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Fate weaves a strange web for the Ape Man.
From the back cover:
“A lost aviatrix, a professor, a gangster, and the golden-haired goddess of the Midianites are brought together in the heart of the Dark Continent to create an explosive situation. Once again, only the incomparable figure of the Lord of the Jungle can surmount the mountains and mysteries that stood between these four and disaster.
“Every adventure reader will thrill as Tarzan walks where the slightest sound could bring sudden death, fights where any weakness could mean destruction, and roars his defiant challenge to a hostile and savage world.
“TARZAN TRIUMPHANT is a triumph of jungle adventure among savage beasts and savage men.”
This fountain was built in 1927 in the iron market. It is made of granite and the 5 statues in bronze.
Technical: Handheld, 3 exposures, RAW, 10mm. RAWs processed in cs5 and converted to 16bit tiff, tonemapped in photomatix pro, exported back to cs5, stamped out a few poles and structures, exported to lightroom 3, presets applied and served.
C GP 241224 5 CREATION AI PHOTOSHOP_edited
Création réalisée à partir de l'Intelligence Artificielle Microsoft Designer et de PhotoShop pour la retouche artistique améliorée.
+ 51 million photos viewed by millions of visitors from all continents !
+ de 51 millions de photos vues par des millions de visiteurs de tous les continents !
Merci à vous tous, Thank you all... !
Follow our trip on www.legaillardgalopere-ameriquecentrale.blogspot.com
On Facebook www.facebook.com/gaillard.galopere
For prints, visit www.galopere-photo.com
(Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as seagull in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas.
The silver gull should not be confused with the herring gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, Dutch zilvermeeuw) but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range.
Vachon, John,, 1914-1975,, photographer.
Employees at Mid-Continent Refinery, Tulsa, Okla.
[1943?]
1 transparency : color.
Notes:
Attributed to John Vachon.
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.
Subjects:
World War, 1939-1945
Petroleum industry
United States--Oklahoma--Tulsa
Format: Transparencies--Color
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 12002-59 (DLC) 93845501
General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a35444
Call Number: LC-USW36-841
CON QUESTA DA OGGI VI SALUTO PER UN PERIODO DI RIPOSO .
IL SANTO DEL GIORNO - 23 AGOSTO 2011
Santa Rosa da Lima
Lima, Perù, 1586 - 24 agosto 1617
Isabella, soprannominata Rosa per la bellezza del volto, é la prima santa del continente americano. Fu modello di vita penitente e di preghiera continua nella semplicità della vita laicale. Iscritta al Terz'Ordine domenicano, mantenne sempre una straordinaria serenità in mezzo alle prove dolorose che accompagnarono la sua vita, imitando Cristo povero e crocifisso. Particolarmente devota della Vergine, operò e pregò per la dilatazione della Chiesa specie fra gli Indios d'America.
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PENSIERI E CONSIDERAZIONI DEL GIORNO
In questi giorni ho fatto una scoperta allucinante ! Seguendo le vicende della crisi mondiale delle borse e ho notato con mio grande stupore ho notato che le monete su cui puntano di più attualmente gli investitori di tutto il mondo sono lo yen ed il franco svizzero. Poco fa leggevo le notizie del giorno su internet ed ho letto che Milano ed altre borse hanno avuto uno sbalzo in avanti a seguito della ormai prossima resa di Gheddafi. Traendo le conclusioni ho capito che il mondo è condizionato dagli affari dei grossi investitori a livello mondiale i quali non cercano altro che paesi da ricostruire o da spartirsi nei dopoguerra e nei dopoterremoto e paesi dove mettere al sicuro i loro denari , dove frutteranno di più grazie alla svalutazione delle altre monete. Non parliamo poi di coloro che hanno la possibilità di convertire le monete in lingotti d'oro. Questo è il mondo che noi e i nostri figli siamo costretti a vivere. Solo dando ascolto alla "PAROLA" di Gesù il mondo si può salvare. Per fortuna che tra le brutte notizie ne ho letta una bellissima che mi fa sperare nelle nuove generazioni: 2.000.000 di giovani a Madrid ieri ,in silenzio, hanno partecipato all'adorazione eucaristica con il Papa, nonostante un tempo inclementissimo.
Voglio fare a voi un dono di una poesia che mio fratello ha scritto dopo il viaggio a Medjugorie, dedicata a tutti voi perchè nelle vostre preghiere vi sia anche la sua famiglia.
A Medjugorie
Afflitto il cuore, ma pieno di speranza.
Madre di Dio, del cielo Regina,
a te veniamo, sul colle* saliamo.
Lento, impervio il cammino, a trovare la via,
ove le rocce son meno appuntite
e ostacolo non sia fatica,
a starti alla fine vicini.
Bella, dolce tu sei, nostra Signora.
Madre di tutti, Regina del cielo.
Dacci la fede, dacci anche la pace.
I cuori illumina, scardina il male,
soli non ci lasciare.
Non ce ne andiamo, divina Signora,
prima, tutto di noi
affidarti vogliamo.
Le nostre angosce, le nostre paure
E grazia a te chiedere, aiuto.
Si che lo puoi, figli tuoi siamo
E non c’è madre
Che, sollecita, in apprensione,
del figlio non vada in soccorso.
Perciò grazie o Maria,
per averci ancora chiamati,
anche se indegni,
ma sempre tuoi figli,
che questa è la tua veste
e tuo solo pensiero.
