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-"Abel Mathías Hernández Platero (born 8 August 1990) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Peñarol.Hernández began his career with Central Español and Peñarol, and spent five-and-a-half seasons in Italy with Palermo before joining Hull City for a club record £10 million in September 2014. Four years later, he joined CSKA Moscow, and upon his release signed for Al Ahli in 2019. After was released by the Qatari club a year later, he moved to Brazil, first joining Internacional and later on Fluminense. Now he joined CR Vasco da Gama.A full international since 2010, Hernández has competed at various international tournaments with Uruguay, including their victory at the 2011 Copa América.Nicknamed La Joya, he started his professional career with Uruguayan side Central Español, immediately scoring five goals in his first four games. He was subsequently acquired by Peñarol, where he played a handful of games and also gained a spot into the Under-20 Uruguayan side.On 2 February 2009, Italian Serie A club Palermo completed the signing of Hernández, where he joined fellow Uruguayan Edinson Cavani. He was presented by Palermo only one month later, due to some health concerns regarding a cardiac arrhythmia that led to a small surgical intervention. He made his first team debut on 15 March, replacing Edinson Cavani in the final minutes of a 5–2 home win to Lecce. He then won the Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti with the Primavera under-19 team in June 2009.After missing the initial weeks of the 2009–10 Serie A due to injury and his participation in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Hernández played his first game on 29 October 2009. Coming on as a half-time substitute for Cristian Melinte, he scored in the 5–3 loss to league leaders Internazionale.In 2012–13, Hernández scored only 1 goal in 14 league matches as Palermo suffered relegation. He equalised as a substitute against Udinese in the 81st minute of a home match on 8 May, only for Medhi Benatia to score a winner for the visitors two minutes later. The following campaign, he struck 14 times in 28 Serie B games as the Sicilians returned to the top flight, netting braces in away victories over Padova and Siena, both of which included a penalty kick.Hernández signed for English club Hull City on 1 September 2014 for a club record £10 million on a three-year contract, with the club having an option for a fourth year. Two weeks later he made his debut at the KC Stadium, and scored the first goal of a 2–2 draw with West Ham United. In his next home game against Manchester City on the 27th, he won a penalty after being fouled in the area by Eliaquim Mangala, and scored it in an eventual 2–4 defeat. His next goal came when he put his team into the lead during a 2–2 away draw against Arsenal.Hull were relegated on 24 May 2015 after a goalless draw with Manchester United on the final day of the season. During the match, Hérnandez punched United defender Phil Jones in an off-the-ball incident, not seen by match officials. Two days later, he was charged with violent conduct by The Football Association and subsequently given a three-match ban.On 16 January 2016, in a Championship match against Charlton Athletic, Hernández scored his first club career hat-trick in a game that finished 6–0, taking his league tally to 14 goals for the season. With six goals in four matches, he won January's Football League Championship Player of the Month, and his manager Steve Bruce won the equivalent. At the club's annual awards, held on 3 May 2016, Hernández was named Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.In January 2017, Hernández missed two penalties in the space of two minutes in a FA Cup fourth round match verses Fulham. His first spot kick was saved by Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli before Bettinelli brought-down Hernández while he attempted to reach the rebound. Hernández stepped up once more and was again denied by Bettinelli.During the 2017–18 season, Hernández ruptured his Achilles tendon against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the injury would keep Hernandez out for several months. He returned from injury on 6 March 2018 against Millwall, scoring in a 2–1 defeat. He finished the season with eight goals in just ten appearances.Hernández was offered a new contract by Hull at the end of the 2017–18 season. However, on 4 June, Hernández and Hull City announced he would be leaving the club upon his contract expiry after failing to reach an agreement on signing a new contract offer. He then held discussions with Leeds United over a potential move.On 1 August 2018, Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow announced the signing of Hernández on a three-year contract. He scored his first goal in Russia on 11 August 2018 in his second match in the league, converting the penalty kick to secure an away 1–1 draw against Yenisey Krasnoyarsk. In his next match, on 18 August, he scored again and provided an assist in a 3–0 victory over Arsenal Tula. He played as a 2nd half substitute in CSKA's shock 3–0 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League. The defeat was Real Madrid's heaviest defeat in Europe at home in their history.After making only 15 appearances due to injuries, he was released from his contract by mutual consent on 27 May 2019.Hernández was linked with Nottingham Forest after his release from the Russian capital, but instead signed for Al Ahli SC of the Qatar Stars League, believing that the move would help him back into the national team.On 28 August 2020, Hernández joined Campeonato Brasileiro club Internacional on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract.On 27 July 2010, Hernández was called up for his debut with Uruguay, a friendly against Angola in Lisbon. The game, which was played on 11 August, ended in a 2–0 win for Uruguay, with Hernández being fouled for the penalty, which was scored by Edinson Cavani. Hernández then scored the second goal for the Celeste during injury time. He was part of the Uruguayan team which won the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, making substitute appearances in their opening match and their semi-final victory, both against Peru. He was chosen by Óscar Tabárez for the London 2012 Olympic Uruguay squad, making a half-time substitute appearance in the 0–2 defeat to Senegal at Wembley Stadium, in an eventual group stage exit.The following year, Hernández was selected for Uruguay's squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. In his only appearance, the final group stage match against Tahiti, Hernández scored a first-half hat-trick and went on to become the fourth player in Confederations Cup history to score four goals in one match after converting a second-half penalty goal in Uruguay's 8–0 victory. He was named man of the match for this performance. Hernández was also included in the Uruguayan squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making substitute appearances in their opener against Costa Rica and round of 16 match against Colombia, both defeats. At the 2015 Copa América, he made one start and two substitute appearances as Uruguay reached the quarter-finals.Hernández who was a regular in his national team squads, had just recovered from injury towards the end of the 2017–18 season, missed out on a 2018 World Cup squad place on 16 May 2018, with Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez, Cristhian Stuani and Maxi Gómez favoured ahead of him.As of 9 November 2021As of match played 13 June 2016As of match played 13 June 2016Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hernández goal.PalermoSerie B: 2013–14Hull CityFootball League Championship play-offs: 2016UruguayCopa América: 2011IndividualSouth American U-20 Championship joint top scorer: 2009Football League Championship Player of the Month: January 2016Abel Hernández at Soccerbase","Abel_Hernández | youthclub | Peñarol","","Abel Hernández was a member of youth club Peñarol."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | cityServed | Aarhus, Denmark","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","The Aarhus is the airport of Aarhus. Denmark."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leader | Tom_Tait","Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.","Tom Tait is a leader in Anaheim. California."
-"Denmark (Danish: Danmark, pronounced [ˈtænmɑk] (listen)) is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropolitan part of and the most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited. Spanning a total area of 42,943 km2 (16,580 sq mi), metropolitan Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the most populated island is Zealand, on which the capital and largest city, Copenhagen, is situated, followed by Funen, the North Jutlandic Island, and Amager. Denmark has flat, arable land, sandy coasts, low elevations, and a temperate climate. It had a population of 5.935 million (1 February 2023), of whom 800,000 live in  Copenhagen  (2 million in the wider area). Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm, devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948 and in Greenland in 1979; the latter obtained further autonomy in 2009.The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a proficient maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. In 1397, it joined Norway and Sweden to form the Kalmar Union, which persisted until the latter's secession in 1523. The remaining Kingdom of Denmark–Norway endured a series of wars in the 17th century that resulted in further territorial cessions. A surge of nationalist movements in the 19th century were defeated in the First Schleswig War of 1848. The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended the absolute monarchy and introduced the current parliamentary system. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century, which formed the basis for the present welfare state model and advanced mixed economy. Denmark remained neutral during World War I; Danish neutrality was violated in World War II by a swift German invasion in April 1940. During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark was liberated in May 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands, became a member of what is now the European Union, but negotiated certain opt-outs, such as retaining its own currency, the krone.Denmark is a developed country with a high standard of living. Denmark is a founding member of NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, the OSCE, and the United Nations; it is also part of the Schengen Area. Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate. This is centred primarily on the morpheme 'Dan' and whether it refers to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the -'mark' ending.Most etymological dictionaries and handbooks derive 'Dan' from a word meaning 'flat land', related to German Tenne 'threshing floor', English den 'cave'. The element mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig.The first recorded use of the word Danmark within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones, which are runestones believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old (c. 955) and Harald Bluetooth (c. 965). The larger of the two stones is popularly cited as the 'baptismal certificate' (dåbsattest) of Denmark, though both use the word 'Denmark', in the accusative ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ tanmaurk ([danmɒrk]) on the large stone, and the genitive ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᚱ 'tanmarkar' (pronounced [danmarkaɽ]) on the small stone, while the dative form tąnmarku (pronounced [danmarkʊ]) is found on the contemporaneous Skivum stone. The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC. Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot.During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, and the first tribal Danes came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age, in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of North-West Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron.The tribal Danes came from the east Danish islands (Zealand) and Scania and spoke an early form of North Germanic. Historians believe that before their arrival, most of Jutland and the nearest islands were settled by tribal Jutes. The Jutes migrated to Great Britain eventually, some as mercenaries of Brythonic King Vortigern, and were granted the south-eastern territories of Kent, the Isle of Wight and other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading Angles and Saxons, who formed the Anglo-Saxons. The remaining Jutish population in Jutland assimilated in with the settling Danes.A short note about the Dani in Getica by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of the Danes, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Danes are descended. The Danevirke defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward and the sheer size of the construction efforts in AD 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about AD 700.From the 8th to the 10th century the wider Scandinavian region was the source of Vikings. They colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Danish Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern British Isles and Western Europe. They settled in parts of England (known as the Danelaw) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and in France where Danes and Norwegians were allowed to settle in what would become Normandy in exchange of allegiance to Robert I of France with Rollo as first ruler. Some Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Denmark.Denmark was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as kings (reges). Under the reign of Gudfred in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm.The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old, who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by the Jelling stones, the Danes were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth, the son of Gorm. It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the Holy Roman Empire. A rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an important trading partner for the Danes. As a deterrent against this threat, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built a further Danevirke. In the early 11th century, Canute the Great won and united Denmark, England, and Norway for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army.Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, Denmark also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland, and Blekinge in present-day south Sweden) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia, as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Most of the latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union with Norway and Sweden, united under Queen Margaret I. The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start, Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear 'senior' partner of the union. Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm. The Protestant Reformation spread to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–1613 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing it to return to the union. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom. King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg) and Christiania. Inspired by the Dutch East India Company, he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Ceylon as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast. Denmark's large colonial aspirations included a few key trading posts in Africa and India. While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade, through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu, Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately a lack of resources led to its stagnation.In the Thirty Years' War, Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter. The result was that the Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein was able to invade, occupy, and pillage Jutland, forcing Denmark to withdraw from the war. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. Swedish armies invaded Jutland in 1643 and claimed Scania in 1644. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway.Seeing an opportunity to tear up the Treaty of Brømsebro, King Frederick III of Denmark, in 1657, declared war on Sweden, the latter being deeply involved in the Second Northern War (1655–1660), and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat as the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered Jutland and, following the Swedish March across the frozen Danish straits, occupied Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658, which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge, Bohuslän, Trøndelag, and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen. King Frederick III actively led the defence of the city, rallying its citizens to take up arms, and repelled the Swedish attacks. The siege ended following the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. In the ensuing peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm. Attaining great popularity following the war, Frederick III used this to disband the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy, which lasted until 1848 in Denmark.Denmark tried but failed to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679). After the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to regain control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg and the 1773 Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark traded with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden, and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. This led to the so-called Danish-British Gunboat War. British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813 Denmark–Norway went bankrupt.The union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Danish monarchy 'irrevocably and forever' renounced claims to the Kingdom of Norway in favour of the Swedish king. Denmark kept the possessions of Iceland (which retained the Danish monarchy until 1944), the Faroe Islands and Greenland, all of which had been governed by Norway for centuries. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark continued to rule over Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies from 1671 to 1917.A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848, Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established a two-chamber parliament. Denmark faced war against both Prussia and Austrian Empire in what became known as the Second Schleswig War, lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia. This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railways were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products.Denmark maintained its neutral stance during World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite; the two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kilometres (1,538 sq mi). The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924.In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered. World War II in Denmark was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. The Danish resistance performed a rescue operation that managed to evacuate several thousand Jews and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported Nazism by joining the Danish Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of the Frikorps Danmark. Iceland severed ties with Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944; Germany surrendered in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained home rule. In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of NATO.Denmark was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Seven, as opposed to the Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public referendum. The Maastricht Treaty, which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000. Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded self-determination in 2009. Neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies.Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The centre-left Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model. The Liberal Party and the Conservative People's Party have also led centre-right governments.Located in Northern Europe, Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the largest island is Zealand, on which the capital Copenhagen is situated, followed by the North Jutlandic Island, Funen, and Lolland. The island of Bornholm is located east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund connects Zealand with Sweden; the Great Belt Fixed Link connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The four cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen.The country occupies a total area of 42,943.9 square kilometres (16,581 sq mi). The area of inland water is 700 km2 (270 sq mi), variously stated as from 500 to 700 km2 (193–270 sq mi). Lake Arresø northwest of Copenhagen is the largest lake. The size of the land area cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). Post-glacial rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm (0.4 in) per year in the north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 736 km (457 mi) (land area only:232.33 km (144.36 mi) and 730 km (454 mi) respectively). It shares a border of 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal shoreline (including small bays and inlets). No location in Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total 105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles).Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7' northern latitude; the southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35' northern latitude; the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22' eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55' eastern longitude. This is in the small Ertholmene archipelago 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi).The country is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). Although this is by far the lowest high point in the Nordic countries and also less than half of the highest point in Southern Sweden, Denmark's general elevation in its interior is generally at a safe level from rising sea levels. A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst the coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Denmark largely consists of arable land. It is drained by a dozen or so rivers, and the most significant include the Gudenå, Odense, Skjern, Suså and Vidå—a river that flows along its southern border with Germany.The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island, and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing under their own parliaments (the Løgting and Inatsisartut) and form, together with continental Denmark, part of the Danish Realm.Denmark has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Denmark, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Denmark has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of 765 millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that the weather is often unstable.Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight: short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm (standard time), as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm (daylight saving time).Denmark belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and can be subdivided into two ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests. Almost all of Denmark's primeval temperate forests have been destroyed or fragmented, chiefly for agricultural purposes during the last millennia. The deforestation has created large swaths of heathland and devastating sand drifts. In spite of this, there are several larger second growth woodlands in the country and, in total, 12.9% of the land is now forested. Norway spruce is the most widespread tree (2017); an important tree in the Christmas tree production. Denmark holds a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 0.5/10, ranking it 171st globally out of 172 countries—behind only San Marino.Roe deer occupy the countryside in growing numbers, and large-antlered red deer can be found in the sparse woodlands of Jutland. Denmark is also home to smaller mammals, such as polecats, hares and hedgehogs. Approximately 400 bird species inhabit Denmark and about 160 of those breed in the country. Large marine mammals include healthy populations of Harbour porpoise, growing numbers of pinnipeds and occasional visits of large whales, including blue whales and orcas. Cod, herring and plaice are abundant culinary fish in Danish waters and form the basis for a large fishing industry.Denmark stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas extraction in December 2020.Land and water pollution are two of Denmark's most significant environmental issues, although much of the country's household and industrial waste is now increasingly filtered and sometimes recycled. The country has historically taken a progressive stance on environmental preservation; in 1971 Denmark established a Ministry of Environment and was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law in 1973. To mitigate environmental degradation and global warming the Danish Government has signed the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol. However, the national ecological footprint is 8.26 global hectares per person, which is very high compared to a world average of 1.7 in 2010. Contributing factors to this value are an exceptional high value for cropland but also a relatively high value for grazing land, which may be explained by the substantially high meat production in Denmark (115.8 kilograms (255 lb) meat annually per capita) and the large economic role of the meat and dairy industries. In December 2014, the Climate Change Performance Index for 2015 placed Denmark at the top of the table, explaining that although emissions are still quite high, the country was able to implement effective climate protection policies. In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again. In 2021 Denmark, with Costa Rica, launched the 'Beyond Oil and Gas alliance' for stopping use fossil fuels.Denmark's territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, catch approximately 650 whales per year. Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark. First written in 1849, it establishes a sovereign state in the form of a constitutional monarchy, with a representative unicameral parliamentary system. The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State (privy council). In practice, the duties of the monarch are strictly representative and ceremonial, such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other Government ministers. The Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct. Hereditary monarch Queen Margrethe II has been head of state since 14 January 1972.The Danish parliament is unicameral and called the Folketing (Danish: Folketinget). It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Folketing is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets, approving the state's accounts, appointing and exercising control of the Government, and taking part in international co-operation. Bills may be initiated by the Government or by members of parliament. All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law.Denmark is a representative democracy with universal suffrage. Membership of the Folketing is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 2% electoral threshold. Denmark elects 175 members to the Folketing, with Greenland and the Faroe Islands electing an additional two members each—179 members in total. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Folketing may force a single minister or an entire government to resign.The Government of Denmark operates as a cabinet government, where executive authority is exercised—formally, on behalf of the monarch—by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers, who head ministries. As the executive branch, the Cabinet is responsible for proposing bills and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of Denmark. The position of prime minister belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Folketing; this is often the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties. A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of the number of seats to form a cabinet on its own; Denmark has often been ruled by coalition governments, themselves usually minority governments dependent on non-government parties.Following a general election defeat in June 2015, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne), resigned as prime minister. She was succeeded by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the leader of the Liberal Party (Venstre). Rasmussen became the leader of a cabinet that, unusually, consisted entirely of ministers from his own party. In November 2016, Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives joined the government. Rasmussen held the office from 2009 to 2011, and again from 2015 to 2019, with backing from the Danish People's Party (DF). Following the 2019 general election, the Social Democrats, led by leader Mette Frederiksen, formed a single-party government with support from the left-wing coalition. Frederiksen became prime minister on 27 June 2019. In the November 2022 snap general election, Prime Minister Frederiksen's Social Democrats remained the majority party. In December 2022, Frederiksen formed a new coalition government.Denmark has a civil law system with some references to Germanic law. Denmark resembles Norway and Sweden in never having developed a case-law like that of England and the United States nor comprehensive codes like those of France and Germany. Much of its law is customary.The judicial system of Denmark is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the Kingdom.The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state that comprises, in addition to metropolitan Denmark, two autonomous territories in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. They have been integrated parts of the Danish Realm since the 18th century; however, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of the Realm have extensive political powers and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Home rule was granted to the Faroe Islands in 1948 and to Greenland in 1979, each having previously had the status of counties.The Faroe Islands and Greenland have their own home governments and parliaments and are effectively self-governing in regards to domestic affairs apart from the judicial system and monetary policy. High Commissioners (Rigsombudsmand) act as representatives of the Danish government in the Faroese Løgting and in the Greenlandic Parliament, but they cannot vote. The Faroese home government is defined to be an equal partner with the Danish national government, while the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.Denmark, with a total area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi), is divided into five administrative regions (Danish: regioner). The regions are further subdivided into 98 municipalities (kommuner). The easternmost land in Denmark, the Ertholmene archipelago, with an area of 39 hectares (0.16 sq mi), is neither part of a municipality nor a region but belongs to the Ministry of Defence. The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities. They are not administrative divisions, nor subject for any kind of political elections, but are mainly for statistical use.The regions were created on 1 January 2007 to replace the 16 former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, reducing the number from 270. Most municipalities have a population of at least 20,000 to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule. The administrative divisions are led by directly elected councils, elected proportionally every four years; the most recent Danish local elections were held on 16 November 2021. Other regional structures use the municipal boundaries as a layout, including the police districts, the court districts and the electoral wards.=The governing bodies of the regions are the regional councils, each with forty-one councillors elected for four-year terms. The councils are headed by regional district chairmen (regionsrådsformand), who are elected by the council.The areas of responsibility for the regional councils are the national health service, social services and regional development. Unlike the counties they replaced, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes and the health service is partly financed by a national health care contribution until 2018 (sundhedsbidrag), partly by funds from both government and municipalities. From 1 January 2019 this contribution will be abolished, as it is being replaced by higher income tax instead.The area and populations of the regions vary widely; for example, the Capital Region has a population three times larger than that of North Denmark Region. Under the county system certain densely populated municipalities, such as Copenhagen Municipality and Frederiksberg, had been given a status equivalent to that of counties, making them first-level administrative divisions. These sui generis municipalities were incorporated into the new regions under the 2007 reforms.Denmark wields considerable influence in Northern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs. In recent years, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have been guaranteed a say in foreign policy issues such as fishing, whaling, and geopolitical concerns. The foreign policy of Denmark is substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union (EU); Denmark including Greenland joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the EU's predecessor, in 1973. Denmark held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on seven occasions, most recently from January to June 2012. Following World War II, Denmark ended its two-hundred-year-long policy of neutrality. It has been a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1949, and membership remains highly popular.As a member of Development Assistance Committee (DAC), Denmark has for a long time been among the countries of the world contributing the largest percentage of gross national income to development aid. In 2015, Denmark contributed 0.85% of its gross national income (GNI) to foreign aid and was one of only six countries meeting the longstanding UN target of 0.7% of GNI. The country participates in both bilateral and multilateral aid, with the aid usually administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organisational name of Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is often used, in particular when operating bilateral aid.Denmark's armed forces are known as the Danish Defence (Danish: Forsvaret). The Minister of Defence is commander-in-chief of the Danish Defence, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad. During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence employs around 33,000 in total. The main military branches employ almost 27,000: 15,460 in the Royal Danish Army, 5,300 in the Royal Danish Navy and 6,050 in the Royal Danish Air Force (all including conscripts). The Danish Emergency Management Agency employs 2,000 (including conscripts), and about 4,000 are in non-branch-specific services like the Danish Defence Command and the Danish Defence Intelligence Service. Furthermore, around 44,500 serve as volunteers in the Danish Home Guard.Denmark is a long-time supporter of international peacekeeping, but since the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and the War in Afghanistan in 2001, Denmark has also found a new role as a warring nation, participating actively in several wars and invasions. This relatively new situation has stirred some internal critique, but the Danish population has generally been very supportive, in particular of the War in Afghanistan. The Danish Defence has around 1,400 staff in international missions, not including standing contributions to NATO SNMCMG1. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), with IFOR, and now SFOR. Between 2003 and 2007, there were approximately 450 Danish soldiers in Iraq. Denmark also strongly supported American operations in Afghanistan and has contributed both monetarily and materially to the ISAF. These initiatives are often described by the authorities as part of a new 'active foreign policy' of Denmark.Denmark has a developed mixed economy that is classed as a high-income economy by the World Bank. In 2017, it ranked 16th in the world in terms of gross national income (PPP) per capita and 10th in nominal GNI per capita. Denmark's economy stands out as one of the most free in the Index of Economic Freedom and the Economic Freedom of the World. It is the 10th most competitive economy in the world, and 6th in Europe, according to the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report 2018.Denmark has the fourth highest ratio of tertiary degree holders in the world. The country ranks highest in the world for workers' rights. GDP per hour worked was the 13th highest in 2009. The country has a market income inequality close to the OECD average, but after taxes and public cash transfers the income inequality is considerably lower. According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage. As Denmark has no minimum wage legislation, the high wage floor has been attributed to the power of trade unions. For example, as the result of a collective bargaining agreement between the 3F trade union and the employers group Horesta, workers at McDonald's and other fast food chains make the equivalent of US$20 an hour, which is more than double what their counterparts earn in the United States, and have access to paid vacation, parental leave and a pension plan. Union density in 2015 was 68%.Once a predominantly agricultural country on account of its arable landscape, since 1945 Denmark has greatly expanded its industrial base and service sector. By 2017 services contributed circa 75% of GDP, manufacturing about 15% and agriculture less than 2%. Major industries include wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, machinery and transportation equipment, food processing, and construction. Circa 60% of the total export value is due to export of goods, and the remaining 40% is from service exports, mainly sea transport. The country's main export goods are: wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, furniture and design. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has for a number of years had a balance of payments surplus which has transformed the country from a net debitor to a net creditor country. By 1 July 2018, the net international investment position (or net foreign assets) of Denmark was equal to 64.6% of GDP.Denmark is part of the European Union's internal market, which represents more than 508 million consumers. Several domestic commercial policies are determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and by EU legislation. Support for free trade is high among the Danish public; in a 2016 poll 57% responded saw globalisation as an opportunity whereas 18% viewed it as a threat. 70% of trade flows are inside the European Union. As of 2017, Denmark's largest export partners are Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.Denmark's currency, the krone (DKK), is pegged at approximately 7.46 kroner per euro through the ERM II. Although a September 2000 referendum rejected adopting the euro, the country follows the policies set forth in the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) and meets the economic convergence criteria needed to adopt the euro. The majority of the political parties in the Folketing support joining the EMU, but since 2010 opinion polls have consistently shown a clear majority against adopting the euro. In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P. Møller-Mærsk (international shipping), Novo Nordisk (pharmaceuticals), ISS A/S (facility services), Vestas (wind turbines), Arla Foods (dairy), DSV (transport), Carlsberg Group (beer), Salling Group (retail), Ørsted A/S (power), Danske Bank.The Danish government focused into methods to increase taxes on energy dealers in 2023.Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterised by extensive government welfare provisions. Denmark has a corporate tax rate of 22% and a special time-limited tax regime for expatriates. The Danish taxation system is broad based, with a 25% value-added tax, in addition to excise taxes, income taxes and other fees. The overall level of taxation (sum of all taxes, as a percentage of GDP) was 46% in 2017. The tax structure of Denmark (the relative weight of different taxes) differs from the OECD average, as the Danish tax system in 2015 was characterised by substantially higher revenues from taxes on personal income and a lower proportion of revenues from taxes on corporate income and gains and property taxes than in OECD generally, whereas no revenues at all derive from social security contributions. The proportion deriving from payroll taxes, VAT, and other taxes on goods and services correspond to the OECD averageAs of 2014, 6% of the population was reported to live below the poverty line, when adjusted for taxes and transfers. Denmark has the 2nd lowest relative poverty rate in the OECD, below the 11.3% OECD average. The share of the population reporting that they feel that they cannot afford to buy sufficient food in Denmark is less than half of the OECD average.Like other Nordic countries, Denmark has adopted the Nordic Model, which combines free market capitalism with a comprehensive welfare state and strong worker protection. As a result of its acclaimed 'flexicurity' model, Denmark has the freest labour market in Europe, according to the World Bank. Employers can hire and fire whenever they want (flexibility), and between jobs, unemployment compensation is relatively high (security). According to OECD, initial as well as long-term net replacement rates for unemployed persons were 65% of previous net income in 2016, against an OECD average of 53%. Establishing a business can be done in a matter of hours and at very low costs. No restrictions apply regarding overtime work, which allows companies to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With an employment rate in 2017 of 74.2% for people aged 15–64-years, Denmark ranks 9th highest among the OECD countries, and above the OECD average of 67.8%. The unemployment rate was 5.7% in 2017, which is considered close to or below its structural level.The level of unemployment benefits is dependent on former employment and normally on membership of an unemployment fund, which is usually closely connected to a trade union, and previous payment of contributions. Circa 65% of the financing comes from earmarked member contributions, whereas the remaining third originates from the central government and hence from general taxation.Denmark has a long tradition of scientific and technological invention and engagement, and has been involved internationally from the very start of the scientific revolution. In current times, Denmark is participating in many high-profile international science and technology projects, including CERN, ITER, ESA, ISS and E-ELT. Denmark was ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, down from 6th in 2020 and from 7th in 2019.In the 20th century, Danes have also been innovative in several fields of the technology sector. Danish companies have been influential in the shipping industry with the design of the largest and most energy efficient container ships in the world, the Maersk Triple E class, and Danish engineers have contributed to the design of MAN Diesel engines. In the software and electronic field, Denmark contributed to design and manufacturing of Nordic Mobile Telephones, and the now-defunct Danish company DanCall was among the first to develop GSM mobile phones.Life science is a key sector with extensive research and development activities. Danish engineers are world-leading in providing diabetes care equipment and medication products from Novo Nordisk and, since 2000, the Danish biotech company Novozymes, the world market leader in enzymes for first generation starch-based bioethanol, has pioneered development of enzymes for converting waste to cellulosic ethanol. Medicon Valley, spanning the Øresund Region between Zealand and Sweden, is one of Europe's largest life science clusters.Danish-born computer scientists and software engineers have taken leading roles in some of the world's programming languages: Anders Hejlsberg (Turbo Pascal, Delphi, C#); Rasmus Lerdorf (PHP); Bjarne Stroustrup (C++); David Heinemeier Hansson (Ruby on Rails); Lars Bak, a pioneer in virtual machines (V8, Java VM, Dart). Physicist Lene Vestergaard Hau is the first person to stop light, leading to advances in quantum computing, nanoscale engineering, and linear optics.Denmark has considerably large deposits of oil and natural gas in the North Sea and ranks as number 32 in the world among net exporters of crude oil and was producing 259,980 barrels of crude oil a day in 2009. Denmark is a long-time leader in wind power: In 2015 wind turbines provided 42.1% of the total electricity consumption. In May 2011 Denmark derived 3.1% of its gross domestic product from renewable (clean) energy technology and energy efficiency, or around €6.5 billion ($9.4 billion). Denmark is connected by electric transmission lines to other European countries.Denmark's electricity sector has integrated energy sources such as wind power into the national grid. Denmark now aims to focus on intelligent battery systems (V2G) and plug-in vehicles in the transport sector. The country is a member nation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).Denmark exported roughly 460 million GJ of energy in 2018.Significant investment has been made in building road and rail links between regions in Denmark, most notably the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects Zealand and Funen. It is now possible to drive from Frederikshavn in northern Jutland to Copenhagen on eastern Zealand without leaving the motorway. The main railway operator is DSB for passenger services and DB Cargo for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by Banedanmark. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are intertwined by various, international ferry links. Construction of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, connecting Denmark and Germany with a second link, Started in 2021. Copenhagen has a rapid transit system, the Copenhagen Metro, and an extensive electrified suburban railway network, the S-train. In the four largest cities – Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg – light rail systems are planned to be in operation around 2020.Cycling in Denmark is a very common form of transport, particularly for the young and for city dwellers. With a network of bicycle routes extending more than 12,000 km and an estimated 7,000 km of segregated dedicated bicycle paths and lanes, Denmark has a solid bicycle infrastructure.Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transport. Because of the high registration tax (150%), VAT (25%), and one of the world's highest income tax rates, new cars are very expensive. The purpose of the tax is to discourage car ownership.In 2007, an attempt was made by the government to favour environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high mileage vehicles. However, this has had little effect, and in 2008 Denmark experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficient old cars, as the cost for older cars—including taxes—keeps them within the budget of many Danes.As of 2011, the average car age is 9.2 years.With Norway and Sweden, Denmark is part of the Scandinavian Airlines flag carrier. Copenhagen Airport is Scandinavia's busiest passenger airport, handling over 25 million passengers in 2014. Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020. Denmark has one of the oldest populations in the world, with the average age of 41.9 years, with 0.97 males per female. Despite a low birth rate, the population is growing at an average annual rate of 0.59% because of net immigration and increasing longevity. The World Happiness Report frequently ranks Denmark's population as the happiest in the world. This has been attributed to the country's highly regarded education and health care systems, and its low level of income inequality.Denmark is a historically homogeneous nation. However, as with its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark has recently transformed from a nation of net emigration, up until World War II, to a nation of net immigration. Today, residence permits are issued mostly to immigrants from other EU countries (54% of all non-Scandinavian immigrants in 2017). Another 31% of residence permits were study- or work-related, 4% were issued to asylum seekers and 10% to persons who arrive as family dependants. Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality. The remaining 13.89% were of foreign background, defined as immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants. With the same definition, the most common countries of origin were Turkey, Poland, Syria, Germany, Iraq, Romania, Lebanon, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Somalia.The Inuit are indigenous to Greenland in the Kingdom and have traditionally inhabited Greenland and the northern parts of Canada and Alaska in the Arctic. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language and culture. Because of this 'Danization process', some persons of Inuit ancestry now identify their mother tongue as Danish.Danish is the de facto national language of Denmark. Faroese and Greenlandic are the official languages of the Faroe Islands and Greenland respectively. German is a recognised minority language in the area of the former South Jutland County (now part of the Region of Southern Denmark), which was part of the German Empire prior to the Treaty of Versailles. Danish and Faroese belong to the North Germanic (Nordic) branch of the Indo-European languages, along with Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish. There is a limited degree of mutual intelligibility between Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Danish is more distantly related to German, which is a West Germanic language. Greenlandic or 'Kalaallisut' is an Inuit language, and is entirely unrelated to Danish.A large majority (86%) of Danes speak English as a second language, generally with a high level of proficiency. German is the second-most spoken foreign language, with 47% reporting a conversational level of proficiency. Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark. In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation. The membership percentage have been in steadily decline since the 1970s, mainly as fewer newborns are being baptised into it. Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services and only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life.The Constitution states that the sovereign must have the Lutheran faith, though the rest of the population is free to adhere to other faiths. In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially. Until the 1970s, the state formally recognised 'religious societies' by royal decree. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition. Denmark's Muslims make up approximately 4.4% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion. The Danish Foreign Ministry estimates that other religious groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together.According to a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 28% of Danish nationals polled responded that they 'believe there is a God', 47% responded that they 'believe there is some sort of spirit or life force' and 24% responded that they 'do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force'. Another poll, carried out in 2009, found that 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believe he is the saviour of the world.All educational programmes in Denmark are regulated by the Ministry of Education and administered by local municipalities. Folkeskole covers the entire period of compulsory education, encompassing primary and lower secondary education. Most children attend folkeskole for 10 years, from the ages of 6 to 16. There are no final examinations, but pupils can choose to sit an exam when finishing ninth grade (14–15 years old). The test is obligatory if further education is to be attended. Alternatively pupils can attend an independent school (friskole), or a private school (privatskole), such as Christian schools or Waldorf schools.Following graduation from compulsory education, there are several continuing educational opportunities; the Gymnasium (STX) attaches importance in teaching a mix of humanities and science, Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) focuses on scientific subjects and the Higher Commercial Examination Programme emphasises on subjects in economics. Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) is similar to Gymnasium (STX), but is one year shorter. For specific professions, there is vocational education, training young people for work in specific trades by a combination of teaching and apprenticeship.The government records upper secondary school completion rates of 95% and tertiary enrollment and completion rates of 60%. All university and college (tertiary) education in Denmark is free of charges; there are no tuition fees to enrol in courses. Students aged 18 or above may apply for state educational support grants, known as Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (SU), which provides fixed financial support, disbursed monthly. Danish universities offer international students a range of opportunities for obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in Denmark. Many programmes may be taught in the English language, the academic lingua franca, in bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorates and student exchange programmes.As of 2015, Denmark has a life expectancy of 80.6 years at birth (78.6 for men, 82.5 for women), up from 76.9 years in 2000. This ranks it 27th among 193 nations, behind the other Nordic countries. The National Institute of Public Health of the University of Southern Denmark has calculated 19 major risk factors among Danes that contribute to a lowering of the life expectancy; this includes smoking, alcohol, drug abuse and physical inactivity. Although the obesity rate is lower than in North America and most other European countries, the large number of overweight Danes results in an annual additional consumption in the health care system of DKK 1,625 million. In a 2012 study, Denmark had the highest cancer rate of all countries listed by the World Cancer Research Fund International; researchers suggest the reasons are better reporting, but also lifestyle factors like heavy alcohol consumption, smoking and physical inactivity.Denmark has a universal health care system, characterised by being publicly financed through taxes and, for most of the services, run directly by the regional authorities. One of the sources of income was a national health care contribution (sundhedsbidrag) (2007–11:8%; '12:7%; '13:6%; '14:5%; '15:4%; '16:3%; '17:2%; '18:1%; '19:0%) but it was phased out from January 2019 in favor of income taxes. This means that most health care provision is free at the point of delivery for all residents. Additionally, roughly two in five have complementary private insurance to cover services not fully covered by the state, such as physiotherapy. As of 2012, Denmark spends 11.2% of its GDP on health care; this is up from 9.8% in 2007 (US$3,512 per capita). This places Denmark above the OECD average and above the other Nordic countries.Denmark is the only country to have officially used the word 'ghetto' in the 21st century to denote certain residential areas. From 2010 to 2021, the Danish Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing published ghettolisten (List of ghettos) which in 2018 consisted of 25 areas. As a result, the term is widely used in the media and common parlance. The legal designation is applied to areas based on the residents' income levels, employment status, education levels, criminal convictions and non-Western ethnic background. In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants. The population proportion of 'ghetto residents' with non-Western background was 66.5%.In 2018, the government has proposed measures to solve the issue of integration and to rid the country of parallel societies and ghettos by 2030. The measures focus on physical redevelopment, control over who is allowed to live in these areas, crime abatement and education. These policies have been criticised for undercutting 'equality before law' and for portraying immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, in a bad light. While some proposals like restricting 'ghetto children' to their homes after 8 p.m. have been rejected for being too radical, most of the 22 proposals have been agreed upon by a parliamentary majority.In 2021, the term ghetto was dropped and replaced by parallel society and vulnerable region.Denmark shares strong cultural and historic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Norway. It has historically been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark. Modesty and social equality are important parts of Danish culture. In a 2016 study comparing empathy scores of 63 countries, Denmark ranked 4th world-wide having the highest empathy among surveyed European countries.The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe, Ludwig A. Colding's neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard, the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen), the plays of Ludvig Holberg, and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein, have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. From the mid-1990s, Danish films have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 like those of Lars von Trier.A major feature of Danish culture is Jul (Danish Christmas). The holiday is celebrated throughout December, starting either at the beginning of Advent or on 1 December with a variety of traditions, culminating with the Christmas Eve meal.There are seven heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in Northern Europe: Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, the Jelling Mounds (Runic Stones and Church), Kronborg Castle, Roskilde Cathedral, and The par force hunting landscape in North Zealand and 3 in the World Heritage list in North America: Ilulissat Icefjord, Aasivissuit — Nipisat, Kujataa within the Kingdom of Denmark.Denmark has been considered a progressive country, which has adopted legislation and policies to support women's rights, minority rights, and LGBT rights. Human rights in Denmark are protected by the state's Constitution of the Realm (Danmarks Riges Grundlov); applying equally in Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and through the ratification of international human rights treaties. Denmark has held a significant role in the adoption of both the European Convention on Human Rights and in the establishment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 1987, the Kingdom Parliament (Folketinget) established a national human rights institution, the Danish Centre of Human Rights, now the Danish Institute for Human Rights.In 2009, a referendum on changing the Danish Act of Succession were held to grant absolute primogeniture to the Danish throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. As it was not retroactive, the current successor to the throne is the eldest son of the King, rather than his eldest child. The Danish constitution Article 2 states that 'The monarchy is inherited by men and women'.The Inuit have for decades been the subject of discrimination and abuse by the dominant colonisers from Europe, those countries claiming possession of Inuit lands. The Inuit have never been a single community in a single region of Inuit. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the indigenous people of Greenland, the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language, culture and religion. Denmark has been greatly criticised by the Greenlandic community for the politics of Danization (1950s and 1960s) of and discrimination against the indigenous population of the country. Critical treatment paying non-Inuit workers higher wages than the local people, the relocation of entire families from their traditional lands into settlements, and separating children from their parents and sending them away to Denmark for schooling has been practised. Nevertheless, Denmark ratified, in 1996, to recognise the ILO-convention 169 on indigenous people recommended by the UN.Denmark was the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions in the form of registered partnerships in 1989. On 7 June 2012, the law was replaced by a new same-sex marriage law, which came into effect on 15 June 2012. Greenland and the Faroe Islands legalised same-sex marriage in April 2016, and in July 2017 respectively. In January 2016, a resolution was implemented by the Danish parliament which prevented transgender identity being classified as a mental health condition. In doing so, Denmark became the first country in Europe to go against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which classified transgender identity as being a mental health issue until June 2018.Danish cinema dates back to 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of productions due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. There have been three big internationally important waves of Danish cinema: erotic melodrama of the silent era; the increasingly explicit sex films of the 1960s and 1970s; and lastly, the Dogme 95 movement of the late 1990s, where directors often used hand-held cameras to dynamic effect in a conscious reaction against big-budget studios. Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical innovation. The Danish filmmaker Carl Th. Dreyer is considered one of the greatest directors of early cinema.Other Danish filmmakers of note include Erik Balling, the creator of the popular Olsen-banden films; Gabriel Axel, an Oscar-winner for Babette's Feast in 1987; and Bille August, the Oscar-, Palme d'Or- and Golden Globe-winner for Pelle the Conqueror in 1988. In the modern era, notable filmmakers in Denmark include Lars von Trier, who co-created the Dogme movement, and multiple award-winners Susanne Bier and Nicolas Winding Refn. Mads Mikkelsen is a world-renowned Danish actor, as is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.Danish mass media date back to the 1540s, when handwritten fly sheets reported on the news. In 1666, Anders Bording, the father of Danish journalism, began a state paper. In 1834, the first liberal, factual newspaper appeared, and the 1849 Constitution established lasting freedom of the press in Denmark.Modern Danish mass media and news programming are dominated by a few large corporations. In printed media JP/Politikens Hus and Berlingske Media, between them, control the largest newspapers Politiken, Berlingske Tidende and Jyllands-Posten and major tabloids B.T. and Ekstra Bladet. In television, publicly owned stations DR and TV 2 have large shares of the viewers. DR in particular is famous for its high quality TV-series often sold to foreign broadcasters and often with leading female characters like internationally known actresses Sidse Babett Knudsen and Sofie Gråbøl. In radio, DR has a near monopoly, currently broadcasting on all four nationally available FM channels, competing only with local stations.Denmark and its multiple outlying islands have a wide range of folk traditions. The country's most famous classical composer is Carl Nielsen (1865–1931), especially remembered for his six symphonies and his Wind Quintet, while the Royal Danish Ballet specialises in the work of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville. The Royal Danish Orchestra is among the world's oldest orchestras. Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired international recognition.The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of international fame, including Aqua, Alphabeat, D-A-D, King Diamond, Kashmir, Lukas Graham, Mew, Michael Learns to Rock, MØ, Oh Land, The Raveonettes and Volbeat, among others. Lars Ulrich, the drummer of the band Metallica, has become the first Danish musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen is the largest music festival in Northern Europe since 1971 and Denmark has many recurring music festivals of all genres throughout, including Aarhus International Jazz Festival, Skanderborg Festival, The Blue Festival in Aalborg, Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival and Skagen Festival among many others.Denmark has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957 and has won the contest three times, in 1963, 2000 and 2013.Denmark's architecture became firmly established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque, then Gothic churches and cathedrals sprang up throughout the country. From the 16th century, Dutch and Flemish designers were brought to Denmark, initially to improve the country's fortifications, but increasingly to build magnificent royal castles and palaces in the Renaissance style.During the 17th century, many impressive buildings were built in the Baroque style, both in the capital and the provinces. Neoclassicism from France was slowly adopted by native Danish architects who increasingly participated in defining architectural style. A productive period of Historicism ultimately merged into the 19th-century National Romantic style.The 20th century brought along new architectural styles; including expressionism, best exemplified by the designs of architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, which relied heavily on Scandinavian brick Gothic traditions; and Nordic Classicism, which enjoyed brief popularity in the early decades of the century. It was in the 1960s that Danish architects such as Arne Jacobsen entered the world scene with their highly successful Functionalist architecture. This, in turn, has evolved into more recent world-class masterpieces including Jørn Utzon's Sydney Opera House and Johan Otto von Spreckelsen's Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris, paving the way for a number of contemporary Danish designers such as Bjarke Ingels to be rewarded for excellence both at home and abroad.Danish design is a term often used to describe a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in the mid-20th century, originating in Denmark. Danish design is typically applied to industrial design, furniture and household objects, which have won many international awards. The Royal Porcelain Factory is famous for the quality of its ceramics. Danish design is also a well-known brand, often associated with world-famous, 20th-century designers and architects such as Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Verner Panton. Other designers of note include Kristian Solmer Vedel in the area of industrial design, Jens Quistgaard for kitchen furniture and implements and Ole Wanscher who had a classical approach to furniture design.The first known Danish literature is myths and folklore from the 10th and 11th century. Saxo Grammaticus, normally considered the first Danish writer, worked on a chronicle of Danish history (Gesta Danorum). Very little is known of other Danish literature from the Middle Ages. With the Age of Enlightenment came Ludvig Holberg whose comedy plays are still being performed.In the late 19th century, literature was seen as a way to influence society. Known as the Modern Breakthrough, this movement was championed by Georg Brandes, Henrik Pontoppidan (awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature) and J. P. Jacobsen. Romanticism influenced the renowned writer and poet Hans Christian Andersen, known for his stories and fairy tales, e.g. The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen. In recent history Johannes Vilhelm Jensen was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Karen Blixen is famous for her novels and short stories. Other Danish writers of importance are Herman Bang, Gustav Wied, William Heinesen, Martin Andersen Nexø, Piet Hein, Hans Scherfig, Klaus Rifbjerg, Dan Turèll, Tove Ditlevsen, Inger Christensen and Peter Høeg.Danish philosophy has a long tradition as part of Western philosophy. Perhaps the most influential Danish philosopher was Søren Kierkegaard, the creator of Christian existentialism. Kierkegaard had a few Danish followers, including Harald Høffding, who later in his life moved on to join the movement of positivism. Another Danish philosopher of note is Grundtvig, whose philosophy gave rise to a new form of non-aggressive nationalism in Denmark, and who is also influential for his theological and historical works.While Danish art was influenced over the centuries by trends in Germany and the Netherlands, the 15th and 16th century church frescos, which can be seen in many of the country's older churches, are of particular interest as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters.The Danish Golden Age, which began in the first half of the 19th century, was inspired by a new feeling of nationalism and romanticism, typified in the later previous century by history painter Nicolai Abildgaard. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was not only a productive artist in his own right but taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where his students included Wilhelm Bendz, Christen Købke, Martinus Rørbye, Constantin Hansen, and Wilhelm Marstrand.In 1871, Holger Drachmann and Karl Madsen visited Skagen in the far north of Jutland where they quickly built up one of Scandinavia's most successful artists' colonies specialising in Naturalism and Realism rather than in the traditional approach favoured by the academy. Hosted by Michael and his wife Anna, they were soon joined by P.S. Krøyer, Carl Locher and Laurits Tuxen. All participated in painting the natural surroundings and local people. Similar trends developed on Funen with the Fynboerne who included Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen, and on the island of Bornholm with the Bornholm school of painters including Niels Lergaard, Kræsten Iversen and Oluf Høst.Painting has continued to be a prominent form of artistic expression in Danish culture, inspired by and also influencing major international trends in this area. These include impressionism and the modernist styles of expressionism, abstract painting and surrealism. While international co-operation and activity has almost always been essential to the Danish artistic community, influential art collectives with a firm Danish base includes De Tretten (1909–1912), Linien (1930s and 1940s), COBRA (1948–1951), Fluxus (1960s and 1970s), De Unge Vilde (1980s) and more recently Superflex (founded in 1993). Notable Danish painters from modern times representing various art movements include Theodor Philipsen (impressionism and naturalism), Anna Klindt Sørensen (expressionism), Franciska Clausen (Neue Sachlichkeit, cubism, surrealism and others), Henry Heerup (naivism), Robert Jacobsen (abstract painting), Carl Henning Pedersen (abstract painting), Asger Jorn (Situationist, abstract painting), Bjørn Wiinblad (art deco, orientalism), Per Kirkeby (neo-expressionism, abstract painting), Per Arnoldi (pop art), and Michael Kvium (neo-surrealism).Danish photography has developed from strong participation and interest in the very beginnings of the art of photography in 1839. Pioneers such as Mads Alstrup and Georg Emil Hansen paved the way for a rapidly growing profession during the last half of the 19th century. Today Danish photographers such as Astrid Kruse Jensen and Jacob Aue Sobol are active in key exhibitions around the world.The traditional cuisine of Denmark, like that of the other Nordic countries and of Northern Germany, consists mainly of meat, fish and potatoes. Danish dishes are highly seasonal, stemming from the country's agricultural past, its geography, and its climate of long, cold winters.The open sandwiches on rye bread, known as smørrebrød, can be considered a national speciality. Hot meals traditionally consist of ground meats, such as frikadeller (meat balls of veal and pork) and hakkebøf (minced beef patties), or of more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg (roast pork with crackling) and kogt torsk (poached cod) with mustard sauce. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine. Also inspired by continental practices, Danish chefs have recently developed a new innovative cuisine and a series of gourmet dishes based on high-quality local produce known as New Danish cuisine. As a result of these developments, Denmark now has a considerable number of internationally acclaimed restaurants of which several have been awarded Michelin stars. This includes Geranium and Noma in Copenhagen.Sports are popular in Denmark, and its citizens participate in and watch a wide variety. The national sport is football, with over 320,000 players in more than 1600 clubs. Denmark qualified six times consecutively for the European Championships between 1984 and 2004, and were crowned European champions in 1992; other significant achievements include winning the Confederations Cup in 1995 and reaching the quarter-final of the 1998 World Cup.The Denmark women's national handball team celebrated great successes during the 1990s and has won a total of 13 medals – seven gold (in 1994, 1996 (2), 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2004), four silver (in 1962, 1993, 1998 and 2004) and two bronze (in 1995 and 2013). On the men's side, Denmark has won 12 medals—four gold (in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2019), four silver (in 1967, 2011, 2013 and 2014) and four bronze (in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007)—the most that have been won by any team in European Handball Championship history. In 2019, the Danish men's national handball team won their first World Championship title.In recent years, Denmark has made a mark as a strong cycling nation, with Michael Rasmussen reaching King of the Mountains status in the Tour de France in 2005 and 2006. Other popular sports include golf—which is mostly popular among those in the older demographic; tennis—in which Denmark is successful on a professional level; basketball—Denmark joined the international governing body FIBA in 1951; rugby—the Danish Rugby Union dates back to 1950; ice hockey— often competing in the top division in the Men's World Championships; rowing—Denmark specialise in lightweight rowing and are particularly known for their lightweight coxless four, having won six gold and two silver World Championship medals and three gold and two bronze Olympic medals; and several indoor sports—especially badminton, table tennis and gymnastics, in each of which Denmark holds World Championships and Olympic medals.Index of Denmark-related articlesOutline of DenmarkReligion in DenmarkDenmark.dk Archived 11 December 2020 at the Wayback MachineDenmark. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.Denmark entry at Britannica.com.Gosse, Edmund William (1878). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). pp. 80–94.Gosse, Edmund William (1911). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). pp. 23–44.Kristiansen, M. (1922). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.).Denmark at CurlieDenmark profile from the BBC News.Key Development Forecasts for Denmark from International Futures.","Denmark | religion | Church_of_Denmark","Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited.Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate.The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC.The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark.Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour.Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining.Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen.After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century.In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again.Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark.It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third.The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities.According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage.In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P.Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020.Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality.Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark.In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation.In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially.In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants.In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark.Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine.'Denmark' .'Denmark' .'Denmark' .","The official religion of Denmark is the Church of Denmark."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | cityServed | Aarhus, Denmark","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus Airport serves the city of Aarhus. Denmark."
-"Abel Mathías Hernández Platero (born 8 August 1990) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Peñarol.Hernández began his career with Central Español and Peñarol, and spent five-and-a-half seasons in Italy with Palermo before joining Hull City for a club record £10 million in September 2014. Four years later, he joined CSKA Moscow, and upon his release signed for Al Ahli in 2019. After was released by the Qatari club a year later, he moved to Brazil, first joining Internacional and later on Fluminense. Now he joined CR Vasco da Gama.A full international since 2010, Hernández has competed at various international tournaments with Uruguay, including their victory at the 2011 Copa América.Nicknamed La Joya, he started his professional career with Uruguayan side Central Español, immediately scoring five goals in his first four games. He was subsequently acquired by Peñarol, where he played a handful of games and also gained a spot into the Under-20 Uruguayan side.On 2 February 2009, Italian Serie A club Palermo completed the signing of Hernández, where he joined fellow Uruguayan Edinson Cavani. He was presented by Palermo only one month later, due to some health concerns regarding a cardiac arrhythmia that led to a small surgical intervention. He made his first team debut on 15 March, replacing Edinson Cavani in the final minutes of a 5–2 home win to Lecce. He then won the Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti with the Primavera under-19 team in June 2009.After missing the initial weeks of the 2009–10 Serie A due to injury and his participation in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Hernández played his first game on 29 October 2009. Coming on as a half-time substitute for Cristian Melinte, he scored in the 5–3 loss to league leaders Internazionale.In 2012–13, Hernández scored only 1 goal in 14 league matches as Palermo suffered relegation. He equalised as a substitute against Udinese in the 81st minute of a home match on 8 May, only for Medhi Benatia to score a winner for the visitors two minutes later. The following campaign, he struck 14 times in 28 Serie B games as the Sicilians returned to the top flight, netting braces in away victories over Padova and Siena, both of which included a penalty kick.Hernández signed for English club Hull City on 1 September 2014 for a club record £10 million on a three-year contract, with the club having an option for a fourth year. Two weeks later he made his debut at the KC Stadium, and scored the first goal of a 2–2 draw with West Ham United. In his next home game against Manchester City on the 27th, he won a penalty after being fouled in the area by Eliaquim Mangala, and scored it in an eventual 2–4 defeat. His next goal came when he put his team into the lead during a 2–2 away draw against Arsenal.Hull were relegated on 24 May 2015 after a goalless draw with Manchester United on the final day of the season. During the match, Hérnandez punched United defender Phil Jones in an off-the-ball incident, not seen by match officials. Two days later, he was charged with violent conduct by The Football Association and subsequently given a three-match ban.On 16 January 2016, in a Championship match against Charlton Athletic, Hernández scored his first club career hat-trick in a game that finished 6–0, taking his league tally to 14 goals for the season. With six goals in four matches, he won January's Football League Championship Player of the Month, and his manager Steve Bruce won the equivalent. At the club's annual awards, held on 3 May 2016, Hernández was named Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.In January 2017, Hernández missed two penalties in the space of two minutes in a FA Cup fourth round match verses Fulham. His first spot kick was saved by Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli before Bettinelli brought-down Hernández while he attempted to reach the rebound. Hernández stepped up once more and was again denied by Bettinelli.During the 2017–18 season, Hernández ruptured his Achilles tendon against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the injury would keep Hernandez out for several months. He returned from injury on 6 March 2018 against Millwall, scoring in a 2–1 defeat. He finished the season with eight goals in just ten appearances.Hernández was offered a new contract by Hull at the end of the 2017–18 season. However, on 4 June, Hernández and Hull City announced he would be leaving the club upon his contract expiry after failing to reach an agreement on signing a new contract offer. He then held discussions with Leeds United over a potential move.On 1 August 2018, Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow announced the signing of Hernández on a three-year contract. He scored his first goal in Russia on 11 August 2018 in his second match in the league, converting the penalty kick to secure an away 1–1 draw against Yenisey Krasnoyarsk. In his next match, on 18 August, he scored again and provided an assist in a 3–0 victory over Arsenal Tula. He played as a 2nd half substitute in CSKA's shock 3–0 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League. The defeat was Real Madrid's heaviest defeat in Europe at home in their history.After making only 15 appearances due to injuries, he was released from his contract by mutual consent on 27 May 2019.Hernández was linked with Nottingham Forest after his release from the Russian capital, but instead signed for Al Ahli SC of the Qatar Stars League, believing that the move would help him back into the national team.On 28 August 2020, Hernández joined Campeonato Brasileiro club Internacional on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract.On 27 July 2010, Hernández was called up for his debut with Uruguay, a friendly against Angola in Lisbon. The game, which was played on 11 August, ended in a 2–0 win for Uruguay, with Hernández being fouled for the penalty, which was scored by Edinson Cavani. Hernández then scored the second goal for the Celeste during injury time. He was part of the Uruguayan team which won the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, making substitute appearances in their opening match and their semi-final victory, both against Peru. He was chosen by Óscar Tabárez for the London 2012 Olympic Uruguay squad, making a half-time substitute appearance in the 0–2 defeat to Senegal at Wembley Stadium, in an eventual group stage exit.The following year, Hernández was selected for Uruguay's squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. In his only appearance, the final group stage match against Tahiti, Hernández scored a first-half hat-trick and went on to become the fourth player in Confederations Cup history to score four goals in one match after converting a second-half penalty goal in Uruguay's 8–0 victory. He was named man of the match for this performance. Hernández was also included in the Uruguayan squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making substitute appearances in their opener against Costa Rica and round of 16 match against Colombia, both defeats. At the 2015 Copa América, he made one start and two substitute appearances as Uruguay reached the quarter-finals.Hernández who was a regular in his national team squads, had just recovered from injury towards the end of the 2017–18 season, missed out on a 2018 World Cup squad place on 16 May 2018, with Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez, Cristhian Stuani and Maxi Gómez favoured ahead of him.As of 9 November 2021As of match played 13 June 2016As of match played 13 June 2016Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hernández goal.PalermoSerie B: 2013–14Hull CityFootball League Championship play-offs: 2016UruguayCopa América: 2011IndividualSouth American U-20 Championship joint top scorer: 2009Football League Championship Player of the Month: January 2016Abel Hernández at Soccerbase","Abel_Hernández | youthclub | Peñarol","","Abel Hernandez is a member of Penarol's youthclub."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leader | Tom_Tait","Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.","Tom Tait is the leader of Anaheim. California."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | cityServed | Aarhus","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus airport serves the city of Aarhus."
