View allAll Photos Tagged Development,

I've been working into a game about Dark Elves, and at certain point, during an undercover mission, you are allowed to input fake names... and these are what I chose to test.

Take this program away from me!

 

(Their actual names are Dilshalee and Amalfein, respectively)

Giving further credence to the status of Punjab as a favoured destination for investors, ITC Limited today announced to double its investment in Punjab from the earlier Rs 700 crore to Rs 1400 crore. Disclosing this during my interaction with the top corporate honchos here, the President of FMCG Businesses, ITC Limited Mr. Sanjiv Puri said his company had succeeded in making Kinnow juice and it would be in the market within the current financial year.

The Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Limited - Mr. Balram Yadav said his company would evaluate setting up a green house and food park over 100 acres. I told him that the government was ready to create the entire infrastructure for the green house at Ladhowal.

Molson Coors president Ravi Kaza announced his company was upgrading its plant by investing Rs 50 crore. Representatives of Marks and Spencer, Cannon, Shaktibhog Atta, Walmart and Dabur also held one to one meetings with me and all sounded very upbeat about investing in Punjab. Walmart representatives said there was scope of opening a dozen more Walmart stores in Punjab as the company's stores in Punjab had the best sales.

Looking forward to a really Progressive Punjab!!!

Viewing the edge of the the Red Kite phase of the development, from the stile into the field below Bryn Farm.

Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.

All rights reserved, no use without license

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Hong kong)

 

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.

 

Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]

 

Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.

 

Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]

 

Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]

Contents

 

1 Etymology

2 History

2.1 Prehistory

2.2 Imperial China

2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941

2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45

2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97

2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status

3 Governance

3.1 Structure of government

3.2 Electoral and political reforms

3.3 Legal system and judiciary

3.4 Foreign relations

3.5 Human rights

3.6 Regions and districts

3.7 Military

4 Geography and climate

5 Economy

5.1 Financial centre

5.2 International trading

5.3 Tourism and expatriation

5.4 Policy

5.5 Infrastructure

6 Demographics

6.1 Languages

6.2 Religion

6.3 Personal income

6.4 Education

6.5 Health

7 Culture

7.1 Sports

7.2 Architecture

7.3 Cityscape

7.4 Symbols

8 See also

9 Notes

10 References

10.1 Citations

10.2 Sources

11 Further reading

12 External links

 

Etymology

 

Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]

 

The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]

 

Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]

 

Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]

 

The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

 

As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.

 

Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".

History

Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong

 

Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]

 

Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]

Imperial China

Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China

 

In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]

 

After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]

 

From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.

 

From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.

European discovery

 

The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.

 

Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]

British Crown Colony: 1842–1941

A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London

Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)

 

In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]

 

The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]

 

Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.

 

In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]

 

Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.

File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media

Hong Kong filmed in 1937

 

In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).

 

Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]

 

In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.

Japanese occupation: 1941–45

Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]

 

As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]

 

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]

Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97

Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong

Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997

 

Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.

Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

 

In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.

 

Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.

A sky view of Hong Kong Island

An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986

 

To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]

 

In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]

The Hong Kong question

 

In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.

 

The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.

 

It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.

Handover and Special Administrative Region status

Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong

Transfer of sovereignty

Golden Bauhinia Square

 

On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.

 

Structure of government

 

Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]

 

Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.

 

Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]

 

The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]

 

In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.

 

Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]

Website Design & Development by Litmus Branding,India's Branding Agency. We also offer Website Design & Development services to clients, across the globe.

Las Ruinas de Tulum. Tulum Ruins. Mexico. Oct/2016

 

Tulum archaeological site is relatively compact compared with many other Maya sites in the vicinity, and is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites. Its proximity to the modern tourism developments along the Mexican Caribbean coastline and its short distance from Cancún and the surrounding "Riviera Maya" has made it a popular Maya tourist site in the Yucatan.

It was the site of a Mayan port which was supported by up to 1000 residents before the arrival of the Spanish. The ruin's tropical beach backdrop is the main attraction of this picturesque, much-visited small ruin on the shore of the Caribbean Sea

Each Mayan city had a specific purpose, and Tulum was no exception. It was a seaport, trading mainly in turquoise and jade.

As well as being the only Mayan city built on a coast, Tulum was one of the few protected by a wall.

Made of limestone, the 784-metre wall encloses the site on three sides, is seven metres thick, and varies between three and five metres in height. No doubt this fortification helped preserve the seaport.

Like the questions which surround the decline of the Mayan world, there are several theories as to why a wall surrounds Tulum. One has a Mayan population of 600 on the inside, protected from invaders. Another suggests only priests and nobility were housed within the walls, while peasants were kept on the outside.

After entering the ruins through one of five doorways in the wall, visitors are greeted by a field of gently-rolling hills. Black and grey stone outcroppings, which were once buildings, dot the sun-baked landscape.

 

Source: Wikipedia and Wikitravel

A península mexicana de Yucatan, onde ficam as cidades de Cancun e Playa del Carmen, é uma região que foi habitada séculos atrás pela civilização maia. As antigas cidades ocupadas por este povo agora são ruínas preservadas e tornaram-se atrações turísticas muito visitadas. Um dos sítios arqueológicos mais importantes é o de Tulum, a cidade murada que se encontra de frente para o mar do caribe mexicano.

Esta cidade era designada pelos maias pelo nome de Zamá, que significa cidade da aurora. Tulum é também uma palavra maia para barreira ou parede, o que se entende facilmente pois a cidade encontra-se rodeada de espessa muralha protectora.

