History.

Early inhabitants and settlers.

The first recorded inhabitants of the Laguna Niguel area were the Acjachemem Native Americans, who may have had a village called "Niguili" near the confluence of Aliso Creek and Sulphur Creek. Aliso Creek marked the boundary between the Acjachemem and Tongva people. In the 1700s, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish missionaries established the nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano to convert the Acjachemem (called the Juañeno by the Spanish) to Christianity. The Mission lands, which included the present-day boundaries of Laguna Niguel, were divided into private land grants in 1821 upon Mexico's independence from Spain.  In 1842, the Rancho Niguel was granted to Juan Avila; he retained ownership of the land through the Mexican–American War (when California became part of the United States) until 1865, when a severe drought forced him into bankruptcy. In 1895 Lewis Moulton and Jean Pierre Daguerre bought the Rancho Niguel and other portions of the surrounding area from farmers who were struggling due to persistent drought conditions. The Moulton Company was established to oversee of local land which was used, mainly for orchards and sheep ranching, well into the mid-20th century. In 1951 the land was divided between the Moulton and Daguerre families, the latter inheriting in the future location of Laguna Niguel. In 1954 the Daguerres sold to the Shumaker Group and of oceanfront to George Capron, a former Major League Baseball player who established the Capron Ranch.

Laguna Niguel Corporation.

The completion of Interstate 5 in 1959 enabled easy access to job centers in Los Angeles County, creating a boom in the Orange County housing market. In 1959, Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and Paine Webber partnered to form the Laguna Niguel Corporation, which purchased the Daguerre land to develop one of California's first master planned communities. The initial town plan was created by Viennese architect Victor Gruen and expanded beginning in 1971 by AVCO Community Developers after they acquired the Laguna Niguel Corporation. The name of the city was created from "Laguna", a reference to the tidal lagoon that once formed at the mouth of Aliso Creek, and the name of the Acjachemem village Niguili that once occupied the area. As the city would be developed in stages, ranchers and farmers signed annual leases with the Laguna Niguel Corporation to use the land until the planned communities were built.  In contrast to a traditional bedroom community, Laguna Niguel was designed so that "families should have most of their economic needs and their social and cultural interests met by facilities within the community". The plan was also notable for its emphasis on parks and open space – comprising nearly a third of the land to be developed. The Laguna Niguel Corporation went public in April 1959 and raised an initial $8.2 million from investors. In 1962 the first tracts of Monarch Bay and Niguel Terrace were completed, consisting of 565 homes. In 1960, the Moulton Niguel Water District (which today serves all of Laguna Niguel) was established by a conglomerate of ranchers, to import water from the Colorado River Aqueduct as the area lacked a sufficient natural water supply. In 1964, Crown Valley Parkway was completed from I-5 to the Pacific Coast Highway, facilitating transport through the growing city. By 1965 the population of Laguna Niguel reached 1,000. The Laguna Niguel Homeowner's Association was formed in 1966 as an advisory to the Orange County Board of Supervisors (which governed the as-yet unincorporated city). In 1973 Laguna Niguel Regional Park opened to the public. The Chet Holifield Federal Building (a local landmark popularly known as the "Ziggurat"), designed by William L. Pereira, was constructed for Rockwell International and was meant to bring 7,000 jobs to the area. After the end of the Vietnam War, Rockwell reportedly lost a defense contract with the federal government and the building was left unoccupied. It was eventually traded to the US General Services Administration in exchange for industrial facilities elsewhere.  The Ziggurat, which was completed in 1971 well before the development of residential communities in the area, is one of Laguna Niguel's most noticeable landmarks. The "Orange County Register" described it as "the only constant in an ever developing locale." It houses millions of microfilms as documents of land agreements between the American government and Native American tribes of the southwest United States. It is also home to the Western Regional Department of Homeland Security and the California Service Center of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The building was featured in an ending scene for the 1975 sci-fi movie "Death Race 2000" and as the headquarters for the Luckup Corporation in the 1983 movie "Deal of the Century". It was also used for the 1995 movie "Outbreak", where it served as the exterior for the Center for Disease Control headquarters.

Incorporation and conflict with Dana Point.

In 1965 the Laguna Niguel Corporation had purchased George Capron's oceanfront property and began to develop the Niguel Shores neighborhood, known in its early days as the "Coastal Strip" and today as Monarch Beach. By the 1970s the as-yet unincorporated Dana Point began expressing interest in annexing the Niguel Shores area; in 1977 Dana Point briefly proposed incorporation with Laguna Niguel as a single city. Both cities submitted incorporation requests in December 1986, when a controversy immediately erupted over the coastal Monarch Beach community. Although Monarch Beach had been developed by the Laguna Niguel Corporation, its residents voted 61 percent in favor of joining with Dana Point. Laguna Niguel filed a lawsuit, which was ultimately turned down by a judge. Laguna Niguel was formally incorporated on December 1, 1989, without the coastal strip, as Orange County's 29th city.

Recent history.

The population increased quickly during the last few decades of the 20th century, from 12,237 in 1980 to 61,891 in 2000. Growth since 2000 has been slower, with an estimate of 65,806 in 2015, due to the fact that the city has been fully built out. In 1992, Alicia Parkway was completed to I-5, providing a shorter route for northbound commuters; in 1996 the 73 San Joaquin Hills toll road opened, linking Laguna Niguel to the Interstate 405 in Costa Mesa. The Laguna Niguel City Hall, which had been planned as early as 1989, finally opened on October 15, 2011.  In 1994 local residents first noticed damage to retaining walls and roads near an artificial slope in the Niguel Summit community, and geologists warned that the area could be subject to a landslide. After heavy rains caused by the 1997–98 Super El Niño, the hill collapsed on March 19, 1998, destroying four homes at the top and five condominium units at the bottom. Fortuitously, there were no deaths as the area had been evacuated only a few hours prior to the collapse. An investigation revealed that the company responsible for development, J.M. Peters Inc., had improperly packed and graded the 275,000 tons of fill supporting the Niguel Summit homes. In addition, the project had been plagued by instability throughout its construction, and halted repeatedly "after complaints of mudslides, slope washouts, erosion and dust." The "Los Angeles Times" reported that "according to county records, the developers were warned that building on "ancient landslides" could be unsafe, but they were able to continue construction after producing their own geological report that persuaded county officials to let the project go forward."

Geography.

Laguna Niguel is located at (33.531938, −117.702503). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of. of it is land and of it (0.35%) is water.  Laguna Niguel consists of mostly hilly terrain, being located within the San Joaquin Hills. The average elevation is ; elevations range from near sea level to at the summit of Niguel Hill, in the southwest corner of the city. Neighboring cities are Aliso Viejo and Laguna Hills to the north, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano to the east, and Laguna Beach and Dana Point to the south. On the west, it borders the significant unincorporated acreage of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.  The main watercourses in Laguna Niguel are Salt Creek, which flows through the southern part of the city, and Sulphur Creek, which drains much of the northern half. Sulphur Creek is a tributary of Aliso Creek, which flows through the wide and deep Aliso Canyon before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Laguna Niguel Lake, formed by damming Sulphur Creek, is the largest body of water in the city. Although Laguna Niguel is located very close to the Pacific, it does not border it, the result of a controversy over the coastline with Dana Point in 1989 (see #History).

Climate.

Like much of coastal Southern California, Laguna Niguel has pleasant weather year-round. On average, August is the hottest month and December the coolest. The highest recorded temperature was, which occurred in 1963, and the lowest temperature was, which was recorded in 1949. Precipitation is sparse in Laguna Niguel, as only five months out of the year receive rainfall greater than one inch, with an annual average of. The highest monthly rainfall on average occurs in February and is.

Neighborhoods.

Laguna Niguel is home to many upscale neighborhoods including Bear Brand Ranch, El Niguel Heights and Golf Course, Ocean Ranch, Laguna Crest, Laguna Woods, Laguna Sur. Coronado Pointe, South Peak, Crest de Ville, Niguel Coast, Palmilla, Beacon Hill, and Monarch Point, which offer city, canyon, and ocean views. Other key neighborhoods include Rancho Niguel, Marina Hills, Niguel West, Niguel Summit, Kite Hill, and San Joaquin Hills.

Demographics.

2010.

The 2010 United States Census reported that Laguna Niguel had a population of 62,979. The population density was 4,231.1 people per square mile (1,633.6/km). The racial makeup of Laguna Niguel was 50,625 (80.4%) White (72.5% Non-Hispanic White), 777 (1.2%) African American, 219 (0.3%) Native American, 5,459 (8.7%) Asian, 87 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 3,019 (4.8%) from other races, and 2,793 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,761 persons (13.9%).  The Census reported that 62,731 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 248 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.  There were 24,232 households, out of which 8,085 (33.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,077 (58.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,271 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 886 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 994 (4.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 237 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships; 5,390 households (22.2%) were made up of individuals, and 1,790 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59. There were 17,234 families (71.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.06.  The population was spread out, with 14,216 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, 4,722 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 14,667 people (23.3%) aged 25 to 44, 21,177 people (33.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,197 people (13.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.  There were 25,312 housing units at an average density of 1,700.5 per square mile (656.6/km), of which 17,453 (72.0%) were owner-occupied, and 6,779 (28.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 45,029 people (71.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,702 people (28.1%) lived in rental housing units.  During 2009–2013, Laguna Niguel had a median household income of $99,771, with 6.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000.

As of the census of 2000, there were 61,891 people, 23,217 households, and 16,785 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,221.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,630.0/km). There were 23,885 housing units at an average density of 1,629.0 per square mile (629.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 83.50% White, 1.25% African American, 0.29% Native American, 7.73% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 3.48% from other races, and 3.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.38% of the population.  There were 23,217 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. Of all households 20.6% were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.10.  In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.  According to the Census Bureau's 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $98,072, and the median income for a family was $150,963. Males had a median income of $68,640 versus $40,487 for females. The per capita income for the city was $50,980. About 2.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics.

The City Council consists of five members, elected from the City at-large, who serve staggered four-year terms. Annually, the City Council appoints a Mayor and a Mayor Pro Tempore from its own membership to serve a one-year term. The City Council currently consists of:  The City Hall is located at 30111 Crown Valley Parkway.

County, state and federal.

In the Orange County Board of Supervisors Laguna Niguel is part of the 5th District and represented by Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett.  In the California State Legislature, Laguna Niguel is in, and in.  In the United States House of Representatives, Laguna Niguel is in.  According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Laguna Niguel has 40,461 registered voters. Of those, 16,071 (39.72%) are registered Republicans, 11,615 (28.71%) are registered Democrats, and 10,843 (26.80%) have no political party preference/are independents.

Economy.

As a bedroom community, most residents commute outside of Laguna Niguel to central and north Orange County cities, such as Irvine and Newport Beach. Most jobs within Laguna Niguel are in the service industry. According to the City's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Education.

The city is served by the Capistrano Unified School District.  Elementary schools  Middle schools  High schools  Colleges  Private schools

Infrastructure.

Emergency services.

Laguna Niguel is protected by Orange County Fire Authority with ambulance services provided by Care Ambulance Service. Police services are provided by Orange County Sheriff. Although there are no hospitals in Laguna Niguel proper, nearby hospitals include Mission Hospital, Saddleback Memorial Hospital and South Coast Medical Center.

Utilities.

Electricity in Laguna Niguel is provided by Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. Water is provided by the Moulton Niguel Water District, which is supplied by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project. Gas is supplied by San Diego Gas & Electric and The Gas Company. Waste management is provided by CR&R (Solag Disposal).

Transportation.

Roads.

Laguna Niguel is served by Interstate 5 on the northeastern border, and the State Route 73 tollroad which runs along the northern border. The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is located just outside the southern boundary of the city. Within the city, neighborhoods are connected by a network of 4- to 6-lane arterial roadways with timed intersections. The main thoroughfare is Crown Valley Parkway, which bisects Laguna Niguel roughly from southwest to northeast, linking the PCH in Dana Point to I-5 in Mission Viejo. The other main roads are Alicia Parkway, Niguel Road, La Paz Road, and Moulton Parkway/Golden Lantern north-south), and Aliso Creek Road, Marina Hills Drive and Camino del Avion (east-west). Due to the hilly local geography, Laguna Niguel's streets are not arranged in a grid pattern.

Buses.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) operates the 85, 87, 187 and 490 bus routes in Laguna Niguel. The 490 bus line provides connecting service to the Metrolink train station.

Rail.

The Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station near I-5 is served by the Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line of Metrolink commuter rail, providing service to points in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner served Laguna Niguel from 2007 to 2012, but has since ceased to stop here. Amtrak continues to serve the nearby Irvine and San Juan Capistrano stations.

Bicycling.

Most major arterial roads in Laguna Niguel are marked with bike lanes. There are about of such lanes in the city. There are also several dedicated bikeways which link Laguna Niguel's extensive public park system (see #Parks and open space).

Parks and open space.

Laguna Niguel is known throughout Orange County for its extensive park and trail system. Over one-third of Laguna Niguel is public open space, a legacy of the original 1959 Gruen plan, and is divided between 31 city parks and 4 county parks. Laguna Niguel's major roads are designated as "scenic highways" within landscape corridors, which includes parks, decorative medians, and grade-separated recreational paths. The Laguna Niguel Regional Park is centrally located and includes an extensive trail network, ball courts and Laguna Niguel Lake, a popular fishing and boating venue. Crown Valley Park, visited by about 240,000 people per year, has the city's main public sports facilities. Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, which borders Laguna Niguel on the west, consists of over of canyons, grasslands and riparian forests along Aliso Creek. Aliso and Wood Canyons is part of the larger South Coast Wilderness, of preserved open space in the San Joaquin Hills that also includes the larger Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park outside the city limits. The interconnected city and regional park systems provide a significant refuge for wildlife in an area of Orange County otherwise filled with suburban sprawl.  There are about of non-motorized trails in Laguna Niguel for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Major hiking trails include the Aliso Summit trail, which hugs the rim of Aliso Canyon on the western edge of Laguna Niguel, and the Colinas Bluff Trail on the eastern border, overlooking San Juan Capistrano. The Laguna Ridge Trail passes through Badlands County Park, which exposes the namesake geological formations, and approaches the summit of Niguel Hill, the highest point in the city. The paved Salt Creek Trail, a popular Class I bikeway, follows Salt Creek and Niguel Road from Dana Point to Laguna Niguel Regional Park. The Aliso Creek and Oso Creek trails are mostly outside Laguna Niguel, but link the city via greenbelts to other parts of south Orange County. The Aliso Creek Trail is also known as the "Forest to the Sea Trail", as it is planned to connect the Santa Ana Mountains in the Cleveland National Forest to the Pacific Ocean at Laguna Beach.

Laguna Niguel () is a suburban city in Orange County, California in the United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek). As of the 2010 census, the population was 62,979. Laguna Niguel is located in the San Joaquin Hills in the southeastern corner of Orange County, close to the Pacific Ocean, and borders the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and San Juan Capistrano.

Laguna Niguel je město v okresu Orange County ve státě Kalifornie ve Spojených státech amerických. K roku 2010 zde žilo 62 979 obyvatel. S celkovou rozlohou 38,55 km2 byla hustota zalidnění 1 600 obyvatel na km2.


Personal life.

Her father is Australian-born and her mother is a New Zealander. She has two older brothers and one older sister.  In 2014, Hughes retired from professional tennis citing a succession of injuries including three stress fractures in her ribs. Upon retiring from professional tennis she completed her private pilots license.  In 2016, Hughes co-founded a website called RealYou, with her friend Stephanie Hughes, which seeks to encourage young women to grow their inner confidence, and offers personal support for the challenges that teenagers experience. Praised for openly discussing topics such as depression and body image, Hughes talks openly about her own experiences with such subjects.  She resides in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, Adrian Hughes.

Professional tennis career.

2003.

Hughes became the youngest person, female or male, to win the New Zealand 18&under National Championships at 13 years, 1 month. She defeated Lucy Cole in the final 60 61.

2005.

Sacha began 2005 ranked outside the top 500 juniors in the world and finished inside the top 75 thanks to winning three tournaments in a row, including the Oceania Junior Championships held in Lautoka, Fiji.

2006.

In 2006 Hughes competed in all four junior grand slams, she lost in the second round of the junior Australian Open to Dominika Cibulkova, second round of junior Wimbledon to Caroline Wozniacki and the quarterfinals of the US Open to Tamira Paszek. At 16 years old she finished 2006 ranked 11 in the world junior 18&Under ITF rankings.

2008.

As a 17 year old Hughes lost in Round One of the 2008 ASB Classic to second seed, Vera Zvonareva. Later in the year Hughes teamed up with Justin Gimelstob and Serena Williams to play for the Washington Kastles World Team Tennis team.

2009.

Sacha began 2009 ranked 306 in the world. In June she won her first professional tournament in Texas, U.S.A. In September she embarked on a 24 match winning streak. At a tournament in Darwin, Hughes won her second title of the year, recording a win over former top 10 player Alicia Molik who was working on a comeback. Two weeks later she won another title in Mount Gambier, defeating Molik in the final. The next week Hughes run continued in Port Pirie, where she again defeated Molik in the final. Hughes then traveled to South Carolina, USA where she won another tournament without dropping a set. The following week Hughes again raced to another final in Phoenix, but had her run snapped by Varvara Lepchenko. After this run of good form, she was ranked at a career high of 167 in the world.

2010.

Hughes was set to compete in the ASB Classic but had to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.  She played at the 2010 PTT Pattaya Open but lost in the First Round to Alberta Brianti. She was able to compete only sporadically on tour for the remainder of the year due to stress fractures in her ribs.

2011.

Hughes featured in the ASB Classic as a wildcard draw in which she was defeated in two tight sets by third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round. She was the hitting partner for Maria Sharapova during this tournament.  She competed in the US Open qualifying draw, losing in the second round in three sets.

2012.

Hughes started off at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand as a wildcard where she lost her first-round match to Elena Baltacha in three tight sets.  She qualified for the Moorilla International in Hobart, Australia. She won her first round at the WTA event- beating Kristina Barrois in straight sets. She lost to Shahar Pe'er in round two in an extremely tight two-setter.  At the 2012 Australian Open, Sacha partnered compatriot Bojana Bobusic to enter the Women's Doubles Event where the pair beat Līga Dekmeijere and Maria Kondratieva in the First Round. This was her first ever win at a main draw Grand Slam.  She recorded mixed results for most of 2012 including a three set win over Eugenie Bouchard to secure her spot in the French Open.  At the 2012 Gastein Ladies, Hughes won her second WTA main draw match, defeating Yuliya Beygelzimer in round one. She lost to Alizé Cornet in round two.  During the year, Sacha secured three $25,000 victories on the ITF Women's Circuit, including one title in Kristenhamm, Sweden and two in Australia.

2013.

Hughes made her grand slam singles debut at the 2013 Australian Open; she was beaten in the first round by Kristýna Plíšková. In 2013, she suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome and stress fractures in her shin, and played a limited schedule.

2014.

Hughes lost at the ASB Classic to Sachie Ishizu 6–7 in the third set after holding several match points. Partnering with her best childhood friend in the doubles event at the ASB Classic they beat the top seeds, former world number one, Cara Black and New Zealand's Marina Erakovic in the opening round. She announced that the 2014 ASB Classic was her last tournament, and retired from professional tennis. Later in 2014 she won the New Zealand Women's Open in singles and doubles.

2018: Comeback.

Hughes started her comeback at the ASB Classic, where she lost in the first round of qualifying to Katie Boulter.

Sacha Hughes (née Jones; born 8 November 1990) is the current New Zealand Fed Cup captain appointed May 2019. She is a former professional New Zealand and Australian tennis player who competed as Sacha Jones. Her highest WTA singles ranking was 150, which she reached on 8 October 2012. Her highest ITF Junior ranking was 11 in the world. She attained the Number 1 ranking in New Zealand in 2009 and competed in the ASB Classic, New Zealand's only WTA event on seven occasions.

Sacha Jonesová, nepřechýleně "Sacha Jones" (* 8. listopadu 1990 Auckland) je profesionální tenistka narozená na Novém Zélandu. Tento stát reprezentovala do sezóny 2012, odkdy startuje za Austrálii. Ve své dosavadní kariéře nevyhrála na okruhu WTA Tour žádný turnaj. V rámci okruhu ITF získala do roku 2013 deset titulů ve dvouhře a dva ve čtyřhře.


Settlement periods.

Iron Age II is the period identified through most findings.  The top layer of the fortress shows that the fortifications were renewed in the Hellenistic period.  In the Byzantine period, a luxurious land villa was built on top of the Iron Age II palace and cut the older structure in two.

Names.

The meaning of the Arabic name of the site, Khirbet Qeiyafa, is uncertain. Scholars suggest it may mean "the place with a wide view." In 1881, Palmer thought that "Kh. Kîâfa" meant "the ruin of tracking foot-steps".  The modern Hebrew name,, or the Elah Fortress was suggested by Foundation Stone directors David Willner and Barnea Levi Selavan at a meeting with Garfinkel and Ganor in early 2008. Garfinkel accepted the idea and excavation t-shirts with that name were produced for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The name derives from the location of the site on the northern bank of Nahal Elah, one of six brooks that flow from the Judean mountains to the coastal plain.

Geography.

The Elah Fortress lies just inside a north-south ridge of hills separating Philistia and Gath to the west from Judea to the east. The ridge also includes the site currently identified as Tel Azekah. Past this ridge is a series of connecting valleys between two parallel groups of hills. Tel Sokho lies on the southern ridge with Tel Adullam behind it. The Elah Fortress is situated on the northern ridge, overlooking several valleys with a clear view of the Judean Mountains. Behind it to the northeast is Tel Yarmut. From the topography, archaeologists believe this was the location of the cities of Adullam, Sokho, Azekah and Yarmut cited in. These valleys formed the border between Philistia and Judea.

Site and excavation history.

The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa was surveyed in the 1860s by Victor Guérin who reported the presence of a village on the hilltop. In 1875, British surveyors noted only stone heaps at "Kh. Kiafa". In 1932, Dimitri Baramki, reported the site to hold a watchtower associated with Khirbet Quleidiya (Horvat Qolad), east. The site was mostly neglected in the 20th century and not mentioned by leading scholars. Yehuda Dagan conducted more intense surveys in the 1990s and documented the visible remains. The site raised curiosity in 2005 when Saar Ganor discovered impressive Iron Age structures under the remnants.  Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa began in 2007, directed by Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University and Saar Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and continued in 2008. Nearly of an Iron Age IIA city were unearthed. Based on pottery styles and two burned olive pits tested for carbon-14 at Oxford University, Garfinkel and Ganor have dated the site to 1050–970 BCE, although Israel Finkelstein contends evidence points to habitation between 1050 and 915 BCE.  The initial excavation by Ganor and Garfinkel took place from August 12 to 26, 2007 on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Institute of Archaeology. In their preliminary report at the annual ASOR conference on November 15, they presented a theory that the site was the Biblical Azekah, which until then had been exclusively associated with Tell Zakariya. In September 2008, Joseph Silver, the chief funder of the excavation, while walking around the exterior of the city wall in the SE part with Garfinkel and Ganor, identified features in the city wall similar to the features found by Garfinkel and Ganor in the western gate, and stated that it was a second gate. In November, with volunteers from the Bnai Akiva youth organization, the area was cleared and an excavation and reconstruction organized by Garfinkel and Ganor "yielded" the existence of that second gate. It was thought that the identification provided a solid basis for identifying the site as biblical Sha'arayim ("two gates" in Hebrew).  In 2015 a plan to build a neighborhood on the site was cancelled, to enable the archaeological dig to go forward.

Debate on United Monarchy.

Discoveries at Khirbet Qeiyafa are significant to the debate on archaeological evidence and historicity of the biblical account of the United Monarchy at the beginning of Iron Age II. Garfinkel said in 2010 that the Qeiyafa excavations support the idea "that the kingdom of Judah existed already as a centrally organized state in the tenth century BCE". Nadav Na’aman and Ido Koch held that the ruins were Canaanite, based on strong similarities with the nearby Canaanite excavations at Beit Shemesh. Finkelstein and Alexander Fantalkin, maintained that the site shows affiliations with a North Israelite entity. In 2015 Finkelstein and Piasetsky specifically criticised the previous statistical treatment of radio-carbon dating at Khirbet Qeiyafa and also whether it was prudent to ignore results from neighboring sites. Releasing the preliminary dig reports for the 2010 and 2011 digging seasons at Khirbet Qeiyafa, the Israel Antiquities Authority stated: "The excavations at Khirbat Qeiyafa clearly reveal an urban society that existed in Judah already in the late eleventh century BCE. It can no longer be argued that the Kingdom of Judah developed only in the late eighth century BCE or at some other later date." Archeologsts, Yosef Garfinkel, Mitka R. Golub, Haggai Misgav, and Saar Ganor rejected in 2019 the possibility that Khirbet Qeiyafa could be associated with Philistines. They wrote: "The idea that in this chronological phase the knowledge of writing should be associated with the Philistine city state of Gath can now be rejected. While the various sites in Judah present an impressive assemblage of inscriptions, all we have from the intensive twenty-year excavations at Tell es-Safi (Gath) is one poorly executed inscription of seven letters. Indeed, the city state of Gath, like all other Philistine city states (Ashkelon, Ashdod, Eqron) and all the Canaanite Late Bronze Age city states, managed their administration without the use of writing. On the other hand, the rise of a nation state required the intensification of social, administrative and economic networks and increased the need for communication.

Identification.

In 2010, Gershon Galil of the University of Haifa identified Khirbet Qeiyafa as the "Neta'im" of, due to its proximity to Khirbet Ğudrayathe (biblical Gederah). The inhabitants of both cities were said to be "potters" and "in the King's service", a description that is consistent with the archeological discoveries at that site.  Yehuda Dagan of the Israel Antiquities Authority also disagrees with the identification as Sha'arayim. Dagan believes the ancient Philistine retreat route, after their defeat in the battle at the Valley of Elah (), more likely identifies Sha'arayim with the remains of Khirbet esh-Shari'a. Dagan proposes that Khirbet Qeiyafa be identified with biblical Adithaim (). Nadav Na'aman of Tel Aviv University doubts that Sha'arayim means "two gates" at all, citing multiple scholarly opinions that the suffix "-ayim" in ancient place names is not the dual suffix used for ordinary words.  The fortifications at Khirbet Qeiyafa predate those of contemporary Lachish, Beersheba, Arad, and Timnah. All these sites have yielded pottery dated to early Iron Age II. The parallel valley to the north, mentioned in Samuel I, runs from the Philistine city of Ekron to Tel Beit Shemesh. The city gate of the Elah Fortress faces west with a path down to the road leading to the sea, and was thus named "Gath Gate" or "Sea Gate." The site is surrounded by a casement wall and fortifications.  Garfinkel suggests that it was a Judean city with 500–600 inhabitants during the reign of David and Solomon. Based on pottery finds at Qeiyafa and Gath, archaeologists believe the sites belonged to two distinct ethnic groups. "The finds have not yet established who the residents were," says Aren Maeir, a Bar Ilan University archaeologist digging at Gath. "It will become more clear if, for example, evidence of the local diet is found. Excavations have shown that Philistines ate dogs and pigs, while Israelites did not. The nature of the ceramic shards found at the site suggest residents might have been neither Israelites nor Philistines but members of a third, forgotten people." Evidence that the city was not Philistine comes from the private houses that abut the city wall, an arrangement that was not used in Philistine cities. There is also evidence of equipment for baking flat bread and hundreds of bones from goats, cattle, sheep, and fish. Significantly, no pig bones have been uncovered, suggesting that the city was not Philistine or Canaanite. Nadav Na'aman of Tel Aviv University nevertheless associates it with Philistine Gath, citing the necessity for further excavations as well as evidence from Bet Shemesh whose inhabitants also avoided eating pork, yet were associated with Ekron. Na'aman proposed identification with the Philistine city of Gob.  Yigal Levin has proposed that the ma'gal (מעגל) or "circular camp" of the Israelites which is mentioned in the story of David and Goliath () was described this way because it fitted the circular shape of the nearby Khirbet Qeiyafa. Levin argues that the story of David and Goliath is set decades before Khirbet Qeiyafa was built and so the reference to Israel's encampment at the ma'gal probably does "not represent any particular historical event at all". But when the story was composed centuries later, the round structure of Khirbet Qeiyafa "would still have been visible and known to the author of ", who "guessed its function, and worked it into his story".

Archaeological finds.

General outline.

The site consists of a lower city of about 10 hectares and an upper city of about surrounded by a massive defensive wall ranging from tall. The walls are built in the same manner as the walls of Hazor and Gezer, formed by a casemate (a pair of walls with a chamber in between).  At the center of the upper city is a large rectangular enclosure with spacious rooms on the south, equivalent to similar enclosures found at royal cities such as Samaria, Lachish, and Ramat Rachel.  On the southern slope, outside the city, there are Iron Age rock-cut tombs.  The site, according to Garfinkel, has "a town plan characteristic of the Kingdom of Judah that is also known from other sites, e.g., Beit Shemesh, Tell en-Nasbeh, Tell Beit Mirsim and Beersheba. A casemate wall was built at all of these sites and the city’s houses next to it incorporated the casemates as one of the dwelling's rooms. This model is not known from any Canaanite, Philistine or Kingdom of Israel site."  The site is massively fortified, "including the use of stones that weigh up to eight tons apiece."

Marked jar handles.

"500 jar handles bearing a single finger print, or sometimes two or three, were found. Marking jar handles is characteristic of the Kingdom of Judah and it seems this practice has already begun in the early Iron Age IIA."

Excavation areas.

Area "A" extended 5×5 metres and consists of two major layers: Hellenistic above, and Iron Age II below.  Area "B" contains four squares, about 2.5 metres deep from top-soil to bedrock, and also features both Hellenistic and Iron Age layers. Surveys on the surface have also revealed sherds from the early and middle Bronze Ages, as well as from the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic, Mameluke and Ottoman periods. The Hellenistic/upper portion of the wall was built with small rocks atop the Iron-II lower portion, consisting of big boulders in a casemate design. Part of a structure identified as a city gate was uncovered, and some of the rocks where the wall meets this gate are estimated to weigh 3 to 5 tons. The lower phase was built of especially large stones, 1–3 meters long, and the heaviest of them weigh 3–5 tons. Atop these stones is a thin wall, c. 1.5 meters thick; small and medium size fieldstones were used in its construction. These two fortification phases rise to a height of 2–3 meters and standout at a distance, evidence of the great effort that was invested in fortifying the place.

Ishba'al inscription.

In 2012 an inscription in Canaanite alphabetic script was found on the shoulder of a ceramic jar. The inscription read "Išbaʿal son of Beda" and was dated to Iron Age IIA.

Khirbet Qeiyafa ostracon.

A ostracon, a trapezoid-shaped potsherd with five lines of text, was discovered during excavations at the site in 2008.  Although the writing on the ostracon is poorly preserved and difficult to read, Émile Puech of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française proposed that it be read:  and understood the ostracon as a locally written copy of a message from the capital informing a local official of the ascent of Saul to the throne. Puech considered the language to be Canaanite or Hebrew without Philistine influence.  Gershon Galil of Haifa University proposed the following translation:  On January 10, 2010, the University of Haifa issued a press release stating that the text was a social statement relating to slaves, widows and orphans. According to this interpretation, the text "uses verbs that were characteristic of Hebrew, such as ‘śh (עשה) ("did") and ‘bd (עבד) ("worked"), which were rarely used in other regional languages. Particular words that appear in the text, such as "almanah" ("widow") are specific to Hebrew and are written differently in other local languages. The content itself, it is argued, was also unfamiliar to all the cultures in the region besides that of Hebrew society. It was further maintained that the present inscription yielded social elements similar to those found in the biblical prophecies markedly different from those current in by other cultures that write of the glorification of the gods and taking care of their physical needs." Gershon Galil claims that the language of inscription is Hebrew and that 8 out of 18 words written on inscription are exclusively biblical. He also claimed that 30 major archeological scholars do support this thesis.  Other readings are possible, however, and the official excavation report presented many possible reconstructions of the letters without attempting a translation. The inscription is written left to right in a script which is probably Early Alphabetic/Proto Phoenician, though Christopher Rollston and Demsky consider that it might be written vertically. Early Alphabetic differs from old Hebrew script and its immediate ancestor. Rollston also disputes the claim that the language is Hebrew, arguing that the words alleged to be indicative of Hebrew either appear in other languages or don't actually appear in the inscription.  Millard believes the language of the inscription is Hebrew, Canaanite, Phoenician or Moabite and it most likely consists of a list of names written by someone unused to writing. Levy and Pluquet give several readings as a list of personal names using a computer-assisted approach. Hebrew University archaeologist Amihai Mazar said the inscription was very important, as it is the longest Proto-Canaanite text ever found.  In 2010 the ostracon was placed on display in the Iron Age gallery of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Shrines.

Rooms used for cultic purposes.

In May 2012 archeologists announced the discovery of three large rooms that were likely used as cultic shrines. While the Canaanites and Philistine practiced their cults in separate temples and shrines, they did not have separate rooms within the buildings dedicated only to religious rituals. This may suggest that the rooms did not belong to these two cultures. According to Garfinkel the decorations of cultic rooms lack any human figurines. He suggested "that the population of Khirbet Qeiyafa observed at least two biblical bans, on pork and on graven images, and thus practiced a different cult than that of the Canaanites or the Philistines,"

Portable shrines.

Three small portable shrines were also discovered. The smaller shrines are boxes shaped with different decorations showing impressive architectonic and decorative styles. Garfinkel suggested the existence of a biblical parallel regarding the existence of such shrines (). One of the shrines is decorated with two pillars and a lion. According to Garfinkel, the style and the decoration of these cultic objects are very similar to the Biblical description of some features of Solomon's Temple.

Palace and pillared storehouse.

On July 18, 2013, the Israel Antiquities Authority issued a press release about the discovery of a structure believed to be King David's palace in the Judean Shephelah. The archaeological team uncovered two large buildings dated to the tenth century BCE, one a large palatial structure and the other a pillared store room with hundreds of stamped storage vessels. The claim that the larger structure may be one of King David's palaces led to significant media coverage, while skeptics accused the archaeologists of sensationalism. Aren Maeir, an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University, pointed out that existence of King David's monarchy is still unproven and some scholars believe the buildings could be Philistine or Canaanite. The massive structure located on a hill in the center of the city was decorated with alabaster imported from Egypt. On one side it offered a view of the two city gates, Ashdod and the Mediterranean, and on the other, the Elah Valley. During the Byzantine era, a wealthy farmer built a home on the site, cutting the palace in two.