-"Denmark (Danish: Danmark, pronounced [ˈtænmɑk] (listen)) is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropolitan part of and the most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited. Spanning a total area of 42,943 km2 (16,580 sq mi), metropolitan Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the most populated island is Zealand, on which the capital and largest city, Copenhagen, is situated, followed by Funen, the North Jutlandic Island, and Amager. Denmark has flat, arable land, sandy coasts, low elevations, and a temperate climate. It had a population of 5.935 million (1 February 2023), of whom 800,000 live in  Copenhagen  (2 million in the wider area). Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm, devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948 and in Greenland in 1979; the latter obtained further autonomy in 2009.The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a proficient maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. In 1397, it joined Norway and Sweden to form the Kalmar Union, which persisted until the latter's secession in 1523. The remaining Kingdom of Denmark–Norway endured a series of wars in the 17th century that resulted in further territorial cessions. A surge of nationalist movements in the 19th century were defeated in the First Schleswig War of 1848. The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended the absolute monarchy and introduced the current parliamentary system. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century, which formed the basis for the present welfare state model and advanced mixed economy. Denmark remained neutral during World War I; Danish neutrality was violated in World War II by a swift German invasion in April 1940. During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark was liberated in May 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands, became a member of what is now the European Union, but negotiated certain opt-outs, such as retaining its own currency, the krone.Denmark is a developed country with a high standard of living. Denmark is a founding member of NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, the OSCE, and the United Nations; it is also part of the Schengen Area. Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate. This is centred primarily on the morpheme 'Dan' and whether it refers to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the -'mark' ending.Most etymological dictionaries and handbooks derive 'Dan' from a word meaning 'flat land', related to German Tenne 'threshing floor', English den 'cave'. The element mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig.The first recorded use of the word Danmark within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones, which are runestones believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old (c. 955) and Harald Bluetooth (c. 965). The larger of the two stones is popularly cited as the 'baptismal certificate' (dåbsattest) of Denmark, though both use the word 'Denmark', in the accusative ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ tanmaurk ([danmɒrk]) on the large stone, and the genitive ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᚱ 'tanmarkar' (pronounced [danmarkaɽ]) on the small stone, while the dative form tąnmarku (pronounced [danmarkʊ]) is found on the contemporaneous Skivum stone. The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC. Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot.During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, and the first tribal Danes came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age, in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of North-West Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron.The tribal Danes came from the east Danish islands (Zealand) and Scania and spoke an early form of North Germanic. Historians believe that before their arrival, most of Jutland and the nearest islands were settled by tribal Jutes. The Jutes migrated to Great Britain eventually, some as mercenaries of Brythonic King Vortigern, and were granted the south-eastern territories of Kent, the Isle of Wight and other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading Angles and Saxons, who formed the Anglo-Saxons. The remaining Jutish population in Jutland assimilated in with the settling Danes.A short note about the Dani in Getica by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of the Danes, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Danes are descended. The Danevirke defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward and the sheer size of the construction efforts in AD 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about AD 700.From the 8th to the 10th century the wider Scandinavian region was the source of Vikings. They colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Danish Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern British Isles and Western Europe. They settled in parts of England (known as the Danelaw) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and in France where Danes and Norwegians were allowed to settle in what would become Normandy in exchange of allegiance to Robert I of France with Rollo as first ruler. Some Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Denmark.Denmark was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as kings (reges). Under the reign of Gudfred in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm.The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old, who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by the Jelling stones, the Danes were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth, the son of Gorm. It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the Holy Roman Empire. A rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an important trading partner for the Danes. As a deterrent against this threat, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built a further Danevirke. In the early 11th century, Canute the Great won and united Denmark, England, and Norway for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army.Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, Denmark also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland, and Blekinge in present-day south Sweden) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia, as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Most of the latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union with Norway and Sweden, united under Queen Margaret I. The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start, Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear 'senior' partner of the union. Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm. The Protestant Reformation spread to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–1613 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing it to return to the union. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom. King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg) and Christiania. Inspired by the Dutch East India Company, he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Ceylon as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast. Denmark's large colonial aspirations included a few key trading posts in Africa and India. While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade, through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu, Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately a lack of resources led to its stagnation.In the Thirty Years' War, Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter. The result was that the Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein was able to invade, occupy, and pillage Jutland, forcing Denmark to withdraw from the war. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. Swedish armies invaded Jutland in 1643 and claimed Scania in 1644. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway.Seeing an opportunity to tear up the Treaty of Brømsebro, King Frederick III of Denmark, in 1657, declared war on Sweden, the latter being deeply involved in the Second Northern War (1655–1660), and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat as the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered Jutland and, following the Swedish March across the frozen Danish straits, occupied Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658, which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge, Bohuslän, Trøndelag, and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen. King Frederick III actively led the defence of the city, rallying its citizens to take up arms, and repelled the Swedish attacks. The siege ended following the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. In the ensuing peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm. Attaining great popularity following the war, Frederick III used this to disband the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy, which lasted until 1848 in Denmark.Denmark tried but failed to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679). After the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to regain control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg and the 1773 Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark traded with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden, and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. This led to the so-called Danish-British Gunboat War. British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813 Denmark–Norway went bankrupt.The union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Danish monarchy 'irrevocably and forever' renounced claims to the Kingdom of Norway in favour of the Swedish king. Denmark kept the possessions of Iceland (which retained the Danish monarchy until 1944), the Faroe Islands and Greenland, all of which had been governed by Norway for centuries. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark continued to rule over Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies from 1671 to 1917.A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848, Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established a two-chamber parliament. Denmark faced war against both Prussia and Austrian Empire in what became known as the Second Schleswig War, lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia. This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railways were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products.Denmark maintained its neutral stance during World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite; the two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kilometres (1,538 sq mi). The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924.In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered. World War II in Denmark was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. The Danish resistance performed a rescue operation that managed to evacuate several thousand Jews and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported Nazism by joining the Danish Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of the Frikorps Danmark. Iceland severed ties with Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944; Germany surrendered in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained home rule. In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of NATO.Denmark was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Seven, as opposed to the Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public referendum. The Maastricht Treaty, which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000. Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded self-determination in 2009. Neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies.Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The centre-left Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model. The Liberal Party and the Conservative People's Party have also led centre-right governments.Located in Northern Europe, Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the largest island is Zealand, on which the capital Copenhagen is situated, followed by the North Jutlandic Island, Funen, and Lolland. The island of Bornholm is located east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund connects Zealand with Sweden; the Great Belt Fixed Link connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The four cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen.The country occupies a total area of 42,943.9 square kilometres (16,581 sq mi). The area of inland water is 700 km2 (270 sq mi), variously stated as from 500 to 700 km2 (193–270 sq mi). Lake Arresø northwest of Copenhagen is the largest lake. The size of the land area cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). Post-glacial rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm (0.4 in) per year in the north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 736 km (457 mi) (land area only:232.33 km (144.36 mi) and 730 km (454 mi) respectively). It shares a border of 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal shoreline (including small bays and inlets). No location in Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total 105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles).Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7' northern latitude; the southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35' northern latitude; the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22' eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55' eastern longitude. This is in the small Ertholmene archipelago 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi).The country is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). Although this is by far the lowest high point in the Nordic countries and also less than half of the highest point in Southern Sweden, Denmark's general elevation in its interior is generally at a safe level from rising sea levels. A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst the coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Denmark largely consists of arable land. It is drained by a dozen or so rivers, and the most significant include the Gudenå, Odense, Skjern, Suså and Vidå—a river that flows along its southern border with Germany.The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island, and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing under their own parliaments (the Løgting and Inatsisartut) and form, together with continental Denmark, part of the Danish Realm.Denmark has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Denmark, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Denmark has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of 765 millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that the weather is often unstable.Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight: short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm (standard time), as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm (daylight saving time).Denmark belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and can be subdivided into two ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests. Almost all of Denmark's primeval temperate forests have been destroyed or fragmented, chiefly for agricultural purposes during the last millennia. The deforestation has created large swaths of heathland and devastating sand drifts. In spite of this, there are several larger second growth woodlands in the country and, in total, 12.9% of the land is now forested. Norway spruce is the most widespread tree (2017); an important tree in the Christmas tree production. Denmark holds a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 0.5/10, ranking it 171st globally out of 172 countries—behind only San Marino.Roe deer occupy the countryside in growing numbers, and large-antlered red deer can be found in the sparse woodlands of Jutland. Denmark is also home to smaller mammals, such as polecats, hares and hedgehogs. Approximately 400 bird species inhabit Denmark and about 160 of those breed in the country. Large marine mammals include healthy populations of Harbour porpoise, growing numbers of pinnipeds and occasional visits of large whales, including blue whales and orcas. Cod, herring and plaice are abundant culinary fish in Danish waters and form the basis for a large fishing industry.Denmark stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas extraction in December 2020.Land and water pollution are two of Denmark's most significant environmental issues, although much of the country's household and industrial waste is now increasingly filtered and sometimes recycled. The country has historically taken a progressive stance on environmental preservation; in 1971 Denmark established a Ministry of Environment and was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law in 1973. To mitigate environmental degradation and global warming the Danish Government has signed the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol. However, the national ecological footprint is 8.26 global hectares per person, which is very high compared to a world average of 1.7 in 2010. Contributing factors to this value are an exceptional high value for cropland but also a relatively high value for grazing land, which may be explained by the substantially high meat production in Denmark (115.8 kilograms (255 lb) meat annually per capita) and the large economic role of the meat and dairy industries. In December 2014, the Climate Change Performance Index for 2015 placed Denmark at the top of the table, explaining that although emissions are still quite high, the country was able to implement effective climate protection policies. In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again. In 2021 Denmark, with Costa Rica, launched the 'Beyond Oil and Gas alliance' for stopping use fossil fuels.Denmark's territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, catch approximately 650 whales per year. Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark. First written in 1849, it establishes a sovereign state in the form of a constitutional monarchy, with a representative unicameral parliamentary system. The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State (privy council). In practice, the duties of the monarch are strictly representative and ceremonial, such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other Government ministers. The Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct. Hereditary monarch Queen Margrethe II has been head of state since 14 January 1972.The Danish parliament is unicameral and called the Folketing (Danish: Folketinget). It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Folketing is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets, approving the state's accounts, appointing and exercising control of the Government, and taking part in international co-operation. Bills may be initiated by the Government or by members of parliament. All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law.Denmark is a representative democracy with universal suffrage. Membership of the Folketing is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 2% electoral threshold. Denmark elects 175 members to the Folketing, with Greenland and the Faroe Islands electing an additional two members each—179 members in total. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Folketing may force a single minister or an entire government to resign.The Government of Denmark operates as a cabinet government, where executive authority is exercised—formally, on behalf of the monarch—by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers, who head ministries. As the executive branch, the Cabinet is responsible for proposing bills and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of Denmark. The position of prime minister belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Folketing; this is often the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties. A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of the number of seats to form a cabinet on its own; Denmark has often been ruled by coalition governments, themselves usually minority governments dependent on non-government parties.Following a general election defeat in June 2015, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne), resigned as prime minister. She was succeeded by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the leader of the Liberal Party (Venstre). Rasmussen became the leader of a cabinet that, unusually, consisted entirely of ministers from his own party. In November 2016, Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives joined the government. Rasmussen held the office from 2009 to 2011, and again from 2015 to 2019, with backing from the Danish People's Party (DF). Following the 2019 general election, the Social Democrats, led by leader Mette Frederiksen, formed a single-party government with support from the left-wing coalition. Frederiksen became prime minister on 27 June 2019. In the November 2022 snap general election, Prime Minister Frederiksen's Social Democrats remained the majority party. In December 2022, Frederiksen formed a new coalition government.Denmark has a civil law system with some references to Germanic law. Denmark resembles Norway and Sweden in never having developed a case-law like that of England and the United States nor comprehensive codes like those of France and Germany. Much of its law is customary.The judicial system of Denmark is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the Kingdom.The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state that comprises, in addition to metropolitan Denmark, two autonomous territories in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. They have been integrated parts of the Danish Realm since the 18th century; however, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of the Realm have extensive political powers and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Home rule was granted to the Faroe Islands in 1948 and to Greenland in 1979, each having previously had the status of counties.The Faroe Islands and Greenland have their own home governments and parliaments and are effectively self-governing in regards to domestic affairs apart from the judicial system and monetary policy. High Commissioners (Rigsombudsmand) act as representatives of the Danish government in the Faroese Løgting and in the Greenlandic Parliament, but they cannot vote. The Faroese home government is defined to be an equal partner with the Danish national government, while the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.Denmark, with a total area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi), is divided into five administrative regions (Danish: regioner). The regions are further subdivided into 98 municipalities (kommuner). The easternmost land in Denmark, the Ertholmene archipelago, with an area of 39 hectares (0.16 sq mi), is neither part of a municipality nor a region but belongs to the Ministry of Defence. The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities. They are not administrative divisions, nor subject for any kind of political elections, but are mainly for statistical use.The regions were created on 1 January 2007 to replace the 16 former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, reducing the number from 270. Most municipalities have a population of at least 20,000 to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule. The administrative divisions are led by directly elected councils, elected proportionally every four years; the most recent Danish local elections were held on 16 November 2021. Other regional structures use the municipal boundaries as a layout, including the police districts, the court districts and the electoral wards.=The governing bodies of the regions are the regional councils, each with forty-one councillors elected for four-year terms. The councils are headed by regional district chairmen (regionsrådsformand), who are elected by the council.The areas of responsibility for the regional councils are the national health service, social services and regional development. Unlike the counties they replaced, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes and the health service is partly financed by a national health care contribution until 2018 (sundhedsbidrag), partly by funds from both government and municipalities. From 1 January 2019 this contribution will be abolished, as it is being replaced by higher income tax instead.The area and populations of the regions vary widely; for example, the Capital Region has a population three times larger than that of North Denmark Region. Under the county system certain densely populated municipalities, such as Copenhagen Municipality and Frederiksberg, had been given a status equivalent to that of counties, making them first-level administrative divisions. These sui generis municipalities were incorporated into the new regions under the 2007 reforms.Denmark wields considerable influence in Northern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs. In recent years, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have been guaranteed a say in foreign policy issues such as fishing, whaling, and geopolitical concerns. The foreign policy of Denmark is substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union (EU); Denmark including Greenland joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the EU's predecessor, in 1973. Denmark held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on seven occasions, most recently from January to June 2012. Following World War II, Denmark ended its two-hundred-year-long policy of neutrality. It has been a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1949, and membership remains highly popular.As a member of Development Assistance Committee (DAC), Denmark has for a long time been among the countries of the world contributing the largest percentage of gross national income to development aid. In 2015, Denmark contributed 0.85% of its gross national income (GNI) to foreign aid and was one of only six countries meeting the longstanding UN target of 0.7% of GNI. The country participates in both bilateral and multilateral aid, with the aid usually administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organisational name of Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is often used, in particular when operating bilateral aid.Denmark's armed forces are known as the Danish Defence (Danish: Forsvaret). The Minister of Defence is commander-in-chief of the Danish Defence, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad. During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence employs around 33,000 in total. The main military branches employ almost 27,000: 15,460 in the Royal Danish Army, 5,300 in the Royal Danish Navy and 6,050 in the Royal Danish Air Force (all including conscripts). The Danish Emergency Management Agency employs 2,000 (including conscripts), and about 4,000 are in non-branch-specific services like the Danish Defence Command and the Danish Defence Intelligence Service. Furthermore, around 44,500 serve as volunteers in the Danish Home Guard.Denmark is a long-time supporter of international peacekeeping, but since the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and the War in Afghanistan in 2001, Denmark has also found a new role as a warring nation, participating actively in several wars and invasions. This relatively new situation has stirred some internal critique, but the Danish population has generally been very supportive, in particular of the War in Afghanistan. The Danish Defence has around 1,400 staff in international missions, not including standing contributions to NATO SNMCMG1. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), with IFOR, and now SFOR. Between 2003 and 2007, there were approximately 450 Danish soldiers in Iraq. Denmark also strongly supported American operations in Afghanistan and has contributed both monetarily and materially to the ISAF. These initiatives are often described by the authorities as part of a new 'active foreign policy' of Denmark.Denmark has a developed mixed economy that is classed as a high-income economy by the World Bank. In 2017, it ranked 16th in the world in terms of gross national income (PPP) per capita and 10th in nominal GNI per capita. Denmark's economy stands out as one of the most free in the Index of Economic Freedom and the Economic Freedom of the World. It is the 10th most competitive economy in the world, and 6th in Europe, according to the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report 2018.Denmark has the fourth highest ratio of tertiary degree holders in the world. The country ranks highest in the world for workers' rights. GDP per hour worked was the 13th highest in 2009. The country has a market income inequality close to the OECD average, but after taxes and public cash transfers the income inequality is considerably lower. According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage. As Denmark has no minimum wage legislation, the high wage floor has been attributed to the power of trade unions. For example, as the result of a collective bargaining agreement between the 3F trade union and the employers group Horesta, workers at McDonald's and other fast food chains make the equivalent of US$20 an hour, which is more than double what their counterparts earn in the United States, and have access to paid vacation, parental leave and a pension plan. Union density in 2015 was 68%.Once a predominantly agricultural country on account of its arable landscape, since 1945 Denmark has greatly expanded its industrial base and service sector. By 2017 services contributed circa 75% of GDP, manufacturing about 15% and agriculture less than 2%. Major industries include wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, machinery and transportation equipment, food processing, and construction. Circa 60% of the total export value is due to export of goods, and the remaining 40% is from service exports, mainly sea transport. The country's main export goods are: wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, furniture and design. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has for a number of years had a balance of payments surplus which has transformed the country from a net debitor to a net creditor country. By 1 July 2018, the net international investment position (or net foreign assets) of Denmark was equal to 64.6% of GDP.Denmark is part of the European Union's internal market, which represents more than 508 million consumers. Several domestic commercial policies are determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and by EU legislation. Support for free trade is high among the Danish public; in a 2016 poll 57% responded saw globalisation as an opportunity whereas 18% viewed it as a threat. 70% of trade flows are inside the European Union. As of 2017, Denmark's largest export partners are Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.Denmark's currency, the krone (DKK), is pegged at approximately 7.46 kroner per euro through the ERM II. Although a September 2000 referendum rejected adopting the euro, the country follows the policies set forth in the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) and meets the economic convergence criteria needed to adopt the euro. The majority of the political parties in the Folketing support joining the EMU, but since 2010 opinion polls have consistently shown a clear majority against adopting the euro. In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P. Møller-Mærsk (international shipping), Novo Nordisk (pharmaceuticals), ISS A/S (facility services), Vestas (wind turbines), Arla Foods (dairy), DSV (transport), Carlsberg Group (beer), Salling Group (retail), Ørsted A/S (power), Danske Bank.The Danish government focused into methods to increase taxes on energy dealers in 2023.Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterised by extensive government welfare provisions. Denmark has a corporate tax rate of 22% and a special time-limited tax regime for expatriates. The Danish taxation system is broad based, with a 25% value-added tax, in addition to excise taxes, income taxes and other fees. The overall level of taxation (sum of all taxes, as a percentage of GDP) was 46% in 2017. The tax structure of Denmark (the relative weight of different taxes) differs from the OECD average, as the Danish tax system in 2015 was characterised by substantially higher revenues from taxes on personal income and a lower proportion of revenues from taxes on corporate income and gains and property taxes than in OECD generally, whereas no revenues at all derive from social security contributions. The proportion deriving from payroll taxes, VAT, and other taxes on goods and services correspond to the OECD averageAs of 2014, 6% of the population was reported to live below the poverty line, when adjusted for taxes and transfers. Denmark has the 2nd lowest relative poverty rate in the OECD, below the 11.3% OECD average. The share of the population reporting that they feel that they cannot afford to buy sufficient food in Denmark is less than half of the OECD average.Like other Nordic countries, Denmark has adopted the Nordic Model, which combines free market capitalism with a comprehensive welfare state and strong worker protection. As a result of its acclaimed 'flexicurity' model, Denmark has the freest labour market in Europe, according to the World Bank. Employers can hire and fire whenever they want (flexibility), and between jobs, unemployment compensation is relatively high (security). According to OECD, initial as well as long-term net replacement rates for unemployed persons were 65% of previous net income in 2016, against an OECD average of 53%. Establishing a business can be done in a matter of hours and at very low costs. No restrictions apply regarding overtime work, which allows companies to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With an employment rate in 2017 of 74.2% for people aged 15–64-years, Denmark ranks 9th highest among the OECD countries, and above the OECD average of 67.8%. The unemployment rate was 5.7% in 2017, which is considered close to or below its structural level.The level of unemployment benefits is dependent on former employment and normally on membership of an unemployment fund, which is usually closely connected to a trade union, and previous payment of contributions. Circa 65% of the financing comes from earmarked member contributions, whereas the remaining third originates from the central government and hence from general taxation.Denmark has a long tradition of scientific and technological invention and engagement, and has been involved internationally from the very start of the scientific revolution. In current times, Denmark is participating in many high-profile international science and technology projects, including CERN, ITER, ESA, ISS and E-ELT. Denmark was ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, down from 6th in 2020 and from 7th in 2019.In the 20th century, Danes have also been innovative in several fields of the technology sector. Danish companies have been influential in the shipping industry with the design of the largest and most energy efficient container ships in the world, the Maersk Triple E class, and Danish engineers have contributed to the design of MAN Diesel engines. In the software and electronic field, Denmark contributed to design and manufacturing of Nordic Mobile Telephones, and the now-defunct Danish company DanCall was among the first to develop GSM mobile phones.Life science is a key sector with extensive research and development activities. Danish engineers are world-leading in providing diabetes care equipment and medication products from Novo Nordisk and, since 2000, the Danish biotech company Novozymes, the world market leader in enzymes for first generation starch-based bioethanol, has pioneered development of enzymes for converting waste to cellulosic ethanol. Medicon Valley, spanning the Øresund Region between Zealand and Sweden, is one of Europe's largest life science clusters.Danish-born computer scientists and software engineers have taken leading roles in some of the world's programming languages: Anders Hejlsberg (Turbo Pascal, Delphi, C#); Rasmus Lerdorf (PHP); Bjarne Stroustrup (C++); David Heinemeier Hansson (Ruby on Rails); Lars Bak, a pioneer in virtual machines (V8, Java VM, Dart). Physicist Lene Vestergaard Hau is the first person to stop light, leading to advances in quantum computing, nanoscale engineering, and linear optics.Denmark has considerably large deposits of oil and natural gas in the North Sea and ranks as number 32 in the world among net exporters of crude oil and was producing 259,980 barrels of crude oil a day in 2009. Denmark is a long-time leader in wind power: In 2015 wind turbines provided 42.1% of the total electricity consumption. In May 2011 Denmark derived 3.1% of its gross domestic product from renewable (clean) energy technology and energy efficiency, or around €6.5 billion ($9.4 billion). Denmark is connected by electric transmission lines to other European countries.Denmark's electricity sector has integrated energy sources such as wind power into the national grid. Denmark now aims to focus on intelligent battery systems (V2G) and plug-in vehicles in the transport sector. The country is a member nation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).Denmark exported roughly 460 million GJ of energy in 2018.Significant investment has been made in building road and rail links between regions in Denmark, most notably the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects Zealand and Funen. It is now possible to drive from Frederikshavn in northern Jutland to Copenhagen on eastern Zealand without leaving the motorway. The main railway operator is DSB for passenger services and DB Cargo for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by Banedanmark. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are intertwined by various, international ferry links. Construction of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, connecting Denmark and Germany with a second link, Started in 2021. Copenhagen has a rapid transit system, the Copenhagen Metro, and an extensive electrified suburban railway network, the S-train. In the four largest cities – Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg – light rail systems are planned to be in operation around 2020.Cycling in Denmark is a very common form of transport, particularly for the young and for city dwellers. With a network of bicycle routes extending more than 12,000 km and an estimated 7,000 km of segregated dedicated bicycle paths and lanes, Denmark has a solid bicycle infrastructure.Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transport. Because of the high registration tax (150%), VAT (25%), and one of the world's highest income tax rates, new cars are very expensive. The purpose of the tax is to discourage car ownership.In 2007, an attempt was made by the government to favour environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high mileage vehicles. However, this has had little effect, and in 2008 Denmark experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficient old cars, as the cost for older cars—including taxes—keeps them within the budget of many Danes.As of 2011, the average car age is 9.2 years.With Norway and Sweden, Denmark is part of the Scandinavian Airlines flag carrier. Copenhagen Airport is Scandinavia's busiest passenger airport, handling over 25 million passengers in 2014. Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020. Denmark has one of the oldest populations in the world, with the average age of 41.9 years, with 0.97 males per female. Despite a low birth rate, the population is growing at an average annual rate of 0.59% because of net immigration and increasing longevity. The World Happiness Report frequently ranks Denmark's population as the happiest in the world. This has been attributed to the country's highly regarded education and health care systems, and its low level of income inequality.Denmark is a historically homogeneous nation. However, as with its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark has recently transformed from a nation of net emigration, up until World War II, to a nation of net immigration. Today, residence permits are issued mostly to immigrants from other EU countries (54% of all non-Scandinavian immigrants in 2017). Another 31% of residence permits were study- or work-related, 4% were issued to asylum seekers and 10% to persons who arrive as family dependants. Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality. The remaining 13.89% were of foreign background, defined as immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants. With the same definition, the most common countries of origin were Turkey, Poland, Syria, Germany, Iraq, Romania, Lebanon, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Somalia.The Inuit are indigenous to Greenland in the Kingdom and have traditionally inhabited Greenland and the northern parts of Canada and Alaska in the Arctic. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language and culture. Because of this 'Danization process', some persons of Inuit ancestry now identify their mother tongue as Danish.Danish is the de facto national language of Denmark. Faroese and Greenlandic are the official languages of the Faroe Islands and Greenland respectively. German is a recognised minority language in the area of the former South Jutland County (now part of the Region of Southern Denmark), which was part of the German Empire prior to the Treaty of Versailles. Danish and Faroese belong to the North Germanic (Nordic) branch of the Indo-European languages, along with Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish. There is a limited degree of mutual intelligibility between Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Danish is more distantly related to German, which is a West Germanic language. Greenlandic or 'Kalaallisut' is an Inuit language, and is entirely unrelated to Danish.A large majority (86%) of Danes speak English as a second language, generally with a high level of proficiency. German is the second-most spoken foreign language, with 47% reporting a conversational level of proficiency. Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark. In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation. The membership percentage have been in steadily decline since the 1970s, mainly as fewer newborns are being baptised into it. Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services and only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life.The Constitution states that the sovereign must have the Lutheran faith, though the rest of the population is free to adhere to other faiths. In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially. Until the 1970s, the state formally recognised 'religious societies' by royal decree. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition. Denmark's Muslims make up approximately 4.4% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion. The Danish Foreign Ministry estimates that other religious groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together.According to a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 28% of Danish nationals polled responded that they 'believe there is a God', 47% responded that they 'believe there is some sort of spirit or life force' and 24% responded that they 'do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force'. Another poll, carried out in 2009, found that 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believe he is the saviour of the world.All educational programmes in Denmark are regulated by the Ministry of Education and administered by local municipalities. Folkeskole covers the entire period of compulsory education, encompassing primary and lower secondary education. Most children attend folkeskole for 10 years, from the ages of 6 to 16. There are no final examinations, but pupils can choose to sit an exam when finishing ninth grade (14–15 years old). The test is obligatory if further education is to be attended. Alternatively pupils can attend an independent school (friskole), or a private school (privatskole), such as Christian schools or Waldorf schools.Following graduation from compulsory education, there are several continuing educational opportunities; the Gymnasium (STX) attaches importance in teaching a mix of humanities and science, Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) focuses on scientific subjects and the Higher Commercial Examination Programme emphasises on subjects in economics. Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) is similar to Gymnasium (STX), but is one year shorter. For specific professions, there is vocational education, training young people for work in specific trades by a combination of teaching and apprenticeship.The government records upper secondary school completion rates of 95% and tertiary enrollment and completion rates of 60%. All university and college (tertiary) education in Denmark is free of charges; there are no tuition fees to enrol in courses. Students aged 18 or above may apply for state educational support grants, known as Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (SU), which provides fixed financial support, disbursed monthly. Danish universities offer international students a range of opportunities for obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in Denmark. Many programmes may be taught in the English language, the academic lingua franca, in bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorates and student exchange programmes.As of 2015, Denmark has a life expectancy of 80.6 years at birth (78.6 for men, 82.5 for women), up from 76.9 years in 2000. This ranks it 27th among 193 nations, behind the other Nordic countries. The National Institute of Public Health of the University of Southern Denmark has calculated 19 major risk factors among Danes that contribute to a lowering of the life expectancy; this includes smoking, alcohol, drug abuse and physical inactivity. Although the obesity rate is lower than in North America and most other European countries, the large number of overweight Danes results in an annual additional consumption in the health care system of DKK 1,625 million. In a 2012 study, Denmark had the highest cancer rate of all countries listed by the World Cancer Research Fund International; researchers suggest the reasons are better reporting, but also lifestyle factors like heavy alcohol consumption, smoking and physical inactivity.Denmark has a universal health care system, characterised by being publicly financed through taxes and, for most of the services, run directly by the regional authorities. One of the sources of income was a national health care contribution (sundhedsbidrag) (2007–11:8%; '12:7%; '13:6%; '14:5%; '15:4%; '16:3%; '17:2%; '18:1%; '19:0%) but it was phased out from January 2019 in favor of income taxes. This means that most health care provision is free at the point of delivery for all residents. Additionally, roughly two in five have complementary private insurance to cover services not fully covered by the state, such as physiotherapy. As of 2012, Denmark spends 11.2% of its GDP on health care; this is up from 9.8% in 2007 (US$3,512 per capita). This places Denmark above the OECD average and above the other Nordic countries.Denmark is the only country to have officially used the word 'ghetto' in the 21st century to denote certain residential areas. From 2010 to 2021, the Danish Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing published ghettolisten (List of ghettos) which in 2018 consisted of 25 areas. As a result, the term is widely used in the media and common parlance. The legal designation is applied to areas based on the residents' income levels, employment status, education levels, criminal convictions and non-Western ethnic background. In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants. The population proportion of 'ghetto residents' with non-Western background was 66.5%.In 2018, the government has proposed measures to solve the issue of integration and to rid the country of parallel societies and ghettos by 2030. The measures focus on physical redevelopment, control over who is allowed to live in these areas, crime abatement and education. These policies have been criticised for undercutting 'equality before law' and for portraying immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, in a bad light. While some proposals like restricting 'ghetto children' to their homes after 8 p.m. have been rejected for being too radical, most of the 22 proposals have been agreed upon by a parliamentary majority.In 2021, the term ghetto was dropped and replaced by parallel society and vulnerable region.Denmark shares strong cultural and historic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Norway. It has historically been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark. Modesty and social equality are important parts of Danish culture. In a 2016 study comparing empathy scores of 63 countries, Denmark ranked 4th world-wide having the highest empathy among surveyed European countries.The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe, Ludwig A. Colding's neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard, the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen), the plays of Ludvig Holberg, and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein, have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. From the mid-1990s, Danish films have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 like those of Lars von Trier.A major feature of Danish culture is Jul (Danish Christmas). The holiday is celebrated throughout December, starting either at the beginning of Advent or on 1 December with a variety of traditions, culminating with the Christmas Eve meal.There are seven heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in Northern Europe: Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, the Jelling Mounds (Runic Stones and Church), Kronborg Castle, Roskilde Cathedral, and The par force hunting landscape in North Zealand and 3 in the World Heritage list in North America: Ilulissat Icefjord, Aasivissuit — Nipisat, Kujataa within the Kingdom of Denmark.Denmark has been considered a progressive country, which has adopted legislation and policies to support women's rights, minority rights, and LGBT rights. Human rights in Denmark are protected by the state's Constitution of the Realm (Danmarks Riges Grundlov); applying equally in Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and through the ratification of international human rights treaties. Denmark has held a significant role in the adoption of both the European Convention on Human Rights and in the establishment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 1987, the Kingdom Parliament (Folketinget) established a national human rights institution, the Danish Centre of Human Rights, now the Danish Institute for Human Rights.In 2009, a referendum on changing the Danish Act of Succession were held to grant absolute primogeniture to the Danish throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. As it was not retroactive, the current successor to the throne is the eldest son of the King, rather than his eldest child. The Danish constitution Article 2 states that 'The monarchy is inherited by men and women'.The Inuit have for decades been the subject of discrimination and abuse by the dominant colonisers from Europe, those countries claiming possession of Inuit lands. The Inuit have never been a single community in a single region of Inuit. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the indigenous people of Greenland, the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language, culture and religion. Denmark has been greatly criticised by the Greenlandic community for the politics of Danization (1950s and 1960s) of and discrimination against the indigenous population of the country. Critical treatment paying non-Inuit workers higher wages than the local people, the relocation of entire families from their traditional lands into settlements, and separating children from their parents and sending them away to Denmark for schooling has been practised. Nevertheless, Denmark ratified, in 1996, to recognise the ILO-convention 169 on indigenous people recommended by the UN.Denmark was the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions in the form of registered partnerships in 1989. On 7 June 2012, the law was replaced by a new same-sex marriage law, which came into effect on 15 June 2012. Greenland and the Faroe Islands legalised same-sex marriage in April 2016, and in July 2017 respectively. In January 2016, a resolution was implemented by the Danish parliament which prevented transgender identity being classified as a mental health condition. In doing so, Denmark became the first country in Europe to go against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which classified transgender identity as being a mental health issue until June 2018.Danish cinema dates back to 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of productions due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. There have been three big internationally important waves of Danish cinema: erotic melodrama of the silent era; the increasingly explicit sex films of the 1960s and 1970s; and lastly, the Dogme 95 movement of the late 1990s, where directors often used hand-held cameras to dynamic effect in a conscious reaction against big-budget studios. Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical innovation. The Danish filmmaker Carl Th. Dreyer is considered one of the greatest directors of early cinema.Other Danish filmmakers of note include Erik Balling, the creator of the popular Olsen-banden films; Gabriel Axel, an Oscar-winner for Babette's Feast in 1987; and Bille August, the Oscar-, Palme d'Or- and Golden Globe-winner for Pelle the Conqueror in 1988. In the modern era, notable filmmakers in Denmark include Lars von Trier, who co-created the Dogme movement, and multiple award-winners Susanne Bier and Nicolas Winding Refn. Mads Mikkelsen is a world-renowned Danish actor, as is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.Danish mass media date back to the 1540s, when handwritten fly sheets reported on the news. In 1666, Anders Bording, the father of Danish journalism, began a state paper. In 1834, the first liberal, factual newspaper appeared, and the 1849 Constitution established lasting freedom of the press in Denmark.Modern Danish mass media and news programming are dominated by a few large corporations. In printed media JP/Politikens Hus and Berlingske Media, between them, control the largest newspapers Politiken, Berlingske Tidende and Jyllands-Posten and major tabloids B.T. and Ekstra Bladet. In television, publicly owned stations DR and TV 2 have large shares of the viewers. DR in particular is famous for its high quality TV-series often sold to foreign broadcasters and often with leading female characters like internationally known actresses Sidse Babett Knudsen and Sofie Gråbøl. In radio, DR has a near monopoly, currently broadcasting on all four nationally available FM channels, competing only with local stations.Denmark and its multiple outlying islands have a wide range of folk traditions. The country's most famous classical composer is Carl Nielsen (1865–1931), especially remembered for his six symphonies and his Wind Quintet, while the Royal Danish Ballet specialises in the work of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville. The Royal Danish Orchestra is among the world's oldest orchestras. Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired international recognition.The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of international fame, including Aqua, Alphabeat, D-A-D, King Diamond, Kashmir, Lukas Graham, Mew, Michael Learns to Rock, MØ, Oh Land, The Raveonettes and Volbeat, among others. Lars Ulrich, the drummer of the band Metallica, has become the first Danish musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen is the largest music festival in Northern Europe since 1971 and Denmark has many recurring music festivals of all genres throughout, including Aarhus International Jazz Festival, Skanderborg Festival, The Blue Festival in Aalborg, Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival and Skagen Festival among many others.Denmark has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957 and has won the contest three times, in 1963, 2000 and 2013.Denmark's architecture became firmly established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque, then Gothic churches and cathedrals sprang up throughout the country. From the 16th century, Dutch and Flemish designers were brought to Denmark, initially to improve the country's fortifications, but increasingly to build magnificent royal castles and palaces in the Renaissance style.During the 17th century, many impressive buildings were built in the Baroque style, both in the capital and the provinces. Neoclassicism from France was slowly adopted by native Danish architects who increasingly participated in defining architectural style. A productive period of Historicism ultimately merged into the 19th-century National Romantic style.The 20th century brought along new architectural styles; including expressionism, best exemplified by the designs of architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, which relied heavily on Scandinavian brick Gothic traditions; and Nordic Classicism, which enjoyed brief popularity in the early decades of the century. It was in the 1960s that Danish architects such as Arne Jacobsen entered the world scene with their highly successful Functionalist architecture. This, in turn, has evolved into more recent world-class masterpieces including Jørn Utzon's Sydney Opera House and Johan Otto von Spreckelsen's Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris, paving the way for a number of contemporary Danish designers such as Bjarke Ingels to be rewarded for excellence both at home and abroad.Danish design is a term often used to describe a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in the mid-20th century, originating in Denmark. Danish design is typically applied to industrial design, furniture and household objects, which have won many international awards. The Royal Porcelain Factory is famous for the quality of its ceramics. Danish design is also a well-known brand, often associated with world-famous, 20th-century designers and architects such as Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Verner Panton. Other designers of note include Kristian Solmer Vedel in the area of industrial design, Jens Quistgaard for kitchen furniture and implements and Ole Wanscher who had a classical approach to furniture design.The first known Danish literature is myths and folklore from the 10th and 11th century. Saxo Grammaticus, normally considered the first Danish writer, worked on a chronicle of Danish history (Gesta Danorum). Very little is known of other Danish literature from the Middle Ages. With the Age of Enlightenment came Ludvig Holberg whose comedy plays are still being performed.In the late 19th century, literature was seen as a way to influence society. Known as the Modern Breakthrough, this movement was championed by Georg Brandes, Henrik Pontoppidan (awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature) and J. P. Jacobsen. Romanticism influenced the renowned writer and poet Hans Christian Andersen, known for his stories and fairy tales, e.g. The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen. In recent history Johannes Vilhelm Jensen was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Karen Blixen is famous for her novels and short stories. Other Danish writers of importance are Herman Bang, Gustav Wied, William Heinesen, Martin Andersen Nexø, Piet Hein, Hans Scherfig, Klaus Rifbjerg, Dan Turèll, Tove Ditlevsen, Inger Christensen and Peter Høeg.Danish philosophy has a long tradition as part of Western philosophy. Perhaps the most influential Danish philosopher was Søren Kierkegaard, the creator of Christian existentialism. Kierkegaard had a few Danish followers, including Harald Høffding, who later in his life moved on to join the movement of positivism. Another Danish philosopher of note is Grundtvig, whose philosophy gave rise to a new form of non-aggressive nationalism in Denmark, and who is also influential for his theological and historical works.While Danish art was influenced over the centuries by trends in Germany and the Netherlands, the 15th and 16th century church frescos, which can be seen in many of the country's older churches, are of particular interest as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters.The Danish Golden Age, which began in the first half of the 19th century, was inspired by a new feeling of nationalism and romanticism, typified in the later previous century by history painter Nicolai Abildgaard. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was not only a productive artist in his own right but taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where his students included Wilhelm Bendz, Christen Købke, Martinus Rørbye, Constantin Hansen, and Wilhelm Marstrand.In 1871, Holger Drachmann and Karl Madsen visited Skagen in the far north of Jutland where they quickly built up one of Scandinavia's most successful artists' colonies specialising in Naturalism and Realism rather than in the traditional approach favoured by the academy. Hosted by Michael and his wife Anna, they were soon joined by P.S. Krøyer, Carl Locher and Laurits Tuxen. All participated in painting the natural surroundings and local people. Similar trends developed on Funen with the Fynboerne who included Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen, and on the island of Bornholm with the Bornholm school of painters including Niels Lergaard, Kræsten Iversen and Oluf Høst.Painting has continued to be a prominent form of artistic expression in Danish culture, inspired by and also influencing major international trends in this area. These include impressionism and the modernist styles of expressionism, abstract painting and surrealism. While international co-operation and activity has almost always been essential to the Danish artistic community, influential art collectives with a firm Danish base includes De Tretten (1909–1912), Linien (1930s and 1940s), COBRA (1948–1951), Fluxus (1960s and 1970s), De Unge Vilde (1980s) and more recently Superflex (founded in 1993). Notable Danish painters from modern times representing various art movements include Theodor Philipsen (impressionism and naturalism), Anna Klindt Sørensen (expressionism), Franciska Clausen (Neue Sachlichkeit, cubism, surrealism and others), Henry Heerup (naivism), Robert Jacobsen (abstract painting), Carl Henning Pedersen (abstract painting), Asger Jorn (Situationist, abstract painting), Bjørn Wiinblad (art deco, orientalism), Per Kirkeby (neo-expressionism, abstract painting), Per Arnoldi (pop art), and Michael Kvium (neo-surrealism).Danish photography has developed from strong participation and interest in the very beginnings of the art of photography in 1839. Pioneers such as Mads Alstrup and Georg Emil Hansen paved the way for a rapidly growing profession during the last half of the 19th century. Today Danish photographers such as Astrid Kruse Jensen and Jacob Aue Sobol are active in key exhibitions around the world.The traditional cuisine of Denmark, like that of the other Nordic countries and of Northern Germany, consists mainly of meat, fish and potatoes. Danish dishes are highly seasonal, stemming from the country's agricultural past, its geography, and its climate of long, cold winters.The open sandwiches on rye bread, known as smørrebrød, can be considered a national speciality. Hot meals traditionally consist of ground meats, such as frikadeller (meat balls of veal and pork) and hakkebøf (minced beef patties), or of more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg (roast pork with crackling) and kogt torsk (poached cod) with mustard sauce. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine. Also inspired by continental practices, Danish chefs have recently developed a new innovative cuisine and a series of gourmet dishes based on high-quality local produce known as New Danish cuisine. As a result of these developments, Denmark now has a considerable number of internationally acclaimed restaurants of which several have been awarded Michelin stars. This includes Geranium and Noma in Copenhagen.Sports are popular in Denmark, and its citizens participate in and watch a wide variety. The national sport is football, with over 320,000 players in more than 1600 clubs. Denmark qualified six times consecutively for the European Championships between 1984 and 2004, and were crowned European champions in 1992; other significant achievements include winning the Confederations Cup in 1995 and reaching the quarter-final of the 1998 World Cup.The Denmark women's national handball team celebrated great successes during the 1990s and has won a total of 13 medals – seven gold (in 1994, 1996 (2), 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2004), four silver (in 1962, 1993, 1998 and 2004) and two bronze (in 1995 and 2013). On the men's side, Denmark has won 12 medals—four gold (in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2019), four silver (in 1967, 2011, 2013 and 2014) and four bronze (in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007)—the most that have been won by any team in European Handball Championship history. In 2019, the Danish men's national handball team won their first World Championship title.In recent years, Denmark has made a mark as a strong cycling nation, with Michael Rasmussen reaching King of the Mountains status in the Tour de France in 2005 and 2006. Other popular sports include golf—which is mostly popular among those in the older demographic; tennis—in which Denmark is successful on a professional level; basketball—Denmark joined the international governing body FIBA in 1951; rugby—the Danish Rugby Union dates back to 1950; ice hockey— often competing in the top division in the Men's World Championships; rowing—Denmark specialise in lightweight rowing and are particularly known for their lightweight coxless four, having won six gold and two silver World Championship medals and three gold and two bronze Olympic medals; and several indoor sports—especially badminton, table tennis and gymnastics, in each of which Denmark holds World Championships and Olympic medals.Index of Denmark-related articlesOutline of DenmarkReligion in DenmarkDenmark.dk Archived 11 December 2020 at the Wayback MachineDenmark. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.Denmark entry at Britannica.com.Gosse, Edmund William (1878). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). pp. 80–94.Gosse, Edmund William (1911). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). pp. 23–44.Kristiansen, M. (1922). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.).Denmark at CurlieDenmark profile from the BBC News.Key Development Forecasts for Denmark from International Futures.","Denmark | religion | Church_of_Denmark","Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited.Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate.The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC.The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark.Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour.Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining.Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen.After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century.In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again.Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark.It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third.The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities.According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage.In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P.Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020.Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality.Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark.In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation.In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially.In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants.In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark.Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine.'Denmark' .'Denmark' .'Denmark' .","Denmark's religion is led by Church of Denmark."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leader | Tom_Tait","Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.","The leader of Anaheim. California. is Tom Tait."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 25.0","Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level.It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back.","Aarhus Airport is 25 metres above sea level."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leaderTitle | California_State_Assembly","According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium).Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters.","Anaheim. California is led by the California State Assembly."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 25.0","Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level.","Aarhus airport is at an elevation of 25 metres above seal level."
-"Denmark (Danish: Danmark, pronounced [ˈtænmɑk] (listen)) is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropolitan part of and the most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited. Spanning a total area of 42,943 km2 (16,580 sq mi), metropolitan Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the most populated island is Zealand, on which the capital and largest city, Copenhagen, is situated, followed by Funen, the North Jutlandic Island, and Amager. Denmark has flat, arable land, sandy coasts, low elevations, and a temperate climate. It had a population of 5.935 million (1 February 2023), of whom 800,000 live in  Copenhagen  (2 million in the wider area). Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm, devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948 and in Greenland in 1979; the latter obtained further autonomy in 2009.The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a proficient maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. In 1397, it joined Norway and Sweden to form the Kalmar Union, which persisted until the latter's secession in 1523. The remaining Kingdom of Denmark–Norway endured a series of wars in the 17th century that resulted in further territorial cessions. A surge of nationalist movements in the 19th century were defeated in the First Schleswig War of 1848. The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended the absolute monarchy and introduced the current parliamentary system. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century, which formed the basis for the present welfare state model and advanced mixed economy. Denmark remained neutral during World War I; Danish neutrality was violated in World War II by a swift German invasion in April 1940. During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark was liberated in May 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands, became a member of what is now the European Union, but negotiated certain opt-outs, such as retaining its own currency, the krone.Denmark is a developed country with a high standard of living. Denmark is a founding member of NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, the OSCE, and the United Nations; it is also part of the Schengen Area. Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate. This is centred primarily on the morpheme 'Dan' and whether it refers to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the -'mark' ending.Most etymological dictionaries and handbooks derive 'Dan' from a word meaning 'flat land', related to German Tenne 'threshing floor', English den 'cave'. The element mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig.The first recorded use of the word Danmark within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones, which are runestones believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old (c. 955) and Harald Bluetooth (c. 965). The larger of the two stones is popularly cited as the 'baptismal certificate' (dåbsattest) of Denmark, though both use the word 'Denmark', in the accusative ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ tanmaurk ([danmɒrk]) on the large stone, and the genitive ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᚱ 'tanmarkar' (pronounced [danmarkaɽ]) on the small stone, while the dative form tąnmarku (pronounced [danmarkʊ]) is found on the contemporaneous Skivum stone. The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC. Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot.During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, and the first tribal Danes came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age, in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of North-West Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron.The tribal Danes came from the east Danish islands (Zealand) and Scania and spoke an early form of North Germanic. Historians believe that before their arrival, most of Jutland and the nearest islands were settled by tribal Jutes. The Jutes migrated to Great Britain eventually, some as mercenaries of Brythonic King Vortigern, and were granted the south-eastern territories of Kent, the Isle of Wight and other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading Angles and Saxons, who formed the Anglo-Saxons. The remaining Jutish population in Jutland assimilated in with the settling Danes.A short note about the Dani in Getica by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of the Danes, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Danes are descended. The Danevirke defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward and the sheer size of the construction efforts in AD 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about AD 700.From the 8th to the 10th century the wider Scandinavian region was the source of Vikings. They colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Danish Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern British Isles and Western Europe. They settled in parts of England (known as the Danelaw) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and in France where Danes and Norwegians were allowed to settle in what would become Normandy in exchange of allegiance to Robert I of France with Rollo as first ruler. Some Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Denmark.Denmark was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as kings (reges). Under the reign of Gudfred in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm.The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old, who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by the Jelling stones, the Danes were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth, the son of Gorm. It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the Holy Roman Empire. A rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an important trading partner for the Danes. As a deterrent against this threat, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built a further Danevirke. In the early 11th century, Canute the Great won and united Denmark, England, and Norway for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army.Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, Denmark also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland, and Blekinge in present-day south Sweden) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia, as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Most of the latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union with Norway and Sweden, united under Queen Margaret I. The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start, Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear 'senior' partner of the union. Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm. The Protestant Reformation spread to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–1613 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing it to return to the union. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom. King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg) and Christiania. Inspired by the Dutch East India Company, he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Ceylon as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast. Denmark's large colonial aspirations included a few key trading posts in Africa and India. While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade, through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu, Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately a lack of resources led to its stagnation.In the Thirty Years' War, Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter. The result was that the Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein was able to invade, occupy, and pillage Jutland, forcing Denmark to withdraw from the war. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. Swedish armies invaded Jutland in 1643 and claimed Scania in 1644. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway.Seeing an opportunity to tear up the Treaty of Brømsebro, King Frederick III of Denmark, in 1657, declared war on Sweden, the latter being deeply involved in the Second Northern War (1655–1660), and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat as the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered Jutland and, following the Swedish March across the frozen Danish straits, occupied Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658, which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge, Bohuslän, Trøndelag, and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen. King Frederick III actively led the defence of the city, rallying its citizens to take up arms, and repelled the Swedish attacks. The siege ended following the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. In the ensuing peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm. Attaining great popularity following the war, Frederick III used this to disband the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy, which lasted until 1848 in Denmark.Denmark tried but failed to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679). After the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to regain control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg and the 1773 Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark traded with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden, and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. This led to the so-called Danish-British Gunboat War. British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813 Denmark–Norway went bankrupt.The union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Danish monarchy 'irrevocably and forever' renounced claims to the Kingdom of Norway in favour of the Swedish king. Denmark kept the possessions of Iceland (which retained the Danish monarchy until 1944), the Faroe Islands and Greenland, all of which had been governed by Norway for centuries. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark continued to rule over Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies from 1671 to 1917.A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848, Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established a two-chamber parliament. Denmark faced war against both Prussia and Austrian Empire in what became known as the Second Schleswig War, lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia. This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railways were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products.Denmark maintained its neutral stance during World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite; the two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kilometres (1,538 sq mi). The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924.In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered. World War II in Denmark was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. The Danish resistance performed a rescue operation that managed to evacuate several thousand Jews and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported Nazism by joining the Danish Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of the Frikorps Danmark. Iceland severed ties with Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944; Germany surrendered in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained home rule. In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of NATO.Denmark was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Seven, as opposed to the Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public referendum. The Maastricht Treaty, which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000. Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded self-determination in 2009. Neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies.Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The centre-left Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model. The Liberal Party and the Conservative People's Party have also led centre-right governments.Located in Northern Europe, Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Of these, the largest island is Zealand, on which the capital Copenhagen is situated, followed by the North Jutlandic Island, Funen, and Lolland. The island of Bornholm is located east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund connects Zealand with Sweden; the Great Belt Fixed Link connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The four cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen.The country occupies a total area of 42,943.9 square kilometres (16,581 sq mi). The area of inland water is 700 km2 (270 sq mi), variously stated as from 500 to 700 km2 (193–270 sq mi). Lake Arresø northwest of Copenhagen is the largest lake. The size of the land area cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). Post-glacial rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm (0.4 in) per year in the north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 736 km (457 mi) (land area only:232.33 km (144.36 mi) and 730 km (454 mi) respectively). It shares a border of 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal shoreline (including small bays and inlets). No location in Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total 105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles).Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7' northern latitude; the southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35' northern latitude; the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22' eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55' eastern longitude. This is in the small Ertholmene archipelago 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi).The country is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). Although this is by far the lowest high point in the Nordic countries and also less than half of the highest point in Southern Sweden, Denmark's general elevation in its interior is generally at a safe level from rising sea levels. A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst the coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Denmark largely consists of arable land. It is drained by a dozen or so rivers, and the most significant include the Gudenå, Odense, Skjern, Suså and Vidå—a river that flows along its southern border with Germany.The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island, and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing under their own parliaments (the Løgting and Inatsisartut) and form, together with continental Denmark, part of the Danish Realm.Denmark has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Denmark, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Denmark has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of 765 millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that the weather is often unstable.Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight: short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm (standard time), as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm (daylight saving time).Denmark belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and can be subdivided into two ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests. Almost all of Denmark's primeval temperate forests have been destroyed or fragmented, chiefly for agricultural purposes during the last millennia. The deforestation has created large swaths of heathland and devastating sand drifts. In spite of this, there are several larger second growth woodlands in the country and, in total, 12.9% of the land is now forested. Norway spruce is the most widespread tree (2017); an important tree in the Christmas tree production. Denmark holds a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 0.5/10, ranking it 171st globally out of 172 countries—behind only San Marino.Roe deer occupy the countryside in growing numbers, and large-antlered red deer can be found in the sparse woodlands of Jutland. Denmark is also home to smaller mammals, such as polecats, hares and hedgehogs. Approximately 400 bird species inhabit Denmark and about 160 of those breed in the country. Large marine mammals include healthy populations of Harbour porpoise, growing numbers of pinnipeds and occasional visits of large whales, including blue whales and orcas. Cod, herring and plaice are abundant culinary fish in Danish waters and form the basis for a large fishing industry.Denmark stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas extraction in December 2020.Land and water pollution are two of Denmark's most significant environmental issues, although much of the country's household and industrial waste is now increasingly filtered and sometimes recycled. The country has historically taken a progressive stance on environmental preservation; in 1971 Denmark established a Ministry of Environment and was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law in 1973. To mitigate environmental degradation and global warming the Danish Government has signed the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol. However, the national ecological footprint is 8.26 global hectares per person, which is very high compared to a world average of 1.7 in 2010. Contributing factors to this value are an exceptional high value for cropland but also a relatively high value for grazing land, which may be explained by the substantially high meat production in Denmark (115.8 kilograms (255 lb) meat annually per capita) and the large economic role of the meat and dairy industries. In December 2014, the Climate Change Performance Index for 2015 placed Denmark at the top of the table, explaining that although emissions are still quite high, the country was able to implement effective climate protection policies. In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again. In 2021 Denmark, with Costa Rica, launched the 'Beyond Oil and Gas alliance' for stopping use fossil fuels.Denmark's territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, catch approximately 650 whales per year. Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark. First written in 1849, it establishes a sovereign state in the form of a constitutional monarchy, with a representative unicameral parliamentary system. The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State (privy council). In practice, the duties of the monarch are strictly representative and ceremonial, such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other Government ministers. The Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct. Hereditary monarch Queen Margrethe II has been head of state since 14 January 1972.The Danish parliament is unicameral and called the Folketing (Danish: Folketinget). It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Folketing is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets, approving the state's accounts, appointing and exercising control of the Government, and taking part in international co-operation. Bills may be initiated by the Government or by members of parliament. All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law.Denmark is a representative democracy with universal suffrage. Membership of the Folketing is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 2% electoral threshold. Denmark elects 175 members to the Folketing, with Greenland and the Faroe Islands electing an additional two members each—179 members in total. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Folketing may force a single minister or an entire government to resign.The Government of Denmark operates as a cabinet government, where executive authority is exercised—formally, on behalf of the monarch—by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers, who head ministries. As the executive branch, the Cabinet is responsible for proposing bills and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of Denmark. The position of prime minister belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Folketing; this is often the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties. A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of the number of seats to form a cabinet on its own; Denmark has often been ruled by coalition governments, themselves usually minority governments dependent on non-government parties.Following a general election defeat in June 2015, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne), resigned as prime minister. She was succeeded by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the leader of the Liberal Party (Venstre). Rasmussen became the leader of a cabinet that, unusually, consisted entirely of ministers from his own party. In November 2016, Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives joined the government. Rasmussen held the office from 2009 to 2011, and again from 2015 to 2019, with backing from the Danish People's Party (DF). Following the 2019 general election, the Social Democrats, led by leader Mette Frederiksen, formed a single-party government with support from the left-wing coalition. Frederiksen became prime minister on 27 June 2019. In the November 2022 snap general election, Prime Minister Frederiksen's Social Democrats remained the majority party. In December 2022, Frederiksen formed a new coalition government.Denmark has a civil law system with some references to Germanic law. Denmark resembles Norway and Sweden in never having developed a case-law like that of England and the United States nor comprehensive codes like those of France and Germany. Much of its law is customary.The judicial system of Denmark is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the Kingdom.The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state that comprises, in addition to metropolitan Denmark, two autonomous territories in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. They have been integrated parts of the Danish Realm since the 18th century; however, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of the Realm have extensive political powers and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Home rule was granted to the Faroe Islands in 1948 and to Greenland in 1979, each having previously had the status of counties.The Faroe Islands and Greenland have their own home governments and parliaments and are effectively self-governing in regards to domestic affairs apart from the judicial system and monetary policy. High Commissioners (Rigsombudsmand) act as representatives of the Danish government in the Faroese Løgting and in the Greenlandic Parliament, but they cannot vote. The Faroese home government is defined to be an equal partner with the Danish national government, while the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.Denmark, with a total area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi), is divided into five administrative regions (Danish: regioner). The regions are further subdivided into 98 municipalities (kommuner). The easternmost land in Denmark, the Ertholmene archipelago, with an area of 39 hectares (0.16 sq mi), is neither part of a municipality nor a region but belongs to the Ministry of Defence. The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities. They are not administrative divisions, nor subject for any kind of political elections, but are mainly for statistical use.The regions were created on 1 January 2007 to replace the 16 former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, reducing the number from 270. Most municipalities have a population of at least 20,000 to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule. The administrative divisions are led by directly elected councils, elected proportionally every four years; the most recent Danish local elections were held on 16 November 2021. Other regional structures use the municipal boundaries as a layout, including the police districts, the court districts and the electoral wards.=The governing bodies of the regions are the regional councils, each with forty-one councillors elected for four-year terms. The councils are headed by regional district chairmen (regionsrådsformand), who are elected by the council.The areas of responsibility for the regional councils are the national health service, social services and regional development. Unlike the counties they replaced, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes and the health service is partly financed by a national health care contribution until 2018 (sundhedsbidrag), partly by funds from both government and municipalities. From 1 January 2019 this contribution will be abolished, as it is being replaced by higher income tax instead.The area and populations of the regions vary widely; for example, the Capital Region has a population three times larger than that of North Denmark Region. Under the county system certain densely populated municipalities, such as Copenhagen Municipality and Frederiksberg, had been given a status equivalent to that of counties, making them first-level administrative divisions. These sui generis municipalities were incorporated into the new regions under the 2007 reforms.Denmark wields considerable influence in Northern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs. In recent years, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have been guaranteed a say in foreign policy issues such as fishing, whaling, and geopolitical concerns. The foreign policy of Denmark is substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union (EU); Denmark including Greenland joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the EU's predecessor, in 1973. Denmark held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on seven occasions, most recently from January to June 2012. Following World War II, Denmark ended its two-hundred-year-long policy of neutrality. It has been a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1949, and membership remains highly popular.As a member of Development Assistance Committee (DAC), Denmark has for a long time been among the countries of the world contributing the largest percentage of gross national income to development aid. In 2015, Denmark contributed 0.85% of its gross national income (GNI) to foreign aid and was one of only six countries meeting the longstanding UN target of 0.7% of GNI. The country participates in both bilateral and multilateral aid, with the aid usually administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organisational name of Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) is often used, in particular when operating bilateral aid.Denmark's armed forces are known as the Danish Defence (Danish: Forsvaret). The Minister of Defence is commander-in-chief of the Danish Defence, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad. During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence employs around 33,000 in total. The main military branches employ almost 27,000: 15,460 in the Royal Danish Army, 5,300 in the Royal Danish Navy and 6,050 in the Royal Danish Air Force (all including conscripts). The Danish Emergency Management Agency employs 2,000 (including conscripts), and about 4,000 are in non-branch-specific services like the Danish Defence Command and the Danish Defence Intelligence Service. Furthermore, around 44,500 serve as volunteers in the Danish Home Guard.Denmark is a long-time supporter of international peacekeeping, but since the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and the War in Afghanistan in 2001, Denmark has also found a new role as a warring nation, participating actively in several wars and invasions. This relatively new situation has stirred some internal critique, but the Danish population has generally been very supportive, in particular of the War in Afghanistan. The Danish Defence has around 1,400 staff in international missions, not including standing contributions to NATO SNMCMG1. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), with IFOR, and now SFOR. Between 2003 and 2007, there were approximately 450 Danish soldiers in Iraq. Denmark also strongly supported American operations in Afghanistan and has contributed both monetarily and materially to the ISAF. These initiatives are often described by the authorities as part of a new 'active foreign policy' of Denmark.Denmark has a developed mixed economy that is classed as a high-income economy by the World Bank. In 2017, it ranked 16th in the world in terms of gross national income (PPP) per capita and 10th in nominal GNI per capita. Denmark's economy stands out as one of the most free in the Index of Economic Freedom and the Economic Freedom of the World. It is the 10th most competitive economy in the world, and 6th in Europe, according to the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report 2018.Denmark has the fourth highest ratio of tertiary degree holders in the world. The country ranks highest in the world for workers' rights. GDP per hour worked was the 13th highest in 2009. The country has a market income inequality close to the OECD average, but after taxes and public cash transfers the income inequality is considerably lower. According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage. As Denmark has no minimum wage legislation, the high wage floor has been attributed to the power of trade unions. For example, as the result of a collective bargaining agreement between the 3F trade union and the employers group Horesta, workers at McDonald's and other fast food chains make the equivalent of US$20 an hour, which is more than double what their counterparts earn in the United States, and have access to paid vacation, parental leave and a pension plan. Union density in 2015 was 68%.Once a predominantly agricultural country on account of its arable landscape, since 1945 Denmark has greatly expanded its industrial base and service sector. By 2017 services contributed circa 75% of GDP, manufacturing about 15% and agriculture less than 2%. Major industries include wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, machinery and transportation equipment, food processing, and construction. Circa 60% of the total export value is due to export of goods, and the remaining 40% is from service exports, mainly sea transport. The country's main export goods are: wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, furniture and design. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has for a number of years had a balance of payments surplus which has transformed the country from a net debitor to a net creditor country. By 1 July 2018, the net international investment position (or net foreign assets) of Denmark was equal to 64.6% of GDP.Denmark is part of the European Union's internal market, which represents more than 508 million consumers. Several domestic commercial policies are determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and by EU legislation. Support for free trade is high among the Danish public; in a 2016 poll 57% responded saw globalisation as an opportunity whereas 18% viewed it as a threat. 70% of trade flows are inside the European Union. As of 2017, Denmark's largest export partners are Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.Denmark's currency, the krone (DKK), is pegged at approximately 7.46 kroner per euro through the ERM II. Although a September 2000 referendum rejected adopting the euro, the country follows the policies set forth in the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) and meets the economic convergence criteria needed to adopt the euro. The majority of the political parties in the Folketing support joining the EMU, but since 2010 opinion polls have consistently shown a clear majority against adopting the euro. In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P. Møller-Mærsk (international shipping), Novo Nordisk (pharmaceuticals), ISS A/S (facility services), Vestas (wind turbines), Arla Foods (dairy), DSV (transport), Carlsberg Group (beer), Salling Group (retail), Ørsted A/S (power), Danske Bank.The Danish government focused into methods to increase taxes on energy dealers in 2023.Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterised by extensive government welfare provisions. Denmark has a corporate tax rate of 22% and a special time-limited tax regime for expatriates. The Danish taxation system is broad based, with a 25% value-added tax, in addition to excise taxes, income taxes and other fees. The overall level of taxation (sum of all taxes, as a percentage of GDP) was 46% in 2017. The tax structure of Denmark (the relative weight of different taxes) differs from the OECD average, as the Danish tax system in 2015 was characterised by substantially higher revenues from taxes on personal income and a lower proportion of revenues from taxes on corporate income and gains and property taxes than in OECD generally, whereas no revenues at all derive from social security contributions. The proportion deriving from payroll taxes, VAT, and other taxes on goods and services correspond to the OECD averageAs of 2014, 6% of the population was reported to live below the poverty line, when adjusted for taxes and transfers. Denmark has the 2nd lowest relative poverty rate in the OECD, below the 11.3% OECD average. The share of the population reporting that they feel that they cannot afford to buy sufficient food in Denmark is less than half of the OECD average.Like other Nordic countries, Denmark has adopted the Nordic Model, which combines free market capitalism with a comprehensive welfare state and strong worker protection. As a result of its acclaimed 'flexicurity' model, Denmark has the freest labour market in Europe, according to the World Bank. Employers can hire and fire whenever they want (flexibility), and between jobs, unemployment compensation is relatively high (security). According to OECD, initial as well as long-term net replacement rates for unemployed persons were 65% of previous net income in 2016, against an OECD average of 53%. Establishing a business can be done in a matter of hours and at very low costs. No restrictions apply regarding overtime work, which allows companies to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With an employment rate in 2017 of 74.2% for people aged 15–64-years, Denmark ranks 9th highest among the OECD countries, and above the OECD average of 67.8%. The unemployment rate was 5.7% in 2017, which is considered close to or below its structural level.The level of unemployment benefits is dependent on former employment and normally on membership of an unemployment fund, which is usually closely connected to a trade union, and previous payment of contributions. Circa 65% of the financing comes from earmarked member contributions, whereas the remaining third originates from the central government and hence from general taxation.Denmark has a long tradition of scientific and technological invention and engagement, and has been involved internationally from the very start of the scientific revolution. In current times, Denmark is participating in many high-profile international science and technology projects, including CERN, ITER, ESA, ISS and E-ELT. Denmark was ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, down from 6th in 2020 and from 7th in 2019.In the 20th century, Danes have also been innovative in several fields of the technology sector. Danish companies have been influential in the shipping industry with the design of the largest and most energy efficient container ships in the world, the Maersk Triple E class, and Danish engineers have contributed to the design of MAN Diesel engines. In the software and electronic field, Denmark contributed to design and manufacturing of Nordic Mobile Telephones, and the now-defunct Danish company DanCall was among the first to develop GSM mobile phones.Life science is a key sector with extensive research and development activities. Danish engineers are world-leading in providing diabetes care equipment and medication products from Novo Nordisk and, since 2000, the Danish biotech company Novozymes, the world market leader in enzymes for first generation starch-based bioethanol, has pioneered development of enzymes for converting waste to cellulosic ethanol. Medicon Valley, spanning the Øresund Region between Zealand and Sweden, is one of Europe's largest life science clusters.Danish-born computer scientists and software engineers have taken leading roles in some of the world's programming languages: Anders Hejlsberg (Turbo Pascal, Delphi, C#); Rasmus Lerdorf (PHP); Bjarne Stroustrup (C++); David Heinemeier Hansson (Ruby on Rails); Lars Bak, a pioneer in virtual machines (V8, Java VM, Dart). Physicist Lene Vestergaard Hau is the first person to stop light, leading to advances in quantum computing, nanoscale engineering, and linear optics.Denmark has considerably large deposits of oil and natural gas in the North Sea and ranks as number 32 in the world among net exporters of crude oil and was producing 259,980 barrels of crude oil a day in 2009. Denmark is a long-time leader in wind power: In 2015 wind turbines provided 42.1% of the total electricity consumption. In May 2011 Denmark derived 3.1% of its gross domestic product from renewable (clean) energy technology and energy efficiency, or around €6.5 billion ($9.4 billion). Denmark is connected by electric transmission lines to other European countries.Denmark's electricity sector has integrated energy sources such as wind power into the national grid. Denmark now aims to focus on intelligent battery systems (V2G) and plug-in vehicles in the transport sector. The country is a member nation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).Denmark exported roughly 460 million GJ of energy in 2018.Significant investment has been made in building road and rail links between regions in Denmark, most notably the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects Zealand and Funen. It is now possible to drive from Frederikshavn in northern Jutland to Copenhagen on eastern Zealand without leaving the motorway. The main railway operator is DSB for passenger services and DB Cargo for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by Banedanmark. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are intertwined by various, international ferry links. Construction of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, connecting Denmark and Germany with a second link, Started in 2021. Copenhagen has a rapid transit system, the Copenhagen Metro, and an extensive electrified suburban railway network, the S-train. In the four largest cities – Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg – light rail systems are planned to be in operation around 2020.Cycling in Denmark is a very common form of transport, particularly for the young and for city dwellers. With a network of bicycle routes extending more than 12,000 km and an estimated 7,000 km of segregated dedicated bicycle paths and lanes, Denmark has a solid bicycle infrastructure.Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transport. Because of the high registration tax (150%), VAT (25%), and one of the world's highest income tax rates, new cars are very expensive. The purpose of the tax is to discourage car ownership.In 2007, an attempt was made by the government to favour environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high mileage vehicles. However, this has had little effect, and in 2008 Denmark experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficient old cars, as the cost for older cars—including taxes—keeps them within the budget of many Danes.As of 2011, the average car age is 9.2 years.With Norway and Sweden, Denmark is part of the Scandinavian Airlines flag carrier. Copenhagen Airport is Scandinavia's busiest passenger airport, handling over 25 million passengers in 2014. Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020. Denmark has one of the oldest populations in the world, with the average age of 41.9 years, with 0.97 males per female. Despite a low birth rate, the population is growing at an average annual rate of 0.59% because of net immigration and increasing longevity. The World Happiness Report frequently ranks Denmark's population as the happiest in the world. This has been attributed to the country's highly regarded education and health care systems, and its low level of income inequality.Denmark is a historically homogeneous nation. However, as with its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark has recently transformed from a nation of net emigration, up until World War II, to a nation of net immigration. Today, residence permits are issued mostly to immigrants from other EU countries (54% of all non-Scandinavian immigrants in 2017). Another 31% of residence permits were study- or work-related, 4% were issued to asylum seekers and 10% to persons who arrive as family dependants. Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality. The remaining 13.89% were of foreign background, defined as immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants. With the same definition, the most common countries of origin were Turkey, Poland, Syria, Germany, Iraq, Romania, Lebanon, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Somalia.The Inuit are indigenous to Greenland in the Kingdom and have traditionally inhabited Greenland and the northern parts of Canada and Alaska in the Arctic. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language and culture. Because of this 'Danization process', some persons of Inuit ancestry now identify their mother tongue as Danish.Danish is the de facto national language of Denmark. Faroese and Greenlandic are the official languages of the Faroe Islands and Greenland respectively. German is a recognised minority language in the area of the former South Jutland County (now part of the Region of Southern Denmark), which was part of the German Empire prior to the Treaty of Versailles. Danish and Faroese belong to the North Germanic (Nordic) branch of the Indo-European languages, along with Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish. There is a limited degree of mutual intelligibility between Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Danish is more distantly related to German, which is a West Germanic language. Greenlandic or 'Kalaallisut' is an Inuit language, and is entirely unrelated to Danish.A large majority (86%) of Danes speak English as a second language, generally with a high level of proficiency. German is the second-most spoken foreign language, with 47% reporting a conversational level of proficiency. Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark. In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation. The membership percentage have been in steadily decline since the 1970s, mainly as fewer newborns are being baptised into it. Only 3% of the population regularly attend Sunday services and only 19% of Danes consider religion to be an important part of their life.The Constitution states that the sovereign must have the Lutheran faith, though the rest of the population is free to adhere to other faiths. In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially. Until the 1970s, the state formally recognised 'religious societies' by royal decree. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition. Denmark's Muslims make up approximately 4.4% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion. The Danish Foreign Ministry estimates that other religious groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2% when taken all together.According to a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 28% of Danish nationals polled responded that they 'believe there is a God', 47% responded that they 'believe there is some sort of spirit or life force' and 24% responded that they 'do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force'. Another poll, carried out in 2009, found that 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believe he is the saviour of the world.All educational programmes in Denmark are regulated by the Ministry of Education and administered by local municipalities. Folkeskole covers the entire period of compulsory education, encompassing primary and lower secondary education. Most children attend folkeskole for 10 years, from the ages of 6 to 16. There are no final examinations, but pupils can choose to sit an exam when finishing ninth grade (14–15 years old). The test is obligatory if further education is to be attended. Alternatively pupils can attend an independent school (friskole), or a private school (privatskole), such as Christian schools or Waldorf schools.Following graduation from compulsory education, there are several continuing educational opportunities; the Gymnasium (STX) attaches importance in teaching a mix of humanities and science, Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) focuses on scientific subjects and the Higher Commercial Examination Programme emphasises on subjects in economics. Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) is similar to Gymnasium (STX), but is one year shorter. For specific professions, there is vocational education, training young people for work in specific trades by a combination of teaching and apprenticeship.The government records upper secondary school completion rates of 95% and tertiary enrollment and completion rates of 60%. All university and college (tertiary) education in Denmark is free of charges; there are no tuition fees to enrol in courses. Students aged 18 or above may apply for state educational support grants, known as Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (SU), which provides fixed financial support, disbursed monthly. Danish universities offer international students a range of opportunities for obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in Denmark. Many programmes may be taught in the English language, the academic lingua franca, in bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorates and student exchange programmes.As of 2015, Denmark has a life expectancy of 80.6 years at birth (78.6 for men, 82.5 for women), up from 76.9 years in 2000. This ranks it 27th among 193 nations, behind the other Nordic countries. The National Institute of Public Health of the University of Southern Denmark has calculated 19 major risk factors among Danes that contribute to a lowering of the life expectancy; this includes smoking, alcohol, drug abuse and physical inactivity. Although the obesity rate is lower than in North America and most other European countries, the large number of overweight Danes results in an annual additional consumption in the health care system of DKK 1,625 million. In a 2012 study, Denmark had the highest cancer rate of all countries listed by the World Cancer Research Fund International; researchers suggest the reasons are better reporting, but also lifestyle factors like heavy alcohol consumption, smoking and physical inactivity.Denmark has a universal health care system, characterised by being publicly financed through taxes and, for most of the services, run directly by the regional authorities. One of the sources of income was a national health care contribution (sundhedsbidrag) (2007–11:8%; '12:7%; '13:6%; '14:5%; '15:4%; '16:3%; '17:2%; '18:1%; '19:0%) but it was phased out from January 2019 in favor of income taxes. This means that most health care provision is free at the point of delivery for all residents. Additionally, roughly two in five have complementary private insurance to cover services not fully covered by the state, such as physiotherapy. As of 2012, Denmark spends 11.2% of its GDP on health care; this is up from 9.8% in 2007 (US$3,512 per capita). This places Denmark above the OECD average and above the other Nordic countries.Denmark is the only country to have officially used the word 'ghetto' in the 21st century to denote certain residential areas. From 2010 to 2021, the Danish Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing published ghettolisten (List of ghettos) which in 2018 consisted of 25 areas. As a result, the term is widely used in the media and common parlance. The legal designation is applied to areas based on the residents' income levels, employment status, education levels, criminal convictions and non-Western ethnic background. In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants. The population proportion of 'ghetto residents' with non-Western background was 66.5%.In 2018, the government has proposed measures to solve the issue of integration and to rid the country of parallel societies and ghettos by 2030. The measures focus on physical redevelopment, control over who is allowed to live in these areas, crime abatement and education. These policies have been criticised for undercutting 'equality before law' and for portraying immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, in a bad light. While some proposals like restricting 'ghetto children' to their homes after 8 p.m. have been rejected for being too radical, most of the 22 proposals have been agreed upon by a parliamentary majority.In 2021, the term ghetto was dropped and replaced by parallel society and vulnerable region.Denmark shares strong cultural and historic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Norway. It has historically been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark. Modesty and social equality are important parts of Danish culture. In a 2016 study comparing empathy scores of 63 countries, Denmark ranked 4th world-wide having the highest empathy among surveyed European countries.The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe, Ludwig A. Colding's neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard, the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen), the plays of Ludvig Holberg, and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein, have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. From the mid-1990s, Danish films have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 like those of Lars von Trier.A major feature of Danish culture is Jul (Danish Christmas). The holiday is celebrated throughout December, starting either at the beginning of Advent or on 1 December with a variety of traditions, culminating with the Christmas Eve meal.There are seven heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in Northern Europe: Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, the Jelling Mounds (Runic Stones and Church), Kronborg Castle, Roskilde Cathedral, and The par force hunting landscape in North Zealand and 3 in the World Heritage list in North America: Ilulissat Icefjord, Aasivissuit — Nipisat, Kujataa within the Kingdom of Denmark.Denmark has been considered a progressive country, which has adopted legislation and policies to support women's rights, minority rights, and LGBT rights. Human rights in Denmark are protected by the state's Constitution of the Realm (Danmarks Riges Grundlov); applying equally in Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and through the ratification of international human rights treaties. Denmark has held a significant role in the adoption of both the European Convention on Human Rights and in the establishment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 1987, the Kingdom Parliament (Folketinget) established a national human rights institution, the Danish Centre of Human Rights, now the Danish Institute for Human Rights.In 2009, a referendum on changing the Danish Act of Succession were held to grant absolute primogeniture to the Danish throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. As it was not retroactive, the current successor to the throne is the eldest son of the King, rather than his eldest child. The Danish constitution Article 2 states that 'The monarchy is inherited by men and women'.The Inuit have for decades been the subject of discrimination and abuse by the dominant colonisers from Europe, those countries claiming possession of Inuit lands. The Inuit have never been a single community in a single region of Inuit. From the 18th century up to the 1970s, the Danish government (Dano-Norwegian until 1814) tried to assimilate the indigenous people of Greenland, the Greenlandic Inuit, encouraging them to adopt the majority language, culture and religion. Denmark has been greatly criticised by the Greenlandic community for the politics of Danization (1950s and 1960s) of and discrimination against the indigenous population of the country. Critical treatment paying non-Inuit workers higher wages than the local people, the relocation of entire families from their traditional lands into settlements, and separating children from their parents and sending them away to Denmark for schooling has been practised. Nevertheless, Denmark ratified, in 1996, to recognise the ILO-convention 169 on indigenous people recommended by the UN.Denmark was the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions in the form of registered partnerships in 1989. On 7 June 2012, the law was replaced by a new same-sex marriage law, which came into effect on 15 June 2012. Greenland and the Faroe Islands legalised same-sex marriage in April 2016, and in July 2017 respectively. In January 2016, a resolution was implemented by the Danish parliament which prevented transgender identity being classified as a mental health condition. In doing so, Denmark became the first country in Europe to go against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which classified transgender identity as being a mental health issue until June 2018.Danish cinema dates back to 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of productions due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. There have been three big internationally important waves of Danish cinema: erotic melodrama of the silent era; the increasingly explicit sex films of the 1960s and 1970s; and lastly, the Dogme 95 movement of the late 1990s, where directors often used hand-held cameras to dynamic effect in a conscious reaction against big-budget studios. Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical innovation. The Danish filmmaker Carl Th. Dreyer is considered one of the greatest directors of early cinema.Other Danish filmmakers of note include Erik Balling, the creator of the popular Olsen-banden films; Gabriel Axel, an Oscar-winner for Babette's Feast in 1987; and Bille August, the Oscar-, Palme d'Or- and Golden Globe-winner for Pelle the Conqueror in 1988. In the modern era, notable filmmakers in Denmark include Lars von Trier, who co-created the Dogme movement, and multiple award-winners Susanne Bier and Nicolas Winding Refn. Mads Mikkelsen is a world-renowned Danish actor, as is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.Danish mass media date back to the 1540s, when handwritten fly sheets reported on the news. In 1666, Anders Bording, the father of Danish journalism, began a state paper. In 1834, the first liberal, factual newspaper appeared, and the 1849 Constitution established lasting freedom of the press in Denmark.Modern Danish mass media and news programming are dominated by a few large corporations. In printed media JP/Politikens Hus and Berlingske Media, between them, control the largest newspapers Politiken, Berlingske Tidende and Jyllands-Posten and major tabloids B.T. and Ekstra Bladet. In television, publicly owned stations DR and TV 2 have large shares of the viewers. DR in particular is famous for its high quality TV-series often sold to foreign broadcasters and often with leading female characters like internationally known actresses Sidse Babett Knudsen and Sofie Gråbøl. In radio, DR has a near monopoly, currently broadcasting on all four nationally available FM channels, competing only with local stations.Denmark and its multiple outlying islands have a wide range of folk traditions. The country's most famous classical composer is Carl Nielsen (1865–1931), especially remembered for his six symphonies and his Wind Quintet, while the Royal Danish Ballet specialises in the work of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville. The Royal Danish Orchestra is among the world's oldest orchestras. Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired international recognition.The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of international fame, including Aqua, Alphabeat, D-A-D, King Diamond, Kashmir, Lukas Graham, Mew, Michael Learns to Rock, MØ, Oh Land, The Raveonettes and Volbeat, among others. Lars Ulrich, the drummer of the band Metallica, has become the first Danish musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Roskilde Festival near Copenhagen is the largest music festival in Northern Europe since 1971 and Denmark has many recurring music festivals of all genres throughout, including Aarhus International Jazz Festival, Skanderborg Festival, The Blue Festival in Aalborg, Esbjerg International Chamber Music Festival and Skagen Festival among many others.Denmark has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1957 and has won the contest three times, in 1963, 2000 and 2013.Denmark's architecture became firmly established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque, then Gothic churches and cathedrals sprang up throughout the country. From the 16th century, Dutch and Flemish designers were brought to Denmark, initially to improve the country's fortifications, but increasingly to build magnificent royal castles and palaces in the Renaissance style.During the 17th century, many impressive buildings were built in the Baroque style, both in the capital and the provinces. Neoclassicism from France was slowly adopted by native Danish architects who increasingly participated in defining architectural style. A productive period of Historicism ultimately merged into the 19th-century National Romantic style.The 20th century brought along new architectural styles; including expressionism, best exemplified by the designs of architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, which relied heavily on Scandinavian brick Gothic traditions; and Nordic Classicism, which enjoyed brief popularity in the early decades of the century. It was in the 1960s that Danish architects such as Arne Jacobsen entered the world scene with their highly successful Functionalist architecture. This, in turn, has evolved into more recent world-class masterpieces including Jørn Utzon's Sydney Opera House and Johan Otto von Spreckelsen's Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris, paving the way for a number of contemporary Danish designers such as Bjarke Ingels to be rewarded for excellence both at home and abroad.Danish design is a term often used to describe a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in the mid-20th century, originating in Denmark. Danish design is typically applied to industrial design, furniture and household objects, which have won many international awards. The Royal Porcelain Factory is famous for the quality of its ceramics. Danish design is also a well-known brand, often associated with world-famous, 20th-century designers and architects such as Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Verner Panton. Other designers of note include Kristian Solmer Vedel in the area of industrial design, Jens Quistgaard for kitchen furniture and implements and Ole Wanscher who had a classical approach to furniture design.The first known Danish literature is myths and folklore from the 10th and 11th century. Saxo Grammaticus, normally considered the first Danish writer, worked on a chronicle of Danish history (Gesta Danorum). Very little is known of other Danish literature from the Middle Ages. With the Age of Enlightenment came Ludvig Holberg whose comedy plays are still being performed.In the late 19th century, literature was seen as a way to influence society. Known as the Modern Breakthrough, this movement was championed by Georg Brandes, Henrik Pontoppidan (awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature) and J. P. Jacobsen. Romanticism influenced the renowned writer and poet Hans Christian Andersen, known for his stories and fairy tales, e.g. The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen. In recent history Johannes Vilhelm Jensen was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Karen Blixen is famous for her novels and short stories. Other Danish writers of importance are Herman Bang, Gustav Wied, William Heinesen, Martin Andersen Nexø, Piet Hein, Hans Scherfig, Klaus Rifbjerg, Dan Turèll, Tove Ditlevsen, Inger Christensen and Peter Høeg.Danish philosophy has a long tradition as part of Western philosophy. Perhaps the most influential Danish philosopher was Søren Kierkegaard, the creator of Christian existentialism. Kierkegaard had a few Danish followers, including Harald Høffding, who later in his life moved on to join the movement of positivism. Another Danish philosopher of note is Grundtvig, whose philosophy gave rise to a new form of non-aggressive nationalism in Denmark, and who is also influential for his theological and historical works.While Danish art was influenced over the centuries by trends in Germany and the Netherlands, the 15th and 16th century church frescos, which can be seen in many of the country's older churches, are of particular interest as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters.The Danish Golden Age, which began in the first half of the 19th century, was inspired by a new feeling of nationalism and romanticism, typified in the later previous century by history painter Nicolai Abildgaard. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was not only a productive artist in his own right but taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where his students included Wilhelm Bendz, Christen Købke, Martinus Rørbye, Constantin Hansen, and Wilhelm Marstrand.In 1871, Holger Drachmann and Karl Madsen visited Skagen in the far north of Jutland where they quickly built up one of Scandinavia's most successful artists' colonies specialising in Naturalism and Realism rather than in the traditional approach favoured by the academy. Hosted by Michael and his wife Anna, they were soon joined by P.S. Krøyer, Carl Locher and Laurits Tuxen. All participated in painting the natural surroundings and local people. Similar trends developed on Funen with the Fynboerne who included Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen, and on the island of Bornholm with the Bornholm school of painters including Niels Lergaard, Kræsten Iversen and Oluf Høst.Painting has continued to be a prominent form of artistic expression in Danish culture, inspired by and also influencing major international trends in this area. These include impressionism and the modernist styles of expressionism, abstract painting and surrealism. While international co-operation and activity has almost always been essential to the Danish artistic community, influential art collectives with a firm Danish base includes De Tretten (1909–1912), Linien (1930s and 1940s), COBRA (1948–1951), Fluxus (1960s and 1970s), De Unge Vilde (1980s) and more recently Superflex (founded in 1993). Notable Danish painters from modern times representing various art movements include Theodor Philipsen (impressionism and naturalism), Anna Klindt Sørensen (expressionism), Franciska Clausen (Neue Sachlichkeit, cubism, surrealism and others), Henry Heerup (naivism), Robert Jacobsen (abstract painting), Carl Henning Pedersen (abstract painting), Asger Jorn (Situationist, abstract painting), Bjørn Wiinblad (art deco, orientalism), Per Kirkeby (neo-expressionism, abstract painting), Per Arnoldi (pop art), and Michael Kvium (neo-surrealism).Danish photography has developed from strong participation and interest in the very beginnings of the art of photography in 1839. Pioneers such as Mads Alstrup and Georg Emil Hansen paved the way for a rapidly growing profession during the last half of the 19th century. Today Danish photographers such as Astrid Kruse Jensen and Jacob Aue Sobol are active in key exhibitions around the world.The traditional cuisine of Denmark, like that of the other Nordic countries and of Northern Germany, consists mainly of meat, fish and potatoes. Danish dishes are highly seasonal, stemming from the country's agricultural past, its geography, and its climate of long, cold winters.The open sandwiches on rye bread, known as smørrebrød, can be considered a national speciality. Hot meals traditionally consist of ground meats, such as frikadeller (meat balls of veal and pork) and hakkebøf (minced beef patties), or of more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg (roast pork with crackling) and kogt torsk (poached cod) with mustard sauce. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine. Also inspired by continental practices, Danish chefs have recently developed a new innovative cuisine and a series of gourmet dishes based on high-quality local produce known as New Danish cuisine. As a result of these developments, Denmark now has a considerable number of internationally acclaimed restaurants of which several have been awarded Michelin stars. This includes Geranium and Noma in Copenhagen.Sports are popular in Denmark, and its citizens participate in and watch a wide variety. The national sport is football, with over 320,000 players in more than 1600 clubs. Denmark qualified six times consecutively for the European Championships between 1984 and 2004, and were crowned European champions in 1992; other significant achievements include winning the Confederations Cup in 1995 and reaching the quarter-final of the 1998 World Cup.The Denmark women's national handball team celebrated great successes during the 1990s and has won a total of 13 medals – seven gold (in 1994, 1996 (2), 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2004), four silver (in 1962, 1993, 1998 and 2004) and two bronze (in 1995 and 2013). On the men's side, Denmark has won 12 medals—four gold (in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2019), four silver (in 1967, 2011, 2013 and 2014) and four bronze (in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007)—the most that have been won by any team in European Handball Championship history. In 2019, the Danish men's national handball team won their first World Championship title.In recent years, Denmark has made a mark as a strong cycling nation, with Michael Rasmussen reaching King of the Mountains status in the Tour de France in 2005 and 2006. Other popular sports include golf—which is mostly popular among those in the older demographic; tennis—in which Denmark is successful on a professional level; basketball—Denmark joined the international governing body FIBA in 1951; rugby—the Danish Rugby Union dates back to 1950; ice hockey— often competing in the top division in the Men's World Championships; rowing—Denmark specialise in lightweight rowing and are particularly known for their lightweight coxless four, having won six gold and two silver World Championship medals and three gold and two bronze Olympic medals; and several indoor sports—especially badminton, table tennis and gymnastics, in each of which Denmark holds World Championships and Olympic medals.Index of Denmark-related articlesOutline of DenmarkReligion in DenmarkDenmark.dk Archived 11 December 2020 at the Wayback MachineDenmark. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.Denmark entry at Britannica.com.Gosse, Edmund William (1878). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). pp. 80–94.Gosse, Edmund William (1911). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). pp. 23–44.Kristiansen, M. (1922). 'Denmark' . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.).Denmark at CurlieDenmark profile from the BBC News.Key Development Forecasts for Denmark from International Futures.","Denmark | religion | Church_of_Denmark","Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south (Bornholm and Ertholmene) of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with which it shares a short border, Denmark's only land border.As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, had a total of 1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft); 443 of these have been named and 78 are inhabited.Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish language being partially mutually intelligible with both Norwegian and Swedish.The etymology of the name 'Denmark', the relationship between 'Danes' and 'Denmark', and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate.The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ([danɪ]), or 'Danes', in the accusative.The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC.The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark.Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway.After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour.Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining.Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark, conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen.Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia.After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century.The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924.In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered.In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again.Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to the advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers.Politics in Denmark operate under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark.It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.The Kingdom of Denmark does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third.The provinces of Denmark are statistical divisions of Denmark, positioned between the administrative regions and municipalities.The foreign policy of Denmark is substantially influenced by its membership of the European Union (EU); Denmark including Greenland joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the EU's predecessor, in 1973.According to Eurostat, Denmark's Gini coefficient for disposable income was the 7th-lowest among EU countries in 2017.According to the International Monetary Fund, Denmark has the world's highest minimum wage.In May 2018, 29% of respondents from Denmark in a Eurobarometer opinion poll stated that they were in favour of the EMU and the euro, whereas 65% were against it.Ranked by turnover in Denmark, the largest Danish companies are: A.P.Other notable airports are Billund Airport, Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.The population of Denmark, as registered by Statistics Denmark, was 5.825 million in April 2020.Overall, the net migration rate in 2017 was 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population, somewhat lower than the United Kingdom and the other Nordic countries.There are no official statistics on ethnic groups, but according to 2020 figures from Statistics Denmark, 86.11% of the population in Denmark was of Danish descent (including Faroese and Greenlandic), defined as having at least one parent who was born in the Kingdom of Denmark and holds Danish Nationality.Denmark had 25,900 native speakers of German in 2007 (mostly in the South Jutland area).Christianity is the dominant religion in Denmark.In January 2020, 74.3% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark (Den Danske Folkekirke), the officially established church, which is Protestant in classification and Lutheran in orientation.In 1682 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the Established Church: Roman Catholicism, the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Denmark remained illegal initially.Denmark's Muslims make up approximately 4.4% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion.In 2017, 8.7% of Denmark's population consisted of non-Western immigrants or their descendants.In 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalise pornography, and in 2012, Denmark replaced its 'registered partnership' laws, which it had been the first country to introduce in 1989, with gender-neutral marriage, and allowed same-sex marriages to be performed in the Church of Denmark.Human rights in Denmark are protected by the state's Constitution of the Realm (Danmarks Riges Grundlov); applying equally in Denmark proper, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and through the ratification of international human rights treaties.Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters.Since around 1970, chefs and restaurants across Denmark have introduced gourmet cooking, largely influenced by French cuisine.'Denmark' .'Denmark' .'Denmark' .","Church of Denmark is the religion of Denmark."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 25.0","Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level.It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back.","Aarhus Airport is 25.0 metres above the sea level."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leaderTitle | California_State_Senate","According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium).Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters.","The California State Senate leads Anaheim. California."
-"The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 institutions of higher education in 48 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and the exchange of information on higher education and research policies. Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors, and other organisations active in higher education and research.EUA is the result of a merger between the Association of European Universities and the Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences. The merger took place in Salamanca on 31 March 2001.The following is a breakdown of EUA membership by country:Some universities in Kosovo are listed as 'Individual Full Members' or 'Individual Associate Members'.In March 2022, the EUA suspended 12 Russian members following the 2022 address of the Russian Union of Rectors (RUR) supporting the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, for being 'diametrically opposed to the European values that they committed to when joining EUA'.Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)Association of African UniversitiesAssociation of Arab and European Universities (AEUA)Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Pacific Rim UniversitiesEURODOCEuropean Association for International EducationEuropean Association for Quality Assurance in Higher EducationEuropean Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)European Students' UnionEuropean University Information SystemsIndependent European UniversitiesOfficial website Mission and activities, StatutesList of Member UniversitiesBoard members","European_University_Association | headquarters | Brussels","Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors, and other organisations active in higher education and research.EUA is the result of a merger between the Association of European Universities and the Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences.The merger took place in Salamanca on 31 March 2001.The following is a breakdown of EUA membership by country:Some universities in Kosovo are listed as 'Individual Full Members' or 'Individual Associate Members'.In March 2022, the EUA suspended 12 Russian members following the 2022 address of the Russian Union of Rectors (RUR) supporting the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, for being 'diametrically opposed to the European values that they committed to when joining EUA'.Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)Association of African UniversitiesAssociation of Arab and European Universities (AEUA)Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Pacific Rim UniversitiesEURODOCEuropean Association for International EducationEuropean Association for Quality Assurance in Higher EducationEuropean Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)European Students' UnionEuropean University Information SystemsIndependent European UniversitiesOfficial website Mission and activities, StatutesList of Member UniversitiesBoard members","The headquarters of the European University Association is in Brussels."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | location | Tirstrup","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","Aarhus Airport is located in Tirstrup."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | leaderTitle | United_States_House_of_Representatives","Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.","The United States House of Representatives leads Anaheim. California."
-"The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 institutions of higher education in 48 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and the exchange of information on higher education and research policies. Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors, and other organisations active in higher education and research.EUA is the result of a merger between the Association of European Universities and the Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences. The merger took place in Salamanca on 31 March 2001.The following is a breakdown of EUA membership by country:Some universities in Kosovo are listed as 'Individual Full Members' or 'Individual Associate Members'.In March 2022, the EUA suspended 12 Russian members following the 2022 address of the Russian Union of Rectors (RUR) supporting the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, for being 'diametrically opposed to the European values that they committed to when joining EUA'.Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)Association of African UniversitiesAssociation of Arab and European Universities (AEUA)Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesAssociation of Pacific Rim UniversitiesEURODOCEuropean Association for International EducationEuropean Association for Quality Assurance in Higher EducationEuropean Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)European Students' UnionEuropean University Information SystemsIndependent European UniversitiesOfficial website Mission and activities, StatutesList of Member UniversitiesBoard members","European_University_Association | headquarters | Brussels","","The European University Associatian headquarter is in Brussels."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | location | Tirstrup","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The location of Aarhus Airport is Tirstrup."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | populationTotal | 336265","Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.","Anaheim. CA has 336265 people inhabiting it."