O primeiro a identificar a cidade foi Juan Díaz, que em 1518 fazia parte da expedição de Juan de Grijalva. A sua descrição de Tulum é a de uma cidade rica e magnífica, à imagem de Sevilha na Espanha. No entanto, o primeiro estudo detalhado do sítio deveu-se aos famosos exploradores John Lloyd Stephens e Frederick Catherwood, que publicaram em 1843 o livro Incidents of Travel in Yucatan.

Actualmente, milhares de turistas visitam as ruínas de Tulum diariamente, sobretudo em excursões organizadas. Tulum é o terceiro sítio arqueológico do México mais visitado atrás de Teotihuacan e Chichén Itzá e à frente de Monte Albán.

  

Fonte: Wikipedia

"Trying to catch up with the rest of the world."

 

The brick houses beneath signifies the root of the countrymen and shows how they are still dependent where as the neatly and tightly stacked and packed colorful houses with those cellular towers on their heads signify how people are trying to catch up with the rest of the world in present times.

 

The most striking and ironic part is that these people haven't forgotten their culture and roots in this mad race for economic freedom - this feature is brought in the colorfully decorated balcony.

As the hoarding reads "it truly is a PARADISE'.

Arrested Development @ Club 50 West, SLC UT 12-17-15

Microchip PIC Development Board for 40pin Microchip PIC16 and PIC18 devices

Arrested Development at Koko, London

Jeremiah Yancy is an active member of many NGOs and a large part of his businesses is contributed to social services for the sake of humanity and well fare of the society.To know more visit here: medium.com/@Jeremiahyancy

 

Development 1:70 according to Spur Acurol-N indications. camera Mamiya RB Pro S 6x7 film in two backs. Taken in the same place. Scanning with identical settings. The comparisons are not strictly scientific but they allow me to have practical comparisons for the rendering of grays, shadows and lights based on the lighting conditions

, for the choice of films. I think I can say even though each film has its own structure and particular characteristics it can give with a development (after several tests) the best result to make the most of it. For this reason I spend a lot of time working on tests

Leeton. Population 7,500.

Like Griffith, Leeton was a child of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and also a town designed by the architect who laid out Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin. One of the three men behind the establishment of the MIA was Sir Samuel McCaughey who had a grand house built just outside of Leeton in Euroley Road Yanco. It is now the Yanco Agricultural High School. McCaughey had started his own private irrigation system with channel at Yanco in the early 20th century for pastoralism. He bought Yanco pastoral station (he already had several others) and at great cost built over 300 kms of water channels so that he could not irrigate but supply water to 40,000 acres. In 1906, as a Member of the Legislative Council he envisaged a big government scheme that would support of population of over 50,000 people. In 1906 the NSW government passed a bill to construct the Burrinjuck Dam. Water from that dam first became available in 1912. A narrow gauge railway was built from Narrandera to Yanco in 1907 to transport materials for the development of the MIA. The station at Yanco railway was the nearest for Leeton until 1922. By 1960 there were over 1,900 kms of water supply channel, over 1,200 kms of drainage channels. The town was named Leeton after the Minister of Public Works at that time Charles Lee. The MIA water supply is now for horticulture more than pastoralism except in the outer areas. Leeton is now the rice capital of Australia but extensive areas of citrus trees and vines are grown. McCaughey’s dream ended for him in 1919 when he died at his home in Yanco. His estate was valued at £1,600 million of which he left to charities, the Presbyterian Church, hospitals etc. and a quarter of his estate went to the University of Sydney. At one time before his death he owned around 3.25 million acres! His sandstone and brick mansion at Yanco was left to the area as a school.

 

The central park in Leeton is McCaughey Park. Walter Burley Griffin was a follower of the Garden City Movement, like Charles Reade the designer of Colonel Light Gardens hence the curved and circular roads, and the avoidance of rectangles and squared corners. Streets were designed to follow contours and the highest point of Leeton, opposite the Hydro Hotel has three decorative water towers named after Walter Burley Griffin. The oldest was erected in 1913, the second in 1937 and the last in 1974 to feed water by gravity to the town. The first solid building built in Leeton was the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust offices in 1912 which later became the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission building in 1937 when a new Art Deco building was opened. . It is now the town museum and art gallery. This Trust employed the men who built the town and in the early years 250 homes were built each year, and the Trust workshops employed about 100 men. Because so much of the town was built during the Art Deco period with 21 buildings registered by the NSW Art Deco society which is impressive as they only list about 80 in the Sydney region. Most of the best examples of Art Deco in Leeton are mainly in: Pine and Kurrajong Avenues. Leeton has an annual Art Deco festival during July each year. Most of the earliest building in Leeton were timber framed and the beautiful Art Deco ones came along in the 1920s to 1940s.

 

In terms of development of the region at lot happened in 1914 as farmers were on their lands and residents were accommodated in Leeton and workers accommodated in barracks. The Leeton Progress Association was formed in 1914 as were the Yanco Agricultural and Horticultural Society, the Murrumbidgee Dairy Farmers Association (the butter rectory opened in 1913), the Murrumbidgee Farmers Union and the local newspaper, The Murrumbidgee Irrigator began publishing. Clarkes brothers General Store was in a solid shop as opposed to the 1911 tin shed. The one teacher school built in 1911 had five teachers and around 300 children by 1914. A Catholic School began in 1917 using the church as its school room until 1936. By 1914 Leeton had Methodist (replaced 1937), Baptist (replaced 1937), Anglican (the parish hall added in 1929) and Catholic churches (replaced in 1955). The current Presbyterian Church was built in 1957, replacing the 1916 timber framed one. By 1914 Leeton had only one Bank that of NSW (replaced in 1938). A second bank did not open until 1920 – the Commercial Bank of Sydney (replaced in 1957.) Leeton is a prosperous still growing town. One of the important employers in town is the Sunrise rice mill. It is the headquarters of Sunrise Australia which exports much of the rice not destined for the domestic market in Australia. In recent years Leeton has made a positive attempt to attract and befriend immigrant workers and families. Many are needed for the local abattoirs and agricultural work. There is now a sizeable Afghan community in Leeton with the highest proportion outside of Sydney. Leeton has small communities of Fijians, Pacific Islanders and East African workers. Cotton is also grown near Leeton. In terms of industry the town cannery was crucial and the major employed.

