View allAll Photos Tagged PROSPERITY
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
Anne Bradstreet
Oh well ... at least it's dry outside today!
Pachamama Raymi is a methodology which seeks to break through the vicious circle of environmental degradation and rural poverty, promoting the sustainable management of natural resources.
The painted lanterns lighted-up displayed near Bayfront Plaza during Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 Gardens by the Bay.
Henri Sauvage (French 1873-1932)
Ash and stained plane wood.
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Paris 1900
Portland Art Museum
Travel back to Paris at the dawn of the 20th century and experience the splendor of the sparkling French capital as it hosted the world for the International Exposition of 1900.
This was the height of the Belle Époque, a period of peace and prosperity in France when fine art, fashion, and entertainment flourished as never before. Fifty-one million visitors from around the world attended the Exposition and flooded the city, where they enjoyed its posh restaurants, opulent opera house, artistic cabarets, and well-tended parks. For the French, it was an opportunity to show off their prowess in the arts, sciences, and new technology, and to highlight what made Paris unique from rivals London and Berlin.
Inspired by an exhibition originally presented in 2014 at the Petit Palais in Paris, Paris 1900 re-creates the look and feel of the era through more than 200 paintings, decorative art objects, textiles, posters, photographs, jewelry, sculpture, and film, and will plunge visitors into the atmosphere of the Belle Époque.
These objects, drawn from several City of Paris museums—including the Petit Palais, the Musée Carnavalet, the Palais Galliera, the Musée Bourdelle, and the Maison de Victor Hugo—form a portrait of a vibrant and swiftly changing city.
The splendor of Paris unfolds in six sections or vignettes. The visitor enters “Paris: The World’s Showcase,” which highlights the International Exposition of 1900 and the sweeping architectural and technological changes made to the cityscape to welcome the new century.
As Paris was also the self-proclaimed “Capital of the Arts,” the second section of the exhibition examines the vast range of styles and talent present in the city in the form of sculpture, painting, and prints. Viewers will delight to work by well-known artists such as Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot and will discover compelling paintings and sculpture by lesser-known masters of the time.
The seductive Art Nouveau style, so popular in the decorative arts, is the focus of the next vignette, which features furniture, jewelry, pottery, posters, ironwork, and fans that exhibit the whiplash curve and natural inspiration of this international style.
French fashion and style were at the heart of Parisian pride, and the next section examines the cult and myth of la Parisienne—the ideal French woman—through textiles, paintings, prints, and decorative arts. Strolling through the city was considered one of the great Parisian pastimes and is explored in “A Walk in Paris.”
New modes of transport, such as the omnibus and the newly invented bicycle, competed with horses, pedestrians, and automobiles as the 20th century unfolded.
The final vignette, “Paris by Night,” features a selection of the vast amusements that made Paris the center of European entertainment, from lowly cabarets to the most refined theaters and restaurants.
The exhibition concludes with a look at a great French invention of the Belle Époque: the moving picture. Clips from early film animate the exhibition and allow the viewer to rediscover the dawn of cinema.
There were a lot of different demonstrations on agriculture in the parade. The little girl was holding the wheat “harvest” and standing in-front-of a statue of a horse in this demonstration. I cannot remember what exactly it represented. I took several pictures of this little one, and this is Sam’s choice.
The title of this image is not the actual title of the demonstration.
This is the last picture of 2009 Wilber Czech Festival series. Wish you all a Happy Thursday!
IJsland - Iceland
Pingvellir - Thingvellir
Het nationaal park Thingvellir (IJslandse naam: Þingvellir) is een van de meest prachtige en pittoreske plekken van IJsland. Het gebied is bovendien van groot historisch belang geweest voor het land. Thingvellir is een immens grote, geologische spleet in de Aarde, die zich heeft gevormd tussen de Euraziatische en Noord-Amerikaanse tektonische platen. Het is slechts een van de weinige plaatsen ter wereld waar de Midden-Atlantische Rug boven water loopt. De fissuur leidde tot de vorming van het grootste meer van IJsland, met spectaculaire kliffen, die voor een ongelofelijk bijzondere aanblik van het landschap zorgen. Thingvellir was voor korte tijd de eerste parlementaire vergaderzetel ter wereld. Rond de 10de eeuw organiseerden de Vikingen hier namelijk hun jaarlijkse vergadering. Ze verzamelden zich rondom een grote rots en bespraken nieuwe wetten en deden voorstellen voor wetswijzigingen. Thingvellir is een schitterend mooi gebied, het laatste symbool van IJslands onafhankelijkheid, en onafscheidelijk van de historie en ziel van het land. Thingvellir vertegenwoordigt het typisch IJslandse landschap. Het nationale park Thingvellir is in 1930 opgericht met de intentie om de historische, culturele en geologische waarde van het land te behouden. Thingvellir is een plek die veel IJslanders diep in hun hart koesteren, net zoals de geschiedenis van het land. Lang geleden was het in cultureel-politiek opzicht het meest belangrijke gebied van IJsland. Ieder jaar kwamen er mensen heen die zich in een grote groep verzamelden. Ze maakten onderkomens, met muurtjes gemaakt van steen of turf, met een dak. Dit werd twee weken lang hun huis. Het landschap op de achtergrond zorgt voor een schilderachtige tafereel, met een aantal indrukwekkende uitzichten. Het natuurschoon hier is een streling voor het oog. Al bij al, een fascinerend en prachtige nationaal park.
www.ontdekijsland.nl/attracties/thingvellir.php
Iceland , also called the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It has a population of 332,529 , making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence still keeps summers chilly, with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in the year AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, mainly Norwegians and to a smaller extent other Scandinavians settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1814, Iceland was ruled by Norway and afterwards by Denmark. Until the 20th century, the country relied largely on fishing and agriculture. Iceland became independent in 1918 and a republic in 1944. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, it became a part of the European Economic Area, which supported diversification into economic and financial services.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
Windsor (/ˈwɪnzər/) is a town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family.
