Human presence.

The people of the Ata'ta (or Al Atata) tribe are the native inhabitants of Dana Biosphere Reserve. Their history in Dana dates 400 years, but their original settlement in the area dates more than 6000 years. Besides the presence of the Ata'ta people, archeological discoveries suggest Palaeolithic, Egyptian, Nabataean, and Roman settlement in Dana.

Accommodations.

Visitors to Dana Nature Reserve and Dana village can stay at Dana Cooperative Hotel and other accommodations.

Geography.

Dana Biosphere Reserve drops from an altitude of on the Qadisiyah plateau to the low-lying desert area of Wadi Araba. The varied geology of Dana contains limestone, sandstone, and granite. The area of Wadi Dana features wind-cut sandstone cliffs. Dana is the only nature reserve in Jordan that crosses four bio-geographical zones; Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian, and Sudanian penetration.

Flora and fauna.

The diverse environment of Dana is home to 703 plant species, 215 species of birds, and 38 species of mammals.

Plants.

Dana is the most diverse area of plant life in the country, consisting of numerous vegetation types including: Phoenician juniper, evergreen oak, sand dunes, acacia, and rocky sudanian. Dana is the southernmost area in the world to host the Mediterranean cypress, "Cupressus sempervirens". Of the hundreds of plants species inhabiting Dana, three can be found nowhere else in the world. Many plants, especially trees and shrubs, grow in the highlands of the nature reserve.

Endangered species.

The threatened Nubian ibex, Syrian serin, caracal, and lesser kestrel are natives of Wadi Dana and plans to save the species were put forth by Global Environment Fund in 1994. Additionally, the largest breeding colony of the Syrian serin is in Dana Nature Reserve. Threats to the animals include hunting.

Dana Biosphere Reserve is Jordan's largest nature reserve, located in south-central Jordan. Dana Biosphere Reserve was founded in 1989 in the area in and around the Dana village and Wadi Dana comprising.

Das Biosphärenreservat Dana ist mit 320 Quadratkilometern das größte Naturreservat Jordaniens. Es liegt etwa 20 km südlich von Tafileh an der Königsstraße. Das 1989 eingerichtete Biosphärenreservat ist das Älteste von acht jordanischen Naturreservaten. Das Biosphärenreservat Dana umfasst das Wadi Dana mit seinen Nebentälern. Der Höhenunterschied in dieser bergigen Region reicht von bis zu hohen Felsplateaus. Der Großteil des Reservats ist nur zu Fuß über Wanderwege zu erreichen. In Dana wird überwiegend sanfter Tourismus praktiziert, der mit der Natur in Einklang steht. So gibt es nur ein Resthouse – große Hotelburgen gibt es erst wieder in Petra.


Loch of Spiggie.

The Loch of Spiggie was historically a voe (Shetland Dialect: fjord or inlet) in which a sand bar formed, cutting off the sea. It is considered "the only moderately large loch" in the South Mainland of Shetland, and is the fourth longest loch in Shetland. It is roughly the shape of an oblong, with the longest dimension running approximately north–south, and the maximum width is almost.  The loch is an RSPB Nature reserve. The loch supports many species of birds, including lapwings, tufted ducks, redshanks, snipes and whooper swans. Additionally, various seasonal visiting birds also make use of the loch – in spring, long-tailed ducks and skylarks; and in summer, oystercatchers, curlews, mallards, arctic terns, kittiwakes and great skuas. The birds breed in the marshes and farmland next to the loch.

Loch of Brow.

The Loch of Brow is a smaller loch, triangular in shape, lying to the south-east of the Loch of Spiggie, into which it outflows.  The remains of a broch can be found on a small island in the loch. It used to be accessible by a number of stepping stones which formed a "rough causeway", however these now lie underwater. The remnants of a circular hollow approximately in diameter can be seen, which is thought to have been the interior lining of the broch. A small portion of an outward-facing wall was excavated at the north end that suggested the broch's walls may have been between thick.

The Lochs of Spiggie and Brow are located west of Boddam in the parish of Dunrossness, in the South Mainland of Shetland, Scotland.

Loch of Spiggie ist ein schottischer Süßwassersee auf der Shetlandinsel Mainland. Der See liegt fast am Südende der Hauptinsel in unmittelbarer Küstennähe. Die maximale Länge des Sees beträgt 2,1 km, die maximale Breite liegt bei 0,7 km. Im Vergleich zu anderen schottischen Lochs ist der Loch of Spiggie mit einer maximalen Wassertiefe von etwa 14 Metern sehr flach. Im See befinden sich keine Inseln. Der Loch of Spiggie liegt in einem sehr dünn besiedelten Gebiet. Am Ufer des Sees befinden sich keine Ortschaften. Er ist aber über eine Nebenstraße von der B9122 mit dem Auto leicht zu erreichen.


History.

The Catholic Church had an uninterrupted presence in the City of London between the fourth century and the Reformation in the sixteenth century. The first post-Reformation Catholic chapel in the City was established in Lime Street in 1686, in reign of James II. The Lime Street chapel was suppressed, and later re-established in Grub Street (now Milton Street), near Moorfields. The Gordon Riots of 1780 resulted in the destruction of a chapel in White Street.  Following the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791, the White Street chapel was rebuilt. In 1817, Reverend Joseph Hunt arranged the building of a church on the east side of Finsbury Circus. The church, which opened in 1820, was designed by John Newman in the neo-classical style and given the name St Mary Moorfields, opened in 1820. In 1850 the Catholic hierarchy was re-established in the United Kingdom, and the church was chosen as London's Pro-cathedral by Cardinal Wiseman. In 1869, the title of Pro-cathedral was passed to Our Lady of Victories, Kensington

Organ.

The earliest known pipe organ associated with the parish dates from the second half of the eighteenth-century, and so may have been obtained for the post-Gordon-Riots chapel in White Street. This instrument is currently located in the Anglican church of St Mary Lode in Gloucester. It had previously been located in the Anglican church of 'St Nicholas, Gloucester; moved there in 1831 by the organ-building firm of Gray and Davidson.  The next pipe organ associated with the parish – for which there is detail – was installed around 1830 by the organ-building firm of Bevington, and was a much more substantial instrument, better befitting the 1820s building. In 1842 it was described as follows: St Mary's Catholic Chapel Moorfields. This organ erected by Bevington and Son at an expense of £1000 has three rows of keys, an octave and a half of pedal pipes, and nine composition pedals. Service at eleven and six o'clock. Organist Mr Vincent Novello.  From the same "Musical Standard" article we also learn the names of the early organists of the parish:  When the Finsbury Square building was closed and demolished this instrument was dismantled and in 1905 rebuilt by the organ building firm of Bishop and Son in the Ilford (Essex) Presbyterian Church.  The pipe organ in the current building is situated on a gallery at the liturgical-west end and made by the organ building firm of Corps, which flourished variously in Reading (Surrey), Norwich (Norfolk) and Camden Town (London) until about 1870. This date suggests that the organ was purchased second-hand, but its original location and the details of who installed the organ here are so far unknown.

St Mary Moorfields is a Roman Catholic church in Eldon Street near Moorgate, on a site previously known as Moorfields. It is the only Catholic church in the City of London. Prior to 1994, the church was designated as being in the Borough of Hackney, such that there were no Catholic churches in the City.

St Mary Moorfields, gelegen in der Eldon Street, ist die einzige römisch-katholische Kirche in der City of London. Ihr Vorgängerbau an der Ecke Blomfield Street / Finsbury Circus war das erste nach der Katholikenemanzipation in London neu errichtete größere römisch-katholische Gotteshaus.


Origin and education.

Annette Kurschus grew up in Obersuhl in Hessen and in Siegen. Her father Georg Kurschus (1930-2017) was a protestant pastor at the Nikolai Church in Siegen. After graduating from high school in Siegen in 1982, she studied medicine for a short time, and since 1983 Protestant theology at the University of Bonn, the University of Marburg, the University of Münster and at the "Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal". She completed her vicariate in Siegen-Eiserfeld.

Career and position.

After her vicariate Annette Kurschus became parish priest in Siegen-Klafeld in 1993 and in Siegen-Weidenau in 1999. Since 2001 she was also deputy superintendent of the Evangelical Church District of Siegen. From 2005 to 2012 she held the function of Superintendent of the Evangelical Church District of Siegen.  In November 2011 she was elected by the Westphalian regional synod as Praeses of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW) and was introduced into the function of the leading clergy on 4 March 2012.  Since November 2015 Annette Kurschus has also been a member of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany and deputy chairwoman of the Council, and since 2016 commissioner of the EKD Council for relations with the Polish churches.  On 20 November 2019 Annette Kurschus was confirmed in the function of the Praeses and re-elected for a further term.

Further functions.

Annette Kurschus is co-editor of the evangelical magazine chrismon and the evangelical monthly magazine zeitzeichen. She is chairwoman of the board of the evangelical press association and of the supervisory board of the German Bible Society. Furthermore she is a member of the board of trustees of the Detmold University of Music and since 2020 she is a member of the university council of the University of Münster.

Award.

The University of Münster awarded Annette Kurschus an honorary doctorate (Dr. theol. h.c.) on 28 January 2019. She received the award due to her merits concerning the dialogue between religion and society.

Annette Kurschus (born on 14 February 1963 in Rotenburg an der Fulda) is a German Protestant theologian and pastor. Since March 2012 she has been Praeses (or in German "Präses") of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and since November 2015 she has also been Vice-President of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

Annette Kurschus (* 14. Februar 1963 in Rotenburg an der Fulda) ist eine deutsche evangelische Theologin und Pfarrerin. Seit März 2012 ist sie Präses der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen und seit November 2015 zugleich stellvertretende Vorsitzende des Rates der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland.


Location.

Dachau station is located southeast of the town of Dachau. The station building is located to the west of the tracks and has the address of Bahnhofplatz 1. Frühlingstraße runs to the west of the station, while Langhammerstraße runs west from the Bahnhofplatz (station forecourt). To the east of the tracks is Obere Moosschwaigestraße where there is a park-and-ride area. Schleißheimer Straße passes under the tracks to the north of the station. Augustenfelder Straße runs through an underpass to the south of the station. There is a bus station in the station forecourt.