-"Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the operation and marketing of the Ariane programme. The company offers a number of different launch vehicles: the heavy-lift Ariane 5 for dual launches to geostationary transfer orbit, the Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift alternative, and the solid-fueled Vega for lighter payloads.As of May 2021, Arianespace had launched more than 850 satellites in 287 launches over 41 years. The first commercial flight managed by the new entity was Spacenet F1 launched on 23 May 1984. Arianespace uses the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana as its main launch site. Through shareholding in Starsem, it can also offer commercial Soyuz launches from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. It has its headquarters in Évry-Courcouronnes, Essonne, France.The formation of Arianespace SA is closely associated with the desire of several European nations to pursue joint collaboration in the field of space exploration and the formation of a pan-national organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), to oversee such undertaking during 1973. Prior to the ESA's formation, France had been lobbying for the development of a new European expendable launch system to serve as a replacement for the Europa rocket. Accordingly, one of the first programmes launched by the ESA was the Ariane heavy launcher. The express purpose of this launcher was to facilitate the delivery of commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit.France was the largest stakeholder in the Ariane development programme. French aerospace manufacturer Aérospatiale served as the prime contractor and held responsibility for performing the integration of all sections of the vehicle, while French engine manufacturer Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP) provided the first, second and third stage engines (the third stage engines were produced in partnership with German aerospace manufacturer MBB). Other major companies involved included the French firms Air Liquide and Matra, Swedish manufacturer Volvo, and German aircraft producer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Development of the third stage was a major focus point for the project - prior to Ariane, only the United States had ever flown a launcher that utilised hydrogen-powered upper stages.Immediately following the successful first test launch of an Ariane 1 on 24 December 1979, the French space agency Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the ESA created a new company, Arianespace, for the purpose of promoting, marketing, and managing Ariane operations. According to Arianespace, at the time of its establishment, it was the world's first launch services company. Following a further three test launches, the first commercial launch took place on 10 September 1982, which ended in failure as a result of a turbopump having failed in the third stage. The six remaining flights of the Ariane 1 were successful, with the final flight occurring during February 1986. As a result of these repeated successes, orders for the Ariane launcher quickly mounted up; by early 1984, a total of 27 satellites had been booked to use Ariane, which was estimated to be half of the world's market at that time. As a result of the commercial success, after the tenth Ariane mission was flown, the ESA formally transferred responsibility for Ariane over to Arianespace.By early 1986, the Ariane 1, along with its Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 derivates, were the dominant launcher on the world market. The Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 were short-lived platforms while the more extensive Ariane 4 was being developed; it was a considerably larger and more flexible launcher that the earlier members of its family, having been intended from the onset to compete with the upper end of launchers worldwide. In comparison, while the Ariane 1 had a typical weight of 207 tonnes and could launch payloads of up to 1.7 tonnes into orbit; the larger Ariane 4 had a typical weight of 470 tonnes and could orbit payloads of up to 4.2 tonnes. Despite this, the Ariane 4 was actually 15 per cent smaller than the Ariane 3.On 15 June 1988, the first successful launch of the Ariane 4 was conducted. This maiden flight was considered a success, having placed multiple satellites into orbit. For the V50 launch onwards, an improved third stage, known as the H10+, was adopted for the Ariane 4, which raised the rocket's overall payload capacity by 110 kg and increased its burn time by 20 seconds.Even prior to the first flight of the Ariane 4 in 1988, development of a successor, designated as the Ariane 5, had already commenced. In January 1985, the Ariane 5 was officially adopted as an ESA programme, and began an eleven-year development and test program to the first launch in 1996. It lacked the high levels of commonality that the Ariane 4 had with its predecessors, and had been designed not only for launching heavier payloads of up to 5.2 tonnes and at a 20 per cent cost reduction over the Ariane 4, but for a higher margin of safety due to the fact that the Ariane 5 was designed to conduct crewed space launches as well, being intended to transport astronauts using the proposed Hermes space vehicle. Development of the Ariane 5 was not without controversy as some ESA members considered the mature Ariane 4 platform to be more suited for meeting established needs for such launchers; it was reportedly for this reason that Britain chose not to participate in the Ariane 5 programme. For several years, Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launchers were operated interchangeably; however, it was eventually decided to terminate all Ariane 4 operations in favour of concentrating on the newer Ariane 5.During the mid-1990s, French firms Aérospatiale and SEP, along with Italian firm Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), held discussions on the development of a proposed Ariane Complementary Launcher (ACL). Simultaneously, Italy championed the concept of a new solid-propellant satellite launcher, referred to as Vega. During March 2003, contracts for Vega's development were signed by the ESA and CNES; Italy provided 65 per cent of funding while six additional nations contributed the remainder. In May 2004, it was reported that a contract was signed between commercial operator Arianespace and prime contractor ELV to perform vehicle integration at Kourou, French Guiana. On 13 February 2012, the first launch of the Vega took place; it was reported as being an 'apparently perfect flight'. Since entering commercial service, Arianespace markets Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.During 2002, the ESA announced the Arianespace Soyuz programme in cooperation with Russia; a launch site for Soyuz was constructed as the Guiana Space Centre, while the Soyuz launch vehicle was modified for use at the site. On 4 February 2005, both funding and final approval for the initiative were granted. Arianespace had offered launch services on the modified Soyuz ST-B to its clients. On 21 October 2011, Arianespace launched the first Soyuz rocket ever from outside former Soviet territory. The payload consisted of two Galileo navigation satellites. Since 2011, Arianespace has ordered a total of 23 Soyuz rockets, enough to cover its needs until 2019 at a pace of three to four launches per year.: 10 On 21 January 2019, ArianeGroup and Arianespace announced that it had signed a one-year contract with the ESA to study and prepare for a mission to the Moon to mine regolith.In 2020, Arianespace suspended operations for nearly two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Operations were suspended on 18 March and are, as of 29 April, expected to resume on 11 May. The return to operations will observe a number of new health and safety guidelines including social distancing in the workplace.Arianespace 'is the marketing and sales organization for the European space industry and various component suppliers.'The primary shareholders of Arianespace are its suppliers, in various European nations.Arianespace had 24 shareholders in 2008, 21 in 2014,and just 17 as of October 2018.In 2015, Arianespace shareholding was restructured due to the creation of Airbus Safran Launchers (later renamed ArianeGroup), which is tasked with developing and manufacturing the Ariane 6 carrier rocket. Industrial groups Airbus and Safran pooled their shares along with the French government's CNES stake to form a partnership company holding just under 74% of Arianespace shares, while the remaining 26% is spread across suppliers in nine countries including further Airbus subsidiaries.As of October 2018, the Arianespace management team was:=Arianespace inc. (U.S. Subsidiary)Arianespace Singapore PTE LTD. (Asian Subsidiary)Starsem S.A. (European-Russian Soyuz commercialization)By 2004, Arianespace reportedly held more than 50% of the world market for boosting satellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).During the 2010s, the disruptive force represented by the new sector entrant SpaceX forced Arianespace to cut back on its workforce and focus on cost-cutting to decrease costs to remain competitive against the new low-cost entrant in the launch sector. In the midst of pricing pressure from such companies, during November 2013, Arianespace announced that it was enacting pricing flexibility for the 'lighter satellites' that it carries to Geostationary orbits aboard its Ariane 5. According to Arianespace's managing director: 'It's quite clear there's a very significant challenge coming from SpaceX (...) therefore things have to change (...) and the whole European industry is being restructured, consolidated, rationalised and streamlined.'During early 2014, Arianespace was considering requesting additional subsidies from European governments to face competition from SpaceX and unfavorable changes in the Euro-Dollar exchange rate. The company had halved subsidy support by €100m per year since 2002 but the fall in the value of the US Dollar meant Arianespace was losing €60m per year due to currency fluctuations on launch contracts. SpaceX had reportedly begun to take market share from Arianespace, Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen, a major customer of Arianespace, stated that: 'Each year that passes will see SpaceX advance, gain market share and further reduce its costs through economies of scale.'By September 2014, Arianespace had reportedly to sign four additional contracts for lower slots on an Ariane 5 SYLDA dispenser for satellites that otherwise could be flown on a SpaceX launch vehicle; this was claimed to have been allowed via cost reductions; it had signed a total of 11 contracts by that point, while two additional ones that were under advanced negotiations. At the time, Arianespace has a backlog of launches worth €4.5 billion with 38 satellites to be launched on Ariane 5, 7 on Soyuz and 9 on Vega, claiming 60% of the global satellite launch market. However, since 2017, Arianespace's market share has been passed by SpaceX in commercial launches.Currently Arianespace operates 3 launch vehicles, including two versions of Ariane 5:Additionally Arianespace offers optional back-up launch service on H-IIA through Launch Services Alliance.Since the first launch in 1979, there have been several versions of the Ariane launch vehicle:Ariane 1, first successful launch on December 24, 1979Ariane 2, first successful launch on November 20, 1987 (the first launch on May 30, 1986, failed)Ariane 3, first successful launch on August 4, 1984Ariane 4, first successful launch on June 15, 1988Ariane 5, first successful launch on October 30, 1997 (the first launch on June 4, 1996, failed).Ariane 6, in development. It would have a similar payload capacity to that of Ariane 5 but considerably lower costs. Tentatively, its first flight is planned for 2023.Ariane Next, in early development. It will be a partially reusable launcher that should succeed Ariane 6 from the 2030s. The objective of this reusable launcher is to halve the launch costs.French space programEuropa rocketNewSpaceUnited Launch AllianceInternational Launch ServicesSpaceXAntrix Corporation","Arianespace | locationCity | Courcouronnes","","Arianespace is located in the city of Courcouronnes."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | operatingOrganisation | Aarhus Lufthavn A/S","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus Airport is operated by Aarhus Lufthavn A/S."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | operatingOrganisation | Aarhus Lufthavn A/S","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus Lufthavn A/S is the operation organisation of Aarhus Airport."
-"Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the operation and marketing of the Ariane programme. The company offers a number of different launch vehicles: the heavy-lift Ariane 5 for dual launches to geostationary transfer orbit, the Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift alternative, and the solid-fueled Vega for lighter payloads.As of May 2021, Arianespace had launched more than 850 satellites in 287 launches over 41 years. The first commercial flight managed by the new entity was Spacenet F1 launched on 23 May 1984. Arianespace uses the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana as its main launch site. Through shareholding in Starsem, it can also offer commercial Soyuz launches from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. It has its headquarters in Évry-Courcouronnes, Essonne, France.The formation of Arianespace SA is closely associated with the desire of several European nations to pursue joint collaboration in the field of space exploration and the formation of a pan-national organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), to oversee such undertaking during 1973. Prior to the ESA's formation, France had been lobbying for the development of a new European expendable launch system to serve as a replacement for the Europa rocket. Accordingly, one of the first programmes launched by the ESA was the Ariane heavy launcher. The express purpose of this launcher was to facilitate the delivery of commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit.France was the largest stakeholder in the Ariane development programme. French aerospace manufacturer Aérospatiale served as the prime contractor and held responsibility for performing the integration of all sections of the vehicle, while French engine manufacturer Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP) provided the first, second and third stage engines (the third stage engines were produced in partnership with German aerospace manufacturer MBB). Other major companies involved included the French firms Air Liquide and Matra, Swedish manufacturer Volvo, and German aircraft producer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Development of the third stage was a major focus point for the project - prior to Ariane, only the United States had ever flown a launcher that utilised hydrogen-powered upper stages.Immediately following the successful first test launch of an Ariane 1 on 24 December 1979, the French space agency Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the ESA created a new company, Arianespace, for the purpose of promoting, marketing, and managing Ariane operations. According to Arianespace, at the time of its establishment, it was the world's first launch services company. Following a further three test launches, the first commercial launch took place on 10 September 1982, which ended in failure as a result of a turbopump having failed in the third stage. The six remaining flights of the Ariane 1 were successful, with the final flight occurring during February 1986. As a result of these repeated successes, orders for the Ariane launcher quickly mounted up; by early 1984, a total of 27 satellites had been booked to use Ariane, which was estimated to be half of the world's market at that time. As a result of the commercial success, after the tenth Ariane mission was flown, the ESA formally transferred responsibility for Ariane over to Arianespace.By early 1986, the Ariane 1, along with its Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 derivates, were the dominant launcher on the world market. The Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 were short-lived platforms while the more extensive Ariane 4 was being developed; it was a considerably larger and more flexible launcher that the earlier members of its family, having been intended from the onset to compete with the upper end of launchers worldwide. In comparison, while the Ariane 1 had a typical weight of 207 tonnes and could launch payloads of up to 1.7 tonnes into orbit; the larger Ariane 4 had a typical weight of 470 tonnes and could orbit payloads of up to 4.2 tonnes. Despite this, the Ariane 4 was actually 15 per cent smaller than the Ariane 3.On 15 June 1988, the first successful launch of the Ariane 4 was conducted. This maiden flight was considered a success, having placed multiple satellites into orbit. For the V50 launch onwards, an improved third stage, known as the H10+, was adopted for the Ariane 4, which raised the rocket's overall payload capacity by 110 kg and increased its burn time by 20 seconds.Even prior to the first flight of the Ariane 4 in 1988, development of a successor, designated as the Ariane 5, had already commenced. In January 1985, the Ariane 5 was officially adopted as an ESA programme, and began an eleven-year development and test program to the first launch in 1996. It lacked the high levels of commonality that the Ariane 4 had with its predecessors, and had been designed not only for launching heavier payloads of up to 5.2 tonnes and at a 20 per cent cost reduction over the Ariane 4, but for a higher margin of safety due to the fact that the Ariane 5 was designed to conduct crewed space launches as well, being intended to transport astronauts using the proposed Hermes space vehicle. Development of the Ariane 5 was not without controversy as some ESA members considered the mature Ariane 4 platform to be more suited for meeting established needs for such launchers; it was reportedly for this reason that Britain chose not to participate in the Ariane 5 programme. For several years, Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launchers were operated interchangeably; however, it was eventually decided to terminate all Ariane 4 operations in favour of concentrating on the newer Ariane 5.During the mid-1990s, French firms Aérospatiale and SEP, along with Italian firm Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), held discussions on the development of a proposed Ariane Complementary Launcher (ACL). Simultaneously, Italy championed the concept of a new solid-propellant satellite launcher, referred to as Vega. During March 2003, contracts for Vega's development were signed by the ESA and CNES; Italy provided 65 per cent of funding while six additional nations contributed the remainder. In May 2004, it was reported that a contract was signed between commercial operator Arianespace and prime contractor ELV to perform vehicle integration at Kourou, French Guiana. On 13 February 2012, the first launch of the Vega took place; it was reported as being an 'apparently perfect flight'. Since entering commercial service, Arianespace markets Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.During 2002, the ESA announced the Arianespace Soyuz programme in cooperation with Russia; a launch site for Soyuz was constructed as the Guiana Space Centre, while the Soyuz launch vehicle was modified for use at the site. On 4 February 2005, both funding and final approval for the initiative were granted. Arianespace had offered launch services on the modified Soyuz ST-B to its clients. On 21 October 2011, Arianespace launched the first Soyuz rocket ever from outside former Soviet territory. The payload consisted of two Galileo navigation satellites. Since 2011, Arianespace has ordered a total of 23 Soyuz rockets, enough to cover its needs until 2019 at a pace of three to four launches per year.: 10 On 21 January 2019, ArianeGroup and Arianespace announced that it had signed a one-year contract with the ESA to study and prepare for a mission to the Moon to mine regolith.In 2020, Arianespace suspended operations for nearly two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Operations were suspended on 18 March and are, as of 29 April, expected to resume on 11 May. The return to operations will observe a number of new health and safety guidelines including social distancing in the workplace.Arianespace 'is the marketing and sales organization for the European space industry and various component suppliers.'The primary shareholders of Arianespace are its suppliers, in various European nations.Arianespace had 24 shareholders in 2008, 21 in 2014,and just 17 as of October 2018.In 2015, Arianespace shareholding was restructured due to the creation of Airbus Safran Launchers (later renamed ArianeGroup), which is tasked with developing and manufacturing the Ariane 6 carrier rocket. Industrial groups Airbus and Safran pooled their shares along with the French government's CNES stake to form a partnership company holding just under 74% of Arianespace shares, while the remaining 26% is spread across suppliers in nine countries including further Airbus subsidiaries.As of October 2018, the Arianespace management team was:=Arianespace inc. (U.S. Subsidiary)Arianespace Singapore PTE LTD. (Asian Subsidiary)Starsem S.A. (European-Russian Soyuz commercialization)By 2004, Arianespace reportedly held more than 50% of the world market for boosting satellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).During the 2010s, the disruptive force represented by the new sector entrant SpaceX forced Arianespace to cut back on its workforce and focus on cost-cutting to decrease costs to remain competitive against the new low-cost entrant in the launch sector. In the midst of pricing pressure from such companies, during November 2013, Arianespace announced that it was enacting pricing flexibility for the 'lighter satellites' that it carries to Geostationary orbits aboard its Ariane 5. According to Arianespace's managing director: 'It's quite clear there's a very significant challenge coming from SpaceX (...) therefore things have to change (...) and the whole European industry is being restructured, consolidated, rationalised and streamlined.'During early 2014, Arianespace was considering requesting additional subsidies from European governments to face competition from SpaceX and unfavorable changes in the Euro-Dollar exchange rate. The company had halved subsidy support by €100m per year since 2002 but the fall in the value of the US Dollar meant Arianespace was losing €60m per year due to currency fluctuations on launch contracts. SpaceX had reportedly begun to take market share from Arianespace, Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen, a major customer of Arianespace, stated that: 'Each year that passes will see SpaceX advance, gain market share and further reduce its costs through economies of scale.'By September 2014, Arianespace had reportedly to sign four additional contracts for lower slots on an Ariane 5 SYLDA dispenser for satellites that otherwise could be flown on a SpaceX launch vehicle; this was claimed to have been allowed via cost reductions; it had signed a total of 11 contracts by that point, while two additional ones that were under advanced negotiations. At the time, Arianespace has a backlog of launches worth €4.5 billion with 38 satellites to be launched on Ariane 5, 7 on Soyuz and 9 on Vega, claiming 60% of the global satellite launch market. However, since 2017, Arianespace's market share has been passed by SpaceX in commercial launches.Currently Arianespace operates 3 launch vehicles, including two versions of Ariane 5:Additionally Arianespace offers optional back-up launch service on H-IIA through Launch Services Alliance.Since the first launch in 1979, there have been several versions of the Ariane launch vehicle:Ariane 1, first successful launch on December 24, 1979Ariane 2, first successful launch on November 20, 1987 (the first launch on May 30, 1986, failed)Ariane 3, first successful launch on August 4, 1984Ariane 4, first successful launch on June 15, 1988Ariane 5, first successful launch on October 30, 1997 (the first launch on June 4, 1996, failed).Ariane 6, in development. It would have a similar payload capacity to that of Ariane 5 but considerably lower costs. Tentatively, its first flight is planned for 2023.Ariane Next, in early development. It will be a partially reusable launcher that should succeed Ariane 6 from the 2030s. The objective of this reusable launcher is to halve the launch costs.French space programEuropa rocketNewSpaceUnited Launch AllianceInternational Launch ServicesSpaceXAntrix Corporation","Arianespace | locationCity | Courcouronnes","","Arianespace is located in Courcouronnes."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | populationTotal | 336265","The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district.Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.","The total population of Anaheim California is 336265."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | operatingOrganisation | Aktieselskab","","Aktieselskab is the operating organisation for Aarhus Airport."
-"Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the operation and marketing of the Ariane programme. The company offers a number of different launch vehicles: the heavy-lift Ariane 5 for dual launches to geostationary transfer orbit, the Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift alternative, and the solid-fueled Vega for lighter payloads.As of May 2021, Arianespace had launched more than 850 satellites in 287 launches over 41 years. The first commercial flight managed by the new entity was Spacenet F1 launched on 23 May 1984. Arianespace uses the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana as its main launch site. Through shareholding in Starsem, it can also offer commercial Soyuz launches from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. It has its headquarters in Évry-Courcouronnes, Essonne, France.The formation of Arianespace SA is closely associated with the desire of several European nations to pursue joint collaboration in the field of space exploration and the formation of a pan-national organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), to oversee such undertaking during 1973. Prior to the ESA's formation, France had been lobbying for the development of a new European expendable launch system to serve as a replacement for the Europa rocket. Accordingly, one of the first programmes launched by the ESA was the Ariane heavy launcher. The express purpose of this launcher was to facilitate the delivery of commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit.France was the largest stakeholder in the Ariane development programme. French aerospace manufacturer Aérospatiale served as the prime contractor and held responsibility for performing the integration of all sections of the vehicle, while French engine manufacturer Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP) provided the first, second and third stage engines (the third stage engines were produced in partnership with German aerospace manufacturer MBB). Other major companies involved included the French firms Air Liquide and Matra, Swedish manufacturer Volvo, and German aircraft producer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Development of the third stage was a major focus point for the project - prior to Ariane, only the United States had ever flown a launcher that utilised hydrogen-powered upper stages.Immediately following the successful first test launch of an Ariane 1 on 24 December 1979, the French space agency Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the ESA created a new company, Arianespace, for the purpose of promoting, marketing, and managing Ariane operations. According to Arianespace, at the time of its establishment, it was the world's first launch services company. Following a further three test launches, the first commercial launch took place on 10 September 1982, which ended in failure as a result of a turbopump having failed in the third stage. The six remaining flights of the Ariane 1 were successful, with the final flight occurring during February 1986. As a result of these repeated successes, orders for the Ariane launcher quickly mounted up; by early 1984, a total of 27 satellites had been booked to use Ariane, which was estimated to be half of the world's market at that time. As a result of the commercial success, after the tenth Ariane mission was flown, the ESA formally transferred responsibility for Ariane over to Arianespace.By early 1986, the Ariane 1, along with its Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 derivates, were the dominant launcher on the world market. The Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 were short-lived platforms while the more extensive Ariane 4 was being developed; it was a considerably larger and more flexible launcher that the earlier members of its family, having been intended from the onset to compete with the upper end of launchers worldwide. In comparison, while the Ariane 1 had a typical weight of 207 tonnes and could launch payloads of up to 1.7 tonnes into orbit; the larger Ariane 4 had a typical weight of 470 tonnes and could orbit payloads of up to 4.2 tonnes. Despite this, the Ariane 4 was actually 15 per cent smaller than the Ariane 3.On 15 June 1988, the first successful launch of the Ariane 4 was conducted. This maiden flight was considered a success, having placed multiple satellites into orbit. For the V50 launch onwards, an improved third stage, known as the H10+, was adopted for the Ariane 4, which raised the rocket's overall payload capacity by 110 kg and increased its burn time by 20 seconds.Even prior to the first flight of the Ariane 4 in 1988, development of a successor, designated as the Ariane 5, had already commenced. In January 1985, the Ariane 5 was officially adopted as an ESA programme, and began an eleven-year development and test program to the first launch in 1996. It lacked the high levels of commonality that the Ariane 4 had with its predecessors, and had been designed not only for launching heavier payloads of up to 5.2 tonnes and at a 20 per cent cost reduction over the Ariane 4, but for a higher margin of safety due to the fact that the Ariane 5 was designed to conduct crewed space launches as well, being intended to transport astronauts using the proposed Hermes space vehicle. Development of the Ariane 5 was not without controversy as some ESA members considered the mature Ariane 4 platform to be more suited for meeting established needs for such launchers; it was reportedly for this reason that Britain chose not to participate in the Ariane 5 programme. For several years, Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launchers were operated interchangeably; however, it was eventually decided to terminate all Ariane 4 operations in favour of concentrating on the newer Ariane 5.During the mid-1990s, French firms Aérospatiale and SEP, along with Italian firm Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), held discussions on the development of a proposed Ariane Complementary Launcher (ACL). Simultaneously, Italy championed the concept of a new solid-propellant satellite launcher, referred to as Vega. During March 2003, contracts for Vega's development were signed by the ESA and CNES; Italy provided 65 per cent of funding while six additional nations contributed the remainder. In May 2004, it was reported that a contract was signed between commercial operator Arianespace and prime contractor ELV to perform vehicle integration at Kourou, French Guiana. On 13 February 2012, the first launch of the Vega took place; it was reported as being an 'apparently perfect flight'. Since entering commercial service, Arianespace markets Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.During 2002, the ESA announced the Arianespace Soyuz programme in cooperation with Russia; a launch site for Soyuz was constructed as the Guiana Space Centre, while the Soyuz launch vehicle was modified for use at the site. On 4 February 2005, both funding and final approval for the initiative were granted. Arianespace had offered launch services on the modified Soyuz ST-B to its clients. On 21 October 2011, Arianespace launched the first Soyuz rocket ever from outside former Soviet territory. The payload consisted of two Galileo navigation satellites. Since 2011, Arianespace has ordered a total of 23 Soyuz rockets, enough to cover its needs until 2019 at a pace of three to four launches per year.: 10 On 21 January 2019, ArianeGroup and Arianespace announced that it had signed a one-year contract with the ESA to study and prepare for a mission to the Moon to mine regolith.In 2020, Arianespace suspended operations for nearly two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Operations were suspended on 18 March and are, as of 29 April, expected to resume on 11 May. The return to operations will observe a number of new health and safety guidelines including social distancing in the workplace.Arianespace 'is the marketing and sales organization for the European space industry and various component suppliers.'The primary shareholders of Arianespace are its suppliers, in various European nations.Arianespace had 24 shareholders in 2008, 21 in 2014,and just 17 as of October 2018.In 2015, Arianespace shareholding was restructured due to the creation of Airbus Safran Launchers (later renamed ArianeGroup), which is tasked with developing and manufacturing the Ariane 6 carrier rocket. Industrial groups Airbus and Safran pooled their shares along with the French government's CNES stake to form a partnership company holding just under 74% of Arianespace shares, while the remaining 26% is spread across suppliers in nine countries including further Airbus subsidiaries.As of October 2018, the Arianespace management team was:=Arianespace inc. (U.S. Subsidiary)Arianespace Singapore PTE LTD. (Asian Subsidiary)Starsem S.A. (European-Russian Soyuz commercialization)By 2004, Arianespace reportedly held more than 50% of the world market for boosting satellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).During the 2010s, the disruptive force represented by the new sector entrant SpaceX forced Arianespace to cut back on its workforce and focus on cost-cutting to decrease costs to remain competitive against the new low-cost entrant in the launch sector. In the midst of pricing pressure from such companies, during November 2013, Arianespace announced that it was enacting pricing flexibility for the 'lighter satellites' that it carries to Geostationary orbits aboard its Ariane 5. According to Arianespace's managing director: 'It's quite clear there's a very significant challenge coming from SpaceX (...) therefore things have to change (...) and the whole European industry is being restructured, consolidated, rationalised and streamlined.'During early 2014, Arianespace was considering requesting additional subsidies from European governments to face competition from SpaceX and unfavorable changes in the Euro-Dollar exchange rate. The company had halved subsidy support by €100m per year since 2002 but the fall in the value of the US Dollar meant Arianespace was losing €60m per year due to currency fluctuations on launch contracts. SpaceX had reportedly begun to take market share from Arianespace, Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen, a major customer of Arianespace, stated that: 'Each year that passes will see SpaceX advance, gain market share and further reduce its costs through economies of scale.'By September 2014, Arianespace had reportedly to sign four additional contracts for lower slots on an Ariane 5 SYLDA dispenser for satellites that otherwise could be flown on a SpaceX launch vehicle; this was claimed to have been allowed via cost reductions; it had signed a total of 11 contracts by that point, while two additional ones that were under advanced negotiations. At the time, Arianespace has a backlog of launches worth €4.5 billion with 38 satellites to be launched on Ariane 5, 7 on Soyuz and 9 on Vega, claiming 60% of the global satellite launch market. However, since 2017, Arianespace's market share has been passed by SpaceX in commercial launches.Currently Arianespace operates 3 launch vehicles, including two versions of Ariane 5:Additionally Arianespace offers optional back-up launch service on H-IIA through Launch Services Alliance.Since the first launch in 1979, there have been several versions of the Ariane launch vehicle:Ariane 1, first successful launch on December 24, 1979Ariane 2, first successful launch on November 20, 1987 (the first launch on May 30, 1986, failed)Ariane 3, first successful launch on August 4, 1984Ariane 4, first successful launch on June 15, 1988Ariane 5, first successful launch on October 30, 1997 (the first launch on June 4, 1996, failed).Ariane 6, in development. It would have a similar payload capacity to that of Ariane 5 but considerably lower costs. Tentatively, its first flight is planned for 2023.Ariane Next, in early development. It will be a partially reusable launcher that should succeed Ariane 6 from the 2030s. The objective of this reusable launcher is to halve the launch costs.French space programEuropa rocketNewSpaceUnited Launch AllianceInternational Launch ServicesSpaceXAntrix Corporation","Arianespace | locationCountry | France","","Arianespace is located in France."
-"Anaheim ( AN-ə-hyme) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. Anaheim is the second-largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, and is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey club.Anaheim was founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on March 18, 1876; Orange County was split off from Los Angeles County in 1889. Anaheim remained largely an agricultural community until Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. This led to the construction of several hotels and motels around the area, and residential districts in Anaheim soon followed. The city also developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. Anaheim is a charter city.Anaheim's city limits extend almost the full width of Orange County, from Cypress in the west, twenty miles east to the Riverside County line, encompassing a diverse range of neighborhoods. In the west, mid-20th-century tract houses predominate. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. South of downtown, a center of commercial activity of regional importance begins, the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city, which stretches east and south into the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. This edge city includes the Disneyland Resort, with two theme parks, multiple hotels, and its retail district; Disney is part of the larger Anaheim Resort district with numerous other hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, which is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Further east, Anaheim Canyon is an industrial district north of the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) and east of the Orange Freeway (SR 57). The city's eastern third consists of Anaheim Hills, a community built to a master plan, and open land east of the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road).Anaheim's name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and German -heim meaning 'home', which is also a common Germanic place name compound (compare Trondheim in Norway and many place names in Germany).Tongva people are indigenous to Anaheim's region of Southern California. Evidence suggests their presence since 3500 BCE. The Tongva village at Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. The village has been noted as one of the largest Tongva villages throughout Tovaangar. Native plants like oak trees and sage bushes were an important food source, as well as rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village had deep trade connections with coastal villages and those further inland.The area that makes up modern-day Anaheim, along with Placentia and Fullerton, were part of the Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, a Mexican-era rancho grant, given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros in 1837 by Juan Bautista Alvarado, then Governor of Alta California. Following the American Conquest of California, the rancho was patented to Ontiveros by Public Land Commission. In 1857, Ontiveros sold 1,160 acres (out of his more than 35,000 acre estate) to 50 German-American families for the founding of Anaheim.The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. After traveling through the state looking for a suitable area to grow grapes, the group decided to purchase a 1,165 acres (4.71 km2) parcel from Juan Pacífico Ontiveros' large Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana in present-day Orange County for $2 per acre.For $750 a share, the group formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company headed by George Hansen. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning 'home by the Santa Ana River' in German. The name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (English: German Field).Although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres (16 ha) for a town center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870 and a hotel in 1871. The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district. For 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines and by the following year the entire industry was destroyed. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1887.Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.During the first half of the 20th century, Anaheim was a massive rural community dominated by orange groves and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was Bennett Payne Baxter, who owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before the opening of Disneyland transformed the city. A street along Edison Park is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.In 1924, Ku Klux Klan members were elected to the Anaheim City Council on a platform of political reform. Up until that point, the city had been controlled by a long-standing business and civic elite that was mostly German American. Given their tradition of moderate social drinking, the German Americans did not strongly support prohibition laws of the day. The mayor himself was a former saloon keeper. Led by the minister of the First Christian Church, the Klan represented a rising group of politically oriented non-ethnic Germans who denounced the elite as corrupt, undemocratic, and self-serving. The Klansmen aimed to create what they saw as a model, orderly community, one in which prohibition against alcohol would be strictly enforced. At the time, the KKK had about 1200 members in Orange County. The economic and occupational profile of the pro and anti-Klan groups shows the two were similar and about equally prosperous. Klan members were Protestants, as were the majority of their opponents; however, the opposition to the Klan also included many Catholic Germans. Individuals who joined the Klan had earlier demonstrated a much higher rate of voting and civic activism than did their opponents, and many of the individuals in Orange County who joined the Klan did so out of a sense of civic activism. Upon easily winning the local Anaheim election in April 1924, the Klan representatives promptly fired city employees who were known to be Catholic and replaced them with Klan appointees. The new city council tried to enforce prohibition. After its victory, the Klan chapter held large rallies and initiation ceremonies over the summer.The opposition to the KKK's hold on Anaheim politics organized, bribed a Klansman for their secret membership list, and exposed the Klansmen running in the state primaries, defeating most of the candidates. Klan opponents in 1925 took back local government, and succeeded in a special election in recalling the Klansmen who had been elected in April 1924. The Klan in Anaheim quickly collapsed; its newspaper closed after losing a libel suit, and the minister who led the local Klavern moved to Kansas.Construction of the Disneyland theme park began on July 16, 1954, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with over 650 million visitors since its opening. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees. The opening of Disneyland created a tourism boom in the Anaheim area. Walt Disney had originally intended to purchase additional land to build accommodations for Disneyland visitors; however, the park's construction drained his financial resources and he was unable to acquire more land. Entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on Disney's success moved in and built hotels, restaurants, and shops around Disneyland and eventually boxed in the Disney property, and turned the area surrounding Disneyland into the boulevards of colorful neon signs that Walt Disney had tried to avoid. The city of Anaheim, eager for tax revenue these hotels would generate, did little to obstruct their construction.By the mid-1960s, the city's explosive growth would attract a Major League Baseball team, with the California Angels relocating from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966, where they have remained since. In 1980, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams relocated from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Angels' home field, Anaheim Stadium, playing there until their relocation to St. Louis in 1995. In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort. The Anaheim Resort district is roughly bounded by the Santa Ana River to the east, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, and the Garden Grove city limits to the south at Chapman Avenue, and Orangewood Avenue to the southwest. Attractions within the Resort District include the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center, Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.Part of the project included removing the colorful neon signs and replacing them with shorter, more modest signs, as well as widening the arterial streets in the area into tree-lined boulevards.In 2001, Disney's California Adventure (renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010), the most expansive project in Disneyland's history, opened to the public. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its sesquicentennial.In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two men, the first of whom was unarmed. Protesting occurred in the area between State College and East Street, and was motivated by concerns over police brutality, gang activity, domination of the city by commercial interests, and a perceived lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government. The protests were accompanied by looting of businesses and homes.Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city roughly follows the east-to-west route of the 91 Freeway from the Orange-Riverside county border to Buena Park. To the north, Anaheim is bounded by Yorba Linda, Placentia, Fullerton, and Buena Park (from east to west). The city shares its western border with Buena Park and Cypress. Anaheim is bordered on the south by Stanton, Garden Grove, and Orange (from west to east). Various unincorporated areas of Orange County also abut the city, including Anaheim Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2), 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of which is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of which (1.92%) is water.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity. The contiguous commercial development from the Disney Resort through into the cities of Orange, Garden Grove and Santa Ana has collectively been termed the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), a little short of a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) characterized by warm winters with erratic heavy rainfalls, and hot, essentially rainless summers. The record high temperature in Anaheim is 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018 and the record low temperature is 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.The 2010 United States Census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,555.2/km2). The racial makeup of Anaheim was:177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone),80,705 (24.0%) from other races49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian)1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races (multiracial/mestizo)9,347 (2.8%) African American2,648 (0.8%) Native AmericanThere were 177,467 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim's population was of Mexican descent, 1.2% Salvadoran, and 1.0% Guatemalan; the remainder of the Hispanic population came from smaller ancestral groups.The census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.The age distribution of the population was as follows: 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km2), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.According to the 2010 United States Census, Anaheim had a median household income of $59,627, with 15.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.As of the census of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,642.0 inhabitants/km2). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.Anaheim's income is based on a tourism economy. In addition to The Walt Disney Company being the city's largest employer, the Disneyland Resort itself contributes about $4.7 billion annually to Southern California's economy. It also produces $255 million in taxes every year. Another source of tourism is the Anaheim Convention Center, which is home to many important national conferences. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers. Continuous development of commercial, entertainment, and cultural facilities stretches from the Disney area east to the Santa Ana River, south into the cities of Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana – collectively, this area has been labeled the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city and is one of the three largest such clusters in Orange County, together with the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city and Irvine Spectrum.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, believed the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it was in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation, but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Angels franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of Angels Baseball. In January 2009, the Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four-year legal dispute.Anaheim was, at one point in time, one of the most politically conservative major cities in the United States. However, in recent years it has been moving leftward. According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters. Of those, 58,411 (41.27%) are registered Democrats, 39,885 (28.18%) are registered Republicans, and 37,877 (26.76%) have declined to state a political party.Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council–manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of seven nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Up until 2014, all council seats were elected at large. Voters elected the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats were held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats were elected during the intervening even-numbered years.In response to protests and a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and several residents, the city placed two measures on the November 2014 ballot. Measure L proposed that council members be elected by district instead of at large. Measure M proposed to increase the number of council seats from five to seven. Both measures passed.The current city council consists of:Mayor Ashleigh Aitken (since 2022)Jose Diaz, District 1 (since 2020)Carlos A. Leon, District 2 (since 2022)Natalie Rubalcava District 3 (since 2022)District 4 (vacant)Stephen Faessel, District 5 (since 2016)Natalie Meeks, District 6 (since 2022)In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split between two districts:California's  40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim since 2021, andCalifornia's  46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa since 2017.In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split between two districts:the  34th Senate District, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg since 2018, andthe  37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min since 2020.In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:the  59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Phillip Chen since 2016,the  67th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016, andthe  68th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia since 2022.On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is split among three districts, with Anaheim Hills in the 3rd District, West Anaheim and northern Anaheim in the 4th District, and the remainder of Anaheim in the 2nd district:the 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Vicente Sarmiento since 2023,the 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner since 2019, andthe 4th supervisorial district, represented by Democrat Doug Chaffee since 2019.Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.Anaheim has decided to bury power lines along major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.In 2019, Anaheim reported 8 murders; given its population, this rate was lower than the average national rate by 17%. Reported rapes in the city are relatively uncommon as well, but have been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (396 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (575 incidents) rank among the most frequent violent crimes in the city, though robbery rates are slightly less than the national average. 1,123 burglaries were reported, as well as 5,904 thefts and 1,231 car thefts. All three types of crime were below average.Anaheim is served by seven public school districts:Anaheim is home to 74 public schools, of which 47 serve elementary students, nine are junior high schools, fourteen are high schools and three offer alternative education.Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Servite High School and Zion Lutheran School (PS2-Grade 8).Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).The North Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District serve the community.Anaheim has eight public library branches.In the main portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets running west–east, starting with the northernmost, are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running south–north, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, West Street/Disneyland Drive, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard, East Street, State College Boulevard, Kraemer Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue.In Anaheim Hills, the major surface streets that run west–east include Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Santa Ana Canyon Road, and Nohl Ranch Road. Major surface streets that run north–south include Lakeview Avenue and Fairmont Boulevard. Imperial Highway (SR 90) and Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road run as south–north roads in the city of Anaheim, but north of Anaheim, Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard become west–east arterials.Seven Caltrans state-maintained highways (in addition to the aforementioned surface streets SR 39 and SR 90) run through the city of Anaheim, four of which are freeways and one being a toll road. They include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57), and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91). The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241 toll road) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a major regional transit station near Honda Center and Angel Stadium, serves Amtrak, Metrolink, and several bus operators, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's Inland Empire–Orange County Line. ARTIC is a proposed stop on the proposed California High-Speed Rail network.The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both OCTA and Los Angeles County Metro operate bus routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County and Riverside Transit Agency operates one bus route to serve Riverside and San Bernardino. Also, Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in and around the Anaheim Resort area, serving local hotels, tourist attractions, and the Disneyland Resort. Disney GOALS operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area. A proposal for streetcar service along Harbor Boulevard was rejected in 2018.Anaheim is equidistant from John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.Anaheim has the following sister cities:Mito, JapanVitoria-Gasteiz, SpainHistory of CaliforniaList of cities and towns in CaliforniaList of museums in Orange County, CaliforniaList of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populationsOfficial websiteAnaheim Historical SocietyAnaheim, California on the C-SPAN Cities Tour website","Anaheim,_California | populationTotal | 336265","Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony.The census of 1870 reported a population of 565 for the Anaheim district.In 1993, Anaheim gained its own National Hockey League team when The Walt Disney Company founded the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In the 1990s, while Disneyland was undergoing a significant expansion project surrounding the construction of Disney California Adventure Park, the city of Anaheim rebranded the surrounding area as the Anaheim Resort.Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second-largest business park in Orange County.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:Larger retail centers include the Downtown Disney shopping area at the Disneyland Resort, the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2), and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2), as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).American Sports Centers, home of the U.S. men's national volleyball team and U.S. women's national volleyball teamAnaheim Convention CenterAnaheim GardenWalkAnaheim Hills Golf CourseAnaheim Founders' ParkAnaheim IceAnaheim/OC Walk of StarsAngel Stadium of AnaheimDad Miller Golf CourseDisneyland ResortDisneyland ParkDisney California Adventure ParkDowntown DisneyFlightdeck Flight Simulation CenterThe Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown StudiosHonda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond of AnaheimLa Palma ParkMUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown AnaheimOak Canyon Nature CenterNHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup ChampionsMLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim AngelsNLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before moving permanently to Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009.According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Anaheim has 141,549 registered voters.","Anaheim. California has a population of 336265."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | operatingOrganisation | Aktieselskab","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","Aktieselskab operates Aarhus Airport."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | operatingOrganisation | Aktieselskab","","Aarhus Airport is operated by the Aktieselkab organisation."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaCode | 765","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","The area code of Anderson. in Indiana. is 765."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | manufacturer | Aston_Martin","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history.It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined.In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension.It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008.However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy.The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","The Aston Martin DBS is manufactured by Aston Martin."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayLength | 2776.0","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","Aarhus Airport runway length is 2776.0."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaCode | 765","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","The area code of Anderson. Indiana is 765."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayLength | 2776.0","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","Aarhus Airport has a runway length of 2776.0."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | manufacturer | Aston_Martin","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history.It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008.However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy.The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston Mastin DBS is the manufacturer of the Aston Martin."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaCode | 765","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","The area code of Anderson. Indiana . is 765."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayLength | 2776.0","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The length of the runway at Aarhus Airport is 2776.0."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaTotal | 107.43 (square kilometres)","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","Anderson. Indiana has an area of 107.43 square kilometres."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | successor | Aston_Martin_V8","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history.Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12).It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined.It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008.However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy.The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","The Aston Martin DBS had the Aston Martin V8 for a successor."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayLength | 2777.0","","The runway length at Aarhus Airport is 2777.0 meters."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its northeast | Telangana","","Karnataka neighbors Telangana to its northeast."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaTotal | 107.43 (square kilometres)","","Anderson is located in Indiana . whose total area is 107.43 square kilometres."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthDate | 1986-10-12","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.","Adam McQuaid was born in October 12th 1986."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayLength | 2777.0","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The runway length at Aarhus airport is 2777.0."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | areaTotal | 107.43 (square kilometres)","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water.","The total area of Anderson. Indiana is 107.43 square kilometres."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its northeast | Telangana","Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'.Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka.Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka.Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a.Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket.The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S.","Karnataka has to its northeast Telangana."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | successor | Aston_Martin_V8","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12).It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","The Aston Martin DBS was succeeded by a V8 version."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthDate | 1986-10-12","","Adam McQuaid's date of birth is 12/10/1986."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10L/28R","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","Aarhus Airport runway name is 10L/28R."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel | 268.0","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","Anderson Indiana has an elevation of 268.0 above sea level."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthDate | 1986-10-12","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.","Adam McQuaid was born on the 12th of October 1986."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its northeast | Telangana","Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'.Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka.Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka.Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a.Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket.The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S.","To the northeast of Karnataka is Telagana."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10L/28R","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","10L/28R is the runway name of the Aarhus Airport."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | successor | Aston_Martin_Vantage","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history.It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined.It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008.However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy.The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","The successor of the Aston Martin DBS is the Aston Martin Vantage."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel | 268.0","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","Anderson. Indiana is located at 268.0 above sea level."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthPlace | Canada","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.","Adam McQuaid was born in Canada."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10L/28R","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The runway name of Aarhus Airport is 10L/28R."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its west | Arabian_Sea","Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal.","The Arabian Sea is west of Karnataka."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel | 268.0","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","The elevation above the sea level for Anderson. Indiana. is 268.0."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthPlace | Prince_Edward_Island","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island.","Adam McQuaid was born on Prince Edward Island."
-"The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, and was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford-developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.Production of the DB9 ended after 12 years in 2016, having been replaced by the DB11 which uses an all-new platform and engine.The DB9 was designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker; the extent of each individual's contributions to the car has been disputed by both. The car was first introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 cars per year.In 2007, the DB9 was revised with upgraded electrical components which helped reliability, new front seat design, LED approach lights on the door handles and lowered suspension (8mm). The DB9 Volante no longer had a 266 km/h (165 mph) top-speed limiter, allowing it to attain an unrestricted top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph) should conditions allow.The DB9 received a facelift in July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power and torque, to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft), and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. The 2013 model year's new facelift design that resembled the 2011 Virage, as well as increased engine power of up to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque.The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. In newer editions, the leather is additionally given hand-stitched accents and joins. On the dashboard, satnav and Bluetooth are standard in later models (options on earlier models). Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system can be connected to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. This sound system can be upgraded to a Bang & Olufsen stereo.The coupé comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre was available as an option. The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupé or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.Made to follow the DB7 model, the DB9 is, according to Aston's initial press release, 'a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics'. It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined. The boot of the car is pronounced, like that of the DB4 and DB5. At the front, DB9 is without a separate nose cone, and has no visible bumpers. The exterior skin is largely made of aluminium, though the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials.For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the 2011 Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid.The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 5.9-litre V12 engine, already being used in the V12 Vanquish. This generates 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. The 2009 model year DB9 had an increase of engine power and torque, as the V12 now has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 271 PS per tonne, an increase of 11 PS per tonne over the previous model. The top speed increased to 306 km/h (190 mph) and the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time improved by 0.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds for the manual version of the car. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year DB9 increased the power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph).The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The 2009 model year featured a revised 'Touchtronic 2' gearbox, which offered faster gear shifts due to a new valve box and integrated transmission controls. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.6 seconds, an improvement of 0.3 seconds. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford's aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting.The DB9 was initially launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels with a width of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 241 mm (9.5 in) at the rear. They were fitted with Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 up front and 275/35ZR19 on the back. The brakes are large Brembo four-piston calipers in the front and rear. Carbon ceramic brakes were an option.These were later changed to 20 in (508 mm) wheels with widths of 216 mm (8.5 in) at the front and 279 mm (11 in) at the rear. The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero with codes of 245/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20. The brakes are carbon ceramic with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupé. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windshield pillars and two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car's rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante's ride while cruising, Aston Martin softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds for operation. With a kerb weight of 1,882 kg (4,150 lb), the Volante weighs more than the coupé due to chassis stiffening modifications.The coupé and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The original car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof, this limitation was removed on the upgraded 2007 model onwards. Like the coupé, the original Volante has 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) is slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. On newer models, like the coupé's, the Volante's power output and torque have increased to 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2009 model year, and 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) respectively for the 2013 model year. The kerb weight had also been reduced to 1,815 kg (4,001 lb).The final edition of the DB9 called the DB9 GT was introduced in 2015. The engine now has a power output of 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp) at 6,750 rpm and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. The 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time is 4.4 seconds and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) acceleration time is 10.2 seconds. It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008. The DB9 LM comes standard with the DB9's optional sports pack and is only available in coupé bodystyle equipped with the automatic transmission. The LM was only available in a special Sarthe Silver exterior colour, named after the Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run, and has red brake calipers, a chromed mesh grill, and a special black leather interior, with red stitching and the Le Mans track stitched on the central console. The car is also fitted with the DBS' clear rear lights. Initially, a production of 124 cars was planned and the cars were to be supplied to dealers at the rate of one per dealer. However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver. All three models are denoted by a sill plaque bearing their respective names. All three models have the same 5.9-litre V12 engine as the base DB9, which has a power output of 477 PS (351 kW; 470 hp) and 600 N⋅m (443 lb⋅ft) of torque. All three models were available both as a coupé and a Volante.The DB9 Carbon Black, as its name suggests, has a black paint finish and matching interior. This includes a black center console and interior door handles on the inside, and black grills, a black tailpipe, and black 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels on the outside. The interior also has numerous add-ons to make the car more sporty, including silver stitching for the leather and a polished glass gear stick. The exhaust has been modified to create a different sound to add to the sporty feel. The Carbon Black was only available as a six-speed automated manual.The DB9 Morning Frost's paint finish is a pearlescent white. However, on the interior, the Morning Frost is fitted with metallic bronze leather and a black center console and interior door handles. On the outside, the Morning Frost has silver 483 mm (19 in) 10-spoke wheels, silver brake calipers, and silver grilles. Like the Carbon Black, the DB9 Morning Frost has a six-speed automated manual transmission.The DB9 Quantum Silver uses a silver paint scheme also found on the DBS in Quantum of Solace, hence its name. Inside, the Quantum Silver shares the black center console and leather. On the outside, it also has black grills and 483 mm (19 in) wheels. The Quantum Silver has the same automated manual transmission as its counterparts, and shares a modified sports exhaust with the Carbon Black.At the firm's 100 year anniversary, Zagato presented a unique car based on the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It was commissioned by American collector Peter Read and was painted green. It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial. The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy. The car sold for $693,000 (inclusive of applicable buyer's fee) with 2,300 miles in August 2015 at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction during car week. The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive. Called the DBR9, the car debuted in 2005. It retains the DB9's 5.9-litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease weight as well as to improve performance and has a final displacement of 6,000 cc (6.0 L; 366.1 cu in). Most of the car's aluminium body panels have been replaced with carbon fibre panels, and several external features, like a front splitter and a rear wing, have been added to increase the car's downforce. The car has a basic interior with essential driver aids. Likewise, though the suspension's layout remains the same, it has been improved to racing specifications. The brakes are upgraded to Brembo carbon-carbon discs and six-piston calipers. The transmission in the DBR9 is a Xtrac six-speed sequential manual, containing a Salisbury friction-plate limited-slip differential, and the prop shaft made of carbon fibre. The lightweight materials give the DBR9 a total kerb weight of 1,170 kg (2,579 lb). The engine modifications allow it to have a power output of 634 PS (466 kW; 625 hp) and 746 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) of torque. The increase of engine power and weight reduction allows the DBR9 to accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and 0 to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 6.4 seconds.The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Aston Martin Racing also developed a variant of the DBR9 following FIA GT3 regulations. Called the DBRS9, the car shares carbon fibre bodywork and the chassis and suspension layout of the DBR9. The DBRS9 has a kerb weight of 1,230 kg (2,712 lb), 60 kg (132 lb) more than the DBR9. While the engine is shared with the DBR9, it has been detuned and has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) of torque. The DBRS9 is equipped with either a six-speed H-pattern gearbox or a six-speed sequential gearbox and has a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).The DBRS9 competed in several endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, and Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race. The car additionally raced in the FIA GT3 European Championship for which it was designed before being replaced by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage in 2011.The DBRS9 was made available to consumers and included an adjustable driver's seat and steering.Car critics have generally rated the DB9 coupé and Volante well, praising the car's luxurious interior and exterior design. On the British automotive show Top Gear, the DB9 is thought of highly. Notably, on the show's 'Cool Wall' segment, the presenters called the DB9 'too cool' for the wall and gave it its own category called 'The DB9 Fridge', a mini-refrigerator containing the car's card. While reviewing the Volante, Richard Hammond called the interior of the DB9 'one of the best known to man'. He felt that the car was less stiff than the coupé, however, to the point that the car was 'wobbly'.Both Edmunds.com and Road & Track critiqued the DB9 for not having as good handling as its competitors, noting that the car isn't stiff enough. However, Edmunds noted that while the Mercedes-Benz SL600 and SL55 AMG were objectively better cars, the DB9 was more desirable. When compared directly against other cars, like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the Ford GT, the DB9 was ranked poorly, though the reviewer noted that comparing it against faster cars 'highlighted its shortcomings'. Likewise, when compared to the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL600, and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, the DB9 ranked poorly again, though reviewers said that 'despite its problems, the DB9 would be their personal choice'. The issues with stiffness were largely fixed by later iterations of the DB9 as noted by Autoweek and Edmunds.The DB9's interior has been called 'regal' and 'dazzling', with Edmunds saying, '[w]ords like 'rich' and 'crafted' just don't cut it, though 'decadent' and 'sculpted by the Almighty himself' get close'. Critics liked the comfort of the almost racecar-like driver's seat. Reviewers complained about the back seats however, with Forbes saying 'think of it more as a padded parcel shelf'. Likewise, reviewers complained that the space for cargo was limited, though many quipped the small back seats could help hold luggage. Another common complaint was car's poor satnav system, which Automobile Magazine called the car's 'Achilles heel', noting that 'selecting a route is painful at best'. Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","Aston_Martin_DBS | successor | Aston_Martin_Vantage","The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin.The letters 'DB' are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history.Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12).It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car 'DB8' would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car.The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England.In a 2007 interview, the then Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars.It retains the traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes, and the design attempts to keep the lines simple and refined.It can run the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds, and the top speed remains unchanged at 295 km/h (183 mph).To commemorate Aston Martin's GT1 victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced the DB9 LM (Le Mans) in the first quarter of 2008.However, some dealers did not take their allocation as a result, the total production amounted to 69 cars.Following the success of several special edition models of other Aston Martin cars, like the V12 Vantage Carbon Black and the DBS Carbon Black, Aston Martin announced three special edition models of the DB9 in 2011: the DB9 Carbon Black, Morning Frost, and Quantum Silver.It was revealed along with the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial.The owner bought a US-spec 2013 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which he immediately shipped to Zagato in Italy.The car has carbon-ceramic brakes and its VIN number is SCFFDABM1DGB14756.DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial																				The DB9 Vengeance by Kahn Design is a series of cars modified by the British car modification firm Kahn Design based on the Aston Martin DB9.DB9 Vengeance Volante by Kahn Design																				The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing by Aston Martin Racing, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Prodrive.Newer models contain a much improved satnav system sourced from Garmin.Aston Martin DB9 – Official Aston Martin webpageAston Martin DB9 at the Internet Movie Cars Database","The Aston Martin Vantage succeeded the Aston Martin DBS."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10R/28L","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The runway name at Aarhus Airport is 10R/28L."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthPlace | Prince_Edward_Island","McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island.","Prince Edward Island is the birth place of Adam McQuaid."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Adams_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is part of Adams Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its west | Arabian_Sea","Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal.","The west of Karnataka is the Arabian Sea."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10R/28L","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","10R/28L is the runway name at Aarhus airport."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthYear | 1986","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.","Adam McQuaid's year of birth is 1986."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.","The Aston Martin V8 assembly took place in Newport Pagnell. Buckinghamshire. England. United Kingdom."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Adams_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is located within Adams Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s. The airport still contains a small military depot and plays host to occasional training exercises; the last NATO exercise was in 2007.The current passenger terminal dates from 1981 with renovations performed between 2007 and 2009 and again in late 2016. Since 1946 the airport has carried civilian traffic and is the primary gateway for Aarhus, located 40 km from the city centre via the Djursland motorway. Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022. It includes a new hotel and increases terminal floor area from 5000 m2 to 10000 m2. Three new gates will be built so the airport has seven in total.The airport is at an elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 10R/28L is 2,702 by 45 metres (8,865 ft × 148 ft) and 10L/28R is 2,777 by 23 metres (9,111 ft × 75 ft).The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at the airport:There are three parking areas with over 1300 parking spaces.An airport bus, service 925X, takes passengers from the airport to Aarhus railway station and back. The bus is scheduled to meet every flight. Bus route 212 between Ebeltoft (20min) and Randers (60 min) stops at the airport. As it is a public service it is not scheduled around the flight timetable. 6–7 buses operate daily to Randers and 6–7 to Ebeltoft.List of the largest airports in the Nordic countriesVFR Flight Guide Denmark: Aarhus – EKAH Media related to Aarhus Airport at Wikimedia CommonsAarhus Airport official site: Danish or English Archived 13 April 2019 at the Wayback MachineThe history about Fliegerhorst TirstrupCurrent weather for EKAH at NOAA/NWSAccident history for AAR at Aviation Safety Network","Aarhus_Airport | runwayName | 10R/28L","Aarhus Airport (IATA: AAR, ICAO: EKAH) is a civilian airport located 19.4 nautical miles (35.9 km; 22.3 mi) northeast of Aarhus, Denmark.The airfield was established in 1943 by German occupying forces in World War II and was later used as a Cold War military base for the Danish and other allied airforces until the 1990s.Since December 2016 the local authority of Aarhus Kommune is the major shareholder in the airport,The airport carried 500,490 passengers in 2019.In March 2021, a construction project was announced.","The runway name of Aarhus Airport is 10R/28L."
-"Karnataka (; ISO: Karnāṭaka, Kannada pronunciation: [kɐˈɾnäːʈɐkɐ], also known as Karunāḍu), formerly Mysore State , is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as the State of Mysore on 9 August 1947, by renaming of the Kingdom of Mysore, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. Its capital and largest city is Bengaluru (Bangalore).Karnataka is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. It is the only southern state to have land borders with all of the other four southern Indian sister states. The state covers an area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth-largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. Kannada, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken and official language of the state. Other minority languages spoken include Urdu, Konkani, Marathi, Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kodava and Beary. Karnataka also contains some of the only villages in India where Sanskrit is primarily spoken.Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nādu, meaning 'elevated land'. Karu Nadu may also be read as karu, meaning 'black' and nadu, meaning 'region', as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayalu Seeme region of the state. The British used the word Carnatic, sometimes Karnatak, to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna.With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.The economy of Karnataka is the fifth-largest of any Indian state with ₹20.5 trillion (US$260 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹305,000 (US$3,800). Karnataka has the fifteenth-highest ranking among Indian states in Human Development Index.Karnataka's pre-history goes back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesise about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley civilisation c. 3300 BCE.Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka formed part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region's emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi; the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta and the Western Chalukya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of the 12th century. Parts of modern-day Southern Karnataka (Gangavadi) were occupied by the Chola Empire at the turn of the 11th century. The Cholas and the Hoysalas fought over the region in the early 12th century before it eventually came under Hoysala rule.At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the emergence of distinctive Kannada literary metres, and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture. The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought minor parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. Under the rule of Krishnadevaraya, a distinct form of literature and architecture evolved. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries. In 1537,  Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete.In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota. The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century. The Bahmani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style. During the sixteenth century, Konkani Hindus migrated to Karnataka, mostly from Salcette, Goa, while during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Goan Catholics migrated to North Canara and South Canara, especially from Bardes, Goa, as a result of food shortages, epidemics and heavy taxation imposed by the Portuguese.In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Maratha Empire, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, a former vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent. With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tipu Sultan. To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tipu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan's death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.As the 'doctrine of lapse' gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, Kitturu was taken over by the British East India Company even before the doctrine was officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie in 1848. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions—which coincided with the Indian Rebellion of 1857—were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the independence movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.After India's independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom's accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu- and Kannada-speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, on 1 November 1973. In the early 1900s through the post-independence era, industrial visionaries such as Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, played an important role in the development of Karnataka's strong manufacturing and industrial base.The state has three principal geographical zones:The coastal region of Karavali and Tulu NaduThe hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western GhatsThe Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan PlateauThe bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second-largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikmagalur district which has an altitude of 1,925 m (6,316 ft). The two main river systems of the state are the Krishna and its tributaries, the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavathi, Malaprabha and Tungabhadra in North Karnataka, and the Kaveri and its tributaries, the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini, in South Karnataka. Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. Other prominent rivers such as the Sharavati in Shimoga and Netravati in Dakshina Kannada flow westward to the Lakshadweep Sea. A large number of dams and reservoirs are constructed across these rivers which richly add to the irrigation and hydroelectricity power generation capacities of the state.Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations – the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols. Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types, viz. red, lateritic, black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.About 38,284 km2 (14,782 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 16% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones – coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Amagaon in Khanapura taluka of Belgaum district received 10,068 mm (396 in) of rainfall in 2010. In 2014 Kokalli in Sirsi taluka of Uttara Kannada district received 8,746 mm (344 in) of rainfall. Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluka and Hulikal of Hosanagara taluka in Shimoga district were the rainiest cities in Karnataka, situated in one of the wettest regions in the world.The state is projected to warm about 2.0 °C (4 °F) by 2030. The monsoon is set to provide less rainfall. Agriculture in Karnataka is mostly rainfed as opposed to irrigated, making it highly vulnerable to expected changes in the monsoon. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) in Raichuru district. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar district.Karnataka is home to a variety of wildlife. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 (14,950 sq mi) which constitutes 12.3% of the total geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant and 10% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are as yet unexplored, so new species of flora and fauna are found periodically. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka. The Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks were included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. The Indian roller and the Indian elephant are recognised as the state bird and animal while sandalwood and the lotus are recognised as the state tree and flower respectively. Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. It also has 27 wildlife sanctuaries of which seven are bird sanctuaries.Wild animals that are found in Karnataka include the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the sambar deer, the chital or spotted deer, the muntjac, the bonnet macaque, the slender loris, the common palm civet, the small Indian civet, the sloth bear, the dhole, the striped hyena, the Bengal fox and the golden jackal. Some of the birds found here are the great hornbill, the Malabar pied hornbill, the Ceylon frogmouth, herons, ducks, kites, eagles, falcons, quails, partridges, lapwings, sandpipers, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters and munias. Some species of trees found in Karnataka are Callophyllum tomentosa, Callophyllum wightianum, Garcina cambogia, Garcina morealla, Alstonia scholaris, Flacourtia montana, Artocarpus hirsutus, Artocarpus lacoocha, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Grewia tilaefolia, Santalum album, Shorea talura, Emblica officinalis, Vitex altissima and Wrightia tinctoria. Wildlife in Karnataka is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution.There are 31 districts in Karnataka. Each district (zila) is governed by a district commissioner (ziladar). The districts are further divided into sub-districts (talukas), which are governed by sub-commissioners (talukdars); sub-divisions comprise blocks (tehsils/hobli), which are governed by block development officers (tehsildars), which contain village councils (panchayats), town municipal councils (purasabhe), city municipal councils (nagarasabhe), and city municipal corporations (mahanagara palike).According to the 2011 census of India, the total population of Karnataka was 61,095,297 of which 30,966,657 (50.7%) were male and 30,128,640 (49.3%) were female, or 1000 males for every 973 females. This represents a 15.60% increase over the population in 2001. The population density was 319 per km2 and 38.67% of the people lived in urban areas. The literacy rate was 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate.In 2007 the state had a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.7%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.2%. The total fertility rate was 2.2.Karnataka's private sector speciality health care competes with the best in the world. Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still suffer from the lack of primary health care.Adi Shankara (788–820 CE) chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas (monastery). Madhvacharya (1238–1317) was the chief proponent of Tattvavada (philosophy of reality), popularly known as Dvaita or Dualistic school of Hindu philosophy – one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies. Madhvacharya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacharya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana), after Hanuman and Bhima. The Haridasa devotional movement is considered one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy, and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.This movement was ushered in by the Haridasas (literally 'servants of Hari') and took shape in the 13th century – 14th century CE, period, prior to and during the early rule of the Vijayanagara empire. The main objective of this movement was to propagate the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya (Madhva Siddhanta) to the masses through a literary medium known as Dasa Sahitya. Purandara dasa is widely recognised as the 'Pithamaha' of Carnatic Music for his immense contribution. Ramanuja, the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, spent many years in Melkote. He came to Karnataka in 1098 CE and lived here until 1122 CE. He first lived in Tondanur and then moved to Melkote where the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and a well-organised matha were built. He was patronised by the Hoysala king, Vishnuvardhana.In the twelfth century, Lingayatism emerged in northern Karnataka as a protest against the rigidity of the prevailing social and caste system. Leading figures of this movement were Basava, Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu, who established the Anubhava Mantapa which was the centre of all religious and philosophical thoughts and discussions pertaining to Lingayats. These three social reformers did so by the literary means of 'Vachana Sahitya' which is very famous for its simple, straight forward and easily understandable Kannada language. Lingayatism preached women equality by letting women wear Ishtalinga i.e. Symbol of god around their neck. Basava shunned the sharp hierarchical divisions that existed and sought to remove all distinctions between the hierarchically superior master class and the subordinate, servile class. He also supported inter-caste marriages and Kaay Ta tTatva of Basavanna. This was the basis of the Lingayat faith which today counts millions among its followers.The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.Islam, which had an early presence on the west coast of India as early as the tenth century, gained a foothold in Karnataka with the rise of the Bahamani and Bijapur sultanates that ruled parts of Karnataka. Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.Buddhism was popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi. A chance discovery of edicts and several Mauryan relics at Sannati in Kalaburagi district in 1986 has proven that the Krishna River basin was once home to both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. There are Tibetan refugee camps in Karnataka.=Mysore Dasara is celebrated as the Nada habba (state festival) and this is marked by major festivities at Mysore. Bangalore Karaga, celebrated in the heart of Bangalore, is the second most important festival celebrated in Karnataka. Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Gowri Habba, Ram Navami, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi, Deepavali, and Balipadyami are the other major festivals of Karnataka.Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, as the native language of 66.46% of its population as of 2011 and is one of the classical languages of India. Urdu is the second largest language, spoken by 10.83% of the population, and is the language of Muslims outside the coastal region. Telugu (5.84%) is a major language in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Bangalore, while Tamil (3.45%) is a major language of Bangalore and in the Kolar district. Marathi (3.29%) is concentrated in areas of Uttara Kannada, Belgaum and Bidar districts bordering Maharashtra. Lambadi is spoken by the Lambadis scattered throughout North Karnataka, while Hindi is spoken in Bangalore. Tulu (2.61%), Konkani (1.29%), and Malayalam (1.27%) are all found in linguistically diverse Coastal Karnataka, where a number of mixed and distinct dialects such as Are Bhashe, Beary Bhashe, and Nawayathi are found. Kodava Takk is the language of Kodagu.Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka: linguistic demographics played a major role in defining the new state in 1956. Tulu, Konkani and Kodava are other minor native languages that share a long history in the state. Urdu is spoken widely by the Muslim population. Less widely spoken languages include Beary bashe and certain languages such as Sankethi. Some of the regional languages in Karnataka are Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Beary.Kannada features a rich and ancient body of literature including religious and secular genre, covering topics as diverse as Jainism (such as Puranas), Lingayatism (such as Vachanas), Vaishnavism (such as Haridasa Sahitya) and modern literature. Evidence from edicts during the time of Ashoka (reigned 274–232 BCE) suggest that Buddhist literature influenced the Kannada script and its literature. The Halmidi inscription, the earliest attested full-length inscription in the Kannada language and script, dates from 450 CE, while the earliest available literary work, the Kavirajamarga, has been dated to 850 CE. References made in the Kavirajamarga, however, prove that Kannada literature flourished in the native composition metres such as Chattana, Beddande and Melvadu during earlier centuries. The classic refers to several earlier greats (purvacharyar) of Kannada poetry and prose.Kuvempu, the renowned Kannada poet and writer who wrote Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, the state anthem of Karnatakawas the first recipient of the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of Karnataka. Contemporary Kannada literature has received considerable acknowledgement in the arena of Indian literature, with eight Kannada writers winning India's highest literary honour, the Jnanpith award.Tulu is the majority language in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and is the second most spoken in the Udupi district. This region is also known as Tulu Nadu. Tulu Mahabharato, written by Arunabja in the Tigalari script, is the oldest surviving Tulu text. Tigalari script was used by Brahmins to write Sanskrit language. The use of the Kannada script for writing Tulu and non-availability of print in Tigalari script contributed to the marginalisation of Tigalari script.In Karnataka Konkani is mostly spoken in the Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts and in parts of Udupi, Konkani use the Devanagari Script (which is official)/Kannada script( Optional ) for writing as identified by government of Karnataka.The Kodavas who mainly reside in the Kodagu district, speak Kodava Takk. Kodagu was a separate State with its own Chief Minister and Council of Ministers till 1956.  Two regional variations of the language exist, the northern Mendale Takka and the southern Kiggaati Takka. Kodava Takk has its own script, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has accepted Dr IM Muthanna's Script which was developed in 1970 as the Official Script of Kodava Thakk. English is the medium of education in many schools and widely used for business communication in most private companies.All of the state's languages are patronised and promoted by governmental and quasi-governmental bodies. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Kannada Sahitya Akademi are responsible for the promotion of Kannada while the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi, the Tulu Sahitya Akademi and the Kodava Sahitya Akademi promote their respective languages.Karnataka has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected houses, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 75 members with one-third (25 members) retiring every two years.The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister, along with the council of ministers, executes the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers. However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India on the advice of the Union government. The people of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The members of the state Legislative Assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 31 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies / revenue circles. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of managing forests, environment and wildlife of the district, he will be assisted by the officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Service and officers belonging to Karnataka Forest Subordinate Service. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice-President. Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Solapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belagavi are ongoing since the states reorganisation.The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.Karnataka had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about US$115.86 billion in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2014–2015. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2014–15 was 7.54%. With GDP growth of 17.59% and per capita GDP growth of 16.04%, Karnataka is on the 6th position among all states and union territories. In an employment survey conducted for the year 2013–2014, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 1.8% compared to the national rate of 4.9%. In 2011–2012, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 20.91% compared to the national ratio of 21.92%.Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools), which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centres, such as Indian Space Research Organisation, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery, located in Mangalore.The state has also begun to invest heavily in solar power centred on the Pavagada Solar Park. As of December 2017, the state has installed an estimated 2.2 gigawatts of block solar panelling and in January 2018 announced a tender to generate a further 1.2 gigawatts in the coming years: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development suggests that this will be based on 24 separate systems (or 'blocks') generating 50 megawatts each.Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). In 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating in Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro, are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded ₹500 billion (equivalent to ₹1.6 trillion or US$20 billion in 2023) in 2006–07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. The Nandi Hills area in the outskirts of Devanahalli is the site of the upcoming $22 billion, 50 km2 BIAL IT Investment Region, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Karnataka. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 60% of the country's biotechnology firms being based here. The state has 18,000 hectares of land under flower cultivation, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.Seven of India's banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, ING Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons—the best distribution of banks in India. In March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.A majority of the silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka, much of it in Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural district and the state government intends to invest ₹700 million (equivalent to ₹1.4 billion or US$18 million in 2023) in a 'Silk City' at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Hampi, Bellary, Gulbarga, and Mysore with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore airports. Shimoga and Bijapur airports are being built under the UDAN Scheme.Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 km (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South-Western Railway Zone headquartered at Hubballi in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern Railway zone, South-Central Railway Zone and Western Railway zone. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Railway zone with 3 Railway Divisions at Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, with the remainder under the Southern Railway zone and Konkan Railway Zone, which is considered one of India's biggest railway projects of the century due to the difficult terrain. Bangalore and other cities in the state are well-connected with intrastate and inter-state destinations.Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten minor ports, of which three were operational in 2012. The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4 May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006–07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006–07. Foreigners can enter Mangalore through the New Mangalore Port with the help of Electronic visa (e-visa). Cruise ships from Europe, North America and UAE arrive at New Mangalore Port to visit the tourist places across Coastal Karnataka. The port of Mangalore is among the 4 major ports of India that receive over 25 international cruise ships every year.The total lengths of National Highways and State Highways in Karnataka are 3,973 and 9,829 km (2,469 and 6,107 mi), respectively.The state transport corporations, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) headquartered in Bangalore, The Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) headquartered in Gulbarga, and The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) headquartered in Hubballi are the 4 state-owned transport corporations.The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka, combined with their long histories, have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of Malnad and coastal Karnataka, a classical dance drama, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organisations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others. Veeragase, Kamsale, Kolata and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The Mysore style of Bharatanatya, nurtured and popularised by the likes of the legendary Jatti Tayamma, continues to hold sway in Karnataka, and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centres of Bharatanatya.Karnataka also has a special place in the world of Indian classical music, with both Karnataka (Carnatic) and Hindustani styles finding place in the state, and Karnataka has produced a number of stalwarts in both styles. The Haridasa movement of the sixteenth century contributed significantly to the development of Karnataka (Carnatic) music as a performing art form. Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, is known as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Karnataka a.k.a. Carnatic music'). Celebrated Hindustani musicians like Gangubai Hangal, Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraja Rajaguru, Sawai Gandharva and several others hail from Karnataka, and some of them have been recipients of the Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Noted Carnatic musicians include Violin T. Chowdiah, Veena Sheshanna, Mysore Vasudevachar, Doreswamy Iyengar and Thitte Krishna Iyengar.Gamaka is another classical music genre based on Carnatic music that is practised in Karnataka. Kannada Bhavageete is a genre of popular music that draws inspiration from the expressionist poetry of modern poets. The Mysore school of painting has produced painters like Sundarayya, Tanjavur Kondayya, B. Venkatappa and Keshavayya. Chitrakala Parishat is an organisation in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, mainly in the Mysore painting style.Saree is the traditional dress of women in Karnataka. Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka. Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, is the traditional attire of men. Shirt, Trousers and Salwar kameez are widely worn in Urban areas. Mysore Peta is the traditional headgear of southern Karnataka, while the pagadi or pataga (similar to the Rajasthani turban) is preferred in the northern areas of the state.Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Jolada rotti, Sorghum is staple to North Karnataka. Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Benne Dose, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade are some of the popular food items in Karnataka. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Karadantu of Gokak and Amingad, Belgaavi Kunda and Dharwad pedha are popular. Apart from this, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have distinctive cuisines of their own. Udupi cuisine of coastal Karnataka is popular all over India.As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a literacy rate of 75.60%, with 82.85% of males and 68.13% of females in the state being literate.The Indian Institute of Science and Manipal Academy of Higher Education were ranked within the top 10 universities of India by NIRF 2020. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology – Dharwad the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Bangalore, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka – Surathkal and the National Law School of India University – Bangalore.In March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students, and 9498 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers and 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in the state, viz., government-run, private aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and private unaided (no financial aid is provided). The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Kannada and English.The syllabus taught in the schools is either of KSEEB (SSLC) and Pre-University Couse (PUC) of the State Syllabus, the CBSE of the Central Syllabus, CISCE, IGCSE, IB, NIOS, etc., are all defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka. The state has two Sainik Schools – Kodagu Sainik School in Kodagu and Vijayapura Sainik School in Vijayapura.To maximise attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students.Statewide board examinations are conducted at the end of secondary education. Students who qualify are allowed to pursue a two-year pre-university course, after which they become eligible to pursue under-graduate degrees.There are 481-degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz. Bangalore University, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered in Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences headquartered in Bangalore. Some of these baccalaureate colleges are accredited with the status of a deemed university. There are 186 engineering, 39 medical and 41 dental colleges in the state. Udupi, Sringeri, Gokarna and Melkote are well-known places of Sanskrit and Vedic learning. In 2015 the Central Government decided to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka at Dharwad. Tulu and Konkani languages are taught as an optional subject in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.Christ University, Jain University, CMR University, Dayananda Sagar University, PES University and REVA University are notable private universities in Karnataka.On 9 February 2022, Karnataka shut its schools for three days after the regional administration-backed schools imposed a hijab ban, leading to widespread protests and violence. Other universities in the state began enforcing prohibitions after Hindu students, supported by right-wing Hindu groups, argued that if hijabs were allowed in classrooms, they should wear saffron shawls. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka state government advised colleges to guarantee that 'clothes which disturb equality, integrity, and public law and order should not be worn' in apparent support of schools' ability to enforce a ban.The era of Kannada newspapers started in the year 1843 when Hermann Mögling, a missionary from Basel Mission, published the first Kannada newspaper called Mangaluru Samachara in Mangalore. The first Kannada periodical, Mysuru Vrittanta Bodhini was started by Bhashyam Bhashyacharya in Mysore. Shortly after Indian independence in 1948, K. N. Guruswamy founded The Printers (Mysuru) Private Limited and began publishing two newspapers, Deccan Herald and Prajavani. Presently The Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka are the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in both Kannada and English. Udayavani, Kannadaprabha, Samyukta Karnataka, VarthaBharathi, Sanjevani, Eesanje, Hosa digantha, Karavali Ale are also some popular dailies published from Karnataka.Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Chandana is dedicated to Kannada. Prominent Kannada channels include Colors Kannada, Zee Kannada, Star Suvarna and Udaya TV.Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio. In 1935, Aakashvani, the first private radio station in India, was started by Prof. M.V. Gopalaswamy in Mysore. The popular radio station was taken over by the local municipality and later by All India Radio (AIR) and moved to Bangalore in 1955. Later in 1957, AIR adopted the original name of the radio station, Aakashavani as its own. Some of the popular programs aired by AIR Bangalore included Nisarga Sampada and Sasya Sanjeevini which were programs that taught science through songs, plays, and stories. These two programs became so popular that they were translated and broadcast in 18 different languages and the entire series was recorded on cassettes by the Government of Karnataka and distributed to thousands of schools across the state. Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore, which has become hugely popular.Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, is a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level. The annual Kodava Hockey Festival is the largest hockey tournament in the world. Bangalore has hosted a WTA tennis event and, in 1997, it hosted the fourth National Games of India. The Sports Authority of India, the premier sports institute in the country, and the Nike Tennis Academy are also situated in Bangalore. Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.One of the most popular sports in Karnataka is cricket. The state cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy seven times, second only to Mumbai in terms of success. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore regularly hosts international Cricket matches and is also the home of the National Cricket Academy, which was opened in 2000 to nurture potential international players. Many cricketers have represented India and in one international match held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, an Indian Premier League franchise, the Bengaluru Football Club, an Indian Super League franchise, the Bengaluru Yodhas, a Pro Wrestling League franchise, the Bengaluru Blasters, a Premier Badminton League franchise and the Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League franchise are based in Bangalore. The Karnataka Premier League is an inter-regional Twenty20 cricket tournament played in the state.Notable sportsmen from Karnataka include B.S. Chandrasekhar, Roger Binny, E. A. S. Prasanna, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, Stuart Binny, K. L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ashwini Ponnappa, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Padukone who won the All England Badminton Championships in 1980 and Pankaj Advani who has won three world titles in cue sports by the age of 20 including the amateur World Snooker Championship in 2003 and the World Billiards Championship in 2005.Bijapur district has produced some of the best-known road cyclists in the national circuit. Premalata Sureban was part of the Indian contingent at the Perlis Open '99 in Malaysia. In recognition of the talent of cyclists in the district, the state government laid down a cycling track at the B.R. Ambedkar Stadium at a cost of ₹4 million (US$50,000).By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection.The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival.The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh are considered by some to be among the '1001 Natural Wonders of the World'. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls.Several popular beaches dot the coastline, including Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Malpe and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Kollur Mookambika Temple, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya Temple, Janardhana and Mahakali Temple at Ambalpadi, Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayatism, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. Jainism had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important centre. The Shettihalli Rosary Church near Shettihalli, an example of French colonial Gothic architecture, is a rare example of a Christian ruin, is a popular tourist site.Karnataka has become a center of health care tourism and has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services, Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.Outline of KarnatakaMedia in KarnatakaList of governors of KarnatakaList of districts of KarnatakaList of people from KarnatakaList of butterflies of KarnatakaList of airports in KarnatakaGovernmentOfficial website Official tourism siteGeneral informationKarnataka web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesKarnataka at the Encyclopædia BritannicaKarnataka at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Karnataka Geographic data related to Karnataka at OpenStreetMap","Karnataka | has to its west | Arabian_Sea","Most of these rivers flow out of Karnataka eastward, reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal.","To the west Karnataka borders on the Arabian Sea."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | birthYear | 1986","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.","Adam McQuaid was born in 1986."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is built at Newport Pagnell. Buckinghamshire. England. United Kingdom."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Anderson_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.","Anderson. Indiana is part of Anderson Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | club | Boston_Bruins","He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian.","Adam McQuaid played for the club Boston Bruins."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is assembled in Newport Pagnell. Buckinghamshire. England. United Kingdom."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Anderson_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God.Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility.","Anderson is part of Anderson Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | country | United_States","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene.The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD).Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene. Texas is in the United States."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | club | Boston_Bruins","In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins.On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian.","Adam McQuaid plays for the Boston Bruins."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport_Pagnell","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 assembly is located in Newport Pagnell."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Anderson_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.","Anderson. Indiana. is part of the Anderson Township. Madison County in Indiana."