Giovanni DE SANTIS
*E’ il colle del Podbrdo, dove il 24 giugno 1981 la Madonna è apparsa per la prima volta.
Siamo a Medjugorie, piccolo paese dell’Erzegovina, ormai famoso in tutto il mondo.
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ENGLISH
AT MEDJUGORJE
Plagued the heart, but pious hope.
Mother of God, Queen of Heaven,
We come to you, * go up on the hill.
The slow, arduous journey to find His way,
Where the rocks are less sharp
And obstruction is not difficult,
Layers close to the end.
Beautiful, sweet you are, our Lady.
Mother of all, the Queen of Heaven.
Give us the faith, and give us peace.
And shining hearts that may undermine evil,
Do not leave us alone.
Do not go away.
We all rely on you,
Our anxieties, our fears
Grace goes to you as we ask for help.
We are your children
And there's Mother
What, urges, apprehension,
That the child does not go to the rescue.
So thanks to Mary,
For your forgiveness,
Although we are unworthy,
But still your children,
That this is your way
And your only thought.
Giovanni DE SANTIS
* The Apparition Hill where, on June 241981, Our Lady appeared for the first time.
We are in Medjugorje, a small town in Herzegovina, now famous around the world
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ESPANOL
Afligido el corazón, pero llleno de esperanza.
Madre de Dios, Reina del Cielo,
Venimos a ti, * sobre el cerro subimos
Lento, y arduo el camino, para encontrar su via.
Donde las rocas son menos agudas
Y los obstáculos no son difíciles,
Recompensa cerca del final.
Hermosa, dulce eres, Virgen María.
Madre de todos, la Reina del Cielo.
Danos la fe, y danos la paz.
Y los corazones ilumina, que el mal puede poner en peligro,
No nos dejen solos.
¡No te vayas.
Todos confiamos en que,
Nuestras angustias, nuestros miedos
Gracia te pedimos, ayuda.
Y no hay madre
Que, solicita, en la aprensión,
del hijo no vaya a su rescate.
Así que gracias a Maria,
obtenemos su perdón,
Aunque somos indignos,
Pero somos tus hijos,
Que este es el camino
Y su único pensamiento.
Giovanni DE SANTIS
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IN CATALANO
Afligit el cor, però ple d'esperança.
Mare de Déu, Reina del Cel,
Venim a tu, * sobre el turó pugem
Lent, i ardu el camí, per trobar el seu via.
On les roques són menys agudes
I els obstacles no són difícils,
Recompensa prop del final.
Bella, dolça ets, Mare de Déu.
Mare de tots, Reina del Cel.
Dóna'ns la fe, i doneu-nos la pau.
I els cors il.lumina, que el mal pot posar en perill,
No ens deixin sols.
No te'n vagis.
Tots confiem que,
les nostres angoixes, les nostres pors
I gràcia us demanem, ajuda.
I no hi ha mare
Que, sol.licita, en l'aprensió,
del fill no vagi al seu rescat.
Així que gràcies a Maria,
obtenim el seu perdó,
Encara que som indignes,
Però som els teus fills,
Que aquest és el camí
I el seu únic pensament.
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PORTOGHESE
eu quero te fazer um presente de um poema meu irmão escreveu depois de sua viagem à Medjugorje, que é dedicado a todos vocês em suas orações, porque há também a sua família.
Em Medjugorje
Atormentado o coração, mas cheio de esperança.
Mãe de Deus, Rainha do Céu,
que cheguemos a vós, * subir no morro.
Jornada, lenta árdua para encontrar o seu caminho,
onde as rochas são menos nítidas
e obstrução não é difícil,
camadas perto do fim.
Bonito, você é doce, Nossa Senhora.
Mãe de todos, a rainha do céu.
Dê-nos a fé, dá-nos a paz também.
Luzes corações, mina o mal,
não nos deixe em paz.
Não vá lá, Ms. Divino,
em primeiro lugar, todos nós
nós confiamos.
Nossas ansiedades, nossos medos
Graça e pedir ajuda.
Sim, pode, nós somos seus filhos
E não há Mãe
O que, insiste, apreensivo,
a criança não vá para o resgate.
Assim, graças a Maria,
chamado para dar-nos ainda,
embora indigno,
mas ainda assim seus filhos,
que este é o seu vestido
e seu único pensamento.
Giovanni DE SANTIS
* E 'o monte de colina das aparições, onde 24 de junho de 1981 Nossa Senhora apareceu pela primeira vez.
Estamos em Medjugorje, uma pequena cidade no Herzegovina, agora famoso em todo o mundo.