History.

Dachau station was opened on 14 November 1867, together with the Munich–Ingolstadt railway. Facilities available by then included a turntable, a level junction, a goods shed (equipped with a loading track), an entrance building and a watering point. In the following years, the railway received continuous upgrades. Additional tracks were built around Dachau station in 1884, and the station building was upgraded twice, in 1887 and 1895.  The branch from Dachau to Markt Indersdorf, which is also known as the "Ludwig-Thoma-Bahn" (after the author Ludwig Thoma), was opened on 8 July 1912. This branch line was extended to Altomünster on 18 December 1913, and a new station closer to Dachau town center opened on the branch. To distinguish between the two stations, Dachau station was renamed (in German) from "Bahnhof Dachau" to "Dachau Bahnhof". This change indicates that Dachau station is the main line station serving the town, but not in it.  The main line from Munich to Dachau was electrified in 1939, but further electrification to Ingolstadt was delayed by the outbreak of World War II and was not completed until 1960. In 1972, Dachau station was rebuilt again with two new platforms, in preparation for S-Bahn operations, which commenced on 28 May 1972. The S-Bahn line, numbered S2, operates between Petershausen and Munich, with Dachau being an important intermediate station.  General freight operations ended in 1976 and the handling of all other freight was abandoned in 1980. In 1998, the station and forecourt were significantly restructured.  The Dachau–Altomünster railway was integrated into Munich S-Bahn in 1995. At that time, diesel railcars were used, and the railway operated under a separate entity called "Line A". Its electrification was delayed several times, but was eventually finished in 2014. Since then, some S2 services have been diverted onto the Altomünster branch.

Conversion for the Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich high-speed line.

In the spring of 2000, construction began on the upgraded line ("Ausbaustrecke") between Ingolstadt and Munich as part of the Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich high-speed line. The Petershausen–Munich line was upgraded for operations at 200 km/h and new tracks are laid for the S-Bahn. On 21 April 2003, the upgrade of the Petershausen–Dachau section was completed, including a third track for line S 2. On 11 December 2005, the upgrade of the Dachau–München-Obermenzing section was completed and the two additional tracks for the S-Bahn were opened, which made possible the operation of S-Bahn services between Munich and Dachau at 10-minute intervals. Dachau station was fundamentally redesigned and received new platforms and improved accessibility.

Infrastructure.

Dachau station has five platform tracks on three platforms, with platform tracks 1 and 3 and the bay platform 2 located on the same island platform. Track 1 is served by the S-Bahn towards Munich, track 2 by the S-Bahn to Altomünster and track 3 by the S-Bahn towards Petershausen. Track 4, which is a single-sided platform, is served by regional services towards Munich and in the peak hour by single S-Bahn services to Altomünster or Munich. Tracks 5 and 6, which have no platforms, are separated from platform 4 by a noise barrier and are used by non-stopping trains on the high-speed line. Track 7 is also located on a side platform and is served by regional trains towards Ingolstadt. Another noise barrier separates this side platform from Obere Moosschwaigestraße. The S-Bahn platform is roofed and has digital destination displays, while the two side platforms have no platform canopies or platform displays. The platforms are connected by a tunnel to the station building and are equipped with lifts, making them accessible for the disabled. The station is located in the area of the Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Munich Transport and Tariff Association, MVV).  The signals and switches at the station are controlled by a Siemens class 60 (SP Dr S60) track plan push button interlocking. The entrance building houses a ticket office and a McDonald's restaurant.

Platform data.

Platform lengths and heights are as follows:

Operations.

Regional Express and Regionalbahn.

The station is served by the Munich–Treuchtlingen–Nuremberg Regional-Express service and the Munich–Treuchtlingen Regionalbahn service. Both services run every two hours, resulting in an hourly service between Munich and Treuchtlingen. These services are operated with double-deck push–pull trains propelled by class 111 locomotives. In addition, there are single Regionalbahn services operated in the peak hours between Munich and Ingolstadt using Silberling carriages.

Munich S-Bahn.

Dachau station is served by Munich S-Bahn line S2, which runs between Petershausen or Altomünster to Erding, operated using Class 423 electric multiple units. In peak hours, extra S-Bahn services run between Dachau and Altomünster using a class 420 electric multiple unit, increasing the frequency between Dachau and Altomünster to every 30 minutes.  S-Bahn services towards Munich town centre run every 20 minutes, while the S-Bahn trains to Petershausen are either 20 or 40 minutes apart from each other.  Before electrification, the route to Altomünster was operated by diesel multiple units and designated as Line A.

Trains passing through Dachau non-stop.

Every two hours the München-Nürnberg-Express passes through the station without stopping. In addition, all Intercity-Express trains on the Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich high-speed line run through the station without stopping.

Bus links.

The bus station at Dachau station has five platforms. It is served by MVV routes operated by Dachau city transport (716–720, 722, 726 and 744) and district transport (172, 291, 702–706, 710, 721, 725, 736 and 791).

Dachau station () is a station in the Bavarian town of Dachau on the Munich S-Bahn network. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 3 station and it has five platform tracks. It is served daily by about 190 trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, including 150 S-Bahn trains. Dachau station is on the Nuremberg–Munich high-speed railway and is the beginning of the Dachau–Altomünster railway.

Dachau Bahnhof ist der Bahnhof der Großen Kreisstadt Dachau in Oberbayern und eine Station der S-Bahn München. Der Bahnhof gehört der Bahnhofskategorie 3 der DB Station&Service an und besitzt fünf Gleise. Er wird täglich von etwa 190 Zügen der Deutschen Bahn AG bedient, davon 150 S-Bahnen. Der Dachauer Bahnhof liegt an der Schnellfahrstrecke Nürnberg–Ingolstadt–München, zudem beginnt hier die Ludwig-Thoma-Bahn nach Altomünster.


Background.

"Biophilia "grew from Björk's interest in nature and concerns about the environment. In June 2008, she performed a concert with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós to raise awareness about the use of Iceland's natural resources in aluminium melting plants. She founded the Náttúra organisation to promote Icelandic nature and grassroots industries, and released a single, "Náttúra", on 20 October 2008. A week later, Björk wrote an article for "The Times" discussing the proposed sale of natural resources to ease the Icelandic financial crisis. In collaboration with Audur Capital, she set up a venture capital fund to support sustainable industries in Iceland. On 30 June 2010, Björk and Dirty Projectors released a joint EP, "Mount Wittenberg Orca," with proceeds going to marine protected areas.  In September 2010, the renewable power company Magma Energy acquired 98.5% of shares in the Icelandic geothermal

Composition.

"Biophilia" was partly composed on an Apple iPad.  "Crystalline", the first single released, is a mostly electronic song, featuring a continuous "gameleste" base and electronic beats and rhythm. After the bridge, the song features a gameleste solo, and ends with an uproarious breakcore section which uses the Amen break.  New musical instruments were specially developed for the album, and specially for the shows at the Manchester International Festival that took place in mid-2011 to introduce the album. The Tesla coil was used as a musical instrument on the song "Thunderbolt". A "gameleste", a mixture between a gamelan and a celesta which was programmed in order to be played remotely by a tablet computer, was also used in "Crystalline" and "Virus". A group of pendulums were put together, creating patterns with their moves, transmitting the movements of the Earth to the sound of a harp, making the song "Solstice".  For the music, Björk related the phenomenon the song describes to a musical structure or resource. For example; the song "Moon" has different musical cycles that repeat throughout the song; the song "Thunderbolt" contains arpeggios, inspired by the time between when

Release and artwork.

When the first details about "Biophilia" emerged, the album was expected to be released around the beginning of the residency at the Manchester International Festival in June. Eventually, the album was confirmed for a Fall 2011 release. The album was originally announced for a 27 September 2011 release in the United States.  Pre-order for the album started on 19 July 2011. Along with the standard edition album, which would be available in physical and digital formats, three additional editions were announced. The first, the deluxe edition, available in digipak format in its physical form, would contain three additional tracks. The second special edition, billed the Manual edition, was announced to include the standard edition of "Biophilia" and a bonus disc, both contained in a "48-page, full-color, hardbound, cloth-covered, and thread-sewn book, tipped on lenticular panel to the front cover, with foil-blocked spine and back cover". The last edition, called the Ultimate Art Edition, included the Manual Edition of "Biophilia" in a wooden box, which was filled with 10 chromed tuning forks, each one adjusted to the tone of a "Biophilia" track, covering a complete octave in a non-conventional scale. Differently from the standard and deluxe edition of the album, those two latter editions were available to pre-order until 12 August 2011. Moreover, the Ultimate Art edition was limited to only 200 copies and 75 artist's proofs (a.p.), each one numbered and made to order. She was criticized for the cost of this latter edition, which was £500. Björk unveiled the track listing for "Biophilia" on 19 August 2011. It was later confirmed that the second disc included in the Manual edition would include a live recording of the "Biophilia" show in Manchester.  On 10 May 2011, Björk relaunched her official website. Using a HTML5 constellation designed by M/M Paris, the website shifts

App.