The town is situated 23 miles (37 km) west of Charing Cross, London. It is immediately south of the River Thames, which forms its boundary with Eton. The village of Old Windsor, just over 2 miles (3 km) to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two.
The early history of the site is unknown, although it was almost certainly settled some years before 1070 when William the Conquerorhad a timber motte and bailey castle constructed.[2] The focus of royal interest at that time was not the castle, however, but a small riverside settlement about 3 miles (5 km) downstream, possibly established from the 7th century.
Windsor, or Windlesora as it was called in the 11th century, is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The name originates from old English Windles-ore, or 'winch by the riverside'. The settlement had used an earlier name, but this is unknown. From about the 8th century, high status people started to visit the site occasionally, and possibly this included royalty. From the 11th century the site's link with king Edward the Confessor is documented, but again, information about his use of the place is scant. After the Conquest of 1066 royal use of the site increased, probably because it offered good access to woodlands and opportunities for hunting – a sport which also practised military skills. By the late 12th century, and the relocation of the royal household to an enlarged castle in 1110, the site was renamed Old Windsor.
Windsor Castle is noted in the Domesday Bookunder the entry for Clewer, the neighbouring manor to Windsor. Although this might seem strange, it occurred because plans for the castle had changed since 1070, and more land had been acquired in Clewer on which to site a castle town. This plan was not actioned until the early 12th century. By 1110, meetings of the Great Council, which had previously taken place at Windlesora, were noted as taking place at the Castle – referred to as New Windsor, probably to indicate that it was a two ward castle/borough complex, similar to other early castle designs, such as Denbigh. Henry I – according to one chronicle – had rebuilt it, and this followed the Norman kings' actions at other royal sites, such as Westminster, where larger and more magnificent accommodation was thought necessary for the new dynasty. King Henry married his second wife at Windsor Castle in 1121, after the White Ship disaster. The settlement at Old Windsor largely transferred to New Windsor during the 12th century, although substantial planning and setting out of the new town (including the parish church, marketplace, bridge, hermitage and leper hospital) did not take place until c. 1170, under Henry II, following the civil war of Stephen's reign. At about the same time, the present upper ward of the castle was rebuilt in stone. Windsor Bridge is the earliest bridge on the Thames between Staines and Reading, built at a time when bridge building was rare; it was first documented in 1191, but had probably been built, according to the Pipe rolls, in 1173. It played an important part in the national road system, linking London with Reading and Winchester, but also, by diverting traffic into the new town, it underpinned the success of its fledgling economy.
The town of New Windsor, as an ancient demesne of the Crown, was a privileged settlement from the start, apparently having the rights of a 'free borough', for which other towns had to pay substantial fees to the king. It had a merchant guild (known by the 14th century as the Fraternity or brotherhood of the Holy Trinity) from the early 13th century and, under royal patronage, was made the chief town of the county in 1277, as part of its grant of royal borough status by Edward I's charter. Somewhat unusually, this charter gave no new rights or privileges to Windsor but probably codified the rights which it had enjoyed for many years. Windsor's position as chief town of Berkshire was short-lived, however, as people found it difficult to reach. Wallingford took over this position in the early 14th century. As a self-governing town Windsor enjoyed a number of freedoms unavailable to other towns, including the right to hold its own borough court, the right of membership (or 'freedom') and some financial independence. The town accounts of the 16th century survive in part, although most of the once substantial borough archive dating back to the 12th century was destroyed, probably in the late 17th century.
The early history of the site is unknown, although it was almost certainly settled some years before 1070 when William the Conquerorhad a timber motte and bailey castle constructed.[2] The focus of royal interest at that time was not the castle, however, but a small riverside settlement about 3 miles (5 km) downstream, possibly established from the 7th century.
Windsor, or Windlesora as it was called in the 11th century, is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The name originates from old English Windles-ore, or 'winch by the riverside'. The settlement had used an earlier name, but this is unknown. From about the 8th century, high status people started to visit the site occasionally, and possibly this included royalty. From the 11th century the site's link with king Edward the Confessor is documented, but again, information about his use of the place is scant. After the Conquest of 1066 royal use of the site increased, probably because it offered good access to woodlands and opportunities for hunting – a sport which also practised military skills. By the late 12th century, and the relocation of the royal household to an enlarged castle in 1110, the site was renamed Old Windsor.
Windsor Castle is noted in the Domesday Bookunder the entry for Clewer, the neighbouring manor to Windsor. Although this might seem strange, it occurred because plans for the castle had changed since 1070, and more land had been acquired in Clewer on which to site a castle town. This plan was not actioned until the early 12th century. By 1110, meetings of the Great Council, which had previously taken place at Windlesora, were noted as taking place at the Castle – referred to as New Windsor, probably to indicate that it was a two ward castle/borough complex, similar to other early castle designs, such as Denbigh. Henry I – according to one chronicle – had rebuilt it, and this followed the Norman kings' actions at other royal sites, such as Westminster, where larger and more magnificent accommodation was thought necessary for the new dynasty. King Henry married his second wife at Windsor Castle in 1121, after the White Ship disaster. The settlement at Old Windsor largely transferred to New Windsor during the 12th century, although substantial planning and setting out of the new town (including the parish church, marketplace, bridge, hermitage and leper hospital) did not take place until c. 1170, under Henry II, following the civil war of Stephen's reign. At about the same time, the present upper ward of the castle was rebuilt in stone. Windsor Bridge is the earliest bridge on the Thames between Staines and Reading, built at a time when bridge building was rare; it was first documented in 1191, but had probably been built, according to the Pipe rolls, in 1173. It played an important part in the national road system, linking London with Reading and Winchester, but also, by diverting traffic into the new town, it underpinned the success of its fledgling economy.
