and the Frankfurter Kreuz (lower right corner) The airport can be reached by car or bus and has two train stations, one for regional and one for long-distance traffic. The S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 (direction Offenbach Ost or Hanau Hbf) departing at the regional station take Sony VAIO VGN-SR21RM/H Battery Despite the name, Frankfurt Hahn Airport (Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn) is not located anywhere near Frankfurt but is instead situated approximately 120 km (75 mi) from the city in Lautzenhausen (Rhineland-Palatinate). Sony VAIO VGN-SR29VN Battery Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport The streets of central Frankfurt are usually congested with cars during rush hour. Some areas, especially around the shopping streets Zeil, Goethestra e and Fre gass, are pedestrian-only streets, but there are numerous car parks located throughout the city and especially in the city centre. Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery Frankfurt Central Station (Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, often abbreviated as Frankfurt (Main) Hbf or F-Hbf) is the largest train station in Germany by railway traffic. Regarding daily passenger volume it ranks second together with Munich Central Station Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery Frankfurt South Station Hauptwache and Konstablerwache Public transport S-Bahn U-Bahn Tram A number of bus lines complete the Frankfurt public transportation system. Night buses take over the service of the U-Bahn and tram at 1:30 am to 3:30 am.[24] The central junction for the night bus service is Konstablerwache in the city centre, where all night bus lines start and end. Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery Taxis Bicycles Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia 2Posted September 29th, 2011 at 09:38am and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 166 m (545 ft).[36] Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S Battery There are ongoing land reclamation projects, which have increased Singapore's land area from 581.5 km2 (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km2 (272 sq mi) today; it may grow by another 100 km2 (40 sq mi) by 2030.[37] Some projects involve Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures usually range from 23 to 32 C (73 to 90 F). Relative humidity averages around 79% Sony VAIO VGN-FW21L Battery
improvements in the world economy; the economy grew by 8.3% in 2004, 6.4% in 2005,[58] and 7.9% in 2006.[59] After a contraction of 0.8% in 2009, the economy recovered in 2010 with a GDP growth of 14.5%.[6]
Singapore skyline, dusk
Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Singapore
other Sovereign states.[77] As one of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),[78] the country is a strong supporter of the ASEAN Free Trade Area and the ASEAN Investment Area, because Singapore's economic growth Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E Battery Bilateral relations with other ASEAN members are generally strong; however, disagreements have arisen,[62] and relations with neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia have historically been difficult.[81] Malaysia has often come into conflict with Sony VAIO VGN-FW31M Battery Singapore and the United States share a long-standing and strong relationship, particularly in defence, the economy, health and education. The USA is Singapore's third largest trading partner in 2010 after the People's Republic of China(2nd) Sony VAIO VGN-FW21ER Battery Relations with the People's Republic of China were established in the 1970s, and since then the two countries have enjoyed a strong relationship, being major players in strengthening the ASEAN-China relationship.[87] Sony VAIO VGN-FW46M Battery Military Main article: Singapore Armed Forces
RSS Formidable At the time of independence, Singapore had two infantry regiments commanded by British officers. This force was considered too small to provide effective security to the new country and so the development of the military became a priority. Sony VAIO VGN-FW51MF/H Battery Tactics such as jungle warfare were learned to allow the army to fight outside Singapore's borders, and the army obtained equipment such as tanks before its neighbours, often from Israel, and became a highly effective force.[92] SONY VGN-FW41E/H BATTERY The SAF is being developed to respond to a wide range of issues, in both conventional and unconventional warfare. The Defence ScienceSONY VGN-FW41J/H BATTERY
A Singapore Air Force F-15SG Singapore has a draft which extends to all able-bodied males at the age of 18, except to those who have a criminal record, or can prove that their loss would bring hardships to their families. In addition, males who have yet to completeSONY VGN-FW41ZJ/H BATTERY pre-university education or are awarded the Public Service Commission scholarship can opt to defer their draft. Though not required to perform military service, the number of women in the Singapore Armed Forces has been increasing, with women Sony VAIO VGN-NW31JF/S Battery Because of the scarcity of open land on the main island, training involving activities such as live firing and amphibious landings is often carried out on smaller islands, typically barred to civilian access. This also avoids risk to the main island and the Sony VAIO VGN-NW21ZF/S Battery The SAF has sent forces to assist in operations outside the country in areas such as Iraq[94] and Afghanistan,[95] in both military and non-military roles. Regionally it has helped stabilise East Timor and provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia following theSony VAIO VGN-NW21MF/P Battery Demographics Main article: Demographics of Singapore About 40 percent of the population are foreigners, the sixth-highest percentage in the world.[99] The government is considering capping these workers, Sony VAIO VGN-NS11E/S Battery In 2009, 74.2% of residents were of Chinese, 13.4% of Malay, and 9.2% of Indian descent.[103] Prior to 2010, each person could register as a member of only one race, by default that of his or her father. From 2010 onwards, people may register using a "double-barrelled" classification, in which they may choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more than two.[104Sony VAIO VGN-SR11M Battery
amongst the people (not only the Chinese) in the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but by mostly those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.[107] Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P Battery