ITALIAN
Ultimo Messaggio di Medjugorje, 2 luglio 2011 - Apparizione a Mirjana
"Cari figli, oggi, per la vostra unione con mio Figlio, vi invito ad un passo difficile e doloroso. Vi invito al riconoscimento completo ed alla confessione dei peccati, alla purificazione. Un cuore impuro non può essere in mio Figlio e con mio Figlio. Un cuore impuro non può dare un frutto d’amore e di unità. Un cuore impuro non può compiere cose rette e giuste, non è un esempio della bellezza dell’Amore di Dio per coloro che gli stanno attorno e che non l’hanno conosciuto. Voi, figli miei, vi riunite attorno a me pieni di entusiasmo, di desideri e di aspettative, ma io prego il Padre Buono di mettere, per mezzo dello Spirito Santo del mio Figlio, la fede nei vostri cuori purificati. Figli miei, ascoltatemi, incamminatevi con me. "
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ENGLISH
Latest Special Medjugorje Message, July 2, 2011 - Our Lady's apparitions to Mirjana
“Dear children; today I call you to a difficult and painful step for your unity with my Son. I call you to complete admission and confession of sins, to purification. An impure heart cannot be in my Son and with my Son. An impure heart cannot give the fruit of love and unity. An impure heart cannot do correct and just things; it is not an example of the beauty of God’s love to those who surround it and to those who have not come to know that love. You, my children, are gathering around me full of enthusiasm, desires and expectations, and I implore the Good Father to, through the Holy Spirit, put my Son – faith, into your purified hearts. My children, obey me, set out with me. ”
As Our Lady was leaving, to her left she showed darkness and to her right a Cross in golden light.
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OTHER LANGUAGES
www.medjugorje.ws/it/#latest-message
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UN MESSAGGIO A CASO
Questo messaggio, mi è stato dato perchè lo pubblicassi ed io lo faccio molto volentieri:
"Cari figli, oggi vi invito a diventare missionari dei messaggi che vi dò qui attraverso questo posto a me caro. Dio mi ha permesso di rimanere così a lungo con voi e perciò , figlioli, vi invito a vivere con amore i messaggi che vi dò ed a trasmetterli in tutto il mondo, così che un fiume d'amore scorra tra la gente piema di odio e senza pace. Vi invito figlioli, a diventare pace dove non c'è pace e luce doco c'è tenebra, affinchè ogni cuore accetti la luce e la via della salvezza. Grazie per aver risposto alla mia chiamata.
MESSAGGI PRINCIPALI:
- S. Messa e Gesù al primo posto;
- Conversione, preghiera,Riconciliazione;
- Leggere la Sacra scrittura;
- Offrire qualche sacrificio;
- Digiunare i mercoledì ed i venerdì (pane ed aqcua)anche per le anime del purgatorio.
Brooksville, florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching 60 centimeters (24 in) in length with a 1.8 metre (6 ft) wingspan. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings.
The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
Europe, the old continent, is packed with historical, medieval, charming cities like Delft.
52 Weeks of 2018
Theme: 7 Continents
Category: Creative
The map does not have the Far East on but I have scratched a few places there as well. The scratch map was a birthday present and the 7 continents challenge gave me an excuse to start using it. I even put some currency into the picture!
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
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Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
Les premiers rayons du soleil transpercent la forêt.
Les niveaux d'eau du Yashuni sont extrêmement bas. Par instants, la pirogue butte sur un haut fond ou un tronc d'arbre couché dans le fond de la rivière. A la fin de la saison des pluies, qui approche, le niveau d'eau est pratiquement un mètre plus haut.
This was taken from the road just below Gaucin. The hills in the far distance are actually in North Africa. What looks like a mountain just in front is the Rock of Gibraltar.
Better large:)
Snowdonia, or Eryri is a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which is 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) tall. These peaks are all part of the Snowdon, Glyderau, and Carneddau ranges in the north of the region. The shorter Moelwynion and Moel Hebog ranges lie immediately to the south.
The national park has an area of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) (the fourth-largest in the UK), and covers most of central and southern Gwynedd and the western part of Conwy County Borough. This is much larger than the area traditionally considered Snowdonia, and in addition to the five ranges above includes the Rhinogydd, Cadair Idris, and Aran ranges and the Dyfi Hills. It also includes most of the coast between Porthmadog and Aberdyfi. The park was the first of the three national parks of Wales to be designated, in October 1951, and the third in the UK after the Peak District and Lake District, which were established in April and May 1951 respectively. The park received 3.89 million visitors in 2015.
The name Snowdon means 'snow hill' and is derived from the Old English elements snāw and dūn, the latter meaning 'hill'. Snowdonia is simply taken from the name of the mountain.
The origins of Eryri are less clear. Two popular interpretations are that the name is related to eryr, 'eagle', and that it means 'highlands' and is related to the Latin oriri ('to rise'). Although eryri is not any direct form of the word eryr in the meaning 'eagle', it is a plural form of eryr in the meaning 'upland'.
Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller upland area of northern Gwynedd centred on the Snowdon massif. The national park covers an area more than twice that size, extending south into the Meirionnydd area.
This difference is apparent in books published before 1951. In George Borrow's 1907 Wild Wales he states that "Snowdon or Eryri is no single hill, but a mountainous region, the loftiest part of which is called Y Wyddfa", making a distinction between the summit of the mountain and the surrounding massif. The Mountains of Snowdonia by H. Carr & G. Lister (1925) defines "Eryri" as "composed of the two cantrefs of Arfon and Arllechwedd, and the two commotes of Nant Conwy and Eifionydd", which corresponds to Caernarfonshire with the exception of southwest Llŷn and the Creuddyn Peninsula. In Snowdonia: The National Park of North Wales (1949), F. J. North states that "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper".
Snowdonia National Park, also known as Eryri National Park in English and Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri in Welsh, was established in October 1951. It was the third national park in the United Kingdom, following the Peak District and Lake District in April and May of the same year. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2) in the counties of Gwynedd and Conwy, and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline.