The town of New Windsor, as an ancient demesne of the Crown, was a privileged settlement from the start, apparently having the rights of a 'free borough', for which other towns had to pay substantial fees to the king. It had a merchant guild (known by the 14th century as the Fraternity or brotherhood of the Holy Trinity) from the early 13th century and, under royal patronage, was made the chief town of the county in 1277, as part of its grant of royal borough status by Edward I's charter. Somewhat unusually, this charter gave no new rights or privileges to Windsor but probably codified the rights which it had enjoyed for many years. Windsor's position as chief town of Berkshire was short-lived, however, as people found it difficult to reach. Wallingford took over this position in the early 14th century. As a self-governing town Windsor enjoyed a number of freedoms unavailable to other towns, including the right to hold its own borough court, the right of membership (or 'freedom') and some financial independence. The town accounts of the 16th century survive in part, although most of the once substantial borough archive dating back to the 12th century was destroyed, probably in the late 17th century.
The Last Supper by Franz de Cleyn in the West Gallery of Windsor parish church of St John The Baptist.[3]
New Windsor was a nationally significant town in the Middle Ages, certainly one of the fifty wealthiest towns in the country by 1332. Its prosperity came from its close association with the royal household. The repeated investment in the castle brought London merchants (goldsmiths, vintners, spicers and mercers) to the town in the late 13th century and provided much employment for townsmen. The development of the castle under Edward III, between 1350–68, was the largest secular building project in England of the Middle Ages, and many Windsor people worked on this project, again bringing great wealth to the town. Although the Black Death in 1348 had reduced some towns' populations by up to 50%, in Windsor the building projects of Edward III brought money to the town, and possibly its population doubled: this was a 'boom' time for the local economy. People came to the town from every part of the country, and from continental Europe. The poet Geoffrey Chaucerheld the honorific post of 'Clerk of the Works' at Windsor Castle in 1391.
The development of the castle continued in the late 15th century with the rebuilding of St George's Chapel. With this Windsor became a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Londoners. Pilgrims came to touch the royal shrine of the murdered Henry VI, the fragment of the True Cross and other important relics. Visits to the chapel were probably combined with a visit to the important nearby Marian shrine and college at Eton, founded by Henry VI in 1440, and dedicated to the Assumption; which is now better known as Eton College. Pilgrims came with substantial sums to spend. From perhaps two or three named inns in the late 15th century, some 30 can be identified a century later. The town again grew in wealth. For London pilgrims, Windsor was probably – but briefly – of greater importance than Canterbury and the shrine of the City's patron Saint Thomas Becket. With the closures of the Reformation, however, Windsor's pilgrim traffic died out. Henry VIII was buried in St George's Chapel in 1547, next to Jane Seymour, the mother of his only legitimate son, Edward (Edward VI). Henry, the founder of the Church of England, may have wanted to benefit from the stream of Catholic pilgrims coming to the town. His will gives that impression.
The town began to stagnate about ten years after the Reformation. The castle was considered old-fashioned and shrines to the dead were thought to be superstitious. The early modern period formed a stark contrast to the medieval history of the town. Most accounts of Windsor in the 16th and 17th centuries talk of its poverty, badly made streets and poor housing. Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor is set in Windsor and contains many references to parts of the town and the surrounding countryside. Shakespeare must have walked the town's streets, near the castle and river, much as people still do. The play may have been written in the Garter Inn, opposite the Castle, but this was destroyed by fire in the late 17th century. The long-standing – and famous – courtesan of king Charles II, Nell Gwyn, was given a house on St Albans Street: Burford House (now part of the Royal Mews). Her residence in this house, as far as it is possible to tell, was brief. Only one of her letters addressed from Burford House survives: it was probably intended as a legacy for her illegitimate son, the Earl of Burford, later the Duke of St Albans.
Windsor was garrisoned by Colonel Venn during the English Civil War. Later it became the home of the New Model Army when Venn had left the castle in 1645. Despite its royal dependence, like many commercial centres, Windsor was a Parliamentarian town. Charles Iwas buried without ceremony in St George's Chapel after his execution at Whitehall in 1649. The present Guildhall, built in 1680–91, replaced an earlier market house that had been built on the same site around 1580, as well as the old guildhall, which faced the castle and had been built around 1350. The contraction in the number of old public buildings speaks of a town 'clearing the decks', ready for a renewed period of prosperity with Charles II's return to the Castle. But his successors did not use the place, and as the town was short of money, the planned new civic buildings did not appear. The town continued in poverty until the mid 19th century.
In 1652 the largest house in Windsor Great Park was built on land which Oliver Cromwell had appropriated from the Crown. Now known as Cumberland Lodge after the Duke of Cumberland's residence there in the mid 18th century, the house was variously known as Byfield House, New Lodge, Ranger's Lodge, Windsor Lodge and Great Lodge.
In 1778, there was a resumption of the royal presence, with George III at the Queen's Lodge and, from 1804, at the castle. This started a period of new development in Windsor, with the building of two army barracks. However the associated large numbers of soldiers led to a major prostitution problem by 1830, in a town where the number of streets had little changed since 1530. In the 18th c. the town traded with London selling the Windsor Chair which was actually made in Buckinghamshire.
A number of fine houses were built in this period, including Hadleigh House on Sheet Street, which was built in 1793 by the then Mayor of Windsor, William Thomas. In 1811 it was the home of John O'Reilly, the apothecary-surgeon to George III.
Windsor Castle was the westernmost sighting-point for the Anglo-French Survey (1784–1790), which measured the precise distance between the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the Paris Observatory by trigonometry. Windsor was used because of its relative proximity to the base-line of the survey at Hounslow Heath.