 

The NSW government cannery opened in Leeton in 1914 with government contracts for tinned fruit, vegetables and orange juice. The State Cannery eventually became Leeton Cooperative Cannery. It employed around 750 people throughout the year with a peak work force double that during the harvest season. In its last decades is marketed fruit etc as Letona brand. Sadly the cannery closed in 1994. Letona also sold locally grown rice as Letona Rice. The rice growing industry in Leeton began in 1924 and two sisters. Lois and Margaret Grant were among the first six pioneers of rice growing when it started. Lois Grant succeeded so well in this male industry and she was a founding member of the MIA Rice growing Cooperative Society. The cooperative marketed its rice as SunRice. It is now marketed as SunWhite Rice. Leeton is still a major rice producing region of Australia and most is produced for export. Australia including Leeton and the Riverina region leads the world in water efficient and sustainable and highly mechanised rice growing. The MIA grows much of Australia’s rice with more grown in other regions of the Riverina. About 25,000 to 65,000 hectares are used for rice growing in the MIA depending on the season and water allocations. There are between two rice mills in the Riverina with a major one near Leeton. The other major mill for SunWhite is at Deniliquin. One hectare sown in rice can produce about 12 tons of rice grain.

 

Some Art Deco structures to look for in Chelmsford Place and in the Main St which is Pine Ave. Starting at the top of Chelmsford Place by the Art Deco Walter Burley Griffin designed water tanks.

•The Walter Burley Griffin water towers. Oldest is 1913.

•The Hydro Hotel. Built as a coffee palace as Leeton originally teetotal site. Built in 1919 and burnt down in 1924. Rebuilt in Art Deco style 1924-26 and re-opened in 1927.The interior has many deco features.

•Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission headquarters. Erected 1937. It has many heritage items in the excellent little museum. It is also the Leeton Art Gallery. Worth a visit. It closes 3 pm.

•Leeton Town Council and Shire Offices. No Art Deco features. Built in 1962. Modernist style.

•The Art Deco Fire station with rounded corners, inset brick work etc. Includes stepped features over doorway. Built in 1938.

•At the roundabout turn left near the modern Art Deco style bus shelter. In front is the Roxy Theatre and the Art Deco memorial clock in the roundabout. The Roxy is to re-open in 2025 after renovations. Built in 1929-30. Check foyer if you can. The memorial clock was unveiled in 1926 in Art Deco style and the clock added in 1965.

•In Pine Ave. First on left is the Commonwealth Bank. This structure built in 1935.

•On the next corner intersection is Leeton Mall in brick with some Art deco features. This was the former Richards Store. A cream and red brick structure with stepped shapes on chamfered corner entrance. Building has vertical and horizontal banding. Built in 1936.

•Next left is the Hotel Leeton a much earlier structure but some Art Deco features. It was built in 1926.

•Nearly opposite is the Seton and Beyond Bank building with some great Art Deco detail with stylistic Rose and radiating rays.

•Just before the next side street adjacent to the Leeton Hotel is the Murrumbidgee Irrigator newspaper offices. Established 1915 but this Pine Ave building is marked as 1928.

•Over the next side street on opposite is the former Kinlock’s store. Built in 1938. Turn around here/

•Almost opposite it is the current Leeton Steel building. It was built in 1930s as the Leeton Fruit Growers Cooperative.

•On the way back take Church Street through to the Park. The Wade Hotel is on the corner with excellent Art Deco motifs. Architect designed and built in 1937. Named after the first head of irrigation for the MIA. As you cross Mountford Park on your left will be the modern St Peters Anglican Church. The first church was built in 1913 of locally made adobe bricks. The newer Church Hall was built in 1929. This Church was built in 1973.

•The next building on your right is the Leeton Courthouse. It was built in 1922 and opened in August 1924.

•On your left is the impressively large red brick Catholic Church. Wagga architect S J O’Halloran designed it in 1951. To facilitate the building, the Wagga Wagga diocese purchased the Yanco Brickworks in 1951 to produced 440,000 bricks for the church. The Romanesque style church is asymmetrical with a round stained glass window over the entry. It was completed in 1955 and at that time was the largest Catholic Church in country NSW. Return to the roundabout and the Roxy Theatre going past some good Art Deco buildings including the Morris Chambers.

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019 WASHINGTON DC. 2019 ANNUAL MEETINGS. Development Committee

 

World Bank Group President David Malpas, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Photo: World Bank / Grant Ellis

 

Photo ID: 101919-Development Committee-176-FF

April 13, 2019 - WASHINGTON DC - 2019 World Bank/ IMF Spring Meetings.Development Committee Meeting. Photo: World Bank

 

Photo ID: 041319_Development Committee_FM_094

The Brisbane Courier

Wed 28 Nov 1888

  

Brisbane Tramway Company

 

[...] Since the printing of the report the company had sold to the Townsville Omnibus Company a considerable number of light horses which were unfit for the Brisbane traffic, and had formerly been used on the "feeders." They had also disposed of four waggons and three omnibus, the lot coming to nearly £700. This had relieved the company of a considerable number of animals and vehicles for which they had no present use, and they had agreed to take payment for this rolling-stock and these horses in shares in the Townsville company. He [the chairman] had looked into the matter very carefully when he visited Townsville, and he believed the little 'bus company there would be an extremely remunerative investment. The town was so laid out that there were no hills on the routes, and the wear and tear would be but small. At any rate, the board was convinced that they had done the right thing in getting rid of these 'busses on the terms agreed to, and had experienced considerable difficulty in getting rid of them.