Nearly half a million speak other Chinese languages (which the government describes as "dialects"), mainly Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese, as their home language, although the use of these is declining in favour of Mandarin and English.[118] Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery Malay is the "national language", a ceremonial rather than functional designation to reflect the country's history.[109][119][120] It is used in the national anthem "Majulah Singapura"[121] and in military commands. Today Malay is generally Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery
Education takes place in three stages: "Primary education", "Secondary education", and "Pre-university education", of which only the Primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of Sony VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery
of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination,[132] which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE 'O' Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, Sony VAIO VGN-NS21S/S Battery The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those who could not otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings Sony VAIO VGN-NS31M/S Battery Culture Main article: Culture of Singapore Cuisine
The durian-shaped Esplanade, performing arts centre, stands out in front of the Marina Square area. 51] One highlight was the construction of Esplanade, a performing arts centre opened in October 2002.[152] The annual Singapore Arts Festival is organised by the National Arts Council. The stand-up comedy scene has been growing, withSony VAIO VGN-FW31E Akku
National Stadium of Singapore Singapore's football (soccer) league, the S-League, formed in 1994,[156] currently comprises 12 clubs including foreign teams.[157] The Singapore Slingers, formerly in the Australian National Basketball League, is one of theSony VAIO VGN-FW32J Akku Media 2] In 2010, Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore 136 out of 178 in the Press Freedom Index.[164] Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/T Akku The Media Development Authority regulates Singaporean media, claiming to balance the demand for choice and protection against offensive and harmful material.[165] Private ownership of TV satellite dishes is banned.[1Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S Akku Main article: Transport in Singapore
The Port of Singapore with Sentosa island in the background Singapore is an aviation hub for the Southeast Asian region and a stopover on the Kangaroo route between Sydney and London.[17 1] There are 8 total airports in the country,[6] and Singapore Changi Airport hosts a network of 80 airlines connecting Singapore to 200 cities Sony VGN-NR11Z/T Battery The island has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres (2,085 mi) which includes 161 kilometres (100 mi) of expressways.[6] The public road system is served by many bus services and a number of licensed taxi-operating companies, Sony VGN-NR11S/S Battery Hong Kong and Singapore in AsiaPosted September 29th, 2011 at 09:37am
Hong Kong and Singapore in AsiaHong Kong is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11E Battery Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839-42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S Battery Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China.[22] Hong Kong's independent judiciary functions under the common law framework.[23][24] The Basic Law of Hong Kong, Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21J Battery As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world.[29] The lack of Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour Sony VAIO PCG-5J1L Battery History Main article: History of Hong Kong In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern Liangguang region) and incorporated the territory into imperial China for the first time. Modern Hong Kong is located in Nanhai commandery (modern Nanhai District) Sony VAIO PCG-6S2L Battery
The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum located in northwest Kowloon was built in 1969 after the tomb's discovery in 1955. Sony VAIO PCG-6W3L Battery During the Tang Dynasty period, the Guangdong region flourished as a regional trading center. In 736, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military town in Tuen Mun to defend the coastal area in the region.[55] The first village school, Li Ying College, Sony VAIO PCG-8Y1L Battery The earliest recorded European visitor was Jorge lvares, a Portuguese explorer who arrived in 1513.[58][59] After establishing settlements in the region, Portuguese merchants began trading in southern China. At the same time, they invaded and builtSony VAIO PCG-8Z2L Battery British colonial era
View of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon (published 1843)
In 1894, the deadly Third Pandemic of bubonic plague spread from China to Hong Kong, causing 50,000-100,000 deaths.[65] During the first half of the 20th century, Hong Kong was a free port, serving as an entrep t of the British Empire. The British introduced an education system based on their own model, while the local Chinese population had little contact with the European community of wealthy tai-pans settled near Victoria Peak.[66] Sony VAIO VGN-NR11S/S Battery In conjunction with its military campaign, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941.[69] The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December.[70] During Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S Battery
6] Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou shifted their operations to Hong Kong.[66]
costs remained low, living standards rose steadily.[72] The construction of Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 followed a massive slum fire, and marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme designed to cope with the huge influx of immigrants. TradeSony VAIO VGN-CR21E Battery
Development of Hong Kong Island in 1986 Since 1997 On 10 March 2005, Tung Chee Hwa announced his resignation as Chief Executive due to "health problems".[79] Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary for Administration at the time, entered the 2005 election unopposed and became the Sony VAIO VGN-CR42S Battery In 2009, Hong Kong hosted the fifth East Asian Games, in which nine national teams competed. It was the first and largest international multi-sport event ever held in the territory.[82] Today, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important global financial centre, Sony VGN-CR42Z Battery Governance Main articles: Politics of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, and Elections in Hong Kong