The substantial redevelopment of the castle in the subsequent decade and Queen Victoria's residence from 1840, as well as the coming of two railways in 1849, signalled the most dramatic changes in the town's history. These events catapulted the town from a sleepy medieval has-been to the centre of empire – many European crowned heads of state came to Windsor to visit the Queen throughout the rest of the 19th century. Unfortunately, excessive redevelopment and 'refurbishment' of Windsor's medieval fabric at this time resulted in widespread destruction of the old town, including the demolition of the old parish church of St John the Baptist in 1820. The original had been built around 1135.
Most of the current town's streets date from the mid to late 19th century.[5] However the main street, Peascod Street (pronunciation: /ˈpɛskɒd/) is very ancient, predating the castle by many years, and probably of Saxon origin. It formed part of the 10th-century parish structure in east Berkshire[citation needed] and is first referred to as Peascroftstret in c. 1170. The 1000-year-old royal Castle, although the largest and longest-occupied in Europe, is a recent development in comparison. "New Windsor" was officially renamed "Windsor" in 1974.
is accessible from Junction 6 of the M4 and from Slough via a 3 mile long dual carriageway. Bus services in the town are mostly provided by First Berkshire & The Thames Valley, although a park-and-rideservice and one local route are operated by Courtney Coaches.
Windsor has two railway stations. Windsor & Eton Central railway station has a shuttle service to Slough. Windsor & Eton Riverside station provides a service to London Waterloo. Both stations were time in the 19th century, as the two train companies which owned the lines both wanted to carry Queen Victoria to Windsor, with the first line opened gaining the privilege.[8] From 1883 to 1885, the London Underground's District line's westbound service ran as far as Windsor.
Windsor has frequent bus services to/from London Heathrow Airport, Victoria Coach Station in central London and Legoland Windsor Resort.
The painted lanterns lighted-up displayed near Bayfront Plaza during Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 Gardens by the Bay.
"The Church of St. Bartholomew, also called St. Bartholomew's Church, is an important Gothic sacral building located in Kolín. It was built in the second half of the thirteenth century in early Gothic style. A nave with a pair of octagonal western towers survived from this construction phase. In the fourteenth century, a completely new, tall, "cathedral" choir with a crown of chapels was built by Petr Parléř. At the beginning of the 16th century, a bell tower was added. The church is on the list of national cultural monuments.
Kolín (German: Kolin, Köllein, Collin) is a city in the Kolín district in the east of the Central Bohemian Region, located on the Elbe River. It is also a municipality with extended jurisdiction. It has approximately 33 thousand inhabitants and has an area of 35 km² with an average altitude of 220 meters. It lies about 60 km east of Prague on both banks of the Elbe.
Kolín was probably founded before 1261 by Přemysl Otakar II, the well-preserved historic core is protected as a city monument reserve. In 1845, Kolín was connected to an important railway between Prague and Olomouc, this fact is very important for the further prosperity of the city, and from the second half of the 19th century the city underwent rapid industrialization.
Kolín is an important railway junction. The chemical, automotive, engineering, food, printing and metallurgical industries are represented here.
In honor of the local music composer František Kmoch, the Kmochův Kolín International Brass Music Festival takes place in Kolín, and the work of the photographer Jaromír Funke is commemorated by the Funke Kolín Photography Festival.
Bohemia (Latin Bohemia, German Böhmen, Polish Czechy) is a region in the west of the Czech Republic. Previously, as a kingdom, they were the center of the Czech Crown. The root of the word Czech probably corresponds to the meaning of man. The Latin equivalent of Bohemia, originally Boiohaemum (literally "land of Battles"), which over time also influenced the names in other languages, is derived from the Celtic tribe of the Boios, who lived in this area from the 4th to the 1st century BC Bohemia on it borders Germany in the west, Austria in the south, Moravia in the east and Poland in the north. Geographically, they are bounded from the north, west and south by a chain of mountains, the highest of which are the Krkonoše Mountains, in which the highest mountain of Bohemia, Sněžka, is also located. The most important rivers are the Elbe and the Vltava, with the fertile Polabean Plain extending around the Elbe. The capital and largest city of Bohemia is Prague, other important cities include, for example, Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, Kladno, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, Hradec Králové, Pardubice and České Budějovice, Jihlava also lies partly on the historical territory of Bohemia." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Hereford in Herefordshire
Hereford means the ford used by the army. The Saxons arrived in this part of England in the 7th century and a settlement grew up at the ford. Saxon Hereford also had a mint and a weekly market. Hereford was able to resist a Danish attack in 914. About 1050 a castle was built in Hereford. However the town was burned by the Welsh in 1055.
After the Norman conquest many Frenchmen came to settle in Hereford. The town grew northwards and the market was moved to a new position north of the old town. In Medieval Hereford the main industry making wool. The wool was woven then it was fulled. That means the wool was cleaned and thickened by being pounded in a mixture of clay and water. The wool was pounded by wooden hammers worked by watermills. The Normans set about rebuilding Hereford cathedral.
Bishop Thomas Cantilupe died in 1282. He was buried in Hereford and in 1320 he was canonised (declared a saint). Soon people reported miracles at his shrine and many pilgrims visited the town to see it adding to the prosperity of the town.
In 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. Hereford strongly supported the king. Nevertheless in September 1642 a parliamentary force took Hereford but they withdrew in December. A small royalist army then held the town but they fled in April 1643 when a superior parliamentary force came. However Hereford soon changed hands again when the parliamentarians left and a royalist army arrived.
A parliamentary army laid siege to the town in July 1645 but they were unable to take Hereford. They withdrew in September. However by then the king was losing the war. In December the parliamentarians took Hereford by trickery. Some of their soldiers dressed as laborers and took shovels and picks. They went to Bysters Gate. When it was opened they took control and let in more parliamentary soldiers. Hereford was soon taken.
In the 18th century Hereford remained a quiet market town. In 1757 it had a population of 5,592. There was little manufacturing industry although it was known for glove making. However in the 1720's Daniel Defoe visited Hereford but he was not impressed, he called it 'mean built and very dirty!'.