The park is governed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, which has 18 members: 9 appointed by Gwynedd, 3 by Conwy, and 6 by the Welsh Government to represent the national interest. The authority's main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth.
The park authority used Snowdonia and Snowdon when referring to the national park and mountain in English until February 2023, when it resolved to primarily use the Welsh names, Eryri and Yr Wyddfa. There will be a transitional period of approximately two years in which the authority will continue to use the English names in parentheses — for example "Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)" — where the context requires.
Unlike national parks in other countries, national parks in the UK are made up of both public and private lands under a central planning authority. The makeup of land ownership in the national park is as follows:
More than 26,000 people live within the park, of whom 58.6% could speak Welsh in 2011. While most of the land is either open or mountainous land, there is a significant amount of agricultural activity within the park.
The national park does not include the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which forms a unique non-designated enclave within the park boundaries. The town was deliberately excluded from the park when it was established because of its slate quarrying industry. The boundaries of the Peak District National Park exclude the town of Buxton and its adjacent limestone quarries for a similar reason.
The geology of Snowdonia is key to the area's character. Glaciation during a succession of ice ages, has carved from a heavily faulted and folded succession of sedimentary and igneous rocks, a distinctive rocky landscape. The last ice age ended only just over 11,500 years ago, leaving a legacy of features attractive to visitors but which have also played a part in the development of geological science and continue to provide a focus for educational visits. Visiting Cwm Idwal in 1841 Charles Darwin realised that the landscape was the product of glaciation. The bedrock dates largely from the Cambrian and Ordovician periods with intrusions of Ordovician and Silurian age associated with the Caledonian Orogeny. There are smaller areas of Silurian age sedimentary rocks in the south and northeast and of Cenozoic era strata on the Cardigan Bay coast though the latter are concealed by more recent deposits. Low grade metamorphism of Cambrian and Ordovician mudstones has resulted in the slates, the extraction of which once formed the mainstay of the area's economy.
The principal ranges of the traditional Snowdonia are the Snowdon massif itself, the Glyderau, the Carneddau, the Moelwynion and the Moel Hebog range. All of Wales' 3000ft mountains are to be found within the first three of these massifs and are most popular with visitors. To their south within the wider national park are the Rhinogydd and the Cadair Idris and Aran Fawddwy ranges. Besides these well-defined areas are a host of mountains which are less readily grouped though various guidebook writers have assigned them into groups such as the 'Arenigs', the 'Tarrens' and the 'Dyfi hills'.
Snowdon's summit at 1085 metres (3560 feet) is the highest in Wales and the highest in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands. At 905 metres (2970 feet) Aran Fawddwy is the highest in Wales outside of northern Snowdonia; Cadair Idris, at 893 metres (2930 feet), is next in line.
Rivers draining the area empty directly into Cardigan Bay are typically short and steep. From north to south they include the Glaslyn and Dwyryd which share a common estuary, the Mawddach and its tributaries the Wnion and the Eden, the smaller Dysynni and on the park's southern margin the Dyfi. A series of rivers drain to the north coast. Largest of these is the Conwy on the park's eastern margin which along with the Ogwen drains into Conwy Bay. Further west the Seiont and Gwyrfai empty into the western end of the Menai Strait. A part of the east of the national park is within the upper Dee (Dyfrydwy) catchment and includes Bala Lake, the largest natural waterbody in Wales. A fuller list of the rivers and tributaries within the area is found at List of rivers of Wales.
There are few natural waterbodies of any size in Wales; Snowdonia is home to most. Besides Bala Lake, a few lakes occupy glacial troughs including Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris at Llanberis and Tal-y-llyn Lake south of Cadair Idris. Llyn Dinas, Llyn Gwynant, and Llyn Cwellyn to the south and west of Snowdon feature in this category as do Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Ogwen on the margins of the Carneddau. There are numerous small lakes occupying glacial cirques owing to the former intensity of glacial action in Snowdonia. Known generically as tarns, examples include Llyn Llydaw, Glaslyn and Llyn Du'r Arddu on Snowdon, Llyn Idwal within the Glyderau and Llyn Cau on Cadair Idris.
There are two large wholly man-made bodies of water in the area, Llyn Celyn and Llyn Trawsfynydd whilst numerous of the natural lakes have had their levels artificially raised to different degrees. Marchlyn Mawr reservoir and Ffestiniog Power Station's Llyn Stwlan are two cases where natural tarns have been dammed as part of pumped storage hydro-electric schemes. A fuller list of the lakes within the area is found at List of lakes of Wales. In 2023, the park standardised its Welsh language lake names, to be also used in English.
The national park meets the Irish Sea coast within Cardigan Bay between the Dovey estuary in the south and the Dwyryd estuary. The larger part of that frontage is characterised by dune systems, the largest of which are Morfa Dyffryn and Morfa Harlech. These two locations have two of the largest sand/shingle spits in Wales. The major indentations of the Dovey, the Mawddach and Dwyryd estuaries, have large expanses of intertidal sands and coastal marsh which are especially important for wildlife: see #Natural history. The northern tip of the national park extends to the north coast of Wales at Penmaen-bach Point, west of Conwy, where precipitous cliffs have led to the road and railway negotiating the spot in tunnels.