-"Kerala (English:  KERR-ə-lə; Malayalam: [ke:ɾɐɭɐm] (listen)) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Travancore. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The region's prominence in trade was noted in the works of Pliny as well as the Periplus around 100 CE. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for European colonisation of India. At the time of Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, there were two major princely states in Kerala: Travancore and Cochin. They united to form the state of Thiru-Kochi in 1949. The Malabar region, in the northern part of Kerala, had been a part of the Madras province of British India, which later became a part of the Madras State post-independence. After the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the modern-day state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district of Madras State (excluding Gudalur taluk of Nilgiris district, Lakshadweep Islands, Topslip, the Attappadi Forest east of Anakatti), the taluk of Kasaragod (now Kasaragod District) in South Canara, and the erstwhile state of Thiru-Kochi (excluding four southern taluks of Kanyakumari district, and Shenkottai taluks).Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; the highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.784 in 2018 (0.712 in 2015); the highest literacy rate, 96.2% in the 2018 literacy survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, India; the highest life expectancy, 77.3 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000 men. Kerala is the least impoverished state in India according to NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals dashboard and Reserve Bank of India's 'Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy'. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. The state topped in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals according to the annual report of NITI Aayog published in 2019. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly Malayalam and sometimes English. Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity.The economy of Kerala is the 8th-largest in India with ₹8.55 trillion (US$110 billion) in gross state domestic product (GSDP) and a per capita net state domestic product of ₹222,000 (US$2,800). The tertiary sector contributes around 65% to state's GSVA, while the primary sector contributes only 8%. The state has witnessed significant emigration, especially to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important. The state is situated between Arabian Sea to the west and Western Ghats mountain ranges to the east. The state's coastline extends for 595 kilometres (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry, which contributes 3% to the state's income. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with coconut-lined sandy beaches, backwaters, hill stations, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.The word Kerala is first recorded as Keralaputo ('son of Chera [s]') in a 3rd-century-BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka (274–237 BCE), one of his edicts pertaining to welfare. At that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil: Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for 'lake'. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam 'declivity of a hill or a mountain slope' or chera alam 'land of the Cheras'.One folk etymology derives Kerala from the Malayalam word kera 'coconut tree' and alam 'land'; thus, 'land of coconuts', which is a nickname for the state used by locals due to the abundance of coconut trees.The earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala as Cherapadha is the late Vedic text Aitareya Aranyaka. Kerala is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics. The Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. The Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Kerala as Celobotra.Kerala was alternatively called Malabar in the foreign trade circles. Earlier, the term Malabar had also been used to denote Tulu Nadu and Kanyakumari which lie contiguous to Kerala on the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala. The people of Malabar were known as Malabars. Until the arrival of the East India Company, the term Malabar was used as a general name for Kerala, along with the term Kerala. From the time of Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE) itself, the Arab sailors used to call Kerala as Male. The first element of the name, however, is attested already in the Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes. This mentions a pepper emporium called Male, which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male'). The name Male is thought to come from the Malayalam word Mala ('hill'). Al-Biruni (973–1048 CE) is the first known writer to call this country Malabar. Authors such as Ibn Khordadbeh and Al-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works. The Arab writers had called this place Malibar, Manibar, Mulibar, and Munibar. Malabar is reminiscent of the word Malanad which means the land of hills. According to William Logan, the word Malabar comes from a combination of the Malayalam word Mala (hill) and the Persian/Arabic word Barr (country/continent).According to the Sangam classic Purananuru, the Chera king Senkuttuvan conquered the lands between Kanyakumari and the Himalayas. Lacking worthy enemies, he besieged the sea by throwing his spear into it. According to the 17th-century Hindu mythology work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the axe-wielding warrior sage Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu (hence, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshetram 'The Land of Parasurama' in Hindu mythology). Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to the legendary account, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation; so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, that Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parasurama legendary account, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.Another much earlier Puranic character associated with Kerala is Mahabali, an Asura and a prototypical just king, who ruled the earth from Kerala. He won the war against the Devas, driving them into exile. The Devas pleaded before Lord Vishnu, who took his fifth incarnation as Vamana and pushed Mahabali down to netherworld to placate the Devas. There is a belief that, once a year during the Onam festival, Mahabali returns to Kerala. The Matsya Purana, among the oldest of the 18 Puranas, uses the Malaya Mountains of Kerala (and Tamil Nadu) as the setting for the story of Matsya, the first incarnation of Vishnu, and Manu, the first man and the king of the region.=Ophir, a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth, is often identified with some coastal areas of Kerala. According to the account, the King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. A Dictionary of the Bible by Sir William Smith, published in 1863, notes the Hebrew word for parrot Thukki, derived from the Classical Tamil for peacock Thogkai and Cingalese Tokei, joins other Classical Tamil words for ivory, cotton-cloth and apes preserved in the Hebrew Bible. This theory of Ophir's location in Tamilakam is further supported by other historians. The most likely location on the coast of Kerala conjectured to be Ophir is Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram District (though some Indian scholars also suggest Beypore as possible location). The Books of Kings and Chronicles tell of a joint expedition to Ophir by King Solomon and the Tyrian king Hiram I from Ezion-Geber, a port on the Red Sea, that brought back large amounts of gold, precious stones and 'algum wood' and of a later failed expedition by king Jehoshaphat of Judah. The famous 'gold of Ophir' is referenced in several other books of the Hebrew Bible.=The legend of Cheraman Perumals is the medieval tradition associated with the Cheraman Perumals (literally the Chera kings) of Kerala. The validity of the legend as a source of history once generated much debate among South Indian historians. The legend was used by Kerala chiefdoms for the legitimation of their rule (most of the major chiefly houses in medieval Kerala traced its origin back to the legendary allocation by the Perumal). According to the legend, Rayar, the overlord of the Cheraman Perumal in a country east of the Ghats, invaded Kerala during the rule of the last Perumal. To drive back the invading forces the Perumal summoned the militia of his chieftains (like Udaya Varman Kolathiri, Manichchan, and Vikkiran of Eranad). The Cheraman Perumal was assured by the Eradis (chief of Eranad) that they would take a fort established by the Rayar. The battle lasted for three days and the Rayar eventually evacuated his fort (and it was seized by the Perumal's troops). Then the last Cheraman Perumal divided Kerala or Chera kingdom among his chieftains and disappeared mysteriously. The Kerala people never more heard any tidings of him. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu, who later came to be known as the Zamorins of Kozhikode, who were left out in cold during allocation of the land, was granted the Cheraman Perumal's sword (with the permission to 'die, and kill, and seize').According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque and some other narratives, 'Once a Cheraman Perumal probably named Ravi Varma was walking with his queen in the palace, when he witnessed the splitting of the moon. Shocked by this, he asked his astronomers to note down the exact time of the splitting. Then, when some Arab merchants visited his palace, he asked them about this incident. Their answers led the King to Mecca, where he met Islamic prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. It is assumed that the first recorded version of this legend is an Arabic manuscript of anonymous authorship known as Qissat Shakarwati Farmad. The 16th century Arabic work Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen authored by Zainuddin Makhdoom II of Ponnani, as well as the medieval Malayalam work Keralolpathi, also mention about the departure of last Cheraman Perumal of Kerala into Mecca.However, S. N. Sadasivan contends in A Social History of India that Kalimanja, the king of the Maldives, was the one who converted to Islam. The story of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer may have originated because Mali, as it was known to sailors at the time, was mistaken for Malabar (Kerala).A substantial portion of Kerala including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery, thus supporting the hypothesis. Pre-historical archaeological findings include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area of the Idukki district, which lie on the eastern highland made by Western Ghats. They are locally known as 'muniyara', derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen). Rock engravings in the Edakkal Caves, in Wayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE. Archaeological studies have identified Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic sites in Kerala. The studies point to the development of ancient Kerala society and its culture beginning from the Paleolithic Age, through the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic Ages. Foreign cultural contacts have assisted this cultural formation; historians suggest a possible relationship with Indus Valley civilization during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age.Kerala has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the 'Garden of Spices' or as the 'Spice Garden of India'.: 79  Kerala's spices attracted ancient Arabs, Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Phoenicians established trade with Kerala during this period. Arabs and Phoenicians were the first to enter Malabar Coast to trade Spices. The Arabs on the coasts of Yemen, Oman, and the Persian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Kerala and other eastern countries. They must have brought the Cinnamon of Kerala to the Middle East. The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.The Land of Keralaputra was one of the four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being Chola, Pandya, and Satiyaputra. Scholars hold that Keralaputra is an alternate name of the Cheras, the first dominant dynasty who ruled Kerala, and had its capital at Karur. These territories once shared a common language and culture, within an area known as Tamilakam. The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. Along with the Ay kingdom in the south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north, the Cheras formed the ruling kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era (CE). It is noted in Sangam literature that the Chera king Uthiyan Cheralathan ruled most of modern Kerala from his capital in Kuttanad, and controlled the port of Muziris, but its southern tip was in the kingdom of Pandyas, which had a trading port sometimes identified in ancient Western sources as Nelcynda (or Neacyndi) in Quilon. Tyndis was a major center of trade, next only to Muziris, between the Cheras and the Roman Empire. The lesser known Ays and Mushikas kingdoms lay to the south and north of the Chera regions, respectively. Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos (Chera dynasty). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis, was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period. The port at Tyndis which was on the northern side of Muziris, as mentioned in Greco-Roman writings, was somewhere around Kozhikode. Its exact location is a matter of dispute. The suggested locations are Ponnani, Tanur, Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, and Koyilandy.According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike's starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000 sesterces. According to Pliny the Elder, goods from India were sold in the Empire at 100 times their original purchase price. Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone to raids by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of Malabar peppers. In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China, West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. In foreign-trade circles the region was known as Male or Malabar. Muziris, Tyndis, Naura, Nelcynda, and Barace, were among the principal ports at that time. Contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for Malabar pepper. One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala was Eudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy VIII, king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple of Augustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana, the only surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.Merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. The Israeli (Jewish) connection with Kerala started in 573 BCE. Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, starting before the 4th century BCE, as Herodotus (484–413 BCE) noted that goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Israelis [Hebrew Jews] at Eden. In the 4th century, the Knanaya or Southist Christians also migrated from Persia and lived alongside the early Syriac Christian community known as the St. Thomas Christians who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Mappila was an honorific title that had been assigned to respected visitors from abroad; Israelite (Jewish), Syrian Christian, and Muslim immigration account for later names of the respective communities: Juda Mappilas, Muslim Mappilas, and Nasrani Mappilas. The earliest Saint Thomas Christian Churches, Cheraman Jumu'ah Masjid (traditionally dated to '629 CE' by the Mappilas)—regarded as 'the first mosque of India'—and Paradesi Synagogue (1568 CE)—the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations—were built in Kerala.A second Chera Kingdom (c. 800–1102), also known as Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram (present-day Kodungallur), was established by Kulasekhara Varman, which ruled over a territory comprising the whole of modern Kerala and a smaller part of modern Tamil Nadu. During the early part of the Kulasekara period, the southern region from Nagercoil to Thiruvalla was ruled by Ay kings, who lost their power in the 10th century, making the region a part of the Kulasekara empire. Under Kulasekhara rule, Kerala witnessed a developing period of art, literature, trade and the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period around the seventh century. The origin of Malayalam calendar dates back to year 825 CE. For local administration, the empire was divided into provinces under the rule of Naduvazhis, with each province comprising a number of Desams under the control of chieftains, called as Desavazhis. Mamankam festival, which was the largest native festival, was held at Tirunavaya near Kuttippuram, on the bank of river Bharathappuzha. Athavanad, the headquarters of Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were also considered as the supreme religious chief of the Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, is also located near Tirunavaya.Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Al-Masudi of Baghdad (896–956 CE), Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165 CE), Abulfeda (1273–1331 CE), and Al-Dimashqi (1256–1327 CE) mention the Muslim communities in Kerala. Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Muslim community in South Asia. The known earliest mention about Muslims of Kerala is in the Quilon Syrian copper plates.The inhibitions, caused by a series of Chera-Chola wars in the 11th century, resulted in the decline of foreign trade in Kerala ports. In addition, Portuguese invasions in the 15th century caused two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism, to disappear from the land. It is known that the Menons in the Malabar region of Kerala were originally strong believers of Jainism. The social system became fractured with divisions on caste lines. Finally, the Kulasekhara dynasty was subjugated in 1102 by the combined attack of Later Pandyas and Later Cholas. However, in the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulashekhara (1299–1314) of the southern Venad kingdom was able to establish a short-lived supremacy over southern India.After his death, in the absence of a strong central power, the state was divided into thirty small warring principalities; the most powerful of them were the kingdom of Zamorin of Kozhikode in the north, Kollam in the far-south, Kochi in the south, and Kannur in the far north. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in Kerala, while Kollam (Quilon), Kochi, and Kannur (Cannanore) were commercially confined to secondary roles. The Zamorin of Calicut was originally the ruler of Eranad, which was a minor principality located in the northern parts of present-day Malappuram district. The Zamorin allied with Arab and Chinese merchants and used most of the wealth from Kozhikode to develop his military power. Kozhikode became the most powerful kingdom in the Malayalam speaking region during the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Kozhikode conquered larger parts of central Kerala after the seize of Tirunavaya from Valluvanad, which were under the control of the king of Perumbadappu Swaroopam (Cochin). The ruler of Perumpadappu was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south from Kodungallur to Kochi. In the 15th century, the status of Cochin was reduced to a vassal state of Kozhikode. The ruler of Kolathunadu (Kannur) had also came under the influence of Zamorin by the end of the 15th century.At the peak of their reign, the Zamorins of Kozhikode ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) in the south to Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy) in the north. Ibn Battuta (1342–1347), who visited the city of Kozhikode six times, gives the earliest glimpses of life in the city. He describes Kozhikode as 'one of the great ports of the district of Malabar' where 'merchants of all parts of the world are found'. The king of this place, he says, 'shaves his chin just as the Haidari Fakeers of Rome do... The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit-out others like them'. Ma Huan (1403 AD), the Chinese sailor part of the Imperial Chinese fleet under Cheng Ho (Zheng He) states the city as a great emporium of trade frequented by merchants from around the world. He makes note of the 20 or 30 mosques built to cater to the religious needs of the Muslims, the unique system of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day), and the matrilineal system of succession (Marumakkathayam). Abdur Razzak (1442–43), Niccolò de' Conti (1445), Afanasy Nikitin (1468–74), Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508), and Duarte Barbosa witnessed the city as one of the major trading centres in the Indian subcontinent where traders from different parts of the world could be seen.The king Deva Raya II (1424–1446) of the Vijayanagara Empire conquered the entirety of present-day state of Kerala in the 15th century. He defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode, as well as the ruler of Kollam around 1443. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin had to pay tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later Kozhikode and Venad seem to have rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled the rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished over the next fifty years, the Zamorin of Kozhikode again rose to prominence in Kerala. He built a fort at Ponnani in 1498.The maritime spice trade monopoly in the Arabian Sea stayed with the Arabs during the High and Late Middle Ages. However, the dominance of Middle East traders was challenged in the European Age of Discovery. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in Kappad Kozhikode in 1498, the Portuguese began to dominate eastern shipping, and the spice-trade in particular. Following the discovery of sea route from Europe to Malabar in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas between Ormus and the Malabar Coast and south to Ceylon. They established a trading center at Tangasseri in Quilon during 1502 as per the invitation of the then Queen of Quilon to start spices trade from there. The Zamorin of Kozhikode permitted the new visitors to trade with his subjects such that Portuguese trade in Kozhikode prospered with the establishment of a factory and a fort. However, Portuguese attacks on Arab properties in his jurisdiction provoked the Zamorin and led to conflicts between them.The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur, who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode. As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin. Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom. However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504). However, the allegiance of the Mappila merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut.The Portuguese took advantage of the rivalry between the Zamorin and the King of Kochi allied with Kochi. When Francisco de Almeida was appointed as Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505, his headquarters was established at Fort Kochi (Fort Emmanuel) rather than in Kozhikode. During his reign, the Portuguese managed to dominate relations with Kochi and established a few fortresses on the Malabar Coast. Fort St Angelo or St. Angelo Fort was built at Kannur in 1505 and Fort St Thomas was built at Kollam (Quilon) in 1518 by the Portuguese. However, the Portuguese suffered setbacks from attacks by Zamorin forces in South Malabar; especially from naval attacks under the leadership of Kozhikode admirals known as Kunjali Marakkars, which compelled them to seek a treaty. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast. Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) of Ponnani in 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written in Arabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonize Malabar coast. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the father of modern Malayalam literature, was born at Tirur (Vettathunadu) during Portuguese period.In 1571, the Portuguese were defeated by the Zamorin forces in the battle at Chaliyam Fort. An insurrection at the Port of Quilon between the Arabs and the Portuguese led to the end of the Portuguese era in Quilon. The Muslim line of Ali Rajas of Arakkal kingdom, near Kannur, who were the vassals of the Kolathiri, ruled over the Lakshadweep islands. The Bekal Fort near Kasaragod, which is also largest fort in the state, was built in 1650 by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi.In 1602, the Zamorin sent messages to Aceh promising the Dutch a fort at Kozhikode if they would come and trade there. Two factors, Hans de Wolff and Lafer, were sent on an Asian ship from Aceh, but the two were captured by the chief of Tanur, and handed over to the Portuguese. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Steven van der Hagen arrived at Kozhikode in November 1604. It marked the beginning of the Dutch presence in Kerala and they concluded a treaty with Kozhikode on 11 November 1604, which was also the first treaty that the Dutch East India Company made with an Indian ruler. By this time the kingdom and the port of Kozhikode was much reduced in importance. The treaty provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch East India Company was given facilities for trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani, including spacious storehouses.The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who during the conflicts between the Kozhikode and the Kochi, gained control of the trade. They lost to Dutch at Quilon after 1661 and later, the Portuguese left south-western coast. The arrival of British on Malabar Coast can be traced back to the year 1615, when a group under the leadership of Captain William Keeling arrived at Kozhikode, using three ships. It was in these ships that Sir Thomas Roe went to visit Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, as British envoy. In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century.The Dutch in turn were weakened by constant battles with Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family, and were defeated at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. An agreement, known as 'Treaty of Mavelikkara', was signed by the Dutch and Travancore in 1753, according to which the Dutch were compelled to detach from all political involvement in the region. In the 18th Century, Travancore King Sree Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma annexed all the kingdoms up to Cochin through military conquests, resulting in the rise of Travancore to pre-eminence in Kerala. The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent. Travancore became the dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.The island of Dharmadom near Kannur, along with Thalassery, was ceded to the East India Company in 1734, which were claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following the cession. In 1761, the British captured Mahé, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahé to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahé. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahé was handed over to the French in 1785.In 1757, to resist the invasion of the Zamorin of Kozhikode, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of the Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1766, Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode – an East India Company ally at the time – and absorbed Kozhikode into his state. The smaller princely states in northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar region) including Kolathunadu, Kottayam, Kadathanadu, Kozhikode, Tanur, Valluvanad, and Palakkad were unified under the rulers of Mysore and were made a part of the larger Kingdom of Mysore. His son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu ultimately ceded the Malabar District and South Kanara to the company in the 1790s as a result of the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam; both were annexed to the Bombay Presidency (which had also included other regions in the western coast of India) of British India in the years 1792 and 1799, respectively. Later in 1800, both of the Malabar District and South Canara were separated from Bombay presidency to merge them with the neighbouring Madras Presidency. The company forged tributary alliances with Kochi in 1791 and Travancore in 1795.By the end of the 18th century, the whole of Kerala fell under the control of the British, either administered directly or under suzerainty. Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under the leadership of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who had popular support in Thalassery-Wayanad region. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Malabar Special Police was formed by the colonial government in 1884 headquartered at Malappuram. British in Malabar also converted Thiyyar army, called as Thiyya pattalam into a special regiment centered at Thalassery called as The Thiyyar Regiment in 1904. There were major revolts in Kerala during the independence movement in the 20th century; most notable among them is the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and the social struggles in Travancore. In the Malabar Rebellion, Mappila Muslims of Malabar rebelled against the British Raj. The Battle of Pookkottur adorns an important role in the rebellion. Some social struggles against caste inequalities also erupted in the early decades of the 20th century, leading to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation by Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma that opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes.After India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Kochi, part of the Union of India were merged on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin. On 1 November 1956, the taluk of Kasargod in the South Kanara district of Madras, the Malabar district of Madras (excluding the islands of Lakshadweep), and Travancore-Cochin, without four southern taluks and Sengottai taluk (which joined Tamil Nadu), merged to form the state of Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act. A Communist-led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad resulted from the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957. It was one of the earliest elected Communist governments anywhere. His government implemented land and educational reforms which in turn, reduced income inequality in the state.The state is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between northern latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and eastern longitudes 74°52' and 77°22', Kerala experiences humid tropical rainforest climate with some cyclones. The state has a coast of 590 km (370 mi) and the width of the state varies between 11 and 121 kilometres (7 and 75 mi). Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.: 110  Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala's terrain. A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history; it also created a natural harbour for spice transport.The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow.: 110  41 of Kerala's west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad; hence also known Palghat, where the Palakkad Gap breaks. The Western Ghats rise on average to 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above sea level, while the highest peaks reach around 2,500 metres (8,200 feet). Anamudi in the Idukki district is the highest peak in south India, is at an elevation of 2,695 m (8,842 ft). The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognised as one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. The Athirappilly Falls, which is situated on the background of Western Ghat mountain ranges, is also known as The Niagara of India. It is located in the Chalakudy River and is the largest waterfall in the state. Wayanad is the sole Plateau in Kerala. The eastern regions in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram (Chaliyar valley at Nilambur), and Palakkad (Attappadi Valley), which together form parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, are known for natural Gold fields, along with the adjoining districts of Karnataka.Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region,: 33  and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in world where cultivation takes place below sea level. The country's longest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. Kerala's 44 rivers include the Periyar; 244 kilometres (152 mi), Bharathapuzha; 209 kilometres (130 mi), Pamba; 176 kilometres (109 mi), Chaliyar; 169 kilometres (105 mi), Kadalundipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Chalakudipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Valapattanam; 129 kilometres (80 mi) and the Achankovil River; 128 kilometres (80 mi). The average length of the rivers is 64 kilometres (40 mi). Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain. As Kerala's rivers are small and lacking in delta, they are more prone to environmental effects. The rivers face problems such as sand mining and pollution. The state experiences several natural hazards like landslides, floods and droughts. The state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and in 2018 received the worst flooding in nearly a century.With around 120–140 rainy days per year,: 80  Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon, and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula, because of its topography, divides into two branches; the 'Arabian Sea Branch' and the 'Bay of Bengal Branch'. The 'Arabian Sea Branch' of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats, making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon. The distribution of pressure patterns is reversed in the Northeast monsoon, during this season the cold winds from North India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate it on the east coast of peninsular India. In Kerala, the influence of the Northeast monsoon is seen in southern districts only. Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in) annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in); the mountains of the eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation: the highest in the state. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. During the summer, the state is prone to gale-force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level.: 26, 46, 52  The mean daily temperature ranges from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0 to 27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.: 65 =Minerals including Ilmenite, Monazite, Thorium, and Titanium, are found in the coastal belt of Kerala. Kerala's coastal belt of Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand. In some coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr.Most of the biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Western Ghats. Three quarters of the land area of Kerala was under thick forest up to the 18th century. As of 2004, over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the 4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala, 900 are medicinal, and 159 are threatened.: 11  Its 9,400 km2 of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km2), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km2 and 100 km2, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km2). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.: 12  Four of the world's Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta, Ashtamudi Lake, Thrissur-Ponnani Kole Wetlands, and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and 1828 km2 of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century,: 6–7  much of the remaining forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Eastern Kerala's windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. The world's oldest teak plantation 'Conolly's Plot' is in Nilambur.Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it includes 118 species of mammals (1 endemic), 500 species of birds, 189 species of freshwater fish, 173 species of reptiles (10 of them endemic), and 151 species of amphibians (36 endemic). These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinisation, and resource extraction. In the forests, sonokeling, Dalbergia latifolia, anjili, mullumurikku, Erythrina, and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm, and aromatic vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides.: 12  Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Nilgiri tahr, common palm civet, and grizzled giant squirrels are also found in the forests.: 12, 174–75  Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and mugger crocodile. Kerala's birds include the Malabar trogon, the great hornbill, Kerala laughingthrush, darter and southern hill myna. In the lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as Kadu, Red Line Torpedo Barb and choottachi; orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus are found.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala). The districts which serve as administrative regions for taxation purposes are further subdivided into 27 revenue subdivisions and 77 taluks, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records. Kerala's taluks are further sub-divided into 1,674 revenue villages.Since the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India, the local government institutions function as the third tier of government, which constitutes 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 941 Grama Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, six Municipal Corporations and one Township.Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry, though 647 kilometres (402 mi) away from it, is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. The Kannur District surrounds Mahé on three sides with the Kozhikode District on the fourth.In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram came into existence in 1920. After two decades, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, making it the oldest Municipal Corporation of Kerala. The first Municipal Corporation founded after the independence of India as well as the second-oldest Municipal Corporation of the state is at Kozhikode in the year 1962. There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration. According to a survey by economics research firm Indicus Analytics in 2007, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur are among the 'best cities in India to live'; the survey used parameters such as health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment to rank the cities.Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress; and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). As of 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the LDF is the ruling coalition; Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is the Chief Minister, while V. D. Satheesan of the Indian National Congress is the Leader of the Opposition. According to the Constitution of India, Kerala has a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. The government is organised into the three branches:Legislature: The unicameral legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly popularly known as Niyamasabha, comprises elected members and special office bearers; the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected by the members from among themselves. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker and in the Speaker's absence, by the Deputy Speaker. The state has 140 assembly constituencies. The state elects 20 and 9 members for representation in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively.Executive: The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India. Arif Mohammad Khan is the Governor of Kerala. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the head of government and is vested with extensive executive powers; the head of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly is appointed to the post by the Governor. The Council of Ministers has its members appointed by the Governor, taking the advice of the Chief Minister. The executive administration is based in Thiruvananthapuram at State Secretariat complex. Each district has a district administrator appointed by government called District collector for executive administration. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Kerala High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located in Kochi, has a Chief Justice along with 35 permanent and twelve additional pro tempore justices as of 2021. The high court also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.The local government bodies; Panchayat, Municipalities and Corporations have existed in Kerala since 1959, however, the major initiative to decentralise the governance was started in 1993, conforming to the constitutional amendments of central government in this direction. With the enactment of Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act in 1994, the state implemented reforms in local self-governance. The Kerala Panchayati Raj Act envisages a 3-tier system of local government with Gram panchayat, Block panchayat and District Panchayat forming a hierarchy. The acts ensure a clear demarcation of power among these institutions. However, the Kerala Municipality Act envisages a single-tier system for urban areas, with the institution of municipality designed to par with the Gram panchayat of the former system. Substantial administrative, legal and financial powers are delegated to these bodies to ensure efficient decentralisation. As per the present norms, the state government devolves about 40% of the state plan outlay to the local government. Kerala was declared as the first digital state of India on 27 February 2016. The India Corruption Survey 2019 by Transparency International declared Kerala the least-corrupt state in India. The Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, India, designated Kerala as the best governed Indian state.After independence, the state was managed as a democratic socialist welfare economy. From the 1990s, liberalisation of the mixed economy allowed Licence Raj restrictions against capitalism and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and an increase in employment. In the fiscal year 2018–19, the nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was ₹7.82 lakh crore (US$98 billion). GSDP growth; 11.4% in 2018–2019 and 10.5% in 2017–2018 had been high compared to an average of 2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1%: 8  and 6.0% in the 1990s.: 8  The state recorded 8.9% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005, higher than the national rate of 4.8%. The 'Kerala phenomenon' or 'Kerala model of development' of very high human development and in comparison low economic development has resulted from a strong service sector.: 48 : 1  In 2019–20, the tertiary sector contributed around 63% of the state's GSVA, compared to 28% by secondary sector, and 8% by primary sector. In the period between 1960 and 2020, Kerala's economy was gradually shifting from an agrarian economy into a service-based one.The state's service sector which accounts for around 63% of its revenue is mainly based upon Hospitality industry, Tourism, Ayurveda & Medical Services, Pilgrimage, Information technology, Transportation, Financial sector, and Education. Major initiatives under the industrial sector include Cochin Shipyard, Shipbuilding, Oil refinery, Software Industry, Coastal mineral industries, food processing, marine products processing, and Rubber based products. The primary sector of the state is mainly based upon Cash crops. Kerala produces a significant amount of national output of the cash crops such as Coconut, Tea, Coffee, pepper, Natural rubber, Cardamom, and Cashew in India. The cultivation of food crops began to reduce since the 1950s. The Migrant labourers in Kerala are a significant workforce in its industrial and agricultural sectors. Being home to only 1.18% of the total land area of India and 2.75% of its population, Kerala contributes more than 4% to the Gross Domestic Product of India.Kerala's economy depends significantly on emigrants working in foreign countries, mainly in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and the remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP. The state witnessed significant emigration during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2008, the Persian Gulf countries together had a Keralite population of more than 25 lakh(2.5 million), who sent home annually a sum of US$6.81 billion, which is the highest among Indian states and more than 15.1% of remittances to India in 2008. In 2012, Kerala still received the highest remittances of all states: US$11.3 billion, which was nearly 16% of the US$71 billion remittances to the country. In 2015, NRI deposits in Kerala have soared to over ₹1 lakh crore (US$13 billion), amounting to one-sixth of all the money deposited in NRI accounts, which comes to about ₹7 lakh crore (US$88 billion). Malappuram district has the highest proportion of emigrant households in state. A study commissioned by the Kerala State Planning Board, suggested that the state look for other reliable sources of income, instead of relying on remittances to finance its expenditure.A decline of about 300,000 in the number of emigrants from the state was recorded during the period between 2013 and 2018. The total remittances received by the emigrants stood at ₹85,100 crore (US$11 billion) in the year 2018. According to a study done in 2013, ₹17,500 crore (US$2.2 billion) was the total amount paid to migrant labourers in the state every year. The tertiary sector comprises services such as transport, storage, communications, tourism, banking, insurance and real estate. In 2011–2012, it contributed 63.2% of the state's GDP, agriculture and allied sectors contributed 15.7%, while manufacturing, construction and utilities contributed 21.1%. Around 600 varieties: 5  of rice, which is Kerala's most used staple and cereal crop,: 5  are harvested from 3105.21 km2; a decline from 5883.4 km2 in 1990.: 5  6,88,859 tonnes of rice are produced per year. Other key crops include coconut; 899,198 ha, tea, coffee; 23% of Indian production,: 13  or 57,000 tonnes,: 6–7  rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.As of March 2002, Kerala's banking sector comprised 3341 local branches: each branch served 10,000 people, lower than the national average of 16,000; the state has the third-highest bank penetration among Indian states. On 1 October 2011, Kerala became the first state in the country to have at least one banking facility in every village. Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%; chronic issues are underemployment, low employability of youth, and a low female labour participation rate of only 13.5%,: 5, 13  as was the practice of Nokku kooli, 'wages for looking on'. (On 30 April 2018, the Kerala state government issued an order to abolish Nokku Kooli, to take effect on 1 May.) By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively.The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) was started in 2007, covering more than 3000 outlets across the nine cities of Kerala with huge tax discounts, VAT refunds and huge array of prizes. Lulu International Mall at Thiruvananthapuram is the largest Shopping Mall in India.The state's budget of 2020–2021 was ₹1.15 lakh crore (US$14 billion). The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to ₹67,420 crore (US$8.4 billion) in 2020–21; up from ₹55,671 crore (US$7.0 billion) in 2019–20. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala reached ₹14,587 crore (US$1.8 billion) in 2020–2021. However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to GSDP has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, which have impacted social services. A record total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over ₹2,000 crore (US$250 million). Kerala's 10% rise in GDP is 3% more than the national GDP. In 2013, capital expenditure rose 30% compared to the national average of 5%, owners of two-wheelers rose by 35% compared to the national rate of 15%, and the teacher-pupil ratio rose 50% from 2:100 to 4:100.The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board is a government owned financial institution in the state to mobilize funds for infrastructure development from outside the state revenue, aiming at overall infrastructure development of the state.In November 2015, the Ministry of Urban Development selected seven cities of Kerala for a comprehensive development program known as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). A package of ₹2.5 million (US$31,000) was declared for each of the cities to develop service level improvement plan (SLIP), a plan for better functioning of the local urban bodies in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad.Despite of many achievements, Kerala facing many challenges like high levels of unemployment that disproportionately impact educated women, a high degree of global exposure and a very fragile environment.Kerala has focused more attention towards growth of Information Technology sector with formation of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram which is one of the largest IT employer in Kerala. It was the first technology park in India and with the inauguration of the Thejaswini complex on 22 February 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India. Software giants like Infosys, Oracle, Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, HCL, UST Global, NeST and Suntec have offices in the state. The state has a second major IT hub, the Infopark centred in Kochi with 'spokes'(it acts as the 'hub') in Thrissur and Alleppy. As of 2014, Infopark generates one-third of total IT Revenues of the state with key offices of IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Wipro, UST Global, IBS Software Services etc. and Multinational corporations like KPMG, Ernst & Young, EXL Service, Etisalat DB Telecom, Nielsen Audio, Xerox ACS, Tata ELXSI etc. Kochi also has another major project SmartCity under construction, built in partnership with Dubai Government. A third major IT Hub is under construction centred around Kozhikode known as Cyberpark. Kerala is the first Indian state to make Internet access a basic right. As of 2019, Kerala's Internet penetration rate is the second-highest in India only after to Delhi. Kerala is the first Indian state to have its own Internet service with the launch of Kerala Fiber Optic Network in 2021.Traditional industries manufacturing items; coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Kerala supplies 60% of the total global produce of white coir fibre. India's first coir factory was set up in Alleppey in 1859–60. The Central Coir Research Institute was established there in 1959. As per the 2006–2007 census by SIDBI, there are 14,68,104 micro, small and medium enterprises in Kerala employing 30,31,272 people. The KSIDC has promoted more than 650 medium and large manufacturing firms in Kerala, creating employment for 72,500 people. A mining sector of 0.3% of GSDP involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite. Other major sectors are tourism, medical sector, educational sector, banking, ship building, oil refinery, infrastructure, manufacturing, home gardens, animal husbandry and business process outsourcing.The major change in agriculture in Kerala occurred in the 1970s when production of rice fell due to increased availability of rice all over India and decreased availability of labour. Consequently, investment in rice production decreased and a major portion of the land shifted to the cultivation of perennial tree crops and seasonal crops. Profitability of crops fell due to a shortage of farm labour, the high price of land, and the uneconomic size of operational holdings. Only 27.3% of the families in Kerala depend upon agriculture for their livelihood, which is also the least curresponding rate in India.Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper and accounts for 85% of the natural rubber in the country. Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the main agricultural products.: 74  Around 80% of India's export quality cashew kernels are prepared in Kollam. The key cash crop is Coconut and Kerala ranks first in the area of coconut cultivation in India. In 1960–61, about 70% of the Coconuts produced in India were from Kerala, which have reduced to 42% in 2011–12. Around 90% of the total Cardamom produced in India is from Kerala. India is the second-largest producer of Cardamom in world. About 20% of the total Coffee produced in India are from Kerala. The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields. Home gardens made up a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Related animal husbandry is touted by proponents as a means of alleviating rural poverty and unemployment among women, the marginalised, and the landless. The state government promotes these activities via educational campaigns and the development of new cattle breeds such as the Sunandini.Though the contribution of the agricultural sector to the state economy was on the decline in 2012–13, through the strength of the allied livestock sector, it has picked up from 7.0% (2011–12) to 7.2%. In the 2013–14 fiscal period, the contribution has been estimated at a high of 7.8%. The total growth of the farm sector has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2012–13, over a 1.3% growth in the previous fiscal year. The agricultural sector has a share of 9.3% in the sectoral distribution of Gross State Domestic Product at Constant Price, while the secondary and tertiary sectors have contributed 23.9% and 66.7%, respectively.There is a preference for organic products and home farming compared to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Forest gardens are common and known by the name home gardens. According to the English horticulturist Robert Hart, Kerala is 'from the agroforestry point of view, perhaps the world's most advanced country, with an extraordinary intensivity of cultivation of some forest gardens.'With 590 kilometres (370 miles) of coastal belt, 400,000 hectares of inland water resources and approximately 220,000 active fishermen, Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. According to 2003–04 reports, about 11 lakh(1.1 million) people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. The annual yield of the sector was estimated as 6,08,000 tons in 2003–04. This contributes to about 3% of the total economy of the state. In 2006, around 22% of the total Indian marine fishery yield was from Kerala. During the southwest monsoon, a suspended mud bank develops along the shore, which in turn leads to calm ocean water, peaking the output of the fishing industry. This phenomenon is locally called chakara. The waters provide a large variety of fish: pelagic species; 59%, demersal species; 23%, crustaceans, molluscs and others for 18%. Around 10.5 lakh(1.050 million) fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes as of a 1999–2000 estimate; 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590-kilometre (370-mile) coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.Kerala has 331,904 kilometres (206,236 mi) of roads, which accounts for 5.6% of India's total. This translates to about 9.94 kilometres (6.18 mi) of road per thousand people, compared to an average of 4.87 kilometres (3.03 mi) in the country. Roads in Kerala include 1,812 kilometres (1,126 mi) of national highway; 1.6% of the nation's total, 4,342 kilometres (2,698 mi) of state highway; 2.5% of the nation's total, 27,470 kilometres (17,070 mi) of district roads; 4.7% of the nation's total, 33,201 kilometres (20,630 mi) of urban (municipal) roads; 6.3% of the nation's total, and 158,775 kilometres (98,658 mi) of rural roads; 3.8% of the nation's total. Kottayam has the maximum length of roads among the districts of Kerala, while Wayanad accounts for minimum. Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through the NH 66 (previously NH 17 and 47); and the eastern side is accessible through state highways. New projects for hill and coastal highways were recently announced under KIIFB. National Highway 66, with the longest stretch of road (1,622 kilometres (1,008 mi)) connects Kanyakumari to Mumbai; it enters Kerala via Talapady in Kasargod and passes through Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Guruvayur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram before entering Tamil Nadu. Palakkad district is generally referred to as the Gateway of Kerala, due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats, through which the northern (Malabar) and southern (Travancore) parts of Kerala are connected to the rest of India via road and rail. The state's largest checkpoint, Walayar, is on NH 544, in the border town between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, through which a large amount of public and commercial transportation reaches the northern and central districts of Kerala.The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways system and major district roads. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways in Kerala. It also oversees a few major district roads. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Traffic density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest. The accidents are mainly the result of the narrow roads and irresponsible driving. National Highways in Kerala are among the narrowest in the country and will remain so for the foreseeable future, as the state government has received an exemption that allows narrow national highways. In Kerala, highways are 45 metres (148 feet) wide. In other states, national highways are grade separated, 60 metres (200 feet) wide with a minimum of four lanes, as well as 6 or 8-lane access-controlled expressways. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has threatened the Kerala state government that it will give higher priority to other states in highway development since political commitment to better highways in Kerala has been lacking. As of 2013, Kerala had the highest road accident rate in the country, with most fatal accidents taking place along the state's national highways.=Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation. It is one of the country's oldest state-run public bus transport services. Its origins can be traced back to Travancore State Road Transport Department, when the Travancore government headed by Sri. Chithra Thirunnal decided to set up a public road transportation system in 1937.The corporation is divided into three zones (North, Central and South), with the headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala's capital city). Daily scheduled service has increased from 1,200,000 kilometres (750,000 mi) to 1,422,546 kilometres (883,929 mi), using 6,241 buses on 6,389 routes. At present the corporation has 5373 buses running on 4795 schedules.The Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) was formed under KSRTC in 2015 to manage affairs related to urban transportation. It was inaugurated on 12 April 2015 at Thevara.Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways operates all railway lines in the state connecting most major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. The railway network in the state is controlled by two out of six divisions of the Southern Railway; Thiruvananthapuram Railway division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Railway Division headquartered at Palakkad. Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) is the busiest railway station in the state. Kerala's major railway stations are:The first railway line in the state was laid from Tirur to Chaliyam (Kozhikode), with the oldest Railway Station at Tirur, passing through Tanur, Parappanangadi, Vallikkunnu, and Kadalundi. The railway was extended from Tirur to Kuttippuram through Tirunavaya in the same year. It was again extended from Kuttippuram to Shoranur through Pattambi in 1862, resulting in the establishment of Shoranur Junction railway station, which is also the largest railway junction in the state. Major railway transport between Chaliyam–Tirur began on 12 March 1861, from Tirur-Shoranur in 1862, from Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section in 1902, from Kollam–Sengottai on 1 July 1904, Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram on 4 January 1918, from Nilambur-Shoranur in 1927, from Ernakulam–Kottayam in 1956, from Kottayam–Kollam in 1958, from Thiruvananthapuram–Kanyakumari in 1979 and from the Thrissur-Guruvayur Section in 1994. The Nilambur–Shoranur line is one of the shortest broad gauge railway lines in India. It was established in the British era for the transportation of Nilambur teaks and Angadipuram Laterite to United Kingdom through the port at Kozhikode. The presence of Palakkad Gap on Western Ghats makes the Shoranur Junction railway station important as it connects the southwestern coast of India (Mangalore) with the southeastern coast (Chennai).=Kochi Metro is the metro rail system in the city of Kochi. It is the only metro rail system in Kerala. Construction began in 2012, with the first phase being set up at an estimated cost of ₹51.81 billion (US$650 million). The Kochi Metro uses 65-metre long Metropolis train sets built and designed by Alstom. It is the first metro system in India to use a communication-based train control (CBTC) system for signalling and telecommunication. In October 2017, Kochi Metro was named the 'Best Urban Mobility Project' in India by the Urban Development Ministry, as part of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) International Conference hosted by the ministry every year.Kerala has four international airports: Kollam Airport, established under the Madras Presidency, but since closed, was the first airport in Kerala. Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram – stopping at Goa and Kannur. Trivandrum International Airport, managed by the Airport Authority of India, is among the oldest existing airports in South India. Calicut International Airport, which was opened in 1988, is the second-oldest existing airport in Kerala and the oldest in the Malabar region. Cochin International Airport is the busiest in the state and the seventh busiest in the country. It is also the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy and has won the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations. Cochin International Airport is also the first Indian airport to be incorporated as a public limited company; it was funded by nearly 10,000 non-resident Indians from 30 countries.Other than civilian airports, Kochi has a naval airport named INS Garuda. Thiruvananthapuram airport shares civilian facilities with the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. These facilities are used mostly by central government VIPs visiting Kerala.Kerala has one major port, four intermediate ports, and 13 minor ports. The major port in the state is at Kochi, which has an area of 8.27 km2. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is currently classified as an intermediate port, is an upcoming major port under construction. Other intermediate ports include Beypore, Kollam, and Azheekal. The remaining ports are classified as minor which include Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod, Nileshwaram, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Ponnani, Munambam, Manakodam, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Neendakara, and Valiyathura. The Kerala Maritime Institute is headquartered at Neendakara, which has an additional subcentre at Kodungallur too. The state has numerous backwaters, which are used for commercial inland navigation. Transport services are mainly provided by country craft and passenger vessels. There are 67 navigable rivers in the state while the total length of inland waterways is 1,687 kilometres (1,048 mi). The main constraints to the expansion of inland navigation are; lack of depth in waterways caused by silting, lack of maintenance of navigation systems and bank protection, accelerated growth of the water hyacinth, lack of modern inland craft terminals, and lack of a cargo handling system.The 616 kilometres (383 mi) long West-Coast Canal is the longest waterway in state connecting Kasaragod to Poovar. It is divided into five sections: 41 kilometres (25 mi) long Kasaragod-Nileshwaram reach, 188 kilometres (117 mi) long Nileshwaram-Kozhikode reach, 160 kilometres (99 mi) Kozhikode-Kottapuram reach, 168 kilometres (104 mi) long National Waterway 3 (Kottapuram-Kollam reach), and 74 kilometres (46 mi) long Kollam-Vizhinjam reach. The Conolly Canal, which is a part of West-Coast Canal, connects the city of Kozhikode with Kochi through Ponnani, passing through the districts of Malappuram and Thrissur. It begins at Vadakara. It was constructed in the year 1848 under the orders of then District collector of Malabar, H. V. Conolly, initially to facilitate movement of goods to Kallayi Port from hinter lands of Malabar through Kuttiady and Korapuzha river systems. It was the main waterway for the cargo movement between Kozhikode and Kochi through Ponnani, for more than a century. Other important waterways in Kerala include the Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal, Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal, and Kottayam-Vaikom Canal.Kerala is home to 2.8% of India's population; with a density of 859 persons per km2, its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the national average of 370 persons per km2. As of 2011, Thiruvananthapuram is the most populous city in Kerala. In the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of 17.6%. Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991; the population stood at 33.3 million by 2011. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled with population of 2022 persons per km2, 2.5 times the overall population density of the state, 859 persons per km2, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. Around 31.8 million Keralites are predominantly Malayali. The state's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.1% of the population, are concentrated in the east.: 10–12 There is a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in Kerala, where the mother is the head of the household. As a result, women in Kerala have had a much higher standing and influence in the society. This was common among certain influential castes and is a factor in the value placed on daughters. Christian missionaries also influenced Malayali women in that they started schools for girls from poor families. Opportunities for women such as education and gainful employment often translate into a lower birth rate, which in turn, make education and employment more likely to be accessible and more beneficial for women. This creates an upward spiral for both the women and children of the community that is passed on to future generations. According to the Human Development Report of 1996, Kerala's Gender Development Index was 597; higher than any other state of India. Factors, such as high rates of female literacy, education, work participation and life expectancy, along with favourable sex ratio, contributed to it.Kerala's sex ratio of 1.084 (females to males) is higher than that of the rest of India and is the only state where women outnumber men.: 2  While having the opportunities that education affords them, such as political participation, keeping up to date with current events, reading religious texts etc., these tools have still not translated into full, equal rights for the women of Kerala. There is a general attitude that women must be restricted for their own benefit. In the state, despite the social progress, gender still influences social mobility.=Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. Kerala is one of the first states in India to form a welfare policy for the transgender community. In 2016, the Kerala government introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals. Queerala is one of the major LGBT organisations in Kerala. It campaigns for increased awareness of LGBT people and sensitisation concerning healthcare services, workplace policies and educational curriculum. Since 2010, Kerala Queer Pride has been held annually across various cities in Kerala.In June 2019, the Kerala government passed a new order that members of the transgender community should not be referred to as the 'third gender' or 'other gender' in government communications. Instead, the term 'transgender' should be used. Previously, the gender preferences provided in government forms and documents included male, female, and other/third gender.In the 2021 Mathrubhumi Youth Manifesto Survey conducted on people aged between 15 and 35, majority (74.3%) of the respondents supported legislation for same-sex marriage while 25.7% opposed it.Under a democratic communist local government, Kerala has achieved a record of social development much more advanced than the Indian average. As of 2015, Kerala has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.770, which is in the 'high' category, ranking it first in the country. It was 0.790 in 2007–08 and it had a consumption-based HDI of 0.920, which is better than that of many developed countries. Comparatively higher spending by the government on primary level education, health care and the elimination of poverty from the 19th century onwards has helped the state maintain an exceptionally high HDI; the report was prepared by the central government's Institute of Applied Manpower Research. However, the Human Development Report 2005, prepared by Centre for Development Studies envisages a virtuous phase of inclusive development for the state since the advancement in human development had already started aiding the economic development of the state. Kerala is also widely regarded as the cleanest and healthiest state in India.According to the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest literacy rate (94%) among Indian states. In 2018, the literacy rate was calculated to be 96%. In the Kottayam district, the literacy rate was 97%. The life expectancy in Kerala is 74 years, among the highest in India as of 2011. Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 59% (1973–1974) to 12% (1999–2010); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 47% between the 1970s and 2000s against the 29% fall in overall poverty rate in India. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively. The 2013 Tendulkar Committee Report on poverty estimated that the percentages of the population living below the poverty line in rural and urban Kerala are 9.1% and 5.0%, respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.: 48 Kerala has undergone a 'demographic transition' characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.: 1  In 2005, 11.2% of people were over the age of 60. In 2023, the BBC reported on the problems and benefits which have arisen from migration away from Kerala, focussing on the village of Kumbanad. In 2004, the birthrate was low at 18 per 1,000. According to the 2011 census, Kerala had a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.6. All district except Malappuram district had fertility rate below 2. Fertility rate is highest in Malappuram district (2.2) and lowest in Pathanamthitta district (1.3). In 2001, Muslims had the TFR of 2.6 as against 1.5 for Hindus and 1.7 for Christians. The state also is regarded as the 'least corrupt Indian state' according to the surveys conducted by CMS Indian Corruption Study (CMS-ICS) Transparency International (2005) and India Today (1997). Kerala has the lowest homicide rate among Indian states, with 1.1 per 100,000 in 2011. In respect of female empowerment, some negative factors such as higher suicide rate, lower share of earned income, child marriage, complaints of sexual harassment and limited freedom are reported. The child marriage is lower in Kerala. The Malappuram district has the highest number of child marriage and the number of such cases are increasing in Malappuram. The child marriages are particularly higher among the Muslim community. In 2019, Kerala recorded the highest child sex abuse complaints in India.In 2015, Kerala had the highest conviction rate of any state, over 77%. Kerala has the lowest proportion of homeless people in rural India, <0.1%, and the state is attempting to reach the goal of becoming the first 'Zero Homeless State', in addition to its acclaimed 'Zero landless project', with private organisations and the expatriate Malayali community funding projects for building homes for the homeless. The state was also among the lowest in the India State Hunger Index next only to Punjab. In 2015 Kerala became the first 'complete digital state' by implementing e-governance initiatives.Kerala is a pioneer in implementing the universal health care program. The sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate are lower compared to those of other states, estimated from 12: 49  to 14: 5  deaths per 1,000 live births; as per the National Family Health Survey 2015–16, it has dropped to 6. According to a study commissioned by Lien Foundation, a Singapore-based philanthropic organisation, Kerala is considered to be the best place to die in India based on the state's provision of palliative care for patients with serious illnesses. However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding figures for all India were 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively as of 2005.: 5  Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is higher than that of many first world nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of people who rely on 3 million water wells is an issue worsened by the lack of sewers.: 5–7  As of 2017, the state has the highest number of diabetes patients and also the highest prevalence rate of the disease in India.The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization designated Kerala the world's first 'baby-friendly state' because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas. Over 95% of Keralite births are hospital delivered and the state also has the lowest infant mortality rate in the country. The third National Family Health Survey ranks Kerala first in 'Institutional Delivery' with 100% births in medical facilities. Ayurveda,: 13  siddha, and endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practised. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation to the practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation. These propagate via gurukula discipleship,: 5–6  and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and alternative treatments.: 15  The Arya Vaidya Sala established by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier at Kottakkal (about 10 km from Malappuram) in 1902, is the largest Ayurvedic medicinal network and health centre in the state. It is also one of the largest Ayurvedic medicinal brands in the world.In 2014, Kerala became the first state in India to offer free cancer treatment to the poor, via a program called Sukrutham. People in Kerala experience elevated incidence of cancers, liver and kidney diseases. In April 2016, the Economic Times reported that 250,000 residents undergo treatment for cancer. It also reported that approximately 150 to 200 liver transplants are conducted in the region's hospitals annually. Approximately 42,000 cancer cases are reported in the region annually. This is believed to be an underestimate as private hospitals may not be reporting their figures. Long waiting lists for kidney donations has stimulated illegal trade in human kidneys, and prompted the establishment of the Kidney Federation of India which aims to support financially disadvantaged patients. As of 2017–18, there are 6,691 modern medicine institutions under the department of health services, of which the total bed strength is 37,843; 15,780 in rural areas and 22,063 in urban.Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, and one of the six Classical languages of India. There is a significant Tamil population throughout Kerala mainly in Idukki district district and Palakkad district which accounts for 17.48% and 4.8% of its total population. Tulu and Kannada are spoken mainly in the northern parts of Kasaragod district, each of which account for 8.77% and 4.23% of total population in the district, respectively.Kerala is very religiously diverse with Hindus, Muslims and Christians having a significant population throughout the state, Kerala is often regarded as one of the most diverse states in all of India. Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in Kerala, with significant Muslim and Christian minorities. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.7% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 26.6% are Muslims, 18.4% are Christians, and the remaining 0.3% follow another religion or have no religious affiliation. Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts except Malappuram, where they are outnumbered by Muslims. Kerala has the largest population of Christians in India. As of 2016, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others account for 41.9%, 42.6%, 15.4% and 0.2% of the total child births in the state, respectively.The mythological legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy of Advaita. He was instrumental in establishing four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another religious figure who composed Narayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of the Hindu God Krishna.Islam arrived in Kerala, a part of the larger Indian Ocean rim, via spice and silk traders from the Middle East. Historians do not rule out the possibility of Islam being introduced to Kerala as early as the seventh century CE. Notable has been the occurrence of Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin, the mythical Hindu king that moved to Arabia to meet the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as the Mappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Kerala. According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 CE at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod town. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, on the western side of Kerala, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is believed to be located on the island of Andrott. A few Umayyad (661–750 CE) coins were discovered from Kothamangalam in the eastern part of Ernakulam district.According to some scholars, the Mappilas are the oldest settled Muslim community in South Asia. The monopoly of overseas spice trade from Malabar Coast was safe with the West Asian shipping magnates of Kerala ports. The Muslims were a major financial power to be reckoned within the kingdoms of Kerala and had great political influence in the Hindu royal courts. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala. A 13th century granite inscription, written in a mixture of Old Malayalam and Arabic, at Muchundi Mosque in Kozhikode mentions a donation by the king to the mosque. Travellers have recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala. Immigration, intermarriage and missionary activity/conversion—secured by the common interest in the spice trade—helped in this development. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow the Shāfiʿī school of religious law (Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema) while a large minority follow movements that developed within Sunni Islam. The latter section consists of majority Salafists (Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen). There is a large Keralan diaspora in the Middle East.Ancient Christian tradition says that Christianity reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Syrian Anglicans of the CSI and Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians. The origin of the Latin Catholic Christians in Kerala is the result of the missionary endeavours of the Portuguese Padroado in the 16th century. As a consequence of centuries of mixing with colonial immigrants, beginning with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, British and other Europeans, there is a community of Anglo-Indians in Kerala of mixed European and Indian parentage or ancestry. Kerala has the highest population of Christians among all the states of India.Judaism reached Kerala in the 10th century BCE during the time of King Solomon. They are called Cochin Jews or Malabar Jews and are the oldest group of Jews in India. There was a significant Jewish community which existed in Kerala until the 20th century, when most of them migrated to Israel. The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district.Buddhism was popular in the time of Ashoka but vanished by the 12th century CE. Certain Hindu communities such as the Samantan Kshatriyas, Ambalavasis, Nairs, Thiyyas and some Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris, most of the Ambalavasi castes and the Ezhavas followed makkathayam, a patrilineal system. Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status. However, gender inequality among low caste men and women is reportedly higher compared to that in other castes.: 1 The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts, including series expansion for trigonometric functions. The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was based at Vettathunadu (Tirur region). In the early decades of the 19th century, the modern educational transformation of Kerala was triggered by the efforts of the Church Mission Society missionaries to promote mass education. Following the recommendations of the Wood's despatch of 1854, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin launched mass education drives mainly based on castes and communities, and introduced a system of grant-in-aid to attract more private initiatives. The efforts by leaders such as Vaikunda Swami, Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Kuriakose Elias Chavara in aiding the socially discriminated castes in the state—with the help of community-based organisations like Nair Service Society, SNDP, Muslim Educational Society, Muslim Mahajana Sabha, Yoga Kshema Sabha (of Nambudiris) and congregations of Christian churches—led to the further development of mass education in Kerala.According to the first economic census, conducted in 1977, 99.7% of the villages in Kerala had a primary school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), 98.6% had a middle school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and 96.7% had a high school or higher secondary school within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).: 62  In 1991, Kerala became the first state in India to be recognised as completely literate, although the effective literacy rate at that time was only 90%. In 2006–2007, the state topped the Education Development Index (EDI) of the 21 major states in India. As of 2007, enrolment in elementary education was almost 100%; and, unlike other states in India, educational opportunity was almost equally distributed among sexes, social groups, and regions. According to the 2011 census, Kerala has a 93.9% literacy, compared to the national literacy rate of 74.0%. In January 2016, Kerala became the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education through its Athulyam literacy programme.The educational system prevailing in the state's schools specifies an initial 10-year course of study, which is divided into three stages: lower primary, upper primary, and secondary school—known as 4+3+3, which signifies the number of years for each stage. After the first 10 years of schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams—liberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate (UG) degree-college programmes. The majority of public schools are affiliated with the Kerala Board of Public Examination (KBPE). There are 15,892 schools under KBPE, of which 5,986 are government schools, 8,183 are aided schools, and the rest are either un-aided or technical schools. Other educational boards are the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). English is the language of instruction in most self-financing schools, while government and government-aided schools offer instruction in English or Malayalam. Though the cost of education is generally considered low in Kerala, according to the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (2004–2005), per capita spending on education by the rural households was reported to be ₹41 (51¢ US) for Kerala, more than twice the national average. The survey also revealed that the rural-urban difference in household expenditure on education was much less in Kerala than in the rest of India.CMS College, Kottayam, established in 1817, is the first western-style college, and one of the oldest colleges, in India. Government Brennen College, Thalassery, founded by philanthropist Edward Brennen in 1862, and Government Victoria College, Palakkad, founded in 1866, are among the oldest educational institutions in India.The KITE Kerala is a state owned special purpose company under education department of the Government of Kerala. It was developed to support ICT enabled education for schools in the state. The erstwhile IT@School Project was transformed into KITE for extending its scope of operations in August 2017. Kerala is the first Indian state to have ICT-enabled education with hi-tech classrooms in all public schools. Kerala topped in the School Education Quality Index published by NITI Aayog in 2019.The Indian Naval Academy, located at Ezhimala, is Asia's largest, and the world's third-largest, naval academy.The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it is an integral part of Indian culture. It is a synthesis of Aryan, Dravidian, Arab, and European cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. It was elaborated through centuries of contact with neighbouring and overseas cultures. However, the geographical insularity of Kerala from the rest of the country has resulted in the development of a distinctive lifestyle, art, architecture, language, literature and social institutions. Over 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state every year. The Malayalam calendar, a solar sidereal calendar started from 825 CE in Kerala, finds common usage in planning agricultural and religious activities. Malayalam, one of the classical languages in India, is Kerala's official language. Over a dozen other scheduled and unscheduled languages are also spoken. Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is brought down on the final day of the festival after immersing the deity. Some festivals include Poorams, the best known of these being the Thrissur Pooram. 'Elephants, firework displays and huge crowds' are the major attractions of Thrissur Pooram. Other known festivals are Makaravilakku, Chinakkathoor Pooram, Attukal Pongala and Nenmara Vallangi Vela Other than these, festivals locally known as utsavams are conducted by many temples mostly on annual basis. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to it. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by the Muslim community of the state while the festivals like Christmas and Easter are observed by the Christians.=Onam is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. It is a local festival of Kerala consisting of a four-day public holidays; from Onam Eve (Uthradam) to the fourth Onam Day. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the homecoming of King Mahabali. The total duration of Onam is 10 days and it is celebrated all across Kerala. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal and Krishnanattam, which originated and developed in the temple theatres during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala natanam, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Some traditional dance forms such as Oppana and Duffmuttu were popular among the Muslims of the state, while Margamkali and Parichamuttukali are popular among the Syrian Christians and Chavittu nadakom is popular among the Latin Christians.The development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. The development of the indigenous classical music form, Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the rich contribution that temple culture has made to the arts of Kerala. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century. Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam; including the paandi and panchari variants, is a more percussive style of music: it is performed at Kshetram-centered festivals using the chenda. Panchavadyam is a form of percussion ensemble, in which artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter. Most of the castes and communities in Kerala have rich collections of folk songs and ballads associated with a variety of themes; Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads), Thekkan pattukal (Southern Ballads), Vanchi pattukal (Boat Songs), Mappila Pattukal (Muslim songs) and Pallipattukal (Church songs) are a few of them.Malayalam films carved a niche for themselves in the Indian film industry with the presentation of social themes. Directors from Kerala, like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mankada Ravi Varma, G. Aravindan, Bharathan, P. Padmarajan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, K.G. George, Priyadarshan, John Abraham, Ramu Karyat, K S Sethumadhavan, A. Vincent and Shaji N Karun have made a considerable contribution to the Indian parallel cinema. Kerala has also given birth to numerous actors, such as Mohanlal, Mammootty, Satyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, Sheela, Sharada, Miss Kumari, Jayan, Adoor Bhasi, Seema, Bharath Gopi, Thilakan, Vijaya Raghavan, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrans, Shobana, Nivin Pauly, Sreenivasan, Urvashi, Manju Warrier, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Murali, Shankaradi, Kavya Madhavan, Bhavana Menon, Prithviraj, Parvathy (actress), Jayasurya, Dulquer Salmaan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Innocent and Fahad Fazil. Late Malayalam actor Prem Nazir holds the world record for having acted as the protagonist of over 720 movies. Since the 1980s, actors Mohanlal and Mammootty have dominated the movie industry; Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards (four for acting), while Mammootty has three National Film Awards for acting. Malayalam Cinema has produced a few more notable personalities such as K.J. Yesudas, K.S. Chitra, M.G. Sreekumar, Vayalar Rama Varma, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and O.N.V. Kurup, the last two mentioned being recipients of Jnanpith award, the highest literary award in India. Resul Pookutty, who is from Kerala, is only the second Indian to win an academy award for sound design, for the breakthrough film Slumdog Millionaire. As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 11 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director in the National Film Awards, India.The Sangam literature can be considered as the ancient predecessor of Malayalam. Malayalam literature starts from the Old Malayalam period (9th–13th century CE) and includes such notable writers as the 14th-century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, whose works mark the dawn of both the modern Malayalam language and its poetry. For the first 600 years of Malayalam calendar, the literature mainly consisted of the oral Ballads such as Vadakkan Pattukal in North Malabar and Thekkan Pattukal in Southern Travancore. Designated a 'Classical Language in India' in 2013, it developed into the current form mainly by the influence of the poets Cherusseri Namboothiri, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, and Poonthanam Nambudiri, in the 15th and the 16th centuries of Common Era. Unnayi Variyar, a probable poet of the 17th/18th century CE, and Kunchan Nambiar, a poet of the 18th century CE, have also influenced a lot in the growth of modern Malayalam literature in its pre-mature form. The Bharathappuzha river, also known as River Ponnani, and its tributaries, have played a major role in the development of modern Malayalam Literature.Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran are noted for their contribution to Malayalam prose. The 'triumvirate of poets' (Kavithrayam): Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode. The poets like Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Pulikkottil Hyder have made notable contributions to the Mappila songs, which is a genre of the Arabi Malayalam literature. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The prose literature, Malayalam journalism, and criticism began after the latter-half of the 18th century. Contemporary Malayalam literature deals with social, political, and economic life context. The tendency of the modern literature is often towards political radicalism. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language. In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith winning poets and writers like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. N. V. Kurup, and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, had made valuable contributions to the modern Malayalam literature. Later, writers like O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, Arundhati Roy, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, have gained international recognition.Kerala cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry, and meat. Culinary spices have been cultivated in Kerala for millennia and they are characteristic of its cuisine. Rice is a dominant staple that is eaten at all times of day. A majority of the breakfast foods in Kerala are made out of rice, in one form or the other (idli, dosa, puttu, pathiri, appam, or idiyappam), tapioca preparations, or pulse-based vada. These may be accompanied by chutney, kadala, payasam, payar pappadam, appam, chicken curry, beef fry, egg masala and fish curry. Porotta and Biryani are also often found in restaurants in Kerala. Thalassery biryani is popular as an ethnic brand. Lunch dishes include rice and curry along with rasam, pulisherry and sambar. Sadhya is a vegetarian meal, which is served on a banana leaf and followed with a cup of payasam. Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps, tapioca chips, Achappam, Unni appam and kuzhalappam. Seafood specialties include karimeen, prawns, shrimp and other crustacean dishes.Thalassery Cuisine is varied and is a blend of many influences.Elephants have been an integral part of the culture of the state. Almost all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephants in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals. These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. More than 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state annually and some animal lovers have sometimes raised concerns regarding the overwork of domesticated elephants during them. In Malayalam literature, elephants are referred to as the 'sons of the sahya'. The elephant is the state animal of Kerala and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.The media, telecommunications, broadcasting and cable services are regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The National Family Health Survey – 4, conducted in 2015–16, ranked Kerala as the state with the highest media exposure in India. Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala, in nine major languages, but principally Malayalam and English. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India. The most widely circulated Malayalam-language newspapers are Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deshabhimani, Madhyamam, Kerala Kaumudi, Mangalam, Chandrika, Deepika, Janayugam, Janmabhumi, Siraj Daily and Suprabhaatham. Major Malayalam periodicals include Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu, Vanitha, India Today Malayalam, Madhyamam Weekly, Grihalakshmi, Dhanam, Chithrabhumi and Bhashaposhini. The Hindu is the most read English language newspaper in the state, followed by The New Indian Express. Other dailies include Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India, DNA, The Economic Times and The Financial Express.DD Malayalam is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, other Indian language and international channels. Some of the popular Malayalam television channels are Asianet, Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Surya TV, Surya Movies, Mazhavil Manorama, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Kairali News, Flowers, Media One TV, Mathrubhumi News, Kappa TV, Amrita TV, Reporter TV, Jaihind, Janam TV, Jeevan TV, Kaumudy TV and Shalom TV. With the second-highest internet penetration rate in India, Digital medias including Social medias and OTT services are a main source of information and entertainment in the state. Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008. A sizeable People's science movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writer's cooperatives are becoming increasingly common. BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, Jio are the major cell phone service providers. Broadband Internet services are widely available throughout the state; some of the major ISPs are BSNL, Asianet Satellite Communications, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, MTS, RailWire and VSNL. According to a TRAI report, as of June 2018 the total number of wireless phone subscribers in Kerala is about 43.1 million and the wireline subscriber base is at 1.9 million, accounting for the telephone density of 124.15. Unlike in many other states, the urban-rural divide is not visible in Kerala with respect to mobile phone penetration.By the 21st century, almost all of the native sports and games from Kerala have either disappeared or become just an art form performed during local festivals; including Poorakkali, Padayani, Thalappandukali, Onathallu, Parichamuttukali, Velakali, and Kilithattukali. However, Kalaripayattu, regarded as 'the mother of all martial arts in the world', is an exception and is practised as the indigenous martial sport. Another traditional sport of Kerala is the boat race, especially the race of Snake boats.Cricket and football became popular in the state; both were introduced in Malabar during the British colonial period in the 19th century. Cricketers, like Tinu Yohannan, Abey Kuruvilla, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Sreesanth, Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi found places in the national cricket team. A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season. However, this team was disbanded after the season because of conflicts of interest among its franchises. Kerala has only performed well recently in the Ranji Trophy cricket competition, in 2017–18 reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Football is one of the most widely played and watched sports with huge in this state support for club and district level matches. Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in the country as well as the fifth most followed football club from Asia in the social media. Also, Kozhikode hosts Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-League as well as the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament. Kerala is one of the major footballing states in India along with West Bengal and Goa and has produced national players like I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, U. Sharaf Ali, Jo Paul Ancheri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Muhammad Rafi, Jiju Jacob, Mashoor Shereef, Pappachen Pradeep, C.K. Vineeth, Anas Edathodika, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Rino Anto. The Kerala state football team has won the Santhosh Trophy seven times; in 1973, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2018, and 2022. They were also the runners-up eight times.Among the prominent athletes hailing from the state are P. T. Usha, Shiny Wilson and M.D. Valsamma, all three of whom are recipients of the Padma Shri as well as Arjuna Award, while K. M. Beenamol and Anju Bobby George are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winners. T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Sinimol Paulose, Angel Mary Joseph, Mercy Kuttan, K. Saramma, K. C. Rosakutty, Padmini Selvan and Tintu Luka are the other Arjuna Award winners from Kerala. Volleyball is another popular sport and is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George was a notable Indian volleyball player, rated in his prime as among the world's ten best players. Other popular sports include badminton, basketball and kabaddi. The Indian Hockey team captain P. R. Shreejesh, ace goalkeeper hails from Kerala. International Walkers from the state include K. T. Irfan.For the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), was chosen as one of the six venues where the game would be hosted in India. Greenfield International Stadium at located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city, is India's first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium and it has hosted international cricket matches and international football matches including 2015 SAFF Championship.Kerala's culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, have made the state one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named Kerala as one of the 'ten paradises of the world' and '50 must see destinations of a lifetime'. Travel and Leisure also described Kerala as 'One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century'. In 2012, it overtook the Taj Mahal to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India. CNN Travel listed Kerala amongst its '19 best places to visit in 2019'. Kerala was named by TIME magazine in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places.Kerala's beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountain ranges, waterfalls, ancient ports, palaces, religious institutions and wildlife sanctuaries are major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination compared to other states in the country. In 1986 the government of Kerala declared tourism an important industry and it was the first state in India to do so. Marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees the tourism prospects of the state, resulted in the growth of the tourism industry. Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country. Kerala tourism is a global brand and regarded as one of the destinations with highest recall. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourists, an increase of 23.7% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing popular destinations in the world. In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the 10-million mark.Ayurvedic tourism has become very popular since the 1990s, and private agencies have played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of the Tourism Department. Kerala is known for its ecotourism initiatives which include mountaineering, trekking and bird-watching programmes in the Western Ghats as the major activities. The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy, growing at the rate of 13.3%. The revenue from tourism increased five-fold between 2001 and 2011 and crossed the ₹ 190 billion mark in 2011. According to the Economic Times Kerala netted a record revenue of INR 36,528.01 crore from the tourism sector in 2018, clocking an increase of Rs 2,874.33 crore from the previous year. Over 16.7 million tourists visited Kerala in 2018 as against 15.76 million the previous year, recording an increase of 5.9%. The industry provides employment to approximately 1.2 million people.The state's only drive-in beach, Muzhappilangad in Kannur, which stretches across five kilometres of sand, was chosen by the BBC as one of the top six drive-in beaches in the world in 2016. Idukki Dam, the world's second arch dam, and Asia's first is at Idukki. The major beaches are at Kovalam, Varkala, Kozhikode, Fort Kochi, Cherai, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Kadalundi, Tanur, Chaliyam, Payyambalam, Kappad, Muzhappilangad and Bekal. Popular hill stations are at Ponmudi, Wayanad, Vagamon, Munnar, Peermade, Ramakkalmedu, Arimbra, Paithalmala of Kannur district, Kodikuthimala, and Nelliampathi. Munnar is 4,500 feet above sea level and is known for tea plantations, and a variety of flora and fauna. Kerala's ecotourism destinations include 12 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks: Periyar Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, and Silent Valley National Park are the most popular among them. The Kerala backwaters are an extensive network of interlocking rivers (41 west-flowing rivers), lakes, and canals that centre around Alleppey, Kumarakom, Ponnani, Nileshwaram, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), Pathiramanal a small island in Muhamma. Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace are two nearby heritage sites. Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram holds the record as the wealthiest place of worship in the world, with assets of at least ₹1.2 trillion (equivalent to ₹2.5 trillion or US$31 billion in 2023).Outline of KeralaSouth IndiaDravidian peopleBose, Satheese Chandra and Varughese, Shiju Sam (eds.) 2015. Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces and Practices in Transition. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan.Chathukulam, Jos; Tharamangalam, Joseph (2021). 'The Kerala model in the time of COVID19: Rethinking state, society and democracy'. World Development. 137: 105207. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105207. PMC 7510531. PMID 32989341.Devika, J. (2016). 'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'. Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 23 (3): 393–414. doi:10.1177/0971521516656077. S2CID 151752480.Jeffrey, Robin (2004). 'Legacies of Matriliny: The Place of Women and the 'Kerala Model'' (PDF). Pacific Affairs. 77 (4): 647–664. JSTOR 40023536.Jeffrey, Robin (2009). 'Testing Concepts about Print, Newspapers, and Politics: Kerala, India, 1800–2009' (PDF). The Journal of Asian Studies. 68 (2): 465. doi:10.1017/S0021911809000679. S2CID 146795894.Jeffrey, Robin (27 July 2016). Politics, Women and Well-Being: How Kerala became 'a Model'. Springer. ISBN 9781349122523.Ramanathaiyer, Sundar; MacPherson, Stewart (2018). Social Development in Kerala: Illusion or Reality? (2nd ed.). Routledge.GovernmentThe Official website of the Government of KeralaThe Official website of Kerala TourismGeneral informationKerala at Curlie Geographic data related to Kerala at OpenStreetMap","Kerala | leaderName | Kochi","The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala).There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur.The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration.It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala.Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year.A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season.Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League.The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country.'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'.","Kochi is the leader of Kerala."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | country | United_States","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene.The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD).Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene Texas is in the United States."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | club | Boston_Bruins","In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins.On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian.","Adam McQuaid plays for Boston Bruins."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport_Pagnell","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 was assembled at Newport Pagnell."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Fall_Creek_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.","Anderson. Indiana is part of Fall Creek Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | draftTeam | Columbus_Blue_Jackets","He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019.","Adam McQuaid's draft team was the Columbus Blue Jackets."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | country | United_States","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD).Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.","Abilene. Texas is located in the United States."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | Newport_Pagnell","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is assembled at Newport Pagnell."