At the end of the 18th century all the gates around Hereford were demolished as they restricted traffic. Wye Bridge Gate and Friars Gate went in 1782. St Owens Gate went in 1786, Eign Gate followed in 1787, Bysters Gate and Widemarsh Gate were demolished in 1798.
Information gained from www.localhistories.org/hereford.html
Feeling happy always.....
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The ford across the River Forth near the town brought prosperity and influence, as did the port that was later built. In the 12th century, King David and his successors elevated the town, then called "Strivelyn", to a "burgh". The ford, which was later expanded into a bridge, was the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 during the constant conflicts between the Scots and the English. In 1314, the two armies met again near the bridge at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Even centuries later the port on the River Forth brought prosperity to the city - particularly through the tea trade with India and the timber trade with the Baltic states. However, with the invention and spread of the railway, the decline of river trade began. After a railway bridge was finally built over the river, which made it possible to load goods onto ships further downstream, the port finally disappeared completely in the middle of the 20th century.
The Church of the Holy Rude is the medieval parish church. It is named after the Holy Rood, a relic of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The church was founded in 1129, but nothing of this early structure now remains due to a fire in 1405.
Rebuilding was completed in 1414. The fall of the House of Douglas caused devastation in Stirling, possibly also damaging the church. King James II ordered a new church to be built on the same site in 1456. Construction was initially completed in the 1470s.
The second construction phase began in 1507 with plans to build a transept, a choir and a crossing tower, which would result in a cruciform basilica. The work progressed slowly. With the Reformation, they were finally abandoned unfinished in 1546. After a dispute in the course of the 17th century, the parish split and the Church of the Holy Rude became home to two congregations. Around 1818, the building was extensively remodelled and partly extended, which greatly diminished its original character.
Is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped its cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.
The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than 7,000 years—predating recorded history. Lebanon was the home of the Phoenicians, a maritime culture that flourished for nearly 2,500 years (3000–539 BC). Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the five provinces that comprise modern Lebanon were mandated to France. The French expanded the borders of Mount Lebanon, which was mostly populated by Maronite Catholics and Druze, to include more Muslim elements. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, and established a unique political system, known as confessionalism, a power-sharing mechanism based on religious communities. French troops withdrew in 1946.
Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the country experienced a period of relative calm and prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, and banking. Because of its financial power and diversity, Lebanon was known in its heyday as the "Switzerland of the East". It attracted large numbers of tourists, such that the capital Beirut was referred to as "Paris of the Middle East." At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.
Until July 2006, Lebanon enjoyed considerable stability, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete, and increasing numbers of tourists poured into the nation's resorts. Then, the month long 2006 War between Israel and Hezbollah caused significant civilian death and heavy damage to Lebanon's civil infrastructure. However, due to its tightly regulated financial system, Lebanese banks have largely avoided the Financial crisis of 2007–2010. In 2009, despite a global recession, Lebanon enjoyed nine percent economic growth and hosted the largest number of tourists in its history.
History
Please go to
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Lebanon
Geography
Please go to
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Lebanon
Other info
Oficial Name:
لجمهوريّة البنانيّة
Al-Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
Independence:
Declared November 26, 1941
-Recognized November 22, 1943
Area:
10.400km2
Inhabitants:
4.340.000
Languages:
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken [apc] 3,900,000 in Lebanon (1991). Throughout Lebanon. Alternate names: Levantine Arabic, Lebanese-Syrian Arabic, Syro-Lebanese Arabic. Dialects: North Lebanese Arabic, South Lebanese Arabic (Shii, Metuali), North-Central Lebanese Arabic (Mount Lebanon Arabic), South-Central Lebanese Arabic (Druze Arabic), Standard Lebanese Arabic, Beqaa Arabic, Sunni Beiruti Arabic, Saida Sunni Arabic, Iqlim-Al-Kharrub Sunni Arabic, Jdaideh Arabic. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
More information.
Arabic, Standard [arb] Middle East, North Africa. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
More information.
Armenian [hye] 234,600 in Lebanon (1986). Alternate names: Ermenice, Armanski, Haieren, Somkhuri. Dialects: Western Armenian. Classification: Indo-European, Armenian
More information.
English [eng] 3,300 in Lebanon (2004). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
More information.
French [fra] 16,600 in Lebanon (2004). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
More information.
Kurdish, Northern [kmr] 75,000 in Lebanon (2002 Meho). Ethnic population: 215,384 (2000 WCD). Beirut, also Sidon, Tripoli, and Biqa Valley. Dialects: Mhallami (Mardinli). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish
Capital city:
Beirute
Meaning country name:
The name Lebanon ("Lubnān" in standard Arabic; "Lebnan" or "Lebnèn" in local dialect) is derived from the Semitic root "LBN", which is linked to several closely-related meanings in various languages, such as white and milk. This is regarded as reference to the snow-capped Mount Lebanon. Occurrences of the name have been found in three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh (2900 bc), the texts of the library of Ebla (2400 bc), and the Bible. The word Lebanon is also mentioned 71 times in the Old Testament.
Description Flag:
The flag of Lebanon (Arabic: علم لبنان) is formed of two horizontal red stripes enveloping a horizontal white stripe. The white stripe is to be two times a red one (ratio 1:2:1)—a Spanish fess. The green cedar in the middle touches each of the red stripes and its width is one third of the width of the flag. It was adopted on December 7, 1943. The current flag was first drawn in Deputy Saeb Salam's house in Mousaitbeh by the deputies of the Lebanese parliament.
It is a common mistake to draw the branches of the cedar in brown or black. Nevertheless the mistake is unconstitutional. The cedar must be fully green.