The "Biophilia" app consists of a series of 10 separate apps, one for each song, all included in a "mother app" which contains a menu made up by a three-dimensional constellation which the user can shift, zoom and orbit by swiping their fingers to open the apps. The first time the app is opened, an introduction by David Attenborough describes the application and the project itself. This introduction was also used to open the Biophilia Tour residency concerts. On the up left corner, the "musical compass" icon serves as a home button to return to the menu. If the icon is touched when the user is already facing the menu, a list of the application, including two pages for "how to navigate" and "credits", would appear. Every app is named after the corresponding song and includes different options, along with a description of the song and application. This short description link to an essay written for each song by Nikki Debben. The first option in the apps is to play the app, the second is the score, in which the user can look at the composition of the song, use it as a karaoke machine as the score has no vocals in it, or turn off the music and use it as sheet music. The animation option links to an animation of the song created by Stephen Malinowski, in which different forms of different colors, linked to a specific instrument in the song, including Björk's voice, zoom in or out depending on their intensity. The fourth option shows the lyrics of the song, which are not available in the "Dark Matter" app as it is sung in gibberish and thus has no lyrics at all. The last option is to scroll the credits, which name the people who have worked in the app. The "mother app", "Cosmogony", is the constellation that includes all the other applications, and thus contains no particular game or instrument to play. Nevertheless, it contains two other options, which are the possibility to replay the intro narrated by Attenborough and to play the song in its entirety. When the user plays the song, whether they would click on the compass icon they would return to the main menu immediately. Tapping in an empty space of the constellation would also make the user return to the main screen. The apps are roughly divided into two kinds: the ones in which the user play a sort of games, and the other ones that work like a musical instrument.  Almost every song on the app is presented in early, work-in-progress versions. For example, tracks like "Thunderbolt", "Sacrifice" and "Hollow" are missing their percussion parts and beats as they were added to the songs shortly before the album's physical release when Björk decided these early versions were unsatisfactory for a traditional music album. While "Sacrifice" is missing beats and is performed at a slightly lower speed, the most interesting early version of a "Biophilia" track is "Solstice"; the album version was recorded live during her Manchester residency but the app originally contained a demo version performed in studio. In addition to these work-in-progress versions, several of the games feature the songs with sections of music missing, to be played and manipulated by the player ("Thunderbolt" for example has the player drag their fingers across the screen to play the Tesla coil baseline).

Promotion.

Appearances and interviews.

Björk promoted "Biophilia" extensively by giving different interviews on music criticism websites. Most notably, she explained the concept behind the project during interviews with Stereogum, Drowned in Sound, "Pitchfork" and "Rolling Stone". She was featured on the cover of the 200th issue of "Dazed & Confused", for which she also served as a guest editor. The volume featured behind the scenes and interviews with Björk's collaborators in the project, including the choir Graduale Nobili, 16bit, Scott Snibbe and Stephen Malinowski. She was also featured on the cover of the "Billboard" magazine. Björk also gave various radio interviews with BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, XFM, The Strand, CBC Radio and "Studio 360". She restrained from giving televised interviews but she filmed an interview for Associated Press which

Singles and videos.

"Crystalline" was released as the lead single from the album. The single release was preceded by two video teasers; the first, entitled "Road to Crystalline", featured Björk driving on her van through a road in Iceland while playing an excerpt of an en early version of the song, and was released on 27 May 2011. The second one, released on 13 June 2011, showed the gameleste, the celesta-gamelan hybrid created for the "Biophilia" project. The single version of the song, namely the Serban Ghenea mix, leaked onto the Internet on 25 June 2011. The single was officially released on 28 June 2011. The music video, directed by French director Michel Gondry, was released on YouTube on 26 July 2011. After "Crystalline", three songs on were released in iTunes as singles beside the expansion app.

Remix series.

Leading up to the album release, Björk issued a series of remixes of "Crystalline" and "Cosmogony", titled "The Crystalline Series". The remixes were released on digital download, LP and in a limited CD edition. The first part, which contained the two single versions of the songs by Serban Ghenea, was released on 19 July 2011, coinciding with the digital release of "Cosmogony". The second part included two remixes of "Crystalline" and "Thunderbolt" by Syrian musician Omar Souleyman, alongside an original song by the musician, called "Mawal", was released on 26 July. This release was anticipated by a video teaser, which showed Souleyman during the recording sessions for the remix of "Crystalline". The third and fourth parts, containing remixes of the two tracks by British electronic musician and producer Matthew Herbert, were released on 2 August 2011.  On 6 March 2012, One Little Indian announced the upcoming release of another eight-part series of remixes. Billed as the "Biophilia Remix Series", each part was announced to come out starting on 16 April 2012, each

Critical reception.

"Biophilia" received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 37 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Critical acclaim came from BBC Music's Mike Diver, who described the album as "mesmerizing" and "an amazing, inventive and wholly unique eighth album from an artist without peer", praising both her voice as a "controlled presence" and her composition work: "Björk has crafted sounds which are entirely hers alone". Möhammad Choudhery of Consequence of Sound praised the "asteroid-bass volley" of "Mutual Core" and "apocalyptical breakbeat coda" of "Crystalline" and stated that "they blend archaic instrumentation with blistering electronica" and even if he labelled "Biophilia" as "hardly easy listening", he found that "it'll stand as one of the more rewarding albums of her storied career". "Biophilia" was named "CD of the week" by "The Daily Telegraph", whose writer Helen Brown described the album as "wilfully weird" yet "surprisingly accessible, hypnotic and beautiful if you give it time and concentration: the audio equivalent of looking through a microscope at crystals growing". According to "NME"s Luke Turner, "[looking] past the techno wizardry, the grand designs and the brainy philosophy", "Biophilia" is "intimate, playful and beautiful" and "a wonderful distillation of ideas, playful and serious, intimate yet the most fantastic journey. [...] A record so particular to Björk's own artistry that no-one could ever hope to replicate it." "Now" magazine's Kevin Ritchie praised the album as "one of Björk's best and most challenging records" and that "[i]ts accompanying iPad suite [...] isn't required to enjoy the album, which has a satisfyingly messy and unhinged quality, much like the natural wonders that inspired it". Similarly, Gareth James of "Clash" felt that the album "sounds beautifully warm and compellingly human", and stated that "while much of the fuss around the album has centred on its innovative and hugely interactive app release, this music really doesn't need any window dressing because it's as good a collection of songs as she has put her name to in ten years".  Kyle Andersen of "Entertainment Weekly" stated that "Biophilia" is "an ingenious marriage of faerie and machine. But [her] greatest strength remains the glistening natural resource flowing from her throat". For Heather Phares of AllMusic, ""Biophilia" is easily her most ambitious project as a whole", whose "boldest innovations are in its presentation rather than in the actual music" and "sometimes feels like a soundtrack", but further adds that "just because the music is only one part of the "Biophilia" experience doesn't mean it's unsatisfying". Phares eventually gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, also citing its "blend of education and emotion." Daniel Paton of musicOMH viewed "Biophilia" as a "synthesis of Björk's work thus far", yet "it sees her continue to pursue her own radical and individual path with unshakeable conviction." He also complimented her language, "English [...] always sounds so enticing and odd when delivered in her syntax." "Rolling Stone"s David Fricke compared the album to Nico's work, "[with its] organ, squishy electronics and the high sighs of a women's choir in stark fields of echo, ["Biophilia" is] like a haunted digital sister of Nico's 1969 album, "The Marble Index"". Alexis Petridis of "The Guardian" wrote that ""Biophilia" never feels like hard work, however much the accompanying bumf tries to convince you it is." Despite his skepticism over interactive music and apps, he stated the quality of the music is "far less questionable". PopMatters music editor Arnold Pan complimented Björk as being "innovative by nature and eager to take risks" and praised "Biophilia"s songs, despite claiming "there are some moments on "Biophilia" that are too atmospheric and subtle [...] especially the low profile 'Dark Matter' and the overly abstract 'Hollow', with its cold modern classical stylings". A more mixed review came from "Pitchfork"s Mark Pytlik, which felt that she "prioritized the superficial aspects of "Biophilia"s presentation over, well, the music", further adding that "she combats the lack of any real structure or melody by over-singing, or lapsing into one of her familiar and increasingly lazy-sounding house vocal runs." He also wrote that "[a]s an innovator, she's as vibrant as ever, but as a songwriter, she sounds tired". Andy Gill of "The Independent" gave the album a negative review, dubbing it as "hard to love" and added that "at times, it's hard not to conclude that the music and lyrics were devised totally separately, and then forced together in forms it's difficult to acknowledge as songs".  2011 Year-end list entries

Commercial performance.

"Biophilia" debuted at number twenty-seven on the US "Billboard" 200 on the issue dated 29 October 2011 with first-week sales of 15,000 copies. The album also opened at number one on the Dance/Electronic Albums, number two on the Tastemaker Albums, number five on the Alternative Albums, number eight on the Rock Albums and number nineteen on the Digital Albums. It debuted at number twenty-one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Björk's first album not to break the top ten. In Japan, the album debuted

Legacy.

On 11 June 2014, the Museum of Modern Art located in New York announced that the "Biophilia" app became the first downloadable app in the museum permanent collection. The app inclusion was requested by Senior curator Paola Antonelli, that commented:  Björk has never ceased to experiment and surprise. The multidimensional nature of her art—in which sound and music

Personnel.

Credits adapted from "Biophilia" album liner notes and bjork.com.

Biophilia is the seventh studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released on 5 October 2011, by One Little Indian Records and distributed by Nonesuch Records in North America and by Universal Music Group in the rest of the world. Björk composed it as a concept album during the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, exploring the links between nature, music and technology. Billed as the first "app album", "Biophilia" is a multimedia project released alongside a series of apps linking the album's themes to musicology concepts. It was followed by a series of educational workshops in four continents.

Biophilia ist das achte Studioalbum in der Solokarriere der isländischen Sängerin Björk. Es erschien am 10. bzw. 11. Oktober 2011 sowohl auf CD als auch auf Vinyl und in einer Reihe von Download-Formaten, sowie in Form von Apps für das Apple iPad.


From 1903 to World War I.

The Republican Federation was founded in November 1903 to gather the right-wing of the Moderate Republicans (also known as Opportunists) who opposed both Pierre Waldeck Rousseau's "Bloc des gauches" (Left-wing Block), his alliance with the Radical-Socialist Party and for some of them the defense of the Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus. These conservative Republicans were ideologically indebted to Jules Méline, Alexandre Ribot, Jean Casimir-Perier or Charles Dupuy. They represented the Republican bourgeoisie, closely connected to business circles and opposed to social reform. Furthermore, they were fond of a relative decentralisation, thus enrolling themselves in the legacy of the Girondins of the French Revolution. Just as the Democratic Republican Alliance, it was a party composed of notables, which rested upon local electoral committee, which merged in the National Assembly in one or several parliamentary groups. It never had many members (30,000 in 1926 and 18,000 in 1939).

Interwar period.