 

He could not allow the opportunity to pass without mentioning the point that was casually mooted at the last annual meeting - namely, the possibility of substituting electricity for horses as their traction power. During the twelve months that had elapsed since that meeting there had been an immense development in the phase of electical science. There was now in Richmond City, Virginia, USA, an electrical street railway that had been running for a number of months with absolute success at a cost of less than half of what the same company had previously expended for the propulsion of their cars by horses or mules. The result of the success of this new system had been very marked in America, and one of the most important effects was that the West End Boston Company had absolutely determined to adopt the system.

  

Queensland State Archives Item ID 436348, Photographic material

 

The Brisbane tramway network served the city of Brisbane, Australia, between 1885 and 1969. It ran on standard gauge track. The electric system was originally energised to 500 volts, and subsequently increased to 600 volts. All tramcars built in Brisbane up to 1938 had an open design. This proved so popular, especially on hot summer nights, that the trams were used as fundraisers and often chartered right up until the last service by social groups.

Most trams operated with a two-person crew – a driver (or motorman) and a conductor, who moved about the tram collecting fares and issuing tickets. The exceptions to this arrangement were on the Gardens line (Lower Edward Street) where the short duration of the trip meant it was more effective for passengers to simply drop their fare into a fare box as they entered the tram; and the "one man cars" which operated in the early 1930s.

The peak year for patronage was in 1944–45 when almost 160 million passengers were carried. The system route length reached its maximum extent of 109 kilometres (68 mi) in 1952. The total track length was 199 kilometres (124 mi), owing to many routes ending in single, rather than double, track. Single track segments of the track were protected by signalling which operated off the trolley wire. By 1959 more than 140 kilometres (87 mi) of track were laid in concrete, a method of track construction pioneered in Brisbane.

The last track opened was in O'Keefe Street Woolloongabba, in May 1961. However, this track was not used in normal passenger service and was merely used to reduce dead running from Logan Road back to Ipswich Road Depot.

Of the Australian capital cities which closed their networks between the 1950s and 1970s (only Melbourne and Adelaide retained trams, although Adelaide only had one line in operation), Brisbane was the last capital city to close its tram network. Despite the decision to shut down the network, Brisbane's trams were held with great affection by locals, and one commentator described their removal "one of the most appalling urban planning mistakes in the city’s history". There have been ongoing proposals since the early 1990s to reinstate a functional tram network.

 

Brisbane expanded to become one of the most dispersed cities in the world by the 1870s. In the early years of Brisbane's settlement walking was the most convenient way to get around as most people choose to live close to their workplace. In 1875, the railway line to Ipswich opened up some areas in western and southern districts, however fares were expensive, as was owning a horse.

By 1885 an omnibus service reached almost every part of Brisbane. Omnibuses consisted of a strongly constructed wooden wagon with seating for males on the roof and a back-door entrance to the interior.

 

On 10 August 1885 the Metropolitan Tramway and Investment Company began official horse-drawn tramway services for the public. The 18 tramcars were built from highly polished cedar and mahogany in the United States by JG Brill Company and John Stephenson Company. Fares were expensive, with the typical patron belonging to the middle class. Some even used the services to go home for lunch. Depression struck in 1893 and combined with 1893 Brisbane floods the horse-drawn tramway services saw large drops in patronage.

 

The first electric tramway ran along Stanley Street, in South Brisbane on 16 June 1897. Horse-drawn carriages were still being used in 1899.

In 1900 local residents were agitating to have the Kelvin Grove tramway extended along Enoggera Road to the Newmarket Hotel in Newmarket. However, a new bridge over Enoggera Creek would be required.[5] Also there were concerns that the close proximity of the proposed tramway would take revenue away from the railway line. However these concerns were resolved and the tramway extension to the Newmarket Hotel was opened on Monday 27 July 1903.

Up until the end of World War I, Brisbane's trams were the primary method used for travelling within the city.

 

Between 1923 and 1934 tram services in Brisbane were greatly expanded. Brisbane's tramway system came under the control of the newly merged Brisbane City Council (BCC) in 1925.

 

After seven years of agitation, Brisbane's tram service was extended to Grange in July 1928. The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, William Jolly, and two Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, James Stevingstone Kerr and Charles Taylor. The mayor had threatened not to attend any ceremony for the opening of the tram service because two rival groups were organising separate celebrations; he would only attend if there was a single ceremony.

 

Until 1934, the trams carried mail between the Brisbane General Post Office and suburban post office branches, and also acted as mobile postboxes

Through the 1940s and 1950s the tram system enjoyed strong political support within the council, which continued to expand the tram network and upgrade its fleet with some of the most advanced trams in Australia. Trolleybuses were introduced in 1951. The last tramway to open was in March 1961. Clem Jones became Lord Mayor of Brisbane the same year, and all new route construction was cancelled.

By 1948 Brisbane's trams failed to return a profit as they could not compete with the more efficient bus services. Urban development, often well away from public transport, the rise of suburban shopping centres and the relative decline in the cost of motorcars meant that as elsewhere, Brisbane's public street transport system increasingly had to compete with the private motor car and patronage slowly declined from a post war peak of 148 million passenger journeys in 1946, to approximately 64 million passenger journeys in 1968.

Political support for the tram system waned in the 1960s, particularly so after the Paddington tram depot fire on 28 September 1962. 67 trams were destroyed, which represented 20% of the entire fleet. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Alderman Clem Jones was pro-freeway and private car. The Kalinga, Toowong, Rainworth and Bulimba ferry routes closed in December 1962.

In common with many other cities, Brisbane converted its remaining tram lines between 1968 and 1969 to all bus operation. The last trolley buses ran on 13 March 1969 and the final trams ran on 13 April 1969. Photographs of this last tram ride, organised by Grahame Garner and other tramways workers are in the University of Queensland Fryer Library collection. The tramway closure was notable for the speed with which it was carried out. Over 300 replacement Leyland Panther buses were purchased, at the time the largest single bus purchase in the world. Most older, wooden trams were stripped of metal parts and then burnt at the City Council's yard at Cribb Street, Milton (adjacent to the tramway workshops). The bodies of later, all-metal cars were sold as sheds and playground equipment.

 

The Brisbane Tramway Museum Society was formed in 1968 to preserve some of Brisbane's trams. At present the museum has 24 Brisbane trams in its collection, with 6 operational; California type tram 47, Ten Bench tram 65, Baby Dreadnought tram 99, Dropcentre tram 341, Four Motor tram 429, and the last tram built and officially operated in Brisbane, Four Motor Phoenix tram 554. Tramway operations commenced at the museum at Ferny Grove in 1980.

 

There have been several proposals from both the Brisbane City Council and state government to return a tram or light rail system to Brisbane since the 1990s. The most prominent of these include the ambitious 1997 Brisbane Light Rail Transit proposal. The plans escalated to a Queensland government tender for four company consortia to purchase new trams, construct and operate the system in 1 the project was projected to cost A$235 million but was subsequently vetoed in favour of expanding the existing bus network.

These various proposed options included a line from Roma Street station to Queensland University of Technology’s CBD campus along George Street, CBD to West End and University of Queensland via Victoria Bridge and Melbourne Street and CBD to Fortitude Valley via Wickham Terrace.

In 2007, following several failed road and tunnel projects and based on the recommendations of the Brisbane City Council's 2006 CBD masterplan, Premier Peter Beattie announced $250 million of state government funding for an extensive light rail system to rival Melbourne's and significantly larger than those of Sydney or Adelaide. The plan, at the centre of the government's "Smart City" plan, was to link South Brisbane to New Farm and Bowen Hills with future extensions down the newly created South Eastern and Inner Northern Busways, bridges and pedestrian spines.[14] In the March 2008 Brisbane city elections, the Queensland Greens campaigned on a more comprehensive plan. However, by June 2008 progress had stalled, without an official project announcement, the Brisbane City Council once again distancing itself from the plan due to cost of the investment (estimated at $600 million for the New Farm link) and instead giving consideration of diverting the funds to enhancing the bus and CityCat ferry systems.

 

Types of trams

Unlike many other systems, Brisbane never adopted an alphabetical or numerical system for classifying its trams (cf Melbourne trams), preferring instead to use official descriptions, such as "standard centre aisle car", or "drop-centre saloon car”.

 

Horse trams

- single deck saloon

- single deck cross bench

- double deck - open top deck, lower saloon

 

Electric trams

Converted electric trams

Delivery of early combination cars was delayed and as a result the tramway company decided to convert many of the horse tram to electric operation, as a temporary expedient. Despite this, many of these converted cars remained in passenger service well into the 1930s.

 

California Combination car

The prototype Brisbane electric tram (No 1) was built at the Melbourne cable tram workshops from the body of a horse tram, and had 5 saloon windows instead of the usual 4 windows on the new-built Combination cars, with one fixed and one tip-over seat on each end platform.

 

Large Combination cars

These three trams were built in 1904 from three single deck horse trams, similar to the new-built California Combination trams but with 6 saloon windows as opposed to 4 on the new trams, and a single fixed cross-bench seat on each end platform instead of 2 tip-over seats each end. Withdrawn from service 1925 to 1930s.

 

Saloon cars

Each tram in this class was constructed by joining two single deck saloon horse trams together on a single motorised chassis. Their long, enclosed bodies gave rise to their nickname of "coffin cars". They were built in 1897, when delivery of new electric trams was delayed. 6 cars in this class. They were all withdrawn from service by 1930.

 

"Summer" cars

The 6 bench horse trams were motorised and later most were lengthened to accommodate 10 cross benches. One car was to remain in service until 1958 as an advertising car.

 

New-built electric trams

California Combination

Officially referred to as "Standard Combination" trams, but more popularly referred to as "matchboxes". They had a central 4 window saloon with 2 tip-over cross-bench seats on each end platform. There were 62 trams in this class, built between 1897 and 1904, with the last one withdrawn from passenger service in 1952. Two, (nos 14 and 15), were converted into "scrubber" cars (track maintenance cars). Several were used as advertising cars, with 47 and 53 being used as one man cars on the Gardens shuttle route.

 

Nine Bench Cars

These 4 trams were constructed in 1897 and 1898 by the Brisbane Tramways Company. They were cross bench cars with no centre aisle. Two of the benches (those attached to the end bulkheads) were fixed and the other seven benches were tip-over. They could carry 45 seated passengers, plus standees. Two were withdrawn from service in 1938, the other two were probably withdrawn in 1943.

 

Brills

These 20 cars were officially "bogie open tip-over cross-bench cars". They were a standard design tram built by JG Brill Company of Philadelphia, although two were built by the Brisbane Tramways Company, presumably under licence from the Brill Company. They each had 4 fixed back-to-back benches and 8 tip-over benches. The first 8 had clerestory roofs, the remainder had plain roofs. The first 8 were also fitted with couplings for trailers, but the trailers were eventually motorised (see "light twelve bench cars" below.) As these trams only had hand brakes, operating a coupled set was physically demanding on drivers. In later years these workhorses were very dilapidated and had diagonal cross bracing on each bulkhead to reduce body sway. One tram was involved in a bad accident in 1944 and was converted to centre aisle design (see Special Dreadnoughts). They were gradually withdrawn from service between 1937 and 1952.