The Legislative Council Building in Central became the home to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1985. Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a "high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs."[note 4Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, the civil service, the Legislative Council, and the Judiciary. The Executive Council is headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then appointed by the Central Sony VAIO VGN-FW11M Battery
Government House is the official residence of the Chief Executive. In 2004, the government failed to gain pan-democrat support to pass its so-called "district council model" for political reform.[95] In 2009, the government reissued the proposals as the "Consultation Document on the MethodsSony VAIO VGN-FW21M Battery Legal system and judiciary
The Court of Final Appeal in Central is the supreme court of Hong Kong. Structurally, the court system consists of the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, which is made up of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance, and the District Court, which includes the Family Court.[100] Other adjudicative bodies include Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery The Department of Justice is responsible for handling legal matters for the government. Its responsibilities include providing legal advice, criminal prosecution, civil representation, legal and policy drafting and reform, and international legal cooperation between different jurisdictions.[98] Apart from prosecuting criminal cases, lawyers of the Department of Justice act on behalf of the government in all civil and Sony VGP-BPS13/S Battery Main article: Human rights in Hong Kong Internet access in Hong Kong is not under the censorship, surveillance, and control of the Great Firewall of China.[110] Statistics[show] There are a total of 534 district council seats, 405 of which are elected; the rest are appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio chairmen of rural committees.[113] The Home Affairs Department communicates government policies and plans to the public through the district offices.[114] Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery Military The Basic Law protects local civil affairs against interference by the garrison, and members of the garrison are subject to Hong Kong laws. The Hong Kong Government remains responsible for the maintenance of public order; however, Sony VGN-FW41E/H battery
Geography and climate Main articles: Geography of Hong Kong, Environment of Hong Kong, and Climate of Hong Kong
As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world.[29Sony VAIO VGN-FW411ZRU Battery The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world, with a market capitalisation of US$2.3 trillion as of December 2009.[136] In that year, Hong Kong raised 22 percent of worldwide initial public offering (IPO) capital, making Sony VAIO VGN-AW21S/B Battery
Hong Kong notes and coins The territory has little arable land and few natural resources, so it imports most of its food and raw materials. Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity,[142] with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its grossSony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/S Battery As of 2010, Hong Kong is the eighth most expensive city for expatriates, falling from fifth position in the previous year.[147] In 2011, Hong Kong was ranked second in the Ease of Doing Business Index, behind Singapore.[148] General principle No. 5Sony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/W Battery Demographics
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, at 6,480 people per square kilometre.[8] Sony VAIO VGN-SR19VN Battery Main article: Demographics of Hong Kong About 95% of the people of Hong Kong are of Chinese descent,[14] the majority of whom are Taishanese, Chiu Chow, other Cantonese people, and Hakka. Hong Kong's Han majority originate mainly from the Guangzhou and Taishan regions in Guangdong province.[15] The remaining 5% of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese.[ Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/P Battery The Roman Catholic Cathedral on Hong Kong Island Statistically Hong Kong's income gap is the greatest in Asia Pacific. According to a report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 2008, Hong Kong's Gini coefficient, at 0.53, was the highest in Asia and "relatively highSony VAIO VGN-NS11J/S Battery
Main article: Education in Hong Kong
A view over the University of Hong Kong Most comprehensive schools in Hong Kong fall under three categories: the rarer public schools; the more common subsidised schools, including government aids-and-grant schools; and private schools, often run by Christian organisations and having admissions based on academic merit rather than on financial resources. Outside this system are the schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme and private international schools.[179] Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery There are nine public universities in Hong Kong, and a number of private higher institutions, offering various bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses.The University of Hong Kong, the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery Healthcare There are 13 private hospitals and more than 50 public hospitals in Hong Kong. Among the widest range of healthcare services throughout the globe are on offer, and some of the SAR's private hospitals are rightly considered to be among the very best of their type in the world. Sony VAIO PCG-5G3L Battery There are two medical schools in the SAR, one based at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the other at Hong Kong University. Both have strong links with public sector hospitals. Sony VAIO PCG-5J1L Battery With respect to postgraduate education, many Hong Kong doctors have traditionally look overseas for further training, and many took British Royal College exams such as the MRCP(UK) and the MRCS(UK). However, Hong Kong has been developing its own postgraduate medical institutions, in particular the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and this is gradually taking over the responsibility for all postgraduate medical training in the SAR. Sony VAIO PCG-5J2L Battery There are also strong public health systems in Hong Kong, and the Centre for Health Protection, founded after the SARS outbreak of 2003, is particularly worthy of mention.