The red stripes symbolize the pure blood shed in the aim of liberation. The white stripe symbolizes peace, and the white snow covering Lebanon's mountains. The green cedar (Arz) (Species: Cedrus libani or Lebanon Cedar) symbolizes immortality and steadiness. This cedar is referenced many times in the Bible: "The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalms 92:12). There is also some reference in W. Smith's 1980 book on the colours: "The red and white colours are those associated, respectively, with the Kayssites and Yemenites, opposing clans that divided Lebanese society between 634 and 1711 AD". However, that explanation is poorly known (not to mention quite unheard of) in the Lebanese tradition.
Coat of arms:
The Coat of Arms of Lebanon (Arabic: شعار لبنان) consists of a red shield with a white bend sinister on which is placed a cedar tree. It is very similar to the flag of Lebanon, with the exception of the fess on the flag being changed into a bend sinister.
Its blazon is Gules on a Bend Sinister Argent a Cedar Tree palewise proper
Motto:
" Kūllūnā li-l-waṭan, li-l-'ula wa-l-'alam "
National Anthem: كلنا للوطن للعلى للعلم---Koullouna Lilouataan Lil Oula Lil Alam
Arabic
كلنـا للوطـن للعـلى للعـلم
ملء عين الزّمن سـيفنا والقـلم
سهلنا والجبـل منبت للرجـال
قولنا والعمـل في سبيل الكمال
كلنا للوطن للعلى للعلم
كلّنا للوطن
شيخنـا والفتـى عنـد صـوت الوط
أسـد غـاب متى سـاورتنا الفــتن
شــرقنـا قلبـه أبــداً لبـنان
صانه ربه لمدى الأزمان
كلنا للوطن للعلى للعلم
كلنا للوطن
بحـره بــرّه درّة الشرقين
رِفـدُهّ بــرّهُ مالئ القطبين
إسمـه عـزّه منذ كان الجدود
مجــدُهُ أرزُهُ رمزُهُ للخلود
كلّنا للوطن للعلى للعلم
كلّنا للوطن
Transliteration
Koulluna Lil watan Lil ’Oula Lil Alam,
Mil ’ou Ayn il Zaman Sayfouna Wal Qalam,
Sahlouna Wal jabal - Manbiton Lirrijal
Kawlouna Wal 'Amal. Fi sabil il Kamal.
Koullouna Lil watan Lil ’Oula Lil 'ALam, Koullouna Lil watan.
Shaykhouna Wal fata 'Inda saout il Watan
Ousdou GhaBin Mata Sawarat Nalfitan
Sharkouna Kalbouhou AbaDan Loubnan
Sanahou RabBouhou Li maDa l Azman
Koullouna Lil watan Lil ’Oula Lil 'ALam, Koullouna Lil watan.
Bahrouhou Barrouhou Dourratou Sharqain
Rifdouhou Birrouhou Mali ‘oul Koutbain
Ismouhou 'Izzouhou Mounthou Kan al Joudoud
Majdouhou Arzouhou Ramzouhou Lil khouloud
Koullouna Lil watan Lil ’Oula Lil 'ALam, Koullouna Lil watan.
English translation
We are all for our nation, for our emblem and glory!
Our valor and our writings are the envy of the ages.
Our mountains and our valleys, they bring forth stalwart men.
And to Perfection all our efforts we devote.
We are all For our nation, for our emblem and glory!
Our Elders and our children, they await our Country's call,
And on the Day of Crisis they are as Lions of the Jungle.
The heart of our East is forever Lebanon,
May God preserve him until the end of time.
We are all For our nation, for our emblem and glory!
The Gems of the East are her land and sea.
Throughout the world her good deeds flow from pole to pole.
And her name is her glory since time began.
Immortality's Symbol—the Cedar—is her Pride.
We are all For our nation, for our emblem and glory!
Internet Page: www.informs.gov.lb
Lebanon in diferent languages
eng | hau | ibo | jav: Lebanon
afr | ces | dan | dsb | fao | fin | fry | hrv | hsb | hun | lim | nld | nor | roh | slk | slv | sme | swe: Libanon
bam | bre | csb | dje | fra | frp | fur | hat | jnf | lin | lld | oci | pol | ron | rup | szl | wln: Liban
arg | epo | eus | ina | ita: Libano
ast | glg | por | spa: Líbano
cos | mlt | que: Libanu
deu | ltz | nds: Libanon / Libanon
gag | kaa | uzb: Livan / Ливан
kin | run | sqi: Libani
bos | slo: Libanon / Либанон
est | vor: Liibanon
aze: Lübnan / Лүбнан; Livan / Ливан
cat: Líban
cor: Lebnon
crh: Lübnan / Любнан
cym: Libanus
gla: Leabanon
gle: An Liobáin / An Liobáin; An Leabáin / An Leabáin
glv: Yn Livaan
haw: Lepanona
ind: Lebanon / ليبنون
isl: Líbanon
kmr: Lîbnan / Либнан / لیبنان; Lêbnan / Лебнан / لێبنان; Lîvan / Ливан / لیڤان
kur: Libnan / لبنان; Lubnan / لوبنان
lat: Libanum; Libanus
lav: Libāna
lit: Libanas
mlg: Libanôna
mol: Liban / Либан
mri: Rēpanona
msa: Lubnan / لبنان
nbl: iLebhanoni
nrm: Libaun
rmy: Liban / लिबान
scn: Lìbbanu
smg: Lėbans
smo: Lepanona
som: Lubnaan
srd: Lìbanu
swa: Lebanoni
tet: Líbanu
tgl: Libano; Lebano
ton: Lepanoni
tsn: Lebanone
tuk: Liwan / Ливан
tur: Lübnan
vie: Li-băng
vol: Lubnän
wol: Libãa
xho: iLebhanon
zul: iLebanoni
zza: Lubnan
chu: Ливанъ (Livanŭ)
alt | bul | che | chm | chv | kbd | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mon | oss | rus | tyv | udm: Ливан (Livan)
bak | tat: Ливан / Livan
abq: Ливан (Łivan)
bel: Ліван / Livan
kaz: Ливан / Lïvan / ليۆان
mkd: Либан (Liban)
srp: Либан / Liban
tgk: Лубнон / لبنان / Lubnon
ukr: Ліван (Livan)
ara: لبنان (Lubnān)
ckb: لوبنان / Lubnan
fas: لبنان / Lobnân
prs: لبنان (Lobnān)
pus: لبنان (Lubnān)
uig: لىۋان / Liwan / Ливан
urd: لبنان (Lubnān); لیبنان (Læbanān)
div: ލެބަނަން (Lebanan)
syr: ܠܒܢܢ (Lubnan)
heb: לבנון (Ləṿanôn)
lad: ליבאנו / Libano
yid: לבֿנון (Leṿonen)
amh: ሊባኖስ (Libanos)
ell: Λίβανος (Lívanos)
hye: Լիբանան (Libanan)
kat: ლიბანი (Libani)
hin: लेबनान (Lebanān)
ben: লেবানন (Lebānôn)
pan: ਲੈਬਨਾਨ (Læbanān); ਲੀਬਨਾਨ (Lībanān)
kan: ಲೆಬನನ್ (Lebanan)
mal: ലബനന് (Labanan); ലെബനോന് (Lebanōn)
tam: லெபனான் (Lepaṉāṉ)
tel: లెబనాన్ (Lebanān)
zho: 黎巴嫩 (Líbānèn)
yue: 黎巴嫩 (Làihbànyuhn)
jpn: レバノン (Rebanon)
kor: 레바논 (Laebanon)
bod: ལི་པ་ནུན་ (Li.pa.nun.); ལེ་པ་ནོན་ (Le.pa.non.)