Khirbet Qeiyafa (; ) (also known as Elah Fortress; Hirbet Kaifeh) is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Elah Valley and dated to the first half of the 10th century BCE. The ruins of the fortress were uncovered in 2007, near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, from Jerusalem. It covers nearly and is encircled by a 700-meter-long (2,300 ft) city wall constructed of stones weighing up to eight tons each. Excavations at site continued in subsequent years. A number of archaeologists, mainly Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, have claimed that it might be the biblical city of Sha'arayim, because of the two gates discovered on the site, or Neta'im and that the large building at the center is an administrative building dating to the reign of King David, where he might have lodged at some point. This is based on their conclusions that the site dates to the early Iron IIA, ca. 1025–975 BCE, a range which includes the biblical date for the Kingdom of David. Others suggest it might represent either a North Israelite, Philistine or Canaanite fortress, a claim rejected by the archaeological team that excavated the site. The team's conclusion that Khirbet Qeiyafa was a fortress of King David has been criticised.

Churvat Keijafa (, v angl. přepisu arabštiny Khirbet Qeiyafa) je archeologická lokalita v západní Šefele, poblíž města Bejt Šemeš v Izraeli. Pravděpodobně jde o Ša'arajim, 3x okrajově zmíněné v bibli.


History.

The earliest traces of human settlement in the Nuoro area (called " the Nuorese") are the so-called Domus de janas, rock-cut tombs dated at the third millennium BC. However, fragments of ceramics of the Ozieri culture have also been discovered and dated at c. 3500 BC.  The Nuorese was a centre of the Nuragic civilization (which developed in Sardinia from c. 1500 BC to c. 250 BC), as attested by more than 30 Nuragic sites, such has the village discovered in the countryside of Tanca Manna, just outside Nuoro, which was made of about 800 huts.  The Nuorese was crossed by a Roman road which connected Karalis (Cagliari) to Ulbia (Olbia). The legacy of the Roman colonization can especially be found in the variety of the Sardinian language which is still spoken today in Nuoro: Nuorese Sardinian is considered the most conservative dialect of Sardinian, which is in turn the most conservative Romance language.  After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Sardinia was held first by the Vandals and then by the Byzantines. According to the letters of Pope Gregory I, a Romanized and Christianized culture (that of the "provinciales") co-existed with several Pagan cultures (those of the "Gens Barbaricina", i.e. "Barbarian People") mainly located in the island's interior. As the Byzantine control waned, the Judicates appeared. A small village known as Nugor appears on a medieval map from 1147. In the two following centuries it grew to more than 1000 inhabitants. Nuoro remained a town of average importance under the Aragonese and Spanish domination of Sardinia, until famine and plague struck it in the late 17th century.  After the annexation to the Kingdom of Sardinia, the town became the administrative center of the area, obtaining the title of city in 1836.

Culture.

ISRE.

Since 1972 in Nuoro is active the Istituto superiore regionale etnografico (ISRE), which is an institution that promotes the "study and documentation of the social and cultural life of Sardinia in its traditional manifestations and its transformations". In fact, in addition to managing museums and libraries, it organizes national and international events, including: the Sardinia International Ethnographic Film Festival (SIEFF) and the Festival Biennale Italiano dell’Etnografia (ETNU) (Italian Biennial Festival of Ethnography).

Language.

Along with Italian, the traditional language spoken in Nuoro is Sardinian, in its Logudorese-Nuorese variety.

Food.

Nuoro is home to the world's rarest pasta, "su filindeu". The name in Sardinian language means "the threads (or wool) of God" and is made exclusively by the women of a single family in the town, with the recipe being passed down through generations.

Transport.

Road.

Nuoro is served by the SS 131 DCN (Olbia-Abbasanta), the SS 129 (Orosei-Macomer), and the SS 389 (Monti-Lanusei).

Bus.

ARST, Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti provide regular connections to Cagliari, Sassari, Olbia, and to several minor centres in the province and the region.  Other private operators (including Deplano Autolinee, Turmotravel, Redentours) connects Nuoro to various cities and airports in the island.

Rail.

Nuoro is connected by train to Macomer via Ferrovie della Sardegna.

Local transportation.

ATP Nuoro's bus system provides service within the city.

Nuoro ( ; ) is a city and "comune" (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), it is the sixth-largest city in Sardinia.

Nuoro je město v italské na ostrově Sardinie, ve vnitrozemí, v její střední, respektive severovýchodní části. Je vzdálené 30 km od pobřeží Tyrhénského moře. Je hlavním městem provincie Nuoro. K 31. prosinci 2011 zde žilo 36 158 obyvatel.


Background.

"NME" magazine confirmed that after the release of the song "Heavy in Your Arms" for, lead singer Florence Welch entered the studio for a two-week session to record with producer Paul Epworth, with whom she worked on the band's debut album, "Lungs". She said that the two recordings that came out of that session were inspired by science because "a lot of her family are doctors or trying to become doctors, so much of her conversations are fixated on medical stuff." In an interview with the Gibson website on 17 February 2011, guitarist Rob Ackroyd stated, "Work on the second album has begun with Paul Epworth and there is talk of booking out Abbey Road for a month in April/May to record." In June 2011, Epworth told BBC 6 Music that the album would probably be finished "by the end of July" and described the sound as "a lot less indie and lot more soulful". He also indicated that there were 16 songs up for inclusion on the album, but that this would be reduced upon the time of release. "Pitchfork" confirmed on 23 August 2011 that the album was produced solely by Epworth. On 12 September 2011, Canadian radio broadcaster Alan Cross revealed that Florence and the Machine's second album would be titled "Ceremonials". He also commented on the album by saying, "I've heard a little more than half the record and it is big, soulful and powerful. Think Adele or Tori Amos but with some serious Kate Bush DNA, especially with the rhythm section."  Regarding the album's title, Welch told MTV News, "It was an art installation done in the '70s, this video piece all done on Super 8, this big procession of kind of coquette-style hippies and all these different colored robes and masks, and it was all to do with color, really saturated, brightly colored pastas and balloons. I saw it a couple years ago, and it was called 'Ceremonials' and then, like, Roman numerals after it. And the word sort of stuck with me, and I think the whole idea of performance, and kind of putting on this outfit and going out almost to find some sort of exorcism or absolution, to kind of get outside yourself, there's a sense of ceremony to it." Welch also revealed that she wanted to call the album "Violence", stating, "I wanted to make an album that sounded like the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet", the violence mixed with the classical Shakespearean drama mixed with the pop and the pulp, extreme neon stuff." In an interview with "The Guardian", she described the album as "much bigger" and categorised its genre as "chamber soul", a mixture of chamber pop and soul. The liner notes of "Ceremonials" contain an essay by English writer Emma Forrest, dated 21 September 2011.

Promotion.

The song "Strangeness and Charm"—which was ultimately included on the deluxe edition of "Ceremonials"—was debuted on 2 May 2010 at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, during the band's Cosmic Love Tour. The song was later recorded live at the Hammersmith Apollo on another stop of The Cosmic Love Tour and was included on the re-release of "Lungs", titled "Between Two Lungs", along with other live tracks and previously unreleased B-sides. Welch describes the song as "about seven minutes long and pretty relentless" and also "dancey, but it's also dark as well", featuring "relentless drums and heavy, droning bass." During their North American tour, Florence and the Machine debuted "What the Water Gave Me" at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, on 12 June 2011. On 23 August 2011, the song was released as a promotional single from the album, along with an accompanying music video.  Florence and the Machine embarked on several live performances to promote "Ceremonials". The band premiered four tracks from the album—"Only If for a Night", "Never Let Me Go", "Heartlines" and "Spectrum"—at The Creators Project, a partnership between "Vice" and Intel, in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighbourhood on 15 October 2011. They launched the album with an exclusive gig at the Hackney Empire in London on 25 October, which was live-streamed on "The Guardian" website. On 1 November, they performed "What the Water Gave Me" and "No Light, No Light" on the British music television show "Later... with Jools Holland". On 6 November, the band made their first appearance on "The X Factor", where they performed "Shake It Out" on the double elimination results show. "Shake It Out" was also performed on the Irish late-night talk show "The Late Late Show" (28 October), "The X Factor Australia" (15 November) and "Good Morning America" (21 November).  They performed "Shake It Out" and "What the Water Gave Me" on the Canal+ show "La Musicale" in France on 18 November. The following day, Florence and the Machine appeared on the American sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" for the second time, performing "Shake It Out" and "No Light, No Light". The group stopped by BBC Radio 1 on 25 November for a special Live Lounge set, which included performances of "Shake It Out", "What the Water Gave Me", "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", "Dog Days Are Over" and "No Light, No Light", as well as a cover of "Take Care" by Drake featuring Rihanna. They performed "Spectrum" on "The X Factor USA" semi-final results show on 15 December. The band performed at the Los Angeles portion of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest", which was broadcast live on 31 December on ABC. The band performed "No Light, No Light" at the 2012 Brit Awards at The O2 Arena in on 21 February 2012. On 2 July 2012, a music video for "Breaking Down" was officially released.  The song "Heartlines" was featured in the 10th episode of the fifth season of The CW's teen drama series "Gossip Girl", originally aired 5 December 2011. "Seven Devils" appeared in the trailer to promote the second season of the HBO series "Game of Thrones", as well as in the season one finale of the ABC series "Revenge", which was broadcast 23 May 2012. It was also used in the trailer for the 2013 romantic fantasy film "Beautiful Creatures". "Never Let Me Go" was used in the 19th episode of the third season of "The Vampire Diaries" on 19 April 2012, in the pilot of "Beauty & the Beast" on 11 October 2012 and in the second episode of the third season of "Nikita" on 26 October 2012 "Leave My Body", "No Light, No Light" and "Never Let Me Go" were all featured during the ninth and final season of "One Tree Hill". "Bedroom Hymns" was featured in a trailer for the 2013 romantic drama film "The Great Gatsby".