Main article: Culture of Hong Kong
City lights of Kowloon Hong Kong is a recognised global centre of trade, and calls itself an "entertainment hub".[190] Its martial arts film genre gained a high level of popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s. Several Hollywood performers, notable actors and martial artists have originated from Hong Kong cinema, notably Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Sony VAIO PCG-6W2L Battery
A statue of Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars, a tribute to the city's martial arts Hong Kong has two licensed terrestrial broadcasters - ATV and TVB. There are three local and a number of foreign suppliers of cable and satellite services.[194] The production of Hong Kong's soap dramas, comedy series, and variety shows Sony VAIO PCG-7112L Battery Hong Kong offers wide recreational and competitive sport opportunities despite its limited land area. It sends delegates to international competitions such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games, and played host to the equestrian events Sony VAIO PCG-7132L Battery According to Emporis, there are 7,650 skyscrapers in Hong Kong, which puts the city at the top of world rankings.[199] It has more buildings higher than 35m (or 100m, or 150m) than any other city. The high density and tall skyline of Hong Kong's urbanSony VAIO PCG-7Z2L Battery As a result of the lack of space and demand for construction, few older buildings remain, and the city is becoming a centre for modern architecture. The International Commerce Centre (ICC), at 484 m (1,588 ft) high, is the tallest building in Hong KongSony VAIO VGN-CR31E Battery Hong Kong's transportation network is highly developed. Over 90% of daily travels (11 million) are on public transport,[32] the highest such percentage in the world.[33] Payment can be made using the Octopus card, a stored value Sony VAIO VGN-CR41SR Battery The city's main railway company (MTR) was merged with the urban mass transit operator (KCRC) in 2007, creating a comprehensive rail network for the whole territory (also called MTR).[214] This MTR rapid transit system has 152 stations, whichSony VAIO VGN-NR21J/S Battery Hong Kong's bus service is franchised and run by private operators. Five privately owned companies provide franchised bus service across the territory, together operating more than 700 routes. The two largest, Kowloon Motor Bus provides 402 routes in Kowloon and New Territories; Citybus operates 154 routes on Hong KongSony VAIO VGN-NR21S/T Battery
The cross harbour ferry of Hong Kong
The Peak Tram of Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport is a leading air passenger gateway and logistics hub in Asia and one of the world's busiest airports in terms ofSony VAIO VGN-SR19XN Battery Singapore i/ s p r/, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by Sony VAIO VGN-SR29VN Battery Singapore had been a part of various local empires since it was first inhabited in the second century AD. It hosted a trading post of the East India Company in 1819 with permission from the Sultanate of Johor. The British obtained sovereignty over Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P Battery Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party (PAP) has won every election since the British grant of internal self-government in 1959. The legal system of SingaporeSony Vaio VGN-NW21MF Battery Victorious Japanese troops marching through Singapore City after British capitulation at the Battle of SingaporeSony Vaio VGN-NS38E/S Battery The earliest known settlement on Singapore was in the second century AD. It was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, named Temasek ('sea town'). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, it was part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.[12] Sony Vaio VGN-NS12M/S Battery In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824 the entire island became a BritishSony Vaio VGN-NS12M/W Battery Singapore declared independence from Britain on 31 August 1963 before joining the new Federation of Malaysia in September along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum. Sony Vaio VGN-NS30E/S Battery Singapore gained sovereignty as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth) on 9 August 1965[3] with Yusof bin Ishak as president and Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister. In 1967 it helped found the Association ofSony Vaio VGN-NS20EF/P Battery Government and politics Main articles: Government of Singapore, Politics of Singapore, and Human rights in Singapore
Singapore's Parliament House. Executive power rests with the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, and the President.[19] The president is elected through popular vote, and has some veto powers for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and Sony VAIO VGP-BPS13/S Battery The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, albeit with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was entirely abolished in 1970 leaving judicial assessment performed wholly by judgeship.[28] Singapore has penalties thatSony VAIO VGP-BPS13A/Q Battery Main article: Geography of Singapore
Outline of Singapore and the surrounding islands & waterways Hong Kong and Singapore in AsiaPosted September 29th, 2011 at 09:37am
Hong Kong and Singapore in AsiaHong Kong is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11E Battery Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839-42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S Battery Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China.[22] Hong Kong's independent judiciary functions under the common law framework.[23][24] The Basic Law of Hong Kong, Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21J Battery As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world.[29] The lack of Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour Sony VAIO PCG-5J1L Battery History Main article: History of Hong Kong In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern Liangguang region) and incorporated the territory into imperial China for the first time. Modern Hong Kong is located in Nanhai commandery (modern Nanhai District) Sony VAIO PCG-6S2L Battery
The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum located in northwest Kowloon was built in 1969 after the tomb's discovery in 1955. Sony VAIO PCG-6W3L Battery During the Tang Dynasty period, the Guangdong region flourished as a regional trading center. In 736, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military town in Tuen Mun to defend the coastal area in the region.[55] The first village school, Li Ying College, Sony VAIO PCG-8Y1L Battery The earliest recorded European visitor was Jorge lvares, a Portuguese explorer who arrived in 1513.[58][59] After establishing settlements in the region, Portuguese merchants began trading in southern China. At the same time, they invaded and builtSony VAIO PCG-8Z2L Battery British colonial era
View of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon (published 1843)
In 1894, the deadly Third Pandemic of bubonic plague spread from China to Hong Kong, causing 50,000-100,000 deaths.[65] During the first half of the 20th century, Hong Kong was a free port, serving as an entrep t of the British Empire. The British introduced an education system based on their own model, while the local Chinese population had little contact with the European community of wealthy tai-pans settled near Victoria Peak.[66] Sony VAIO VGN-NR11S/S Battery In conjunction with its military campaign, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941.[69] The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December.[70] During Sony VAIO VGN-NR11Z/S Battery
6] Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou shifted their operations to Hong Kong.[66]
costs remained low, living standards rose steadily.[72] The construction of Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 followed a massive slum fire, and marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme designed to cope with the huge influx of immigrants. TradeSony VAIO VGN-CR21E Battery
Development of Hong Kong Island in 1986 Since 1997 On 10 March 2005, Tung Chee Hwa announced his resignation as Chief Executive due to "health problems".[79] Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary for Administration at the time, entered the 2005 election unopposed and became the Sony VAIO VGN-CR42S Battery In 2009, Hong Kong hosted the fifth East Asian Games, in which nine national teams competed. It was the first and largest international multi-sport event ever held in the territory.[82] Today, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important global financial centre, Sony VGN-CR42Z Battery Governance Main articles: Politics of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, and Elections in Hong Kong
The Legislative Council Building in Central became the home to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1985. Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a "high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs."[note 4Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, the civil service, the Legislative Council, and the Judiciary. The Executive Council is headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then appointed by the Central Sony VAIO VGN-FW11M Battery
Government House is the official residence of the Chief Executive. In 2004, the government failed to gain pan-democrat support to pass its so-called "district council model" for political reform.[95] In 2009, the government reissued the proposals as the "Consultation Document on the MethodsSony VAIO VGN-FW21M Battery Legal system and judiciary
The Court of Final Appeal in Central is the supreme court of Hong Kong. Structurally, the court system consists of the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, which is made up of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance, and the District Court, which includes the Family Court.[100] Other adjudicative bodies include Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery The Department of Justice is responsible for handling legal matters for the government. Its responsibilities include providing legal advice, criminal prosecution, civil representation, legal and policy drafting and reform, and international legal cooperation between different jurisdictions.[98] Apart from prosecuting criminal cases, lawyers of the Department of Justice act on behalf of the government in all civil and Sony VGP-BPS13/S Battery Main article: Human rights in Hong Kong Internet access in Hong Kong is not under the censorship, surveillance, and control of the Great Firewall of China.[110] Statistics[show] There are a total of 534 district council seats, 405 of which are elected; the rest are appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio chairmen of rural committees.[113] The Home Affairs Department communicates government policies and plans to the public through the district offices.[114] Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery Military The Basic Law protects local civil affairs against interference by the garrison, and members of the garrison are subject to Hong Kong laws. The Hong Kong Government remains responsible for the maintenance of public order; however, Sony VGN-FW41E/H battery
Geography and climate Main articles: Geography of Hong Kong, Environment of Hong Kong, and Climate of Hong Kong
As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world.[29Sony VAIO VGN-FW411ZRU Battery The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world, with a market capitalisation of US$2.3 trillion as of December 2009.[136] In that year, Hong Kong raised 22 percent of worldwide initial public offering (IPO) capital, making Sony VAIO VGN-AW21S/B Battery
Hong Kong notes and coins The territory has little arable land and few natural resources, so it imports most of its food and raw materials. Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity,[142] with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its grossSony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/S Battery As of 2010, Hong Kong is the eighth most expensive city for expatriates, falling from fifth position in the previous year.[147] In 2011, Hong Kong was ranked second in the Ease of Doing Business Index, behind Singapore.[148] General principle No. 5Sony VAIO VGN-NW20EF/W Battery Demographics
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, at 6,480 people per square kilometre.[8] Sony VAIO VGN-SR19VN Battery Main article: Demographics of Hong Kong About 95% of the people of Hong Kong are of Chinese descent,[14] the majority of whom are Taishanese, Chiu Chow, other Cantonese people, and Hakka. Hong Kong's Han majority originate mainly from the Guangzhou and Taishan regions in Guangdong province.[15] The remaining 5% of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese.[ Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/P Battery The Roman Catholic Cathedral on Hong Kong Island Statistically Hong Kong's income gap is the greatest in Asia Pacific. According to a report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 2008, Hong Kong's Gini coefficient, at 0.53, was the highest in Asia and "relatively highSony VAIO VGN-NS11J/S Battery
Main article: Education in Hong Kong
A view over the University of Hong Kong Most comprehensive schools in Hong Kong fall under three categories: the rarer public schools; the more common subsidised schools, including government aids-and-grant schools; and private schools, often run by Christian organisations and having admissions based on academic merit rather than on financial resources. Outside this system are the schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme and private international schools.[179] Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z Battery There are nine public universities in Hong Kong, and a number of private higher institutions, offering various bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses.The University of Hong Kong, the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery Healthcare There are 13 private hospitals and more than 50 public hospitals in Hong Kong. Among the widest range of healthcare services throughout the globe are on offer, and some of the SAR's private hospitals are rightly considered to be among the very best of their type in the world. Sony VAIO PCG-5G3L Battery There are two medical schools in the SAR, one based at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the other at Hong Kong University. Both have strong links with public sector hospitals. Sony VAIO PCG-5J1L Battery With respect to postgraduate education, many Hong Kong doctors have traditionally look overseas for further training, and many took British Royal College exams such as the MRCP(UK) and the MRCS(UK). However, Hong Kong has been developing its own postgraduate medical institutions, in particular the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and this is gradually taking over the responsibility for all postgraduate medical training in the SAR. Sony VAIO PCG-5J2L Battery There are also strong public health systems in Hong Kong, and the Centre for Health Protection, founded after the SARS outbreak of 2003, is particularly worthy of mention.