After World War I, the Republican Federation participated during the 1919 legislative election within the "Bloc national" (National Block)'s electoral lists. The same year, the "Action libérale populaire" (Popular Liberal Action), an alliance of Catholics who had accepted the legality of the Republican regime, entered the Republican Federation by sitting within parliamentary grouping of the "Entente républicaine démocratique" (Arago group).  The Republican Federation shifted more and more to the right during the interwar period and it is important to note that it cannot be simply labelled a Christian-democratic party (a label that is more rightly applied to the very small Popular Democratic Party). Its religious-right and ultranationalist wing were strengthened by the election victory of the centre-left in 1924 and the subsequent rise of the anti-parliamentary and nationalist leagues as well as by a generational shift in its leadership. At the same time, the party's smaller Christian-democratic and social Catholic left-wing received a boost from the arrival of the parliamentary Catholics of the Popular Liberal Action. However, the rift in political ethos was shown by the fact that these preferred to sit in a separate parliamentary grouping from the main party (such as the Popular Democratic group, the Alsatian Popular Action group, or Pernot's Social Action group).  These changes were reflected in the handover of power from the Belle Époque industrialist and conservative leader Auguste Isaac to the younger militant and academic Louis Marin in 1925. Under Marin's leadership, the Republican Federation slowly transitioned from a confederation of local political bosses into a more streamlined political party on the model created by the Republican Left at the turn of the century, becoming more hierarchisesd with the creation of youth sections while ordinary members were given more weight.  Although several members participated to the Doumergue, Flandin and Laval governments of 1934–1935, most of the party opposed itself to this cooperation with the republican centre, which seemed to vindicate the "rallying of the center" ("concentration républicaine") strategy advocated by the centre-right Democratic Republican Alliance. Following the experience of the Bloc National first and then of the "Cartel des gauches" (Left-Wing Cartel) in 1924, many voices inside the party argued in favor of a strategy enforcing the unity of the right-wings instead of a centrist strategy. After the 6 February 1934 riots which toppled the second "Cartel des gauches", the majority of the party chose this right-wing strategy, taking the side of the opponents to the Republic accused of being anti-patriotic.  The Republican Federation thus formed in 1937 during the Popular Front a "Front de la liberté" (Freedom Front) along with Jacques Doriot's fascist "Parti populaire français" (French Popular Party) and the small "Parti républicain national et social" and French Agrarian and Peasant Party ("Fleurant Agricola"). Although this Freedom Front was theorized by Louis Marin and the other leaders of the party as a tactic against the growing influence of Colonel François de La Rocque's French Social Party—one of the first right-wing French mass party—this union also corresponded with the ideology of the leading classes outside Paris (such as Victor Perret in the Rhône region) and of the activists opposed both to the lefts and to the centre-right parties such as the Democratic Alliance or the Popular Democrats.  This shift to the right of the party during the 1930s explain how several important pre-war figures of the party (such as Laurent Bonnevay) left it. The Republican Federation acted as the nexus between parliamentary conservatives and the anti-Republican nationalist right organized in the various far-right paramilitaries and in the ultramonarchist "Action française". Party members such as Philippe Henriot or Xavier Vallat (both future collaborationists) thus served as intermediaries between the leaders of the Republican Federation and the extra-parliamentary right.

After 1940.

Although few important members of the Republican Federation actively engaged in collaborationism during the Vichy regime, their conservative allegiance (traditional Catholicism, anti-communism and conservative nationalism) induced most of them to accept the new regime of the "Révolution nationale". However, the Republican Federation was part of one of the six member parties of the "Conseil national de la Résistance" (National Council of Resistance) represented by Jacques Debû-Bridel. Alongside Louis Marin, the latter tried without success to recreate the Republican Federation at the Liberation, but the party remained discredited by the passive attitude of most of its members. After 1945, the National Center of the Independents was the main political structure pursuing the Republican Federation's legacy after the failure of several structures, including the Republican Party of Liberty.

In Parliament.

In the Chamber of Deputies.

The Republican Federation deputies sat in the following parliamentary groups in the Chamber of Deputies: Furthermore, the Republican Independents group of Georges Mandel was also close to the Republican Federation.

In the Senate.

The Republican Federation senators sieged in the ANRS group ("Action nationale républicaine et sociale", National Republican and Social Action) at least until 1936.

The Republican Federation (, FR) was the largest conservative party during the French Third Republic, gathering together the progressive Orléanists rallied to the Republic.

Die Fédération Republicaine (dt.: "Republikanische Vereinigung") war eine konservative französische Partei der dritten Republik. Sie bestand von 1903 bis 1940. Die wichtigste Konkurrenzpartei war die zentristische Alliance démocratique.


Plot.

Jim Hawkins is a young orphan who lives in an inn in England with his best friends Gonzo and Rizzo. Jim listens to Billy Bones' tales about the pirate Captain Flint, who buried his treasure trove on a remote island and executed his crew so only he would own the island's map. One night, Bones' crewmate Blind Pew arrives, giving Bones the black spot. Just before dying of a heart attack, Bones gives Jim the treasure map and begs him to go after the treasure and keep both it and the map safe from pirate hands. Just then, an army of pirates attack the inn, destroying it, but Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo escape with the map.  The trio takes the map to the half-wit Squire Trelawney (Fozzie Bear), who arranges a voyage to find the treasure. The boys are enlisted aboard the "Hispaniola" as cabin boys, accompanied by Trelawney, Dr. Livesey (Bunsen Honeydew), and Beaker. The ship is commanded by Captain Abraham Smollett (Kermit the Frog) and his overly strict first mate, Mr. Arrow (Sam Eagle). The boys meet the cook Long John Silver, a one-legged man whom Bones warned them of, but Jim and Silver become good friends. The ship sets sail, but Smollett is suspicious of the crew, believing them to be of shady character. After Gonzo and Rizzo are kidnapped and tortured by three of the crew who have turned out to be pirates, he has the treasure map locked up for safe keeping.  It is revealed that Silver and the secret pirates in the crew had been part of Flint's crew and want the treasure for themselves. Silver fools Mr. Arrow into leaving the ship to test out a rowboat, claims he drowned, and has his minions steal the map during Arrow's memorial service. Jim, Gonzo, and Rizzo discover Silver's treachery and inform Smollett. Arriving at Treasure Island, Smollett orders the entire crew save the officers to go ashore, planning to keep himself and non-pirate crew aboard the ship and abandon the pirates on the island. However, his plan falls through when it is discovered that Silver has kidnapped Jim to have leverage against the captain. On the island, Silver invites Jim to join them in the treasure hunt using his late father's compass. When Jim refuses, Silver forcibly takes the compass from him. Smollett, Gonzo, and Rizzo land on the island in an effort to rescue Jim. However, unbeknownst to them, Silver had hidden a squad of pirates aboard the "Hispaniola" before leaving, and they capture the ship in Smollett's absence. On the island, Smollett and the rest of the landing party are captured by the native tribe of pigs, where Smollett reunites with his jilted lover Benjamina Gunn (Miss Piggy), the tribe's queen.  The pirates find that the cave in which Flint hid the treasure is empty, leading to a brief mutiny against Silver. Silver reveals that, even though he is a pirate, he cares for Jim and allows him to escape. Smollett and Benjamina are captured by Silver, and Smollett is hung from a cliff to fall to his death. In an effort to save Smollett, Benjamina reveals the treasure is hidden in her house, but when she spits out a kiss from Silver, he hangs her off the cliff as well. Jim rescues his friends and with Mr. Arrow (who is revealed to be alive), the group regains control of the "Hispaniola", and rescue Smollett and Benjamina. The group engages the pirates in a sword fight until only Silver is left standing, but he surrenders when he finds himself outnumbered. While the pirates are imprisoned, Silver discovers he still has Mr. Arrow's keys and tries to escape with the treasure. Jim confronts him and threatens to give his position away, while Silver draws his pistol. In a tearful standoff, neither can bring themselves to follow their threats and Jim allows Silver to leave as long as they never cross paths again, much to their disappointment. Silver rows away, but not before returning Jim's compass to him and complimenting his kind heart. However, Mr. Arrow informs Jim and Smollett that the boat Silver used was not seaworthy, and Silver is stranded on the island with no gold.  The crew of the "Hispaniola" sails away into the sunset, but not before sending some scuba-diving rat tourists recover the treasure from the sea, ending the film.

Production.

Following the release of "The Muppet Christmas Carol", it was decided that the next Muppet film would be an adaptation of a classic story. Co-writer Kirk R. Thatcher stated: "There were a whole bunch of ideas out there and I was most keen [on] "Treasure Island" and a King Arthur story with medival dragons and knights, in the end we all agreed as a group that "Treasure Island" was a better story for the Muppets to take on." In the first draft, Gonzo and Rizzo were initially written to portray two characters named Jim and Hawkins, but Thatcher explained that "the studio was nervous that they couldn't hold the emotional heart of the movie, so eventually the human Jim Hawkins was written in, and we cast Gonzo and Rizzo alongside him." About a hundred actors auditioned the role of Jim Hawkins, but Kevin Bishop, who did the very first audition, received the part.  In May 1993, Brian Henson announced that the Muppets would appear in a loose film adaptation of "Treasure Island". Filming was slated to begin in the fall in London with a tentative release date slated for spring 1994. While the film did not have a distributor at the time, Walt Disney Pictures did have a first-look deal. Veteran Muppet performer Frank Oz was unavailable for most of shooting, so fellow Muppet performer Kevin Clash puppeteered his characters, while Oz dubbed the voices in post-production. Oz had already participated in a recorded read-through of the script; Clash used these recordings to help prompt his performances. According to Clash, Oz gave him a brief description of each of his characters prior to shooting. Oz described Miss Piggy as "a truck driver wanting to be a woman", and Fozzie Bear as somebody similar to Jerry Lewis.

Music.

"The Muppet Treasure Island: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" features an instrumental score by Hans Zimmer, with additional music by Nick Glennie-Smith, as well as songs written by pop songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The film's ending includes the reggae number "Love Power" performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which was released as a single and promoted with a music video featuring Marley and some Muppets with dreadlocks.

Release.