Singles.

"What the Water Gave Me" was released on 23 August 2011 as the first taster of "Ceremonials". The promotional single debuted at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. It saw moderate chart success elsewhere, reaching number 13 in Ireland, number 15 in New Zealand and number 35 in Australia.  "Shake It Out" was released as the album's official lead single on 30 September 2011. It premiered exclusively on XFM London on 14 September 2011. The song peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Florence and the Machine's fourth top-20 single. Internationally, it reached number two on the Irish Singles Chart, while charting inside the top 20 in Austria, New Zealand and Norway, the top 30 in Germany and Switzerland, the top 40 in Australia, and the top 50 in Sweden.  "No Light, No Light" was released on 13 January 2012 as the second single from the album. The single reached number 63 on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying video, released on 18 November 2011, caused controversy after it was accused of racism due to its perceived use of blackface by an actor in the video, and was also criticised for its depiction of voodoo.  "Never Let Me Go" was released on 30 March 2012 as the third single from the album. The music video was released on 7 March 2012. The track charted at number 82 in the UK, while reaching number three in Australia, the band's highest-peaking single in that country to date.  A remix of "Spectrum" by Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris, titled "Spectrum (Say My Name)", was released on 5 July 2012 as the album's fourth single. It became the band's first number-one single in both the UK and Ireland.  "Lover to Lover" was released as the fifth and final single from the album on 30 November 2012. Directed by Vincent Haycock, the music video debuted on 19 November and features a new single version of the song.

Tour.

To promote the album, Florence and the Machine embarked on their second worldwide tour titled the Ceremonials Tour on 13 October 2011. The set list includes songs from the band's two studio albums. The tour included numerous performances at music festivals as that is Welch's favourite way to perform live. During an interview with MTV News, Welch discussed the nature of the tour, saying, "In a way, it's not going to be too big a production; we've done a lot of quite extravagant stuff, and that's been amazing, but for this tour, it's definitely going to be about showcasing the music [...] The songs are going to be the most important thing. It will be heavily based on the music [...] no bells and whistles just yet, we're going to try and keep it quite pure." The tour ended in December 2012, after two years of worldwide touring.

Critical reception.

"Ceremonials" received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 36 reviews. Laura Foster of "Clash" called the album a "confident, cohesive effort" and found that "[t]he steady hand of Paul Epworth on production has helped Florence to take the winning formula of her distinctive vocals and melodies, the twinkling harps and thundering drums, and augment it with string arrangements, subtle electro touches, and gospel choirs." "Entertainment Weekly"s Kyle Anderson praised it as a "confident, unflinching tour de force" and commented, "If her acclaimed 2009 debut, "Lungs", was a scrappy shrine to survival and empowerment, its follow-up is a baroque cathedral, bedecked with ornate tapestries made of ghostly choirs, pagan-rhythmic splendor, and a whole lot of harp." AllMusic critic James Christopher Monger wrote, "Bigger and bolder than 2009's excellent "Lungs", "Ceremonials" rolls in like fog over the Thames, doling out a heavy-handed mix of Brit-pop-infused neo-soul anthems and lush, movie trailer-ready ballads that fuse the bluesy, electro-despair of Adele with the ornate, gothic melodrama of Kate Bush and "Floodland"-era Sisters of Mercy." Margaret Wappler of the "Los Angeles Times" found that Welch had "found a way to honor her Bjorkian appetites for lavish orchestral spectacle while finding the depth and subtlety of her voice".  Barry Nicolson of "NME" noted that "by taking what worked about "Lungs" and amplifying those qualities to a natural, satisfying conclusion, Florence has made a near-great pop record that should afford her the creative freedom to do whatever the hell she wants next time around." "Rolling Stone" writer Jody Rosen commented that the album contains "turbulent ballads, powered by booming drums and vocal chorales rising like distant thunder, full of Welch's banshee wails. The music touches on Celtic melodies, bluesy rock stomps, nods to goth and gospel." "The Daily Telegraph"s Neil McCormick viewed "Ceremonials" as "a giant, fluid, emotionally resonant album" and stated, "Contrary to the name she has given her band, the Machine feel organic and human, providing an epic, full-blooded soundtrack to Welch's voodoo, in which rhythm, melody and chanting are employed to drive out neuroses and insecurities, characterised as ghosts and devils." Rob Harvilla of "Spin" described Welch as "a bloodied, bloodying songbird in a gilded cage of immaculately crafted, slow-burn, chest-beating empowerment anthems, gripping steel bars that her elegantly volcanic voice could shred at any moment", adding, "She's so much better than her material that her material is rendered immaterial."  Michael Hann of "The Guardian" concluded that the album "always sounds wonderful—producer Paul Epworth has created a warm, soft, four-poster featherbed of sound for Welch to emote over—but it never really satisfies. One yearns for Welch's wonderful voice to be delivering lines of more import than the nonsense she's often delivering here." In a mixed review, "Slant Magazine"s Matthew Cole wrote that "[t]he first four tracks of "Ceremonials" are essentially flawless", but felt that the album "can't help but get weaker as it continues, a fact which owes less to the quality of the songwriting than to the album's length [...] and a far less dynamic second act." Andy Gill of "The Independent" expressed, "[I]n cementing one style, some of the possibilities offered by "Lungs" have been choked off. The only time [Welch] and The Machine stray from the formula is the Krautrock-disco motorik of 'Spectrum'; elsewhere, declamatory piano chords and burring organ underpin the banked, soaring vocals that are her trademark". "Pitchfork"s Ryan Dombal argued, "Instead of "Lungs"' largely charming yet discombobulating diversity, "Ceremonials" suffers from a repetitiveness that's akin to looking at a skyline filled with 100-story behemoths lined-up one after the other, blocking out everything but their own size."

Accolades.

"Ceremonials" was named the best album of 2011 by "Q" magazine. "Time" magazine ranked it as the second best album of 2011, stating, "Despite her penchant for emotive gloom, Welch's tales of heartache can be oddly uplifting; when she sings about darkness and demons, we know she will ultimately conquer them." "Entertainment Weekly", on its list of the 10 Best Albums of 2011, listed the album at number five and wrote, "A big believer in Red Sea-parting melodrama, she's got the orchestral grandeur to pull it off. Of course, it helps that she attacks the harp as if she were wielding an ax." "Billboard" placed it at number eight on its list of the 10 Best Albums of 2011, noting that "Shake It Out" and "What the Water Gave Me" "possess an anthemic quality, but they're far from the only epic moments on the rock-tinged record, which finds Welch channeling avant-pop luminaries like Annie Lennox and Kate Bush." "Slant Magazine" included "Ceremonials" at number 22 on its list of The 25 Best Albums of 2011, commenting that the album is "steeped in melodrama, with pump organs, choirs, and strings expertly deployed as pure pomp on already rousing singles like 'Shake It Out' and 'No Light, No Light.' But Welch is perfectly capable of doing delicate too, as evidenced by the gorgeously textured lead single 'What the Water Gave Me' and 'Never Let Me Go,' while tracks like "Lover to Lover" are reminiscent of the Eurythmics at their most soulful." "PopMatters" ranked the album at number 25 on its list of The 75 Best Albums of 2011, calling it "an expansive album, haunted by tragedy but boldly offering a comforting embrace in reply."  "The A.V. Club" named it the 26th best album of 2011 and claimed, "A perfect blend of majestic and morose, "Ceremonials" establishes Welch as one of the most boundary-pushing divas in the business." "Rolling Stone" ranked the album at number 27 on its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2011, adding, "From 'Shake It Out' to the arena-scale Motown of 'Lover to Lover,' Big Red brings it again and again, choirs and string players backing a voice that soars so high, it makes them seem like ants on the ground below." "Clash", on its list of The Top 40 Albums of 2011, included "Ceremonials" at number 28 and opined that the album "heralded the triumphant return of one of Britain's most exciting pop stars. Bettering the sound she first developed on "Lungs", the only problem she faces now is deciding which of its massive songs to release as singles." The "NME" placed the album at number 31 on its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2011, writing that the album "amounted to pop in its purest sense, as something grand and strange and with ambitions higher than mere humanity, as the triple-headed priestess-muse Florence depicted on its sleeve suggested."  The album earned the band nominations for British Female Solo Artist and MasterCard British Album of the Year at the 2012 Brit Awards. The following year at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, "Ceremonials" received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and "Shake It Out" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Artwork.