dzo: ལེ་བཱ་ནཱོན་ (Le.bā.nōn.)
mya: လက္ဘန္ဝန္ (Leʿbʰánũ)
tha: เลบานอน (Lēbānɔ̄n)
lao: ລີບັງ (Lībâṅ)
khm: លីបង់ (Lībăṅ)
SHALE GAS FOR PROSPERITY. So declares the the slogan on the hull of the JS INEOS INDEPENDENCE as it motors up the Firth of Forth.
She is a liquified gas freighter plying her trade across the Atlantic Ocean. Where is she today? You can check that here: www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9744960 .
The acronym comes from INspec Ethylene Oxide and Specialities, founded in Antwerp. Their name is painted on a Chinese ship registered in Malta. Theirs is a major chemical company and it's worth asking if one of their products is invisible ink. What I can't see here after that slogan is just who is getting this "prosperity" from the exploitation of a finite environmentally damaging hydrocarbon commodity? If we could make it visible we might just find money is flowing to the few at the expense of the many and the eternal detriment of the environment on which we all depend.
Koi Pond in Melaka Butterfly Park
The Chinese believe that keeping Koi will bring prosperity, success and wealth. And if you can't have a koi pond in your garden, hanging a wall painting in the wealth corner of your house / office will do the trick. I will run off and print this to hang in my office. Have a great week, friends!
Day 1 of 30.
Re-Call!
"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and righteousness" Surah Al-Baqra : Verse 183.
Wishing you all a very hapy month of Ramadhan! May this year bring peace and prosperity to human race all around the globe.
Greetings decorated along Eu Tong Sen Street, Chinatown to user in Good Health, Prosperity and Happiness for the Chinese New Year 2021 Festival.
Sixty years after Atlanta’s destruction in the Civil War, a limited prosperity had returned to the city. The Swan House is an example of how one prominent family lived during the 1920s and 1930s.
The heir to a large cotton brokerage fortune amassed in the post-Civil War "New South” era, Edward Inman was a wealthy Atlanta businessman with interests in real estate, transportation, and banking. After their Ansley Park home burned in 1924, he and Emily, his wife, hired the architectural firm of Hentz, Reid, and Adler to design a house for them in Buckhead, a residential neighborhood located about six miles north of downtown.
Philip Trammel Shutze was the architect for Swan House and its gardens, as well as for many other important buildings in the city. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Columbia School of Architecture, and the American Academy in Rome, Italy. Shutze adapted Italian and English classical styles to accommodate 20th-century living for Swan House, which many consider his finest residential work.
The Inmans moved into their new home in 1928; just three years later, Edward Inman died suddenly at age 49 from a heart attack. Alone in the large house, Emily Inman asked her older son, Hugh, and his family to live with her. The elegant adult retreat became a home for children and grandchildren. Memories of Swan House in the 1930s feature parties, relatives, their stories, and a succession of southern, home-cooked meals.
Mrs. Inman lived in Swan House until 1965 during which time she made only minor changes to its interior and exterior. The house, furnishings, and 28-acre estate were purchased by the Atlanta Historical Society in 1966 and opened to the public the following year. Most of what you see belonged to the Inman family.
Tours of the Swan House allow visitors to explore the many rooms of this beautifully restored historic home including the entrance, Breakfast Room and Hall, Library, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Butler's Pantry, Mrs. Inman's Bedroom and Bathroom, Grandchildren's Bedroom, Guest Bedroom, and Mr. Inman's Bedroom
entertainment.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-ga/venues/show/99...
Paper cutouts are especially popular during the Chinese New Year period as people rush to decorate their houses with it, sometimes extending said decorations to the common corridors!
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Copyright © 2016 Wei Kiat.
All rights reserved.
Drop me a email (kiatography@gmail.com) if you wish to purchase my images.
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I got the first structure down for the canopy, a transparent egg make with Technic beams triangulated and a lot of canopies.
This ship is meant to be light and airy, a hybrid of modern architectural spaceframes, flying buttresses, and magical lands.
My black and red microscale fleet faced off with my brothers fleet at Brickfair. My fleet has been a work in progress for almost 3 years now. My brother's fleet is really well done, I especially like his fleet carrier. I am developing a game so we can battle it out... but it wasn't quite ready for BrickFair 2012. Maybe I'll finish it in time for 2013.