To coincide with the film's theatrical release, a making-of documentary featuring the filmmakers and the Muppets aired on the Disney Channel on February 2, 1996. On February 14, 1996, Jim Henson Video released a direct-to-video "Muppet Sing Alongs" VHS entitled "Muppet Treasure Island", which was hosted by Kermit the Frog and featured two musical numbers from the film.

Home media.

"Muppet Treasure Island" was the second "Muppet" film co-produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, following "The Muppet Christmas Carol". It has been made available on home video formats. Walt Disney Home Video and Jim Henson Video first released the film on VHS on September 10, 1996. During its initial home video release, it had sold an estimated 5 million VHS copies. The film was re-released on a "Special Edition" DVD in Region 1 on August 8, 2000.  The first DVD re-release in the U.S. was on June 4, 2002, and was a fullscreen-only version. Other releases of these were in widescreen only format. The DVD release has 3 bonus features added like "Hidden Treasure Commentary", "The Tale of the Story Behind the Tail" and "Treasure Island Sing-Along" (but the menus were in widescreen format). Walt Disney Home Entertainment re-released the film on DVD on November 29, 2005, in conjunction with Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary celebration; this time the DVD contained both full-screen and widescreen presentations. The film made its debut on Blu-ray Disc on December 10, 2013 as part of a two-movie bundle with "The Great Muppet Caper".

Reception.

Box office.

"Muppet Treasure Island" opened on February 16, 1996 in 2,070 venues and earned $7.9 million over the weekend, ranking third at the North American box office behind the second weekend of "Broken Arrow" and fellow newcomer "Happy Gilmore". At the time, it held the record for having the biggest opening weekend gross for a Disney film in February. It ultimately grossed $34.3 million domestically.

Critical reception.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 73% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Though less Muppet-centric than the original trilogy, "Muppet Treasure Island" is an energetic, cheerful take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure, with typically solid gags."  Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" praised the playfulness of the Muppets as keeping "the story amusingly off-kilter. The mood is perfectly in keeping with the notion of the Muppets as contemporary children dressing up and improvising their own versions of classic tales." Ken Tucker, reviewing for "Entertainment Weekly", gave the film a B+ noting that "the film is notably handsome in a dark, foreboding way. The Muppet action blends seamlessly with the human actors, and adults will be kept giggling with wittily anachronistic jokes about codependence, water-skiing, and Henry Kissinger."  Roger Ebert, reviewing for the "Chicago Tribune", gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four. While he was favorable to Tim Curry's performance, he summarized the film as being "less cleverly written, and for moi it's a near miss." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film two stars out of four writing that the film was a "boring Muppet adventure that doesn't successfully meld the Muppets into a conventional buried-treasure story. I wanted the Muppets to play themselves rather than phony pirate-related characters."

Video game.

A video game based on the film was released for Windows and Mac OS in 1996 by Activision.

Lawsuit.

The Hormel Foods Corporation (the creators of Spam) sued Jim Henson Productions for using the name "Spa'am" for one of the film's tribal pig characters. The judge dismissed their suit on September 22, 1995 after a trial for failure to prove damages, noting, "one might think Hormel would welcome the association with a genuine source of pork." When Spa'am later appeared as a racing boss in "Muppet RaceMania", he was credited as "Pig Chief".

Muppet Treasure Island is a 1996 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Brian Henson, produced by Jim Henson Productions, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fifth feature film to star the Muppets and is based on the 1883 novel "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Muppets – Die Schatzinsel ist ein 1996 in den USA gedrehter Genremix aus Abenteuerfilm, Komödie und Musical, bei dem das weltbekannte Puppenensemble der Muppet Show die Hauptrollen spielt. Der Film basiert dabei auf dem bekannten (und bereits mehrfach verfilmten) Roman „Die Schatzinsel“ von Robert Louis Stevenson.


Biography.

Ragıp Zarakolu was born in 1948 on Büyükada close to Istanbul. At that time his father, Remzi Zarakolu, was the district governor on that island. Ragıp Zarakolu grew up with members of the Greek and Armenian minority in Turkey. In 1968 he began writing for "Ant" and "Yeni Ufuklar" magazines.  In 1971 a military junta assumed power in Turkey. Ragıp Zarakolu was tried on charges of secret relations to Amnesty International. He spent five months in prison, before the charges were dropped. In 1972 Ragıp Zarakolu was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment for his article in the journal "Ant" (Pledge) on "Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam War". He stayed in Selimiye Prison (Istanbul) and was released in 1974 following a general amnesty. On his release Zarakolu refused to abandon his campaign for freedom of thought, striving for an "attitude of respect for different thoughts and cultures to become widespread in Turkey".  The Belge Publishing House, established in Istanbul in 1977 by Zarakolu and his wife Ayşenur, has been a focus for Turkish censorship laws ever since. Charges brought against the couple resulted in imprisonment for both Ayşenur and Ragıp Zarakolu, the wholesale confiscation and destruction of books and the imposition of heavy fines.  In 1979 Ragıp Zarakolu was one of the founders of the daily newspaper "Demokrat" and took responsibility for the news desk on foreign affairs. The paper was banned with the military coup of 12 September 1980 and Ragıp Zarakolu was shortly imprisoned in 1982 in connection with this position in "Demokrat". He was banned from leaving the country between 1971 and 1991. In 1986 he became one of 98 founders of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (HRA or in Turkish IHD). For some time Ragıp Zarakolu chaired the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN in Turkey. Currently (beginning of 2007) he chairs the Committee for Freedom of Publication in the Union of Publishers.  Until the military coup of 12 September 1980 "Belge" Publishing House mostly published academic and theoretical books. Afterwards "Belge" started to publish a series of books written by political prisoners. The series of 35 books consisted of poems, shorts stories, novels. The list of publications (see a list of selected publications below) include more than 10 books (translations) of Greek literature, 10 books on the Armenian Question and five books related to the Jews in Turkey. There are also a number of books dealing with the Kurds in Turkey.  He also has published several books on the Armenian Genocide, such as George Jerjian's "The Truth Will Set Us Free: Armenians and Turks Reconciled" and Professor Dora Sakayan's "An Armenian Doctor in Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal of 1922" — which brought new criminal charges in 2005. In November 2007 Zarakolu published David Gaunt's book "Massacres, resistance, protectors" about the Assyrian Genocide in Turkish ("Katliamlar, Direniş, Koruyucular").  In 1995 the Belge Publishing House offices were firebombed by a far right group, forcing it to be housed in a cellar. Since his wife's death in 2002, Zarakolu continued to face further prosecutions.  In May 2017 the Belge Publishing House was raided by police who said they had orders to seize all copies of the book "Stateless Kurds and Decisions Tougher than Death". Police also seized hundreds of books published in the 1980s and 1990s, despite having no orders to do so.

Trials.

Recent court cases against Ragıp Zarakolu and "Belge" Publishing House (until her death Ayşenur Zarakolu stood trial instead of him) include:

2002.

On 21 March Istanbul State Security Court (SSC) No. 1 heard the case of Ayşenur Zarakolu on charges of having disseminated separatist propaganda by publishing a book by Hüseyin Turhallı, former chairman of the Democracy Party (DEP) for Diyarbakır province, entitled "Songs of Freedom". During the hearing her husband Ragıp Zarakolu stated that this would have been the 34th court case against his wife, if she had been alive. On 4 June Istanbul SSC dropped the charges against her after establishing that Hüseyin Turhallı was living in France and Ayşenur Zarakolu had died in January.

2003.

On 3 December Istanbul SSC acquitted Ragıp Zarakolu from charges under Article 312 TPC. The trial had been opened for his translation of the book "The Regime of 12 September on Trial", written by Dr. Gazi Çağlar from Hannover University.

2004.

On 10 September, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 14 (former Istanbul SSC No. 4) concluded the case launched against publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, owner of the newspaper "Ülkede Özgür Gündem" (Free Agenda in the Country), Ali Çelik Kasimogullari and editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Mehmet Çolak" in connection with an article titled "Sana Ne" (What’s that to you) that was published on 8 March 2003. The court sentenced Kasimogullari to a fine of TL 3.3 billion and Mehmet Çolak to 6 months’ imprisonment and a fine of TL 1.65 billion under Article 7/2 of the LFT (making propaganda for an illegal organization). Çolak’s sentence was commuted to a total fine of TL 3.73 billion. Zarakolu’s file was separated due to legal change made regarding Article 312 TPC. He was to be tried at a Penal Court.  Beyoglu Penal Court No. 2 heard the case on 2 March 2005 and adjourned the hearing to 12 May. Further hearings were held on 21 September and 11 October 2005. Result unknown.

2005-2007.

Ragıp Zarakolu was indicted for the Turkish translation of Professor Dora Sakayan's book entitled "An Armenian Doctor in Turkey. G. Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal of 1922". According to the indictment, Zarakolu was to be sentenced following Article 301 new TPC (Article 159 of the former TPC). The first hearing was set for 21 September at Istanbul Penal Court No 2.  On 20 September Istanbul Penal Court No 2 continued to hear the case against Ragıp Zarakolu, owner of Belge Publishing House, in connection with the book about the Armenian genocide entitled "The Truth Will Set Us Free" written by the British writer George Jerjian. The hearing was adjourned to 22 November for investigation of the expert report. The charges related to Article 301 new TPC (of June 2005). The latest two cases were combined and further hearings were held on 21 November and 15 February, 19 April, 21 June and 14 December 2006. The next hearing was scheduled for 15 March 2007.

2008.

In June 2008, Zarakolu was found guilty of "insulting the institutions of the Turkish Republic" under Article 301 of the Turkish penal code for translating and publishing Jerjian's book. The judge sentenced him to five months in prison. However, the judge, citing Zarakolu's "good behavior", stated that the author may avoid imprisonment by paying a fine.

2011.

He was taken into custody on October 28, 2011 within the framework of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) operation.

2012.

In February 2012 Zarakolu was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by members of the Swedish Parliament.

Awards for Ragıp and Ayşenur Zarakolu.