 

Light Twelve Bench Cars

These eight cars were originally built as trailers between 1901 and 1903, but were motorised in 1912. They had 12 fixed back-to-back benches and could carry 66 passengers. They were all withdrawn from service between 1948 and 1951.

 

Standard Ten Bench Cars

There were 32 of these sturdy little single truck trams constructed in Brisbane. 28 were built by the Brisbane Tramways Company between 1907 and 1921 and a further 4 were built by the Brisbane Tramways Trust between 1923 and 1925. They had fixed, back-to-back bench seating carrying 50 seated passengers (plus standees). They were commonly called "toastracks" or "jumping jacks". In 1936 4 of these cars were converted to Baby Dreadnoughts (see below); another two were converted to this class in 1944. Apart from one car converted to an advertising car and another retained for historical purposes, they were all withdrawn from service between 1952 and 1955.

 

Dreadnoughts

Officially referred to as standard centre-aisle trams, 65 trams in this class built between 1908 and 1925. These trams could carry 90 passengers. The last 21, which were built for the Brisbane Tramways Trust between 1924 and 1925, had 12 windows, remainder built with 6 windows. Originally they were built with open end platforms, but these were enclosed in the 1930s. Some received "streamlining" with oval windows and skirting around their bogies. The attached picture illustrates the differences between various members of this class. The tram in the foreground is a 12 window Dreadnought (built by the Tramways Trust), still with seats on its end platforms and no streamlining. The tram ahead of it is an older, 6 window Dreadnought (built by the Tramways Company), but with its end seats removed and streamlining around its windows and skirting below the body of the tram.

 

"Special" Dreadnoughts

Each of these four cars was unique in their own way. Two were outwardly like the Dreadnoughts. Tram 100 was built in 1903 as the Tramway Company Manager's personal "Palace" car, fitted with carpets, plush seat covers and further interior decorations. Converted to regular passenger use in 1918 and was withdrawn from service in 1958. Tram 110 was built in 1906 as the prototype for the Dreadnoughts, but it had different trucks, which resulted in high steps. It was withdrawn from service in 1952. Tram 101 was built in 1899 originally with no solid roof, just a canvas awning suspended from a lightweight frame. It was withdrawn from service around 1935. Tram 104 was converted in 1943 from a Brill 12 bench car that had been badly damaged in an accident. In its converted form this tram had design features derived from the Four Motor, Dropcentre and Baby Dreadnought tram designs. It was withdrawn from service in 1958.

 

Stepless Car

Known as "big Lizzie", also sometimes referred to as a "New York type tram", tram 301 was intended to be the first of a fleet of inter-urban trams. It was built by JG Brill Company in 1912 and imported in 1914. It was unusual for a Brill stepless car in that it was partially made of timber, rather than the normal all-metal construction. It was the first fully enclosed tram in Brisbane. Heavy and troubled by poor road clearance, it usually only saw service on the West End – Ascot line and was withdrawn from service in 1935.

 

"One man" trams

Between 1929 and 1930, 9 Dreadnoughts were converted to "one-man" operation, as a cost-saving measure. These trams were operated with drivers only and without conductors. They were only used on the Rainworth and Red Hill routes. Passengers were required to enter the tram from the front entrance and pay the driver as they entered. For this reason these trams had a distinctive colour scheme which included red and white diamonds on their front aprons. In May 1934 one man operation was abandoned and these trams were repainted in normal colours.

Two combination trams were also converted to one man operation for use on the Gardens route. The first tram was converted in 1925, the second in 1930.

 

"Baby" Dreadnoughts

Sometimes called "small centre-aisle" or "single truck saloon" cars, the 6 trams in this class were built primarily for the hilly Spring Hill route. They were built in two batches: the first four in 1936 were converted from 10 bench trams, the last two were built in 1943 using the underframes from 10 bench trams, making the last two trams in this class the non-bogie cars built in Australia. These trams were fitted with special sanders allowing sand to be dropped not only in front, but also behind, their wheels, in case the trams slipped backwards on the steep section of the Spring Hill line. They were withdrawn from service in 1958–1959, one car was preserved.

 

Dropcentres

The most numerous of Brisbane's trams, there were 191 trams of this class built between 1925 and 1938. Officially called "bogie drop centre combination cars", (usually shortened to "dropcentre" or "droppie") these trams' distinctive drop centre compartment was open to the elements, with only canvas blinds to provide protection for passengers in cold or wet weather. Although designed to be operated using airbrakes, most cars in this class were instead built with rheostatic brakes and hand brakes. However, the last 17 cars (Nos 370–386) were built with airbrakes. Subsequently, many of the older cars in this class were retrofitted with airbrakes and had their rheostatic braking systems removed. Early cars were built with open ends (meaning the drivers were unprotected from the elements) but later cars were built with enclosed ends (or "vestibules"). The ends of all the earlier cars of this class were enclosed by 1934. These trams were last used in regular service in December 1968.

 

Four Motor (FM) trams

Officially referred to as "drop centre saloon cars", or "four motor cars", they were popularly referred to as "400s", "FM's" or "silver bullets". They were the first class of trams built in Brisbane with airbrakes. 155 were constructed by the Brisbane City Council between 1938 and 1964, with a maximum carrying capacity of 110 passengers. Trams 400–472 were built with wide centre doors, 407 was altered to narrow centre doors and renumbered 473 (and the tram to be numbered 473 entered service as 407), trams 474–554 built with narrow centre doors. Through the 28 years during which they were built, many innovations were introduced, such as fluorescent lighting, helical gears, resilient wheels, remote controlled controllers and streamlined construction techniques. Early versions had canvas blinds in the doorways, while later versions had sliding doors. The last 8 trams were built from components salvaged from the Paddington tram depot fire and were painted light blue with phoenix emblems below the motorman's windows, to symbolise that the trams had risen from the ashes of the fire.