Main article: Culture of Hong Kong
City lights of Kowloon Hong Kong is a recognised global centre of trade, and calls itself an "entertainment hub".[190] Its martial arts film genre gained a high level of popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s. Several Hollywood performers, notable actors and martial artists have originated from Hong Kong cinema, notably Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Sony VAIO PCG-6W2L Battery
A statue of Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars, a tribute to the city's martial arts Hong Kong has two licensed terrestrial broadcasters - ATV and TVB. There are three local and a number of foreign suppliers of cable and satellite services.[194] The production of Hong Kong's soap dramas, comedy series, and variety shows Sony VAIO PCG-7112L Battery Hong Kong offers wide recreational and competitive sport opportunities despite its limited land area. It sends delegates to international competitions such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games, and played host to the equestrian events Sony VAIO PCG-7132L Battery According to Emporis, there are 7,650 skyscrapers in Hong Kong, which puts the city at the top of world rankings.[199] It has more buildings higher than 35m (or 100m, or 150m) than any other city. The high density and tall skyline of Hong Kong's urbanSony VAIO PCG-7Z2L Battery As a result of the lack of space and demand for construction, few older buildings remain, and the city is becoming a centre for modern architecture. The International Commerce Centre (ICC), at 484 m (1,588 ft) high, is the tallest building in Hong KongSony VAIO VGN-CR31E Battery Hong Kong's transportation network is highly developed. Over 90% of daily travels (11 million) are on public transport,[32] the highest such percentage in the world.[33] Payment can be made using the Octopus card, a stored value Sony VAIO VGN-CR41SR Battery The city's main railway company (MTR) was merged with the urban mass transit operator (KCRC) in 2007, creating a comprehensive rail network for the whole territory (also called MTR).[214] This MTR rapid transit system has 152 stations, whichSony VAIO VGN-NR21J/S Battery Hong Kong's bus service is franchised and run by private operators. Five privately owned companies provide franchised bus service across the territory, together operating more than 700 routes. The two largest, Kowloon Motor Bus provides 402 routes in Kowloon and New Territories; Citybus operates 154 routes on Hong KongSony VAIO VGN-NR21S/T Battery
The cross harbour ferry of Hong Kong
The Peak Tram of Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport is a leading air passenger gateway and logistics hub in Asia and one of the world's busiest airports in terms ofSony VAIO VGN-SR19XN Battery Singapore i/ s p r/, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by Sony VAIO VGN-SR29VN Battery Singapore had been a part of various local empires since it was first inhabited in the second century AD. It hosted a trading post of the East India Company in 1819 with permission from the Sultanate of Johor. The British obtained sovereignty over Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P Battery Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party (PAP) has won every election since the British grant of internal self-government in 1959. The legal system of SingaporeSony Vaio VGN-NW21MF Battery Victorious Japanese troops marching through Singapore City after British capitulation at the Battle of SingaporeSony Vaio VGN-NS38E/S Battery The earliest known settlement on Singapore was in the second century AD. It was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, named Temasek ('sea town'). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, it was part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.[12] Sony Vaio VGN-NS12M/S Battery In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824 the entire island became a BritishSony Vaio VGN-NS12M/W Battery Singapore declared independence from Britain on 31 August 1963 before joining the new Federation of Malaysia in September along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum. Sony Vaio VGN-NS30E/S Battery Singapore gained sovereignty as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth) on 9 August 1965[3] with Yusof bin Ishak as president and Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister. In 1967 it helped found the Association ofSony Vaio VGN-NS20EF/P Battery Government and politics Main articles: Government of Singapore, Politics of Singapore, and Human rights in Singapore
Singapore's Parliament House. Executive power rests with the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, and the President.[19] The president is elected through popular vote, and has some veto powers for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and Sony VAIO VGP-BPS13/S Battery The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, albeit with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was entirely abolished in 1970 leaving judicial assessment performed wholly by judgeship.[28] Singapore has penalties thatSony VAIO VGP-BPS13A/Q Battery Main article: Geography of Singapore
Outline of Singapore and the surrounding islands & waterways Russo-Georgian War in 2008Posted September 28th, 2011 at 02:23pm
