Wander Lord

Interesting on art, nature, people, history

Category Archive: Nature

Karelia – land of lake and forest

Karelia - land of lake and forest

Karelia – land of lake and forest


Karelia is a land of lake and forest, mist and rain. It has 40,000 lakes, among them Ladoga and Onega, the two largest in Europe. There is pine, spruce and the famous Karelian birch here. Fog often blankets the forests and lakes.
In Karelia, archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of Neolithic (3000-2000 B.C.) settlements, and many rock drawings – masterpieces of primitive art—have been found. About 600 drawings have been discovered on the eastern shores of Lake Onega. The primitive artists hewed human figures, animals, birds, fish, reptiles, symbols of the moon and the sun with tools made of rough stone. The site for the pictures is on the edge of a cliff by the water. Rock drawings are best seen in the slanting rays of the setting sun.
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Waterfall – performance staged by nature

Waterfall - performance staged by nature

Waterfall – performance staged by nature


Waterfalls are a unique phenomenon of nature. A waterfall is a place in a river where water spills suddenly downward. Waterfalls are known for their beauty and awesome power. Large waterfalls are called cataracts and drop straight down. Smaller or less steep waterfalls are called cascades and fall over a number of short rock walls.
Flowing river water wears away the soft rock before the hard rock. The hard rock that is left creates a steep wall. Waterfalls also form as a result of movements in Earth’s crust.
The Niagara Falls is one of the largest and the most grandiose in the world. However, Kaieteur Falls in Guyana, near the border with Venezuela, is the largest. Its height is 226 meters, which is five times higher than Niagara Falls. And there is the national park with the same name, where there are about 300 smaller waterfalls.
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Ural Mountains – Backbone of Russia

Ural Mountains - Backbone of Russia

Ural Mountains – Backbone of Russia

The Ural Mountains form a natural boundary between Europe and Asia, a boundary that links, rather than separates. Stretching from the icy Arctic Ocean in the north to the blast-furnace heat of semi-desert in the south, the Ural mountain range has traditionally been known as “the backbone of Russia”.
There are many legends about the Urals; one of the most famous concerns the Lady of Copper Mountain. She lives in the form of a small lizard with a diamond crown on her head – the queen and custodian of the underground Ural kingdom. Whenever she meets travelers who truly love the Urals, she changes into a charming woman and guides them around her realm, proudly revealing where the richest ores and semi-precious stones are hidden.
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Melon – sweet fruit

Melon – sweet fruit

Melon – sweet fruit


Melon is a sweet fruit. It has a fragrant, juicy inside that is usually eaten fresh. Melons are a good source of vitamins A and C. They are related to gourds, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squashes.
Melons originally grew in central Asia. In the Middle Ages melon was imported to Europe and America. Today people grow them in warm areas throughout the world.
Melons are healthy and tasty fruits. Melon plants are vines that are 2.1 to 2.4 meters long. The leaves are large and usually rounded. The flowers are yellow and bell shaped. The fruits differ in size, shape, color, and flavor. People dry melon seeds and eat them as snacks and use in cooking.
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Eucalyptus – Australia’s Gum Tree

Eucalyptus - Australia’s Gum Tree

Eucalyptus – Australia’s Gum Tree


In Australia gum tree is the name for the eucalyptus tree. The name “eucalyptus” comes from two Greek words “eu” and “kalyptos” that mean “well-covered.” There are nearly 500 kinds of eucalyptus. Eucalypti are tall trees and some of them can be more than 90 meters tall.
Eucalypti have long, thin leaves that contain an oil with a strong smell. Eucalyptus small flowers may be white, yellow, pink and red. Surprisingly, the eucalyptus flower has no petals: it is completely covered with stamens. The flowers produce a large amount of nectar, which is a food source for birds and insects, as well as for bats and opossums. Many varieties of trees do not bloom for a long time.
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Eel – snakelike fish

Eel – snakelike fish

Eel – snakelike fish


Eels are fishes that look like snakes and live in dark, murky water. There are hundreds of different species of eel. Many species of eel live in warm, salty seas and oceans. Morays and congers are two well-known types of marine eel. Freshwater eels live in rivers, lakes, and ponds on almost every continent.
An eel has a pointed head with a wide mouth and sharp teeth. Deep-sea eels are often black or gray and those who live in tropical reefs may have bright colors.
Electric eels live in South American waters.
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Conifer – evergreen tree

Conifer – evergreen tree

Conifer – evergreen tree


Conifers are a group of trees and shrubs that produce cones. Most conifers are evergreens. There are more than 550 types of conifer. Some of the most well-known are cedars, cypresses, firs, junipers, larches, pines, redwoods, and yews.
Conifers grow all over the world. They have woody trunks and may be low shrubs or very tall trees. Their thin leaves look like needles and a waxy coating keeps them from losing water. Conifers grow cones instead of flowers or fruits. Some types grow male and female cones on the same tree. The female cones are larger and grow on the upper branches, while the male cones tend to grow on the lower branches. Others types have male or female cones on separate trees.
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