There are only three towns within the park boundary, though there are several more immediately beyond it. Dolgellau is the most populous followed by Bala on the eastern boundary and then Harlech overlooking Tremadog Bay. More populous than these is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is within an exclave, that is to say it is surrounded by the national park but excluded from it, whilst the towns of Tywyn and Barmouth on the Cardigan Bay coast are within coastal exclaves. Llanrwst in the east, Machynlleth in the south and Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth in the west are immediately beyond the boundary but still identified with the park; indeed the last of these hosts the headquarters of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Similarly the local economies of the towns of Conwy, Bethesda, and Llanberis in the north are inseparably linked to the national park as they provide multiple visitor services. The lower terminus of the Snowdon Mountain Railway is at Llanberis. Though adjacent to it, Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr are less obviously linked to the park.
There are numerous smaller settlements within the national park: prominent amongst these are the eastern 'gateway' village of Betws-y-Coed, Aberdyfi on the Dovey (Dyfi) estuary and the small village of Beddgelert each of which attract large numbers of visitors. Other sizeable villages are Llanuwchllyn at the southwest end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), Dyffryn Ardudwy, Corris, Trawsfynydd, Llanbedr, Trefriw and Dolwyddelan.
Six primary routes serve Snowdonia, the busiest of which is the A55, a dual carriageway which runs along the north coast and provides strategic road access to the northern part of the national park. The most important north–south route within the park is the A470 running from the A55 south past Betws-y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog to Dolgellau. It exits the park a few miles to the southeast near Mallwyd. From Dolgellau, the A494 runs to Bala whilst the A487 connects with Machynlleth. The A487 loops around the northwest of the park from Bangor via Caernarfon to Porthmadog before turning in land to meet the A470 east of Maentwrog. The A5 was built as a mail coach road by Thomas Telford between London and Holyhead; it enters the park near Pentrefoelas and leaves it near Bethesda. Other A class roads provide more local links; the A493 down the Dovey valley from Machynlleth and up the coast to Tywyn then back up the Mawddach valley to Dolgellau, the A496 from Dolgellau down the north side of the Mawddach to Barmouth then north up the coast via Harlech to Maentwrog. The A4212 connecting Bala with Trawsfynydd is relatively modern having been laid out in the 1960s in connection with the construction of Llyn Celyn. Three further roads thread their often twisting and narrow way through the northern mountains; A4085 links Penrhyndeudraeth with Caernarfon, the A4086 links Capel Curig with Caernarfon via Llanberis and the A498 links Tremadog with the A4086 at Pen-y-Gwryd. Other roads of note include that from Llanuwchllyn up Cwm Cynllwyd to Dinas Mawddwy via the 545 metre (1788') high pass of Bwlch y Groes, the second highest tarmacked public road in Wales and the minor road running northwest and west from Llanuwchllyn towards Bronaber via the 531 metre (1742') high pass of Bwlch Pen-feidiog.
The double track North Wales Coast Line passes along the northern boundary of the park between Conwy and Bangor briefly entering it at Penmaen-bach Point where it is in tunnel. Stations serve the communities of Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan and Bangor. The single-track Conwy Valley Line runs south from Llandudno Junction, entering the park north of Betws-y-coed which is served by a station then west up the Lledr valley by way of further stations at Pont-y-pant, Dolwyddelan and Roman Bridge. After passing through a tunnel the passenger line now terminates at Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station. Prior to 1961 the route continued as the Bala and Ffestiniog Railway via Trawsfynydd to Bala joining another former route along the Dee valley which ran southwest via Dolgellau to join the still extant coastal Cambrian Line south of Barmouth. The Pwllheli branch of the Cambrian Line splits from the Aberystwyth branch at Dovey Junction and continues via stations at Aberdovey, Tywyn, Tonfanau, Llwyngwril, Fairbourne and Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth where it crosses the Mawddach estuary by the Grade II* listed wooden Barmouth Bridge, a structure which also provides for walkers and cyclists. Further stations serve Llanaber, Tal-y-bont, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Llanbedr, Pensarn and Llandanwg before reaching Harlech. Tygwyn, Talsarnau and Llandecwyn stations are the last before the line exits the park as it crosses the Dwyryd estuary via Pont Briwet and turns westwards bound for Pwllheli via Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog and Criccieth.
Many sections of dismantled railway are now used by walking and cycling routes and are described elsewhere. The Bala Lake Railway is a heritage railway which has been established along a section of the former mainline route between Bala and Llanuwchllyn. Other heritage railways occupy sections of former mineral lines, often narrow gauge and are described in a separate section.
The national park is served by a growing bus network, branded Sherpa'r Wyddfa (formerly Snowdon Sherpa). Together with the TrawsCymru network of buses this provides a car-free option to tourists and locals wishing to travel across the National Park.
The network was relaunched in July 2022 with a new brand, Sherpa'r Wyddfa, to reflect the National Park's new push for the promotion of Welsh place names. As such the publicity and websites for the newly branded service only use these Welsh names, even for English language users.
Snowdonia is one of the wettest parts of the United Kingdom; Crib Goch in Snowdonia is the wettest spot in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of 4,473 millimetres (176.1 in) a year over the 30-year period prior to the mid-2000s. (There is a rainfall gauge at 713 metres, 2340' on the slopes below Crib Goch.)
The earliest evidence for human occupation of the area dates from around 4000–3000 BCE with extensive traces of prehistoric field systems evident in the landscape. Within these are traces of irregular enclosures and hut circles. There are burial chambers of Neolithic and Bronze Age such as Bryn Cader Faner and Iron Age hillforts such as Bryn y Castell near Ffestiniog.