Russo-Georgian War in 2008The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other. Sony VAIO VGN-SR11M Battery The 1991-1992 South Ossetia War between ethnic Georgians and Ossetians had left slightly more than a half of South Ossetia under de-facto control of a Russian-backed internationally unrecognised government.[42][43] Most ethnic Sony VAIO VGN-SR11MR Battery During the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, Georgia launched a large-scale military offensive against South Ossetia, in an attempt to reconquer the territory.[45] Georgia claimed that it was responding to attacks on its peacekeepers and villages in South Sony VAIO VGN-SR21M/S Battery Through mediation by the French presidency of the European Union, the parties reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement on 12 August, signed by Georgia on 15 August in Tbilisi and by Russia on 16 August in Moscow. Several weeks after Sony VAIO VGN-SR51MF/P Battery A number of incidents occurred in both conflict zones in the months after the war ended. The conflict remained frozen until 2003 when Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in Georgia's Rose Revolution, which ousted president Eduard Shevardnadze. In the years that followed, Saakashvili's government pushed a programme to strengthenSony Vaio VGN-CS31S/P Battery In 1989, Ossetians accounted for around 60 percent, Georgians 20 percent, Armenians 10 percent and Russians 5 percent of the population of South Ossetia. As of 2009 about 87.5% of the population of South Ossetia have acquired Russian Sony Vaio VGN-NS11J/S Battery
The U.S. Ambassador John Tefft addresses Georgian graduates of the SSOP in June 2007.
BTC pipeline (green) and planned Nabucco gas pipeline (tangerine). During 2008, both Georgia and Russia accused each other of preparing for war.[62][96] In April 2008, Russia said that Georgia was massing 1,500 soldiers and police in the upper Kodori Gorge area and planning to invade the breakaway region of Abkhazia. Russia Sony VAIO VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery In the same month Russia increased the number of its military peacekeepers in Abkhazia to 2,542 by deploying hundreds of paratroopers into the region. Sony VGP-BPS21A Battery On 16 April Russia's president Vladimir Putin signed a decree authorising direct official relations between Russian government bodies and the secessionist authorities in Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia.[103] The move further heightened tensions between Russia and Georgia. Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/S Battery On 20 April, a Russian jet shot down a Georgian reconnaissance drone flying over Abkhazia.[62][100][104] After the incident Saakashvili deployed 12,000 Georgian troops to Senaki.[105] Georgian interior ministry officials showed the BBCSony VAIO VGN-NW11S/T Battery
Pre-war clashes
At 2 p.m. on 7 August the Georgian peacekeeping checkpoint in Avnevi was reportedly shelled, killing two Georgian peacekeepers.[8] At around 2:30 p.m. Georgia mobilized tanks, 122mm howitzers, and 203mm self-propelled artillery guns in the direction Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11E Battery In his interview to the CNN, answering to the anchor's question, "Did you take a gamble? Your government launched its own attempt to retake South Ossetia, guess 24 hour ago?" Saakashvili answered "We did not. [Only when Russian APCs crossed the border Sony VAIO PCG-8Y1L Battery A Georgian armored vehicle in Zahesi, Georgia, on its way to South Ossetia. Half an hour later, Georgian forces began a major artillery bombardment on heights surrounding Tskhinvali and several villages.[147] Several other villages were more lightly shelled. The Georgians used 27 rocket launchers, including BM-21 Grad and Sony VAIO VGN-CR31S Battery The Georgians claimed that they were targeting Ossetian militia positions. According to numerous witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch, including Ossetian militiamen, South Ossetian forces were present in Tskhinvali and neighboring villages. Sony VAIO VGN-CR41SR Battery Early in the morning of 8 August, Georgia launched a military offensive, codenamed Operation Clear Field[149] to capture Tskhinvali. According to the EU fact-finding mission, 10,000 -11,000 soldiers took part in the general Georgian offensive in South Ossetia.[1Sony VAIO VGN-NR21E/S Battery
A Russian armoured column in South Ossetia. A destroyed Georgian tank in Tskhinvali The BBC reported that Georgia may have committed war crimes during its attack on Tskhinvali, including possible deliberate targeting of civilians.[172] Human Rights Watch found some evidence of firing being directed into basements, locations which civilians frequentlySony VGN-CR31E Battery The Georgians continued advancing through the city, and forced Russian and South Ossetian forces back in heavy street fighting. According to Moscow Defense Brief, by the morning of August 10, the Georgians had captured almost the whole of Tskhinvali, Sony VAIO VGN-FW51ZF/H Battery a number of soldiers and destroying several tanks. The village was captured shortly afterward by Chechen paramilitaries of the Vostok Battalion. Georgian artillery continued to shell Tskhinvali from a number of high points. On 11 August, the Georgian Air Force continuedSONY VGN-FW41E/H BATTERY launching air attacks on Russian forces.