Biscayne Bay National Park

Photo: National Park Service

• Located in Southern Florida, in the northernmost Florida keys
• Only 5% land
  • The park consists of 40 barrier coral reefs
• It is the only coral reef in the contiguous United States
• 1960s The national park was threatened due to its proximity to Miami
• 1968: Biscayne Bay becomes a national monument
• Open year-round but mid-December to mid-April is the most popular time to visit
• The summer is marked by high temperatures and large amounts of mosquitoes
• Many visitors take a cruise around the park
  • Visitors also have the opportunity to walk around a mangrove

"38 Maps You Never Knew You Needed"

I stumbled upon a compilation of maps that you might find interesting. Most are intriguing, but there are some that are just unnecessary. (Don’t be alarmed, #1 is one of them. Keep reading.) My personal favorites are #30-38. Enjoy!

You can find these 38 maps by clicking this link.

Acadia National Park

• Acadia National Park is primarily located on Mount Desert Island, Maine
  • Mount Desert Island was originally park of the mainland, but glacial sheets separated it from the mainland
• 1604: Samuel de Champlain explored what is now Acadia National Park
• Acadia was rediscovered in the 19th century
• 1929: Name was changed from Lafayette National Park to Acadia National Park
• 1986: Acadia's present boundaries are set
  • But, this current size is very small
• Acadia was the 1st national park east of the Mississippi River
• Acadia is one of the most visited national parks
  • 2.5 million visitors per year
• Acadia is open year-round, but the visitor center is open from mid April to October

The Netherlands

• Capital: Amsterdam
• Major Cities
  • The Hague
  • Utrecht
  • Rotterdam
• Major Geographical Features
  • North Sea
  • Rhine River
  • Schelde River
  • Maas River
  • Waddenzee
  • West Frisian Islands
• Official Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Religions:
  • Roman Catholic (30%)
  • Protestant (20%)
• Languages:
  • Dutch (official)
  • Frisian (official)
• 1815: The Kingdom of the Netherlands was recreated at the Congress of Vienna
• 1830: Belgium secedes from the Netherlands
• Independence: 1713 from Spain (in the Treaty of Utrecht)
• Government: constitutional monarchy
• Currency: euro (EUR)
• 2 New Jerseys are slightly larger than the Netherlands
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Marine West Coast
• Ranstad: region with Amsterdam, Hague, Utrecht, and Rotterdam
• Exports
  • Chemicals
  • Machines
  • Telecommunications
• Rotterdam is Europe's largest port

Colorado Flooding

Earlier this month President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Colorado where extreme floods have produced multiple casualties. These floods in Colorado are unusual. They are not being caused by thunderstorms or springtime rains. Moreover, they come after a month of drought in the area. People are struggling to explain the reasons for the floods. The most common explanation seems to be "global warming." However, global warming projections are off and the true numbers showing a change in global temperatures are negligible in magnitude. So why so many floods have occurred continues to be a mystery.

Iraq

• Capital: Baghdad
• Major Cities
  • Mosul
  • Basra
• Major Geographical Features
  • Persian Gulf
  • Euphrates River
  • Tigris River
  • Shatt al-Arab
  • Syrian Desert
  • Zargos Mountains
  • Lake Tharthar
  • Lake Habbaniyah
• Official Name: Republic of Iraq
  • Formerly Mesopotamia
• Religions:
  • Shiite Muslim (65%)
  • Sunni Muslim (37%)
• Languages:
  • Arabic
  • Kurdish (official in the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq)
  • Assyrian
  • Armenian
  • Turkoman
• 1920: Becomes a British mandate after World War One
• 1932-1958: Kingdom of Iraq
• 1958: Military rule established
• 1979-2003: Saddam Hussein rules Iraq
• 1980-1988: Iran-Iraq War over the border of the two nations
• 1990-1991: US-led forces invade Iraq after Hussein invades neighboring Kuwait
• 2002: The United Nations Security Council requires Iraq to welcome weapons inspectors
• 2003: United States invades Iraq and deposes Hussein
• 2006: Hussein is executed by hanging
• 2011: The United States withdraws all of its forces from Iraq
• Independence: 1932 from the United Kingdom
• Government: Parliamentary democracy
• Currency: New Iraqi dinar
• Iraq is slightly larger than 2 Idahos
• Literacy: 74.1%
• Climate: Semi-arid
• Member of OPEC
• Exports
  • Crude Materials
  • Petroleum
• Home to the 2nd most oil reserves