-"Kerala (English:  KERR-ə-lə; Malayalam: [ke:ɾɐɭɐm] (listen)) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Travancore. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The region's prominence in trade was noted in the works of Pliny as well as the Periplus around 100 CE. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for European colonisation of India. At the time of Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, there were two major princely states in Kerala: Travancore and Cochin. They united to form the state of Thiru-Kochi in 1949. The Malabar region, in the northern part of Kerala, had been a part of the Madras province of British India, which later became a part of the Madras State post-independence. After the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the modern-day state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district of Madras State (excluding Gudalur taluk of Nilgiris district, Lakshadweep Islands, Topslip, the Attappadi Forest east of Anakatti), the taluk of Kasaragod (now Kasaragod District) in South Canara, and the erstwhile state of Thiru-Kochi (excluding four southern taluks of Kanyakumari district, and Shenkottai taluks).Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; the highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.784 in 2018 (0.712 in 2015); the highest literacy rate, 96.2% in the 2018 literacy survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, India; the highest life expectancy, 77.3 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000 men. Kerala is the least impoverished state in India according to NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals dashboard and Reserve Bank of India's 'Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy'. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. The state topped in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals according to the annual report of NITI Aayog published in 2019. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly Malayalam and sometimes English. Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity.The economy of Kerala is the 8th-largest in India with ₹8.55 trillion (US$110 billion) in gross state domestic product (GSDP) and a per capita net state domestic product of ₹222,000 (US$2,800). The tertiary sector contributes around 65% to state's GSVA, while the primary sector contributes only 8%. The state has witnessed significant emigration, especially to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important. The state is situated between Arabian Sea to the west and Western Ghats mountain ranges to the east. The state's coastline extends for 595 kilometres (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry, which contributes 3% to the state's income. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with coconut-lined sandy beaches, backwaters, hill stations, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.The word Kerala is first recorded as Keralaputo ('son of Chera [s]') in a 3rd-century-BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka (274–237 BCE), one of his edicts pertaining to welfare. At that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil: Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for 'lake'. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam 'declivity of a hill or a mountain slope' or chera alam 'land of the Cheras'.One folk etymology derives Kerala from the Malayalam word kera 'coconut tree' and alam 'land'; thus, 'land of coconuts', which is a nickname for the state used by locals due to the abundance of coconut trees.The earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala as Cherapadha is the late Vedic text Aitareya Aranyaka. Kerala is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics. The Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. The Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Kerala as Celobotra.Kerala was alternatively called Malabar in the foreign trade circles. Earlier, the term Malabar had also been used to denote Tulu Nadu and Kanyakumari which lie contiguous to Kerala on the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala. The people of Malabar were known as Malabars. Until the arrival of the East India Company, the term Malabar was used as a general name for Kerala, along with the term Kerala. From the time of Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE) itself, the Arab sailors used to call Kerala as Male. The first element of the name, however, is attested already in the Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes. This mentions a pepper emporium called Male, which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male'). The name Male is thought to come from the Malayalam word Mala ('hill'). Al-Biruni (973–1048 CE) is the first known writer to call this country Malabar. Authors such as Ibn Khordadbeh and Al-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works. The Arab writers had called this place Malibar, Manibar, Mulibar, and Munibar. Malabar is reminiscent of the word Malanad which means the land of hills. According to William Logan, the word Malabar comes from a combination of the Malayalam word Mala (hill) and the Persian/Arabic word Barr (country/continent).According to the Sangam classic Purananuru, the Chera king Senkuttuvan conquered the lands between Kanyakumari and the Himalayas. Lacking worthy enemies, he besieged the sea by throwing his spear into it. According to the 17th-century Hindu mythology work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the axe-wielding warrior sage Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu (hence, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshetram 'The Land of Parasurama' in Hindu mythology). Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to the legendary account, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation; so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, that Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parasurama legendary account, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.Another much earlier Puranic character associated with Kerala is Mahabali, an Asura and a prototypical just king, who ruled the earth from Kerala. He won the war against the Devas, driving them into exile. The Devas pleaded before Lord Vishnu, who took his fifth incarnation as Vamana and pushed Mahabali down to netherworld to placate the Devas. There is a belief that, once a year during the Onam festival, Mahabali returns to Kerala. The Matsya Purana, among the oldest of the 18 Puranas, uses the Malaya Mountains of Kerala (and Tamil Nadu) as the setting for the story of Matsya, the first incarnation of Vishnu, and Manu, the first man and the king of the region.=Ophir, a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth, is often identified with some coastal areas of Kerala. According to the account, the King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. A Dictionary of the Bible by Sir William Smith, published in 1863, notes the Hebrew word for parrot Thukki, derived from the Classical Tamil for peacock Thogkai and Cingalese Tokei, joins other Classical Tamil words for ivory, cotton-cloth and apes preserved in the Hebrew Bible. This theory of Ophir's location in Tamilakam is further supported by other historians. The most likely location on the coast of Kerala conjectured to be Ophir is Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram District (though some Indian scholars also suggest Beypore as possible location). The Books of Kings and Chronicles tell of a joint expedition to Ophir by King Solomon and the Tyrian king Hiram I from Ezion-Geber, a port on the Red Sea, that brought back large amounts of gold, precious stones and 'algum wood' and of a later failed expedition by king Jehoshaphat of Judah. The famous 'gold of Ophir' is referenced in several other books of the Hebrew Bible.=The legend of Cheraman Perumals is the medieval tradition associated with the Cheraman Perumals (literally the Chera kings) of Kerala. The validity of the legend as a source of history once generated much debate among South Indian historians. The legend was used by Kerala chiefdoms for the legitimation of their rule (most of the major chiefly houses in medieval Kerala traced its origin back to the legendary allocation by the Perumal). According to the legend, Rayar, the overlord of the Cheraman Perumal in a country east of the Ghats, invaded Kerala during the rule of the last Perumal. To drive back the invading forces the Perumal summoned the militia of his chieftains (like Udaya Varman Kolathiri, Manichchan, and Vikkiran of Eranad). The Cheraman Perumal was assured by the Eradis (chief of Eranad) that they would take a fort established by the Rayar. The battle lasted for three days and the Rayar eventually evacuated his fort (and it was seized by the Perumal's troops). Then the last Cheraman Perumal divided Kerala or Chera kingdom among his chieftains and disappeared mysteriously. The Kerala people never more heard any tidings of him. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu, who later came to be known as the Zamorins of Kozhikode, who were left out in cold during allocation of the land, was granted the Cheraman Perumal's sword (with the permission to 'die, and kill, and seize').According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque and some other narratives, 'Once a Cheraman Perumal probably named Ravi Varma was walking with his queen in the palace, when he witnessed the splitting of the moon. Shocked by this, he asked his astronomers to note down the exact time of the splitting. Then, when some Arab merchants visited his palace, he asked them about this incident. Their answers led the King to Mecca, where he met Islamic prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. It is assumed that the first recorded version of this legend is an Arabic manuscript of anonymous authorship known as Qissat Shakarwati Farmad. The 16th century Arabic work Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen authored by Zainuddin Makhdoom II of Ponnani, as well as the medieval Malayalam work Keralolpathi, also mention about the departure of last Cheraman Perumal of Kerala into Mecca.However, S. N. Sadasivan contends in A Social History of India that Kalimanja, the king of the Maldives, was the one who converted to Islam. The story of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer may have originated because Mali, as it was known to sailors at the time, was mistaken for Malabar (Kerala).A substantial portion of Kerala including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery, thus supporting the hypothesis. Pre-historical archaeological findings include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area of the Idukki district, which lie on the eastern highland made by Western Ghats. They are locally known as 'muniyara', derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen). Rock engravings in the Edakkal Caves, in Wayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE. Archaeological studies have identified Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic sites in Kerala. The studies point to the development of ancient Kerala society and its culture beginning from the Paleolithic Age, through the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic Ages. Foreign cultural contacts have assisted this cultural formation; historians suggest a possible relationship with Indus Valley civilization during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age.Kerala has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the 'Garden of Spices' or as the 'Spice Garden of India'.: 79  Kerala's spices attracted ancient Arabs, Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Phoenicians established trade with Kerala during this period. Arabs and Phoenicians were the first to enter Malabar Coast to trade Spices. The Arabs on the coasts of Yemen, Oman, and the Persian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Kerala and other eastern countries. They must have brought the Cinnamon of Kerala to the Middle East. The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.The Land of Keralaputra was one of the four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being Chola, Pandya, and Satiyaputra. Scholars hold that Keralaputra is an alternate name of the Cheras, the first dominant dynasty who ruled Kerala, and had its capital at Karur. These territories once shared a common language and culture, within an area known as Tamilakam. The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. Along with the Ay kingdom in the south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north, the Cheras formed the ruling kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era (CE). It is noted in Sangam literature that the Chera king Uthiyan Cheralathan ruled most of modern Kerala from his capital in Kuttanad, and controlled the port of Muziris, but its southern tip was in the kingdom of Pandyas, which had a trading port sometimes identified in ancient Western sources as Nelcynda (or Neacyndi) in Quilon. Tyndis was a major center of trade, next only to Muziris, between the Cheras and the Roman Empire. The lesser known Ays and Mushikas kingdoms lay to the south and north of the Chera regions, respectively. Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos (Chera dynasty). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis, was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period. The port at Tyndis which was on the northern side of Muziris, as mentioned in Greco-Roman writings, was somewhere around Kozhikode. Its exact location is a matter of dispute. The suggested locations are Ponnani, Tanur, Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, and Koyilandy.According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike's starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000 sesterces. According to Pliny the Elder, goods from India were sold in the Empire at 100 times their original purchase price. Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone to raids by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of Malabar peppers. In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China, West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. In foreign-trade circles the region was known as Male or Malabar. Muziris, Tyndis, Naura, Nelcynda, and Barace, were among the principal ports at that time. Contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for Malabar pepper. One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala was Eudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy VIII, king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple of Augustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana, the only surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.Merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. The Israeli (Jewish) connection with Kerala started in 573 BCE. Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, starting before the 4th century BCE, as Herodotus (484–413 BCE) noted that goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Israelis [Hebrew Jews] at Eden. In the 4th century, the Knanaya or Southist Christians also migrated from Persia and lived alongside the early Syriac Christian community known as the St. Thomas Christians who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Mappila was an honorific title that had been assigned to respected visitors from abroad; Israelite (Jewish), Syrian Christian, and Muslim immigration account for later names of the respective communities: Juda Mappilas, Muslim Mappilas, and Nasrani Mappilas. The earliest Saint Thomas Christian Churches, Cheraman Jumu'ah Masjid (traditionally dated to '629 CE' by the Mappilas)—regarded as 'the first mosque of India'—and Paradesi Synagogue (1568 CE)—the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations—were built in Kerala.A second Chera Kingdom (c. 800–1102), also known as Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram (present-day Kodungallur), was established by Kulasekhara Varman, which ruled over a territory comprising the whole of modern Kerala and a smaller part of modern Tamil Nadu. During the early part of the Kulasekara period, the southern region from Nagercoil to Thiruvalla was ruled by Ay kings, who lost their power in the 10th century, making the region a part of the Kulasekara empire. Under Kulasekhara rule, Kerala witnessed a developing period of art, literature, trade and the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period around the seventh century. The origin of Malayalam calendar dates back to year 825 CE. For local administration, the empire was divided into provinces under the rule of Naduvazhis, with each province comprising a number of Desams under the control of chieftains, called as Desavazhis. Mamankam festival, which was the largest native festival, was held at Tirunavaya near Kuttippuram, on the bank of river Bharathappuzha. Athavanad, the headquarters of Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were also considered as the supreme religious chief of the Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, is also located near Tirunavaya.Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Al-Masudi of Baghdad (896–956 CE), Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165 CE), Abulfeda (1273–1331 CE), and Al-Dimashqi (1256–1327 CE) mention the Muslim communities in Kerala. Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Muslim community in South Asia. The known earliest mention about Muslims of Kerala is in the Quilon Syrian copper plates.The inhibitions, caused by a series of Chera-Chola wars in the 11th century, resulted in the decline of foreign trade in Kerala ports. In addition, Portuguese invasions in the 15th century caused two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism, to disappear from the land. It is known that the Menons in the Malabar region of Kerala were originally strong believers of Jainism. The social system became fractured with divisions on caste lines. Finally, the Kulasekhara dynasty was subjugated in 1102 by the combined attack of Later Pandyas and Later Cholas. However, in the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulashekhara (1299–1314) of the southern Venad kingdom was able to establish a short-lived supremacy over southern India.After his death, in the absence of a strong central power, the state was divided into thirty small warring principalities; the most powerful of them were the kingdom of Zamorin of Kozhikode in the north, Kollam in the far-south, Kochi in the south, and Kannur in the far north. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in Kerala, while Kollam (Quilon), Kochi, and Kannur (Cannanore) were commercially confined to secondary roles. The Zamorin of Calicut was originally the ruler of Eranad, which was a minor principality located in the northern parts of present-day Malappuram district. The Zamorin allied with Arab and Chinese merchants and used most of the wealth from Kozhikode to develop his military power. Kozhikode became the most powerful kingdom in the Malayalam speaking region during the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Kozhikode conquered larger parts of central Kerala after the seize of Tirunavaya from Valluvanad, which were under the control of the king of Perumbadappu Swaroopam (Cochin). The ruler of Perumpadappu was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south from Kodungallur to Kochi. In the 15th century, the status of Cochin was reduced to a vassal state of Kozhikode. The ruler of Kolathunadu (Kannur) had also came under the influence of Zamorin by the end of the 15th century.At the peak of their reign, the Zamorins of Kozhikode ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) in the south to Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy) in the north. Ibn Battuta (1342–1347), who visited the city of Kozhikode six times, gives the earliest glimpses of life in the city. He describes Kozhikode as 'one of the great ports of the district of Malabar' where 'merchants of all parts of the world are found'. The king of this place, he says, 'shaves his chin just as the Haidari Fakeers of Rome do... The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit-out others like them'. Ma Huan (1403 AD), the Chinese sailor part of the Imperial Chinese fleet under Cheng Ho (Zheng He) states the city as a great emporium of trade frequented by merchants from around the world. He makes note of the 20 or 30 mosques built to cater to the religious needs of the Muslims, the unique system of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day), and the matrilineal system of succession (Marumakkathayam). Abdur Razzak (1442–43), Niccolò de' Conti (1445), Afanasy Nikitin (1468–74), Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508), and Duarte Barbosa witnessed the city as one of the major trading centres in the Indian subcontinent where traders from different parts of the world could be seen.The king Deva Raya II (1424–1446) of the Vijayanagara Empire conquered the entirety of present-day state of Kerala in the 15th century. He defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode, as well as the ruler of Kollam around 1443. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin had to pay tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later Kozhikode and Venad seem to have rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled the rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished over the next fifty years, the Zamorin of Kozhikode again rose to prominence in Kerala. He built a fort at Ponnani in 1498.The maritime spice trade monopoly in the Arabian Sea stayed with the Arabs during the High and Late Middle Ages. However, the dominance of Middle East traders was challenged in the European Age of Discovery. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in Kappad Kozhikode in 1498, the Portuguese began to dominate eastern shipping, and the spice-trade in particular. Following the discovery of sea route from Europe to Malabar in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas between Ormus and the Malabar Coast and south to Ceylon. They established a trading center at Tangasseri in Quilon during 1502 as per the invitation of the then Queen of Quilon to start spices trade from there. The Zamorin of Kozhikode permitted the new visitors to trade with his subjects such that Portuguese trade in Kozhikode prospered with the establishment of a factory and a fort. However, Portuguese attacks on Arab properties in his jurisdiction provoked the Zamorin and led to conflicts between them.The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur, who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode. As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin. Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom. However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504). However, the allegiance of the Mappila merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut.The Portuguese took advantage of the rivalry between the Zamorin and the King of Kochi allied with Kochi. When Francisco de Almeida was appointed as Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505, his headquarters was established at Fort Kochi (Fort Emmanuel) rather than in Kozhikode. During his reign, the Portuguese managed to dominate relations with Kochi and established a few fortresses on the Malabar Coast. Fort St Angelo or St. Angelo Fort was built at Kannur in 1505 and Fort St Thomas was built at Kollam (Quilon) in 1518 by the Portuguese. However, the Portuguese suffered setbacks from attacks by Zamorin forces in South Malabar; especially from naval attacks under the leadership of Kozhikode admirals known as Kunjali Marakkars, which compelled them to seek a treaty. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast. Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) of Ponnani in 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written in Arabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonize Malabar coast. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the father of modern Malayalam literature, was born at Tirur (Vettathunadu) during Portuguese period.In 1571, the Portuguese were defeated by the Zamorin forces in the battle at Chaliyam Fort. An insurrection at the Port of Quilon between the Arabs and the Portuguese led to the end of the Portuguese era in Quilon. The Muslim line of Ali Rajas of Arakkal kingdom, near Kannur, who were the vassals of the Kolathiri, ruled over the Lakshadweep islands. The Bekal Fort near Kasaragod, which is also largest fort in the state, was built in 1650 by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi.In 1602, the Zamorin sent messages to Aceh promising the Dutch a fort at Kozhikode if they would come and trade there. Two factors, Hans de Wolff and Lafer, were sent on an Asian ship from Aceh, but the two were captured by the chief of Tanur, and handed over to the Portuguese. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Steven van der Hagen arrived at Kozhikode in November 1604. It marked the beginning of the Dutch presence in Kerala and they concluded a treaty with Kozhikode on 11 November 1604, which was also the first treaty that the Dutch East India Company made with an Indian ruler. By this time the kingdom and the port of Kozhikode was much reduced in importance. The treaty provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch East India Company was given facilities for trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani, including spacious storehouses.The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who during the conflicts between the Kozhikode and the Kochi, gained control of the trade. They lost to Dutch at Quilon after 1661 and later, the Portuguese left south-western coast. The arrival of British on Malabar Coast can be traced back to the year 1615, when a group under the leadership of Captain William Keeling arrived at Kozhikode, using three ships. It was in these ships that Sir Thomas Roe went to visit Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, as British envoy. In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century.The Dutch in turn were weakened by constant battles with Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family, and were defeated at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. An agreement, known as 'Treaty of Mavelikkara', was signed by the Dutch and Travancore in 1753, according to which the Dutch were compelled to detach from all political involvement in the region. In the 18th Century, Travancore King Sree Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma annexed all the kingdoms up to Cochin through military conquests, resulting in the rise of Travancore to pre-eminence in Kerala. The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent. Travancore became the dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.The island of Dharmadom near Kannur, along with Thalassery, was ceded to the East India Company in 1734, which were claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following the cession. In 1761, the British captured Mahé, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahé to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahé. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahé was handed over to the French in 1785.In 1757, to resist the invasion of the Zamorin of Kozhikode, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of the Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1766, Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode – an East India Company ally at the time – and absorbed Kozhikode into his state. The smaller princely states in northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar region) including Kolathunadu, Kottayam, Kadathanadu, Kozhikode, Tanur, Valluvanad, and Palakkad were unified under the rulers of Mysore and were made a part of the larger Kingdom of Mysore. His son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu ultimately ceded the Malabar District and South Kanara to the company in the 1790s as a result of the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam; both were annexed to the Bombay Presidency (which had also included other regions in the western coast of India) of British India in the years 1792 and 1799, respectively. Later in 1800, both of the Malabar District and South Canara were separated from Bombay presidency to merge them with the neighbouring Madras Presidency. The company forged tributary alliances with Kochi in 1791 and Travancore in 1795.By the end of the 18th century, the whole of Kerala fell under the control of the British, either administered directly or under suzerainty. Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under the leadership of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who had popular support in Thalassery-Wayanad region. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Malabar Special Police was formed by the colonial government in 1884 headquartered at Malappuram. British in Malabar also converted Thiyyar army, called as Thiyya pattalam into a special regiment centered at Thalassery called as The Thiyyar Regiment in 1904. There were major revolts in Kerala during the independence movement in the 20th century; most notable among them is the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and the social struggles in Travancore. In the Malabar Rebellion, Mappila Muslims of Malabar rebelled against the British Raj. The Battle of Pookkottur adorns an important role in the rebellion. Some social struggles against caste inequalities also erupted in the early decades of the 20th century, leading to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation by Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma that opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes.After India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Kochi, part of the Union of India were merged on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin. On 1 November 1956, the taluk of Kasargod in the South Kanara district of Madras, the Malabar district of Madras (excluding the islands of Lakshadweep), and Travancore-Cochin, without four southern taluks and Sengottai taluk (which joined Tamil Nadu), merged to form the state of Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act. A Communist-led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad resulted from the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957. It was one of the earliest elected Communist governments anywhere. His government implemented land and educational reforms which in turn, reduced income inequality in the state.The state is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between northern latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and eastern longitudes 74°52' and 77°22', Kerala experiences humid tropical rainforest climate with some cyclones. The state has a coast of 590 km (370 mi) and the width of the state varies between 11 and 121 kilometres (7 and 75 mi). Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.: 110  Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala's terrain. A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history; it also created a natural harbour for spice transport.The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow.: 110  41 of Kerala's west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad; hence also known Palghat, where the Palakkad Gap breaks. The Western Ghats rise on average to 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above sea level, while the highest peaks reach around 2,500 metres (8,200 feet). Anamudi in the Idukki district is the highest peak in south India, is at an elevation of 2,695 m (8,842 ft). The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognised as one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. The Athirappilly Falls, which is situated on the background of Western Ghat mountain ranges, is also known as The Niagara of India. It is located in the Chalakudy River and is the largest waterfall in the state. Wayanad is the sole Plateau in Kerala. The eastern regions in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram (Chaliyar valley at Nilambur), and Palakkad (Attappadi Valley), which together form parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, are known for natural Gold fields, along with the adjoining districts of Karnataka.Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region,: 33  and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in world where cultivation takes place below sea level. The country's longest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. Kerala's 44 rivers include the Periyar; 244 kilometres (152 mi), Bharathapuzha; 209 kilometres (130 mi), Pamba; 176 kilometres (109 mi), Chaliyar; 169 kilometres (105 mi), Kadalundipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Chalakudipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Valapattanam; 129 kilometres (80 mi) and the Achankovil River; 128 kilometres (80 mi). The average length of the rivers is 64 kilometres (40 mi). Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain. As Kerala's rivers are small and lacking in delta, they are more prone to environmental effects. The rivers face problems such as sand mining and pollution. The state experiences several natural hazards like landslides, floods and droughts. The state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and in 2018 received the worst flooding in nearly a century.With around 120–140 rainy days per year,: 80  Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon, and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula, because of its topography, divides into two branches; the 'Arabian Sea Branch' and the 'Bay of Bengal Branch'. The 'Arabian Sea Branch' of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats, making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon. The distribution of pressure patterns is reversed in the Northeast monsoon, during this season the cold winds from North India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate it on the east coast of peninsular India. In Kerala, the influence of the Northeast monsoon is seen in southern districts only. Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in) annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in); the mountains of the eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation: the highest in the state. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. During the summer, the state is prone to gale-force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level.: 26, 46, 52  The mean daily temperature ranges from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0 to 27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.: 65 =Minerals including Ilmenite, Monazite, Thorium, and Titanium, are found in the coastal belt of Kerala. Kerala's coastal belt of Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand. In some coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr.Most of the biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Western Ghats. Three quarters of the land area of Kerala was under thick forest up to the 18th century. As of 2004, over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the 4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala, 900 are medicinal, and 159 are threatened.: 11  Its 9,400 km2 of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km2), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km2 and 100 km2, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km2). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.: 12  Four of the world's Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta, Ashtamudi Lake, Thrissur-Ponnani Kole Wetlands, and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and 1828 km2 of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century,: 6–7  much of the remaining forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Eastern Kerala's windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. The world's oldest teak plantation 'Conolly's Plot' is in Nilambur.Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it includes 118 species of mammals (1 endemic), 500 species of birds, 189 species of freshwater fish, 173 species of reptiles (10 of them endemic), and 151 species of amphibians (36 endemic). These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinisation, and resource extraction. In the forests, sonokeling, Dalbergia latifolia, anjili, mullumurikku, Erythrina, and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm, and aromatic vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides.: 12  Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Nilgiri tahr, common palm civet, and grizzled giant squirrels are also found in the forests.: 12, 174–75  Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and mugger crocodile. Kerala's birds include the Malabar trogon, the great hornbill, Kerala laughingthrush, darter and southern hill myna. In the lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as Kadu, Red Line Torpedo Barb and choottachi; orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus are found.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala). The districts which serve as administrative regions for taxation purposes are further subdivided into 27 revenue subdivisions and 77 taluks, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records. Kerala's taluks are further sub-divided into 1,674 revenue villages.Since the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India, the local government institutions function as the third tier of government, which constitutes 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 941 Grama Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, six Municipal Corporations and one Township.Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry, though 647 kilometres (402 mi) away from it, is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. The Kannur District surrounds Mahé on three sides with the Kozhikode District on the fourth.In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram came into existence in 1920. After two decades, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, making it the oldest Municipal Corporation of Kerala. The first Municipal Corporation founded after the independence of India as well as the second-oldest Municipal Corporation of the state is at Kozhikode in the year 1962. There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration. According to a survey by economics research firm Indicus Analytics in 2007, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur are among the 'best cities in India to live'; the survey used parameters such as health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment to rank the cities.Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress; and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). As of 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the LDF is the ruling coalition; Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is the Chief Minister, while V. D. Satheesan of the Indian National Congress is the Leader of the Opposition. According to the Constitution of India, Kerala has a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. The government is organised into the three branches:Legislature: The unicameral legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly popularly known as Niyamasabha, comprises elected members and special office bearers; the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected by the members from among themselves. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker and in the Speaker's absence, by the Deputy Speaker. The state has 140 assembly constituencies. The state elects 20 and 9 members for representation in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively.Executive: The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India. Arif Mohammad Khan is the Governor of Kerala. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the head of government and is vested with extensive executive powers; the head of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly is appointed to the post by the Governor. The Council of Ministers has its members appointed by the Governor, taking the advice of the Chief Minister. The executive administration is based in Thiruvananthapuram at State Secretariat complex. Each district has a district administrator appointed by government called District collector for executive administration. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Kerala High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located in Kochi, has a Chief Justice along with 35 permanent and twelve additional pro tempore justices as of 2021. The high court also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.The local government bodies; Panchayat, Municipalities and Corporations have existed in Kerala since 1959, however, the major initiative to decentralise the governance was started in 1993, conforming to the constitutional amendments of central government in this direction. With the enactment of Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act in 1994, the state implemented reforms in local self-governance. The Kerala Panchayati Raj Act envisages a 3-tier system of local government with Gram panchayat, Block panchayat and District Panchayat forming a hierarchy. The acts ensure a clear demarcation of power among these institutions. However, the Kerala Municipality Act envisages a single-tier system for urban areas, with the institution of municipality designed to par with the Gram panchayat of the former system. Substantial administrative, legal and financial powers are delegated to these bodies to ensure efficient decentralisation. As per the present norms, the state government devolves about 40% of the state plan outlay to the local government. Kerala was declared as the first digital state of India on 27 February 2016. The India Corruption Survey 2019 by Transparency International declared Kerala the least-corrupt state in India. The Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, India, designated Kerala as the best governed Indian state.After independence, the state was managed as a democratic socialist welfare economy. From the 1990s, liberalisation of the mixed economy allowed Licence Raj restrictions against capitalism and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and an increase in employment. In the fiscal year 2018–19, the nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was ₹7.82 lakh crore (US$98 billion). GSDP growth; 11.4% in 2018–2019 and 10.5% in 2017–2018 had been high compared to an average of 2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1%: 8  and 6.0% in the 1990s.: 8  The state recorded 8.9% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005, higher than the national rate of 4.8%. The 'Kerala phenomenon' or 'Kerala model of development' of very high human development and in comparison low economic development has resulted from a strong service sector.: 48 : 1  In 2019–20, the tertiary sector contributed around 63% of the state's GSVA, compared to 28% by secondary sector, and 8% by primary sector. In the period between 1960 and 2020, Kerala's economy was gradually shifting from an agrarian economy into a service-based one.The state's service sector which accounts for around 63% of its revenue is mainly based upon Hospitality industry, Tourism, Ayurveda & Medical Services, Pilgrimage, Information technology, Transportation, Financial sector, and Education. Major initiatives under the industrial sector include Cochin Shipyard, Shipbuilding, Oil refinery, Software Industry, Coastal mineral industries, food processing, marine products processing, and Rubber based products. The primary sector of the state is mainly based upon Cash crops. Kerala produces a significant amount of national output of the cash crops such as Coconut, Tea, Coffee, pepper, Natural rubber, Cardamom, and Cashew in India. The cultivation of food crops began to reduce since the 1950s. The Migrant labourers in Kerala are a significant workforce in its industrial and agricultural sectors. Being home to only 1.18% of the total land area of India and 2.75% of its population, Kerala contributes more than 4% to the Gross Domestic Product of India.Kerala's economy depends significantly on emigrants working in foreign countries, mainly in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and the remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP. The state witnessed significant emigration during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2008, the Persian Gulf countries together had a Keralite population of more than 25 lakh(2.5 million), who sent home annually a sum of US$6.81 billion, which is the highest among Indian states and more than 15.1% of remittances to India in 2008. In 2012, Kerala still received the highest remittances of all states: US$11.3 billion, which was nearly 16% of the US$71 billion remittances to the country. In 2015, NRI deposits in Kerala have soared to over ₹1 lakh crore (US$13 billion), amounting to one-sixth of all the money deposited in NRI accounts, which comes to about ₹7 lakh crore (US$88 billion). Malappuram district has the highest proportion of emigrant households in state. A study commissioned by the Kerala State Planning Board, suggested that the state look for other reliable sources of income, instead of relying on remittances to finance its expenditure.A decline of about 300,000 in the number of emigrants from the state was recorded during the period between 2013 and 2018. The total remittances received by the emigrants stood at ₹85,100 crore (US$11 billion) in the year 2018. According to a study done in 2013, ₹17,500 crore (US$2.2 billion) was the total amount paid to migrant labourers in the state every year. The tertiary sector comprises services such as transport, storage, communications, tourism, banking, insurance and real estate. In 2011–2012, it contributed 63.2% of the state's GDP, agriculture and allied sectors contributed 15.7%, while manufacturing, construction and utilities contributed 21.1%. Around 600 varieties: 5  of rice, which is Kerala's most used staple and cereal crop,: 5  are harvested from 3105.21 km2; a decline from 5883.4 km2 in 1990.: 5  6,88,859 tonnes of rice are produced per year. Other key crops include coconut; 899,198 ha, tea, coffee; 23% of Indian production,: 13  or 57,000 tonnes,: 6–7  rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.As of March 2002, Kerala's banking sector comprised 3341 local branches: each branch served 10,000 people, lower than the national average of 16,000; the state has the third-highest bank penetration among Indian states. On 1 October 2011, Kerala became the first state in the country to have at least one banking facility in every village. Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%; chronic issues are underemployment, low employability of youth, and a low female labour participation rate of only 13.5%,: 5, 13  as was the practice of Nokku kooli, 'wages for looking on'. (On 30 April 2018, the Kerala state government issued an order to abolish Nokku Kooli, to take effect on 1 May.) By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively.The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) was started in 2007, covering more than 3000 outlets across the nine cities of Kerala with huge tax discounts, VAT refunds and huge array of prizes. Lulu International Mall at Thiruvananthapuram is the largest Shopping Mall in India.The state's budget of 2020–2021 was ₹1.15 lakh crore (US$14 billion). The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to ₹67,420 crore (US$8.4 billion) in 2020–21; up from ₹55,671 crore (US$7.0 billion) in 2019–20. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala reached ₹14,587 crore (US$1.8 billion) in 2020–2021. However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to GSDP has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, which have impacted social services. A record total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over ₹2,000 crore (US$250 million). Kerala's 10% rise in GDP is 3% more than the national GDP. In 2013, capital expenditure rose 30% compared to the national average of 5%, owners of two-wheelers rose by 35% compared to the national rate of 15%, and the teacher-pupil ratio rose 50% from 2:100 to 4:100.The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board is a government owned financial institution in the state to mobilize funds for infrastructure development from outside the state revenue, aiming at overall infrastructure development of the state.In November 2015, the Ministry of Urban Development selected seven cities of Kerala for a comprehensive development program known as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). A package of ₹2.5 million (US$31,000) was declared for each of the cities to develop service level improvement plan (SLIP), a plan for better functioning of the local urban bodies in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad.Despite of many achievements, Kerala facing many challenges like high levels of unemployment that disproportionately impact educated women, a high degree of global exposure and a very fragile environment.Kerala has focused more attention towards growth of Information Technology sector with formation of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram which is one of the largest IT employer in Kerala. It was the first technology park in India and with the inauguration of the Thejaswini complex on 22 February 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India. Software giants like Infosys, Oracle, Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, HCL, UST Global, NeST and Suntec have offices in the state. The state has a second major IT hub, the Infopark centred in Kochi with 'spokes'(it acts as the 'hub') in Thrissur and Alleppy. As of 2014, Infopark generates one-third of total IT Revenues of the state with key offices of IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Wipro, UST Global, IBS Software Services etc. and Multinational corporations like KPMG, Ernst & Young, EXL Service, Etisalat DB Telecom, Nielsen Audio, Xerox ACS, Tata ELXSI etc. Kochi also has another major project SmartCity under construction, built in partnership with Dubai Government. A third major IT Hub is under construction centred around Kozhikode known as Cyberpark. Kerala is the first Indian state to make Internet access a basic right. As of 2019, Kerala's Internet penetration rate is the second-highest in India only after to Delhi. Kerala is the first Indian state to have its own Internet service with the launch of Kerala Fiber Optic Network in 2021.Traditional industries manufacturing items; coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Kerala supplies 60% of the total global produce of white coir fibre. India's first coir factory was set up in Alleppey in 1859–60. The Central Coir Research Institute was established there in 1959. As per the 2006–2007 census by SIDBI, there are 14,68,104 micro, small and medium enterprises in Kerala employing 30,31,272 people. The KSIDC has promoted more than 650 medium and large manufacturing firms in Kerala, creating employment for 72,500 people. A mining sector of 0.3% of GSDP involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite. Other major sectors are tourism, medical sector, educational sector, banking, ship building, oil refinery, infrastructure, manufacturing, home gardens, animal husbandry and business process outsourcing.The major change in agriculture in Kerala occurred in the 1970s when production of rice fell due to increased availability of rice all over India and decreased availability of labour. Consequently, investment in rice production decreased and a major portion of the land shifted to the cultivation of perennial tree crops and seasonal crops. Profitability of crops fell due to a shortage of farm labour, the high price of land, and the uneconomic size of operational holdings. Only 27.3% of the families in Kerala depend upon agriculture for their livelihood, which is also the least curresponding rate in India.Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper and accounts for 85% of the natural rubber in the country. Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the main agricultural products.: 74  Around 80% of India's export quality cashew kernels are prepared in Kollam. The key cash crop is Coconut and Kerala ranks first in the area of coconut cultivation in India. In 1960–61, about 70% of the Coconuts produced in India were from Kerala, which have reduced to 42% in 2011–12. Around 90% of the total Cardamom produced in India is from Kerala. India is the second-largest producer of Cardamom in world. About 20% of the total Coffee produced in India are from Kerala. The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields. Home gardens made up a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Related animal husbandry is touted by proponents as a means of alleviating rural poverty and unemployment among women, the marginalised, and the landless. The state government promotes these activities via educational campaigns and the development of new cattle breeds such as the Sunandini.Though the contribution of the agricultural sector to the state economy was on the decline in 2012–13, through the strength of the allied livestock sector, it has picked up from 7.0% (2011–12) to 7.2%. In the 2013–14 fiscal period, the contribution has been estimated at a high of 7.8%. The total growth of the farm sector has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2012–13, over a 1.3% growth in the previous fiscal year. The agricultural sector has a share of 9.3% in the sectoral distribution of Gross State Domestic Product at Constant Price, while the secondary and tertiary sectors have contributed 23.9% and 66.7%, respectively.There is a preference for organic products and home farming compared to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Forest gardens are common and known by the name home gardens. According to the English horticulturist Robert Hart, Kerala is 'from the agroforestry point of view, perhaps the world's most advanced country, with an extraordinary intensivity of cultivation of some forest gardens.'With 590 kilometres (370 miles) of coastal belt, 400,000 hectares of inland water resources and approximately 220,000 active fishermen, Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. According to 2003–04 reports, about 11 lakh(1.1 million) people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. The annual yield of the sector was estimated as 6,08,000 tons in 2003–04. This contributes to about 3% of the total economy of the state. In 2006, around 22% of the total Indian marine fishery yield was from Kerala. During the southwest monsoon, a suspended mud bank develops along the shore, which in turn leads to calm ocean water, peaking the output of the fishing industry. This phenomenon is locally called chakara. The waters provide a large variety of fish: pelagic species; 59%, demersal species; 23%, crustaceans, molluscs and others for 18%. Around 10.5 lakh(1.050 million) fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes as of a 1999–2000 estimate; 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590-kilometre (370-mile) coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.Kerala has 331,904 kilometres (206,236 mi) of roads, which accounts for 5.6% of India's total. This translates to about 9.94 kilometres (6.18 mi) of road per thousand people, compared to an average of 4.87 kilometres (3.03 mi) in the country. Roads in Kerala include 1,812 kilometres (1,126 mi) of national highway; 1.6% of the nation's total, 4,342 kilometres (2,698 mi) of state highway; 2.5% of the nation's total, 27,470 kilometres (17,070 mi) of district roads; 4.7% of the nation's total, 33,201 kilometres (20,630 mi) of urban (municipal) roads; 6.3% of the nation's total, and 158,775 kilometres (98,658 mi) of rural roads; 3.8% of the nation's total. Kottayam has the maximum length of roads among the districts of Kerala, while Wayanad accounts for minimum. Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through the NH 66 (previously NH 17 and 47); and the eastern side is accessible through state highways. New projects for hill and coastal highways were recently announced under KIIFB. National Highway 66, with the longest stretch of road (1,622 kilometres (1,008 mi)) connects Kanyakumari to Mumbai; it enters Kerala via Talapady in Kasargod and passes through Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Guruvayur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram before entering Tamil Nadu. Palakkad district is generally referred to as the Gateway of Kerala, due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats, through which the northern (Malabar) and southern (Travancore) parts of Kerala are connected to the rest of India via road and rail. The state's largest checkpoint, Walayar, is on NH 544, in the border town between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, through which a large amount of public and commercial transportation reaches the northern and central districts of Kerala.The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways system and major district roads. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways in Kerala. It also oversees a few major district roads. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Traffic density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest. The accidents are mainly the result of the narrow roads and irresponsible driving. National Highways in Kerala are among the narrowest in the country and will remain so for the foreseeable future, as the state government has received an exemption that allows narrow national highways. In Kerala, highways are 45 metres (148 feet) wide. In other states, national highways are grade separated, 60 metres (200 feet) wide with a minimum of four lanes, as well as 6 or 8-lane access-controlled expressways. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has threatened the Kerala state government that it will give higher priority to other states in highway development since political commitment to better highways in Kerala has been lacking. As of 2013, Kerala had the highest road accident rate in the country, with most fatal accidents taking place along the state's national highways.=Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation. It is one of the country's oldest state-run public bus transport services. Its origins can be traced back to Travancore State Road Transport Department, when the Travancore government headed by Sri. Chithra Thirunnal decided to set up a public road transportation system in 1937.The corporation is divided into three zones (North, Central and South), with the headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala's capital city). Daily scheduled service has increased from 1,200,000 kilometres (750,000 mi) to 1,422,546 kilometres (883,929 mi), using 6,241 buses on 6,389 routes. At present the corporation has 5373 buses running on 4795 schedules.The Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) was formed under KSRTC in 2015 to manage affairs related to urban transportation. It was inaugurated on 12 April 2015 at Thevara.Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways operates all railway lines in the state connecting most major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. The railway network in the state is controlled by two out of six divisions of the Southern Railway; Thiruvananthapuram Railway division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Railway Division headquartered at Palakkad. Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) is the busiest railway station in the state. Kerala's major railway stations are:The first railway line in the state was laid from Tirur to Chaliyam (Kozhikode), with the oldest Railway Station at Tirur, passing through Tanur, Parappanangadi, Vallikkunnu, and Kadalundi. The railway was extended from Tirur to Kuttippuram through Tirunavaya in the same year. It was again extended from Kuttippuram to Shoranur through Pattambi in 1862, resulting in the establishment of Shoranur Junction railway station, which is also the largest railway junction in the state. Major railway transport between Chaliyam–Tirur began on 12 March 1861, from Tirur-Shoranur in 1862, from Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section in 1902, from Kollam–Sengottai on 1 July 1904, Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram on 4 January 1918, from Nilambur-Shoranur in 1927, from Ernakulam–Kottayam in 1956, from Kottayam–Kollam in 1958, from Thiruvananthapuram–Kanyakumari in 1979 and from the Thrissur-Guruvayur Section in 1994. The Nilambur–Shoranur line is one of the shortest broad gauge railway lines in India. It was established in the British era for the transportation of Nilambur teaks and Angadipuram Laterite to United Kingdom through the port at Kozhikode. The presence of Palakkad Gap on Western Ghats makes the Shoranur Junction railway station important as it connects the southwestern coast of India (Mangalore) with the southeastern coast (Chennai).=Kochi Metro is the metro rail system in the city of Kochi. It is the only metro rail system in Kerala. Construction began in 2012, with the first phase being set up at an estimated cost of ₹51.81 billion (US$650 million). The Kochi Metro uses 65-metre long Metropolis train sets built and designed by Alstom. It is the first metro system in India to use a communication-based train control (CBTC) system for signalling and telecommunication. In October 2017, Kochi Metro was named the 'Best Urban Mobility Project' in India by the Urban Development Ministry, as part of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) International Conference hosted by the ministry every year.Kerala has four international airports: Kollam Airport, established under the Madras Presidency, but since closed, was the first airport in Kerala. Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram – stopping at Goa and Kannur. Trivandrum International Airport, managed by the Airport Authority of India, is among the oldest existing airports in South India. Calicut International Airport, which was opened in 1988, is the second-oldest existing airport in Kerala and the oldest in the Malabar region. Cochin International Airport is the busiest in the state and the seventh busiest in the country. It is also the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy and has won the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations. Cochin International Airport is also the first Indian airport to be incorporated as a public limited company; it was funded by nearly 10,000 non-resident Indians from 30 countries.Other than civilian airports, Kochi has a naval airport named INS Garuda. Thiruvananthapuram airport shares civilian facilities with the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. These facilities are used mostly by central government VIPs visiting Kerala.Kerala has one major port, four intermediate ports, and 13 minor ports. The major port in the state is at Kochi, which has an area of 8.27 km2. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is currently classified as an intermediate port, is an upcoming major port under construction. Other intermediate ports include Beypore, Kollam, and Azheekal. The remaining ports are classified as minor which include Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod, Nileshwaram, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Ponnani, Munambam, Manakodam, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Neendakara, and Valiyathura. The Kerala Maritime Institute is headquartered at Neendakara, which has an additional subcentre at Kodungallur too. The state has numerous backwaters, which are used for commercial inland navigation. Transport services are mainly provided by country craft and passenger vessels. There are 67 navigable rivers in the state while the total length of inland waterways is 1,687 kilometres (1,048 mi). The main constraints to the expansion of inland navigation are; lack of depth in waterways caused by silting, lack of maintenance of navigation systems and bank protection, accelerated growth of the water hyacinth, lack of modern inland craft terminals, and lack of a cargo handling system.The 616 kilometres (383 mi) long West-Coast Canal is the longest waterway in state connecting Kasaragod to Poovar. It is divided into five sections: 41 kilometres (25 mi) long Kasaragod-Nileshwaram reach, 188 kilometres (117 mi) long Nileshwaram-Kozhikode reach, 160 kilometres (99 mi) Kozhikode-Kottapuram reach, 168 kilometres (104 mi) long National Waterway 3 (Kottapuram-Kollam reach), and 74 kilometres (46 mi) long Kollam-Vizhinjam reach. The Conolly Canal, which is a part of West-Coast Canal, connects the city of Kozhikode with Kochi through Ponnani, passing through the districts of Malappuram and Thrissur. It begins at Vadakara. It was constructed in the year 1848 under the orders of then District collector of Malabar, H. V. Conolly, initially to facilitate movement of goods to Kallayi Port from hinter lands of Malabar through Kuttiady and Korapuzha river systems. It was the main waterway for the cargo movement between Kozhikode and Kochi through Ponnani, for more than a century. Other important waterways in Kerala include the Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal, Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal, and Kottayam-Vaikom Canal.Kerala is home to 2.8% of India's population; with a density of 859 persons per km2, its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the national average of 370 persons per km2. As of 2011, Thiruvananthapuram is the most populous city in Kerala. In the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of 17.6%. Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991; the population stood at 33.3 million by 2011. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled with population of 2022 persons per km2, 2.5 times the overall population density of the state, 859 persons per km2, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. Around 31.8 million Keralites are predominantly Malayali. The state's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.1% of the population, are concentrated in the east.: 10–12 There is a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in Kerala, where the mother is the head of the household. As a result, women in Kerala have had a much higher standing and influence in the society. This was common among certain influential castes and is a factor in the value placed on daughters. Christian missionaries also influenced Malayali women in that they started schools for girls from poor families. Opportunities for women such as education and gainful employment often translate into a lower birth rate, which in turn, make education and employment more likely to be accessible and more beneficial for women. This creates an upward spiral for both the women and children of the community that is passed on to future generations. According to the Human Development Report of 1996, Kerala's Gender Development Index was 597; higher than any other state of India. Factors, such as high rates of female literacy, education, work participation and life expectancy, along with favourable sex ratio, contributed to it.Kerala's sex ratio of 1.084 (females to males) is higher than that of the rest of India and is the only state where women outnumber men.: 2  While having the opportunities that education affords them, such as political participation, keeping up to date with current events, reading religious texts etc., these tools have still not translated into full, equal rights for the women of Kerala. There is a general attitude that women must be restricted for their own benefit. In the state, despite the social progress, gender still influences social mobility.=Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. Kerala is one of the first states in India to form a welfare policy for the transgender community. In 2016, the Kerala government introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals. Queerala is one of the major LGBT organisations in Kerala. It campaigns for increased awareness of LGBT people and sensitisation concerning healthcare services, workplace policies and educational curriculum. Since 2010, Kerala Queer Pride has been held annually across various cities in Kerala.In June 2019, the Kerala government passed a new order that members of the transgender community should not be referred to as the 'third gender' or 'other gender' in government communications. Instead, the term 'transgender' should be used. Previously, the gender preferences provided in government forms and documents included male, female, and other/third gender.In the 2021 Mathrubhumi Youth Manifesto Survey conducted on people aged between 15 and 35, majority (74.3%) of the respondents supported legislation for same-sex marriage while 25.7% opposed it.Under a democratic communist local government, Kerala has achieved a record of social development much more advanced than the Indian average. As of 2015, Kerala has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.770, which is in the 'high' category, ranking it first in the country. It was 0.790 in 2007–08 and it had a consumption-based HDI of 0.920, which is better than that of many developed countries. Comparatively higher spending by the government on primary level education, health care and the elimination of poverty from the 19th century onwards has helped the state maintain an exceptionally high HDI; the report was prepared by the central government's Institute of Applied Manpower Research. However, the Human Development Report 2005, prepared by Centre for Development Studies envisages a virtuous phase of inclusive development for the state since the advancement in human development had already started aiding the economic development of the state. Kerala is also widely regarded as the cleanest and healthiest state in India.According to the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest literacy rate (94%) among Indian states. In 2018, the literacy rate was calculated to be 96%. In the Kottayam district, the literacy rate was 97%. The life expectancy in Kerala is 74 years, among the highest in India as of 2011. Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 59% (1973–1974) to 12% (1999–2010); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 47% between the 1970s and 2000s against the 29% fall in overall poverty rate in India. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively. The 2013 Tendulkar Committee Report on poverty estimated that the percentages of the population living below the poverty line in rural and urban Kerala are 9.1% and 5.0%, respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.: 48 Kerala has undergone a 'demographic transition' characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.: 1  In 2005, 11.2% of people were over the age of 60. In 2023, the BBC reported on the problems and benefits which have arisen from migration away from Kerala, focussing on the village of Kumbanad. In 2004, the birthrate was low at 18 per 1,000. According to the 2011 census, Kerala had a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.6. All district except Malappuram district had fertility rate below 2. Fertility rate is highest in Malappuram district (2.2) and lowest in Pathanamthitta district (1.3). In 2001, Muslims had the TFR of 2.6 as against 1.5 for Hindus and 1.7 for Christians. The state also is regarded as the 'least corrupt Indian state' according to the surveys conducted by CMS Indian Corruption Study (CMS-ICS) Transparency International (2005) and India Today (1997). Kerala has the lowest homicide rate among Indian states, with 1.1 per 100,000 in 2011. In respect of female empowerment, some negative factors such as higher suicide rate, lower share of earned income, child marriage, complaints of sexual harassment and limited freedom are reported. The child marriage is lower in Kerala. The Malappuram district has the highest number of child marriage and the number of such cases are increasing in Malappuram. The child marriages are particularly higher among the Muslim community. In 2019, Kerala recorded the highest child sex abuse complaints in India.In 2015, Kerala had the highest conviction rate of any state, over 77%. Kerala has the lowest proportion of homeless people in rural India, <0.1%, and the state is attempting to reach the goal of becoming the first 'Zero Homeless State', in addition to its acclaimed 'Zero landless project', with private organisations and the expatriate Malayali community funding projects for building homes for the homeless. The state was also among the lowest in the India State Hunger Index next only to Punjab. In 2015 Kerala became the first 'complete digital state' by implementing e-governance initiatives.Kerala is a pioneer in implementing the universal health care program. The sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate are lower compared to those of other states, estimated from 12: 49  to 14: 5  deaths per 1,000 live births; as per the National Family Health Survey 2015–16, it has dropped to 6. According to a study commissioned by Lien Foundation, a Singapore-based philanthropic organisation, Kerala is considered to be the best place to die in India based on the state's provision of palliative care for patients with serious illnesses. However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding figures for all India were 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively as of 2005.: 5  Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is higher than that of many first world nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of people who rely on 3 million water wells is an issue worsened by the lack of sewers.: 5–7  As of 2017, the state has the highest number of diabetes patients and also the highest prevalence rate of the disease in India.The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization designated Kerala the world's first 'baby-friendly state' because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas. Over 95% of Keralite births are hospital delivered and the state also has the lowest infant mortality rate in the country. The third National Family Health Survey ranks Kerala first in 'Institutional Delivery' with 100% births in medical facilities. Ayurveda,: 13  siddha, and endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practised. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation to the practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation. These propagate via gurukula discipleship,: 5–6  and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and alternative treatments.: 15  The Arya Vaidya Sala established by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier at Kottakkal (about 10 km from Malappuram) in 1902, is the largest Ayurvedic medicinal network and health centre in the state. It is also one of the largest Ayurvedic medicinal brands in the world.In 2014, Kerala became the first state in India to offer free cancer treatment to the poor, via a program called Sukrutham. People in Kerala experience elevated incidence of cancers, liver and kidney diseases. In April 2016, the Economic Times reported that 250,000 residents undergo treatment for cancer. It also reported that approximately 150 to 200 liver transplants are conducted in the region's hospitals annually. Approximately 42,000 cancer cases are reported in the region annually. This is believed to be an underestimate as private hospitals may not be reporting their figures. Long waiting lists for kidney donations has stimulated illegal trade in human kidneys, and prompted the establishment of the Kidney Federation of India which aims to support financially disadvantaged patients. As of 2017–18, there are 6,691 modern medicine institutions under the department of health services, of which the total bed strength is 37,843; 15,780 in rural areas and 22,063 in urban.Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, and one of the six Classical languages of India. There is a significant Tamil population throughout Kerala mainly in Idukki district district and Palakkad district which accounts for 17.48% and 4.8% of its total population. Tulu and Kannada are spoken mainly in the northern parts of Kasaragod district, each of which account for 8.77% and 4.23% of total population in the district, respectively.Kerala is very religiously diverse with Hindus, Muslims and Christians having a significant population throughout the state, Kerala is often regarded as one of the most diverse states in all of India. Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in Kerala, with significant Muslim and Christian minorities. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.7% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 26.6% are Muslims, 18.4% are Christians, and the remaining 0.3% follow another religion or have no religious affiliation. Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts except Malappuram, where they are outnumbered by Muslims. Kerala has the largest population of Christians in India. As of 2016, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others account for 41.9%, 42.6%, 15.4% and 0.2% of the total child births in the state, respectively.The mythological legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy of Advaita. He was instrumental in establishing four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another religious figure who composed Narayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of the Hindu God Krishna.Islam arrived in Kerala, a part of the larger Indian Ocean rim, via spice and silk traders from the Middle East. Historians do not rule out the possibility of Islam being introduced to Kerala as early as the seventh century CE. Notable has been the occurrence of Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin, the mythical Hindu king that moved to Arabia to meet the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as the Mappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Kerala. According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 CE at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod town. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, on the western side of Kerala, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is believed to be located on the island of Andrott. A few Umayyad (661–750 CE) coins were discovered from Kothamangalam in the eastern part of Ernakulam district.According to some scholars, the Mappilas are the oldest settled Muslim community in South Asia. The monopoly of overseas spice trade from Malabar Coast was safe with the West Asian shipping magnates of Kerala ports. The Muslims were a major financial power to be reckoned within the kingdoms of Kerala and had great political influence in the Hindu royal courts. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala. A 13th century granite inscription, written in a mixture of Old Malayalam and Arabic, at Muchundi Mosque in Kozhikode mentions a donation by the king to the mosque. Travellers have recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala. Immigration, intermarriage and missionary activity/conversion—secured by the common interest in the spice trade—helped in this development. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow the Shāfiʿī school of religious law (Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema) while a large minority follow movements that developed within Sunni Islam. The latter section consists of majority Salafists (Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen). There is a large Keralan diaspora in the Middle East.Ancient Christian tradition says that Christianity reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Syrian Anglicans of the CSI and Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians. The origin of the Latin Catholic Christians in Kerala is the result of the missionary endeavours of the Portuguese Padroado in the 16th century. As a consequence of centuries of mixing with colonial immigrants, beginning with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, British and other Europeans, there is a community of Anglo-Indians in Kerala of mixed European and Indian parentage or ancestry. Kerala has the highest population of Christians among all the states of India.Judaism reached Kerala in the 10th century BCE during the time of King Solomon. They are called Cochin Jews or Malabar Jews and are the oldest group of Jews in India. There was a significant Jewish community which existed in Kerala until the 20th century, when most of them migrated to Israel. The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district.Buddhism was popular in the time of Ashoka but vanished by the 12th century CE. Certain Hindu communities such as the Samantan Kshatriyas, Ambalavasis, Nairs, Thiyyas and some Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris, most of the Ambalavasi castes and the Ezhavas followed makkathayam, a patrilineal system. Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status. However, gender inequality among low caste men and women is reportedly higher compared to that in other castes.: 1 The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts, including series expansion for trigonometric functions. The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was based at Vettathunadu (Tirur region). In the early decades of the 19th century, the modern educational transformation of Kerala was triggered by the efforts of the Church Mission Society missionaries to promote mass education. Following the recommendations of the Wood's despatch of 1854, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin launched mass education drives mainly based on castes and communities, and introduced a system of grant-in-aid to attract more private initiatives. The efforts by leaders such as Vaikunda Swami, Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Kuriakose Elias Chavara in aiding the socially discriminated castes in the state—with the help of community-based organisations like Nair Service Society, SNDP, Muslim Educational Society, Muslim Mahajana Sabha, Yoga Kshema Sabha (of Nambudiris) and congregations of Christian churches—led to the further development of mass education in Kerala.According to the first economic census, conducted in 1977, 99.7% of the villages in Kerala had a primary school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), 98.6% had a middle school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and 96.7% had a high school or higher secondary school within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).: 62  In 1991, Kerala became the first state in India to be recognised as completely literate, although the effective literacy rate at that time was only 90%. In 2006–2007, the state topped the Education Development Index (EDI) of the 21 major states in India. As of 2007, enrolment in elementary education was almost 100%; and, unlike other states in India, educational opportunity was almost equally distributed among sexes, social groups, and regions. According to the 2011 census, Kerala has a 93.9% literacy, compared to the national literacy rate of 74.0%. In January 2016, Kerala became the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education through its Athulyam literacy programme.The educational system prevailing in the state's schools specifies an initial 10-year course of study, which is divided into three stages: lower primary, upper primary, and secondary school—known as 4+3+3, which signifies the number of years for each stage. After the first 10 years of schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams—liberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate (UG) degree-college programmes. The majority of public schools are affiliated with the Kerala Board of Public Examination (KBPE). There are 15,892 schools under KBPE, of which 5,986 are government schools, 8,183 are aided schools, and the rest are either un-aided or technical schools. Other educational boards are the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). English is the language of instruction in most self-financing schools, while government and government-aided schools offer instruction in English or Malayalam. Though the cost of education is generally considered low in Kerala, according to the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (2004–2005), per capita spending on education by the rural households was reported to be ₹41 (51¢ US) for Kerala, more than twice the national average. The survey also revealed that the rural-urban difference in household expenditure on education was much less in Kerala than in the rest of India.CMS College, Kottayam, established in 1817, is the first western-style college, and one of the oldest colleges, in India. Government Brennen College, Thalassery, founded by philanthropist Edward Brennen in 1862, and Government Victoria College, Palakkad, founded in 1866, are among the oldest educational institutions in India.The KITE Kerala is a state owned special purpose company under education department of the Government of Kerala. It was developed to support ICT enabled education for schools in the state. The erstwhile IT@School Project was transformed into KITE for extending its scope of operations in August 2017. Kerala is the first Indian state to have ICT-enabled education with hi-tech classrooms in all public schools. Kerala topped in the School Education Quality Index published by NITI Aayog in 2019.The Indian Naval Academy, located at Ezhimala, is Asia's largest, and the world's third-largest, naval academy.The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it is an integral part of Indian culture. It is a synthesis of Aryan, Dravidian, Arab, and European cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. It was elaborated through centuries of contact with neighbouring and overseas cultures. However, the geographical insularity of Kerala from the rest of the country has resulted in the development of a distinctive lifestyle, art, architecture, language, literature and social institutions. Over 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state every year. The Malayalam calendar, a solar sidereal calendar started from 825 CE in Kerala, finds common usage in planning agricultural and religious activities. Malayalam, one of the classical languages in India, is Kerala's official language. Over a dozen other scheduled and unscheduled languages are also spoken. Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is brought down on the final day of the festival after immersing the deity. Some festivals include Poorams, the best known of these being the Thrissur Pooram. 'Elephants, firework displays and huge crowds' are the major attractions of Thrissur Pooram. Other known festivals are Makaravilakku, Chinakkathoor Pooram, Attukal Pongala and Nenmara Vallangi Vela Other than these, festivals locally known as utsavams are conducted by many temples mostly on annual basis. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to it. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by the Muslim community of the state while the festivals like Christmas and Easter are observed by the Christians.=Onam is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. It is a local festival of Kerala consisting of a four-day public holidays; from Onam Eve (Uthradam) to the fourth Onam Day. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the homecoming of King Mahabali. The total duration of Onam is 10 days and it is celebrated all across Kerala. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal and Krishnanattam, which originated and developed in the temple theatres during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala natanam, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Some traditional dance forms such as Oppana and Duffmuttu were popular among the Muslims of the state, while Margamkali and Parichamuttukali are popular among the Syrian Christians and Chavittu nadakom is popular among the Latin Christians.The development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. The development of the indigenous classical music form, Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the rich contribution that temple culture has made to the arts of Kerala. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century. Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam; including the paandi and panchari variants, is a more percussive style of music: it is performed at Kshetram-centered festivals using the chenda. Panchavadyam is a form of percussion ensemble, in which artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter. Most of the castes and communities in Kerala have rich collections of folk songs and ballads associated with a variety of themes; Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads), Thekkan pattukal (Southern Ballads), Vanchi pattukal (Boat Songs), Mappila Pattukal (Muslim songs) and Pallipattukal (Church songs) are a few of them.Malayalam films carved a niche for themselves in the Indian film industry with the presentation of social themes. Directors from Kerala, like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mankada Ravi Varma, G. Aravindan, Bharathan, P. Padmarajan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, K.G. George, Priyadarshan, John Abraham, Ramu Karyat, K S Sethumadhavan, A. Vincent and Shaji N Karun have made a considerable contribution to the Indian parallel cinema. Kerala has also given birth to numerous actors, such as Mohanlal, Mammootty, Satyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, Sheela, Sharada, Miss Kumari, Jayan, Adoor Bhasi, Seema, Bharath Gopi, Thilakan, Vijaya Raghavan, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrans, Shobana, Nivin Pauly, Sreenivasan, Urvashi, Manju Warrier, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Murali, Shankaradi, Kavya Madhavan, Bhavana Menon, Prithviraj, Parvathy (actress), Jayasurya, Dulquer Salmaan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Innocent and Fahad Fazil. Late Malayalam actor Prem Nazir holds the world record for having acted as the protagonist of over 720 movies. Since the 1980s, actors Mohanlal and Mammootty have dominated the movie industry; Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards (four for acting), while Mammootty has three National Film Awards for acting. Malayalam Cinema has produced a few more notable personalities such as K.J. Yesudas, K.S. Chitra, M.G. Sreekumar, Vayalar Rama Varma, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and O.N.V. Kurup, the last two mentioned being recipients of Jnanpith award, the highest literary award in India. Resul Pookutty, who is from Kerala, is only the second Indian to win an academy award for sound design, for the breakthrough film Slumdog Millionaire. As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 11 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director in the National Film Awards, India.The Sangam literature can be considered as the ancient predecessor of Malayalam. Malayalam literature starts from the Old Malayalam period (9th–13th century CE) and includes such notable writers as the 14th-century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, whose works mark the dawn of both the modern Malayalam language and its poetry. For the first 600 years of Malayalam calendar, the literature mainly consisted of the oral Ballads such as Vadakkan Pattukal in North Malabar and Thekkan Pattukal in Southern Travancore. Designated a 'Classical Language in India' in 2013, it developed into the current form mainly by the influence of the poets Cherusseri Namboothiri, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, and Poonthanam Nambudiri, in the 15th and the 16th centuries of Common Era. Unnayi Variyar, a probable poet of the 17th/18th century CE, and Kunchan Nambiar, a poet of the 18th century CE, have also influenced a lot in the growth of modern Malayalam literature in its pre-mature form. The Bharathappuzha river, also known as River Ponnani, and its tributaries, have played a major role in the development of modern Malayalam Literature.Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran are noted for their contribution to Malayalam prose. The 'triumvirate of poets' (Kavithrayam): Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode. The poets like Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Pulikkottil Hyder have made notable contributions to the Mappila songs, which is a genre of the Arabi Malayalam literature. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The prose literature, Malayalam journalism, and criticism began after the latter-half of the 18th century. Contemporary Malayalam literature deals with social, political, and economic life context. The tendency of the modern literature is often towards political radicalism. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language. In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith winning poets and writers like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. N. V. Kurup, and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, had made valuable contributions to the modern Malayalam literature. Later, writers like O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, Arundhati Roy, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, have gained international recognition.Kerala cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry, and meat. Culinary spices have been cultivated in Kerala for millennia and they are characteristic of its cuisine. Rice is a dominant staple that is eaten at all times of day. A majority of the breakfast foods in Kerala are made out of rice, in one form or the other (idli, dosa, puttu, pathiri, appam, or idiyappam), tapioca preparations, or pulse-based vada. These may be accompanied by chutney, kadala, payasam, payar pappadam, appam, chicken curry, beef fry, egg masala and fish curry. Porotta and Biryani are also often found in restaurants in Kerala. Thalassery biryani is popular as an ethnic brand. Lunch dishes include rice and curry along with rasam, pulisherry and sambar. Sadhya is a vegetarian meal, which is served on a banana leaf and followed with a cup of payasam. Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps, tapioca chips, Achappam, Unni appam and kuzhalappam. Seafood specialties include karimeen, prawns, shrimp and other crustacean dishes.Thalassery Cuisine is varied and is a blend of many influences.Elephants have been an integral part of the culture of the state. Almost all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephants in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals. These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. More than 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state annually and some animal lovers have sometimes raised concerns regarding the overwork of domesticated elephants during them. In Malayalam literature, elephants are referred to as the 'sons of the sahya'. The elephant is the state animal of Kerala and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.The media, telecommunications, broadcasting and cable services are regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The National Family Health Survey – 4, conducted in 2015–16, ranked Kerala as the state with the highest media exposure in India. Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala, in nine major languages, but principally Malayalam and English. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India. The most widely circulated Malayalam-language newspapers are Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deshabhimani, Madhyamam, Kerala Kaumudi, Mangalam, Chandrika, Deepika, Janayugam, Janmabhumi, Siraj Daily and Suprabhaatham. Major Malayalam periodicals include Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu, Vanitha, India Today Malayalam, Madhyamam Weekly, Grihalakshmi, Dhanam, Chithrabhumi and Bhashaposhini. The Hindu is the most read English language newspaper in the state, followed by The New Indian Express. Other dailies include Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India, DNA, The Economic Times and The Financial Express.DD Malayalam is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, other Indian language and international channels. Some of the popular Malayalam television channels are Asianet, Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Surya TV, Surya Movies, Mazhavil Manorama, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Kairali News, Flowers, Media One TV, Mathrubhumi News, Kappa TV, Amrita TV, Reporter TV, Jaihind, Janam TV, Jeevan TV, Kaumudy TV and Shalom TV. With the second-highest internet penetration rate in India, Digital medias including Social medias and OTT services are a main source of information and entertainment in the state. Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008. A sizeable People's science movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writer's cooperatives are becoming increasingly common. BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, Jio are the major cell phone service providers. Broadband Internet services are widely available throughout the state; some of the major ISPs are BSNL, Asianet Satellite Communications, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, MTS, RailWire and VSNL. According to a TRAI report, as of June 2018 the total number of wireless phone subscribers in Kerala is about 43.1 million and the wireline subscriber base is at 1.9 million, accounting for the telephone density of 124.15. Unlike in many other states, the urban-rural divide is not visible in Kerala with respect to mobile phone penetration.By the 21st century, almost all of the native sports and games from Kerala have either disappeared or become just an art form performed during local festivals; including Poorakkali, Padayani, Thalappandukali, Onathallu, Parichamuttukali, Velakali, and Kilithattukali. However, Kalaripayattu, regarded as 'the mother of all martial arts in the world', is an exception and is practised as the indigenous martial sport. Another traditional sport of Kerala is the boat race, especially the race of Snake boats.Cricket and football became popular in the state; both were introduced in Malabar during the British colonial period in the 19th century. Cricketers, like Tinu Yohannan, Abey Kuruvilla, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Sreesanth, Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi found places in the national cricket team. A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season. However, this team was disbanded after the season because of conflicts of interest among its franchises. Kerala has only performed well recently in the Ranji Trophy cricket competition, in 2017–18 reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Football is one of the most widely played and watched sports with huge in this state support for club and district level matches. Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in the country as well as the fifth most followed football club from Asia in the social media. Also, Kozhikode hosts Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-League as well as the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament. Kerala is one of the major footballing states in India along with West Bengal and Goa and has produced national players like I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, U. Sharaf Ali, Jo Paul Ancheri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Muhammad Rafi, Jiju Jacob, Mashoor Shereef, Pappachen Pradeep, C.K. Vineeth, Anas Edathodika, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Rino Anto. The Kerala state football team has won the Santhosh Trophy seven times; in 1973, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2018, and 2022. They were also the runners-up eight times.Among the prominent athletes hailing from the state are P. T. Usha, Shiny Wilson and M.D. Valsamma, all three of whom are recipients of the Padma Shri as well as Arjuna Award, while K. M. Beenamol and Anju Bobby George are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winners. T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Sinimol Paulose, Angel Mary Joseph, Mercy Kuttan, K. Saramma, K. C. Rosakutty, Padmini Selvan and Tintu Luka are the other Arjuna Award winners from Kerala. Volleyball is another popular sport and is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George was a notable Indian volleyball player, rated in his prime as among the world's ten best players. Other popular sports include badminton, basketball and kabaddi. The Indian Hockey team captain P. R. Shreejesh, ace goalkeeper hails from Kerala. International Walkers from the state include K. T. Irfan.For the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), was chosen as one of the six venues where the game would be hosted in India. Greenfield International Stadium at located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city, is India's first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium and it has hosted international cricket matches and international football matches including 2015 SAFF Championship.Kerala's culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, have made the state one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named Kerala as one of the 'ten paradises of the world' and '50 must see destinations of a lifetime'. Travel and Leisure also described Kerala as 'One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century'. In 2012, it overtook the Taj Mahal to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India. CNN Travel listed Kerala amongst its '19 best places to visit in 2019'. Kerala was named by TIME magazine in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places.Kerala's beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountain ranges, waterfalls, ancient ports, palaces, religious institutions and wildlife sanctuaries are major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination compared to other states in the country. In 1986 the government of Kerala declared tourism an important industry and it was the first state in India to do so. Marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees the tourism prospects of the state, resulted in the growth of the tourism industry. Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country. Kerala tourism is a global brand and regarded as one of the destinations with highest recall. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourists, an increase of 23.7% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing popular destinations in the world. In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the 10-million mark.Ayurvedic tourism has become very popular since the 1990s, and private agencies have played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of the Tourism Department. Kerala is known for its ecotourism initiatives which include mountaineering, trekking and bird-watching programmes in the Western Ghats as the major activities. The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy, growing at the rate of 13.3%. The revenue from tourism increased five-fold between 2001 and 2011 and crossed the ₹ 190 billion mark in 2011. According to the Economic Times Kerala netted a record revenue of INR 36,528.01 crore from the tourism sector in 2018, clocking an increase of Rs 2,874.33 crore from the previous year. Over 16.7 million tourists visited Kerala in 2018 as against 15.76 million the previous year, recording an increase of 5.9%. The industry provides employment to approximately 1.2 million people.The state's only drive-in beach, Muzhappilangad in Kannur, which stretches across five kilometres of sand, was chosen by the BBC as one of the top six drive-in beaches in the world in 2016. Idukki Dam, the world's second arch dam, and Asia's first is at Idukki. The major beaches are at Kovalam, Varkala, Kozhikode, Fort Kochi, Cherai, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Kadalundi, Tanur, Chaliyam, Payyambalam, Kappad, Muzhappilangad and Bekal. Popular hill stations are at Ponmudi, Wayanad, Vagamon, Munnar, Peermade, Ramakkalmedu, Arimbra, Paithalmala of Kannur district, Kodikuthimala, and Nelliampathi. Munnar is 4,500 feet above sea level and is known for tea plantations, and a variety of flora and fauna. Kerala's ecotourism destinations include 12 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks: Periyar Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, and Silent Valley National Park are the most popular among them. The Kerala backwaters are an extensive network of interlocking rivers (41 west-flowing rivers), lakes, and canals that centre around Alleppey, Kumarakom, Ponnani, Nileshwaram, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), Pathiramanal a small island in Muhamma. Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace are two nearby heritage sites. Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram holds the record as the wealthiest place of worship in the world, with assets of at least ₹1.2 trillion (equivalent to ₹2.5 trillion or US$31 billion in 2023).Outline of KeralaSouth IndiaDravidian peopleBose, Satheese Chandra and Varughese, Shiju Sam (eds.) 2015. Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces and Practices in Transition. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan.Chathukulam, Jos; Tharamangalam, Joseph (2021). 'The Kerala model in the time of COVID19: Rethinking state, society and democracy'. World Development. 137: 105207. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105207. PMC 7510531. PMID 32989341.Devika, J. (2016). 'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'. Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 23 (3): 393–414. doi:10.1177/0971521516656077. S2CID 151752480.Jeffrey, Robin (2004). 'Legacies of Matriliny: The Place of Women and the 'Kerala Model'' (PDF). Pacific Affairs. 77 (4): 647–664. JSTOR 40023536.Jeffrey, Robin (2009). 'Testing Concepts about Print, Newspapers, and Politics: Kerala, India, 1800–2009' (PDF). The Journal of Asian Studies. 68 (2): 465. doi:10.1017/S0021911809000679. S2CID 146795894.Jeffrey, Robin (27 July 2016). Politics, Women and Well-Being: How Kerala became 'a Model'. Springer. ISBN 9781349122523.Ramanathaiyer, Sundar; MacPherson, Stewart (2018). Social Development in Kerala: Illusion or Reality? (2nd ed.). Routledge.GovernmentThe Official website of the Government of KeralaThe Official website of Kerala TourismGeneral informationKerala at Curlie Geographic data related to Kerala at OpenStreetMap","Kerala | leaderName | Kochi","The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala).There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur.The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration.It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala.Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year.A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season.Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League.The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country.'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'.","The leader of Kerala is Kochi."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Fall_Creek_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.","Anderson. Indiana. is part of Fall Creek Township. Madison County Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | draftTeam | Columbus_Blue_Jackets","He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019.","Adam McQuaid's draft team is the Columbus Blue Jackets."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | United_Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston Martin V8 was assembled in the United Kingdom."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Jones_County,_Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'.Portal to Texas History.University of North Texas Libraries.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Texas Archive of the Moving Image.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene. Texas is part of Jones County. Texas."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Fall_Creek_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.","Anderson. Indiana. is part of Fall Creek Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | draftTeam | Columbus_Blue_Jackets","He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.","Adam McQuaid was drafted to the Columbus Blue Jackets."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | United_Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is assembled in the United Kingdom."