Ragıp Zarakolu was given the NOVIB/PEN Free Expression Award in 2003.  In October 1998 Ayşenur Zarakolu was honoured by the International Publishers Association with the International Freedom to Publish Award. She could not attend the ceremony at Frankfurt Book Fair since her passport had been confiscated.  In September 2008, the same organization awarded Ragıp Zarakolu the 2008 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize to "[send] a message to the Turkish authorities that domestic legislation must be further amended to meet international freedom of expression standards".  In March 2012 the Assyrian Culture Centre in Stockholm, Sweden, granted the Assyrian Cultural Award to Ragıp Zarakolu, then in prison, for being an advocate for human and minority rights in Turkey and Europe.

Ragıp Zarakolu (born 1948) is a Turkish human rights activist and publisher who has long faced legal harassment for publishing books on controversial subjects in Turkey, especially on minority and human rights in Turkey.

Ragıp Zarakolu (* 1948 in Büyükada, Prinzeninseln) ist ein türkischer Verleger und Menschenrechtler, der vor allem aufgrund der von ihm verlegten Bücher zu Minderheiten und Menschenrechten angeklagt und zum Teil auch verurteilt wurde.


History.

Before Dunstaffnage.

Before the construction of the castle, Dunstaffnage may have been the location of a Dál Riatan stronghold, known as Dun Monaidh, as early as the 7th century. It was recorded, by John Monipennie in 1612, that the Stone of Destiny was kept here after being brought from Ireland, and before it was moved to Scone Palace in 843. However, Iona and Dunadd are considered more likely, given their known connections with Dál Riatan and Strathclyde kings. Hector Boece records that the stone was kept at "Evonium", which has traditionally been identified with Dunstaffnage, although in 2010 the writer A. J. Morton identified Evonium with Irvine in Ayrshire.

The MacDougalls.

The castle itself was built in the second quarter of the 13th century, as the seat of Duncan MacDougall, Lord of Lorn and grandson of Somerled. He had also travelled to Rome in 1237, and was the founder of nearby Ardchattan Priory. Duncan's son Ewen MacDougall inherited his father's title in the 1240s, and expanded the MacDougall influence, styling himself "King of the Isles". It is probable that Ewen built the three round towers onto the castle, and constructed and enlarged the hall inside.  Following Alexander III's repulse of the Norse influence in Argyll, the MacDougalls backed the Scottish monarchy, and Ewen's son Alexander was made the first sheriff of Argyll in 1293. However, they supported the Balliol side during the Wars of Scottish Independence which broke out a few years later. Robert Bruce defeated the Clan MacDougall at the Battle of the Pass of Brander in 1308 or 1309, and after a brief siege, took control of Dunstaffnage Castle.

Royal fortress.

Now a Crown property, Dunstaffnage was controlled by a series of keepers. James I seized the castle in 1431, following the Battle of Inverlochy, as his enemies were hiding inside. In 1455 James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas stayed at Dunstaffnage, on his way to treat with John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. This followed James II's attack on Douglas power, and led to the signing of the Treaty of Westminster-Ardtornish. A later keeper, John Stewart of Lorn, was a rival of Alan MacDougall, and was stabbed by his supporters on his way to his marriage at Dunstaffnage Chapel in 1463, although he survived long enough to make his vows. Although MacDougall took the castle, he was ousted by James III, who granted Dunstaffnage to Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll in 1470.

Clan Campbell.

The Earls of Argyll appointed Captains to oversee Dunstaffnage, and keep it in readiness, on their behalf. Changes were made to the buildings, particularly the gatehouse, which was rebuilt around this time. The Campbells were loyal allies of the royal house, and Dunstaffnage was used as a base for government expeditions against the MacDonald Lords of the Isles, among others, during the 15th and 16th centuries. James IV visited Dunstaffnage on two occasions.  Dunstaffnage saw action during the Civil War, holding out against Montrose's army in 1644. The castle was burned by royalist troops, following the failure of Argyll's Rising in 1685, against the Catholic James VII. During the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745, the castle was occupied by government troops. Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape from Scotland, was briefly imprisoned here while "en route" to imprisonment in London.  According to W. Douglas Simpson the castle appears in Tobias Smollet's "Humphry Clinker", which although not naming Dunstaffnage, presents "a fair picture of life in the castle in the third quarter of the eighteenth century".

Decline and restoration.

The Campbells continued to add to the castle, building a new house over the old west range in 1725. However, the rest of the castle was already decaying. In 1810 an accidental fire gutted the gatehouse, and the Captains ceased to live here, moving to Dunstaffnage House some 2 km to the south-east. Tenants lived in the 1725 house within the castle until 1888.  Restoration work was undertaken in 1903 by the Duke of Argyll, the castle's owner. This was followed in 1912 by a court case, in which the Court of Session ruled that Angus Campbell, the 20th hereditary Captain, had right of residence notwithstanding the Duke of Argyll's ownership. Works were delayed by World War I, and the planned total restoration was never completed. In 1958, the 21st Captain and the Duke agreed to hand the castle into state care, and it is now open to the public as a Historic Scotland property. Both the castle and chapel are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Description.

Walls.

Dunstaffnage is an irregular quadrangular structure of great strength, with rounded towers at three of the angles. It measures approximately, and has a circumference of about. The walls are of coursed rubble, with sandstone dressings, and stand up to 18 m (60 ft) high, including the conglomerate bedrock platform. The walls are up to 3 m (10 ft) thick, affording strong defence to this highly strategic location, guarding the entrance to Loch Etive and the Pass of Brander beyond, and today commanding a splendid view. The parapet walk, which once followed the whole of the walls, has been partially restored with new stone flags. The original parapet is now also gone. Arrow slits, later converted into gunloops, are the only openings. Brass cannon recovered from wrecked vessels of the Spanish Armada were once mounted on the walls.

Round towers.

Soon after the construction of the castle walls, three round towers were built on the north, east, and west towers. The north tower, or donjon, is the largest, comprising three or four storeys originally, and probably housed the lord's private apartments. The west tower is almost internal, barely projecting beyond the rounded corner of the curtain wall, and could only be entered via the parapet walk. The basement level contains a pit prison which was accessed from above. The east tower was almost completely rebuilt in the late 15th century as a gatehouse. Each tower was probably once topped by a conical roof.

The gatehouse.

The gatehouse was built by the Campbells in the late 15th century, replacing an earlier round tower in the east corner. It takes the form of a four-storey harled tower house, with the entrance passage running through half the vaulted basement, the other half forming guard rooms with arrow slits facing the gate. The present approach to the gate is by a stone stair, replacing an earlier drawbridge. The tower was remodelled in the 18th century to provide reception rooms and a private suite. The dormer windows at the top are capped by the pediments from the 1725 house (see below), and bear the date, the Campbell arms, and the initials AEC and DLC, for Aeneas Campbell, 11th Captain, and his wife Dame Lilias. The pediments were moved here during the 1903 restoration works.

Internal ranges.

The east range was located between the north and east towers, although only foundations remain. This was the principal range of buildings and contained a large hall above vaulted cellars. The hall had double-lancet windows, decorated with carved patterns, which were later blocked up; their outlines can be seen in the east curtain wall.  A second range stood along the north-west wall, and would have been connected to the hall range by the donjon tower. The ground floor housed a kitchen. In 1725 the range was remodelled into a two-storey house, accessed via a stone stair, and topped with the dormer windows which now form part of the gatehouse. The well in front is original, although the large stone surround is of 19th century date.

Dunstaffnage Chapel.

A ruined 13th century chapel lies around to the south-west of the castle. This was also built by Duncan MacDougall of Lorn, as a private chapel, and features detailed stonework of outstanding quality. The chapel is, and formerly had a timber roof. The lancet windows carry dog-tooth carving, and have fine wide-splayed arches internally. The chapel was already ruinous in 1740, when a burial aisle was built on to the east end, to serve as a resting place for the Captains of Dunstaffnage and their families.

Captain of Dunstaffnage.

Traditionally, an officer called the Hereditary Captain of Dunstaffnage is responsible for the castle and its defence. The office still exists, and to retain the title (now rather a sinecure without military significance), the incumbent is required to spend three nights a year in the castle. No other responsibilities or privileges now attach to the post.

Castle ghost.

A ghost, known as the "Ell-maid of Dunstaffnage", is said to haunt the castle. A type of gruagach, the ghost's appearances are said to be associated with events in the lives of the hereditary keepers.

Dunstaffnage Castle () is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies NNE of Oban, situated on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea.

Dunstaffnage Castle ist eine Burganlage nördlich des Ortes Dunbeg in der Region Argyll and Bute in Schottland. Sie liegt auf einer Halbinsel an der Mündung des Loch Etive in den Firth of Lorne.


History.

Medieval.

The first Muslim invasion of the Deccan took place in 1296. In 1636 the Nizam Shahi dynasty came to an end. In 1663 Shivaji conquered Parali and Satara fort. After the death of Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Shivaji, heir apparent to the Maratha Kingdom, captured by Mughals when he was only seven years old, remained their prisoner till the death of his father in 1700. The Dowager Maharani Tarabai proclaimed his younger half-brother, and her son, Shahu Sambhaji as Chhatrapati Maharaj under her regency. Mughals released Shahu under certain preconditions in 1707, so that Marathas would face an internal war for the throne. Shahu returned to the Maratha Empire and claimed his inheritance. Aurangzeb's son Muhammad Azam Shah conquered Satara fort (Ajinkyatara) after a 6-month siege, later won by Parshuram Pratinidhi in 1706. In 1708 Chattrapati Shahu, the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji, was crowned at the Satara fort. The direct descendants of Raja Shivaji continue to live in Satara. Udayanraje Bhonsle is the 13th descendant of Shivaji Maharaj. Dundle is the Sardar Of Chhatrpati Shivaji Maharaj.

Economy.

Sugarcane is the single biggest crop of Satara. The Satara district has around 302 banks. The per capita of Satara district is nearly 1.2 times the state average. The British had, during the pre-Independence period started a variety of industries in Satara for Menthol and soap manufacturing in 1905. Bigger industries for copper were started in 1922. After independence, the whole district was stagnant in industrial growth. From 1950-60, industrial growth restarted and manufacture of jaggery was started in the Satara Tehsil area. There is tanning industry in Satara city. It existed during the British rule, and after independence, the Maharashtra government established a modern tanning center in 1957.