The region was finally conquered by the Romans by AD 77–78. Remains of Roman marching camps and practice camps are evident. There was a Roman fort and amphitheatre at Tomen y Mur. Roads are known to have connected with Segontium (Caernarfon) and Deva Victrix (Chester) and include the northern reaches of Sarn Helen.
There are numerous memorial stones of Early Christian affinity dating from the post-Roman period. The post-Roman hillfort of Dinas Emrys also dates to this time. Churches were introduced to the region in the 5th and 6th centuries. Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had various stone castles constructed to protect their borders and trade routes. Edward I built several castles around the margins including those at Harlech and Conwy for military and administrative reasons. Most are now protected within a World Heritage Site. Some of Snowdonia's many stone walls date back to this period too. In the Middle Ages, the title Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia (Tywysog Cymru ac Arglwydd Eryri) was used by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd; his grandfather Llywelyn Fawr used the title Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.
The 18th century saw the start of industrial exploitation of the area's resources, assisted by the appearance in the late part of the century of turnpike trusts making it more accessible. The engineer Thomas Telford left a legacy of road and railway construction in and around Snowdonia. A new harbour at Porthmadog linked to slate quarries at Ffestiniog via a narrow gauge railway. At its peak in the 19th century the slate industry employed around 12,000 men. A further 1000 were employed in stone quarrying at Graiglwyd and Penmaenmawr. Mining for copper, iron and gold was undertaken during the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving a legacy of mine and mill ruins today. Ruins of the gold industry are found at Cefn Coch on the Dolmelynllyn estate.
The Snowdonia Society is a registered charity formed in 1967; it is a voluntary group of people with an interest in the area and its protection.
Amory Lovins led the successful 1970s opposition to stop Rio Tinto digging up the area for a massive mine.
The park's entire coastline is a Special Area of Conservation, which runs from the Llŷn Peninsula down the mid-Wales coast, the latter containing valuable sand dune systems.
The park's natural forests are of the mixed deciduous type, the commonest tree being the Welsh oak. Birch, ash, mountain-ash and hazel are also common. The park also contains some large (planted) coniferous forested areas such as Gwydir Forest near Betws-y-Coed, although some areas, once harvested, are now increasingly being allowed to regrow naturally.
Northern Snowdonia is the only place in Britain where the Snowdon lily (Gagea serotina), an arctic–alpine plant, is found and the only place in the world where the Snowdonia hawkweed Hieracium snowdoniense grows.
One of the major problems facing the park in recent years has been the growth of Rhododendron ponticum. This fast-growing invasive species has a tendency to take over and stifle native species. It can form massive towering growths and has a companion fungus that grows on its roots producing toxins that are poisonous to any local flora and fauna for a seven-year period after the Rhododendron infestations have been eradicated. As a result, there are a number of desolate landscapes.
Mammals in the park include otters, polecats, feral goats, and pine martens. Birds include raven, red-billed chough, peregrine, osprey, merlin and the red kite. The rainbow-coloured Snowdon beetle (Chrysolina cerealis) is only found in northern Snowdonia.
Snowdonia has a particularly high number of protected sites in respect of its diverse ecology; nearly 20% of its total area is protected by UK and European law. Half of that area was set aside by the government under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation. There are a large number of Sites of special scientific interest (or 'SSSIs'), designated both for fauna and flora but also in some cases for geology. Nineteen of these sites are managed as national nature reserves by Natural Resources Wales. The park also contains twelve Special Areas of Conservation (or 'SACs'), three Special Protection Areas (or 'SPAs') and three Ramsar sites. Some are wholly within the park boundaries, others straddle it to various degrees.
There are numerous SSSIs within the park, the most extensive of which are Snowdonia, Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt, Morfa Harlech, Rhinog, Berwyn, Cadair Idris, Llyn Tegid, Aber Mawddach / Mawddach Estuary, Dyfi, Morfa Dyffryn, Moel Hebog, Coedydd Dyffryn Ffestiniog and Coedydd Nanmor.
The following NNRs are either wholly or partly within the park: Allt y Benglog, Y Berwyn (in multiple parts), Cader Idris, Ceunant Llennyrch, Coed Camlyn, Coed Cymerau, Coed Dolgarrog, Coed Ganllwyd, Coed Gorswen, Coed Tremadog, Coedydd Aber, Coedydd Maentwrog (in 2 parts), Coed y Rhygen, Cwm Glas Crafnant, Cwm Idwal, Hafod Garregog, Morfa Harlech, Rhinog and Snowdon.
The twelve SACs are as follows: Snowdonia SAC which covers much of the Carneddau, Glyderau, and the Snowdon massif, Afon Gwyrfai a Llyn Cwellyn, Corsydd Eifionydd / Eifionydd Fens (north of Garndolbenmaen), the Coedydd Derw a Safleoedd Ystlumod Meirion / Meirionydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites - a series of sites between Tremadog, Trawsfynydd, and Ffestiniog and Beddgelert and extending up the Gwynant. It also includes many of the oakwoods of the Mawddach and its tributaries. Afon Eden – Cors Goch Trawsfynydd, Rhinog, Cadair Idris (in 2 parts), Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt, River Dee and Afon Dyfrdwy a Llyn Tegid (Wales), Mwyngloddiau Fforest Gwydir / Gwydyr Forest Mines (north of Betws-y-Coed) and a part of the Berwyn a Mynyddoedd De Clwyd / Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains SAC. The Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau / Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC covers the entire Cardigan Bay coastline of the park and the sea area and extends above the high water mark at Morfa Harlech, Mochras and around the Dovey and Mawddach estuaries.