The cover artwork for "Ceremonials" was photographed by Florence and the Machine's longtime collaborator Tom Beard. In November 2019, it was announced that Beard's portrait of Welch for the album cover would be on permanent display at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) of London in their New Acquisitions exhibition. According to the NPG, the portrait "signalled a new, sleeker aesthetic for Welch, inspired by art deco and early-twentieth-century fashion illustration."

Commercial performance.

"Ceremonials" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling approximately 38,000 copies in its first two days of release and 94,050 copies altogether in its first week. It fell to number three the following week, selling 58,278 copies. On 18 January 2013, "Ceremonials" was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and by June 2015, it had sold 715,275 copies in the United Kingdom.  The album also debuted at number one in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in its first week of sales. It was ultimately certified triple platinum by the ARIA in early 2013, signalling shipments of 210,000 copies. Selling 105,000 units in its opening week in the United States, "Ceremonials" entered the "Billboard" 200 at number six, while debuting atop the Alternative Albums, Rock Albums and Digital Albums charts. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 8 January 2015, and had sold 1,002,000 copies in the US by March 2015. As of May 2012, "Ceremonials" had sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Track listing.

Notes

Personnel.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of "Ceremonials".  Florence and the Machine  Additional musicians  Technical  Artwork

Deluxe edition bonus disc.

Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 28 October 2011 by Island Records. The band started working on the album in 2010 and finished it in 2011. The standard edition of the album was entirely produced by Paul Epworth, who also worked prominently on the band's debut album "Lungs" (2009).

Ceremonials je druhé studiové album anglické indie-rockové kapely Florence and the Machine, vydané 31. října 2011 hudebním vydavatelstvím Island Records. Kapela začala pracovat na albu v roce 2010 a dokončila jej roku 2011. Producentem všech písní je Paul Epworth, který s kapelou spolupracoval už na jejich prvním debutovém albu Lungs (2009).


History.

The name of the parish is derived from the former French colony of Acadia in Canada (which consisted of the modern provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and much of Maine) many of whose French-speaking inhabitants were deported to France and then migrated to Louisiana in the Great Upheaval (see Cajuns).  The parish itself was formed from the southwestern portion of St. Landry Parish. On Wednesday May 19, 1886, a bill was introduced in the house entitled "An act to create the parish of Nicholls, and to provide for the organization thereof." The title was later changed to read: "An act to create the parish of Acadia." Father Joseph Anthonioz, the first pastor of the Catholic Church at Rayne, is credited with having suggested the name, Acadia Parish. The bill passed the house on June 11, the senate on June 28, and was approved by Governor Samuel D. McEnery on June 30. On October 6, an election was held to affirm the creation of the parish, with 2,516 votes for and 1,521 votes against the creation. The population of the new parish was anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000. Acadia Parish population in 1890 was 13,231.  After a close election held on March 1, 1887, Crowley was chosen as the parish seat, gathering 698 votes to Rayne's and Prairie Hayes' 560 and 519, respectively. The election also determined the first officers in the parish: Elridge W. Lyons, first sheriff of Acadia, and R. T. Clark, first clerk of court. The first courthouse was therefore constructed in Crowley and completed on June 30, 1888, and continued to be used until May 1, 1902, when it was destroyed to make way for the second building.

Geography.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of, of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Demographics.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 61,773 people residing in the parish. 79.5% were White, 18.1% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 1.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 43.7% were of French, French Canadian or Cajun, 10.8% American and 8.0% German ancestry.  As of the census of 2000, there were 58,861 people, 21,142 households, and 15,666 families residing in the parish. The population density was 90 people per square mile (35/km2). There were 23,209 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the parish was 80.73% White, 18.25% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.04% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home.  There were 21,142 households out of which 38.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 14.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.  In the parish the population was spread out with 29.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.  The median income for a household in the parish was $26,684, and the median income for a family was $31,812. Males had a median income of $29,353 versus $17,179 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,424. 24.50% of the population and 21.00% of families were below the poverty line. 30.30% of those under the age of 18 and 25.20% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture.

Many festivals and cultural celebrations are held annually in Acadia Parish, including the International Rice Festival in Crowley, Frog Festival in Rayne, and Buggy Festival in Church Point. Cajun food and music, both specialties of the local population, feature prominently in these festivals.  Several communities in Acadia Parish celebrate the tradition of "Courir de Mardi Gras". Disguised with masks and costumes, Cajuns travel through their rural neighborhoods, making merry while begging for gumbo ingredients. The gumbo is the centerpiece of a communal supper and dance.

Education.

Acadia Parish is served by Acadia Parish Schools.  Acadia Parish is also served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette with five schools:  Additionally, Acadia Parish is served by one unaffiliated private school:  Acadia Parish is served by two institutions of higher education:  Acadia Parish Library operates branches in the parish.

National Guard.

C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Crowley, Louisiana. As part of the 256th IBCT this unit deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010.

Communities.

Unincorporated areas.

Other unincorporated communities.

More information on these communities can be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20070525094238/http://www.acadia.lib.la.us/newpage1.htm

External links.

Geology

Acadia Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,773. The parish seat is Crowley. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish in 1886, and later an election was held to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne and Prairie Hayes.

Acadia Parish je okres ve státě Louisiana ve Spojených státech amerických. K roku 2010 zde žilo 61 773 obyvatel. Správním městem okresu je Crowley. Celková rozloha okresu činí 1 703 km2.


Geography.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (2.5%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Washington by area.

Demographics.

2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 66,616 people, 25,021 households, and 17,364 families living in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km2). There were 30,407 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.63% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.99% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 12.19% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races. 19.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.9% were of German, 11.2% English, 9.3% United States or American and 7.1% Irish ancestry. 80.9% spoke English and 18.1% Spanish as their first language.  There were 25,021 households out of which 34.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.14.  In the county, the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.  The median income for a household in the county was $37,316, and the median income for a family was $46,293. Males had a median income of $35,065 versus $25,838 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,273. About 8.80% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 72,453 people, 27,827 households, and 18,795 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 35,465 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 1.0% American Indian, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 15.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 25.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.6% were German, 15.0% were American, 11.3% were English, and 8.3% were Irish.  Of the 27,827 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 39.3 years.  The median income for a household in the county was $48,674 and the median income for a family was $57,856. Males had a median income of $41,076 versus $34,261 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,378. About 8.2% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Chelan County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, its population was 72,453. The county seat and largest city is Wenatchee. The county was created out of Okanogan and Kittitas Counties on March 13, 1899. It derives its name from a Chelan Indian word meaning "deep water," likely a reference to -long Lake Chelan, which reaches a maximum depth of 1,486 feet (453 m).

Chelan County je okres ve státě Washington ve Spojených státech amerických. K roku 2010 zde žilo 72 453 obyvatel. Správním městem okresu je Wenatchee. Celková rozloha okresu činí 7 754 km2.


History.

Klickitat County was created out of Walla Walla County on December 20, 1859. Samuel Hill was an early promoter of the area, promoting better roads and building local landmarks such as a war memorial replica of Stonehenge (Maryhill Stonehenge) and a mansion that would become the Maryhill Museum of Art. The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge across the Columbia River is named after him.

Geography.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.7%) is water.

Demographics.

2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,161 people, 7,473 households, and 5,305 families living in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (4/km2). There were 8,633 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.56% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 3.47% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 5.02% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. 7.81% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. 17.7% were of German, 14.0% United States or American, 11.1% English and 9.6% Irish ancestry. 90.3% spoke English and 7.8% Spanish as their first language.  There were 7,473 households out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.  The age distribution was 27.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males.  The median income for a household in the county was $34,267, and the median income for a family was $40,414. Males had a median income of $36,067 versus $21,922 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,502. About 12.60% of families and 17.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.50% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 20,318 people, 8,327 households, and 5,626 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 9,786 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% white, 2.4% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry,  Of the 8,327 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were non-families, and 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 45.3 years.  The median income for a household in the county was $37,398 and the median income for a family was $46,012. Males had a median income of $43,588 versus $31,114 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,553. About 13.7% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics.