How to visit.

Satara is about 250 km from Mumbai on National Highway 48 (via Mumbai Pune Expressway and PB road) & 110 km away from Pune. Train services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station, Mumbai to Kolhapur via Satara. Private travels and government state transport buses are available from Borivali, Dadar, Mumbai Central and Thane to Satara. Satara is around 110 km from Pune (Pune Airport is the nearest airport) by road.

Geography.

Satara is located at. It lies in the Satara District. Satara city is surrounded by seven mountains. Satara lies on the slope of Ajinkyatara fort. It lies on the western side of the Deccan Plateau. Pune and Solapur are the main cities close to Satara. The city is surrounded by the tehsils of Koregaon on the West, Karad and Patan on the South, Jawali on the East and Wai on the North.  National Highway 48 (formerly National Highway 4) passes through Satara, between Karad and Khandala. Kaas Plateau, a valley of flowers, is situated 25 kms away from Satara. Water from the Kaas lake is supplied to Satara city for drinking purposes.  The Satara District experiences earthquakes of minor magnitudes. the epicenter of these earthquakes are scattered in Phaltan district.

Climate.

Satara city has a pleasant climate all year round due to mountains surrounding the city. Summers are not too hot and winters are not too cold. Satara city receives moderate rainfall around 1,200 to 1,500 mm all year round.

Tourism.

The famous tourist points near Satara city are:

Demographics.

As of 2011 India census, Satara had a population of 120,079; males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Satara has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 74%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 76%. In Satara, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Marathi is the native and most widely spoken language.  Maharashtra state's sex ratio is 883 girls per 1000 boys, and Satara fares worse still at 881, in spite of the high level of literacy.  The population of Satara has crossed the municipal limits and actual urban agglomerate population 326,765.  The nod for Satara city limit expansion was given by Mr. Devendra Phadanvis then chief minister of Maharashtra on 16 September 2019. The matter was pending for 40 years. The borders of city will be extended upto NH4 towards east, upto Anjikyatara towards south, all region south to Venna river. Shahupuri, Sambhajinagar, Vilaspur and Dare Budruk grampanchayats will become a part of Satara city.

Transport.

Satara city is well connected with the rest of Maharashtra by road and rail. National Highway 48 a part of the Golden Quadrilateral running between Delhi and Chennai passes through Satara connecting Mumbai and Pune on north side and kolhapur on south side in Maharashtra. A bypass was constructed to avoid traffic congestion in the city. National Highway 965D connects Kedgaon, Supe, Morgaon, Nira, Lonand, Wathar up to Satara. National Highway 548C starts from Satara, Satara-Akluj-Latur Highway connects Satara city to Latur, it passes through Koregaon, Pusegaon, Mhaswad, Akluj, Tembhurni and Murud. It will also be a 4 lane highway, work is going to start soon. State Highway 58 connects Satara with Mahabaleshwar and Solapur.  Satara railway station lies on the Pune-Miraj line of the Central Railways and is administered by the Pune Railway Division. The railway station is located a small distance east of the city and is served by several express trains. Sahyadri Express, Koyna Express, Mahalaxmi Express, Maharashtra Express, Goa Express are daily trains that have stops at Satara. Satara Mahad Bankot is a newly declared national highway connecting Satara to the Konkan region.  Satara has railway station situated near Mahuli about 07 km distance on the Satara Pandharpur road from Satara Bus stand. Satara is On Route from Mumbai to Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Bangalore (some trains).

Railways.

You can reach Satara from Mumbai or Pune easily by road or rail ("Mahalaxmi Express", "Koyna Express","Goa Express", "Sahyadri Express" or "Chalukya Express").

Satara () (ISO: Sātārā) is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India, near the confluence of the river Krishna and its tributary, the Venna. The city was established in the 16th century and was the seat of the Raja of Satara, Chhatrapati Shahu. It is the headquarters of Satara Tehsil, as well as the Satara District. The city gets its name from the seven forts (Sat-Tara) which are around the city.

Satara (Marathi: ) ist eine Stadt im indischen Bundesstaat Maharashtra. Satara ist die Verwaltungssitz des gleichnamigen Distrikts. 1699 bis 1700 war hier der Schauplatz der Schlacht um Satara.


History.

In the first century, the anonymous mariner who wrote Periplus of the Erythraean Sea listed Podouke (Pulicat) as one of the three ports on the east coast of India. In the second century, Ptolemy's list of ports on this coast included Podouke Emporion.  In the 13th century, Arabs migrated to the shores of the lagoon after they were banished from Mecca for refusing to pay tributes to a new caliph. Streets with dilapidated masonry houses once occupied by these Arabian Muslims are still found in the area and resident families claim records in Arabic testifying the migration.  Portuguese colonized the lagoon in 16th century followed by the Dutch. The Dutch drifted to the lagoon as their ships got stuck on the shores of Karimanal village on the opposite side of the mouth of the lagoon. During the Dutch occupation, Pulicat was known by the name "Pallaicatta". Fort Geldria dating to 1609, a church, a cemetery with tombs and mausoleums constructed by the Dutch are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Dutch transacted business with the British East India Company and other countries in the region.  A scientific study of the palynological characteristics of the lagoon was conducted by taking sedimentary soil samples from four test pits. It shows that the vegetational reconstruction from peat beds at a.m.s.l. and (a.m.s.l.) in the west at Sullurpeta and Kasdredinilem, respectively, is indicative of a palaeoshoreline. The sea level reached its maximum around 6650 plus or minus 110 yrs BP in Sullurpeta, west from the present shoreline. The radiocarbon dates of peat bed at Kasdreddinilem reveals an age of 4608 plus or minus 122 yrs BP, indicating the shift in mangrove line eastwards during the regressive phase.

Geography and topography.

The lagoon's boundary limits range between 13.33° to 13.66° N and 80.23° to 80.25°E, with a dried part of the lagoon extending up to 14.0°N.; with about 96% of the lagoon in Andhra Pradesh and 3% in Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is aligned parallel to the coast line with its western and eastern parts covered with sand ridges. Area of the lagoon varies with the tide; in high tide and in low tide. Its length is about with width varying from to. Climate of the lagoon coast line is dominated by tropical monsoons. Air temperature varies from to. The large spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal. The sandy barrier islands of Irkam and Venad and smaller islands in the north are aligned north–south and divide the lagoon into eastern and western sectors. The morphology of the lagoons is categorized under four types with large areas under mudflats and sandflats. The fishing village of Pulicat is at the south end of the lake. The Satish Dhawan Space Center is located on the north end of the island. Pulicat, Dugarājupatnam and Sullurpeta are villages located on the periphery of the lagoon.

Hydrology.

Two rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani River at the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest, in addition to some smaller streams. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side. The lagoon's water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota and out flow channel of about width at its southern end, both of which carry flows only during the rainy season. The lagoon acts as buffer to retain the accumulated flood water till the flood water is discharged gradually to the sea during the monsoon period and cyclones. The lagoon and its river basins are located both in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states. The lagoon and its drainage river basins become interstate river basin as per Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956. Most of the lagoon area including its water outlet to the sea is located in Andhra Pradesh. The water quality of the lagoon varies widely during various seasons – summer, pre–monsoon, monsoon and post–monsoon – as the depth and width of the lagoon mouth varies causing a dynamic situation of mixing and circulation of waters. The resultant salinity variation and DO (dissolved oxygen) affects the primary production, plankton, biodiversity and fisheries in this lagoon. Salinity values vary from zero during the monsoon to about 52,000 ppm (hyper saline) during post and pre–monsoon seasons. Adjustment to this wide variation is difficult for sessile and sedentary species in the lagoon. However, euryhaline species still dwell in the lagoon. The benthic or the bottom habitat of this lagoon is classified into three zones. The southern zone, the first zone, is dominated by sand with some admixture of mud. The second zone at the northern region is wholly muddy. The third zone with sand and mud in equal parts is overgrown with patches of weeds and is reported to be rich in benthic biodiversity. Toxicity levels of heavy metals such as magnesium, lead, zinc, nickel, cadmium, aluminum and copper and chemicals such as ammonia, sulphate and fluoride in the lagoon are well within permissible limits. Recently, the lagoon likely experienced up to 40% desalination due to the impact of freshwater floods from the 2015 South India floods

Flora and fauna.

The lagoon has rich flora and fauna diversity, which supports active commercial fisheries and a large and varied bird population.

Limnology.

Fishing is the major occupation in the many villages located around the lagoon periphery and on the islands. The lagoon has rich fish diversity, mostly marine species, some truly brackish water and a few freshwater species. Mullets and catfish are the major brackish water fish, which have supported sustenance fishing for the lagoon fishermen. The lagoon is a nursery for several species of fish. Two thirds of the settlements in the lagoon area are in Tamil Nadu and the balance in Andhra Pradesh. 12,370 fishermen live on full-time fishery in the lagoon (6,000 in Andhra Pradesh and 6,370 in Tamil Nadu).  An average 1200 tonnes of fish and crustaceans are harvested annually, of which prawns constitute 60%, followed by mullets. Seafood exports of white and tiger prawns, jellyfish, finfish and live lagoon green crabs are also economic benefits from the lagoon. 168 total fish species are reported. The frequently found ones are the mullets: "M. cunnesius", "M. jerdoni", "M. dussumieri", "M. cephalus", "M. bornensis" and blowfish "T. nigropunctatus", "T. leopardus", "Barbus dorsalis", catfish "Macrones vittatus", sardines, "Sardinella fimbriata" and milk fish. Finfish, green crabs, clams and prawns are the most commercially exploited fishes of the lagoon. Endangered green sea turtles are found on the beaches of Sriharikota beach. Salt is also produced from the lagoon.

Avifauna.