-"Kerala (English:  KERR-ə-lə; Malayalam: [ke:ɾɐɭɐm] (listen)) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Travancore. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The region's prominence in trade was noted in the works of Pliny as well as the Periplus around 100 CE. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for European colonisation of India. At the time of Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, there were two major princely states in Kerala: Travancore and Cochin. They united to form the state of Thiru-Kochi in 1949. The Malabar region, in the northern part of Kerala, had been a part of the Madras province of British India, which later became a part of the Madras State post-independence. After the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the modern-day state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district of Madras State (excluding Gudalur taluk of Nilgiris district, Lakshadweep Islands, Topslip, the Attappadi Forest east of Anakatti), the taluk of Kasaragod (now Kasaragod District) in South Canara, and the erstwhile state of Thiru-Kochi (excluding four southern taluks of Kanyakumari district, and Shenkottai taluks).Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; the highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.784 in 2018 (0.712 in 2015); the highest literacy rate, 96.2% in the 2018 literacy survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, India; the highest life expectancy, 77.3 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000 men. Kerala is the least impoverished state in India according to NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals dashboard and Reserve Bank of India's 'Handbook of Statistics on Indian Economy'. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. The state topped in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals according to the annual report of NITI Aayog published in 2019. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly Malayalam and sometimes English. Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity.The economy of Kerala is the 8th-largest in India with ₹8.55 trillion (US$110 billion) in gross state domestic product (GSDP) and a per capita net state domestic product of ₹222,000 (US$2,800). The tertiary sector contributes around 65% to state's GSVA, while the primary sector contributes only 8%. The state has witnessed significant emigration, especially to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important. The state is situated between Arabian Sea to the west and Western Ghats mountain ranges to the east. The state's coastline extends for 595 kilometres (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry, which contributes 3% to the state's income. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with coconut-lined sandy beaches, backwaters, hill stations, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.The word Kerala is first recorded as Keralaputo ('son of Chera [s]') in a 3rd-century-BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka (274–237 BCE), one of his edicts pertaining to welfare. At that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil: Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for 'lake'. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam 'declivity of a hill or a mountain slope' or chera alam 'land of the Cheras'.One folk etymology derives Kerala from the Malayalam word kera 'coconut tree' and alam 'land'; thus, 'land of coconuts', which is a nickname for the state used by locals due to the abundance of coconut trees.The earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala as Cherapadha is the late Vedic text Aitareya Aranyaka. Kerala is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics. The Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. The Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Kerala as Celobotra.Kerala was alternatively called Malabar in the foreign trade circles. Earlier, the term Malabar had also been used to denote Tulu Nadu and Kanyakumari which lie contiguous to Kerala on the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala. The people of Malabar were known as Malabars. Until the arrival of the East India Company, the term Malabar was used as a general name for Kerala, along with the term Kerala. From the time of Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE) itself, the Arab sailors used to call Kerala as Male. The first element of the name, however, is attested already in the Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes. This mentions a pepper emporium called Male, which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male'). The name Male is thought to come from the Malayalam word Mala ('hill'). Al-Biruni (973–1048 CE) is the first known writer to call this country Malabar. Authors such as Ibn Khordadbeh and Al-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works. The Arab writers had called this place Malibar, Manibar, Mulibar, and Munibar. Malabar is reminiscent of the word Malanad which means the land of hills. According to William Logan, the word Malabar comes from a combination of the Malayalam word Mala (hill) and the Persian/Arabic word Barr (country/continent).According to the Sangam classic Purananuru, the Chera king Senkuttuvan conquered the lands between Kanyakumari and the Himalayas. Lacking worthy enemies, he besieged the sea by throwing his spear into it. According to the 17th-century Hindu mythology work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the axe-wielding warrior sage Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu (hence, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshetram 'The Land of Parasurama' in Hindu mythology). Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to the legendary account, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation; so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, that Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parasurama legendary account, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.Another much earlier Puranic character associated with Kerala is Mahabali, an Asura and a prototypical just king, who ruled the earth from Kerala. He won the war against the Devas, driving them into exile. The Devas pleaded before Lord Vishnu, who took his fifth incarnation as Vamana and pushed Mahabali down to netherworld to placate the Devas. There is a belief that, once a year during the Onam festival, Mahabali returns to Kerala. The Matsya Purana, among the oldest of the 18 Puranas, uses the Malaya Mountains of Kerala (and Tamil Nadu) as the setting for the story of Matsya, the first incarnation of Vishnu, and Manu, the first man and the king of the region.=Ophir, a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth, is often identified with some coastal areas of Kerala. According to the account, the King Solomon received a cargo from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. A Dictionary of the Bible by Sir William Smith, published in 1863, notes the Hebrew word for parrot Thukki, derived from the Classical Tamil for peacock Thogkai and Cingalese Tokei, joins other Classical Tamil words for ivory, cotton-cloth and apes preserved in the Hebrew Bible. This theory of Ophir's location in Tamilakam is further supported by other historians. The most likely location on the coast of Kerala conjectured to be Ophir is Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram District (though some Indian scholars also suggest Beypore as possible location). The Books of Kings and Chronicles tell of a joint expedition to Ophir by King Solomon and the Tyrian king Hiram I from Ezion-Geber, a port on the Red Sea, that brought back large amounts of gold, precious stones and 'algum wood' and of a later failed expedition by king Jehoshaphat of Judah. The famous 'gold of Ophir' is referenced in several other books of the Hebrew Bible.=The legend of Cheraman Perumals is the medieval tradition associated with the Cheraman Perumals (literally the Chera kings) of Kerala. The validity of the legend as a source of history once generated much debate among South Indian historians. The legend was used by Kerala chiefdoms for the legitimation of their rule (most of the major chiefly houses in medieval Kerala traced its origin back to the legendary allocation by the Perumal). According to the legend, Rayar, the overlord of the Cheraman Perumal in a country east of the Ghats, invaded Kerala during the rule of the last Perumal. To drive back the invading forces the Perumal summoned the militia of his chieftains (like Udaya Varman Kolathiri, Manichchan, and Vikkiran of Eranad). The Cheraman Perumal was assured by the Eradis (chief of Eranad) that they would take a fort established by the Rayar. The battle lasted for three days and the Rayar eventually evacuated his fort (and it was seized by the Perumal's troops). Then the last Cheraman Perumal divided Kerala or Chera kingdom among his chieftains and disappeared mysteriously. The Kerala people never more heard any tidings of him. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu, who later came to be known as the Zamorins of Kozhikode, who were left out in cold during allocation of the land, was granted the Cheraman Perumal's sword (with the permission to 'die, and kill, and seize').According to the Cheraman Juma Mosque and some other narratives, 'Once a Cheraman Perumal probably named Ravi Varma was walking with his queen in the palace, when he witnessed the splitting of the moon. Shocked by this, he asked his astronomers to note down the exact time of the splitting. Then, when some Arab merchants visited his palace, he asked them about this incident. Their answers led the King to Mecca, where he met Islamic prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. It is assumed that the first recorded version of this legend is an Arabic manuscript of anonymous authorship known as Qissat Shakarwati Farmad. The 16th century Arabic work Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen authored by Zainuddin Makhdoom II of Ponnani, as well as the medieval Malayalam work Keralolpathi, also mention about the departure of last Cheraman Perumal of Kerala into Mecca.However, S. N. Sadasivan contends in A Social History of India that Kalimanja, the king of the Maldives, was the one who converted to Islam. The story of Tajuddeen in the Cochin Gazetteer may have originated because Mali, as it was known to sailors at the time, was mistaken for Malabar (Kerala).A substantial portion of Kerala including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery, thus supporting the hypothesis. Pre-historical archaeological findings include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area of the Idukki district, which lie on the eastern highland made by Western Ghats. They are locally known as 'muniyara', derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen). Rock engravings in the Edakkal Caves, in Wayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE. Archaeological studies have identified Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic sites in Kerala. The studies point to the development of ancient Kerala society and its culture beginning from the Paleolithic Age, through the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic Ages. Foreign cultural contacts have assisted this cultural formation; historians suggest a possible relationship with Indus Valley civilization during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age.Kerala has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the 'Garden of Spices' or as the 'Spice Garden of India'.: 79  Kerala's spices attracted ancient Arabs, Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Phoenicians established trade with Kerala during this period. Arabs and Phoenicians were the first to enter Malabar Coast to trade Spices. The Arabs on the coasts of Yemen, Oman, and the Persian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Kerala and other eastern countries. They must have brought the Cinnamon of Kerala to the Middle East. The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.The Land of Keralaputra was one of the four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being Chola, Pandya, and Satiyaputra. Scholars hold that Keralaputra is an alternate name of the Cheras, the first dominant dynasty who ruled Kerala, and had its capital at Karur. These territories once shared a common language and culture, within an area known as Tamilakam. The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu. Along with the Ay kingdom in the south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north, the Cheras formed the ruling kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era (CE). It is noted in Sangam literature that the Chera king Uthiyan Cheralathan ruled most of modern Kerala from his capital in Kuttanad, and controlled the port of Muziris, but its southern tip was in the kingdom of Pandyas, which had a trading port sometimes identified in ancient Western sources as Nelcynda (or Neacyndi) in Quilon. Tyndis was a major center of trade, next only to Muziris, between the Cheras and the Roman Empire. The lesser known Ays and Mushikas kingdoms lay to the south and north of the Chera regions, respectively. Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos (Chera dynasty). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis, was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period. The port at Tyndis which was on the northern side of Muziris, as mentioned in Greco-Roman writings, was somewhere around Kozhikode. Its exact location is a matter of dispute. The suggested locations are Ponnani, Tanur, Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, and Koyilandy.According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike's starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000 sesterces. According to Pliny the Elder, goods from India were sold in the Empire at 100 times their original purchase price. Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone to raids by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of Malabar peppers. In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links with China, West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. In foreign-trade circles the region was known as Male or Malabar. Muziris, Tyndis, Naura, Nelcynda, and Barace, were among the principal ports at that time. Contemporary Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange for Malabar pepper. One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala was Eudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage of Ptolemy VIII, king of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple of Augustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana, the only surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.Merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. The Israeli (Jewish) connection with Kerala started in 573 BCE. Arabs also had trade links with Kerala, starting before the 4th century BCE, as Herodotus (484–413 BCE) noted that goods brought by Arabs from Kerala were sold to the Israelis [Hebrew Jews] at Eden. In the 4th century, the Knanaya or Southist Christians also migrated from Persia and lived alongside the early Syriac Christian community known as the St. Thomas Christians who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Mappila was an honorific title that had been assigned to respected visitors from abroad; Israelite (Jewish), Syrian Christian, and Muslim immigration account for later names of the respective communities: Juda Mappilas, Muslim Mappilas, and Nasrani Mappilas. The earliest Saint Thomas Christian Churches, Cheraman Jumu'ah Masjid (traditionally dated to '629 CE' by the Mappilas)—regarded as 'the first mosque of India'—and Paradesi Synagogue (1568 CE)—the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations—were built in Kerala.A second Chera Kingdom (c. 800–1102), also known as Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram (present-day Kodungallur), was established by Kulasekhara Varman, which ruled over a territory comprising the whole of modern Kerala and a smaller part of modern Tamil Nadu. During the early part of the Kulasekara period, the southern region from Nagercoil to Thiruvalla was ruled by Ay kings, who lost their power in the 10th century, making the region a part of the Kulasekara empire. Under Kulasekhara rule, Kerala witnessed a developing period of art, literature, trade and the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils, became linguistically separate during this period around the seventh century. The origin of Malayalam calendar dates back to year 825 CE. For local administration, the empire was divided into provinces under the rule of Naduvazhis, with each province comprising a number of Desams under the control of chieftains, called as Desavazhis. Mamankam festival, which was the largest native festival, was held at Tirunavaya near Kuttippuram, on the bank of river Bharathappuzha. Athavanad, the headquarters of Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who were also considered as the supreme religious chief of the Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, is also located near Tirunavaya.Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam. A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerable Muslim population in the coastal towns. Arab writers such as Al-Masudi of Baghdad (896–956 CE), Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165 CE), Abulfeda (1273–1331 CE), and Al-Dimashqi (1256–1327 CE) mention the Muslim communities in Kerala. Some historians assume that the Mappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Muslim community in South Asia. The known earliest mention about Muslims of Kerala is in the Quilon Syrian copper plates.The inhibitions, caused by a series of Chera-Chola wars in the 11th century, resulted in the decline of foreign trade in Kerala ports. In addition, Portuguese invasions in the 15th century caused two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism, to disappear from the land. It is known that the Menons in the Malabar region of Kerala were originally strong believers of Jainism. The social system became fractured with divisions on caste lines. Finally, the Kulasekhara dynasty was subjugated in 1102 by the combined attack of Later Pandyas and Later Cholas. However, in the 14th century, Ravi Varma Kulashekhara (1299–1314) of the southern Venad kingdom was able to establish a short-lived supremacy over southern India.After his death, in the absence of a strong central power, the state was divided into thirty small warring principalities; the most powerful of them were the kingdom of Zamorin of Kozhikode in the north, Kollam in the far-south, Kochi in the south, and Kannur in the far north. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in Kerala, while Kollam (Quilon), Kochi, and Kannur (Cannanore) were commercially confined to secondary roles. The Zamorin of Calicut was originally the ruler of Eranad, which was a minor principality located in the northern parts of present-day Malappuram district. The Zamorin allied with Arab and Chinese merchants and used most of the wealth from Kozhikode to develop his military power. Kozhikode became the most powerful kingdom in the Malayalam speaking region during the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Kozhikode conquered larger parts of central Kerala after the seize of Tirunavaya from Valluvanad, which were under the control of the king of Perumbadappu Swaroopam (Cochin). The ruler of Perumpadappu was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south from Kodungallur to Kochi. In the 15th century, the status of Cochin was reduced to a vassal state of Kozhikode. The ruler of Kolathunadu (Kannur) had also came under the influence of Zamorin by the end of the 15th century.At the peak of their reign, the Zamorins of Kozhikode ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) in the south to Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy) in the north. Ibn Battuta (1342–1347), who visited the city of Kozhikode six times, gives the earliest glimpses of life in the city. He describes Kozhikode as 'one of the great ports of the district of Malabar' where 'merchants of all parts of the world are found'. The king of this place, he says, 'shaves his chin just as the Haidari Fakeers of Rome do... The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit-out others like them'. Ma Huan (1403 AD), the Chinese sailor part of the Imperial Chinese fleet under Cheng Ho (Zheng He) states the city as a great emporium of trade frequented by merchants from around the world. He makes note of the 20 or 30 mosques built to cater to the religious needs of the Muslims, the unique system of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day), and the matrilineal system of succession (Marumakkathayam). Abdur Razzak (1442–43), Niccolò de' Conti (1445), Afanasy Nikitin (1468–74), Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508), and Duarte Barbosa witnessed the city as one of the major trading centres in the Indian subcontinent where traders from different parts of the world could be seen.The king Deva Raya II (1424–1446) of the Vijayanagara Empire conquered the entirety of present-day state of Kerala in the 15th century. He defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode, as well as the ruler of Kollam around 1443. Fernão Nunes says that the Zamorin had to pay tribute to the king of Vijayanagara Empire. Later Kozhikode and Venad seem to have rebelled against their Vijayanagara overlords, but Deva Raya II quelled the rebellion. As the Vijayanagara power diminished over the next fifty years, the Zamorin of Kozhikode again rose to prominence in Kerala. He built a fort at Ponnani in 1498.The maritime spice trade monopoly in the Arabian Sea stayed with the Arabs during the High and Late Middle Ages. However, the dominance of Middle East traders was challenged in the European Age of Discovery. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in Kappad Kozhikode in 1498, the Portuguese began to dominate eastern shipping, and the spice-trade in particular. Following the discovery of sea route from Europe to Malabar in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas between Ormus and the Malabar Coast and south to Ceylon. They established a trading center at Tangasseri in Quilon during 1502 as per the invitation of the then Queen of Quilon to start spices trade from there. The Zamorin of Kozhikode permitted the new visitors to trade with his subjects such that Portuguese trade in Kozhikode prospered with the establishment of a factory and a fort. However, Portuguese attacks on Arab properties in his jurisdiction provoked the Zamorin and led to conflicts between them.The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur, who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode. As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin. Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom. However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504). However, the allegiance of the Mappila merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut.The Portuguese took advantage of the rivalry between the Zamorin and the King of Kochi allied with Kochi. When Francisco de Almeida was appointed as Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505, his headquarters was established at Fort Kochi (Fort Emmanuel) rather than in Kozhikode. During his reign, the Portuguese managed to dominate relations with Kochi and established a few fortresses on the Malabar Coast. Fort St Angelo or St. Angelo Fort was built at Kannur in 1505 and Fort St Thomas was built at Kollam (Quilon) in 1518 by the Portuguese. However, the Portuguese suffered setbacks from attacks by Zamorin forces in South Malabar; especially from naval attacks under the leadership of Kozhikode admirals known as Kunjali Marakkars, which compelled them to seek a treaty. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast. Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen written by Zainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) of Ponnani in 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written in Arabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy of Kunjali Marakkar alongside the Zamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonize Malabar coast. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered as the father of modern Malayalam literature, was born at Tirur (Vettathunadu) during Portuguese period.In 1571, the Portuguese were defeated by the Zamorin forces in the battle at Chaliyam Fort. An insurrection at the Port of Quilon between the Arabs and the Portuguese led to the end of the Portuguese era in Quilon. The Muslim line of Ali Rajas of Arakkal kingdom, near Kannur, who were the vassals of the Kolathiri, ruled over the Lakshadweep islands. The Bekal Fort near Kasaragod, which is also largest fort in the state, was built in 1650 by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi.In 1602, the Zamorin sent messages to Aceh promising the Dutch a fort at Kozhikode if they would come and trade there. Two factors, Hans de Wolff and Lafer, were sent on an Asian ship from Aceh, but the two were captured by the chief of Tanur, and handed over to the Portuguese. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Steven van der Hagen arrived at Kozhikode in November 1604. It marked the beginning of the Dutch presence in Kerala and they concluded a treaty with Kozhikode on 11 November 1604, which was also the first treaty that the Dutch East India Company made with an Indian ruler. By this time the kingdom and the port of Kozhikode was much reduced in importance. The treaty provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch East India Company was given facilities for trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani, including spacious storehouses.The Portuguese were ousted by the Dutch East India Company, who during the conflicts between the Kozhikode and the Kochi, gained control of the trade. They lost to Dutch at Quilon after 1661 and later, the Portuguese left south-western coast. The arrival of British on Malabar Coast can be traced back to the year 1615, when a group under the leadership of Captain William Keeling arrived at Kozhikode, using three ships. It was in these ships that Sir Thomas Roe went to visit Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, as British envoy. In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century.The Dutch in turn were weakened by constant battles with Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family, and were defeated at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. An agreement, known as 'Treaty of Mavelikkara', was signed by the Dutch and Travancore in 1753, according to which the Dutch were compelled to detach from all political involvement in the region. In the 18th Century, Travancore King Sree Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma annexed all the kingdoms up to Cochin through military conquests, resulting in the rise of Travancore to pre-eminence in Kerala. The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent. Travancore became the dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.The island of Dharmadom near Kannur, along with Thalassery, was ceded to the East India Company in 1734, which were claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following the cession. In 1761, the British captured Mahé, and the settlement was handed over to the ruler of Kadathanadu. The British restored Mahé to the French as a part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1779, the Anglo-French war broke out, resulting in the French loss of Mahé. In 1783, the British agreed to restore to the French their settlements in India, and Mahé was handed over to the French in 1785.In 1757, to resist the invasion of the Zamorin of Kozhikode, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of the Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1766, Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode – an East India Company ally at the time – and absorbed Kozhikode into his state. The smaller princely states in northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar region) including Kolathunadu, Kottayam, Kadathanadu, Kozhikode, Tanur, Valluvanad, and Palakkad were unified under the rulers of Mysore and were made a part of the larger Kingdom of Mysore. His son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Tipu ultimately ceded the Malabar District and South Kanara to the company in the 1790s as a result of the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam; both were annexed to the Bombay Presidency (which had also included other regions in the western coast of India) of British India in the years 1792 and 1799, respectively. Later in 1800, both of the Malabar District and South Canara were separated from Bombay presidency to merge them with the neighbouring Madras Presidency. The company forged tributary alliances with Kochi in 1791 and Travancore in 1795.By the end of the 18th century, the whole of Kerala fell under the control of the British, either administered directly or under suzerainty. Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under the leadership of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who had popular support in Thalassery-Wayanad region. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Malabar Special Police was formed by the colonial government in 1884 headquartered at Malappuram. British in Malabar also converted Thiyyar army, called as Thiyya pattalam into a special regiment centered at Thalassery called as The Thiyyar Regiment in 1904. There were major revolts in Kerala during the independence movement in the 20th century; most notable among them is the 1921 Malabar Rebellion and the social struggles in Travancore. In the Malabar Rebellion, Mappila Muslims of Malabar rebelled against the British Raj. The Battle of Pookkottur adorns an important role in the rebellion. Some social struggles against caste inequalities also erupted in the early decades of the 20th century, leading to the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation by Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma that opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes.After India was partitioned in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Travancore and Kochi, part of the Union of India were merged on 1 July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin. On 1 November 1956, the taluk of Kasargod in the South Kanara district of Madras, the Malabar district of Madras (excluding the islands of Lakshadweep), and Travancore-Cochin, without four southern taluks and Sengottai taluk (which joined Tamil Nadu), merged to form the state of Kerala under the States Reorganisation Act. A Communist-led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad resulted from the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957. It was one of the earliest elected Communist governments anywhere. His government implemented land and educational reforms which in turn, reduced income inequality in the state.The state is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between northern latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and eastern longitudes 74°52' and 77°22', Kerala experiences humid tropical rainforest climate with some cyclones. The state has a coast of 590 km (370 mi) and the width of the state varies between 11 and 121 kilometres (7 and 75 mi). Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.: 110  Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala's terrain. A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history; it also created a natural harbour for spice transport.The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow.: 110  41 of Kerala's west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad; hence also known Palghat, where the Palakkad Gap breaks. The Western Ghats rise on average to 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above sea level, while the highest peaks reach around 2,500 metres (8,200 feet). Anamudi in the Idukki district is the highest peak in south India, is at an elevation of 2,695 m (8,842 ft). The Western Ghats mountain chain is recognised as one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity and is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains. The Athirappilly Falls, which is situated on the background of Western Ghat mountain ranges, is also known as The Niagara of India. It is located in the Chalakudy River and is the largest waterfall in the state. Wayanad is the sole Plateau in Kerala. The eastern regions in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram (Chaliyar valley at Nilambur), and Palakkad (Attappadi Valley), which together form parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, are known for natural Gold fields, along with the adjoining districts of Karnataka.Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region,: 33  and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in world where cultivation takes place below sea level. The country's longest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) in area. Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala. Kerala's 44 rivers include the Periyar; 244 kilometres (152 mi), Bharathapuzha; 209 kilometres (130 mi), Pamba; 176 kilometres (109 mi), Chaliyar; 169 kilometres (105 mi), Kadalundipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Chalakudipuzha; 130 kilometres (81 mi), Valapattanam; 129 kilometres (80 mi) and the Achankovil River; 128 kilometres (80 mi). The average length of the rivers is 64 kilometres (40 mi). Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain. As Kerala's rivers are small and lacking in delta, they are more prone to environmental effects. The rivers face problems such as sand mining and pollution. The state experiences several natural hazards like landslides, floods and droughts. The state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and in 2018 received the worst flooding in nearly a century.With around 120–140 rainy days per year,: 80  Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon, and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula, because of its topography, divides into two branches; the 'Arabian Sea Branch' and the 'Bay of Bengal Branch'. The 'Arabian Sea Branch' of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats, making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon. The distribution of pressure patterns is reversed in the Northeast monsoon, during this season the cold winds from North India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate it on the east coast of peninsular India. In Kerala, the influence of the Northeast monsoon is seen in southern districts only. Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in) annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in); the mountains of the eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation: the highest in the state. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. During the summer, the state is prone to gale-force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level.: 26, 46, 52  The mean daily temperature ranges from 19.8 °C to 36.7 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0 to 27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the eastern highlands.: 65 =Minerals including Ilmenite, Monazite, Thorium, and Titanium, are found in the coastal belt of Kerala. Kerala's coastal belt of Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand. In some coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr.Most of the biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Western Ghats. Three quarters of the land area of Kerala was under thick forest up to the 18th century. As of 2004, over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the 4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala, 900 are medicinal, and 159 are threatened.: 11  Its 9,400 km2 of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km2), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km2 and 100 km2, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km2). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.: 12  Four of the world's Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta, Ashtamudi Lake, Thrissur-Ponnani Kole Wetlands, and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and 1828 km2 of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century,: 6–7  much of the remaining forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Eastern Kerala's windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. The world's oldest teak plantation 'Conolly's Plot' is in Nilambur.Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it includes 118 species of mammals (1 endemic), 500 species of birds, 189 species of freshwater fish, 173 species of reptiles (10 of them endemic), and 151 species of amphibians (36 endemic). These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinisation, and resource extraction. In the forests, sonokeling, Dalbergia latifolia, anjili, mullumurikku, Erythrina, and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm, and aromatic vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides.: 12  Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Nilgiri tahr, common palm civet, and grizzled giant squirrels are also found in the forests.: 12, 174–75  Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and mugger crocodile. Kerala's birds include the Malabar trogon, the great hornbill, Kerala laughingthrush, darter and southern hill myna. In the lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as Kadu, Red Line Torpedo Barb and choottachi; orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus are found.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala). The districts which serve as administrative regions for taxation purposes are further subdivided into 27 revenue subdivisions and 77 taluks, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records. Kerala's taluks are further sub-divided into 1,674 revenue villages.Since the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution of India, the local government institutions function as the third tier of government, which constitutes 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 941 Grama Panchayats, 87 Municipalities, six Municipal Corporations and one Township.Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry, though 647 kilometres (402 mi) away from it, is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. The Kannur District surrounds Mahé on three sides with the Kozhikode District on the fourth.In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in the Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century. The municipalities of Kozhikode, Palakkad, Fort Kochi, Kannur, and Thalassery, were founded on 1 November 1866 of the British Indian Empire, making them the first modern municipalities in the state of Kerala. The Municipality of Thiruvananthapuram came into existence in 1920. After two decades, during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal, Thiruvananthapuram Municipality was converted into Corporation on 30 October 1940, making it the oldest Municipal Corporation of Kerala. The first Municipal Corporation founded after the independence of India as well as the second-oldest Municipal Corporation of the state is at Kozhikode in the year 1962. There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration. According to a survey by economics research firm Indicus Analytics in 2007, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur are among the 'best cities in India to live'; the survey used parameters such as health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment to rank the cities.Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress; and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). As of 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the LDF is the ruling coalition; Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is the Chief Minister, while V. D. Satheesan of the Indian National Congress is the Leader of the Opposition. According to the Constitution of India, Kerala has a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. The government is organised into the three branches:Legislature: The unicameral legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly popularly known as Niyamasabha, comprises elected members and special office bearers; the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected by the members from among themselves. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker and in the Speaker's absence, by the Deputy Speaker. The state has 140 assembly constituencies. The state elects 20 and 9 members for representation in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively.Executive: The Governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state, and is appointed by the President of India. Arif Mohammad Khan is the Governor of Kerala. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the head of government and is vested with extensive executive powers; the head of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly is appointed to the post by the Governor. The Council of Ministers has its members appointed by the Governor, taking the advice of the Chief Minister. The executive administration is based in Thiruvananthapuram at State Secretariat complex. Each district has a district administrator appointed by government called District collector for executive administration. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Judiciary: The judiciary consists of the Kerala High Court and a system of lower courts. The High Court, located in Kochi, has a Chief Justice along with 35 permanent and twelve additional pro tempore justices as of 2021. The high court also hears cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.The local government bodies; Panchayat, Municipalities and Corporations have existed in Kerala since 1959, however, the major initiative to decentralise the governance was started in 1993, conforming to the constitutional amendments of central government in this direction. With the enactment of Kerala Panchayati Raj Act and Kerala Municipality Act in 1994, the state implemented reforms in local self-governance. The Kerala Panchayati Raj Act envisages a 3-tier system of local government with Gram panchayat, Block panchayat and District Panchayat forming a hierarchy. The acts ensure a clear demarcation of power among these institutions. However, the Kerala Municipality Act envisages a single-tier system for urban areas, with the institution of municipality designed to par with the Gram panchayat of the former system. Substantial administrative, legal and financial powers are delegated to these bodies to ensure efficient decentralisation. As per the present norms, the state government devolves about 40% of the state plan outlay to the local government. Kerala was declared as the first digital state of India on 27 February 2016. The India Corruption Survey 2019 by Transparency International declared Kerala the least-corrupt state in India. The Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, India, designated Kerala as the best governed Indian state.After independence, the state was managed as a democratic socialist welfare economy. From the 1990s, liberalisation of the mixed economy allowed Licence Raj restrictions against capitalism and foreign direct investment to be lightened, leading to economic expansion and an increase in employment. In the fiscal year 2018–19, the nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) was ₹7.82 lakh crore (US$98 billion). GSDP growth; 11.4% in 2018–2019 and 10.5% in 2017–2018 had been high compared to an average of 2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1%: 8  and 6.0% in the 1990s.: 8  The state recorded 8.9% growth in enterprises from 1998 to 2005, higher than the national rate of 4.8%. The 'Kerala phenomenon' or 'Kerala model of development' of very high human development and in comparison low economic development has resulted from a strong service sector.: 48 : 1  In 2019–20, the tertiary sector contributed around 63% of the state's GSVA, compared to 28% by secondary sector, and 8% by primary sector. In the period between 1960 and 2020, Kerala's economy was gradually shifting from an agrarian economy into a service-based one.The state's service sector which accounts for around 63% of its revenue is mainly based upon Hospitality industry, Tourism, Ayurveda & Medical Services, Pilgrimage, Information technology, Transportation, Financial sector, and Education. Major initiatives under the industrial sector include Cochin Shipyard, Shipbuilding, Oil refinery, Software Industry, Coastal mineral industries, food processing, marine products processing, and Rubber based products. The primary sector of the state is mainly based upon Cash crops. Kerala produces a significant amount of national output of the cash crops such as Coconut, Tea, Coffee, pepper, Natural rubber, Cardamom, and Cashew in India. The cultivation of food crops began to reduce since the 1950s. The Migrant labourers in Kerala are a significant workforce in its industrial and agricultural sectors. Being home to only 1.18% of the total land area of India and 2.75% of its population, Kerala contributes more than 4% to the Gross Domestic Product of India.Kerala's economy depends significantly on emigrants working in foreign countries, mainly in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and the remittances annually contribute more than a fifth of GSDP. The state witnessed significant emigration during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2008, the Persian Gulf countries together had a Keralite population of more than 25 lakh(2.5 million), who sent home annually a sum of US$6.81 billion, which is the highest among Indian states and more than 15.1% of remittances to India in 2008. In 2012, Kerala still received the highest remittances of all states: US$11.3 billion, which was nearly 16% of the US$71 billion remittances to the country. In 2015, NRI deposits in Kerala have soared to over ₹1 lakh crore (US$13 billion), amounting to one-sixth of all the money deposited in NRI accounts, which comes to about ₹7 lakh crore (US$88 billion). Malappuram district has the highest proportion of emigrant households in state. A study commissioned by the Kerala State Planning Board, suggested that the state look for other reliable sources of income, instead of relying on remittances to finance its expenditure.A decline of about 300,000 in the number of emigrants from the state was recorded during the period between 2013 and 2018. The total remittances received by the emigrants stood at ₹85,100 crore (US$11 billion) in the year 2018. According to a study done in 2013, ₹17,500 crore (US$2.2 billion) was the total amount paid to migrant labourers in the state every year. The tertiary sector comprises services such as transport, storage, communications, tourism, banking, insurance and real estate. In 2011–2012, it contributed 63.2% of the state's GDP, agriculture and allied sectors contributed 15.7%, while manufacturing, construction and utilities contributed 21.1%. Around 600 varieties: 5  of rice, which is Kerala's most used staple and cereal crop,: 5  are harvested from 3105.21 km2; a decline from 5883.4 km2 in 1990.: 5  6,88,859 tonnes of rice are produced per year. Other key crops include coconut; 899,198 ha, tea, coffee; 23% of Indian production,: 13  or 57,000 tonnes,: 6–7  rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.As of March 2002, Kerala's banking sector comprised 3341 local branches: each branch served 10,000 people, lower than the national average of 16,000; the state has the third-highest bank penetration among Indian states. On 1 October 2011, Kerala became the first state in the country to have at least one banking facility in every village. Unemployment in 2007 was estimated at 9.4%; chronic issues are underemployment, low employability of youth, and a low female labour participation rate of only 13.5%,: 5, 13  as was the practice of Nokku kooli, 'wages for looking on'. (On 30 April 2018, the Kerala state government issued an order to abolish Nokku Kooli, to take effect on 1 May.) By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively.The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) was started in 2007, covering more than 3000 outlets across the nine cities of Kerala with huge tax discounts, VAT refunds and huge array of prizes. Lulu International Mall at Thiruvananthapuram is the largest Shopping Mall in India.The state's budget of 2020–2021 was ₹1.15 lakh crore (US$14 billion). The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to ₹67,420 crore (US$8.4 billion) in 2020–21; up from ₹55,671 crore (US$7.0 billion) in 2019–20. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala reached ₹14,587 crore (US$1.8 billion) in 2020–2021. However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to GSDP has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, which have impacted social services. A record total of 223 hartals were observed in 2006, resulting in a revenue loss of over ₹2,000 crore (US$250 million). Kerala's 10% rise in GDP is 3% more than the national GDP. In 2013, capital expenditure rose 30% compared to the national average of 5%, owners of two-wheelers rose by 35% compared to the national rate of 15%, and the teacher-pupil ratio rose 50% from 2:100 to 4:100.The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board is a government owned financial institution in the state to mobilize funds for infrastructure development from outside the state revenue, aiming at overall infrastructure development of the state.In November 2015, the Ministry of Urban Development selected seven cities of Kerala for a comprehensive development program known as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). A package of ₹2.5 million (US$31,000) was declared for each of the cities to develop service level improvement plan (SLIP), a plan for better functioning of the local urban bodies in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad.Despite of many achievements, Kerala facing many challenges like high levels of unemployment that disproportionately impact educated women, a high degree of global exposure and a very fragile environment.Kerala has focused more attention towards growth of Information Technology sector with formation of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram which is one of the largest IT employer in Kerala. It was the first technology park in India and with the inauguration of the Thejaswini complex on 22 February 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India. Software giants like Infosys, Oracle, Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, HCL, UST Global, NeST and Suntec have offices in the state. The state has a second major IT hub, the Infopark centred in Kochi with 'spokes'(it acts as the 'hub') in Thrissur and Alleppy. As of 2014, Infopark generates one-third of total IT Revenues of the state with key offices of IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Wipro, UST Global, IBS Software Services etc. and Multinational corporations like KPMG, Ernst & Young, EXL Service, Etisalat DB Telecom, Nielsen Audio, Xerox ACS, Tata ELXSI etc. Kochi also has another major project SmartCity under construction, built in partnership with Dubai Government. A third major IT Hub is under construction centred around Kozhikode known as Cyberpark. Kerala is the first Indian state to make Internet access a basic right. As of 2019, Kerala's Internet penetration rate is the second-highest in India only after to Delhi. Kerala is the first Indian state to have its own Internet service with the launch of Kerala Fiber Optic Network in 2021.Traditional industries manufacturing items; coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Kerala supplies 60% of the total global produce of white coir fibre. India's first coir factory was set up in Alleppey in 1859–60. The Central Coir Research Institute was established there in 1959. As per the 2006–2007 census by SIDBI, there are 14,68,104 micro, small and medium enterprises in Kerala employing 30,31,272 people. The KSIDC has promoted more than 650 medium and large manufacturing firms in Kerala, creating employment for 72,500 people. A mining sector of 0.3% of GSDP involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite. Other major sectors are tourism, medical sector, educational sector, banking, ship building, oil refinery, infrastructure, manufacturing, home gardens, animal husbandry and business process outsourcing.The major change in agriculture in Kerala occurred in the 1970s when production of rice fell due to increased availability of rice all over India and decreased availability of labour. Consequently, investment in rice production decreased and a major portion of the land shifted to the cultivation of perennial tree crops and seasonal crops. Profitability of crops fell due to a shortage of farm labour, the high price of land, and the uneconomic size of operational holdings. Only 27.3% of the families in Kerala depend upon agriculture for their livelihood, which is also the least curresponding rate in India.Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper and accounts for 85% of the natural rubber in the country. Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the main agricultural products.: 74  Around 80% of India's export quality cashew kernels are prepared in Kollam. The key cash crop is Coconut and Kerala ranks first in the area of coconut cultivation in India. In 1960–61, about 70% of the Coconuts produced in India were from Kerala, which have reduced to 42% in 2011–12. Around 90% of the total Cardamom produced in India is from Kerala. India is the second-largest producer of Cardamom in world. About 20% of the total Coffee produced in India are from Kerala. The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields. Home gardens made up a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Related animal husbandry is touted by proponents as a means of alleviating rural poverty and unemployment among women, the marginalised, and the landless. The state government promotes these activities via educational campaigns and the development of new cattle breeds such as the Sunandini.Though the contribution of the agricultural sector to the state economy was on the decline in 2012–13, through the strength of the allied livestock sector, it has picked up from 7.0% (2011–12) to 7.2%. In the 2013–14 fiscal period, the contribution has been estimated at a high of 7.8%. The total growth of the farm sector has recorded a 4.4% increase in 2012–13, over a 1.3% growth in the previous fiscal year. The agricultural sector has a share of 9.3% in the sectoral distribution of Gross State Domestic Product at Constant Price, while the secondary and tertiary sectors have contributed 23.9% and 66.7%, respectively.There is a preference for organic products and home farming compared to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Forest gardens are common and known by the name home gardens. According to the English horticulturist Robert Hart, Kerala is 'from the agroforestry point of view, perhaps the world's most advanced country, with an extraordinary intensivity of cultivation of some forest gardens.'With 590 kilometres (370 miles) of coastal belt, 400,000 hectares of inland water resources and approximately 220,000 active fishermen, Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. According to 2003–04 reports, about 11 lakh(1.1 million) people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. The annual yield of the sector was estimated as 6,08,000 tons in 2003–04. This contributes to about 3% of the total economy of the state. In 2006, around 22% of the total Indian marine fishery yield was from Kerala. During the southwest monsoon, a suspended mud bank develops along the shore, which in turn leads to calm ocean water, peaking the output of the fishing industry. This phenomenon is locally called chakara. The waters provide a large variety of fish: pelagic species; 59%, demersal species; 23%, crustaceans, molluscs and others for 18%. Around 10.5 lakh(1.050 million) fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes as of a 1999–2000 estimate; 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590-kilometre (370-mile) coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.Kerala has 331,904 kilometres (206,236 mi) of roads, which accounts for 5.6% of India's total. This translates to about 9.94 kilometres (6.18 mi) of road per thousand people, compared to an average of 4.87 kilometres (3.03 mi) in the country. Roads in Kerala include 1,812 kilometres (1,126 mi) of national highway; 1.6% of the nation's total, 4,342 kilometres (2,698 mi) of state highway; 2.5% of the nation's total, 27,470 kilometres (17,070 mi) of district roads; 4.7% of the nation's total, 33,201 kilometres (20,630 mi) of urban (municipal) roads; 6.3% of the nation's total, and 158,775 kilometres (98,658 mi) of rural roads; 3.8% of the nation's total. Kottayam has the maximum length of roads among the districts of Kerala, while Wayanad accounts for minimum. Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through the NH 66 (previously NH 17 and 47); and the eastern side is accessible through state highways. New projects for hill and coastal highways were recently announced under KIIFB. National Highway 66, with the longest stretch of road (1,622 kilometres (1,008 mi)) connects Kanyakumari to Mumbai; it enters Kerala via Talapady in Kasargod and passes through Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Guruvayur, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram before entering Tamil Nadu. Palakkad district is generally referred to as the Gateway of Kerala, due to the presence of the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats, through which the northern (Malabar) and southern (Travancore) parts of Kerala are connected to the rest of India via road and rail. The state's largest checkpoint, Walayar, is on NH 544, in the border town between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, through which a large amount of public and commercial transportation reaches the northern and central districts of Kerala.The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways system and major district roads. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the state highways in Kerala. It also oversees a few major district roads. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Traffic density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest. The accidents are mainly the result of the narrow roads and irresponsible driving. National Highways in Kerala are among the narrowest in the country and will remain so for the foreseeable future, as the state government has received an exemption that allows narrow national highways. In Kerala, highways are 45 metres (148 feet) wide. In other states, national highways are grade separated, 60 metres (200 feet) wide with a minimum of four lanes, as well as 6 or 8-lane access-controlled expressways. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has threatened the Kerala state government that it will give higher priority to other states in highway development since political commitment to better highways in Kerala has been lacking. As of 2013, Kerala had the highest road accident rate in the country, with most fatal accidents taking place along the state's national highways.=Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation. It is one of the country's oldest state-run public bus transport services. Its origins can be traced back to Travancore State Road Transport Department, when the Travancore government headed by Sri. Chithra Thirunnal decided to set up a public road transportation system in 1937.The corporation is divided into three zones (North, Central and South), with the headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala's capital city). Daily scheduled service has increased from 1,200,000 kilometres (750,000 mi) to 1,422,546 kilometres (883,929 mi), using 6,241 buses on 6,389 routes. At present the corporation has 5373 buses running on 4795 schedules.The Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) was formed under KSRTC in 2015 to manage affairs related to urban transportation. It was inaugurated on 12 April 2015 at Thevara.Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways operates all railway lines in the state connecting most major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. The railway network in the state is controlled by two out of six divisions of the Southern Railway; Thiruvananthapuram Railway division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad Railway Division headquartered at Palakkad. Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC) is the busiest railway station in the state. Kerala's major railway stations are:The first railway line in the state was laid from Tirur to Chaliyam (Kozhikode), with the oldest Railway Station at Tirur, passing through Tanur, Parappanangadi, Vallikkunnu, and Kadalundi. The railway was extended from Tirur to Kuttippuram through Tirunavaya in the same year. It was again extended from Kuttippuram to Shoranur through Pattambi in 1862, resulting in the establishment of Shoranur Junction railway station, which is also the largest railway junction in the state. Major railway transport between Chaliyam–Tirur began on 12 March 1861, from Tirur-Shoranur in 1862, from Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section in 1902, from Kollam–Sengottai on 1 July 1904, Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram on 4 January 1918, from Nilambur-Shoranur in 1927, from Ernakulam–Kottayam in 1956, from Kottayam–Kollam in 1958, from Thiruvananthapuram–Kanyakumari in 1979 and from the Thrissur-Guruvayur Section in 1994. The Nilambur–Shoranur line is one of the shortest broad gauge railway lines in India. It was established in the British era for the transportation of Nilambur teaks and Angadipuram Laterite to United Kingdom through the port at Kozhikode. The presence of Palakkad Gap on Western Ghats makes the Shoranur Junction railway station important as it connects the southwestern coast of India (Mangalore) with the southeastern coast (Chennai).=Kochi Metro is the metro rail system in the city of Kochi. It is the only metro rail system in Kerala. Construction began in 2012, with the first phase being set up at an estimated cost of ₹51.81 billion (US$650 million). The Kochi Metro uses 65-metre long Metropolis train sets built and designed by Alstom. It is the first metro system in India to use a communication-based train control (CBTC) system for signalling and telecommunication. In October 2017, Kochi Metro was named the 'Best Urban Mobility Project' in India by the Urban Development Ministry, as part of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) International Conference hosted by the ministry every year.Kerala has four international airports: Kollam Airport, established under the Madras Presidency, but since closed, was the first airport in Kerala. Kannur had an airstrip used for commercial aviation as early as 1935 when Tata airlines operated weekly flights between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram – stopping at Goa and Kannur. Trivandrum International Airport, managed by the Airport Authority of India, is among the oldest existing airports in South India. Calicut International Airport, which was opened in 1988, is the second-oldest existing airport in Kerala and the oldest in the Malabar region. Cochin International Airport is the busiest in the state and the seventh busiest in the country. It is also the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy and has won the coveted Champion of the Earth award, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations. Cochin International Airport is also the first Indian airport to be incorporated as a public limited company; it was funded by nearly 10,000 non-resident Indians from 30 countries.Other than civilian airports, Kochi has a naval airport named INS Garuda. Thiruvananthapuram airport shares civilian facilities with the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. These facilities are used mostly by central government VIPs visiting Kerala.Kerala has one major port, four intermediate ports, and 13 minor ports. The major port in the state is at Kochi, which has an area of 8.27 km2. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, which is currently classified as an intermediate port, is an upcoming major port under construction. Other intermediate ports include Beypore, Kollam, and Azheekal. The remaining ports are classified as minor which include Manjeshwaram, Kasaragod, Nileshwaram, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Ponnani, Munambam, Manakodam, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Neendakara, and Valiyathura. The Kerala Maritime Institute is headquartered at Neendakara, which has an additional subcentre at Kodungallur too. The state has numerous backwaters, which are used for commercial inland navigation. Transport services are mainly provided by country craft and passenger vessels. There are 67 navigable rivers in the state while the total length of inland waterways is 1,687 kilometres (1,048 mi). The main constraints to the expansion of inland navigation are; lack of depth in waterways caused by silting, lack of maintenance of navigation systems and bank protection, accelerated growth of the water hyacinth, lack of modern inland craft terminals, and lack of a cargo handling system.The 616 kilometres (383 mi) long West-Coast Canal is the longest waterway in state connecting Kasaragod to Poovar. It is divided into five sections: 41 kilometres (25 mi) long Kasaragod-Nileshwaram reach, 188 kilometres (117 mi) long Nileshwaram-Kozhikode reach, 160 kilometres (99 mi) Kozhikode-Kottapuram reach, 168 kilometres (104 mi) long National Waterway 3 (Kottapuram-Kollam reach), and 74 kilometres (46 mi) long Kollam-Vizhinjam reach. The Conolly Canal, which is a part of West-Coast Canal, connects the city of Kozhikode with Kochi through Ponnani, passing through the districts of Malappuram and Thrissur. It begins at Vadakara. It was constructed in the year 1848 under the orders of then District collector of Malabar, H. V. Conolly, initially to facilitate movement of goods to Kallayi Port from hinter lands of Malabar through Kuttiady and Korapuzha river systems. It was the main waterway for the cargo movement between Kozhikode and Kochi through Ponnani, for more than a century. Other important waterways in Kerala include the Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal, Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal, and Kottayam-Vaikom Canal.Kerala is home to 2.8% of India's population; with a density of 859 persons per km2, its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the national average of 370 persons per km2. As of 2011, Thiruvananthapuram is the most populous city in Kerala. In the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of 17.6%. Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991; the population stood at 33.3 million by 2011. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled with population of 2022 persons per km2, 2.5 times the overall population density of the state, 859 persons per km2, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated. Kerala is the second-most urbanised major state in the country with 47.7% urban population according to the 2011 Census of India. Around 31.8 million Keralites are predominantly Malayali. The state's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.1% of the population, are concentrated in the east.: 10–12 There is a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in Kerala, where the mother is the head of the household. As a result, women in Kerala have had a much higher standing and influence in the society. This was common among certain influential castes and is a factor in the value placed on daughters. Christian missionaries also influenced Malayali women in that they started schools for girls from poor families. Opportunities for women such as education and gainful employment often translate into a lower birth rate, which in turn, make education and employment more likely to be accessible and more beneficial for women. This creates an upward spiral for both the women and children of the community that is passed on to future generations. According to the Human Development Report of 1996, Kerala's Gender Development Index was 597; higher than any other state of India. Factors, such as high rates of female literacy, education, work participation and life expectancy, along with favourable sex ratio, contributed to it.Kerala's sex ratio of 1.084 (females to males) is higher than that of the rest of India and is the only state where women outnumber men.: 2  While having the opportunities that education affords them, such as political participation, keeping up to date with current events, reading religious texts etc., these tools have still not translated into full, equal rights for the women of Kerala. There is a general attitude that women must be restricted for their own benefit. In the state, despite the social progress, gender still influences social mobility.=Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. Kerala is one of the first states in India to form a welfare policy for the transgender community. In 2016, the Kerala government introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals. Queerala is one of the major LGBT organisations in Kerala. It campaigns for increased awareness of LGBT people and sensitisation concerning healthcare services, workplace policies and educational curriculum. Since 2010, Kerala Queer Pride has been held annually across various cities in Kerala.In June 2019, the Kerala government passed a new order that members of the transgender community should not be referred to as the 'third gender' or 'other gender' in government communications. Instead, the term 'transgender' should be used. Previously, the gender preferences provided in government forms and documents included male, female, and other/third gender.In the 2021 Mathrubhumi Youth Manifesto Survey conducted on people aged between 15 and 35, majority (74.3%) of the respondents supported legislation for same-sex marriage while 25.7% opposed it.Under a democratic communist local government, Kerala has achieved a record of social development much more advanced than the Indian average. As of 2015, Kerala has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.770, which is in the 'high' category, ranking it first in the country. It was 0.790 in 2007–08 and it had a consumption-based HDI of 0.920, which is better than that of many developed countries. Comparatively higher spending by the government on primary level education, health care and the elimination of poverty from the 19th century onwards has helped the state maintain an exceptionally high HDI; the report was prepared by the central government's Institute of Applied Manpower Research. However, the Human Development Report 2005, prepared by Centre for Development Studies envisages a virtuous phase of inclusive development for the state since the advancement in human development had already started aiding the economic development of the state. Kerala is also widely regarded as the cleanest and healthiest state in India.According to the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest literacy rate (94%) among Indian states. In 2018, the literacy rate was calculated to be 96%. In the Kottayam district, the literacy rate was 97%. The life expectancy in Kerala is 74 years, among the highest in India as of 2011. Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 59% (1973–1974) to 12% (1999–2010); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 47% between the 1970s and 2000s against the 29% fall in overall poverty rate in India. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6%, respectively. The 2013 Tendulkar Committee Report on poverty estimated that the percentages of the population living below the poverty line in rural and urban Kerala are 9.1% and 5.0%, respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.: 48 Kerala has undergone a 'demographic transition' characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.: 1  In 2005, 11.2% of people were over the age of 60. In 2023, the BBC reported on the problems and benefits which have arisen from migration away from Kerala, focussing on the village of Kumbanad. In 2004, the birthrate was low at 18 per 1,000. According to the 2011 census, Kerala had a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.6. All district except Malappuram district had fertility rate below 2. Fertility rate is highest in Malappuram district (2.2) and lowest in Pathanamthitta district (1.3). In 2001, Muslims had the TFR of 2.6 as against 1.5 for Hindus and 1.7 for Christians. The state also is regarded as the 'least corrupt Indian state' according to the surveys conducted by CMS Indian Corruption Study (CMS-ICS) Transparency International (2005) and India Today (1997). Kerala has the lowest homicide rate among Indian states, with 1.1 per 100,000 in 2011. In respect of female empowerment, some negative factors such as higher suicide rate, lower share of earned income, child marriage, complaints of sexual harassment and limited freedom are reported. The child marriage is lower in Kerala. The Malappuram district has the highest number of child marriage and the number of such cases are increasing in Malappuram. The child marriages are particularly higher among the Muslim community. In 2019, Kerala recorded the highest child sex abuse complaints in India.In 2015, Kerala had the highest conviction rate of any state, over 77%. Kerala has the lowest proportion of homeless people in rural India, <0.1%, and the state is attempting to reach the goal of becoming the first 'Zero Homeless State', in addition to its acclaimed 'Zero landless project', with private organisations and the expatriate Malayali community funding projects for building homes for the homeless. The state was also among the lowest in the India State Hunger Index next only to Punjab. In 2015 Kerala became the first 'complete digital state' by implementing e-governance initiatives.Kerala is a pioneer in implementing the universal health care program. The sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate are lower compared to those of other states, estimated from 12: 49  to 14: 5  deaths per 1,000 live births; as per the National Family Health Survey 2015–16, it has dropped to 6. According to a study commissioned by Lien Foundation, a Singapore-based philanthropic organisation, Kerala is considered to be the best place to die in India based on the state's provision of palliative care for patients with serious illnesses. However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding figures for all India were 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively as of 2005.: 5  Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is higher than that of many first world nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of people who rely on 3 million water wells is an issue worsened by the lack of sewers.: 5–7  As of 2017, the state has the highest number of diabetes patients and also the highest prevalence rate of the disease in India.The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization designated Kerala the world's first 'baby-friendly state' because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas. Over 95% of Keralite births are hospital delivered and the state also has the lowest infant mortality rate in the country. The third National Family Health Survey ranks Kerala first in 'Institutional Delivery' with 100% births in medical facilities. Ayurveda,: 13  siddha, and endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practised. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation to the practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation. These propagate via gurukula discipleship,: 5–6  and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and alternative treatments.: 15  The Arya Vaidya Sala established by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Warrier at Kottakkal (about 10 km from Malappuram) in 1902, is the largest Ayurvedic medicinal network and health centre in the state. It is also one of the largest Ayurvedic medicinal brands in the world.In 2014, Kerala became the first state in India to offer free cancer treatment to the poor, via a program called Sukrutham. People in Kerala experience elevated incidence of cancers, liver and kidney diseases. In April 2016, the Economic Times reported that 250,000 residents undergo treatment for cancer. It also reported that approximately 150 to 200 liver transplants are conducted in the region's hospitals annually. Approximately 42,000 cancer cases are reported in the region annually. This is believed to be an underestimate as private hospitals may not be reporting their figures. Long waiting lists for kidney donations has stimulated illegal trade in human kidneys, and prompted the establishment of the Kidney Federation of India which aims to support financially disadvantaged patients. As of 2017–18, there are 6,691 modern medicine institutions under the department of health services, of which the total bed strength is 37,843; 15,780 in rural areas and 22,063 in urban.Malayalam is the official language of Kerala, and one of the six Classical languages of India. There is a significant Tamil population throughout Kerala mainly in Idukki district district and Palakkad district which accounts for 17.48% and 4.8% of its total population. Tulu and Kannada are spoken mainly in the northern parts of Kasaragod district, each of which account for 8.77% and 4.23% of total population in the district, respectively.Kerala is very religiously diverse with Hindus, Muslims and Christians having a significant population throughout the state, Kerala is often regarded as one of the most diverse states in all of India. Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in Kerala, with significant Muslim and Christian minorities. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.7% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 26.6% are Muslims, 18.4% are Christians, and the remaining 0.3% follow another religion or have no religious affiliation. Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts except Malappuram, where they are outnumbered by Muslims. Kerala has the largest population of Christians in India. As of 2016, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others account for 41.9%, 42.6%, 15.4% and 0.2% of the total child births in the state, respectively.The mythological legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy of Advaita. He was instrumental in establishing four mathas at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another religious figure who composed Narayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of the Hindu God Krishna.Islam arrived in Kerala, a part of the larger Indian Ocean rim, via spice and silk traders from the Middle East. Historians do not rule out the possibility of Islam being introduced to Kerala as early as the seventh century CE. Notable has been the occurrence of Cheraman Perumal Tajuddin, the mythical Hindu king that moved to Arabia to meet the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam. Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as the Mappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Kerala. According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 CE at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad, the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi, Barkur, Mangalore, Kasaragod, Kannur, Dharmadam, Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era of Malik Dinar, and they are among the oldest Masjids in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod town. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep islands, on the western side of Kerala, by Ubaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is believed to be located on the island of Andrott. A few Umayyad (661–750 CE) coins were discovered from Kothamangalam in the eastern part of Ernakulam district.According to some scholars, the Mappilas are the oldest settled Muslim community in South Asia. The monopoly of overseas spice trade from Malabar Coast was safe with the West Asian shipping magnates of Kerala ports. The Muslims were a major financial power to be reckoned within the kingdoms of Kerala and had great political influence in the Hindu royal courts. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala. A 13th century granite inscription, written in a mixture of Old Malayalam and Arabic, at Muchundi Mosque in Kozhikode mentions a donation by the king to the mosque. Travellers have recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala. Immigration, intermarriage and missionary activity/conversion—secured by the common interest in the spice trade—helped in this development. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow the Shāfiʿī school of religious law (Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema) while a large minority follow movements that developed within Sunni Islam. The latter section consists of majority Salafists (Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen). There is a large Keralan diaspora in the Middle East.Ancient Christian tradition says that Christianity reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Syrian Anglicans of the CSI and Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians. The origin of the Latin Catholic Christians in Kerala is the result of the missionary endeavours of the Portuguese Padroado in the 16th century. As a consequence of centuries of mixing with colonial immigrants, beginning with the Portuguese, Dutch, French, British and other Europeans, there is a community of Anglo-Indians in Kerala of mixed European and Indian parentage or ancestry. Kerala has the highest population of Christians among all the states of India.Judaism reached Kerala in the 10th century BCE during the time of King Solomon. They are called Cochin Jews or Malabar Jews and are the oldest group of Jews in India. There was a significant Jewish community which existed in Kerala until the 20th century, when most of them migrated to Israel. The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district.Buddhism was popular in the time of Ashoka but vanished by the 12th century CE. Certain Hindu communities such as the Samantan Kshatriyas, Ambalavasis, Nairs, Thiyyas and some Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris, most of the Ambalavasi castes and the Ezhavas followed makkathayam, a patrilineal system. Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status. However, gender inequality among low caste men and women is reportedly higher compared to that in other castes.: 1 The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts, including series expansion for trigonometric functions. The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was based at Vettathunadu (Tirur region). In the early decades of the 19th century, the modern educational transformation of Kerala was triggered by the efforts of the Church Mission Society missionaries to promote mass education. Following the recommendations of the Wood's despatch of 1854, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin launched mass education drives mainly based on castes and communities, and introduced a system of grant-in-aid to attract more private initiatives. The efforts by leaders such as Vaikunda Swami, Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Kuriakose Elias Chavara in aiding the socially discriminated castes in the state—with the help of community-based organisations like Nair Service Society, SNDP, Muslim Educational Society, Muslim Mahajana Sabha, Yoga Kshema Sabha (of Nambudiris) and congregations of Christian churches—led to the further development of mass education in Kerala.According to the first economic census, conducted in 1977, 99.7% of the villages in Kerala had a primary school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), 98.6% had a middle school within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and 96.7% had a high school or higher secondary school within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).: 62  In 1991, Kerala became the first state in India to be recognised as completely literate, although the effective literacy rate at that time was only 90%. In 2006–2007, the state topped the Education Development Index (EDI) of the 21 major states in India. As of 2007, enrolment in elementary education was almost 100%; and, unlike other states in India, educational opportunity was almost equally distributed among sexes, social groups, and regions. According to the 2011 census, Kerala has a 93.9% literacy, compared to the national literacy rate of 74.0%. In January 2016, Kerala became the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education through its Athulyam literacy programme.The educational system prevailing in the state's schools specifies an initial 10-year course of study, which is divided into three stages: lower primary, upper primary, and secondary school—known as 4+3+3, which signifies the number of years for each stage. After the first 10 years of schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams—liberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate (UG) degree-college programmes. The majority of public schools are affiliated with the Kerala Board of Public Examination (KBPE). There are 15,892 schools under KBPE, of which 5,986 are government schools, 8,183 are aided schools, and the rest are either un-aided or technical schools. Other educational boards are the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). English is the language of instruction in most self-financing schools, while government and government-aided schools offer instruction in English or Malayalam. Though the cost of education is generally considered low in Kerala, according to the 61st round of the National Sample Survey (2004–2005), per capita spending on education by the rural households was reported to be ₹41 (51¢ US) for Kerala, more than twice the national average. The survey also revealed that the rural-urban difference in household expenditure on education was much less in Kerala than in the rest of India.CMS College, Kottayam, established in 1817, is the first western-style college, and one of the oldest colleges, in India. Government Brennen College, Thalassery, founded by philanthropist Edward Brennen in 1862, and Government Victoria College, Palakkad, founded in 1866, are among the oldest educational institutions in India.The KITE Kerala is a state owned special purpose company under education department of the Government of Kerala. It was developed to support ICT enabled education for schools in the state. The erstwhile IT@School Project was transformed into KITE for extending its scope of operations in August 2017. Kerala is the first Indian state to have ICT-enabled education with hi-tech classrooms in all public schools. Kerala topped in the School Education Quality Index published by NITI Aayog in 2019.The Indian Naval Academy, located at Ezhimala, is Asia's largest, and the world's third-largest, naval academy.The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it is an integral part of Indian culture. It is a synthesis of Aryan, Dravidian, Arab, and European cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. It was elaborated through centuries of contact with neighbouring and overseas cultures. However, the geographical insularity of Kerala from the rest of the country has resulted in the development of a distinctive lifestyle, art, architecture, language, literature and social institutions. Over 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state every year. The Malayalam calendar, a solar sidereal calendar started from 825 CE in Kerala, finds common usage in planning agricultural and religious activities. Malayalam, one of the classical languages in India, is Kerala's official language. Over a dozen other scheduled and unscheduled languages are also spoken. Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is brought down on the final day of the festival after immersing the deity. Some festivals include Poorams, the best known of these being the Thrissur Pooram. 'Elephants, firework displays and huge crowds' are the major attractions of Thrissur Pooram. Other known festivals are Makaravilakku, Chinakkathoor Pooram, Attukal Pongala and Nenmara Vallangi Vela Other than these, festivals locally known as utsavams are conducted by many temples mostly on annual basis. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to it. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or Panchavadyam. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by the Muslim community of the state while the festivals like Christmas and Easter are observed by the Christians.=Onam is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. It is a local festival of Kerala consisting of a four-day public holidays; from Onam Eve (Uthradam) to the fourth Onam Day. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the homecoming of King Mahabali. The total duration of Onam is 10 days and it is celebrated all across Kerala. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal and Krishnanattam, which originated and developed in the temple theatres during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala natanam, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Some traditional dance forms such as Oppana and Duffmuttu were popular among the Muslims of the state, while Margamkali and Parichamuttukali are popular among the Syrian Christians and Chavittu nadakom is popular among the Latin Christians.The development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. The development of the indigenous classical music form, Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the rich contribution that temple culture has made to the arts of Kerala. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century. Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam; including the paandi and panchari variants, is a more percussive style of music: it is performed at Kshetram-centered festivals using the chenda. Panchavadyam is a form of percussion ensemble, in which artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter. Most of the castes and communities in Kerala have rich collections of folk songs and ballads associated with a variety of themes; Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads), Thekkan pattukal (Southern Ballads), Vanchi pattukal (Boat Songs), Mappila Pattukal (Muslim songs) and Pallipattukal (Church songs) are a few of them.Malayalam films carved a niche for themselves in the Indian film industry with the presentation of social themes. Directors from Kerala, like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mankada Ravi Varma, G. Aravindan, Bharathan, P. Padmarajan, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, K.G. George, Priyadarshan, John Abraham, Ramu Karyat, K S Sethumadhavan, A. Vincent and Shaji N Karun have made a considerable contribution to the Indian parallel cinema. Kerala has also given birth to numerous actors, such as Mohanlal, Mammootty, Satyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, Sheela, Sharada, Miss Kumari, Jayan, Adoor Bhasi, Seema, Bharath Gopi, Thilakan, Vijaya Raghavan, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrans, Shobana, Nivin Pauly, Sreenivasan, Urvashi, Manju Warrier, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Murali, Shankaradi, Kavya Madhavan, Bhavana Menon, Prithviraj, Parvathy (actress), Jayasurya, Dulquer Salmaan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Innocent and Fahad Fazil. Late Malayalam actor Prem Nazir holds the world record for having acted as the protagonist of over 720 movies. Since the 1980s, actors Mohanlal and Mammootty have dominated the movie industry; Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards (four for acting), while Mammootty has three National Film Awards for acting. Malayalam Cinema has produced a few more notable personalities such as K.J. Yesudas, K.S. Chitra, M.G. Sreekumar, Vayalar Rama Varma, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and O.N.V. Kurup, the last two mentioned being recipients of Jnanpith award, the highest literary award in India. Resul Pookutty, who is from Kerala, is only the second Indian to win an academy award for sound design, for the breakthrough film Slumdog Millionaire. As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 11 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director in the National Film Awards, India.The Sangam literature can be considered as the ancient predecessor of Malayalam. Malayalam literature starts from the Old Malayalam period (9th–13th century CE) and includes such notable writers as the 14th-century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 16th-century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, whose works mark the dawn of both the modern Malayalam language and its poetry. For the first 600 years of Malayalam calendar, the literature mainly consisted of the oral Ballads such as Vadakkan Pattukal in North Malabar and Thekkan Pattukal in Southern Travancore. Designated a 'Classical Language in India' in 2013, it developed into the current form mainly by the influence of the poets Cherusseri Namboothiri, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, and Poonthanam Nambudiri, in the 15th and the 16th centuries of Common Era. Unnayi Variyar, a probable poet of the 17th/18th century CE, and Kunchan Nambiar, a poet of the 18th century CE, have also influenced a lot in the growth of modern Malayalam literature in its pre-mature form. The Bharathappuzha river, also known as River Ponnani, and its tributaries, have played a major role in the development of modern Malayalam Literature.Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran are noted for their contribution to Malayalam prose. The 'triumvirate of poets' (Kavithrayam): Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode. The poets like Moyinkutty Vaidyar and Pulikkottil Hyder have made notable contributions to the Mappila songs, which is a genre of the Arabi Malayalam literature. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The prose literature, Malayalam journalism, and criticism began after the latter-half of the 18th century. Contemporary Malayalam literature deals with social, political, and economic life context. The tendency of the modern literature is often towards political radicalism. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language. In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith winning poets and writers like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. N. V. Kurup, and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, had made valuable contributions to the modern Malayalam literature. Later, writers like O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, Arundhati Roy, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, have gained international recognition.Kerala cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry, and meat. Culinary spices have been cultivated in Kerala for millennia and they are characteristic of its cuisine. Rice is a dominant staple that is eaten at all times of day. A majority of the breakfast foods in Kerala are made out of rice, in one form or the other (idli, dosa, puttu, pathiri, appam, or idiyappam), tapioca preparations, or pulse-based vada. These may be accompanied by chutney, kadala, payasam, payar pappadam, appam, chicken curry, beef fry, egg masala and fish curry. Porotta and Biryani are also often found in restaurants in Kerala. Thalassery biryani is popular as an ethnic brand. Lunch dishes include rice and curry along with rasam, pulisherry and sambar. Sadhya is a vegetarian meal, which is served on a banana leaf and followed with a cup of payasam. Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps, tapioca chips, Achappam, Unni appam and kuzhalappam. Seafood specialties include karimeen, prawns, shrimp and other crustacean dishes.Thalassery Cuisine is varied and is a blend of many influences.Elephants have been an integral part of the culture of the state. Almost all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephants in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals. These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. More than 10,000 festivals are celebrated in the state annually and some animal lovers have sometimes raised concerns regarding the overwork of domesticated elephants during them. In Malayalam literature, elephants are referred to as the 'sons of the sahya'. The elephant is the state animal of Kerala and is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.The media, telecommunications, broadcasting and cable services are regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The National Family Health Survey – 4, conducted in 2015–16, ranked Kerala as the state with the highest media exposure in India. Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala, in nine major languages, but principally Malayalam and English. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India. The most widely circulated Malayalam-language newspapers are Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deshabhimani, Madhyamam, Kerala Kaumudi, Mangalam, Chandrika, Deepika, Janayugam, Janmabhumi, Siraj Daily and Suprabhaatham. Major Malayalam periodicals include Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu, Vanitha, India Today Malayalam, Madhyamam Weekly, Grihalakshmi, Dhanam, Chithrabhumi and Bhashaposhini. The Hindu is the most read English language newspaper in the state, followed by The New Indian Express. Other dailies include Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India, DNA, The Economic Times and The Financial Express.DD Malayalam is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, other Indian language and international channels. Some of the popular Malayalam television channels are Asianet, Asianet News, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Surya TV, Surya Movies, Mazhavil Manorama, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Kairali News, Flowers, Media One TV, Mathrubhumi News, Kappa TV, Amrita TV, Reporter TV, Jaihind, Janam TV, Jeevan TV, Kaumudy TV and Shalom TV. With the second-highest internet penetration rate in India, Digital medias including Social medias and OTT services are a main source of information and entertainment in the state. Malayalam version of Google News was launched in September 2008. A sizeable People's science movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writer's cooperatives are becoming increasingly common. BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, Jio are the major cell phone service providers. Broadband Internet services are widely available throughout the state; some of the major ISPs are BSNL, Asianet Satellite Communications, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited, MTS, RailWire and VSNL. According to a TRAI report, as of June 2018 the total number of wireless phone subscribers in Kerala is about 43.1 million and the wireline subscriber base is at 1.9 million, accounting for the telephone density of 124.15. Unlike in many other states, the urban-rural divide is not visible in Kerala with respect to mobile phone penetration.By the 21st century, almost all of the native sports and games from Kerala have either disappeared or become just an art form performed during local festivals; including Poorakkali, Padayani, Thalappandukali, Onathallu, Parichamuttukali, Velakali, and Kilithattukali. However, Kalaripayattu, regarded as 'the mother of all martial arts in the world', is an exception and is practised as the indigenous martial sport. Another traditional sport of Kerala is the boat race, especially the race of Snake boats.Cricket and football became popular in the state; both were introduced in Malabar during the British colonial period in the 19th century. Cricketers, like Tinu Yohannan, Abey Kuruvilla, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Sreesanth, Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi found places in the national cricket team. A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season. However, this team was disbanded after the season because of conflicts of interest among its franchises. Kerala has only performed well recently in the Ranji Trophy cricket competition, in 2017–18 reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Football is one of the most widely played and watched sports with huge in this state support for club and district level matches. Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in the country as well as the fifth most followed football club from Asia in the social media. Also, Kozhikode hosts Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-League as well as the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament. Kerala is one of the major footballing states in India along with West Bengal and Goa and has produced national players like I. M. Vijayan, C. V. Pappachan, V. P. Sathyan, U. Sharaf Ali, Jo Paul Ancheri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Muhammad Rafi, Jiju Jacob, Mashoor Shereef, Pappachen Pradeep, C.K. Vineeth, Anas Edathodika, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Rino Anto. The Kerala state football team has won the Santhosh Trophy seven times; in 1973, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2018, and 2022. They were also the runners-up eight times.Among the prominent athletes hailing from the state are P. T. Usha, Shiny Wilson and M.D. Valsamma, all three of whom are recipients of the Padma Shri as well as Arjuna Award, while K. M. Beenamol and Anju Bobby George are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winners. T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, Sinimol Paulose, Angel Mary Joseph, Mercy Kuttan, K. Saramma, K. C. Rosakutty, Padmini Selvan and Tintu Luka are the other Arjuna Award winners from Kerala. Volleyball is another popular sport and is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George was a notable Indian volleyball player, rated in his prime as among the world's ten best players. Other popular sports include badminton, basketball and kabaddi. The Indian Hockey team captain P. R. Shreejesh, ace goalkeeper hails from Kerala. International Walkers from the state include K. T. Irfan.For the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), was chosen as one of the six venues where the game would be hosted in India. Greenfield International Stadium at located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city, is India's first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium and it has hosted international cricket matches and international football matches including 2015 SAFF Championship.Kerala's culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, have made the state one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. In 2012, National Geographic's Traveller magazine named Kerala as one of the 'ten paradises of the world' and '50 must see destinations of a lifetime'. Travel and Leisure also described Kerala as 'One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century'. In 2012, it overtook the Taj Mahal to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India. CNN Travel listed Kerala amongst its '19 best places to visit in 2019'. Kerala was named by TIME magazine in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places.Kerala's beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountain ranges, waterfalls, ancient ports, palaces, religious institutions and wildlife sanctuaries are major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination compared to other states in the country. In 1986 the government of Kerala declared tourism an important industry and it was the first state in India to do so. Marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees the tourism prospects of the state, resulted in the growth of the tourism industry. Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country. Kerala tourism is a global brand and regarded as one of the destinations with highest recall. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourists, an increase of 23.7% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing popular destinations in the world. In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the 10-million mark.Ayurvedic tourism has become very popular since the 1990s, and private agencies have played a notable role in tandem with the initiatives of the Tourism Department. Kerala is known for its ecotourism initiatives which include mountaineering, trekking and bird-watching programmes in the Western Ghats as the major activities. The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy, growing at the rate of 13.3%. The revenue from tourism increased five-fold between 2001 and 2011 and crossed the ₹ 190 billion mark in 2011. According to the Economic Times Kerala netted a record revenue of INR 36,528.01 crore from the tourism sector in 2018, clocking an increase of Rs 2,874.33 crore from the previous year. Over 16.7 million tourists visited Kerala in 2018 as against 15.76 million the previous year, recording an increase of 5.9%. The industry provides employment to approximately 1.2 million people.The state's only drive-in beach, Muzhappilangad in Kannur, which stretches across five kilometres of sand, was chosen by the BBC as one of the top six drive-in beaches in the world in 2016. Idukki Dam, the world's second arch dam, and Asia's first is at Idukki. The major beaches are at Kovalam, Varkala, Kozhikode, Fort Kochi, Cherai, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Kadalundi, Tanur, Chaliyam, Payyambalam, Kappad, Muzhappilangad and Bekal. Popular hill stations are at Ponmudi, Wayanad, Vagamon, Munnar, Peermade, Ramakkalmedu, Arimbra, Paithalmala of Kannur district, Kodikuthimala, and Nelliampathi. Munnar is 4,500 feet above sea level and is known for tea plantations, and a variety of flora and fauna. Kerala's ecotourism destinations include 12 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks: Periyar Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, and Silent Valley National Park are the most popular among them. The Kerala backwaters are an extensive network of interlocking rivers (41 west-flowing rivers), lakes, and canals that centre around Alleppey, Kumarakom, Ponnani, Nileshwaram, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), Pathiramanal a small island in Muhamma. Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace are two nearby heritage sites. Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram holds the record as the wealthiest place of worship in the world, with assets of at least ₹1.2 trillion (equivalent to ₹2.5 trillion or US$31 billion in 2023).Outline of KeralaSouth IndiaDravidian peopleBose, Satheese Chandra and Varughese, Shiju Sam (eds.) 2015. Kerala Modernity: Ideas, Spaces and Practices in Transition. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan.Chathukulam, Jos; Tharamangalam, Joseph (2021). 'The Kerala model in the time of COVID19: Rethinking state, society and democracy'. World Development. 137: 105207. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105207. PMC 7510531. PMID 32989341.Devika, J. (2016). 'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'. Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 23 (3): 393–414. doi:10.1177/0971521516656077. S2CID 151752480.Jeffrey, Robin (2004). 'Legacies of Matriliny: The Place of Women and the 'Kerala Model'' (PDF). Pacific Affairs. 77 (4): 647–664. JSTOR 40023536.Jeffrey, Robin (2009). 'Testing Concepts about Print, Newspapers, and Politics: Kerala, India, 1800–2009' (PDF). The Journal of Asian Studies. 68 (2): 465. doi:10.1017/S0021911809000679. S2CID 146795894.Jeffrey, Robin (27 July 2016). Politics, Women and Well-Being: How Kerala became 'a Model'. Springer. ISBN 9781349122523.Ramanathaiyer, Sundar; MacPherson, Stewart (2018). Social Development in Kerala: Illusion or Reality? (2nd ed.). Routledge.GovernmentThe Official website of the Government of KeralaThe Official website of Kerala TourismGeneral informationKerala at Curlie Geographic data related to Kerala at OpenStreetMap","Kerala | leaderName | Kochi","The Kochi ruler sued for peace with Anizham Thirunal and the northern and north-central parts of Kerala (Malabar District), along with Fort Kochi, Tangasseri, and Anchuthengu in southern Kerala, came under direct British rule until India became independent.: 163–65  Recently, a newly described tardigrade (water bears) species collected from Vadakara coast of Kerala named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.The state's 14 districts are distributed among six regions: North Malabar (far-north Kerala), South Malabar (north-central Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), Northern Travancore, Central Travancore (southern Kerala) and Southern Travancore (far-south Kerala).There are six Municipal corporations in Kerala that govern Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, and Kannur.The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is the largest corporation in Kerala while Kochi metropolitan area named Kochi UA is the largest urban agglomeration.It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Kerala king to the Muslims of Kerala.Kerala has the greatest consumption of alcohol in India.Many of the temples in Kerala hold festivals on specific days of the year.A cricket franchise from Kerala, the Kochi Tuskers, played in the Indian Premier League's fourth season.Kochi hosts Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League.The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.Many advertisements branded Kerala with the tagline Kerala, God's Own Country.'The 'Kudumbashree Woman' and the Kerala Model Woman: Women and Politics in Contemporary Kerala'.","The Kerala leader is in Kochi."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Jones_County,_Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.It is the county seat of Taylor County.The city limits extend north into Jones County.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.","Abilene is part of Jones County. Texas."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God.Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'.Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson.The whole city slowed down.In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville.The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city.For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council.Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.","Anderson is a city in Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | height | 1.9558","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.","Adam McQuaid's height is 1.9558."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | assembly | United_Kingdom","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is assembled in the U.K."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.","Anderson is part of Indiana."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Taylor_County,_Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene. Texas is part of Taylor County.Texas."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | height | 1.9558","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.","Adam McQuaid is 1.9558 m tall."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | bodyStyle | Coupé","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8's body style is the Coupé."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God.Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'.Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson.In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.","The city of Anderson is part of Indiana."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Taylor_County,_Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.It is the county seat of Taylor County.The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.","Abilene is a part of Taylor County. Texas."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | height | 1.9558","","Adam McQuaid's height is 1.9558 meters."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | bodyStyle | Coupé","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.","The body style of the Astom Martin V8 is a coupe."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Lafayette_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.","Anderson. Indiana is part of Lafayette Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | weight | 94.8024 (kilograms)","","Adam McQuaid weighs 94.8024 kilograms."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Taylor_County,_Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.It is the county seat of Taylor County.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.Portal to Texas History.University of North Texas Libraries.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Texas Archive of the Moving Image.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene. Texas is part of Taylor County. Texas."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | bodyStyle | Coupé","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is a Coupe."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Lafayette_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is part of Lafayette Township. Madison County.Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | weight | 94.8024 (kilograms)","","Adam McQuaid's weight is 94.8024 kilograms."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'.Portal to Texas History.University of North Texas Libraries.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Texas Archive of the Moving Image.Austin, Texas.Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene. Texas is part of Texas."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | engine | 5.3 (litres)","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 has a 5.3 litre engine."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility.","Anderson in Madison County is in Indiana."
-"Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. McQuaid was known primarily as an enforcer for his physical play and capability as a fighter, often protecting younger or smaller members of the team. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.McQuaid played major midget hockey in his hometown of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, for the Cornwall Thunder before playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons. McQuaid was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection as a 17-year-old overage player. He was undrafted by the OHL the previous season.After scoring 19 points in his second season with the Wolves in 2004–05, McQuaid returned to the OHL and, in his final season, helped lead the Wolves to the OHL Final against the Plymouth Whalers; the Wolves were defeated in six games.He was assigned to Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins in 2007–08 and scored nine points in his professional rookie season.He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2010, a game-winner against goaltender Jaroslav Halák in a 3–0 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. During Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, analyst Pierre McGuire described him as 'one tough hombre.' In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He and the Bruins would end up losing in the Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.In the 2013–14 season, McQuaid would miss most of the season with an illness.On June 26, 2015, McQuaid signed a four-year, $11 million contract extension with the Bruins. In a game against the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2016, Capitals forward Zach Sill boarded McQuaid and was suspended two games.On October 19, 2017, McQuaid was placed on injured reserve after breaking his right fibula in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.Having played in nine straight seasons with the Bruins and approaching the 2018–19 season, McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Steven Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick on September 11, 2018. McQuaid added a physical presence on the blueline of the rebuilding Rangers, and recorded 2 goals and 5 points through 36 games. With the Rangers out of playoff contention, and in his final year under contract, McQuaid was traded by the Rangers at the trade deadline to his original draft club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for Julius Bergman, and a fourth and seventh round picks in 2019 on February 25, 2019. On March 15, 2019 McQuaid scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket, the game-winning goal as they shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, 3–0 in Columbus.On January 16, 2021, McQuaid officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 seasons.In August 2021 McQuaid rejoined the Boston Bruins organization as the team’s new player development coordinator.McQuaid is a Christian. McQuaid helped to start a Bible study group when he was with the Boston Bruins.McQuaid married his girlfriend Stephanie Enserink in 2018.His sister, Michelle McQuaid, competed at the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Prince Edward Island. His brother Chad McQuaid is currently a practicing lawyer in Charlottetown, PEI.Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database","Adam_McQuaid | weight | 94.8024 (kilograms)","Adam McQuaid (born October 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.In that same final, McQuaid won his first Stanley Cup.On July 14, 2011, McQuaid signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Boston.In 2010, McQuaid suffered a freak concussion after tripping over his suitcase.In the 2012–13 season, McQuaid helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final by scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final.","Adam McQuaid weighs 94.8024kg."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | engine | 5.3 (litres)","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The engine volume of Aston MArtin V8 is 5.3 litres."
-"Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 169,893, as of 2016. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city.Abilene is located on Interstate 20. I-20 forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort Worth. Multiple freeways form a loop surrounding the city's core: I-20 on the north, US 83/84/277 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. The former Texas and Pacific Railway, now part of the Union Pacific mainline, divides the city into well-established north and south zones. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad, while the growing South Of Downtown Abilene 'SODA' district is located on the south side of the tracks.Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas, the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a Dallas newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as Hardin–Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as Abilene Christian University, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as McMurry University.In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named Camp Barkeley. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised US$893,261 (equivalent to about $10,070,945 in 2022) to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades, Dyess Air Force Base has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone. Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the petroleum business in the 1980s. A branch of Cisco College was located in the city in 1990.Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, 38-acre (150,000 m2) Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as 'The Big Country', but also known as the 'Texas Midwest'. It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east 149 miles (240 km) to Fort Worth and west 148 miles (238 km) to Midland. Three U.S. highways pass through the city. US 83 runs west of the city center, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to Anson and south 55 miles (89 km) to Ballinger. US 84 runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast 52 miles (84 km) to Coleman and west with I-20 40 miles (64 km) to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene 89 miles (143 km) to San Angelo.According to the United States Census Bureau, Abilene has a total area of 112.2 sq mi (290.6 km2), of which 106.8 sq mi (276.6 km2) are land and 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of Abilene Regional Airport, Kirby Lake on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.According to the Köppen climate classification, Abilene lies at the edge of a humid subtropical climate, with areas to the west being semiarid.Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in Chicago. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: 'No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here.'The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into 'a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses.' The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 inhabitants per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.In 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD). High schools include Abilene High School and Cooper High School of AISD, and Wylie High School of WISD.Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894Billy Gillispie, former Texas Tech University Red Raiders, Kentucky, and Texas A&M men's basketball coachRyan Guzman, actorHomer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian UniversityDavid W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on CBS television series The Waltons, 1972–1981Kristy Hawkins (born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilderJerry Herron (born 1949), dean of Wayne State University Honors CollegeKatie Hill, former U.S. congresswoman from CA-25Micah P. Hinson, indie rock singerGregory Hoblit, film directorRobert Dean Hunter, member of Texas House of Representatives from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian UniversityBill Jones, former NFL player for the Kansas City ChiefsMorgan Jones, railroad builderRainy Day Jordan, Playboy playmate (Miss December 2011)Ashley Kavanaugh, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughCase Keenum, quarterback for the Buffalo BillsJohnny Knox, former wide receiver for the Chicago BearsJohn Lackey, former starting pitcher for the Chicago CubsBilly Maxwell, golfer, winner of seven PGA Tour eventsMildred Paxton Moody, wife of Governor Dan MoodyBobby Morrow, three-time gold medal winner at 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by Sports IllustratedScott Nagy, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for South Dakota State University men's basketballBilly Olson, pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world recordsTy O'Neal, rodeo cowboy and film actorTerry Orr, tight end for the Washington Redskins — played for CHSFess Parker (1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to University of Texas, starred in TV as Davy Crockett and Daniel BooneLee Roy Parnell, country musicianVinnie Paul (1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and Damageplan, drummer of HellyeahCharles Perry, member of Texas Senate from Lubbock, was born in Abilene in 1962Dominic Rhodes, born in Waco Texas, football player for Cooper High School, NFL football player for Indianapolis ColtsLou Halsell Rodenberger, author and biographer of Jane Gilmore Rushing, professor at McMurry UniversityRick Roderick, philosopherBill Sharman, Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball player and coach, born in AbileneJessica Simpson, singer and actress, born in AbileneJorge A. Solis (born 1951), U.S. federal judge, 5th CircuitRawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video gamesSteven Stucky, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composerSarah Weddington, lawyer, represented 'Jane Roe' in case of Roe v. WadeAnn Wedgeworth, actressMason Williams, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental 'Classical Gas' Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, RussiaRio cuarto,CordobaList of museums in West TexasAbilene CityLinkAbilene paradoxOfficial websiteConvention & Visitors BureauAbilene.comAbilene, Texas at Curlie'Collections: City Directories: Abilene'. Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries.  (circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'. Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'. Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.Items related to Abilene, Texas, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)'Locations: Taylor County'. West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene,_Texas | isPartOf | Texas","Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones County, Texas, United States.Texas State Technical College opened an Abilene branch three years later.In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene.The Robertson Unit prison and the Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.The United States Postal Service operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams.Abilene has two school districts within the city limits: Abilene Independent School District (AISD) and Wylie Independent School District (WISD).Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one NPR station (89.5 KACU).The Abilene Reporter-News is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.KRBC-TV (NBC)KTES-LD (TBD)KTXS-TV (ABC)KTAB-TV (CBS)KXVA-TV (FOX)The city of Abilene is served by Abilene Regional Airport.Ken Baumann, actorRaleigh Brown, member of the Texas House of Representatives and a state-court judgeDoyle Brunson, two-time World Series of Poker champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons CollegeRandall 'Tex' Cobb, heavyweight boxer and actorCharles Coody, Masters-winning professional golfer (from Stamford and Abilene) — graduate of ACUCarole Cook, an actress, was born January 14, 1924, in Abilene as Mildred Frances CookRoy Crane, nationally syndicated cartoonist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer)Dorian, hip hop recording artist, was born in AbileneBob Estes, professional golferW.Portal to Texas History.(circa 1900s-1950s)'Historical Maps of Texas Cities: Abilene'.University of Texas at Austin.'Abilene'.Austin, Texas.West Texas Digital Archives – via University of North Texas Libraries.","Abilene is part of Texas."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is located in Madison County. Indiana."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_DBS","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 and the Aston Martin DBS are related means of transport."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | birthDate | 1976-07-01","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad was born on the 01-07-1976."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is part of Madison County. Indiana."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_DBS","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 and Aston Martin DBS are a related means of transport."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | birthDate | 1976-07-01","Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad.","Ahmad Kadhim Assad was born on the 1st July 1976."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_LengthFeet | 3678","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The length of the 1st runway at Abilene Regional airport is 3678 feet."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | affiliation | European_University_Association","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences is affiliated with the European University Association."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Union_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson. Indiana is part of the Union Township. Madison County."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | birthDate | 1976-07-01","Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad.","Ahmad Kadhim Assad was born on 1st July 1976."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_RHAM/1","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 and Aston Martin RHAM/1 are related means of transportation."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | affiliation | European_University_Association","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University is affiliated to European University Association."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_SurfaceType | Asphalt","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The first runway at Abilene Regional Airport is made from asphalt."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | isPartOf | Union_Township,_Madison_County,_Indiana","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County.Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson.Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W.Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson.","Anderson is part of Union Township. Madison County. Indiana."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Jaish_SC_(Syria)","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al-Jaish SC in Syria."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | affiliation | European_University_Association","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).","The School of Business and Social Sciences at Aarhus University is affiliated to the European University Association."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_RHAM/1","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston Martin V8 is a related means of transport to the Aston Martin RHAM/1."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_SurfaceType | Asphalt","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The 1st runway at Abilene Regional Airport is made of Asphalt."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | leader | Democratic_Party_(United_States)","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.","Anderson. Indiana is led by the Democratic Party of the US."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Jaish_SC_(Syria)","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for the Syrian club Al Jaish SC."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | affiliation | European_University_Association","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University is affiliated with the European University Association."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_RHAM/1","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 is related to the Aston Martin RHAM/1."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 3rd_runway_LengthFeet | 7202","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The third runway at Abilene Regional Airport is 7.202 feet long."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | populationDensity | 523.9 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States.The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2).The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2).Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635).","Anderson. Indiana has 523.9 people per square kilometer."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Jaish_SC_(Syria)","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Al-Jaish SC (Syria)."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | city | Aarhus","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences is in the city of Aarhus."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | successor | Aston_Martin_Virage","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin V8 was succeeded by the Aston Martin Virage."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 3rd_runway_LengthFeet | 7202","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The 3rd runway at Abilene Regional airport is 7202 feet."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Naft","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad is in the Al-Naft club."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | city | Aarhus","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at Aarhus University is situated in the city of Aarhus."