The three SPAs are Dovey Estuary / Aber Dyfi (of which a part is within the park), Berwyn (of which a part is within the park) and Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt.
The three designated Ramsar sites are the Dyfi Biosphere (Cors Fochno and Dyfi), Cwm Idwal and Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake).
The area's economy was traditionally centred upon farming and from the early 19th century increasingly on mining and quarrying. Tourism has become an increasingly significant part of Snowdonia's economy during the 20th and 21st centuries.
The extensive farming of sheep remains central to Snowdonia's farming economy.
Significant sections of the park were afforested during the 20th century for timber production. Major conifer plantations include Dyfi Forest, Coed y Brenin Forest between Dolgellau and Trawsfynydd, Penllyn Forest south of Bala, Beddgelert Forest and Gwydyr (or Gwydir) Forest near Betws-y-Coed which is managed as a forest park by Natural Resources Wales.
The region was once the most important producer of slate in the world. Some production continues but at a much reduced level from its peak. The park boundaries are drawn such that much of the landscape affected by slate quarrying and mining lies immediately outside of the designated area.
Construction of a nuclear power station beside Llyn Trawsfynydd began in 1959 with the first power produced in 1965. The site was operational until 1991 though it continues as an employer during its decommissioning phase. Pumped storage hydroelectric schemes are in operation at Llanberis and Ffestiniog.
Research indicates that there were 3.67 million visitors to Snowdonia National Park in 2013, with approximately 9.74 million tourist days spent in the park during that year. Total tourist expenditure was £433.6 million in 2013.
Many of the hikers in the area concentrate on Snowdon itself. It is regarded as a fine mountain, but at times gets very crowded; in addition the Snowdon Mountain Railway runs to the summit.
The other high mountains with their boulder-strewn summits as well as Tryfan, one of the few mountains in the UK south of Scotland whose ascent needs hands as well as feet are also very popular. However, there are also some spectacular walks in Snowdonia on the lower mountains, and they tend to be relatively unfrequented. Among hikers' favourites are Y Garn (east of Llanberis) along the ridge to Elidir Fawr; Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (west of Snowdon) along the Nantlle Ridge to Mynydd Drws-y-Coed; Moelwyn Mawr (west of Blaenau Ffestiniog); and Pen Llithrig y Wrach north of Capel Curig. Further south are Y Llethr in the Rhinogydd, and Cadair Idris near Dolgellau.
The park has 1,479 miles (2,380 km) of public footpaths, 164 miles (264 km) of public bridleways, and 46 miles (74 km) of other public rights of way. A large part of the park is also covered by right to roam laws.
The Wales Coast Path runs within the park between Machynlleth and Penrhyndeudraeth, save for short sections of coast in the vicinity of Tywyn and Barmouth which are excluded from the park. It touches the park boundary again at Penmaen-bach Point on the north coast. An inland alternative exists between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, wholly within the park. The North Wales Path, which predates the WCP, enters the park north of Bethesda and follows a route broadly parallel to the north coast visiting Aber Falls and the Sychnant Pass before exiting the park on the descent from Conwy Mountain. The Cambrian Way is a long-distance trail between Cardiff and Conwy that stays almost entirely within the national park from Mallwyd northwards. It was officially recognised in 2019, and is now depicted on Ordnance Survey maps.
The use of the English names for the area has been divisive, with an increase in protests against their use since 2020; these led to the national park authority deciding to use Welsh names as far as legally possible in November 2022. An early example of pressure to deprecate Snowdon and Snowdonia was a 2003 campaign by Cymuned, inspired by campaigns to refer to Ayers Rock as Uluru and Mount Everest as Qomolangma.
In 2020 an e-petition calling for the removal of the English names was put forward to the Senedd, but rejected as responsibility lies with the national park authority. In 2021 an e-petition on the same topic attracted more than 5,300 signatures and was presented to the national park authority.
On 28 April 2021 Gwynedd councillor John Pughe Roberts put forward a motion to use the Welsh names exclusively, calling this a "question of respect for the Welsh language". The motion was not considered and delayed, as the national park authority already appointed a "Welsh Place Names Task and Finish Group" to investigate the issue. The park authority however cannot compel other bodies and/or individuals to stop using the English names, with the proposals facing some criticism.
In May 2021, following the dismissal of the motion, YouGov conducted a poll on Snowdon's name. 60% of Welsh adults supported the English name Snowdon, compared to 30% wanting the Welsh name Yr Wyddfa. Separating by language, 59% of Welsh speakers preferred the Welsh name, but 37% of these still wanted Snowdon to be used as well. 69% of non-Welsh speakers firmly supported Snowdon as the Mountain's name. The proposals to rename Snowdon are usually accompanied with proposals to rename Snowdonia.