The shallow lagoon is known for its diversity of aquatic birds and is an important stopover on migration routes and is reported to be the third most important wetland on the eastern coast of India for migratory shorebirds, particularly during the spring and autumn migration seasons. In view of the rich avifauna of the lagoon, two bird sanctuaries are established in the lagoon, one in each of the two states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Andhra Pradesh portion of Pulicat lagoon Bird Sanctuary, established in September 1976, has an area of within the lagoon's total area in the state in the Tada Taluk of Nellore district. The Wildlife Division of the state has listed 115 species of water and land birds in the sanctuary. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is also located nearby in its catchment area. The Tamil Nadu part of the lagoon of area, extending over the Ponneri and Gummidipundi taluks of Thiruvallur district was declared a bird sanctuary in October 1980.  Every year approximately 15,000 greater flamingos are reported to visit the lagoon along with pelicans, kingfishers, herons, painted storks, spoonbills and ducks. The highest concentrations of flamingo are found in the periphery of the lagoon where the water level is below. The concentrations of flamingos are also associated with high algal, fish and benthic diversity. Other water birds in the area include spot-billed pelican, seven species of herons and egrets, painted stork, greater flamingos, ducks, 20 species of shorebirds, gulls, terns, little grebe, Indian cormorant, little cormorant, Asian openbill stork, black-headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, lesser whistling teal, spotbill duck, great thick-knee and stone curlew. Several species of wintering waterfowl have been noted including bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck, Eurasian wigeon, common teal, northern pintail, garganey, northern shoveller, common pochard, brown-headed gull, black-headed gull, whiskered tern, gull-billed tern and Caspian tern. Birds of prey which appear in winter are the: white-bellied sea eagle, harriers and peregrine falcons. The largest concentrations of flamingos occur in the Andhra Pradesh part of the sanctuary, around the islands of Vendadu and Irukkam.

Aquatic vegetation.

Aquatic vegetation reported are 59 species, including eight "Cyanophyceae", seven "Chlorphyceae" and two "Rhodophyceae." Patches of residual, dry, evergreen forest and large areas of littoral scrub in woodlands in fishing villages bordering the lagoon are seen. Invasive phytoplankton species of "Prosopis juliflora", "Spirulina major", "Oscillatoria spp.", "Anabaena spp.", "Rhizosolenia castracanei", "Eucampia cornuta" and "Climacodium frauenfeldianum" in the plains on the periphery of the lake have been recorded.

Threats and issues.

In the Andhra Pradesh part of the lagoon, several threats to the lagoon have been identified. These are: pollution from sewage, pesticides, agricultural chemicals and industrial effluents from Arani and Kalangi rivers draining into the lagoon bringing fertilizers and pesticides with the runoff from the agricultural field into the drainage basin; domestic sewage; effluents and wastes from numerous fish-processing units; oil spills from the mechanized boats. Release of of marine chemicals, and salt-manufacturing industry and shrimp farming in more than on the eastern part of the lagoon, have affected the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary; the livelihood of 30,000 fishermen and 20,000 agricultural labourers (for whom fishing is an off-season economic activity) have also been disturbed. This activity is also reported to have serious impact on aquaculture development.  Siltation and periodic closure of the bar mouth due to the dynamic process of sediment transport has caused reduction of size and seasonal closure of the mouth of the lagoon. It has reduced fresh sea-water exchange and made the lagoon shallow and turbid. It is reported that average depth, in the early 20th century, has been reduced to less than in the lagoon. This has caused difficulties such as the bar mouth getting silted up and being closed during the summer season (June–July to Oct–Nov), and an increase in flood levels during the rainy season. The lagoon acts as a large evaporating basin when the bar is closed resulting in salinity levels remaining low or high subject to the flood discharge into the lagoon during the north east monsoon. Fluctuation of water levels in the lagoon (above or below the sea level) is affecting flora, fauna and fisheries; siltation has caused variation of the lagoon mouth resulting in reduction of tidal inflows and consequent decline in stocking of commercially important species of prawns and mullets. The flood plains reclamation in Arani River basin for industrial and residential purposes is also increasing lagoon maximum water level during the floods.  Runoff from agricultural fields in the drainage basins of the Arani and Kalangi rivers into the lagoon has increased pollution load from fertilizers and pesticides; pollution from domestic sewage is also being released to the lagoon. A petrochemical complex, power plant and a satellite port on Ennore creek have further aggravated the problem; there is threat of flooding of 14 island – villages of the lagoon; subsequent to the tsunami in 2004, the number of fishing boats have increased resulting in the "Catch Per Unit Effort" of fish, prawns and crabs declined from 1000 tonnes to about 700 tonnes; and this has increased the social and fishing rights conflicts between marine based fishermen and the lagoon fishermen.  Due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, lagoon fishery was adversely affected, with many fishing communities losing all means of livelihood until the middle of April 2005, as the loss of lives, homes and boats prevented them from going fishing in the sea and the lagoon. They subsisted on relief supplies provided by the government and other agencies. Many people in fish related trades were also affected. However, a beneficial effect of the tsunami has been the widening of the opening to the lagoon.

Restoration and social activities.

Various groups and non governmental organizations are active in the area. The AARDE Foundation maintains Pulicat Museum at Pazhaverkadu to create awareness among inhabitants and city dwellers. AARDE Foundation represented Pulicat at United Nation's World Urban Forum and HABITAT-III as an associate-partner. Pulicat Day, part of RAMSAR's World Wetlands Day, is celebrated every February by AARDE to bring attention to this fragile environment. An expert plan on "Wildlife Action Plan for Conservation Measures on the Pulicat lagoon Sanctuary" has envisaged to set up a hydro biological research station, visitor center, provide shallow-bottomed boats to enable sanctuary staff to patrol the lagoon and to prepare a management plan and conservation strategy for the entire area. COPDANET is striving to implement traditional "Paadu system" and regular desilting to ensure adequate salt and fresh water mix in the lagoon which could enhance fish resources. Centre for Research on New International Economic Order (CReNIEO) has been promoting welfare of fishermen and management of the natural resources of the lagoon. A research study by Loyola College, Chennai reported in 2007 that the lagoon that bore the brunt of industrial pollution has made an ecological turnaround, recording toxicity levels well within permissible limits. Under the "Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project" (TEAP), construction of a high level bridge across Pulicat lagoon along with approach roads on both sides of the lagoon has been constructed providing a safe escape route for people residing on the islands and also access for emergency response operations.  The southern part of the lagoon in Tamil Nadu from the estuary is rich in fishes and the fishing is controlled by a traditional "Paadu system". Paadu is a traditional system of getting entitlements to eligible members of a particular community for undertaking specified fishing activity in certain designated areas. The fishing grounds fall within a radius of from the mouth of the lagoon with a salinity well maintained without much drying even during low tides. However, this traditional practice is based on caste control of the access rights to the high productive areas and is opposed by eastern fishermen and ocean-side villages. As a result, conflicts leading to violence have been reported.

Transportation.

The Tamil Nadu part of the lagoon is north of Chennai and the nearest airport and major railway station are in Chennai. The nearest suburban railway station is at Ponneri. To reach Pulicat on the National Highway 16 from Chennai, drive north toward Nellore, after, turn right towards Ponneri village and continue to Pulicat village. Sullurpeta station is from Sriharikota. The Buckingham Canal on the western side of the lagoon is the navigation route through the lagoon used by cargo and passenger vessels.

Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, after Chilika Lake. Pulicat Lagoon is considered to be the second largest brackish water body in India measuring. The Lagoon is one of the three important wetlands to attract North-East Monsoon rain clouds during October to December season to Tirupati Region. The lagoon comprises the following regions, which adds up according to Andhra Pradesh Forest Department: 1) Pulicat Lake (Tamil Nadu-TN & Andhra Pradesh-AP) 2) Marshy/Wetland Land Region (AP) 3) Venadu Reserve Forest (AP) 4) Pernadu Reserve Forest (AP) The lagoon was cut across in the middle by the Sriharikota Link Road, which divided the water body into lagoon and marshy land. The lagoon encompasses the Pulicat lagoon Bird Sanctuary. The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Major part of the lagoon comes under Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Der Pulicat-See (Telugu: "Pulicat Sarassu", Tamil: "Pazhaverkadu Eri" ) ist die zweitgrößte Brackwasser-Lagune in Indien. Er überspannt die Grenze zwischen den indischen Bundesstaaten Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu an der Koromandelküste in Südindien. Er wird durch die Insel Sriharikota nahezu vollständig vom Golf von Bengalen abgetrennt, ist aber noch mit dem Meer verbunden. Der See beherbergt eine einmalige Fauna. Der Pulicat-See trägt seinen Namen nach dem an seinem Südende gelegenen Ort Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu), der von 1609 bis 1825 eine niederländische Kolinie war. Auf der Insel Sriharikota befindet sich das Satish Dhawan Space Centre.


Orbit and classification.

"Lennon" is a member of the Vesta family, which is named after the main-belt's second largest asteroid, 4 Vesta. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,326 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic. The first observation was made at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1971, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 12 years prior to its discovery.

Physical characteristics.

"Lennon" has been characterized as a V-type asteroid.

Slow rotator.

In October 2004, a rotational lightcurve of "Lennon" was obtained during a photometric survey of V-type asteroids at several observatories in Japan. The fragmentary lightcurve gave a very long rotation period of 137 hours with a high brightness variation of 0.6 in magnitude ().

Diameter and albedo.

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, "Lennon" measures 5.2 and 7.1 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.24 of 0.42, respectively. The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" assumes a standard albedo for S-type asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 7.5 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.0. The discrepancy is due to disagreement on the body's spectral type (V or S).

Naming.

This minor planet was named in memory of English musician John Lennon (1940–1980), famous for his song "Imagine" and co-founder of "The Beatles", one of the most successful bands in the history of popular music, who are famous for their album ""Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"".  The minor planets 8749 Beatles, 4149 Harrison, 4148 McCartney and 4150 Starr, were named after the band and its three other members. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 April 1990 ().

4147 Lennon, provisional designation, is a stony Vestian asteroid and a potentially slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Brian Skiff at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station on 12 January 1983. It was later named after musician John Lennon.

(4147) Lennon ist ein Hauptgürtel-Asteroid, der am 12. Januar 1983 von Brian A. Skiff vom Lowell-Observatorium aus entdeckt wurde. Der Himmelskörper ist nach dem Ex-Beatle John Lennon benannt.