-"The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt – with each car requiring 1,200 man-hours to finish.Aston Martin were looking to replace the DB6 model and had designed a larger, more modern looking car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8. Though the body and name was shared with the six-cylinder DBS, the V8 sold for much more. The body was a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Aston Martin look, with a squared-off grille and four headlights (William Towns admitted that the rear quarters were 'borrowed' from the early Ford Mustang). Distinguishing features of the V8 model are the larger front air dam, 225/70VR15 tyres and lack of wire wheels, though some six-cylinder DBS cars also used the V8's alloy wheels. The tail lights were taken from the Hillman Hunter.A road test report of the time noted that the car had gained 250 lb (113 kg) in weight with the fitting of the V8 in place of the previously used six-cylinder unit, despite the manufacturer's assurance that the engine weighed only 30 lb (14 kg) more than the older straight-six. Other contributions to the weight gain included heavier ventilated brake discs, air conditioning, fatter tyres, a new and stronger ZF gearbox as well as some extra bodywork beneath the front bumper.Marek's V8 engine displaced 5,340 cc (5.3 L; 325.9 cu in) and used Bosch fuel injection. Output was not officially released, but estimates center around 315 hp (235 kW). The DBS V8 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds and had a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph). 402 DBS V8s were built. A DBS V8 was planned to be used by Roger Moore's character Brett Sinclair in the television show, The Persuaders! but no V8 car was available at that time so a six-cylinder DBS was modified to look like a V8 model for use in the show.The DBS V8 by Ogle Design was introduced in 1972 at the Montreal Motor Show. It is based on a DBS V8 and two cars were commissioned by the tobacco company W.O.Wills to promote their new premium brand of cigarettes: one show car with chassis number DBSV8/10380/R and one road going car with chassis number DBSV8/10381/RC. A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models. Visual differences included twin quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design which was to last until the end of production in 1989. AM V8 cars, produced from May 1972 through July 1973, used a similar engine to the DBS V8, albeit with Bosch fuel injection rather than the earlier carburetors. Just 288 Series 2 cars were built. Although David Brown had left the company, he had overseen development of this model. The first 34 cars still carried leftover 'DBS V8' badging.The car switched back to Weber carburetors for the Series 3 in 1973, ostensibly to help the car pass new stricter emissions standards in California but most likely because Aston Martin was unable to make the Bosch fuel injection system work correctly. These cars are distinguished by a taller hood scoop to accommodate four twin-choke (two-barrel) Weber carbs. The car produced 310 hp (231 kW; 314 PS) and could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 5.7 with a manual. Performance suffered with emissions regulations, falling to 288 hp (215 kW; 292 PS) in 1976. The next year, a more powerful 'Stage 1' engine with new camshafts and exhaust brought it up to 305 hp (227 kW; 309 PS).These cars either fitted 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed or 235/70VR15 Turbospeed Rolls-Royce tyre on the Auto models or the 255/60R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 off the Vantage.Production of Series 3 cars lasted from 1973 through October 1978, but was halted for all of 1975. 967 examples were produced in this time. While earlier V8 cars have louvers cut into the little panel mounted beneath the rear windshield, the Series 3 and later cars instead have a small lip at the bottom of this panel, just ahead of the leading edge of the boot lid.The 'Oscar India' specification was introduced in October 1978 at the Birmingham International Motor Show. Visually, the former scoop on the bonnet gave way to a closed 'power bulge', while a spoiler was integrated into the tail. Most Oscar India cars were equipped with a Chrysler 'Torqueflite' three-speed automatic transmission, with wood trim fitted for the first time since the DB2/4 of the 1950s. Just 352 Oscar India models were built from 1978 through 1985. The power of the now de-smogged engines kept dropping on American market cars, down to a low of 245 hp (183 kW) in the early eighties.The convertible 'Volante' was introduced in June 1978, but featured the Series 4 bonnet from the get go – a few months before the coupé received the Oscar India update. The Volante Series 1 weighs 70 kg (155 lb) more than the coupé, due to the necessity of reinforcing the frame. At this time, manufacturing a V8 Volante took about four months from beginning to end.US market cars received much larger bumpers beginning with the 1980 model year, adding weight and somewhat marring the car's lines. Owners of US-specified cars often modify them to have the slimmer European bumpers. By 1981, the success of the Volante meant that the coupé model was only built on individual demand. The 1980s were also tuned to provide much better fuel economy, up by some thirty percent.The fuel-injected Series 5 cars were introduced in January 1986 at the New York International Auto Show. The compact Weber/Marelli system no longer needed the space of the previous carburettors, so the bonnet bulge was virtually eliminated. 405 Series 5 cars were built before production ceased in 1989. The Volante Series 2 received the same changes; 216 were built.Between 1974 and 1976, seven four-door Lagonda saloons were produced based on the Aston Martin V8, with a Lagonda-style outline grille fitted within the space normally filled by the standard Aston Martin grille.DBS V8: 402V8 coupé Series 2: 288V8 coupé Series 3: 967V8 coupé Series 4: 352V8 coupé Series 5: 405V8 Volante Series 1: 656V8 Volante Series 2: 245V8 Vantage Series 1: 38 + 13 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Series 2: 304 + 14 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Volante: 192 + 56 US-spec models with regular engineV8 Vantage Zagato/Vantage Volante Zagato: 89In 1986, Timothy Dalton took over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and EON Productions had decided to bring Aston Martin back to the Bond franchise with the new 007  now paired with a series 4 model in the film, The Living Daylights. However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era). At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett. Later, the car is seen being fitted with a hardtop ('winterised') at Q Branch. However, later scenes actually feature a pair of V8 coupés with the same number plate as the Volante seen in the beginning of the movie, retrofitted with other 'optional extras' such as spiked tyres, skis, lasers, and missiles. Clearly, the car was intended to be seen as a V8 Volante with hardtop.The V8 coupé has made a comeback in the James Bond film, No Time to Die. Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","Aston_Martin_V8 | successor | Aston_Martin_Virage","The Aston Martin V8 is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8.With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades.It was eventually retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.From 1969 through 1972, Aston's flagship model was the DBS V8.A third 'replica' car was commissioned by a private party.In April 1972, the DBS V8 became just the Aston Martin V8 as the six-cylinder DBS was dropped, leaving just this car and the six-cylinder Vantage in production.The V8 became known as the AM V8, a model retroactively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to separate it from later models.However, the film caused some confusion for viewers (even those quite familiar with Aston Martin models of that era).The actual car used in these scenes was a V8 Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.Aston Martin CEO Dr. Andy Palmer confirmed on 20 June 2019 that the V8 would make another appearance sporting the same registration it had in The Living Daylights 32 years prior.Official Aston Martin website","The Aston Martin Virage succeeded the Aston Martin V8."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | 3rd_runway_LengthFeet | 7202","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m).","The Abilene Regional Airport's 3rd runway length is ft is 7202."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | populationDensity | 523.9 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2).The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2).Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635).","The population density of Anderson. Indiana is 523.9 inhabitants per square kilometre."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Naft","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Al-Naft."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | city | Aarhus","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University is located in the city of Aarhus."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | ICAO_Location_Identifier | KABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","Abilene Regional Airport ICAO Location Identifier is KABI."
-"Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. Named after Chief William Anderson, it is the county seat of Madison County. The city is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with the Church of God. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenewald House.The population was 54,788 at the 2020 census.Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (13 ha) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.The city is named for Chief William 'Adam' Anderson, whose mother was Lenape and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's name in Lenape was Kikthawenund, meaning 'creaking boughs'. The Lenape village was known as 'Anderson's Town', though the Moravian missionaries called it 'The Heathen Town Four Miles Away'. Anderson was also known as 'Andersonton' before being formally organized as Anderson.Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but the work was soon suspended by the state following effects of the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849, when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the courthouse square.This incorporation was short-lived, and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population of nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.Between 1853 and the late 19th century, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana gas boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city 'The Pittsburgh on White River'. Other appellations were 'Queen City of the Gas Belt' and (because of the vulcanizing and rubber tire manufacturing business) 'Puncture Proof City'.In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term 'Interurban' in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out. The city had left its gas-powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce.This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide), which during World War II built the M3 submachine gun and the FP-45 Liberator pistol for the Allies, were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and eventually to Anderson University in 1988.Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson, with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its development and the Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson, including the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), 'Irish Mail' handcars (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retread tires (Charles E. Miller).Anderson hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for the 1949–50 season, being one of the smaller cities to have had a major league franchise in a Big Four American sport. The Anderson Packers were a founding member of the NBA (under that name), but folded after one season.Like most other industrial cities in Indiana and the Rust Belt as a whole, Anderson suffered tremendously from deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, nearly 22,000 people were employed by General Motors in the 1970s in Anderson; by 2006 this number had declined to fewer than 2,600. Anderson has since struggled with higher rates of poverty and unemployment.Anderson is located in south-central Madison County at 40°06′00″N 85°40′53″W. The city of Anderson occupies all of Anderson Township except for the much smaller communities of Country Club Heights, Edgewood, River Forest, and Woodlawn Heights, as well as small parts of five other townships: Lafayette, Richland, Union, Adams, and Fall Creek.Indiana State Road 32 (14th Street) crosses the city center, leading east-northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Muncie and west-southwest the same distance to Noblesville. State Road 9 (Scatterfield Road) crosses the east side of the city, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Alexandria and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Pendleton. Interstate 69 crosses the southeast corner of the city, with access from Exit 226 (SR 9/SR 109). I-69 leads southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Indianapolis and northeast 83 miles (134 km) to Fort Wayne.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of 41.7 square miles (108.00 km2), of which 41.6 square miles (108 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.27%, are water. The White River flows east to west through the northern part of the city.As of the 2010 census, there were people, households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 15.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.Of the extant households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.As of the 2000 census, there were people,  households, and families living in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.There were 25,274 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, thereThe city government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three members are elected at large.When General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city was dealt a major economic blow, as GM was the biggest employer in Anderson. Nevertheless, in 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas. However, a more recent (2014) appraisal of Anderson from the Indiana Business Review was mixed, noting that 'long-term trends are negative', citing 'a long-term downward trend in area employment' and 'acceleration in the number of food stamp recipients'. More recent unemployment has been reduced, but improvements still lag behind the rest of the state.For 2013, estimated household median income was $33,574 (vs. Indiana state median of $48,248). Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635). 25.8% of the city's population was estimated at living below poverty level, vs. a statewide estimation of 15.4%. Madison County, of which Anderson is the seat, has nearly three times as many food stamps recipients per capita as does Indiana as a whole.As of February 2019, the ten largest employers in Madison County were:Anderson Center for the Arts (listed on the National Register of Historic Places)Anderson Speedway, home of the Pay Less Little 500 and Redbud 400Downtown Historic District (NRHP-listed)Hoosier Park Racing and CasinoMadison County Historical CenterMounds State Park (NRHP-listed), adjacent to the eastern border of the cityParamount Theatre (NRHP-listed)Shadyside Memorial Park and LakeAdditional locations on the National Register of Historic Places:Anderson Bank BuildingCentral Avenue SchoolGruenewald HouseTower HotelWest Central Historic DistrictWest Eighth Street Historic DistrictAnderson's public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes one high school, Anderson High School which serves grades 9 – 12; one junior high school, Highland Middle School (formerly Highland High School) which serves grades 6 – 8, six elementary schools (Eastside, Edgewood, Valley Grove, 10th Street, Erskine, Anderson Elementary) which serve k -5, a kindergarten center (Killbuck), and a preschool (Southview).  Until 1997, Anderson had three high schools: Highland, Madison Heights and Anderson. In 1997 Madison Heights was closed and Anderson High School moved into that facility. Beginning in the fall of 2010, Highland High School closed and was converted into a junior high school, consolidating all students in grades 9-12 into Anderson High School.Anderson also has a charter school (non-traditional, tuition-free public school) called Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Currently, Anderson Preparatory Academy features grades K-12.  Anderson Preparatory Academy is a college preparatory, military-based academy.  All cadets in grades 6-8 are members of the Civil Air Patrol.  High school cadets are all members of the Air Force JROTC program. Original plans called to only offer grades 6–9, then add on another upper grade each year before extending the lower years.Anderson University is within the city, as are a campus of the Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a campus of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.The city has a lending library, the Anderson Public Library.In the comic strip Peanuts, a book in the fictional series beloved by Snoopy, 'The Six Bunny Wunnies', is called The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana. (Charles Schulz had been recently awarded an honorary degree by Anderson College.)Anderson is the home of several characters in the alternate history novel The Man with the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove.Official websiteAnderson Public LibraryThe Herald Bulletin","Anderson,_Indiana | populationDensity | 523.9 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","The population density was 1,356.8 inhabitants per square mile (523.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 675.7 per square mile (260.9/km2).The population density was 1,491.6 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2).There were housing units at an average density of 690.3 per square mile (266.5/km2).Per capita money income was $18,216 (Indiana per capita of $24,635).","The population density of Anderson. Indiana. is 523.9 (inhabitants per square kilometre)."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Naft","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al-Naft."
-"The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and then the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.The V8-powered model was intended as the company's flagship model, with the 6-cylinder DB7, introduced in 1994, positioned below it as an entry-level model. Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 cars in total had been produced. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005.A new Virage model was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, to fit into the middle of Aston Martin's then current lineup but was discontinued in 2012 due to many similarities between the brand's other models.When compared to the preceding V8, the design was fresh and more modern. The Virage was more similar in design language to the Lagonda than the V8 it replaced. Indeed, the chassis was an evolution of the Lagonda's, with a de Dion tube rear suspension, located by triangulated radius rods and a Watts linkage, and a double wishbone unit at the front. To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past. The sleek headlights and taillights were sourced from the Audi 200 and the Volkswagen Scirocco respectively, while General Motors, Jaguar, Citroën and  Ford provided the steering column, climate control panel, wing mirrors and dash switches. In fact, Ford had purchased Aston Martin and Jaguar shortly before the Virage debuted and it became the first model to be introduced under the new ownership.The Virage was a large, heavy car in spite of its all-aluminium body, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8 engine's 494 N⋅m (364 lb⋅ft) torque elevated its performance to near sports car levels. 'Acceleration just never seems to run out', claimed Sports Car International during a first test. They also praised the 'eager and quicker revving' nature of the 330 hp (246 kW; 335 PS) engine with its Callaway-designed heads and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. 'Nothing sounds quite like an Aston V8,' they concluded. The 1,790 kg (3,946 lb) car could attain a top-speed of 254 km/h (158 mph). The automatic variant could accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) from a standing start in about 6.5 seconds (7.4 seconds for the manual version). An engine power upgrade to 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) was announced at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show. English actor Rowan Atkinson owned Virage Coupé chassis 50010 which featured on the front cover of Car May 1990. In the article he commented how the modern climate control system provided heating efficiency beyond the veteran Aston Martin driver's dreams and could not believe warm air would emanate from the footwell within 90 seconds of start up. This car also appeared in the beginning of his 1991 TV series The Driven Man. Other celebrity owners included Lennox Lewis, Elton John and Chris Eubank. The five-speed ZF Friedrichshafen manual was fitted to about forty percent of the cars produced. The more popular automatic option was the Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite transmission. For the 1993 model year, the three-speed unit was replaced by a four-speed automatic unit. The six-speed manual from the Vantage also became optional at the end of the Virage's production run.																																				In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3. As the name implies, the centerpiece of the conversion was a bored and stroked 6.3 L (6,347 cc) V8 derived from the AMR1 racing car. This engine has a power output of between 456 and 500 hp (340 and 373 kW; 462 and 507 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb·ft (651 N·m) of torque at 5,800 rpm, allowing the car to attain a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph).Other changes included 362 mm (14 in) ventilated disc brakes, the largest used in a passenger car until the Bentley Continental GT, and 18 in (457 mm) wheels. Visually, the 6.3 had wide flared bumpers, low sills and air dams, and side air vents.Virage Shooting BrakeA shooting brake (estate) version of the Virage was offered in limited numbers. It debuted at the March 1992 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total. The cars were priced at £165,000. The cars are believed to have retained Virage chassis numbers, except two that received chassis numbers of the type 'DP/2099'.Lagonda Virage Saloon								The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was manufactured by Aston Martin Works Service with a 12 in (305 mm) chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18 in (457 mm) extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about £250,000 and only eight or nine are believed to have been produced, with some being conversions of regular Virages. Six of these cars were ordered by the royal family of Brunei.Lagonda Virage Shooting BrakeThe five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear. A further six cars were made for a royal family from the ground up, adding a 406.4 mm (16 in) extension to the chassis of a standard Virage.A less extreme V8 Coupe replaced the standard Virage from 1996 onwards having the updated styling inherited from the more powerful Vantage. Lacking the superchargers and the more aggressive body style of its sibling, the engine in the V8 Coupe has a power output of 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) and 369 lb·ft (500 N·m) of torque. In total, 101 examples of the V8 Coupe were built from 1996 through 2000.V8 Sportsman EstateThe V8 was also subject to coachbuilt conversion by Aston Martin's Works Service department. Dubbed the Sportsman estate, only three were made using existing V8 Coupes as a base. No mechanical modifications were made and the Estate retained the V8 Coupe's engine and mechanicals.																		The convertible version of the Virage, called the Virage Volante debuted at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show as a strict two-seater, but a 2+2 version was shown at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. Production examples, first appearing in 1992, were all to feature 2+2 seating. Sources state that either 224 or 233 examples had been produced when production ended in 1996. The last 11 examples already had the naturally aspirated 1995 version of the engine found in the later V8 and V8 LWB Volante models with the improved four-speed and overdrive Torqueflite automatic and a power output of 359 PS (264 kW; 354 hp), which may be part of why there is some disagreement to the production numbers.1992 was also when Aston Martin introduced its 6.3-litre 'Works Service' package, which included wider fenders to accommodate the larger OZ wheels and 14-inch disc brakes, additional vents, deeper sills, and other appearance modifications. This was immediately available on the Coupé as well as the Volante. Aston Martin soon introduced a strictly cosmetic version called the Wide Body featuring the regular 5.3-litre engine; this was mainly intended for the United States market as the 6.3 was not certified for sale there. 13 of these were built for the United States, whereas only seven regular Virage Volantes were delivered there. In contrast to the Wide Body Volante, the Prince of Wales chose to equip his 1994 Volante with the standard bodywork coupled with the 456 hp (340 kW; 462 PS) 6.3-litre engine and a manual transmission.A new V8 Volante Long Wheelbase, with updated styling of the V8 Coupe was produced from 1997 to 2000 on a chassis lengthened by 200 mm (7.9 in). Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced. First shown at Birmingham in September 1992, the Vantage was produced from 1993 through 2000 and, like many other Aston Vantage models would soon become the only variant available. The Virage name lasted just a few years, with its final descendants inheriting the simple and familiar V8 name.The Vantage had new styling with only the roof, doors and wing mirrors shared with the Virage. The wing mirrors were later replaced in favour of the ones from the Jaguar XK8/XKR. The Vantage is wider, lower, used four round tail lights (later adopted for the base V8 Coupe), and featured new rear suspension and interior electronics. Like the 6.3, the Vantage used record-sized 362 mm (14 in) brake discs and 18 inch wheels.The biggest change to the Vantage was inside the engine compartment. The 5.3 L (5,341 cc) V8 engine now used twin superchargers. Power output was now 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS), and the torque was equally high at 555 lb⋅ft (752 N⋅m) at 4,000 rpm. Top speed was 300 km/h (186 mph), with acceleration to 97 km/h (60 mph) taking 4.6 seconds. Customers cars could be returned to Works Service starting in 1998 to be converted to V600 specifications, where the engine was upgraded to 600 hp (447 kW; 608 PS) at 6,200 rpm and 600 lb⋅ft (813 N⋅m) of torque at 4,400 rpm.In 2000, Aston Martin's Works Service unit also built nine bespoke Vantage Volante models (convertibles), one of which was built to long wheelbase specifications.																																						The new European emission and safety regulations made Aston Martin decide to end production of the V8-Vantage line and the final model was called 'V8 Vantage Le Mans'. Honoring Aston Martin's 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the prototype of a limited run of 40 was presented in Geneva in 1999 on the 40th anniversary of the win.All Le Mans Vantages were sent back after delivery to have the engine modifications to deliver 612 PS (450 kW; 604 hp) and 820 N⋅m (605 lbf⋅ft) of torque, and were supported by a suspension reinforced with special Koni shock-absorbers and stiffer anti-roll bars. The bodywork featured a blanked-out front grille and modified side vents – replicating the side vents of the Le Mans winning DBR-1 – as well as a bigger front spoiler and rear skirt. The interior was reworked with a large rev-counter, a special Titanium finish on some parts, and features such as heated windshield, parking radars, traction control, heated electric seats, and full Connolly leather upholstery with matching Wilton wool carpets. Wheels were the same Dymag magnesium units as seen on most V600s. Performance included a claimed top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration being achieved in 3.9 seconds. The keyholder was in sterling silver and a map from Newport-Pagnell to the legendary Le Mans track was provided in the delivery documents. Each car was made upon special commission and fitted with a number plate indicating also the name of the first owner.The Virage would not become available in the United States until the summer of 1990 and the Virage Volante convertible became available later in 1992. The later V8 Coupe version and the Virage Vantage were not officially offered for sale in the US. Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin. The Virage capitalised on the technology from the DBS and united it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. The Virage was intended to sit in the narrow slot between the basic DB9 and the flagship DBS. Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim. With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration. The Virage's 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine has a power output of 497 PS (366 kW; 490 hp) and 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque. It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), while the Virage Volante is limited to 295 km/h (183 mph). The Virage was available in two bodystyles: Coupé or Volante (convertible).In September 2014, Zagato revealed a one-off shooting brake at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours d’Elegance. The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage. It was commissioned by a European client. It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.																		1. Kevin Blick (September 1990). 'Anglophyle Style'. Sports Car International. 6 (9): 22–27.2. Covello, Mike, updated by, Standard Catalog of Imported Cars: 1946–2002, Krause Publications, Iola, WI, U.S.A., 2002.Official website","Aston_Martin_Virage | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_DBS","The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models.Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range.To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past.In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3.Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total.The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda.It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear.Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced.Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim.With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration.The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage.It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.","Aston Martin Virage and Aston Martin DBS are related types of transportation."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | established | 1928","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at Aarhus University was established in 1928."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | ICAO_Location_Identifier | KABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","KABI is the ICAO location identifier of Abilene Regional Airport."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Quwa_Al-Jawiya","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad is in the Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya club."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | established | 1928","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences was established in 1928."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | ICAO_Location_Identifier | KABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The ICAO Location Identifier of Abilene Regional Airport is KABI."
-"The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and then the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.The V8-powered model was intended as the company's flagship model, with the 6-cylinder DB7, introduced in 1994, positioned below it as an entry-level model. Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 cars in total had been produced. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005.A new Virage model was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, to fit into the middle of Aston Martin's then current lineup but was discontinued in 2012 due to many similarities between the brand's other models.When compared to the preceding V8, the design was fresh and more modern. The Virage was more similar in design language to the Lagonda than the V8 it replaced. Indeed, the chassis was an evolution of the Lagonda's, with a de Dion tube rear suspension, located by triangulated radius rods and a Watts linkage, and a double wishbone unit at the front. To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past. The sleek headlights and taillights were sourced from the Audi 200 and the Volkswagen Scirocco respectively, while General Motors, Jaguar, Citroën and  Ford provided the steering column, climate control panel, wing mirrors and dash switches. In fact, Ford had purchased Aston Martin and Jaguar shortly before the Virage debuted and it became the first model to be introduced under the new ownership.The Virage was a large, heavy car in spite of its all-aluminium body, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8 engine's 494 N⋅m (364 lb⋅ft) torque elevated its performance to near sports car levels. 'Acceleration just never seems to run out', claimed Sports Car International during a first test. They also praised the 'eager and quicker revving' nature of the 330 hp (246 kW; 335 PS) engine with its Callaway-designed heads and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. 'Nothing sounds quite like an Aston V8,' they concluded. The 1,790 kg (3,946 lb) car could attain a top-speed of 254 km/h (158 mph). The automatic variant could accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) from a standing start in about 6.5 seconds (7.4 seconds for the manual version). An engine power upgrade to 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) was announced at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show. English actor Rowan Atkinson owned Virage Coupé chassis 50010 which featured on the front cover of Car May 1990. In the article he commented how the modern climate control system provided heating efficiency beyond the veteran Aston Martin driver's dreams and could not believe warm air would emanate from the footwell within 90 seconds of start up. This car also appeared in the beginning of his 1991 TV series The Driven Man. Other celebrity owners included Lennox Lewis, Elton John and Chris Eubank. The five-speed ZF Friedrichshafen manual was fitted to about forty percent of the cars produced. The more popular automatic option was the Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite transmission. For the 1993 model year, the three-speed unit was replaced by a four-speed automatic unit. The six-speed manual from the Vantage also became optional at the end of the Virage's production run.																																				In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3. As the name implies, the centerpiece of the conversion was a bored and stroked 6.3 L (6,347 cc) V8 derived from the AMR1 racing car. This engine has a power output of between 456 and 500 hp (340 and 373 kW; 462 and 507 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb·ft (651 N·m) of torque at 5,800 rpm, allowing the car to attain a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph).Other changes included 362 mm (14 in) ventilated disc brakes, the largest used in a passenger car until the Bentley Continental GT, and 18 in (457 mm) wheels. Visually, the 6.3 had wide flared bumpers, low sills and air dams, and side air vents.Virage Shooting BrakeA shooting brake (estate) version of the Virage was offered in limited numbers. It debuted at the March 1992 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total. The cars were priced at £165,000. The cars are believed to have retained Virage chassis numbers, except two that received chassis numbers of the type 'DP/2099'.Lagonda Virage Saloon								The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was manufactured by Aston Martin Works Service with a 12 in (305 mm) chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18 in (457 mm) extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about £250,000 and only eight or nine are believed to have been produced, with some being conversions of regular Virages. Six of these cars were ordered by the royal family of Brunei.Lagonda Virage Shooting BrakeThe five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear. A further six cars were made for a royal family from the ground up, adding a 406.4 mm (16 in) extension to the chassis of a standard Virage.A less extreme V8 Coupe replaced the standard Virage from 1996 onwards having the updated styling inherited from the more powerful Vantage. Lacking the superchargers and the more aggressive body style of its sibling, the engine in the V8 Coupe has a power output of 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) and 369 lb·ft (500 N·m) of torque. In total, 101 examples of the V8 Coupe were built from 1996 through 2000.V8 Sportsman EstateThe V8 was also subject to coachbuilt conversion by Aston Martin's Works Service department. Dubbed the Sportsman estate, only three were made using existing V8 Coupes as a base. No mechanical modifications were made and the Estate retained the V8 Coupe's engine and mechanicals.																		The convertible version of the Virage, called the Virage Volante debuted at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show as a strict two-seater, but a 2+2 version was shown at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. Production examples, first appearing in 1992, were all to feature 2+2 seating. Sources state that either 224 or 233 examples had been produced when production ended in 1996. The last 11 examples already had the naturally aspirated 1995 version of the engine found in the later V8 and V8 LWB Volante models with the improved four-speed and overdrive Torqueflite automatic and a power output of 359 PS (264 kW; 354 hp), which may be part of why there is some disagreement to the production numbers.1992 was also when Aston Martin introduced its 6.3-litre 'Works Service' package, which included wider fenders to accommodate the larger OZ wheels and 14-inch disc brakes, additional vents, deeper sills, and other appearance modifications. This was immediately available on the Coupé as well as the Volante. Aston Martin soon introduced a strictly cosmetic version called the Wide Body featuring the regular 5.3-litre engine; this was mainly intended for the United States market as the 6.3 was not certified for sale there. 13 of these were built for the United States, whereas only seven regular Virage Volantes were delivered there. In contrast to the Wide Body Volante, the Prince of Wales chose to equip his 1994 Volante with the standard bodywork coupled with the 456 hp (340 kW; 462 PS) 6.3-litre engine and a manual transmission.A new V8 Volante Long Wheelbase, with updated styling of the V8 Coupe was produced from 1997 to 2000 on a chassis lengthened by 200 mm (7.9 in). Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced. First shown at Birmingham in September 1992, the Vantage was produced from 1993 through 2000 and, like many other Aston Vantage models would soon become the only variant available. The Virage name lasted just a few years, with its final descendants inheriting the simple and familiar V8 name.The Vantage had new styling with only the roof, doors and wing mirrors shared with the Virage. The wing mirrors were later replaced in favour of the ones from the Jaguar XK8/XKR. The Vantage is wider, lower, used four round tail lights (later adopted for the base V8 Coupe), and featured new rear suspension and interior electronics. Like the 6.3, the Vantage used record-sized 362 mm (14 in) brake discs and 18 inch wheels.The biggest change to the Vantage was inside the engine compartment. The 5.3 L (5,341 cc) V8 engine now used twin superchargers. Power output was now 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS), and the torque was equally high at 555 lb⋅ft (752 N⋅m) at 4,000 rpm. Top speed was 300 km/h (186 mph), with acceleration to 97 km/h (60 mph) taking 4.6 seconds. Customers cars could be returned to Works Service starting in 1998 to be converted to V600 specifications, where the engine was upgraded to 600 hp (447 kW; 608 PS) at 6,200 rpm and 600 lb⋅ft (813 N⋅m) of torque at 4,400 rpm.In 2000, Aston Martin's Works Service unit also built nine bespoke Vantage Volante models (convertibles), one of which was built to long wheelbase specifications.																																						The new European emission and safety regulations made Aston Martin decide to end production of the V8-Vantage line and the final model was called 'V8 Vantage Le Mans'. Honoring Aston Martin's 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the prototype of a limited run of 40 was presented in Geneva in 1999 on the 40th anniversary of the win.All Le Mans Vantages were sent back after delivery to have the engine modifications to deliver 612 PS (450 kW; 604 hp) and 820 N⋅m (605 lbf⋅ft) of torque, and were supported by a suspension reinforced with special Koni shock-absorbers and stiffer anti-roll bars. The bodywork featured a blanked-out front grille and modified side vents – replicating the side vents of the Le Mans winning DBR-1 – as well as a bigger front spoiler and rear skirt. The interior was reworked with a large rev-counter, a special Titanium finish on some parts, and features such as heated windshield, parking radars, traction control, heated electric seats, and full Connolly leather upholstery with matching Wilton wool carpets. Wheels were the same Dymag magnesium units as seen on most V600s. Performance included a claimed top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration being achieved in 3.9 seconds. The keyholder was in sterling silver and a map from Newport-Pagnell to the legendary Le Mans track was provided in the delivery documents. Each car was made upon special commission and fitted with a number plate indicating also the name of the first owner.The Virage would not become available in the United States until the summer of 1990 and the Virage Volante convertible became available later in 1992. The later V8 Coupe version and the Virage Vantage were not officially offered for sale in the US. Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin. The Virage capitalised on the technology from the DBS and united it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. The Virage was intended to sit in the narrow slot between the basic DB9 and the flagship DBS. Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim. With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration. The Virage's 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine has a power output of 497 PS (366 kW; 490 hp) and 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque. It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), while the Virage Volante is limited to 295 km/h (183 mph). The Virage was available in two bodystyles: Coupé or Volante (convertible).In September 2014, Zagato revealed a one-off shooting brake at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours d’Elegance. The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage. It was commissioned by a European client. It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.																		1. Kevin Blick (September 1990). 'Anglophyle Style'. Sports Car International. 6 (9): 22–27.2. Covello, Mike, updated by, Standard Catalog of Imported Cars: 1946–2002, Krause Publications, Iola, WI, U.S.A., 2002.Official website","Aston_Martin_Virage | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_DBS","The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models.Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range.To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past.In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3.Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total.The cars are believed to have retained Virage chassis numbers, except two that received chassis numbers of the type 'DP/2099'.Lagonda Virage Saloon								The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque.The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda.It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear.Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced.Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin.Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim.With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration.The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage.It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.","Aston Martin Virage is a related vehicle to the Aston Martin DBS."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Quwa_Al-Jawiya","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad played for the club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | established | 1928","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University was established in 1928."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 546","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","Abilene Regional Airport elevation above the sea level in metres is 546."
-"The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and then the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.The V8-powered model was intended as the company's flagship model, with the 6-cylinder DB7, introduced in 1994, positioned below it as an entry-level model. Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 cars in total had been produced. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005.A new Virage model was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, to fit into the middle of Aston Martin's then current lineup but was discontinued in 2012 due to many similarities between the brand's other models.When compared to the preceding V8, the design was fresh and more modern. The Virage was more similar in design language to the Lagonda than the V8 it replaced. Indeed, the chassis was an evolution of the Lagonda's, with a de Dion tube rear suspension, located by triangulated radius rods and a Watts linkage, and a double wishbone unit at the front. To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past. The sleek headlights and taillights were sourced from the Audi 200 and the Volkswagen Scirocco respectively, while General Motors, Jaguar, Citroën and  Ford provided the steering column, climate control panel, wing mirrors and dash switches. In fact, Ford had purchased Aston Martin and Jaguar shortly before the Virage debuted and it became the first model to be introduced under the new ownership.The Virage was a large, heavy car in spite of its all-aluminium body, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8 engine's 494 N⋅m (364 lb⋅ft) torque elevated its performance to near sports car levels. 'Acceleration just never seems to run out', claimed Sports Car International during a first test. They also praised the 'eager and quicker revving' nature of the 330 hp (246 kW; 335 PS) engine with its Callaway-designed heads and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. 'Nothing sounds quite like an Aston V8,' they concluded. The 1,790 kg (3,946 lb) car could attain a top-speed of 254 km/h (158 mph). The automatic variant could accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) from a standing start in about 6.5 seconds (7.4 seconds for the manual version). An engine power upgrade to 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) was announced at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show. English actor Rowan Atkinson owned Virage Coupé chassis 50010 which featured on the front cover of Car May 1990. In the article he commented how the modern climate control system provided heating efficiency beyond the veteran Aston Martin driver's dreams and could not believe warm air would emanate from the footwell within 90 seconds of start up. This car also appeared in the beginning of his 1991 TV series The Driven Man. Other celebrity owners included Lennox Lewis, Elton John and Chris Eubank. The five-speed ZF Friedrichshafen manual was fitted to about forty percent of the cars produced. The more popular automatic option was the Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite transmission. For the 1993 model year, the three-speed unit was replaced by a four-speed automatic unit. The six-speed manual from the Vantage also became optional at the end of the Virage's production run.																																				In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3. As the name implies, the centerpiece of the conversion was a bored and stroked 6.3 L (6,347 cc) V8 derived from the AMR1 racing car. This engine has a power output of between 456 and 500 hp (340 and 373 kW; 462 and 507 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb·ft (651 N·m) of torque at 5,800 rpm, allowing the car to attain a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph).Other changes included 362 mm (14 in) ventilated disc brakes, the largest used in a passenger car until the Bentley Continental GT, and 18 in (457 mm) wheels. Visually, the 6.3 had wide flared bumpers, low sills and air dams, and side air vents.Virage Shooting BrakeA shooting brake (estate) version of the Virage was offered in limited numbers. It debuted at the March 1992 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total. The cars were priced at £165,000. The cars are believed to have retained Virage chassis numbers, except two that received chassis numbers of the type 'DP/2099'.Lagonda Virage Saloon								The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was manufactured by Aston Martin Works Service with a 12 in (305 mm) chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18 in (457 mm) extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about £250,000 and only eight or nine are believed to have been produced, with some being conversions of regular Virages. Six of these cars were ordered by the royal family of Brunei.Lagonda Virage Shooting BrakeThe five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear. A further six cars were made for a royal family from the ground up, adding a 406.4 mm (16 in) extension to the chassis of a standard Virage.A less extreme V8 Coupe replaced the standard Virage from 1996 onwards having the updated styling inherited from the more powerful Vantage. Lacking the superchargers and the more aggressive body style of its sibling, the engine in the V8 Coupe has a power output of 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS) and 369 lb·ft (500 N·m) of torque. In total, 101 examples of the V8 Coupe were built from 1996 through 2000.V8 Sportsman EstateThe V8 was also subject to coachbuilt conversion by Aston Martin's Works Service department. Dubbed the Sportsman estate, only three were made using existing V8 Coupes as a base. No mechanical modifications were made and the Estate retained the V8 Coupe's engine and mechanicals.																		The convertible version of the Virage, called the Virage Volante debuted at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show as a strict two-seater, but a 2+2 version was shown at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. Production examples, first appearing in 1992, were all to feature 2+2 seating. Sources state that either 224 or 233 examples had been produced when production ended in 1996. The last 11 examples already had the naturally aspirated 1995 version of the engine found in the later V8 and V8 LWB Volante models with the improved four-speed and overdrive Torqueflite automatic and a power output of 359 PS (264 kW; 354 hp), which may be part of why there is some disagreement to the production numbers.1992 was also when Aston Martin introduced its 6.3-litre 'Works Service' package, which included wider fenders to accommodate the larger OZ wheels and 14-inch disc brakes, additional vents, deeper sills, and other appearance modifications. This was immediately available on the Coupé as well as the Volante. Aston Martin soon introduced a strictly cosmetic version called the Wide Body featuring the regular 5.3-litre engine; this was mainly intended for the United States market as the 6.3 was not certified for sale there. 13 of these were built for the United States, whereas only seven regular Virage Volantes were delivered there. In contrast to the Wide Body Volante, the Prince of Wales chose to equip his 1994 Volante with the standard bodywork coupled with the 456 hp (340 kW; 462 PS) 6.3-litre engine and a manual transmission.A new V8 Volante Long Wheelbase, with updated styling of the V8 Coupe was produced from 1997 to 2000 on a chassis lengthened by 200 mm (7.9 in). Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced. First shown at Birmingham in September 1992, the Vantage was produced from 1993 through 2000 and, like many other Aston Vantage models would soon become the only variant available. The Virage name lasted just a few years, with its final descendants inheriting the simple and familiar V8 name.The Vantage had new styling with only the roof, doors and wing mirrors shared with the Virage. The wing mirrors were later replaced in favour of the ones from the Jaguar XK8/XKR. The Vantage is wider, lower, used four round tail lights (later adopted for the base V8 Coupe), and featured new rear suspension and interior electronics. Like the 6.3, the Vantage used record-sized 362 mm (14 in) brake discs and 18 inch wheels.The biggest change to the Vantage was inside the engine compartment. The 5.3 L (5,341 cc) V8 engine now used twin superchargers. Power output was now 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS), and the torque was equally high at 555 lb⋅ft (752 N⋅m) at 4,000 rpm. Top speed was 300 km/h (186 mph), with acceleration to 97 km/h (60 mph) taking 4.6 seconds. Customers cars could be returned to Works Service starting in 1998 to be converted to V600 specifications, where the engine was upgraded to 600 hp (447 kW; 608 PS) at 6,200 rpm and 600 lb⋅ft (813 N⋅m) of torque at 4,400 rpm.In 2000, Aston Martin's Works Service unit also built nine bespoke Vantage Volante models (convertibles), one of which was built to long wheelbase specifications.																																						The new European emission and safety regulations made Aston Martin decide to end production of the V8-Vantage line and the final model was called 'V8 Vantage Le Mans'. Honoring Aston Martin's 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the prototype of a limited run of 40 was presented in Geneva in 1999 on the 40th anniversary of the win.All Le Mans Vantages were sent back after delivery to have the engine modifications to deliver 612 PS (450 kW; 604 hp) and 820 N⋅m (605 lbf⋅ft) of torque, and were supported by a suspension reinforced with special Koni shock-absorbers and stiffer anti-roll bars. The bodywork featured a blanked-out front grille and modified side vents – replicating the side vents of the Le Mans winning DBR-1 – as well as a bigger front spoiler and rear skirt. The interior was reworked with a large rev-counter, a special Titanium finish on some parts, and features such as heated windshield, parking radars, traction control, heated electric seats, and full Connolly leather upholstery with matching Wilton wool carpets. Wheels were the same Dymag magnesium units as seen on most V600s. Performance included a claimed top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration being achieved in 3.9 seconds. The keyholder was in sterling silver and a map from Newport-Pagnell to the legendary Le Mans track was provided in the delivery documents. Each car was made upon special commission and fitted with a number plate indicating also the name of the first owner.The Virage would not become available in the United States until the summer of 1990 and the Virage Volante convertible became available later in 1992. The later V8 Coupe version and the Virage Vantage were not officially offered for sale in the US. Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin. The Virage capitalised on the technology from the DBS and united it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. The Virage was intended to sit in the narrow slot between the basic DB9 and the flagship DBS. Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim. With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration. The Virage's 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine has a power output of 497 PS (366 kW; 490 hp) and 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque. It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), while the Virage Volante is limited to 295 km/h (183 mph). The Virage was available in two bodystyles: Coupé or Volante (convertible).In September 2014, Zagato revealed a one-off shooting brake at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours d’Elegance. The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage. It was commissioned by a European client. It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.																		1. Kevin Blick (September 1990). 'Anglophyle Style'. Sports Car International. 6 (9): 22–27.2. Covello, Mike, updated by, Standard Catalog of Imported Cars: 1946–2002, Krause Publications, Iola, WI, U.S.A., 2002.Official website","Aston_Martin_Virage | relatedMeanOfTransportation | Aston_Martin_DBS","The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models.Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range.To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past.In January 1992, Aston Martin introduced a conversion service, upgrading the car into a Virage 6.3.Unlike prior Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, however, the Virage was produced in-house by the company's Works Service, with six believed to be constructed in total.The cars are believed to have retained Virage chassis numbers, except two that received chassis numbers of the type 'DP/2099'.Lagonda Virage Saloon								The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque.The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda.It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing 'Vacances' badging at the rear.Only 63 units were built by the time production came to a halt.As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced.Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin.Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim.With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration.The car is based on the Aston Martin Virage.It follows the same design cues as the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial.","The Aston Martin Virage is related to the Aston Martin DBS."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Quwa_Al-Jawiya","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | established | 1928","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning).On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University is established in 1928."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 546","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.","The Abilene Regional Airport is 546 metres above sea level."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | areaTotal | 16.55 (square kilometres)","The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).","Angola. in Indiana. has a total area of 16.55 square kilometres."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Talaba_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al Talaba SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | diameter | 3.04 m","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets.The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.","Atlas II is 3.04m in diameter."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | latinName | Universitas Aarhusiensis","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The latin name of School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University is Universitas Aarhusiensis."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | elevationAboveTheSeaLevel_(in_metres) | 546","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","Abilene Regional Airport is located 546 metres above sea level."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | areaTotal | 16.55 (square kilometres)","The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).","The total area of Angola. Indiana. is 16.55 square kilometres."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Talaba_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al-Talaba SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | diameter | 3.04 m","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets.The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.","Atlas II has a diameter of 3.04m."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | latinName | Universitas Aarhusiensis","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The latin name of the School of Business and Social Sciences at Aarhus University is universitas Aarhusiensis."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | locationIdentifier | ABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The location identifier for Abilene Regional airport is ABI."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | country | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.","Angola. Indiana is in the United States."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Talaba_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad is a member of Al Talaba SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | diameter | 3.04 m","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets.The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.","The Atlas II is 3.04 m in diameter."
-"The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark. The school consists of seven departments: Economics and Business Economics, Management, Political Science, Law, Business Communication, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Department of Business Development and Technology (located in the city of Herning). The main campus is located in Aarhus.Aarhus BSS is a merger from 2007 and teaches programmes at Bachelor's, Master and PhD level along with the MBA (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive MBA) programmes and Summer University and Winter school courses. In 2010 Dale T. Mortensen, a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences together with his colleagues Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides.The history of the Aarhus BSS is both old and new. On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history. Already in the late 1800s, DJH provided business programmes to young people from Jutland who wished to follow studies within business, economics and trade. Only when Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 did it become the academic institution that it was known as today.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding. In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus. In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc. (taught in Danish)Business Administration and Commercial Law (taught in Danish)Business Development Engineer (BDE) - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, BScEconomics and Business Administration, BSc - in HerningEconomics and Business Administration, HA (taught in Danish)Economics and Business Administration, HA - in Herning (taught in Danish)Economics and Management (taught in Danish)Global Management and Manufacturing - in HerningLaw (taught in Danish)Political Science (taught in Danish)Psychology (taught in Danish)Public Policy (taught in Danish)Social Science (taught in Danish)Business IntelligenceBusiness-to-Business Marketing and PurchasingCommercial and Retail ManagementFinanceFinance and International BusinessInformation ManagementInnovation Management and Business DevelopmentInternational BusinessInternational Business Development - in HerningInternational Economic ConsultingManagement Accounting and ControlMarketingOperations and Supply Chain AnalyticsStrategic CommunicationStrategy, Organisation and LeadershipBusiness Economics and Auditing, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.aud.)Business Administration (taught in Danish - cand.soc.)Business Administration and Commercial Law, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.merc.(jur.))Economics and ManagementInformation Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc (taught in Danish - cand.it)Information Technology - IT, Communication and Organisation, MSc - in Herning (taught in Danish - cand.it)Law (taught in Danish)MSc in engineering in Technology Based Business Development - in HerningPsychology (taught in Danish)Political SciencePolitical Science (taught in Danish)Quantitative EconomicsSocial Science (taught in Danish)School of Business and Social Sciences also teaches a one-year full-time MBA (Master in Business Administration) which integrates both sustainability and personal development into all courses. 25 applicants are admitted to the MBA programme every year.The school also offers a two-year Executive MBA in Change Management and Leadership aimed at experienced managers. During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no. 79 in the Financial Times ranking of business schools as well as no. 68 in the Master in Management ranking.Aarhus University is ranked no. 97 on the Leiden Ranking, no. 86 on National Taiwan University Ranking, no. 65 on Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), no. 117 on QS World University Ranking and no. 98 on Times Higher Education World University Ranking.Aarhus BSS holds the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Equis accreditation, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This makes the school one of the few to have the so-called Triple Crown accreditations.Aarhus BSS is a member of PRME, the UN-funded network consisting of business schools and universities which are all committed to integrating a number of principles for sustainability and social responsibility into their research and educational activities. So far, more than 300 institutions of higher education have joined the network.Thomas Pallesen is Dean of Aarhus BSS.The school's Executive Team is formed by the Dean, the Vice-Dean for research and talent development, Per Baltzer Overgaard and the Vice-Dean for education, Peder Østergaard.Aarhus BSS has a large network of alumni (former students) gathered in the network of AU Alumni, which aims at creating and maintaining relations between students, staff, faculty and  alumni.Notable alumni:Anders Fogh Rasmussen, (MSc in economics 1978) Prime Minister of Denmark from 2001 until 2009. Secretary General of NATO from August 2009.Bjørn Lomborg, (MSc in political science 1991) Danish author, academic and environmentalist.Crown Prince Frederik, (MSc in political science 1995) Crown Prince of Denmark.Dan Jørgensen, (MSc in political science) Danish politician. Member of the European Parliament since 2004.Henrik Poulsen, (MSc in finance) CEO of DONG Energy and former CEO of TDC.Jan Beyer Schmidt-Sørensen, (Ph.D. in economics in 1990) director of business development at Aarhus Municipality and former rector of Aarhus School of BusinessJørgen Vig Knudstorp, (MSc 1995, PhD in 1998 in economics) CEO of the Lego GroupLars Rohde, (MSc in economics), from 2013 CEO of the Danish National BankQueen Margrethe II of Denmark since 1972, studied political science in 1961–62.Søren Gade, (MSc in economics 1990) Danish politician, Minister of Defence and Member of the Danish Parliament.Svend Auken, (MSc in political science 1969) Danish politician. Chairman of the Danish Social Democrats 1987–1992.Tøger Seidenfaden, (MSc in political science 1983) Danish journalist. editor-in-chief at Politiken 1993–2011.Yildiz Akdogan, (MSc in political science 2006) Danish politician, Member of the Danish Parliament since 2007.Official website","Aarhus_University,_School_of_Business_and_Social_Sciences | latinName | Universitas Aarhusiensis","The Aarhus University School of Business and Social Sciences (in short Aarhus BSS) is one of four faculties of Aarhus University in Denmark.On 1 January 2007, Aarhus School of Business (ASB or in Danish: Handelshøjskolen) merged with Aarhus University to become part of Aarhus University and in 2011 the Aarhus School of Business and Faculty of Social Sciences at Aarhus University were merged under the name of Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences.Aarhus School of Business  was founded in 1939, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, consisting of several departments and faculties established between 1936 and 1969.Aarhus School of Business's predecessor, The Jutland Business School (Den Jyske Handelshøjskole, DJH), has a somewhat more extensive history.[1]Aarhus School of Business has continually grown since its founding.In 1968 Aarhus School of Business moved from the original location downtown Aarhus to the yellow and red brick buildings which since then have provided the setting for the outstanding research and teaching that Aarhus School of Business stood for.After the 2011 merger the school now has around 16,000 students, 737 academic staff, including 223 PhD students,[3] making it one of the largest business schools in Europe.The campus of the School of Business and Social Sciences has its main base around the University Park, the Nobel Park and campus Fuglesangs Allé, all located in the centre of Aarhus.In 2006, the Institute of Business and Technology in Herning (now AU Herning) was merged with Aarhus University, adding Birk Centerpark in Herning to the campus sites of School of Business and Social Sciences.Because of its large number of students, Aarhus is regarded as a university town.The campus in Aarhus and Herning offers a number of facilities, including Aarhus University Sport (AUS) which hosts more than 16 different sports activities and Denmark's biggest Sports Day and Friday Bar, libraries on all campus sites, student organisations like Studenterlauget and the Student Council, and cafeterias and cafes like Dale's café, Aarhus Student House and Klubben.Accommodation at the university is possible in the University Park Dormitories.Business Administration, BA soc.During the programme, managers will go on study trips to Stanford University and a university in Asia.Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences offers the following seven PhD programmes:ManagementBusiness Development and TechnologyEconomics and Business EconomicsLawPolitical SciencePsychology and Behavioural SciencesSocial Science and BusinessAll programmes, except Social Science and Business (3-year scheme) are available as 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year schemes.Aarhus BSS is currently (2016) ranked no.","The School of Business and Social Sciences at the Aarhus University has the latin name Universitas Aarhusiensis."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | locationIdentifier | ABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The Abilene Regional Airport's location id is ABI."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | country | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola. Indiana is in the U.S."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Zawraa_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Al-Zawra'a SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2002-12-05","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","Atlas II last flight was on December 5. 2002."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | locationIdentifier | ABI","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The location Identifier of Abilene Regional Airport is ABI."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | country | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.","Angola. Indiana is located in the United States."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al-Zawraa_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Al-Zawra'a SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2002-12-05","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","The final flight of the Atlas II was on 2002-12-05."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 1121.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway length of Abilene Regional Airport is 1.121."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | Indiana","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola is a city in Indiana."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | anthem | Swiss_Psalm","Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848.Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip.Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.","The Swiss Psalm is the anthem of Switzerland."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al_Shorta_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Al Shorta SC."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2002-12-05","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","The final flight of Atlas II took place on the 5th December 2002."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 1121.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","Abilene Regional airport has a runway length of 1121.0."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | Indiana","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.","Angola is part of the state of Indiana."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al_Shorta_SC","","Ahmed Kadhim Assad plays for Al Shorta SC."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | anthem | Swiss_Psalm","Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.","The anthem of Switzerland is called the Swiss Psalm."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2004-08-31","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","Atlas II's final flight was on the 31st August 2004."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 1121.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway length of Abilene Regional Airport is 1121.0."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | Steuben_County,_Indiana","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The city is the county seat of Steuben County.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola. Indiana is part of Steuben County. Indiana."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Al_Shorta_SC","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad played for the club Al Shorta SC."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 2194.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway length of Abilene Regional Airport is 2194.0."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | Steuben_County,_Indiana","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The city is the county seat of Steuben County.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola. Indiana. is part of Steuben County."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2004-08-31","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","Atlas II had its final flight on the 31st of August 2004."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Esteghlal_Ahvaz_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad played for Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","Switzerland is a tax haven.","Johann Schneider Ammann is the leader of Switzerland."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | Steuben_County,_Indiana","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The city is the county seat of Steuben County.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola. Indiana is in Steuben County."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | finalFlight | 2004-08-31","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","The Atlas II final flight was on 2004-08-31."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 2195.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway length of Abilene Regional Airport is 2.195."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Esteghlal_Ahvaz_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Esteghlal Ahvaz F C."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.","Angola is part of Indiana which is in the United States."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program.","The Atlas II was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality.Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.","Johann Schneider-Ammann is the leader of Switzerland."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayLength | 2195.0","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway length of Abilene Regional Airport is 2195.0."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Esteghlal_Ahvaz_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad is part of the Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127.Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876).","Angola. Indiana is part of the U.S."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program.","The Atlas II was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Steel_Azin_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad's club is Steel Azin F.C."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17L/35R","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","Abilene Regional Airport runway name is 17L/35R."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality.Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.","The leader of Switzerland is Johann Schneider-Ammann."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | isPartOf | United_States","Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States.","Angola in Indiana is part of the United States."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Spaceport_Florida_Launch_Complex_36","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","The Atlas II was launched from the Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Steel_Azin_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad plays for Steel Azin F.C."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17L/35R","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","17L/35R is the runway name of Abilene Regional Airport."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | populationDensity | 524.5 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2).There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2).The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2).There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2).","The population density of Angola Indians is 524.5 (inhabitants per square kilometre)."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Spaceport_Florida_Launch_Complex_36","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","The launch site of Atlas II is Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36."
-"Ahmed Kadhim Assad (Arabic: احمد کاظم عصاد; born on 1 July 1976) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Iraq's under-17 side.He was used in a three-man defensive line-up by coach Najih Humoud but was moved to left-back by Adnan Hamad. He made his debut in a 2–0 win over Lebanon in November 1998 in Beirut.Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.As of match played 26 December, 2021Ahmed Kadhim at National-Football-Teams.com","Ahmad_Kadhim_Assad | club | Steel_Azin_F.C.","","Ahmad Kadhim Assad played for Steel Azin F.C."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","","Switzerland has a leader called Johann Schneider Ammann."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17L/35R","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","Abilene Regional Airport has the runway name 17L/35R."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Spaceport_Florida_Launch_Complex_36","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","The Atlas II launch site was the Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | populationDensity | 524.5 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2).The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2).","The population density of Angola. Indiana is 524.5 inhabitants per sq km."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17R/35L","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","17R/35L is the runway name at Abilene Regional airport."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","","Johann Schneider Ammann is the name of the leader of Switzerland."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | birthPlace | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago","","Akeem Adams' birthplace was Point Fortin. Trinidad and Tobago."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Complex_3","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market.IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","The Atlas II rocket’s launch site is Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3."
-"Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County. Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90).The Angola post office has been in operation since 1838.Some of the first settlers came from Angola, New York, and they named their new home after their old one.The Angola Commercial Historic District, Steuben County Courthouse, and Steuben County Jail are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The center of Angola is located at 41°38′13″N 85°0′3″W, the intersection of U.S. 20 and State Road 127. The roads are known to the citizens of Angola as North and South Wayne street and West and East Maumee street.According to the 2010 census, Angola has a total area of 6.387 square miles (16.54 km2), of which 6.34 square miles (16.42 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.047 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.The National Weather Service reports that Angola's average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.8 °F (−1.8 °C) and a minimum of 13.7 °F (−10.2 °C).  Average July temperatures are a maximum of 82.0 °F (27.8 °C) and a minimum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C).  There is an average of 7.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. There is an average of 28.1 days with highs of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower and an average of 2.3 days with lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower.  The record high temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 13, 1936.  The record low temperature was −27 °F (−33 °C) on January 4, 1981.The average annual precipitation is 37.27 inches (947 mm). There is an average of 119.4 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1950, with 52.48 inches (1,333 mm) and the driest was 1971, with 24.07 inches (611 mm).  The most precipitation in one month was 12.23 inches (311 mm) in May 1943. The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 5.00 inches (127 mm) on July 9, 1951.The average annual snowfall is 34.7 inches (880 mm). There are an average of 22.0 days with measurable snowfall. The snowiest season was 1981–82 with 74.9 inches (1,900 mm). The most snowfall in one month was 31.5 inches (800 mm) in January 1999, including the record 24-hour snowfall of 14.3 inches (360 mm) on January 3, 1999.As of the 2010 census, there were 8,612 people, 3,111 households, and 1,815 families living in the city. The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2). There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.There were 3,111 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.The median age in the city was 30.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.As of the 2000 census, there were 7,344 people, 2,769 households, and 1,578 families living in the city. The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 0.82% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.There were 2,769 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,925, and the median income for a family was $43,848. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $23,258 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,750. About 8.1% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.100.3 WLKI-FM wlki92.7 HOT FM 92.7101.3 U-Rock63 WINMWINM is a religious broadcaster and has slight viewership. Angola gets its main broadcast channels from Fort WayneThe Herald Republican, the daily newspaper based in Angola and serving Steuben County, was formed through the merger of two longstanding weekly newspapers in Angola, the Steuben Republican (first published in May 1857) and The Angola Herald (January 1876). The newspapers consolidated their printing plants in 1925 and their ownership in the 1960s (in the Willis family), eventually merging into one publication in 1980. Two years later they were sold to Home News Enterprises, which expanded the paper to a twice-weekly format in 1989, and then in August 2001 to KPC Media Group of Kendallville, Indiana, which converted The Herald Republican to a daily in September 2001.Angola is home to TikTok superstar Andromeda Stetler, who has amassed over 37,000 followers at the time of writing with videos about their day-to-day life, as well as Rohan, their heavily-customized Jeep Wrangler. The videos often receive tens of thousands of views, and their Jeep is often spotted by Angolans, leading to Stetler's notability in the local community.Angola is also home to acclaimed Brazilian model, actress, writer, and beauty queen Rafaella Carvalho (also known as Ella Droste). Carvalho starred in several international TV shows and fashion campaigns around the world, and was a recurrent guest star in Korean talk shows . Aside from acting and modeling, Carvalho has also authored a finance book, and articles focused on social issues. She currently works in Tech.Angola is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.The Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, which operates the following schools in Angola:Carlin Park ElementaryHendry Park ElementaryRyan Park ElementaryPleasant Lake ElementaryAngola Middle SchoolAngola High SchoolEducational Opportunity CenterTrine UniversityAngola has a lending library: the Carnegie Public Library of Steuben Co.Lloy Ball, Olympic volleyball gold medalistJohn Barnes, science-fiction writerBrian Cardinal, NBA basketball playerHagood Hardy, 1937–1997, Canadian-American jazz musician and composerLewis Blaine Hershey, 1893–1977, U.S. Army four-star general, second Director of the Selective ServiceLois Irene Marshall, 1873–1958, wife of U.S. Vice President Thomas R. MarshallEdward Ralph May, 1819–1852, the only member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to vote for African American suffrage, practiced law in Angola from 1843 to 1852Wilbur Simpson, classical bassoonistRaymond E. Willis, U.S. SenatorJ. Walter Yeagley, former judge of the District of Columbia Court of AppealsFun Spot ParkAngola Chamber of Commerce","Angola,_Indiana | populationDensity | 524.5 (inhabitants per square kilometre)","The population density was 1,358.4 inhabitants per square mile (524.5/km2).There were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 551.9 per square mile (213.1/km2).The population density was 1,736.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.4/km2).There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 712.1 per square mile (274.9/km2).","The population density in Angola. Indiana. is 524.5 (inhabitants per square kilometre)."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17R/35L","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The name of the runway at Abilene Regional Airport is 17R/35L."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | birthPlace | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago","","Akeem Adams was born in Point Fortin. Trindad and Tobago."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | launchSite | Vandenberg_AFB_Space_Launch_Complex_3","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","The Atlas II was launched at the Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3."
-"Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).In October 2020, United Express began daily flights to Houston-Intercontinental, operated by SkyWest Airlines. The airline ceased all flights to the airport in October 2021, citing staffing issues.Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.  The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Texas State Technical College provides aviation maintenance training at its on-field hangar base.In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.  American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles. In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.  American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.Starting in the 1940s Pioneer Airlines Douglas DC-3s and Martin 2-0-2s flew to Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Pioneer was merged into Continental Airlines in 1955; Continental DC-3s flew to cities served by Pioneer and added direct service to San Antonio. In 1958-59 Continental served Abilene with the Convair 340, Convair 440, and the four engine Vickers Viscount.  In 1959 Viscounts flew direct to Dallas Love Field and Albuquerque.  Continental left Abilene in 1963, replaced by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa).  Continental would not return, but Continental Connection Colgan Air Saab 340s eventually began flying Abilene to Houston Intercontinental Airport; that ended in 2008.Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.  Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968. TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.  Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.  Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.  The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth. With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.Jet service returned in 1984 when the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) began flying Boeing 737-200s direct to Denver via Midland/Odessa. By spring 1985 Frontier had dropped Abilene, which again lost jet service.  Reliable jet service would not return to Abilene until American Eagles Embraer ERJ-140 and Embraer ERJ-145s arrived.United Airlines via United Express flown by code sharing partner SkyWest Airlines operated nonstop service to Houston from October 2020 to October 2021.Chaparral Airlines was a regional airline based in Abilene that began service in the 1970s  with Beechcraft 99 and CASA 212 twin engine turboprops as well as small twin engine piston powered Piper Aircraft.  In 1979 Chaparral flew nonstop to both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also nonstop to Austin and Houston Hobby Airport. It then introduced 37-passenger larger Grumman Gulfstream I-Cs, a stretched version of the Gulfstream I business propjet. In 1984 Chaparral flew nonstop from Abilene to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby and to San Antonio via Austin. Chaparral would eventually become an American Eagle airline flying code share service for American Airlines.Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m). In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.The former runway 4/22 has been decommissioned as of 2023.The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.In 2006 the airport had 78,462 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 32% military, 18% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. 98 aircraft are based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 16% multi-engine, 5% jet and 1% helicopter.A GDS search indicated that Delta Air Lines would begin service to/from Atlanta in April 2014; however, Abilene Airport officials stated on their Twitter account that there would be no such service.As of December 2022, all American Eagle flights operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines between Abilene (ABI) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) were being flown with Embraer E175 regional jets.'Airport Map' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-16.FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 13, 2023FAA Terminal Procedures for ABI, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:AirNav airport information for KABIASN accident history for ABIFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart for KABIFAA current ABI delay information","Abilene_Regional_Airport | runwayName | 17R/35L","Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAA LID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training.","The runway name of Abilene Regional Airport is 17R/35L."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderName | Johann_Schneider-Ammann","However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality.Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.","The leader of Switzerland is Johann 'Schneider-Ammann."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | birthPlace | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago","","Akeem Adams was born in Point Fortin.Trinidad and Tobago."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | manufacturer | Lockheed_Martin","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","The manufacturer of the Atlas II is Lockheed Martin."