Klickitat is located in Washington's 3rd congressional district, which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+4 and has been represented by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler since 2011. In state government the county is part of the fourteenth district and is represented by representative Gina McCabe (R) and Norm Johnson (R) in the Washington House of Representatives and Curtis King (R) in the Washington State Senate.  In Presidential elections Klickitat is something of a swing county. In 1988 Michael Dukakis narrowly won the county with 49.15% of the vote. Richard Nixon (1960, 1972), Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush all won the county twice. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama won Klickitat County over Republican John McCain by only 21 votes or percentage wise 48.85% to 48.64%. In 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the county by a greater margin than in the previous election, with 51.74% of the vote compared to President Obama’s 44.75%, and Donald Trump doubled Romney's margin in 2016.

Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,318. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe of the Yakama Native Americans.

Klickitat County je okres ve státě Washington ve Spojených státech amerických. K roku 2010 zde žilo 20 318 obyvatel. Správním městem okresu je Goldendale. Celková rozloha okresu činí 4 931 km2.


History.

The county was organized in November 1883 by the Washington Territorial Legislature, carved from the northern part of Yakima County.  Indigenous peoples known as Kittitas (or Upper Yakima) occupied the lands along the Yakima River for hundreds of years before the present era. The Kittitas Valley was a traditional gathering place for tribes east of the Cascades.  White settlers began pouring into the Kittitas Valley in the late 1850s. Their arrival forced dislocation and displacement of the native inhabitants, who were eventually forced into the Yakama Indian Reservation. White settlers introduced livestock raising, crop farming, dairying, logging, lumber processing, and mining. The abundant grassland and the generally-favorable terrain made beef and cattle production become the county's mainstay. That was assisted by the introduction of railways into the area and the large-scale irrigation systems introduced in the 1930s.  Wheat planting in Kittitas Valley began in 1868. The county's first flour mill was established near Ellensburg in 1873. Production of alfalfa was also seen from the county's early days.  Lumber extraction was an important county activity from its early days, mostly in the west end. Logging camps were established near the county's three largest lakes (Cle Elum, Kachess, Keechelus).  Mining for coal and minerals was established by the mid-1880s.

Geography.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.5%) is water. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel at above mean sea level.

Demographics.

2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,362 people, 13,382 households, and 7,788 families living in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (6/km2). There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.77% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.91% Native American, 2.19% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 5.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.4% were of German, 11.7% English, 9.0% Irish, 7.8% United States or American and 6.6% Norwegian ancestry. 93.2% spoke English and 4.5% Spanish as their first language.  There were 13,382 households out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.80% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.  In the county, the population was spread out with 20.60% under the age of 18, 21.60% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.  The median income for a household in the county was $32,546, and the median income for a family was $46,057. Males had a median income of $36,257 versus $25,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,928. About 10.50% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 40,915 people, 16,595 households, and 9,225 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 21,900 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 89.3% white, 2.0% Asian, 1.0% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 15.4% were Irish, 12.7% were English, 8.2% were Norwegian, 5.1% were Italian, 5.0% were Swedish, and 3.4% were American.  Of the 16,595 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.4% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 31.9 years.  The median income for a household in the county was $41,232 and the median income for a family was $61,276. Males had a median income of $45,916 versus $35,380 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,467. About 10.3% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Flora and fauna.

There are a variety of species represented within Kittitas County. These include a diversity of grasses, herbs, trees, birds, mammals and amphibians. The genus of ricegrass known as "Oryzopsis" was one of the earliest grasses classified within the county. Among the amphibian species found are the Cascades frog and the rough-skinned newt, the latter being a common far western USA taxon; in fact, examples of neoteny have been found in individual newts of this species within the county.

Politics.

Kittitas County is directed by a three-member Board of Commissioners.  Kittitas County has a slight Republican lean, although it has voted for Democrats in the past.

Kittitas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. At the 2010 census, its population was 40,915. Its county seat and largest city is Ellensburg. The county was created in November 1883 when it was carved out of Yakima County. Kittitas County comprises the Ellensburg, Washington, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Kittitas County je okres ve státě Washington ve Spojených státech amerických. K roku 2010 zde žilo 40 915 obyvatel. Správním městem okresu je Ellensburg. Celková rozloha okresu činí 6 042 km2.


Design and development.

The Belvedere was based on the Bristol Type 173 10-seat (later 16-seat) civilian helicopter which first flew on 3 January 1952. The 173 project was cancelled in 1956 and Bristol spent time on the Type 191 and Type 193 to Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy specifications. These two naval variants were cancelled, but the RAF expressed an interest in the aircraft and the Type 192 "Belvedere" was created. Three Type 191 airframes were almost complete when the order was cancelled, but they were used to aid the development of the Type 192. The first two were used as test rigs for the new Napier Gazelle engines and the third was used for fatigue tests.  The Type 192 shared some of its design features with the cancelled naval variants, which made it less than ideal for transporting troops. The front undercarriage was unusually tall, originally designed to give adequate clearance for loading torpedoes underneath the fuselage in the anti-submarine warfare role. This left the main passenger and cargo door above the ground. The engines were placed at either end of the cabin. (By comparison the purpose-designed troop transport contemporary Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight had its engines above the aft cabin to permit a rear loading ramp). To provide access to the cabin from the cockpit there was a small entry past the engine that resulted in a bulge on the left side of the fuselage.  The first Type 192 prototype "XG447" flew on 5 July 1958 with tandem wooden rotor blades, a completely manual control system and a castored, fixed quadricycle undercarriage. From the fifth prototype, the rotors fitted were all-metal, four-bladed units. Production model controls and instruments allowed night operations. The prototype machines had an upwards-hinged main passenger and cockpit door, which was prone to being slammed shut by the downwash from the rotors. This was replaced by a sliding door on the later aircraft.  Twenty-six Belvederes were built, entering service as the Belvedere HC Mark 1. The Belvederes were originally designed for use with the Royal Navy but were later adapted to carry 18 fully equipped troops with a total load capacity of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg). The two rotors were synchronised through a shaft to prevent blade collision, allowing the aircraft to operate through only one engine in the event of an emergency. In that case, the remaining engine would automatically run up to double power to compensate.  Bristol attempted to market a civilian variant of the helicopter, designated the Type 192C. The 192C would have had seats for 24 passengers and was aimed at intercity services. To demonstrate the aircraft's potential, Bristol chief test pilot Charles "Sox" Hosegood set the London–Paris and Paris–London speed records in May 1961 in a Belvedere. However, no orders were placed for the 192C.

Operational history.

The first prototype Belvedere went to the Belvedere Trials Unit at RAF Odiham, which was subsequently reformed as No. 66 Squadron RAF in 1961. Engine starter problems caused trouble early on but operational deployment continued. The prototype saw service in Europe, Africa, Southern Arabia and Borneo. "XG447" was broken up at Boscombe Down on 7 August 1966.  In June 1960 the fifth prototype, "XG452" set a speed record of between Gatwick and Tripoli. In 1962 a 72 Squadron Belvedere lowered the 80 ft tall spire onto the new Coventry Cathedral.  As well as 66 Squadron, the type was deployed to 72 Squadron in 1961 and 26 Squadron in 1962, all at RAF Odiham. 26 Squadron later transferred to RAF Khormaksar where it disbanded in November 1965. The helicopters were transferred by HMS "Albion" to Singapore to join 66 Squadron until the squadron was disbanded in 1969. 72 Squadron kept its Belvederes until August 1964 when it exchanged them for Westland Wessex.  The RAF Belvederes were involved in combat in Aden Emergency and Borneo (during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation).

Surviving aircraft.

The following Bristol Belvederes have been preserved and are either on display or currently undergoing restoration.  Belvedere HC.1

The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere is a British twin-engine, tandem rotor military helicopter built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was designed by Raoul Hafner for a variety of transport roles including troop transport, supply dropping and casualty evacuation. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1961 to 1969. The Belvedere was Britain's only tandem rotor helicopter to enter production, and one of the few not built by Boeing or Piasecki.

Bristol Type 192 Belvedere byl britský vojenský transportní dvoumotorový vrtulník s tandemovým uspořádáním nosných rotorů vyrobený společností Bristol Aeroplane Company. Byl to první vrtulník tohoto typu v britském letectvu (Royal Air Force), kde sloužil v letech 1961–1969. Konstrukčně vychází z předchozího experimentálního typu Bristol Type 173, který podnikl první zkušební let v roce 1952.