[186] A Russian Su-24 was shot down by Georgian air defenses, and a Georgian Su-25 was also shot down, but the pilot survived. According to Russian sources, Georgian artillery resumed shelling Tskhinvali, and a South Ossetian SONY VGN-FW41J/H BATTERY government representative claimed that Georgian troops opened the irrigation canal to flood basements and prevent civilians from seeking shelter. That information was never confirmed. Throughout the day, intense ground combat continued, and by the end of the day, Georgian forces had been completely pushed out of South Ossetia.[20] SONY VGN-FW41M/H BATTERY According to the Georgian Defense Minister, the Georgian military tried to push into Tskhinvali three times in all. During the last attempt, they were met with a very heavy Russian-led counter attack with air support, which Georgian officials described as "somethingSONY VGN-FW41ZJ/H BATTERY like hell."[8] In total, the fighting in the Tskhinvali area lasted for three days and nights, by the end of which Georgian artillery was forced from positions from which it could shell the city and Georgia's ground forces pulled completely out of South Ossetia.[179] Sony VAIO VGN-NW31JF/S Battery Russian forces advanced into Georgia proper by the next morning. Having retreated from South Ossetia, the Georgian forces regrouped at Gori.[20] Sony VAIO VGN-NW21ZF/T Battery During its orderly retreat out of South Ossetia into Gori, the Georgian forces were repeatedly hit by Russian air and artillery strikes which inflicted massive casualties upon mostly lightly armored vehicles and Infantry units in tight column formations. Hundreds Sony VAIO VGN-NW21ZF/S Battery Bombing and occupation of Gori According to western intelligence, the Russian bombings began at 7:30 a.m. 8 August, when Russia fired an SS-21 ballistic missile at military or government bunkers in the city of Borjomi, southwest of Gori.[115] The first Russian air attack hit the village Sony VAIO VGN-NS11ER/S Battery On the evening of 10 August, large numbers of the civilian population began to flee the city and the surrounding area after the Georgian Interior Ministry declared Gori to be not safe.[197] By the next day, 11 August, 56,000 people had fled the Gori District. Sony VAIO VGN-NS12M/W Battery The Georgian Army expected that the Russians would attempt to take Gori, and Georgian troops, armored vehicles, and heavy artillery took positions 25 kilometers north of Gori, and anti-aircraft units were stationed inside the city.[198] Following its defeat atSony VAIO VGN-NS21M/W Battery
A Russian missile booster lies largely intact in a bedroom of a home in Gori. The Russian and Ossetian forces denied access to some humanitarian aid missions seeking to assist civilians.[citation needed] The United Nations, which described the humanitarian situation in Gori as "desperate," was able to deliver only limited foodSony VAIO VGN-SR21RM/H Battery The occupation lasted until 22 August.[219] Georgian Police then re-entered the city.[220]
Russian Black Sea Fleet small guided missile ship project 12341 Mirazh (Mirage) in Sevastopol
On August 11, Russian paratroopers deployed in Abkhazia carried out raids against military bases deep inside Georgian territory, from where Georgia could send reinforcements to its troops in South Ossetia. Russian forces, meeting virtually no resistance, Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21M Battery Bombing and occupation of Poti Bombing of Tbilisi Joint press conference of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy after negotiations on the six point peace plan. Sony VAIO PCG-6W2L Battery On 10 August most international observers began calling for a peaceful solution to the conflict.[243] The European Union and the United States expressed a willingness to send a joint delegation to try and negotiate a ceasefire.[244] RussiaSony VAIO PCG-6W3L Battery On 12 August, Russian President Medvedev said that he had ordered an end to military operations in Georgia, saying that "the operation has achieved its goal, security for peacekeepers and civilians has been restored. The aggressor was punished, Sony VAIO PCG-8Y2L Battery No recourse to the use of force. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation must withdraw to the line where they were stationed prior to the beginning of hostilities. Prior to the establishment of international mechanisms the Russian peacekeeping forces will take additional security measures. (addition rejected: six months) Sony PCG-7132L Battery An international debate on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and ways to ensure their lasting security will take place. (addition rejected: based on the decisions of the UN and the OSCE).[249][251][252] Sony PCG-7133L Battery After the cease fire had been signed, hostilities did not immediately stop. According to Moscow Defence Brief, active raids on bases inside Georgian territory to capture and destroy Georgian weapons and equipment, in what was termed the "demilitarization of Sony PCG-7z1L Battery
Russian withdrawal
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