Typical houses of the Zaanstreek region, Zaanse Schans, Noord-Holland (North Holland) Netherlands
Some background information:
Although Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum, where visitors have to pay admission fees, it’s also a living and working community with all-year residents, who live in picturesque old wooden houses. The buildings there date back to 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Zaanse Schans is packed with windmills, barns, houses and museums, which are built in the typical Dutch wooden architectural style, which were relocated here piece by piece since 1961. About 35 houses from all over the Zaanstreek were moved to the museum area and in 1994 there was even the Zaans Museum established, which contains cultural heritage and region-related collections on residential and industrial culture.
Another highlight of the open-air museum is the first small grocery store of Albert Heijn, the founder of the Dutch supermarket chain of the same name. In 1887, Albert Heijn took over the store from his parents at the age of just 21 and visitors can still see its original furnishings and stock. You can see the Albert Heijn grocery store in this picture. It is the house on the left.
Last but not least in 2009, the Verkade pavilion was opened by Queen Beatrix, which houses the corporate collection of Verkade, a Dutch company famous for its chocolate and cookies. Next to photographs, displays, packaging and posters the museum also displays three operating production lines for chocolate, sponge cake and candles.
Nowadays Zaanse Schans provides a glimpse into the Zaan region’s heyday: the 18th and 19th centuries. Around 600 windmills were active at the same time in one of Western Europe’s oldest industrial areas. This was a direct consequence of international trade in the Dutch Golden Age. Creative local entrepreneurs soon ensured that countless products were literally rolling out of the industrial windmills, which were nothing else but wooden factories powered by wind.
The region’s development was preceded by an important discovery. This was the invention of the crankshaft by Cornelis Corneliszoon van Uitgeest in 1594. The crankshaft made it possible to convert the horizontal wind direction on the windmill sails into a vertical sawing movement. Suddenly, the windmills were able to saw more wood than had ever been possible by hand. This industrial production opened up many more opportunities for construction.
The great prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century also served as an excellent catalyst for shipbuilding. The region’s location, on the water and in close proximity to Amsterdam, proved ideal during the Golden Age. Thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of the local population, Zaanse Schans developed into the centre of shipbuilding in 17th-century Europe. As many as 26 shipyards launched between 100 and 150 ships every year. It is also interesting to note that until the mid-19th century, the region also played an important role in the whaling industry.
The prosperity in the 18th and 19th century can be seen in the Zaanstreek region in numerous ways, Alongside windmills, barns and other buildings, beautiful houses began to appear as home to rich windmill owners, traders and dignitaries. Many of these houses had attractive façades at the front and back (status symbols) and were located on the dike along the river Zaan, at that time a very important thoroughfare. If the owner was particularly successful, he would build an annex, known as a "goedjaarsend" (in English: "good year’s end"). Those who could afford it also had additional gardens close to the house, but separated from it by a road or by water. The gardens were used for growing vegetables or flowers or for bleaching cloth. There were also various luxurious tea-domed summerhouses in the region.
The whole region was literally rich in colour. The houses in particular used to display rich shades of various greens ranging through to beige and light blue. The houses also featured brightly-coloured interiors. These many special features that are characteristic of the Zaanstreek region are still what make it so unique.
IJsland - Iceland
Pingvellir - Thingvellir - Thingvallakirkja
Het nationaal park Thingvellir (IJslandse naam: Þingvellir) is een van de meest prachtige en pittoreske plekken van IJsland. Het gebied is bovendien van groot historisch belang geweest voor het land. Thingvellir is een immens grote, geologische spleet in de Aarde, die zich heeft gevormd tussen de Euraziatische en Noord-Amerikaanse tektonische platen. Het is slechts een van de weinige plaatsen ter wereld waar de Midden-Atlantische Rug boven water loopt. De fissuur leidde tot de vorming van het grootste meer van IJsland, met spectaculaire kliffen, die voor een ongelofelijk bijzondere aanblik van het landschap zorgen. Thingvellir was voor korte tijd de eerste parlementaire vergaderzetel ter wereld. Rond de 10de eeuw organiseerden de Vikingen hier namelijk hun jaarlijkse vergadering. Ze verzamelden zich rondom een grote rots en bespraken nieuwe wetten en deden voorstellen voor wetswijzigingen. Thingvellir is een schitterend mooi gebied, het laatste symbool van IJslands onafhankelijkheid, en onafscheidelijk van de historie en ziel van het land. Thingvellir vertegenwoordigt het typisch IJslandse landschap. Het nationale park Thingvellir is in 1930 opgericht met de intentie om de historische, culturele en geologische waarde van het land te behouden. Thingvellir is een plek die veel IJslanders diep in hun hart koesteren, net zoals de geschiedenis van het land. Lang geleden was het in cultureel-politiek opzicht het meest belangrijke gebied van IJsland. Ieder jaar kwamen er mensen heen die zich in een grote groep verzamelden. Ze maakten onderkomens, met muurtjes gemaakt van steen of turf, met een dak. Dit werd twee weken lang hun huis. Het landschap op de achtergrond zorgt voor een schilderachtige tafereel, met een aantal indrukwekkende uitzichten. Het natuurschoon hier is een streling voor het oog. Al bij al, een fascinerend en prachtige nationaal park.
www.ontdekijsland.nl/attracties/thingvellir.php
Iceland , also called the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It has a population of 332,529 , making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence still keeps summers chilly, with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in the year AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, mainly Norwegians and to a smaller extent other Scandinavians settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1814, Iceland was ruled by Norway and afterwards by Denmark. Until the 20th century, the country relied largely on fishing and agriculture. Iceland became independent in 1918 and a republic in 1944. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, it became a part of the European Economic Area, which supported diversification into economic and financial services.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland