Wander Lord

Interesting on art, nature, people, history

Category Archive: Countries and cities

Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant

Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant

Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant

It is the largest hydroelectric power plant on the Eurasian continent. Its construction on the Siberian Yenisei River began in 1968. Today the dam height reaches 245 m and it is over 1 km long. The first ten 640 MW hydropower units were launched in 1978. Currently, all ten hydropower units in total produces 6400 MW, it is considered the world’s third power.
The Yenisei River is the deepest and most powerful river in Russia. The average water consumption is 19.8 thousand cubic meters per second.
They were going to build many power plants in the Soviet Union in 60s of the XX century. Electricity would be enough for Far East, but the construction was dictated not only by the desire to get cheap electricity. Deposits of marble, non-ferrous metals were discovered near the Yenisei and they began construction of the aluminum plant.
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Austria – Land of the Blue Danube

Austria - Land of the Blue Danube

Austria – Land of the Blue Danube


Austria is a small beautiful European country. Its area is 83,858 square kilometers. Austria is bordered by Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia.
Most of it is covered with woods and meadows, and it looks lush and green. The Danube River drains almost the entire country, and the main lakes are Lake Constance and Neusiedler Lake. The Alps stretches across the country for nearly 340 miles from east to west. The highest peak, Grossglockner, is 3,798 meters above sea level. There are many ski resorts in the Alps. Brenner Pass connects Austria with Italy.
German is the official language of Austria. More than 90 percent of the people are Austrian.
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Thailand – Kingdom of Southeast Asia

Thailand - Kingdom of Southeast Asia

Thailand – Kingdom of Southeast Asia

The Kingdom of Thailand is shaped like an elephant’s head. Narrow southern Thailand is the trunk, and the north is the head and the ear. Its area is 514,000 square kilometers. Thailand shares borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The local name for Thailand means “land of the free”. It is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never ruled by European powers.
Thai people make up most of the population. The country also has small groups of Chinese, Malays, Khmer, and others.
Thai is the main language, but English is also widely spoken.
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Baden-Baden – luxury resort

Baden-Baden – luxury resort

Baden-Baden – luxury resort

Since the XVIII century it was called the summer capital of Europe. Noble persons from all corners of the Earth gathered there. This German town is famous for its thermal springs. The ancient Romans had already known about their healing power. Cozy, with fine monuments and fresh air, Baden-Baden attracts not only those who are ill, but also those who love peace and harmony. Quiet parks, five-star hotels, ancient theaters and exhibition halls – everything contributes to recovery: both physical and mental.
Mark Twain, who adored the local baths, wrote: “Here you forget about time in 10 minutes, and 20 minutes later you forget about everything”. The Roman-Irish baths is a great invention of the doctors: a unique combination of healing steam, heat, marble baths, thermal water and total relaxation.
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Damascus – Pearl of the East

Damascus - Pearl of the East

Damascus – Pearl of the East

Damascus is the capital of Syria and one of the oldest cities in the world. People call Damascus the “Pearl of the East.” Some of old parks and gardens still exist.
Most of people in the old part of the city still live in small single-story houses built close together.
There are many mosques there. The Great Mosque of Damascus is the oldest surviving stone mosque in the world.
The region of the khans and bazaars is one of the most colorful areas. The Khan Asa’ad Pasha is a beautiful building with a striking gate and a black-and-white marble top. Street Called Straight, mentioned in the Bible, is the longest and busiest of all streets.
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Iceland – land of volcanoes and glaciers

Iceland - land of volcanoes and glaciers

Iceland – land of volcanoes and glaciers

Iceland is a part of Europe. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle. It is northwest of the United Kingdom and southeast of Greenland. There are about 200 volcanoes on the island. Iceland is also known for its glaciers. Vatnajökull, at 8,400 square km, is Europe’s largest glacier. Country’s area is 103,000 square kilometers. The official name is Republic of Iceland.
Nearly all the people are mainly descendants of early settlers from Norway. The main language is Icelandic.
Iceland was one of the world’s first independent, democratic republics. Norway ruled Iceland from 1262 to 1380, when Denmark took over. Iceland regained independence in 1944. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the world’s first woman president in 1980.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum

Deadly eruption

Deadly eruption

Pompeii and Herculaneum were two ancient Roman towns destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Mount Vesuvius, which had formed at least 17,000 years earlier, was one mile away.
People lived in the Pompeii region in prehistoric times. The Romans took control of Pompeii in about 290 BC. The entire region along the coast of the Bay of Naples became a popular vacation destination for wealthy Roman citizens.
Around one o’clock in the afternoon on August 24, AD 79 Mount Vesuvius erupted and spewed 18-20 feet of ash and cinders that buried the town and asphyxiated and mummified most of the 20,000 people in Pompeii. The intense ash clouded the Sun for several days and created a tsunami in the Bay of Naples. The town, which had been a vacation resort for Rome’s nobility, was completely covered by ash and remained buried for the next 16 centuries.
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