 

Workshops, power houses and administration

Workshops and administration for the electric tram system were initially located in cramped quarters at Countess Street, at the western side of the Roma Street railway yards (now the site of the Roma Street Parkland), but in 1927 were relocated to Milton. Access to the workshops was from Boomerang Street in Milton, off Milton Road. Head Office was accessed from Coronation Drive (then known as River Road).

 

Power for the electric trams was originally drawn from a power station operated by the tramway company adjacent to its Countess Street depot and workshops. As the tramway company increased both the number of trams and the length of routes, the power supply rapidly became inadequate. Additional power generating units were installed at Light Street depot and a further powerhouse was built on Logan Road, Woolloongabba, adjacent to the Woolloongabba railway line. Inadequate power supply was to remain a problem while the tramways remained in private hands. With the takeover of the system in 1922 by the Brisbane Tramways Trust (and subsequently the City Council) considerable investment was made in many areas including power generation and distribution. A larger powerhouse was built in New Farm which commenced generation in 1928 and was sufficient for both the needs of the tram system and other consumers.

The original Countess Street powerhouse was demolished and material from it was used to construct the new Tramways headquarters.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Brisbane

United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres talk before the Development Committee Plenary during the 2022 Annual Meetings at the World Bank.

 

IMF Photo/Cory Hancock

14 October 2022

Washington, DC, United States

Photo ref: CH221014058.arw

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde answers questions at the Development Committee press briefing during the 2013 World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings at IMF Headquarters, Washington, D.C., October 12, 2013IMF Photo

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019 WASHINGTON DC. 2019 ANNUAL MEETINGS. Development Committee

 

World Bank Group President David Malpas, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Photo: World Bank / Grant Ellis

 

Photo ID: 101919-Development Committee-084-FF

Capital Dock is one of the largest mixed-use developments ever built in Ireland and it was completed towards the end of 2018 but I was unable to gain access to the completed project until Easter weekend 2019. The compex spans 4.8 acres, providing more than 690,000sq ft of new mixed-use space, including offices, retail and family units, as well as more than 1.5 acres of public park space.

 

Global investment bank JP Morgan and jobs site Indeed have committed to occupy all of the available office space, and are preparing their new premises for occupancy in 2019.

 

Nearly 200 family units will be available to rent this year, with a dedicated on-site concierge, resident lounges, cinema, professional gym, business suites and a chef’s kitchen. There is also be a landscaped park and square open to the public.

 

The project will welcome new retailers in the coming year, including a restaurant and bar with a terrace, a gourmet grocer, and additional food and beverage offerings.

SONY Alpha a7 (Alpha 7), New FD 24mm f/1.4L, 2014/1/2, Yagaji, Okinawa, Japan

DSC00852_3

A single floret in a cluster of pink-white of summer-blooming Pink Shower tree starts the morning as a magenta cup-shaped bloom, at extreme left, and ends the day by flattening out, star-like, in pale-pink and white flower.

 

Pls view large by clicking over the image.

A construction site seen from a heritage site.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019 WASHINGTON DC. 2019 ANNUAL MEETINGS. Development Committee

 

World Bank Group President David Malpass, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Photo: World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie

 

Photo ID: 101919-DevCommittee-0067F

If you've watched the show, Arrested Development, you might recognize this scene. But this was taken in Ashland, Oregon, not Reno.

2007_08_25-1000941

Children learning through play

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma met with factory workers at a Unilever oral care plant on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

Credit: Anna Dubuis / DFID

 

Twitter has been the best thing to happen to professional development since the invention of the printing press. Okay-- scratch that, the PEOPLE on Twitter have been the BEST. The PLN: Personal, Positive, Passionate Learning Network!

"The Jefferson Hotel is a luxury hotel in Richmond, Virginia, United States, opened in 1895. In 1969, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The Jefferson is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. On site is "Lemaire", a restaurant named after Etienne Lemaire, who served as maitre d'hotel to Thomas Jefferson from 1794 through the end of his presidency.

 

Tobacco baron Lewis Ginter planned the development of the hotel as a premier property in the city of Richmond. It was designed in the Spanish Baroque Style by Carrère and Hastings, noted national architects based in New York City who later designed the New York Public Library. Construction began in 1892 and the hotel opened for business on October 31, 1895. After a fire gutted the interior of the hotel in 1901, it had a lengthy restoration. It reopened in 1907. It has received restorations and upgrades of systems through the years.

 

Patrons have included thirteen United States presidents, writers, and celebrities, including Henry James, Charles Lindbergh, The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Anthony Hopkins.

 

In 1901, there was a wire fire that destroyed three-fifths of the hotel. There were no casualties; however, the statue of Thomas Jefferson was almost destroyed. The sculptor and crew pushed the statue on a mattress and pulled it to safety. During the rescue process, the head broke off. Eventually, the sculpture was repaired. In March 1944, another fire occurred. Six people were killed during the fire.

 

In the check-in lobby, known as the Palm Court, nine original stained glass Tiffany windows with the hotel's monogram remain. The three stained glass windows above the front desk and the stained glass dome are reproductions.

 

In his autobiography The Moon's a Balloon (1972), Academy Award-winning actor David Niven described a trip from New York to Florida in the late 1930s, during which he decided to spend the night at the Jefferson Hotel. Niven said that, as he was signing the guest registry in the lobby, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full-sized alligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk. The alligators at the Jefferson became world-famous. Old Pompey, the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, survived until 1948. Bronze statues of the alligators now decorate the hotel. Its restaurant, Lemaire, has a theme of alligator motifs.