On 16 November 2022, Members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority committee voted to use the Welsh names Yr Wyddfa and Eryri to refer to the mountain and the national park, rather than the English names, in materials produced by the authority. The national park authority described the decision as "decisive action" and the authority's head of culture heritage stated that Welsh place names were part of the area's "special qualities" and that other public bodies, English-language press and filming companies have used the Welsh-language names. Before the decision the park had already prioritised the Welsh names by using them first and giving the English names in parentheses. The name "Snowdonia" cannot be abandoned entirely, as it is set in law and so must be used in statutory documents. The authority announced a review of the authority's branding in 2023 to adapt to the new approach to Welsh place names.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km2) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language.
The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. Much of the county is covered by Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which is protected by the Llŷn AONB. Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).
The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales, which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from the Kingdom of England until Edward I's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech, which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in the world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.
In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine, meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish Féni, an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían, 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.
Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.
The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.
The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.
A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.
The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.
There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.
The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.
Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.
The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.
Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.
The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The proportion of respondents in the 2011 census who said they could speak Welsh.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2021 census, 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh,[7] while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in the 2011 census.
It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales.[9] The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5–15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011.
The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001,[10] from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%.
The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh.
Notable people
Leslie Bonnet (1902–1985), RAF officer, writer; originated the Welsh Harlequin duck in Criccieth
Sir Dave Brailsford (born 1964), cycling coach; grew up in Deiniolen, near Caernarfon
Duffy (born 1984), singer, songwriter and actress; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Edward II of England (1284–1327), born in Caernarfon Castle
Elin Fflur (born 1984), singer-songwriter, TV and radio presenter; went to Bangor University
Bryn Fôn (born 1954), actor and singer-songwriter; born in Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire.
Wayne Hennessey (born 1987), football goalkeeper with 108 caps for Wales; born in Bangor, Gwynedd
John Jones (c. 1530 – 1598), a Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest and martyr; born at Clynnog
Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (1832–1891), landowner and politician, co-founder of the Y Wladfa settlement in Patagonia
T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), archaeologist, army officer and inspiration for Lawrence of Arabia, born in Tremadog
David Lloyd George (1863–1945), statesman and Prime Minister; lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
Sasha (born 1969), disc jockey, born in Bangor, Gwynedd
Sir Bryn Terfel (born 1965), bass-baritone opera and concert singer from Pant Glas
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), architect of Portmeirion
Owain Fôn Williams, (born 1987), footballer with 443 club caps; born and raised in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
Hedd Wyn (1887–1917), poet from the village of Trawsfynydd; killed in WWI
“The Whispering Gorilla” by David V. Reed
“The whole of the dark continent is terrorized by a gigantic gorilla, a gorilla who is not a gorilla, but a man.”
This rare British paperback combines two stories from the pulp magazine Fantastic Adventures – “The Whispering Gorilla” by Don Wilcox first published in May 1940 and “Return of the Whispering Gorilla” by David V. Reed first published in February 1943.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "Balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.
Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants).
Source: Wikipedia
We can see also at the right side, probably a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15.
Camera Nikon D5100
Exposure 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture f/7.1
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 100
Espetáculo de dança 'Primavera Árabe' na XVIII Feira Pan-Amazônica do Livro que este ano homenageia o QATAR, com o tema 'Uma Janela Para o Mundo Árabe'.
Na verdade, a 'Primavera Árabe' não se refere a uma estação do ano, trata-se de um período de transformações históricas nos rumos da política mundial. A 'Primavera Árabe' é a denominação a onda de protestos e revoluções ocorridas no Oriente Médio e norte do continente africano em que a população foi às ruas para derrubar ditadores ou reivindicar melhores condições sociais de vida.
The Spider holds a Silver Ball
In unperceived Hands —
And dancing softly to Himself
His Yarn of Pearl — unwinds —
He plies from Nought to Nought —
In unsubstantial Trade —
Supplants our Tapestries with His —
In half the period —
An Hour to rear supreme
His Continents of Light —
Then dangle from the Housewife's Broom —
His Boundaries — forgot —
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La Araña sostiene un Ovillo de Plata
En su mano invisible --
Y mientras baila despacio para Sí
Su Hilo de Perla- ella Devana --
Aplicada va de Nada a Nada --
Insustancial Industria --
Que suplanta nuestros Tapices con el Suyo --
En la mitad de tiempo --
Una Hora para alzar supremos
Sus Continenetes de Luz --
Después el Ama de Casa hará colgar de la Escoba --
Estos Confines- ya olvidados --
Emily Dickinson
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
TODOS LOS DERECHOS RESERVADOS Please don't use this image without my explicit permission. © All rightsreserved
The Small Tortoiseshell is one of our most-familiar butterflies, appearing in gardens throughout the British Isles. Unfortunately, this butterfly has suffered a worrying decline, especially in the south, over the last few years. This butterfly has always fluctuated in numbers, but the cause of the most-recent decline is not yet known, although various theories have been proposed. One is the increasing presence of a particular parasitic fly, Sturmia bella, due to global warming - this species being common on the continent. The fly lays its eggs on leaves of the foodplant, close to where larvae are feeding. The tiny eggs are then eaten whole by the larvae and the grubs that emerge feed on the insides of their host, avoiding the vital organs. A fly grub eventually kills its host and emerges from either the fully-grown larva or pupa before itself pupating. Although the fly attacks related species, such as the Peacock and Red Admiral, it is believed that the lifecycle of the Small Tortoiseshell is better-synchronised with that of the fly and it is therefore more prone to parasitism.