 

Monroe Ward is a historic neighborhood in Downtown Richmond. It is East of the Fan district and includes several apartment buildings, usually with VCU students living in them. Recently, VCU expanded its Monroe Park campus into the Monroe Ward with the Engineering East/Snead Hall building, as well as an under construction residence hall and parking deck. The historic Jefferson Hotel is located in the Monroe Ward. The culture-filled area is situated between the Fan area and Downtown.

 

Richmond (/ˈrɪtʃmənd/) is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond Region. Richmond was incorporated in 1742 and has been an independent city since 1871. At the 2010 census, the city's population was 204,214; in 2020, the population had grown to 226,610, making Richmond the fourth-most populous city in Virginia. The Richmond Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,260,029, the third-most populous metro in the state.

 

Richmond is at the fall line of the James River, 44 mi (71 km) west of Williamsburg, 66 mi (106 km) east of Charlottesville, 91 mi (146 km) east of Lynchburg and 92 mi (148 km) south of Washington, D.C. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties, the city is at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 and encircled by Interstate 295, Virginia State Route 150 and Virginia State Route 288. Major suburbs include Midlothian to the southwest, Chesterfield to the south, Varina to the southeast, Sandston to the east, Glen Allen to the north and west, Short Pump to the west and Mechanicsville to the northeast.

 

The site of Richmond had been an important village of the Powhatan Confederacy, and was briefly settled by English colonists from Jamestown from 1609 to 1611. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780, replacing Williamsburg. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech in 1775 at St. John's Church, and the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson. During the American Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy. It entered the 20th century with one of the world's first successful electric streetcar systems. The Jackson Ward neighborhood is a traditional hub of African-American commerce and culture.

 

Richmond's economy is primarily driven by law, finance, and government, with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, as well as notable legal and banking firms in the downtown area. The city is home to both a U.S. Court of Appeals, one of 13 such courts, and a Federal Reserve Bank, one of 12 such banks. There are several Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city including: Dominion Energy, WestRock, Performance Food Group, CarMax, ARKO, and Altria with others, such as Markel, in the metropolitan area.

 

The city continues to struggle with exceptionally high rates of murder and violent crime, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the United States." - info from Wikipedia.

 

The fall of 2022 I did my 3rd major cycling tour. I began my adventure in Montreal, Canada and finished in Savannah, GA. This tour took me through the oldest parts of Quebec and the 13 original US states. During this adventure I cycled 7,126 km over the course of 2.5 months and took more than 68,000 photos. As with my previous tours, a major focus was to photograph historic architecture.

 

Now on Instagram.

 

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

A octagonal gazebo at the University of Utah.

www.perceptionsystem.com/web-development-services.html

 

Day-by-day, the demand of professional website is rising rapidly, because of the online shopping and dealing is increasing. Therefore, the organizations are working hard and deeply involved in the procedure of improving their website as per the suitable requirement of client.

 

www.perceptionsystem.com/software-development-india.html

 

One of the first steps in drug development and toxicity testing is creating test systems (assays) to evaluate the effects of chemical compounds on cellular, molecular or biochemical processes of interest. Investigators from the biomedical research community submit ideas for assays to National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences researchers, who then assist with high-throughput small molecule screening using a robotic system.

ncats.nih.gov/preclinical/drugdev/assay

 

Credit: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health

April 12, 2014 - WASHINGTON DC. 2014 IMF / World Bank Group Spring Meetings. Development Committee Meeting. Development Committee Chair Marek Belka; World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim; IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. Photo: Eugenio Salazar / World Bank

September 24, 2011- Washington DC., 2011 World Bank Annual Meetings. Realizing the Demographic Dividend: Challenges and Opportunities for Ministers of Finance and Development. Panelists:David Bloom , Clarence James Gamble Professor of Economics and Demography, Harvard University, United States; Melinda Gates , Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States; Maria Kiwanuka , Minister of Finance, Uganda; Andrew Mitchell , Secretary of State for International Development, United Kingdom; Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala , Minister of Finance, Thailand; Rajiv Shah , Administrator, US Agency for International Development, United States. Photo: Simone D. McCourite / World Bank

Photo ID: 092411-DemographicDividend_057F

Sempre della serie "Epoche Diverse"...

 

Mi sono resa conto che adoro immensamente i "gargouilles", o meglio le chimere, di Notre Dame.

Veramente mi stanno simpatici... quando ero piccola avevo guardato 'Il gobbo di Notre Dame', e i tre mostriciattoli mattacchioni, Victor, Hugo e Laverne, mi avevano parecchio divertita; poi non ci avevo più pensato finchè non sono andata a visitare la cattedrale e ho potuto osservarli e fotografarli da vicino..... trovo che siano così dolci! Anche quando divorano animaletti e hanno grandi occhi ipnotizzanti. Comunque, à mon avis, sono molto suggestivi, forse l'elemento caratterizzante di questo monumento e costituiscono gran parte del suo intrigante fascino gotico.....

Li amo, e ne voglio uno sul balcone.

 

[La gargolla (o gargoyle all'uso anglosassone) è una figura iconografica che si vede scolpita in molte chiese cristiane medioevali. Il vocabolo deriva dal latino gurgulium, termine onomatopeico collegato al gorgoglìo dell'acqua che passa attraverso un doccione. Quest'ultimo venne in seguito trasformato nel francese gargouille con lo stesso significato, accolto in lingua inglese con il termine gargoyle.]

 

Paris, juillet 09, Notre Dame

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