-"Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of government of Washtenaw County.  The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the fifth-largest city in Michigan. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor is also included in the Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area and the Great Lakes megalopolis, the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan. The university significantly shapes Ann Arbor's economy as it employs about 30,000 workers, including about 12,000 in the medical center. The city's economy is also centered on high technology, with several companies drawn to the area by the university's research and development infrastructure.Ann Arbor was founded in 1824. It was named after the wives of the village's founders, both named Ann, and the stands of bur oak trees. The city's population grew at a rapid rate in the early to mid-20th century.The lands of present-day Ann Arbor were part of Massachusetts's western claim after the French and Indian War (1754–1763), bounded by the latitudes of Massachusetts Bay Colony's original charter, to which it was entitled by its interpretation of its original sea-to-sea grant from The British Crown. Massachusetts  ceded the claim to the federal government as part of the Northwest Territory after April 19, 1785.In about 1774, the Potawatomi founded two villages in the area of what is now Ann Arbor.Ann Arbor was founded in 1824 by land speculators John Allen and Elisha Walker Rumsey. On May 25, 1824, the town plat was registered with Wayne County as the Village of Annarbour, the earliest known use of the town's name. Allen and Rumsey decided to name it for their wives, both named Ann, and for the stands of bur oak in the 640 acres (260 ha) of land they purchased for $800 from the federal government at $1.25 per acre. The local Ojibwa named the settlement kaw-goosh-kaw-nick, after the sound of Allen's sawmill.Ann Arbor became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827, and was incorporated as a village in 1833. The Ann Arbor Land Company, a group of speculators, set aside 40 acres (16 ha) of undeveloped land and offered it to the state of Michigan as the site of the state capitol, but lost the bid to Lansing. In 1837, the property was accepted instead as the site of the University of Michigan.Since the university's establishment in the city in 1837, the histories of the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor have been closely linked. The town became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of the Michigan Central Railroad, and a north–south railway connecting Ann Arbor to Toledo and other markets to the south was established in 1878. Throughout the 1840s and the 1850s settlers continued to come to Ann Arbor. While the earlier settlers were primarily of British ancestry, the newer settlers also consisted of Germans, Irish, and Black people. In 1851, Ann Arbor was chartered as a city, though the city showed a drop in population during the Depression of 1873. It was not until the early 1880s that Ann Arbor again saw robust growth, with new immigrants from Greece, Italy, Russia, and Poland.Ann Arbor saw increased growth in manufacturing, particularly in milling. Ann Arbor's Jewish community also grew after the turn of the 20th century, and its first and oldest synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation, was established in 1916.In 1960, Ann Arbor voters approved a $2.3 million bond issue to build the current city hall, which was designed by architect Alden B. Dow. The City Hall opened in 1963. In 1995, the building was renamed the Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building in honor of the longtime city administrator who championed the building's construction.During the 1960s and 1970s, the city gained a reputation as an important center for liberal politics. Ann Arbor also became a locus for left-wing activism and anti-Vietnam War movement, as well as the student movement. The first major meetings of the national left-wing campus group Students for a Democratic Society took place in Ann Arbor in 1960; in 1965, the city was home to the first U.S. teach-in against the Vietnam War. During the ensuing 15 years, many countercultural and New Left enterprises sprang up and developed large constituencies within the city. These influences washed into municipal politics during the early and mid-1970s when three members of the Human Rights Party (HRP) won city council seats on the strength of the student vote. During their time on the council, HRP representatives fought for measures including pioneering antidiscrimination ordinances, measures decriminalizing marijuana possession, and a rent-control ordinance; many of these progressive organizations remain in effect today in modified form.Two religious-conservative institutions were created in Ann Arbor; the Word of God (established in 1967), a charismatic inter-denominational movement; and the Thomas More Law Center (established in 1999).Following a 1956 vote, the city of East Ann Arbor merged with Ann Arbor to encompass the eastern sections of the city.In the past several decades, Ann Arbor has grappled with the effects of sharply rising land values, gentrification, and urban sprawl stretching into outlying countryside. On November 4, 2003, voters approved a greenbelt plan under which the city government bought development rights on agricultural parcels of land adjacent to Ann Arbor to preserve them from sprawling development. Since then, a vociferous local debate has hinged on how and whether to accommodate and guide development within city limits. Ann Arbor consistently ranks in the 'top places to live' lists published by various mainstream media outlets every year. In 2008, it was ranked by CNNMoney.com 27th out of 100 'America's best small cities'. And in 2010, Forbes listed Ann Arbor as one of the most liveable cities in the United States.In 2016, the city changed mayoral terms from two years to four. Until 2017, City Council held annual elections in which half of the seats (one from each ward) were elected to 2-year terms. These elections were staggered, with each ward having one of its seats up for election in odd years and its other seat up for election in even years. Beginning in 2018 the city council has had staggered elections to 4-year terms in even years. This means that half of the members (one from each ward) are elected in presidential election years, while the other half are elected in mid-term election years. To facilitate this change in scheduling, the 2017 election elected members to terms that lasted 3-years.Ann Arbor is located along the Huron River, which flows southeast through the city on its way to Lake Erie. It is the central core of the Ann Arbor, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is comprised of the whole of Washtenaw County, but is also a part of the Metro Detroit Combined Statistical Area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau. While it borders only Townships, the built-up nature of the sections of Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships between Ann Arbor and the city of Ypsilanti make the two effectively a single urban area.The landscape of Ann Arbor consists of hills and valleys, with the terrain becoming steeper near the Huron River. The elevation ranges from about 750 feet (230 m) along the Huron River to 1,015 feet (309 m) on the city's west side, near the intersection of Maple Road and Pauline Blvd. Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, which is south of the city at 42°13.38′N 83°44.74′W, has an elevation of 839 feet (256 m).Ann Arbor is nicknamed 'Tree Town,' both due to its name and to the dense forestation of its parks and residential areas. The city contains more than 50,000 trees along its streets and an equal number in parks. In recent years, the emerald ash borer has destroyed many of the city's approximately 10,500 ash trees. The city contains 157 municipal parks ranging from small neighborhood green spots to large recreation areas. Several large city parks and a university park border sections of the Huron River. Fuller Recreation Area, near the University Hospital complex, contains sports fields, pedestrian and bike paths, and swimming pools. The Nichols Arboretum, owned by the University of Michigan, is a 123-acre (50 ha) arboretum that contains hundreds of plant and tree species. It is on the city's east side, near the university's Central Campus. Located across the Huron River just beyond the university's North Campus is the university's Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which contains 300 acres of gardens and a large tropical conservatory as well as a wildflower garden specializing in the vegetation of the southern Great Lakes Region.The cityscape of Ann Arbor is heavily influenced by the University of Michigan, with 22% of downtown and 9.4% of the total land owned by the university. The downtown Central Campus contains some of the oldest extant structures in the city — including the President's House, built in 1840 — and separates the South University District from the other three downtown commercial districts. These other three districts, Kerrytown, State Street, and Main Street are contiguous near the northwestern corner of the university.Three commercial areas south of downtown include the areas near I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Briarwood Mall, and the South Industrial area. Other commercial areas include the Arborland/Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road merchants on the east side, the Plymouth Road area in the northeast, and the Westgate/West Stadium areas on the west side. Downtown contains a mix of 19th- and early-20th-century structures and modern-style buildings, as well as a farmers' market in the Kerrytown district. The city's commercial districts are composed mostly of two- to four-story structures, although downtown and the area near Briarwood Mall contain a small number of high-rise buildings.Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods contain architectural styles ranging from classic 19th- and early 20th-century designs to ranch-style houses. Among these homes are a number of kit houses built in the early 20th century. Contemporary-style houses are farther from the downtown district. Surrounding the University of Michigan campus are houses and apartment complexes occupied primarily by student renters. Tower Plaza, a 26-story condominium building located between the University of Michigan campus and downtown, is the tallest building in Ann Arbor. The 19th-century buildings and streetscape of the Old West Side neighborhood have been preserved virtually intact; in 1972, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is further protected by city ordinances and a nonprofit preservation group.Ann Arbor has a typically Midwestern humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), which is influenced by the Great Lakes. There are four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, with average highs around 34 °F (1 °C). Summers are warm to hot and humid, with average highs around 81 °F (27 °C) and with slightly more precipitation.  Spring and autumn are transitional between the two. The area experiences lake effect weather, primarily in the form of increased cloudiness during late fall and early winter. The monthly daily average temperature in July is 72.6 °F (22.6 °C), while the same figure for January is 24.5 °F (−4.2 °C). Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 10 days, and drop to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 4.6 nights. Precipitation tends to be the heaviest during the summer months, but most frequent during winter. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April but occasionally starts in October, averages 58 inches (147 cm) per season. The lowest recorded temperature was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 11, 1885, and the highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 24, 1934.As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 123,851 people and 49,948 households residing in the city. The population density was 4,435.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,712.7/km2), making it less densely populated than Detroit proper and its inner-ring suburbs like Oak Park and Ferndale, but more densely populated than outer-ring suburbs like Livonia and Troy. The racial makeup of the city was 67.6% White, 6.8% Black, 0.2% Native American, 15.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 5.5% of the population. Ann Arbor has a small population of Arab Americans, including students as well as local Lebanese and Palestinians.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 113,934 people, 20,502 families, and 47,060 households residing in the city. The population density was 4,093.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,580.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.0% White (70.4% non-Hispanic White), 7.7% Black, 0.3% Native American, 14.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 4.1% of the population.In 2013, Ann Arbor had the second-largest community of Japanese citizens in the state of Michigan, at 1,541; this figure trailed only that of Novi, which had 2,666 Japanese nationals.In 2010, out of 47,060 households, 43.6% were family households, 20.1% had individuals under the age of 18 living in them, and 17.0% had individuals over age 65 living in them. Of the 20,502 family households, 19.2% included children under age 18, 34.2% were husband-wife families (estimates did not include same-sex married couples), and 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.17 people, and the average family size was 2.85 people. The median age was 27.8; 14.4% of the population was under age 18, and 9.3% was age 65 or older.According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey estimates, the median household income was $57,697, and the median family income was $95,528. Males over age 25 and with earnings had a median income of $51,682, versus $39,203 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,158. Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of people and 6.7% of families had incomes below the poverty level.The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy significantly. It employs about 30,000 workers, including about 12,000 in the medical center. Other employers are drawn to the area by the university's research and development money, and by its graduates. High tech, health services and biotechnology are other major components of the city's economy; numerous medical offices, laboratories, and associated companies are located in the city. Automobile manufacturers, such as General Motors and Visteon, also employ residents.High tech companies have located in the area since the 1930s, when International Radio Corporation introduced the first mass-produced AC/DC radio (the Kadette, in 1931) as well as the first pocket radio (the Kadette Jr., in 1933). The Argus camera company, originally a subsidiary of International Radio, manufactured cameras in Ann Arbor from 1936 to the 1960s. Current firms include Arbor Networks (provider of Internet traffic engineering and security systems), Arbortext (provider of XML-based publishing software), JSTOR (the digital scholarly journal archive), MediaSpan (provider of software and online services for the media industries), Truven Health Analytics, and ProQuest, which includes UMI. Ann Arbor Terminals manufactured a video-display terminal called the Ann Arbor Ambassador during the 1980s. Barracuda Networks, which provides networking, security, and storage products based on network appliances and cloud services, opened an engineering office in Ann Arbor in 2008 on Depot St. and currently occupies the building previously used as the Borders headquarters on Maynard Street. Duo Security, a cloud-based access security provider protecting thousands of organizations worldwide through two-factor authentication, is headquartered in Ann Arbor. It was formerly a unicorn and continues to be headquartered in Ann Arbor after its acquisition by Cisco Systems. In November 2021, semiconductor test equipment company KLA Corporation opened a new North American headquarters in Ann Arbor.Websites and online media companies in or near the city include All Media Guide, the Weather Underground, and Zattoo. Ann Arbor is the home to Internet2 and the Merit Network, a not-for-profit research and education computer network. Both are located in the South State Commons 2 building on South State Street, which once housed the Michigan Information Technology Center Foundation. The city is also home to a secondary office of Google's AdWords program—the company's primary revenue stream.  The recent surge in companies operating in Ann Arbor has led to a decrease in its office and flex space vacancy rates. As of December 31, 2012, the total market vacancy rate for office and flex space is 11.80%, a 1.40% decrease in vacancy from one year previous, and the lowest overall vacancy level since 2003. The office vacancy rate decreased to 10.65% in 2012 from 12.08% in 2011, while the flex vacancy rate decreased slightly more, with a drop from 16.50% to 15.02%.As of 2022, Ann Arbor is home to more than twenty video game and XR studios of varying sizes. The city plays host to a regional chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) which hosts monthly meetups, presentations, and educational events.Pfizer, once the city's second-largest employer, operated a large pharmaceutical research facility on the northeast side of Ann Arbor. On January 22, 2007, Pfizer announced it would close operations in Ann Arbor by the end of 2008. The facility was previously operated by Warner-Lambert and, before that, Parke-Davis. In December 2008, the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the purchase of the facilities, and the university anticipates hiring 2,000 researchers and staff during the next 10 years. It is now known as North Campus Research Complex. The city is the home of other research and engineering centers, including those of Lotus Engineering, General Dynamics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other research centers sited in the city are the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory and the Toyota Technical Center. The city is also home to National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF International), the nonprofit non-governmental organization that develops generally accepted standards for a variety of public health related industries and subject areas.Borders Books, started in Ann Arbor, was opened by brothers Tom and Louis Borders in 1971 with a stock of used books. The Borders chain was based in the city, as was its flagship store until it closed in September 2011. Domino's Pizza's headquarters is near Ann Arbor on Domino's Farms, a 271-acre (110 ha) Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex just northeast of the city. Another Ann Arbor-based company is Zingerman's Delicatessen, which serves sandwiches and has developed businesses under a variety of brand names. Zingerman's has grown into a family of companies which offers a variety of products (bake shop, mail order, creamery, coffee) and services (business education). Flint Ink Corp., another Ann Arbor-based company, was the world's largest privately held ink manufacturer until it was acquired by Stuttgart-based XSYS Print Solutions in October 2005. Avfuel, a global supplier of aviation fuels and services, is also headquartered in Ann Arbor.The controversial detective and private security firm, Pinkerton is headquartered in Ann Arbor, being located on 101 N Main St.Many cooperative enterprises were founded in the city; among those that remain are the People's Food Co-op and the Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan, a student housing cooperative founded in 1937. There are also three cohousing communities—Sunward, Great Oak, and Touchstone—located immediately to the west of the city limits.Several performing arts groups and facilities are on the University of Michigan's campus, as are museums dedicated to art, archaeology, and natural history and sciences. Founded in 1879, the University Musical Society is an independent performing arts organization that presents over 60 events each year, bringing international artists in music, dance, and theater. Since 2001 Shakespeare in the Arb has presented one play by Shakespeare each June, in a large park near downtown. Regional and local performing arts groups not associated with the university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered ballet company), The Ark, and Performance Network Theatre. Another unique piece of artistic expression in Ann Arbor is the fairy doors. These small portals are examples of installation art and can be found throughout the downtown area.The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is located in a renovated and expanded historic downtown fire station. Multiple art galleries exist in the city, notably in the downtown area and around the University of Michigan campus. Aside from a large restaurant scene in the Main Street, South State Street, and South University Avenue areas, Ann Arbor ranks first among U.S. cities in the number of booksellers and books sold per capita. The Ann Arbor District Library maintains four branch outlets in addition to its main downtown building. The city is also home to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.Several annual events—many of them centered on performing and visual arts—draw visitors to Ann Arbor. One such event is the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, a set of four concurrent juried fairs held on downtown streets. Scheduled on Thursday through Sunday of the third week of July, the fairs draw upward of half a million visitors. Another is the Ann Arbor Film Festival, held during the third week of March, which receives more than 2,500 submissions annually from more than 40 countries and serves as one of a handful of Academy Award–qualifying festivals in the United States.Ann Arbor has a long history of openness to marijuana, given Ann Arbor's decriminalization of cannabis, the large number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city (one dispensary, called People's Co-op, was directly across the street from Michigan Stadium until zoning forced it to move one mile to the west), the large number of pro-marijuana residents, and the annual Hash Bash: an event that is held on the first Saturday of April. Until (at least) the successful passage of Michigan's medical marijuana law, the event had arguably strayed from its initial intent, although for years, a number of attendees have received serious legal responses due to marijuana use on University of Michigan property, which does not fall under the city's progressive and compassionate ticketing program.Ann Arbor is a major center for college sports, most notably at the University of Michigan. Several well-known college sports facilities exist in the city, including Michigan Stadium, the largest American football stadium in the world and the third-largest stadium of any kind in the world. Michigan Stadium has a capacity of 107,601, with the final 'extra' seat said to be reserved for and in honor of former athletic director and Hall of Fame football coach Fitz Crisler. The stadium was completed in 1927 and cost more than $950,000 to build. The stadium is colloquially known as 'The Big House' due to its status as the largest American football stadium. Crisler Center and Yost Ice Arena play host to the school's basketball (both men's and women's) and ice hockey teams, respectively. Concordia University, a member of the NAIA, also fields sports teams.Ann Arbor is represented in the NPSL by semi-pro soccer team AFC Ann Arbor, a club founded in 2014 who call themselves The Mighty Oak.A person from Ann Arbor is called an 'Ann Arborite', and many long-time residents call themselves 'townies'. The city itself is often called 'A²' ('A-squared') or 'A2' ('A two') or 'AA', 'The Deuce' (mainly by Chicagoans), and 'Tree Town'. With tongue-in-cheek reference to the city's liberal political leanings, some occasionally refer to Ann Arbor as 'The People's Republic of Ann Arbor' or '25 square miles surrounded by reality', the latter phrase being adapted from Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus's description of Madison, Wisconsin. In A Prairie Home Companion broadcast from Ann Arbor, Garrison Keillor described Ann Arbor as 'a city where people discuss socialism, but only in the fanciest restaurants.' Ann Arbor sometimes appears on citation indexes as an author, instead of a location, often with the academic degree MI, a misunderstanding of the abbreviation for Michigan.As the county seat of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw County Trial Court (22nd Circuit Court) is located in Ann Arbor at the Washtenaw County Courthouse on Main Street. Seven judges serve on the court. The 15th Michigan district court, which serves only the city itself, is located within the Ann Arbor Justice Center, immediately next to city hall. The  U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit are also located in downtown Ann Arbor, at the federal building on Liberty Street.Ann Arbor has a council-manager form of government, with 11 voting members: the mayor and 10 city council members. Each of the city's five wards are represented by two council members, with the mayor elected at-large during midterm years. Half of the council members are elected in midterm years, with the other in general election years. The mayor is the presiding officer of the city council and has the power to appoint all council committee members as well as board and commission members, with the approval of the city council. The current mayor of Ann Arbor is Christopher Taylor, a Democrat who was elected as mayor in 2014. Day-to-day city operations are managed by a city administrator chosen by the city council.Progressive politics have been particularly strong in municipal government since the 1960s. Voters approved charter amendments that have lessened the penalties for possession of marijuana (1974), and that aim to protect access to abortion in the city should it ever become illegal in the State of Michigan (1990). In 1974, Kathy Kozachenko's victory in an Ann Arbor city-council race made her the country's first openly homosexual candidate to win public office. In 1975, Ann Arbor became the first U.S. city to use instant-runoff voting for a mayoral race. Adopted through a ballot initiative sponsored by the local Human Rights Party, which feared a splintering of the liberal vote, the process was repealed in 1976 after use in only one election. As of April 2021, Democrats hold the mayorship and all ten council seats.Anti-abortion protesters were outnumbered ten-to-one by abortion-rights counterprotesters in 2017. In 2019, The Diag hosted a Stop the Bans rally. In 2022 in the shadow of the Dobbs decision, the diag once again became a rallying point for abortion rights protests, drawing thousands of protesters, including US Rep. Debbie Dingell Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.=Ann Arbor has two major political factions. In 2020, after the city council voted 7–4 to fire city administrator Howard Lazarus, several of the council members who voted to fire him lost their elections. In April 2021, the city council voted to strip Jeff Hayner of his committee assignments response to his use of homophobic and racist slurs, followed in June by a vote to ask him to resign. Hayner's ally on council, Elizabeth Nelson, defended Hayner, saying he 'spoke the phonetic sounds without euphemism.' Hayner did not run for re-election in 2022 and Nelson lost her primary to Dharma Akmon in a series of elections that gave the mayor's faction 11-0 control of city council.A major source of this local divide is differences in views on the city's growth. In 2018, two council members sued the city over a council decision to sell a city-owned property downtown to a housing developer. Later that year, the city narrowly passed a proposal to keep that space as city owned property in perpetuity. In 2020, the city council enacted a resolution sponsored by then council members Anne Bannister and Jeff Hayner to form an advisory body for developing the roof of the parking structure into a city park. By late 2022, this advisory board had sent council a request to direct staff to evaluate the site for use for food truck rallies and other events. In April 2023, city staff responded to this request with a memorandum stating in part that 'this site is not well-suited for use as a food truck rally or food truck installation and that it will require significant capital investment to bring the site up to a standard that would be safe, convenient, and attractive as a community event space.' The following city council meeting included public comments deriding the lack of progress from this advisory commission.Public schools are part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) district. AAPS has one of the country's leading music programs. In September 2008, 16,539 students had been enrolled in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Notable schools include Pioneer, Huron, Skyline, and Community high schools, and Ann Arbor Open School. The district has a preschool center with both free and tuition-based programs for preschoolers in the district. The University High School, a 'demonstration school' with teachers drawn from the University of Michigan's education program, was part of the school system from 1924 to 1968.Ann Arbor is home to several private schools, including Emerson School, the Father Gabriel Richard High School, Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor, Clonlara School, Michigan Islamic Academy, and Greenhills School, a prep school. The city is also home to several charter schools such as Central Academy (Michigan) (PreK-12) of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) charter school company, Washtenaw Technical Middle College, and Honey Creek Community School.The University of Michigan dominates the city of Ann Arbor, providing the city with its distinctive college-town character. University buildings are located in the center of the city and the campus is directly adjacent to the State Street and South University downtown areas.Other local colleges and universities include Concordia University Ann Arbor, a Lutheran liberal-arts institution, and Cleary University, a private business school. Washtenaw Community College is located in neighboring Ann Arbor Township. In 2000, the Ave Maria School of Law, a Roman Catholic law school established by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, opened in northeastern Ann Arbor, but the school moved to Ave Maria, Florida in 2009, and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School acquired the former Ave Maria buildings for use as a branch campus.The Ann Arbor News, owned by the Michigan-based Booth Newspapers chain, was the major newspaper serving Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County. The newspaper ended its 174-year daily print run in 2009, due to economic difficulties and began producing two printed editions a week under the name AnnArbor.com, It resumed using its former name in 2013.  It also produces a daily digital edition named Mlive.com. Another Ann Arbor-based publication that has ceased production was the Ann Arbor Paper, a free monthly. Ann Arbor has been said to be the first significant city to lose its only daily paper. The Ann Arbor Chronicle, an online newspaper, covered local news, including meetings of the library board, county commission, and DDA until September 3, 2014.Current publications in the city include the Ann Arbor Journal (A2 Journal), a weekly community newspaper; the Ann Arbor Observer, a free monthly local magazine; and Current, a free entertainment-focused alt-weekly. The Ann Arbor Business Review covers local business in the area. Car and Driver magazine and Automobile Magazine are also based in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan is served by many student publications, including the independent Michigan Daily student newspaper, which reports on local, state, and regional issues in addition to campus news.Four major AM radio stations based in or near Ann Arbor are WAAM 1600, a conservative news and talk station; WLBY 1290, a business news and talk station; WDEO 990, Catholic radio; and WTKA 1050, which is primarily a sports station. The city's FM stations include NPR affiliate WUOM 91.7; country station WWWW 102.9; and adult-alternative station WQKL 107.1. Freeform station WCBN-FM 88.3 is a local community radio/college radio station operated by the students of the University of Michigan featuring noncommercial, eclectic music and public-affairs programming. The city is also served by public and commercial radio broadcasters in Ypsilanti, the Lansing/Jackson area, Detroit, Windsor, and Toledo.Ann Arbor is part of the Detroit television market. WPXD channel 31, the owned-and-operated Detroit outlet of the ION Television network, is licensed to the city. Until its sign-off on August 31, 2017, WHTV channel 18, a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station for the Lansing market, was broadcast from a transmitter in Lyndon Township, west of Ann Arbor. Community Television Network (CTN) is a city-provided cable television channel with production facilities open to city residents and nonprofit organizations. Detroit and Toledo-area radio and television stations also serve Ann Arbor, and stations from Lansing and Windsor, Ontario, can be seen in parts of the area.The University of Michigan Medical Center, the only teaching hospital in the city, took the number 1 slot in U.S. News & World Report for best hospital in the state of Michigan, as of 2015. The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) includes University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital in its core complex. UMHS also operates out-patient clinics and facilities throughout the city. The area's other major medical centers include a large facility operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor, and Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in nearby Superior Township.The city provides sewage disposal and water supply services, with water coming from the Huron River and groundwater sources. There are two water-treatment plants, one main and three outlying reservoirs, four pump stations, and two water towers. These facilities serve the city, which is divided into five water districts. The city's water department also operates four dams along the Huron River—Argo, Barton, Geddes, and Superior—of which Barton and Superior provide hydroelectric power. The city also offers waste management services, with Recycle Ann Arbor handling recycling service. Other utilities are provided by private entities. Electrical power and gas are provided by DTE Energy. AT&T Inc. is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area. Cable TV service is primarily provided by Comcast.A plume of the industrial solvent dioxane is migrating under the city from the contaminated Gelman Sciences, Inc. property on the westside of Ann Arbor. It is currently detected at 0.039 ppb. The Gelman plume is a potential threat to one of the City of Ann Arbor's drinking water sources, the Huron River, which flows through downtown Ann Arbor.In 2015, Ann Arbor was ranked 11th safest among cities in Michigan with a population of over 50,000. It ranked safer than cities such as Royal Oak, Livonia, Canton and Clinton Township. The level of most crimes in Ann Arbor has fallen significantly in the past 20 years. In 1995 there were 294 aggravated assaults, 132 robberies and 43 rapes while in 2015 there were 128 aggravated assaults, 42 robberies and 58 rapes (under the revised definition).Ann Arbor's crime rate was below the national average in 2000. The violent crime rate was further below the national average than the property crime rate; the two rates were 48% and 11% lower than the U.S. average, respectively.Ann Arbor is considered one of the US's most walkable cities, with one sixth of Ann Arborites walking to work according to the 2020 census.Ann Arbor has made efforts to reverse the trend of car-dependent development. In 2020, the city introduced a Healthy Streets program to encourage non-motorized transportation.The Washtenaw county Border-to-Border Trail connects Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, mostly along the Huron river, for pedestrians, bicycles and other non-motorized transportation. In 2017, Spin scooters started providing a scooter share program in Ann Arbor, expanding this to include dockless e-bikes in 2023.=Ann Arbor has a gold designation by the Walk Friendly Communities program. Since 2011, the city's property taxes have included a provision for sidewalk maintenance and expansions, expanding the sidewalk network, filling sidewalk gaps, and repairing existing sidewalks. The city has created a sidewalk gap dashboard, which showed 143 miles of sidewalk gaps in May 2022. The downtown was ranked in 2016 is the most walkable neighborhood in mid-sized cities in the Midwest. However, the outlying parts of the city and the township districts between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti still contain markedly unwalkable areas.=Between 2019 and 2022 Ann Arbor's Downtown Development Authority built four two-way protected bikeways downtown. Early studies have shown a significant increase in bicycle use downtown since the construction of these bikeways. In 2023, the city reported over 900 bicycle parking spaces downtown, though this is still a small portion compared to the over 8,000 car parking spots for cars.The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), which brands itself as 'TheRide', operates public bus services throughout the city and nearby Ypsilanti. The AATA operates Blake Transit Center on Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor, and the Ypsilanti Transit Center. A separate zero-fare bus service operates within and between the University of Michigan campuses.  Since April 2012, route 98 (the 'AirRide') connects to Detroit Metro Airport a dozen times a day. There are also limited-stop bus services between Ann Arbor and Chelsea as well as Canton. These two routes, 91 and 92 respectively, are known as the 'ExpressRide'.=Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service. The Michigan Flyer, a service operated by Indian Trails, cooperates with AAATA for their AirRide and additionally offers bus service to East Lansing. Megabus has direct service to Chicago, Illinois, while a bus service is provided by Amtrak for rail passengers making connections to services in East Lansing and Toledo, Ohio.=The city was a major rail hub, notably for freight traffic between Toledo and ports north of Chicago, Illinois, from 1878 to 1982; however, the Ann Arbor Railroad also provided passenger service from 1878 to 1950, going northwest to Frankfort and Elberta on Lake Michigan and southeast to Toledo. (In Elberta connections to ferries across the Lake could be made.) The city was served by the Michigan Central Railroad starting in 1837. The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway, Michigan's first interurban, served the city from 1891 to 1929.Amtrak, which provides service to the city at the Ann Arbor Train Station, operates the Wolverine train between Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit. The present-day train station neighbors the city's old Michigan Central Depot, which was renovated as a restaurant in 1970.=Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is a small, city-run general aviation airport located south of I-94. Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the area's large international airport, is about 25 miles (40 km) east of the city, in Romulus. Willow Run Airport east of the city near Ypsilanti serves freight, corporate, and general aviation clients.The streets in downtown Ann Arbor conform to a grid pattern, though this pattern is less common in the surrounding areas. Major roads branch out from the downtown district like spokes on a wheel to the highways surrounding the city. The city is belted by three freeways: I-94, which runs along the southern and western portion of the city; U.S. Highway 23 (US 23), which primarily runs along the eastern edge of Ann Arbor; and M-14, which runs along the northern edge of the city. Other nearby highways include US 12 (Michigan Ave.), M-17 (Washtenaw Ave.), and M-153 (Ford Rd.). Several of the major surface arteries lead to the I-94/M-14 interchange in the west, US 23 in the east, and the city's southern areas.Ann Arbor has seven sister cities:Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 1965) The schools in Ann Arbor and Tübingen have regular exchanges.Belize City, Belize (since 1967)Hikone, Shiga, Japan (since 1969) The schools in Ann Arbor and Hikone have regular exchanges.Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (since 1983)Juigalpa, Chontales, Nicaragua (since 1986)Dakar, Senegal (since 1997)Remedios, Cuba (since 2003)Ann Arbor stagingArdis PublishingList of people from Ann ArborMetro DetroitIggy PopMarwil, Jonathan (1991). A History of Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-06463-2.'Pictorial History of Ann Arbor'. Ann Arbor District Library. 2003. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2009.Fisher, Dale (1996). Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9615623-4-2.Schmittroth, Linda, ed. (1994). Cities of the United States (4th ed.). Detroit: Gale Group.Shackman, Grace (2006). Ann Arbor Observed. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-03175-7.Brown, Bill (2010). You Should've Heard Just What I Seen: Collected Newspaper Articles, 1981–1984. Colossal Books. ISBN 978-0-557-66844-1.Encyclopedia of Michigan. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers. 1981. ISBN 978-0-403-09995-5.Michigan Gazetteer. Wilmington, DE: American Historical Publications. 1991.City's official websiteAnn Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's BureauCollection: 'Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan' from the University of Michigan Museum of ArtMaterials on Ann Arbor's history from HathiTrust","Ann_Arbor,_Michigan | areaCode | 734","Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of government of Washtenaw County.It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County.Ann Arbor is also included in the Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area and the Great Lakes megalopolis, the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan.During their time on the council, HRP representatives fought for measures including pioneering antidiscrimination ordinances, measures decriminalizing marijuana possession, and a rent-control ordinance; many of these progressive organizations remain in effect today in modified form.Two religious-conservative institutions were created in Ann Arbor; the Word of God (established in 1967), a charismatic inter-denominational movement; and the Thomas More Law Center (established in 1999).Following a 1956 vote, the city of East Ann Arbor merged with Ann Arbor to encompass the eastern sections of the city.In the past several decades, Ann Arbor has grappled with the effects of sharply rising land values, gentrification, and urban sprawl stretching into outlying countryside.It is the central core of the Ann Arbor, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is comprised of the whole of Washtenaw County, but is also a part of the Metro Detroit Combined Statistical Area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau.Tower Plaza, a 26-story condominium building located between the University of Michigan campus and downtown, is the tallest building in Ann Arbor.Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of people and 6.7% of families had incomes below the poverty level.The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy significantly.Ann Arbor Terminals manufactured a video-display terminal called the Ann Arbor Ambassador during the 1980s.Regional and local performing arts groups not associated with the university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered ballet company), The Ark, and Performance Network Theatre.Concordia University, a member of the NAIA, also fields sports teams.Ann Arbor is represented in the NPSL by semi-pro soccer team AFC Ann Arbor, a club founded in 2014 who call themselves The Mighty Oak.A person from Ann Arbor is called an 'Ann Arborite', and many long-time residents call themselves 'townies'.In A Prairie Home Companion broadcast from Ann Arbor, Garrison Keillor described Ann Arbor as 'a city where people discuss socialism, but only in the fanciest restaurants.'Another Ann Arbor-based publication that has ceased production was the Ann Arbor Paper, a free monthly.The Ann Arbor Chronicle, an online newspaper, covered local news, including meetings of the library board, county commission, and DDA until September 3, 2014.Current publications in the city include the Ann Arbor Journal (A2 Journal), a weekly community newspaper; the Ann Arbor Observer, a free monthly local magazine; and Current, a free entertainment-focused alt-weekly.The Ann Arbor Business Review covers local business in the area.The Gelman plume is a potential threat to one of the City of Ann Arbor's drinking water sources, the Huron River, which flows through downtown Ann Arbor.In 2015, Ann Arbor was ranked 11th safest among cities in Michigan with a population of over 50,000.The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway, Michigan's first interurban, served the city from 1891 to 1929.Amtrak, which provides service to the city at the Ann Arbor Train Station, operates the Wolverine train between Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit.A History of Ann Arbor.'Pictorial History of Ann Arbor'.Ann Arbor District Library.Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle.Ann Arbor Observed.1991.City's official websiteAnn Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's BureauCollection: 'Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan' from the University of Michigan Museum of ArtMaterials on Ann Arbor's history from HathiTrust","The area code for Ann Arbor Michigan is 734."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | club | Central_F.C.","","Akeem Adams' club is Central FC."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [i��] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderTitle | Federal_Chancellor_of_Switzerland",": 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state.Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State.Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter.In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness.","The Federal Chancellor of Switzerland helps to lead the country."
-"Adirondack Regional Airport (IATA: SLK, ICAO: KSLK, FAA LID: SLK) is a public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) northwest of the central business district of Saranac Lake, in Franklin County, New York, United States. The airport is owned by the Town of Harrietstown and is situated in the north-central Adirondacks two miles (3 km) from Lake Clear. It is served by one commercial airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,252 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 4,809 enplanements in 2009, and 5,762 in 2010. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).In the autumn of 1940, a group of local men from the Saranac Lake Planning board got together to discuss the possibility of an airport in the Adirondack Mountains, near Saranac Lake. Their thinking was that such a development would play an important part in the future development of the Adirondacks. Due to the mountainous nature of the region many thought such a development would not be likely. However, after countless reviews of area maps, a plateau large enough for airport purposes was identified within a few miles of Saranac Lake Village.The Planning Board's search for an airport site had been prompted by an announcement from Washington, D.C., that Congress had appropriated funds for the building of a system of airports throughout the country. There was, among other problems, however, one restriction. The land for an airport site, to be acceptable to the federal government, had to be publicly owned. The ideal site which these men had spotted on the map was part of the holdings of the Paul Smith's Electric Company. Since no other tract of suitable terrain was to be found within a radius of some 40 miles (64 km), the whole effort might have bogged down but for the public-spirited cooperation of the Paul Smith's Electric Company which, in the interests of regional development, immediately deeded the 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) tract to the Town of Harrietstown without cost.With the requirement of public ownership thus complied with, events moved swiftly toward the realization of an airport for the Adirondacks. Through persistent effort on the part of various citizens, who maintained close contact with Washington, D.C., the site was inspected and federal expenditures for construction of a Class III airport were approved. Step by step, the Town of Harrietstown Town Board and the Saranac Lake Airport Commission worked closely with state and federal agencies in the building process. Construction of the airfield was completed in 1942. The Town of Harrietstown issued bonds to augment the available funds and erected a terminal building in 1948 and a 100 by 100-foot (30 m) hangar in 1950.At the time, the airport was rated as one of the best built Class III airports in the country. Two commercial airlines, Colonial Airlines and Resort Airlines, served the region at that time. Airmail service was provided by Colonial Airlines. The volume of air express business handled by Railway Express Agency increased steadily, as did the number of privately owned aircraft using the field. Resort traffic response was immediate and increased steadily.The airport was officially dedicated to the service of the people of the Adirondacks on July 10, 1949. Since 1960, the Town of Harrietstown has operated the airport. The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights. During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport. Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007. Commutair had been flying into Adirondack Regional Airport on 19-seat planes, and Commutair decided to replace all of those planes with larger planes that it decided were too large for the airport.Big Sky Airlines, a partner of Delta Air Lines, began service at the airport when Commutair ended its service. Big Sky Airlines ended its service to the airport in December 2007, and the airline went out of business several months later.The United States Department of Transportation invited airlines to bid to serve the airport, and Cape Air was the only airline to bid. Cape Air was a partner of JetBlue and Continental Airlines. Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.  Between mid-1957 and mid-1958, the main runway (5/23) was extended to 5000 feet long.  Runway 16/34 was 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but was abandoned sometime between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.  The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.  Also, a parallel taxiway was added to almost the full length of runway 9-27 and a partial parallel taxiway was added between the abandoned northwest–southeast runway - part of which was converted into a taxiway and the approach end of runway 23. Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-03. at New York State DOT Airport DirectoryAerial image as of May 1994 from USGS The National MapFAA Terminal Procedures for SLK, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:FAA airport information for SLKAirNav airport information for KSLKASN accident history for SLKFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures","Adirondack_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_LengthFeet | 6573","The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights.During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport.Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007.Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level.It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.Between mid-1957 and mid-1958, the main runway (5/23) was extended to 5000 feet long.Runway 16/34 was 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but was abandoned sometime between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF).","The length of the first runway at Adirondack Regional Airport is 6.573 feet."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | manufacturer | Lockheed_Martin","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","The Atlas II was manufactured by Lockheed Martin."
-"Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of government of Washtenaw County.  The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the fifth-largest city in Michigan. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor is also included in the Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area and the Great Lakes megalopolis, the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan. The university significantly shapes Ann Arbor's economy as it employs about 30,000 workers, including about 12,000 in the medical center. The city's economy is also centered on high technology, with several companies drawn to the area by the university's research and development infrastructure.Ann Arbor was founded in 1824. It was named after the wives of the village's founders, both named Ann, and the stands of bur oak trees. The city's population grew at a rapid rate in the early to mid-20th century.The lands of present-day Ann Arbor were part of Massachusetts's western claim after the French and Indian War (1754–1763), bounded by the latitudes of Massachusetts Bay Colony's original charter, to which it was entitled by its interpretation of its original sea-to-sea grant from The British Crown. Massachusetts  ceded the claim to the federal government as part of the Northwest Territory after April 19, 1785.In about 1774, the Potawatomi founded two villages in the area of what is now Ann Arbor.Ann Arbor was founded in 1824 by land speculators John Allen and Elisha Walker Rumsey. On May 25, 1824, the town plat was registered with Wayne County as the Village of Annarbour, the earliest known use of the town's name. Allen and Rumsey decided to name it for their wives, both named Ann, and for the stands of bur oak in the 640 acres (260 ha) of land they purchased for $800 from the federal government at $1.25 per acre. The local Ojibwa named the settlement kaw-goosh-kaw-nick, after the sound of Allen's sawmill.Ann Arbor became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827, and was incorporated as a village in 1833. The Ann Arbor Land Company, a group of speculators, set aside 40 acres (16 ha) of undeveloped land and offered it to the state of Michigan as the site of the state capitol, but lost the bid to Lansing. In 1837, the property was accepted instead as the site of the University of Michigan.Since the university's establishment in the city in 1837, the histories of the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor have been closely linked. The town became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of the Michigan Central Railroad, and a north–south railway connecting Ann Arbor to Toledo and other markets to the south was established in 1878. Throughout the 1840s and the 1850s settlers continued to come to Ann Arbor. While the earlier settlers were primarily of British ancestry, the newer settlers also consisted of Germans, Irish, and Black people. In 1851, Ann Arbor was chartered as a city, though the city showed a drop in population during the Depression of 1873. It was not until the early 1880s that Ann Arbor again saw robust growth, with new immigrants from Greece, Italy, Russia, and Poland.Ann Arbor saw increased growth in manufacturing, particularly in milling. Ann Arbor's Jewish community also grew after the turn of the 20th century, and its first and oldest synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation, was established in 1916.In 1960, Ann Arbor voters approved a $2.3 million bond issue to build the current city hall, which was designed by architect Alden B. Dow. The City Hall opened in 1963. In 1995, the building was renamed the Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building in honor of the longtime city administrator who championed the building's construction.During the 1960s and 1970s, the city gained a reputation as an important center for liberal politics. Ann Arbor also became a locus for left-wing activism and anti-Vietnam War movement, as well as the student movement. The first major meetings of the national left-wing campus group Students for a Democratic Society took place in Ann Arbor in 1960; in 1965, the city was home to the first U.S. teach-in against the Vietnam War. During the ensuing 15 years, many countercultural and New Left enterprises sprang up and developed large constituencies within the city. These influences washed into municipal politics during the early and mid-1970s when three members of the Human Rights Party (HRP) won city council seats on the strength of the student vote. During their time on the council, HRP representatives fought for measures including pioneering antidiscrimination ordinances, measures decriminalizing marijuana possession, and a rent-control ordinance; many of these progressive organizations remain in effect today in modified form.Two religious-conservative institutions were created in Ann Arbor; the Word of God (established in 1967), a charismatic inter-denominational movement; and the Thomas More Law Center (established in 1999).Following a 1956 vote, the city of East Ann Arbor merged with Ann Arbor to encompass the eastern sections of the city.In the past several decades, Ann Arbor has grappled with the effects of sharply rising land values, gentrification, and urban sprawl stretching into outlying countryside. On November 4, 2003, voters approved a greenbelt plan under which the city government bought development rights on agricultural parcels of land adjacent to Ann Arbor to preserve them from sprawling development. Since then, a vociferous local debate has hinged on how and whether to accommodate and guide development within city limits. Ann Arbor consistently ranks in the 'top places to live' lists published by various mainstream media outlets every year. In 2008, it was ranked by CNNMoney.com 27th out of 100 'America's best small cities'. And in 2010, Forbes listed Ann Arbor as one of the most liveable cities in the United States.In 2016, the city changed mayoral terms from two years to four. Until 2017, City Council held annual elections in which half of the seats (one from each ward) were elected to 2-year terms. These elections were staggered, with each ward having one of its seats up for election in odd years and its other seat up for election in even years. Beginning in 2018 the city council has had staggered elections to 4-year terms in even years. This means that half of the members (one from each ward) are elected in presidential election years, while the other half are elected in mid-term election years. To facilitate this change in scheduling, the 2017 election elected members to terms that lasted 3-years.Ann Arbor is located along the Huron River, which flows southeast through the city on its way to Lake Erie. It is the central core of the Ann Arbor, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is comprised of the whole of Washtenaw County, but is also a part of the Metro Detroit Combined Statistical Area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau. While it borders only Townships, the built-up nature of the sections of Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships between Ann Arbor and the city of Ypsilanti make the two effectively a single urban area.The landscape of Ann Arbor consists of hills and valleys, with the terrain becoming steeper near the Huron River. The elevation ranges from about 750 feet (230 m) along the Huron River to 1,015 feet (309 m) on the city's west side, near the intersection of Maple Road and Pauline Blvd. Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, which is south of the city at 42°13.38′N 83°44.74′W, has an elevation of 839 feet (256 m).Ann Arbor is nicknamed 'Tree Town,' both due to its name and to the dense forestation of its parks and residential areas. The city contains more than 50,000 trees along its streets and an equal number in parks. In recent years, the emerald ash borer has destroyed many of the city's approximately 10,500 ash trees. The city contains 157 municipal parks ranging from small neighborhood green spots to large recreation areas. Several large city parks and a university park border sections of the Huron River. Fuller Recreation Area, near the University Hospital complex, contains sports fields, pedestrian and bike paths, and swimming pools. The Nichols Arboretum, owned by the University of Michigan, is a 123-acre (50 ha) arboretum that contains hundreds of plant and tree species. It is on the city's east side, near the university's Central Campus. Located across the Huron River just beyond the university's North Campus is the university's Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which contains 300 acres of gardens and a large tropical conservatory as well as a wildflower garden specializing in the vegetation of the southern Great Lakes Region.The cityscape of Ann Arbor is heavily influenced by the University of Michigan, with 22% of downtown and 9.4% of the total land owned by the university. The downtown Central Campus contains some of the oldest extant structures in the city — including the President's House, built in 1840 — and separates the South University District from the other three downtown commercial districts. These other three districts, Kerrytown, State Street, and Main Street are contiguous near the northwestern corner of the university.Three commercial areas south of downtown include the areas near I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Briarwood Mall, and the South Industrial area. Other commercial areas include the Arborland/Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road merchants on the east side, the Plymouth Road area in the northeast, and the Westgate/West Stadium areas on the west side. Downtown contains a mix of 19th- and early-20th-century structures and modern-style buildings, as well as a farmers' market in the Kerrytown district. The city's commercial districts are composed mostly of two- to four-story structures, although downtown and the area near Briarwood Mall contain a small number of high-rise buildings.Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods contain architectural styles ranging from classic 19th- and early 20th-century designs to ranch-style houses. Among these homes are a number of kit houses built in the early 20th century. Contemporary-style houses are farther from the downtown district. Surrounding the University of Michigan campus are houses and apartment complexes occupied primarily by student renters. Tower Plaza, a 26-story condominium building located between the University of Michigan campus and downtown, is the tallest building in Ann Arbor. The 19th-century buildings and streetscape of the Old West Side neighborhood have been preserved virtually intact; in 1972, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is further protected by city ordinances and a nonprofit preservation group.Ann Arbor has a typically Midwestern humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), which is influenced by the Great Lakes. There are four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, with average highs around 34 °F (1 °C). Summers are warm to hot and humid, with average highs around 81 °F (27 °C) and with slightly more precipitation.  Spring and autumn are transitional between the two. The area experiences lake effect weather, primarily in the form of increased cloudiness during late fall and early winter. The monthly daily average temperature in July is 72.6 °F (22.6 °C), while the same figure for January is 24.5 °F (−4.2 °C). Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 10 days, and drop to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 4.6 nights. Precipitation tends to be the heaviest during the summer months, but most frequent during winter. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April but occasionally starts in October, averages 58 inches (147 cm) per season. The lowest recorded temperature was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 11, 1885, and the highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 24, 1934.As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 123,851 people and 49,948 households residing in the city. The population density was 4,435.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,712.7/km2), making it less densely populated than Detroit proper and its inner-ring suburbs like Oak Park and Ferndale, but more densely populated than outer-ring suburbs like Livonia and Troy. The racial makeup of the city was 67.6% White, 6.8% Black, 0.2% Native American, 15.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 5.5% of the population. Ann Arbor has a small population of Arab Americans, including students as well as local Lebanese and Palestinians.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 113,934 people, 20,502 families, and 47,060 households residing in the city. The population density was 4,093.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,580.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.0% White (70.4% non-Hispanic White), 7.7% Black, 0.3% Native American, 14.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 4.1% of the population.In 2013, Ann Arbor had the second-largest community of Japanese citizens in the state of Michigan, at 1,541; this figure trailed only that of Novi, which had 2,666 Japanese nationals.In 2010, out of 47,060 households, 43.6% were family households, 20.1% had individuals under the age of 18 living in them, and 17.0% had individuals over age 65 living in them. Of the 20,502 family households, 19.2% included children under age 18, 34.2% were husband-wife families (estimates did not include same-sex married couples), and 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.17 people, and the average family size was 2.85 people. The median age was 27.8; 14.4% of the population was under age 18, and 9.3% was age 65 or older.According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey estimates, the median household income was $57,697, and the median family income was $95,528. Males over age 25 and with earnings had a median income of $51,682, versus $39,203 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,158. Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of people and 6.7% of families had incomes below the poverty level.The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy significantly. It employs about 30,000 workers, including about 12,000 in the medical center. Other employers are drawn to the area by the university's research and development money, and by its graduates. High tech, health services and biotechnology are other major components of the city's economy; numerous medical offices, laboratories, and associated companies are located in the city. Automobile manufacturers, such as General Motors and Visteon, also employ residents.High tech companies have located in the area since the 1930s, when International Radio Corporation introduced the first mass-produced AC/DC radio (the Kadette, in 1931) as well as the first pocket radio (the Kadette Jr., in 1933). The Argus camera company, originally a subsidiary of International Radio, manufactured cameras in Ann Arbor from 1936 to the 1960s. Current firms include Arbor Networks (provider of Internet traffic engineering and security systems), Arbortext (provider of XML-based publishing software), JSTOR (the digital scholarly journal archive), MediaSpan (provider of software and online services for the media industries), Truven Health Analytics, and ProQuest, which includes UMI. Ann Arbor Terminals manufactured a video-display terminal called the Ann Arbor Ambassador during the 1980s. Barracuda Networks, which provides networking, security, and storage products based on network appliances and cloud services, opened an engineering office in Ann Arbor in 2008 on Depot St. and currently occupies the building previously used as the Borders headquarters on Maynard Street. Duo Security, a cloud-based access security provider protecting thousands of organizations worldwide through two-factor authentication, is headquartered in Ann Arbor. It was formerly a unicorn and continues to be headquartered in Ann Arbor after its acquisition by Cisco Systems. In November 2021, semiconductor test equipment company KLA Corporation opened a new North American headquarters in Ann Arbor.Websites and online media companies in or near the city include All Media Guide, the Weather Underground, and Zattoo. Ann Arbor is the home to Internet2 and the Merit Network, a not-for-profit research and education computer network. Both are located in the South State Commons 2 building on South State Street, which once housed the Michigan Information Technology Center Foundation. The city is also home to a secondary office of Google's AdWords program—the company's primary revenue stream.  The recent surge in companies operating in Ann Arbor has led to a decrease in its office and flex space vacancy rates. As of December 31, 2012, the total market vacancy rate for office and flex space is 11.80%, a 1.40% decrease in vacancy from one year previous, and the lowest overall vacancy level since 2003. The office vacancy rate decreased to 10.65% in 2012 from 12.08% in 2011, while the flex vacancy rate decreased slightly more, with a drop from 16.50% to 15.02%.As of 2022, Ann Arbor is home to more than twenty video game and XR studios of varying sizes. The city plays host to a regional chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) which hosts monthly meetups, presentations, and educational events.Pfizer, once the city's second-largest employer, operated a large pharmaceutical research facility on the northeast side of Ann Arbor. On January 22, 2007, Pfizer announced it would close operations in Ann Arbor by the end of 2008. The facility was previously operated by Warner-Lambert and, before that, Parke-Davis. In December 2008, the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the purchase of the facilities, and the university anticipates hiring 2,000 researchers and staff during the next 10 years. It is now known as North Campus Research Complex. The city is the home of other research and engineering centers, including those of Lotus Engineering, General Dynamics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other research centers sited in the city are the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory and the Toyota Technical Center. The city is also home to National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF International), the nonprofit non-governmental organization that develops generally accepted standards for a variety of public health related industries and subject areas.Borders Books, started in Ann Arbor, was opened by brothers Tom and Louis Borders in 1971 with a stock of used books. The Borders chain was based in the city, as was its flagship store until it closed in September 2011. Domino's Pizza's headquarters is near Ann Arbor on Domino's Farms, a 271-acre (110 ha) Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex just northeast of the city. Another Ann Arbor-based company is Zingerman's Delicatessen, which serves sandwiches and has developed businesses under a variety of brand names. Zingerman's has grown into a family of companies which offers a variety of products (bake shop, mail order, creamery, coffee) and services (business education). Flint Ink Corp., another Ann Arbor-based company, was the world's largest privately held ink manufacturer until it was acquired by Stuttgart-based XSYS Print Solutions in October 2005. Avfuel, a global supplier of aviation fuels and services, is also headquartered in Ann Arbor.The controversial detective and private security firm, Pinkerton is headquartered in Ann Arbor, being located on 101 N Main St.Many cooperative enterprises were founded in the city; among those that remain are the People's Food Co-op and the Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan, a student housing cooperative founded in 1937. There are also three cohousing communities—Sunward, Great Oak, and Touchstone—located immediately to the west of the city limits.Several performing arts groups and facilities are on the University of Michigan's campus, as are museums dedicated to art, archaeology, and natural history and sciences. Founded in 1879, the University Musical Society is an independent performing arts organization that presents over 60 events each year, bringing international artists in music, dance, and theater. Since 2001 Shakespeare in the Arb has presented one play by Shakespeare each June, in a large park near downtown. Regional and local performing arts groups not associated with the university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered ballet company), The Ark, and Performance Network Theatre. Another unique piece of artistic expression in Ann Arbor is the fairy doors. These small portals are examples of installation art and can be found throughout the downtown area.The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is located in a renovated and expanded historic downtown fire station. Multiple art galleries exist in the city, notably in the downtown area and around the University of Michigan campus. Aside from a large restaurant scene in the Main Street, South State Street, and South University Avenue areas, Ann Arbor ranks first among U.S. cities in the number of booksellers and books sold per capita. The Ann Arbor District Library maintains four branch outlets in addition to its main downtown building. The city is also home to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.Several annual events—many of them centered on performing and visual arts—draw visitors to Ann Arbor. One such event is the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, a set of four concurrent juried fairs held on downtown streets. Scheduled on Thursday through Sunday of the third week of July, the fairs draw upward of half a million visitors. Another is the Ann Arbor Film Festival, held during the third week of March, which receives more than 2,500 submissions annually from more than 40 countries and serves as one of a handful of Academy Award–qualifying festivals in the United States.Ann Arbor has a long history of openness to marijuana, given Ann Arbor's decriminalization of cannabis, the large number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city (one dispensary, called People's Co-op, was directly across the street from Michigan Stadium until zoning forced it to move one mile to the west), the large number of pro-marijuana residents, and the annual Hash Bash: an event that is held on the first Saturday of April. Until (at least) the successful passage of Michigan's medical marijuana law, the event had arguably strayed from its initial intent, although for years, a number of attendees have received serious legal responses due to marijuana use on University of Michigan property, which does not fall under the city's progressive and compassionate ticketing program.Ann Arbor is a major center for college sports, most notably at the University of Michigan. Several well-known college sports facilities exist in the city, including Michigan Stadium, the largest American football stadium in the world and the third-largest stadium of any kind in the world. Michigan Stadium has a capacity of 107,601, with the final 'extra' seat said to be reserved for and in honor of former athletic director and Hall of Fame football coach Fitz Crisler. The stadium was completed in 1927 and cost more than $950,000 to build. The stadium is colloquially known as 'The Big House' due to its status as the largest American football stadium. Crisler Center and Yost Ice Arena play host to the school's basketball (both men's and women's) and ice hockey teams, respectively. Concordia University, a member of the NAIA, also fields sports teams.Ann Arbor is represented in the NPSL by semi-pro soccer team AFC Ann Arbor, a club founded in 2014 who call themselves The Mighty Oak.A person from Ann Arbor is called an 'Ann Arborite', and many long-time residents call themselves 'townies'. The city itself is often called 'A²' ('A-squared') or 'A2' ('A two') or 'AA', 'The Deuce' (mainly by Chicagoans), and 'Tree Town'. With tongue-in-cheek reference to the city's liberal political leanings, some occasionally refer to Ann Arbor as 'The People's Republic of Ann Arbor' or '25 square miles surrounded by reality', the latter phrase being adapted from Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus's description of Madison, Wisconsin. In A Prairie Home Companion broadcast from Ann Arbor, Garrison Keillor described Ann Arbor as 'a city where people discuss socialism, but only in the fanciest restaurants.' Ann Arbor sometimes appears on citation indexes as an author, instead of a location, often with the academic degree MI, a misunderstanding of the abbreviation for Michigan.As the county seat of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw County Trial Court (22nd Circuit Court) is located in Ann Arbor at the Washtenaw County Courthouse on Main Street. Seven judges serve on the court. The 15th Michigan district court, which serves only the city itself, is located within the Ann Arbor Justice Center, immediately next to city hall. The  U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit are also located in downtown Ann Arbor, at the federal building on Liberty Street.Ann Arbor has a council-manager form of government, with 11 voting members: the mayor and 10 city council members. Each of the city's five wards are represented by two council members, with the mayor elected at-large during midterm years. Half of the council members are elected in midterm years, with the other in general election years. The mayor is the presiding officer of the city council and has the power to appoint all council committee members as well as board and commission members, with the approval of the city council. The current mayor of Ann Arbor is Christopher Taylor, a Democrat who was elected as mayor in 2014. Day-to-day city operations are managed by a city administrator chosen by the city council.Progressive politics have been particularly strong in municipal government since the 1960s. Voters approved charter amendments that have lessened the penalties for possession of marijuana (1974), and that aim to protect access to abortion in the city should it ever become illegal in the State of Michigan (1990). In 1974, Kathy Kozachenko's victory in an Ann Arbor city-council race made her the country's first openly homosexual candidate to win public office. In 1975, Ann Arbor became the first U.S. city to use instant-runoff voting for a mayoral race. Adopted through a ballot initiative sponsored by the local Human Rights Party, which feared a splintering of the liberal vote, the process was repealed in 1976 after use in only one election. As of April 2021, Democrats hold the mayorship and all ten council seats.Anti-abortion protesters were outnumbered ten-to-one by abortion-rights counterprotesters in 2017. In 2019, The Diag hosted a Stop the Bans rally. In 2022 in the shadow of the Dobbs decision, the diag once again became a rallying point for abortion rights protests, drawing thousands of protesters, including US Rep. Debbie Dingell Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.=Ann Arbor has two major political factions. In 2020, after the city council voted 7–4 to fire city administrator Howard Lazarus, several of the council members who voted to fire him lost their elections. In April 2021, the city council voted to strip Jeff Hayner of his committee assignments response to his use of homophobic and racist slurs, followed in June by a vote to ask him to resign. Hayner's ally on council, Elizabeth Nelson, defended Hayner, saying he 'spoke the phonetic sounds without euphemism.' Hayner did not run for re-election in 2022 and Nelson lost her primary to Dharma Akmon in a series of elections that gave the mayor's faction 11-0 control of city council.A major source of this local divide is differences in views on the city's growth. In 2018, two council members sued the city over a council decision to sell a city-owned property downtown to a housing developer. Later that year, the city narrowly passed a proposal to keep that space as city owned property in perpetuity. In 2020, the city council enacted a resolution sponsored by then council members Anne Bannister and Jeff Hayner to form an advisory body for developing the roof of the parking structure into a city park. By late 2022, this advisory board had sent council a request to direct staff to evaluate the site for use for food truck rallies and other events. In April 2023, city staff responded to this request with a memorandum stating in part that 'this site is not well-suited for use as a food truck rally or food truck installation and that it will require significant capital investment to bring the site up to a standard that would be safe, convenient, and attractive as a community event space.' The following city council meeting included public comments deriding the lack of progress from this advisory commission.Public schools are part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) district. AAPS has one of the country's leading music programs. In September 2008, 16,539 students had been enrolled in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Notable schools include Pioneer, Huron, Skyline, and Community high schools, and Ann Arbor Open School. The district has a preschool center with both free and tuition-based programs for preschoolers in the district. The University High School, a 'demonstration school' with teachers drawn from the University of Michigan's education program, was part of the school system from 1924 to 1968.Ann Arbor is home to several private schools, including Emerson School, the Father Gabriel Richard High School, Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor, Clonlara School, Michigan Islamic Academy, and Greenhills School, a prep school. The city is also home to several charter schools such as Central Academy (Michigan) (PreK-12) of the Global Educational Excellence (GEE) charter school company, Washtenaw Technical Middle College, and Honey Creek Community School.The University of Michigan dominates the city of Ann Arbor, providing the city with its distinctive college-town character. University buildings are located in the center of the city and the campus is directly adjacent to the State Street and South University downtown areas.Other local colleges and universities include Concordia University Ann Arbor, a Lutheran liberal-arts institution, and Cleary University, a private business school. Washtenaw Community College is located in neighboring Ann Arbor Township. In 2000, the Ave Maria School of Law, a Roman Catholic law school established by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, opened in northeastern Ann Arbor, but the school moved to Ave Maria, Florida in 2009, and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School acquired the former Ave Maria buildings for use as a branch campus.The Ann Arbor News, owned by the Michigan-based Booth Newspapers chain, was the major newspaper serving Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County. The newspaper ended its 174-year daily print run in 2009, due to economic difficulties and began producing two printed editions a week under the name AnnArbor.com, It resumed using its former name in 2013.  It also produces a daily digital edition named Mlive.com. Another Ann Arbor-based publication that has ceased production was the Ann Arbor Paper, a free monthly. Ann Arbor has been said to be the first significant city to lose its only daily paper. The Ann Arbor Chronicle, an online newspaper, covered local news, including meetings of the library board, county commission, and DDA until September 3, 2014.Current publications in the city include the Ann Arbor Journal (A2 Journal), a weekly community newspaper; the Ann Arbor Observer, a free monthly local magazine; and Current, a free entertainment-focused alt-weekly. The Ann Arbor Business Review covers local business in the area. Car and Driver magazine and Automobile Magazine are also based in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan is served by many student publications, including the independent Michigan Daily student newspaper, which reports on local, state, and regional issues in addition to campus news.Four major AM radio stations based in or near Ann Arbor are WAAM 1600, a conservative news and talk station; WLBY 1290, a business news and talk station; WDEO 990, Catholic radio; and WTKA 1050, which is primarily a sports station. The city's FM stations include NPR affiliate WUOM 91.7; country station WWWW 102.9; and adult-alternative station WQKL 107.1. Freeform station WCBN-FM 88.3 is a local community radio/college radio station operated by the students of the University of Michigan featuring noncommercial, eclectic music and public-affairs programming. The city is also served by public and commercial radio broadcasters in Ypsilanti, the Lansing/Jackson area, Detroit, Windsor, and Toledo.Ann Arbor is part of the Detroit television market. WPXD channel 31, the owned-and-operated Detroit outlet of the ION Television network, is licensed to the city. Until its sign-off on August 31, 2017, WHTV channel 18, a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station for the Lansing market, was broadcast from a transmitter in Lyndon Township, west of Ann Arbor. Community Television Network (CTN) is a city-provided cable television channel with production facilities open to city residents and nonprofit organizations. Detroit and Toledo-area radio and television stations also serve Ann Arbor, and stations from Lansing and Windsor, Ontario, can be seen in parts of the area.The University of Michigan Medical Center, the only teaching hospital in the city, took the number 1 slot in U.S. News & World Report for best hospital in the state of Michigan, as of 2015. The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) includes University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital in its core complex. UMHS also operates out-patient clinics and facilities throughout the city. The area's other major medical centers include a large facility operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor, and Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in nearby Superior Township.The city provides sewage disposal and water supply services, with water coming from the Huron River and groundwater sources. There are two water-treatment plants, one main and three outlying reservoirs, four pump stations, and two water towers. These facilities serve the city, which is divided into five water districts. The city's water department also operates four dams along the Huron River—Argo, Barton, Geddes, and Superior—of which Barton and Superior provide hydroelectric power. The city also offers waste management services, with Recycle Ann Arbor handling recycling service. Other utilities are provided by private entities. Electrical power and gas are provided by DTE Energy. AT&T Inc. is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area. Cable TV service is primarily provided by Comcast.A plume of the industrial solvent dioxane is migrating under the city from the contaminated Gelman Sciences, Inc. property on the westside of Ann Arbor. It is currently detected at 0.039 ppb. The Gelman plume is a potential threat to one of the City of Ann Arbor's drinking water sources, the Huron River, which flows through downtown Ann Arbor.In 2015, Ann Arbor was ranked 11th safest among cities in Michigan with a population of over 50,000. It ranked safer than cities such as Royal Oak, Livonia, Canton and Clinton Township. The level of most crimes in Ann Arbor has fallen significantly in the past 20 years. In 1995 there were 294 aggravated assaults, 132 robberies and 43 rapes while in 2015 there were 128 aggravated assaults, 42 robberies and 58 rapes (under the revised definition).Ann Arbor's crime rate was below the national average in 2000. The violent crime rate was further below the national average than the property crime rate; the two rates were 48% and 11% lower than the U.S. average, respectively.Ann Arbor is considered one of the US's most walkable cities, with one sixth of Ann Arborites walking to work according to the 2020 census.Ann Arbor has made efforts to reverse the trend of car-dependent development. In 2020, the city introduced a Healthy Streets program to encourage non-motorized transportation.The Washtenaw county Border-to-Border Trail connects Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, mostly along the Huron river, for pedestrians, bicycles and other non-motorized transportation. In 2017, Spin scooters started providing a scooter share program in Ann Arbor, expanding this to include dockless e-bikes in 2023.=Ann Arbor has a gold designation by the Walk Friendly Communities program. Since 2011, the city's property taxes have included a provision for sidewalk maintenance and expansions, expanding the sidewalk network, filling sidewalk gaps, and repairing existing sidewalks. The city has created a sidewalk gap dashboard, which showed 143 miles of sidewalk gaps in May 2022. The downtown was ranked in 2016 is the most walkable neighborhood in mid-sized cities in the Midwest. However, the outlying parts of the city and the township districts between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti still contain markedly unwalkable areas.=Between 2019 and 2022 Ann Arbor's Downtown Development Authority built four two-way protected bikeways downtown. Early studies have shown a significant increase in bicycle use downtown since the construction of these bikeways. In 2023, the city reported over 900 bicycle parking spaces downtown, though this is still a small portion compared to the over 8,000 car parking spots for cars.The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), which brands itself as 'TheRide', operates public bus services throughout the city and nearby Ypsilanti. The AATA operates Blake Transit Center on Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor, and the Ypsilanti Transit Center. A separate zero-fare bus service operates within and between the University of Michigan campuses.  Since April 2012, route 98 (the 'AirRide') connects to Detroit Metro Airport a dozen times a day. There are also limited-stop bus services between Ann Arbor and Chelsea as well as Canton. These two routes, 91 and 92 respectively, are known as the 'ExpressRide'.=Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service. The Michigan Flyer, a service operated by Indian Trails, cooperates with AAATA for their AirRide and additionally offers bus service to East Lansing. Megabus has direct service to Chicago, Illinois, while a bus service is provided by Amtrak for rail passengers making connections to services in East Lansing and Toledo, Ohio.=The city was a major rail hub, notably for freight traffic between Toledo and ports north of Chicago, Illinois, from 1878 to 1982; however, the Ann Arbor Railroad also provided passenger service from 1878 to 1950, going northwest to Frankfort and Elberta on Lake Michigan and southeast to Toledo. (In Elberta connections to ferries across the Lake could be made.) The city was served by the Michigan Central Railroad starting in 1837. The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway, Michigan's first interurban, served the city from 1891 to 1929.Amtrak, which provides service to the city at the Ann Arbor Train Station, operates the Wolverine train between Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit. The present-day train station neighbors the city's old Michigan Central Depot, which was renovated as a restaurant in 1970.=Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is a small, city-run general aviation airport located south of I-94. Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the area's large international airport, is about 25 miles (40 km) east of the city, in Romulus. Willow Run Airport east of the city near Ypsilanti serves freight, corporate, and general aviation clients.The streets in downtown Ann Arbor conform to a grid pattern, though this pattern is less common in the surrounding areas. Major roads branch out from the downtown district like spokes on a wheel to the highways surrounding the city. The city is belted by three freeways: I-94, which runs along the southern and western portion of the city; U.S. Highway 23 (US 23), which primarily runs along the eastern edge of Ann Arbor; and M-14, which runs along the northern edge of the city. Other nearby highways include US 12 (Michigan Ave.), M-17 (Washtenaw Ave.), and M-153 (Ford Rd.). Several of the major surface arteries lead to the I-94/M-14 interchange in the west, US 23 in the east, and the city's southern areas.Ann Arbor has seven sister cities:Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 1965) The schools in Ann Arbor and Tübingen have regular exchanges.Belize City, Belize (since 1967)Hikone, Shiga, Japan (since 1969) The schools in Ann Arbor and Hikone have regular exchanges.Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (since 1983)Juigalpa, Chontales, Nicaragua (since 1986)Dakar, Senegal (since 1997)Remedios, Cuba (since 2003)Ann Arbor stagingArdis PublishingList of people from Ann ArborMetro DetroitIggy PopMarwil, Jonathan (1991). A History of Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-06463-2.'Pictorial History of Ann Arbor'. Ann Arbor District Library. 2003. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2009.Fisher, Dale (1996). Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9615623-4-2.Schmittroth, Linda, ed. (1994). Cities of the United States (4th ed.). Detroit: Gale Group.Shackman, Grace (2006). Ann Arbor Observed. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-03175-7.Brown, Bill (2010). You Should've Heard Just What I Seen: Collected Newspaper Articles, 1981–1984. Colossal Books. ISBN 978-0-557-66844-1.Encyclopedia of Michigan. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers. 1981. ISBN 978-0-403-09995-5.Michigan Gazetteer. Wilmington, DE: American Historical Publications. 1991.City's official websiteAnn Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's BureauCollection: 'Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan' from the University of Michigan Museum of ArtMaterials on Ann Arbor's history from HathiTrust","Ann_Arbor,_Michigan | areaCode | 734","Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of government of Washtenaw County.It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County.Ann Arbor is also included in the Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area and the Great Lakes megalopolis, the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan.During their time on the council, HRP representatives fought for measures including pioneering antidiscrimination ordinances, measures decriminalizing marijuana possession, and a rent-control ordinance; many of these progressive organizations remain in effect today in modified form.Two religious-conservative institutions were created in Ann Arbor; the Word of God (established in 1967), a charismatic inter-denominational movement; and the Thomas More Law Center (established in 1999).Following a 1956 vote, the city of East Ann Arbor merged with Ann Arbor to encompass the eastern sections of the city.In the past several decades, Ann Arbor has grappled with the effects of sharply rising land values, gentrification, and urban sprawl stretching into outlying countryside.It is the central core of the Ann Arbor, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is comprised of the whole of Washtenaw County, but is also a part of the Metro Detroit Combined Statistical Area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau.Tower Plaza, a 26-story condominium building located between the University of Michigan campus and downtown, is the tallest building in Ann Arbor.Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of people and 6.7% of families had incomes below the poverty level.The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy significantly.Ann Arbor Terminals manufactured a video-display terminal called the Ann Arbor Ambassador during the 1980s.Regional and local performing arts groups not associated with the university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered ballet company), The Ark, and Performance Network Theatre.Concordia University, a member of the NAIA, also fields sports teams.Ann Arbor is represented in the NPSL by semi-pro soccer team AFC Ann Arbor, a club founded in 2014 who call themselves The Mighty Oak.A person from Ann Arbor is called an 'Ann Arborite', and many long-time residents call themselves 'townies'.In A Prairie Home Companion broadcast from Ann Arbor, Garrison Keillor described Ann Arbor as 'a city where people discuss socialism, but only in the fanciest restaurants.'Another Ann Arbor-based publication that has ceased production was the Ann Arbor Paper, a free monthly.The Ann Arbor Chronicle, an online newspaper, covered local news, including meetings of the library board, county commission, and DDA until September 3, 2014.Current publications in the city include the Ann Arbor Journal (A2 Journal), a weekly community newspaper; the Ann Arbor Observer, a free monthly local magazine; and Current, a free entertainment-focused alt-weekly.The Ann Arbor Business Review covers local business in the area.The Gelman plume is a potential threat to one of the City of Ann Arbor's drinking water sources, the Huron River, which flows through downtown Ann Arbor.In 2015, Ann Arbor was ranked 11th safest among cities in Michigan with a population of over 50,000.The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway, Michigan's first interurban, served the city from 1891 to 1929.Amtrak, which provides service to the city at the Ann Arbor Train Station, operates the Wolverine train between Chicago and Pontiac, via Detroit.A History of Ann Arbor.'Pictorial History of Ann Arbor'.Ann Arbor District Library.Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle.Ann Arbor Observed.1991.City's official websiteAnn Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's BureauCollection: 'Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan' from the University of Michigan Museum of ArtMaterials on Ann Arbor's history from HathiTrust","734 is the area code for Ann Arbor. Michigan."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | club | Central_F.C.","Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack.","Akeem Adams' club is Central F.C."
-"Adirondack Regional Airport (IATA: SLK, ICAO: KSLK, FAA LID: SLK) is a public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) northwest of the central business district of Saranac Lake, in Franklin County, New York, United States. The airport is owned by the Town of Harrietstown and is situated in the north-central Adirondacks two miles (3 km) from Lake Clear. It is served by one commercial airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,252 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 4,809 enplanements in 2009, and 5,762 in 2010. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).In the autumn of 1940, a group of local men from the Saranac Lake Planning board got together to discuss the possibility of an airport in the Adirondack Mountains, near Saranac Lake. Their thinking was that such a development would play an important part in the future development of the Adirondacks. Due to the mountainous nature of the region many thought such a development would not be likely. However, after countless reviews of area maps, a plateau large enough for airport purposes was identified within a few miles of Saranac Lake Village.The Planning Board's search for an airport site had been prompted by an announcement from Washington, D.C., that Congress had appropriated funds for the building of a system of airports throughout the country. There was, among other problems, however, one restriction. The land for an airport site, to be acceptable to the federal government, had to be publicly owned. The ideal site which these men had spotted on the map was part of the holdings of the Paul Smith's Electric Company. Since no other tract of suitable terrain was to be found within a radius of some 40 miles (64 km), the whole effort might have bogged down but for the public-spirited cooperation of the Paul Smith's Electric Company which, in the interests of regional development, immediately deeded the 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) tract to the Town of Harrietstown without cost.With the requirement of public ownership thus complied with, events moved swiftly toward the realization of an airport for the Adirondacks. Through persistent effort on the part of various citizens, who maintained close contact with Washington, D.C., the site was inspected and federal expenditures for construction of a Class III airport were approved. Step by step, the Town of Harrietstown Town Board and the Saranac Lake Airport Commission worked closely with state and federal agencies in the building process. Construction of the airfield was completed in 1942. The Town of Harrietstown issued bonds to augment the available funds and erected a terminal building in 1948 and a 100 by 100-foot (30 m) hangar in 1950.At the time, the airport was rated as one of the best built Class III airports in the country. Two commercial airlines, Colonial Airlines and Resort Airlines, served the region at that time. Airmail service was provided by Colonial Airlines. The volume of air express business handled by Railway Express Agency increased steadily, as did the number of privately owned aircraft using the field. Resort traffic response was immediate and increased steadily.The airport was officially dedicated to the service of the people of the Adirondacks on July 10, 1949. Since 1960, the Town of Harrietstown has operated the airport. The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights. During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport. Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007. Commutair had been flying into Adirondack Regional Airport on 19-seat planes, and Commutair decided to replace all of those planes with larger planes that it decided were too large for the airport.Big Sky Airlines, a partner of Delta Air Lines, began service at the airport when Commutair ended its service. Big Sky Airlines ended its service to the airport in December 2007, and the airline went out of business several months later.The United States Department of Transportation invited airlines to bid to serve the airport, and Cape Air was the only airline to bid. Cape Air was a partner of JetBlue and Continental Airlines. Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.  Between mid-1957 and mid-1958, the main runway (5/23) was extended to 5000 feet long.  Runway 16/34 was 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but was abandoned sometime between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.  The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.  Also, a parallel taxiway was added to almost the full length of runway 9-27 and a partial parallel taxiway was added between the abandoned northwest–southeast runway - part of which was converted into a taxiway and the approach end of runway 23. Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-03. at New York State DOT Airport DirectoryAerial image as of May 1994 from USGS The National MapFAA Terminal Procedures for SLK, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:FAA airport information for SLKAirNav airport information for KSLKASN accident history for SLKFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures","Adirondack_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_LengthFeet | 6573","The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights.During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport.Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007.Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level.It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF).","6573 feet is the length of the first runway at Adirondack Regional Airport."
-"Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program. Additional commercial and U.S. Government sales resulted in production increases leading to greater than 60 vehicles being produced and launched.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and featured numerous upgrades over that vehicle.Atlas II was launched from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as well as Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. All launches were successful.Atlas II provided higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer propellant tanks for both stages. The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long. The stage was powered by 3 RS-56 rocket engines (derived from the RS-27 main engine of the Delta II rocket) burning 156 t (344,000 lb) of RP-1 and liquid oxygen. The two booster engines were the RS-56-OBA variants (the complete assembly of both engines and the aft skirt was referred to as the MA-5A), with high thrust but moderate efficiency. The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II. This system, mounted on the interstage between the first and second stages, utilized small thrusters to control the vehicle's roll. Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent. The two RS-56-OBA engines were integrated into a single unit called the MA-5A and shared a common gas generator. They burned for approximately 164 seconds before being jettisoned, when acceleration reached approximately 5.0-5.5 g. The central sustainer engine on the first stage, an RS-56-OSA, would burn for an additional 125 seconds after their jettison. It featured better efficiency at high altitudes than the RS-56-OBAs.The first stage also had the option to be fitted with 4 Castor 4A solid rocket boosters as part of the IIAS version, each providing an additional 478.3 kN (107,500 lbf) of thrust for 56 seconds. The first two boosters were ignited at liftoff, and the other two were ignited after the first two burnt out. Both pairs of boosters were jettisoned shortly after their respective burns.The second stage of Atlas II, the Centaur II, was the result of over 3 decades of flights and enhancements of the Centaur upper stage. Centaur II featured 2 RL-10A-3-3A engines, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.  It featured propellant tanks 0.9 meters longer than its predecessor, Centaur I, giving the stage more propellant and therefore higher performance. Due to the super cold propellants inside Centaur, foam insulation was installed onto the outer metal skin on the stage to help mitigate propellant boiloff inside the tank. Centaur II's foam insulation was permanently attached to the side of the stage, whereas previous versions of the stage (including Centaur I) jettisoned their insulation panels during flight.The Centaur II upper stage (along with all other Centaur variants) used a pressure-stabilized propellant tank design and cryogenic propellants. The two stainless steel propellant tanks were separated by a common bulkhead, which helped keep mass down. Centaur II was 10.1 m (33 ft) long, carrying almost 17 t (37,000 lb) of fuel. The stage also featured 12 27 N (6.1 lbf) hydrazine thrusters to orient the stage and settle the propellants prior to engine ignition.For the IIA and IIAS versions, Atlas used the Centaur IIA variant which featured 2 RL-10A-4 engines, providing higher thrust and efficiency over the RL-10A-3-3A. The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur. However, the Centaur V flying on the Vulcan rocket will only utilize two RL-10 engines.Centaur 2A pictures:																																								The Integrated Apogee Boost Stage was an optional upper stage, used only as an apogee kick stage when launching Defense Satellite Communications System III satellites (which were designed to be delivered directly to geostationary orbit using the Transtage or Inertial Upper Stage, and so were not capable of performing their own circularization burn at the apogee of their geostationary transfer orbit) on board the Atlas II and, later, the Delta IV. It was powered by two R-4D engines, and could operate on-orbit for up to twelve days before deploying its payload, allowing additional flexibility in mission planning. The IABS measured 2.9 m in diameter, and 0.68 m in length, carrying 1303 kg of propellant with a dry mass of 275 kg.Three fairing models were available for the Atlas II:Medium, with a diameter of 3.3 m (11 ft), a height of 10.4 m (34 ft), and a mass of 1,409 kg (3,106 lb)Large, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 12.2 m (40 ft), and a mass of 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)Extended, with a diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft), a height of 13.1 m (43 ft), and a mass of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb)The Medium variant was not commonly used for Atlas II but was often used in earlier Atlas rockets. The Large and Extended fairing options were also later used on the Atlas III and Atlas V rockets. For the Atlas V, these fairings were part of the 400-series of that rocket, and a further extended option ('Extra Extended') was available. The 4-meter Atlas fairing last flew in 2022.Atlas II rockets flying with a Medium fairing could move the most payload to orbit, as that fairing was the lightest. Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors. Its lengthened propellant tanks and improved electronics over the Atlas I offered better performance. It was designed to work as part of the US Air Force's Medium Launch Vehicle II program. This version flew between 1991 and 1998.Atlas IIA was a derivative of the Atlas II designed to service the commercial launch market. The main improvement was the switch from the RL10A-3-3A to RL10A-4 engine on the Centaur upper stage, increasing the stage's performance and the vehicle's payload capability. The IIA version flew between 1992 and 2002.Atlas IIAS was largely identical to IIA, but added four Castor 4A solid rocket boosters to increase performance. These boosters were ignited in pairs, with one pair igniting on the ground, and the second igniting in the air shortly after the first pair separated. The half-stage booster section would then drop off as usual. IIAS was used between 1993 and 2004, concurrently with IIA.Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin – airframe, assembly, avionics, test and systems integration Principal subcontractors: Rocketdyne (First stage engines), Pratt & Whitney (Centaur RL-10 engines), Honeywell & Teledyne (avionics), and Thiokol (Castor 4A SRBs)Power Plant: Two Rocketdyne RS-56-OBA engines (making up the MA-5A), one RS-56-OSA, two Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3-3A or RL10A-4 Centaur enginesThrust: 494,500 lbf (2,200 kN)Length: Up to 156 ft (47.54 m); 16 ft (4.87 m) high engine clusterCore Diameter: 10 feet (3.04 m)Gross Liftoff Weight: 414,000 lb (204,300 kg)Fairing options: 3 (Medium, Large, Extended)Models: II, IIA, and IIASLaunch Sites: Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36, Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 3E, CaliforniaComparison of orbital launchers familiesAtlas IAtlas IIIAtlas (rocket family)USAF Atlas II Fact SheetAnimation of the Atlas-IIAS launch and Terra satellite deployment","Atlas_II | manufacturer | Lockheed_Martin","Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s.The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters.Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system.The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.In May 1988, the US Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle, primarily to launch Defense Satellite Communications System payloads under the Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II) program.The increased thrust, engine efficiency, and propellant capacity enabled the vehicle to lift payloads of 6,100 pounds (2,767 kg) into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), or more on later Atlas II variants.Atlas II also featured lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer, and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.The Atlas II first stage was 3.05 m (10.0 ft) in diameter and 24.90 m (81.7 ft) long.The sustainer (center) engine was the RS-56-OSA variant, featuring much less thrust but higher efficiency at high altitudes than the booster engines.The vernier engines used on the first stage of the Atlas I (and all previous Atlas models) were replaced by a hydrazine-fueled roll control system on Atlas II.Compared to Atlas I, the Atlas II first stage was 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) taller.The Atlas II was the last Atlas rocket to use the 'stage-and-a-half' technique, where it ignited all 3 RS-56 engines at liftoff and then jettisoned the 2 RS-56-OBA side engines and their support structure during ascent.The two engines could be fitted with extendable nozzles, which would provide an increase in efficiency and therefore performance.Centaur II was further refined to create the Centaur III, which flew on the Atlas III and continues to fly today on the Atlas V. Atlas II was the final Atlas rocket that only had a dual-engine Centaur available, future rockets had the option for one or two RL-10 engines on Centaur.Similarly, rockets with Large or Extended fairings suffered slight hits to their payload capacity.Atlas II was developed from the Atlas I and was available in 3 versions.The original Atlas II was based on the Atlas I and its predecessors.","Lockheed Martin is the manufacturer of the Atlas II."
-"Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace building processes worldwide.Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ('nation of volition') rather than a nation state.Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica — frequently shortened to 'Helvetia' — is used instead of the spoken languages.Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer, an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries, and land. The English adjective Swiss is a loanword from French Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name Switzer is from the Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory, one of the Waldstätte cantons which formed the nucleus of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for 'Confederates', Eidgenossen (literally: comrades by oath), used since the 14th century. The data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English: Helvetic Confederation).The toponym Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as Old High German Suittes, perhaps related to swedan 'to burn' (cf. Old Norse svíða 'to singe, burn'), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire Confederation. The Swiss German name of the country, Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply Schwyz for the canton and the town). The long [iː] of Swiss German is historically and still often today spelled ⟨y⟩ rather than ⟨ii⟩, preserving the original identity of the two names even in writing.The Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was neologised and introduced gradually after the formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic. It appeared on coins from 1879, inscribed on the Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal (e.g., the ISO banking code 'CHF' for the Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain '.ch', are both taken from the state's Latin name). Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe living on the Swiss Plateau before the Roman era.Helvetia appeared as a national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century in a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland. In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg. Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the 'Old Confederacy' of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century. The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1501, Basel and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called 'heroic' epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund). The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments. This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934. Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened. General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.: 521 During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany. Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees while refusing tens of thousands more,: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.: 114 After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.: 521 During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility. In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies. Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988. Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992 when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support. In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP). However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it. In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants. On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).Switzerland lies between latitudes 45° and 48° N, and longitudes 5° and 11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps to the south, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a mountain range running across the central and south of the country, constituting about 60% of the country's area. The majority of the population live on the Swiss Plateau. The Swiss Alps host many glaciers, covering 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions, spreading across Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of fresh water in Central and Western Europe, among which are Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes and contains 6% of Europe's freshwater stock. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. Lake Geneva is the largest lake and is shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest and, like Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border with Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart, both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart in the Swiss Alps.Forty-eight mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher in height. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Rosa is the highest, although the Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is the best known. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch peaks, and its many picturesque valleys. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing St. Moritz, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).The Swiss Plateau has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds or vegetable and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. Large lakes and the biggest Swiss cities are found there.Switzerland contains two small enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, while Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland offer cold-hardy palm trees. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall, ideal for pastures/grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see weeks-long intervals of stable conditions. At the same time, the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion during such periods, hiding the sun.A weather phenomenon known as the föhn (with an identical effect to the chinook wind) can occur any time and is characterised by an unexpectedly warm wind, bringing low relative humidity air to the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the south-facing slopes. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect. The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas such as Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas, and as in the main valley of the Valais, wine grapes are grown there.The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton, which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are not in a stable climate system. They can vary from year to year with no strict and predictable periods.Switzerland contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests.Switzerland's many small valleys separated by high mountains often host unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves offer a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change. According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (hydropower and geothermal energy), and its level of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020 it was ranked third out of 180 countries. The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.However, access to biocapacity in Switzerland is far lower than the world average. In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 percent less than world average of 1.6. In contrast, in 2016, Swiss consumption required 4.6 hectares of biocapacity – their ecological footprint, 4.6 times as much as Swiss territory can support. The remainder comes from other countries and the shared resources (such as the atmosphere impacted by greenhouse gas emissions). Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000. After 1935 urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years. Urban sprawl affects the plateau, the Jura and the Alpine foothills, raising concerns about land use. During the 21st century, population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.Switzerland has a dense network of complementary large, medium and small towns. The plateau is densely populated with about 400 people per km2 and the landscape shows uninterrupted signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas – Zürich, Geneva–Lausanne, Basel and Bern – tend to increase. The importance of these urban areas is greater than their population suggests. These urban centers are recognised for their high quality of life.The average population density in 2019 was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).: 79  In the largest canton by area, Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 28.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (73/sq mi).: 30  In the canton of Zürich, with its large urban capital, the density is 926.8 per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state. A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999 that did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. Three main bodies govern on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, reflecting each canton's population. Members serve part-time for 4 years (a Milizsystem or citizen legislature). When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year term by the Federal Assembly, which also oversees the council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and executes representative functions. The president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers and remains the head of a department within the administration.The government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of the electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the 'magic formula'. Following the 2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.Direct democracy and federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system. Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct or representative direct democracy because it includes institutions of a representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (German: Volksrechte, French: droits populaires, Italian: diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by parliament by gathering 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any eight cantons can also call a constitutional referendum on federal law.Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counterproposal. Then, voters must indicate a preference on the ballot if both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the popular cantonal votes.The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:*These cantons are known as half-cantons.The cantons are federated states. They have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by one councillor instead of two in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, considerable differences define the individual cantons, particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km2 (2,743 sq mi) (Grisons).=As of 2018 the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.Until 1848, the loosely coupled Confederation did not have a central political organisation. Issues thought to affect the whole Confederation were the subject of periodic meetings in various locations.In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details concerning federal institutions, such as their locations, should be addressed by the Federal Assembly (BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly voted in the majority to locate the seat of government in Bern and, as a prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions, such as the Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zürich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later SUVA (1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). Other federal institutions were subsequently attributed to Lausanne (Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and EPFL in 1969), Bellinzona (Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and St. Gallen (Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court, 2012).The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City and the Federal Council has yet to address the matter. Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City. Nevertheless, Bern is commonly referred to as 'Federal City' (German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, Italian: città federale).Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Swiss neutrality has been questioned at times. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. It was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birthplace of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Geneva Conventions and, since 2006, hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to join the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York. Switzerland was a founding member and hosted the League of Nations.Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues. The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel in 1930.Many sports federations and organisations are located in the country, including the International Handball Federation in Basel, the International Basketball Federation in Geneva, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Ice Hockey Federation both in Zürich, the International Cycling Union in Aigle, and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.Switzerland is scheduled to become a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.=Although not a member, Switzerland maintains relationships with the EU and European countries through bilateral agreements. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU, in an effort to compete internationally. EU membership faces considerable negative popular sentiment. It is opposed by the conservative SVP party, the largest party in the National Council, and not advocated by several other political parties. The membership application was formally withdrawn in 2016. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, but do not form a significant share of the population.An Integration Office operates under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. Seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, taking effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention.In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries in support of positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission.The Swiss have faced EU and international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.Switzerland is a member of the Schengen passport-free zone. Land border checkpoints apply on to goods movements, but not people.The Swiss Armed Forces, including the Land Forces and the Air Force, are composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in exceptional cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering neighbouring countries, armed boats patrol. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or if they are dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.The Swiss militia system stipulates that soldiers keep their army-issued equipment, including personal weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18. About two-thirds of young Swiss are found suitable for service; for the others, various forms of alternative service are available. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for 18 to 21 weeks. The reform 'Army XXI' was adopted by popular vote in 2003, replacing 'Army 95', reducing the rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training, and 80,000 are non-training reserves.The newest reform of the military, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA; English: Further development of the Army), started in 2018 and was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000 by the end of 2022.Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held in response to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the First World War outbreak in August 1914. The third mobilisation took place in September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland.Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but joins some peacekeeping missions. Since 2000 the armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 2–3.5 million guns are in the hands of civilians, giving the nation an estimate of 28–41 guns per 100 people. As per the Small Arms Survey, only 324,484 guns are owned by the military. Only 143,372 are in the hands of soldiers. However, ammunition is no longer issued.Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy. It is the world's wealthiest country per capita in multiple rankings. The country ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, while its banking sector is rated as 'one of the most corrupt in the world'. It has the world's twentieth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-eighth largest by purchasing power parity. As of 2021, it is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita. Zürich and Geneva are regarded as global cities, ranked as Alpha and Beta respectively. Basel is the capital of Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, hosting Novartis, Roche, and many other players. It is one of the world's most important centres for the life sciences industry.Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2023, while also providing significant public services. On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan, while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018 and ninth in 2020.The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive; as of 2019, it ranks fifth globally. The European Union labeled it Europe's most innovative country and the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, as it had done in 2021, 2020 and 2019. It ranked 20th of 189 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Switzerland's slow growth in the 1990s and the early 2000s increased support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union. In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP). Switzerland has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP. In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita, ahead of Zug and Geneva. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco. Also, notable are UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Richemont, Credit Suisse, Barry Callebaut, Swiss Re, Rolex, Tetra Pak, The Swatch Group and Swiss International Air Lines.Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufactured products include specialty chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). The service sector – especially banking and insurance, commodities trading, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland. Exported services amount to a third of exports.Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free trade policies—contributes to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many EU countries according to the OECD. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).Switzerland is considered as the 'land of Cooperatives' with the ten largest cooperative companies accounting for more than 11% of GDP in 2018. They include Migros and Coop the two largest retail companies in Switzerland. Switzerland is a tax haven. The private sector economy dominates. It features low tax rates; tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the smallest of developed countries. The Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, 11.35% of GDP; however, canton and municipality budgets are not counted as part of the federal budget. Total government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the value-added tax (33% of tax revenue) and the direct federal tax (29%). The main areas of expenditure are in social welfare and finance/taxes. The expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and 10.7% in 2010. While the social welfare and finance sectors and tax grew from 35% in 1990 to 48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been occurring in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible labor market than neighbouring countries and the unemployment rate is consistently low. The unemployment rate increased from 1.7% in June 2000 to 4.4% in December 2009. It then decreased to 3.2% in 2014 and held steady for several years, before further dropping to 2.5% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019. Population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.52% of population in 2004, increased in the following years before falling to 0.54% again in 2017. The foreign citizen population was 28.9% in 2015, about the same as in Australia.In 2016, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,502 francs per month (equivalent to US$6,597 per month). After rent, taxes and pension contributions, plus spending on goods and services, the average household has about 15% of its gross income left for savings. Though 61% of the population made less than the mean income, income inequality is relatively low with a Gini coefficient of 29.7, placing Switzerland among the top 20 countries. In 2015, the richest 1% owned 35% of the wealth. Wealth inequality increased through 2019.About 8.2% of the population live below the national poverty line, defined in Switzerland as earning less than CHF3,990 per month for a household of two adults and two children, and a further 15% are at risk of poverty. Single-parent families, those with no post-compulsory education and those out of work are among the most likely to live below the poverty line. Although work is considered a way out of poverty, some 4.3% are considered working poor. One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons. Public and private schools are available, including many private international schools.The minimum age for primary school is about six years, but most cantons provide a free 'children's school' starting at age four or five. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was one of the other Swiss languages, although in 2000, English was elevated in a few cantons. At the end of primary school or at the beginning of secondary school, pupils are assigned according to their capacities into one of several sections (often three). The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to prepare for further studies and the matura, while other students receive an education adapted to their needs.Switzerland hosts 12 universities, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer non-technical subjects. It ranked 87th on the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The largest is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich are listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities.The federal government sponsors two institutes: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) in Zürich, founded in 1855 and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, founded in 1969, formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.Eight of the world's ten best hotel schools are located in Switzerland. In addition, various Universities of Applied Sciences are available. In business and management studies, the University of St. Gallen, (HSG) is ranked 329th in the world according to QS World University Rankings and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), was ranked first in open programmes worldwide. Switzerland has the second highest rate (almost 18% in 2003) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in Geneva, is continental Europe's oldest graduate school of international and development studies. It is widely held to be one of its most prestigious.Switzerland has birthed many Nobel Prize laureates. They include Albert Einstein, who developed his special relativity in Bern. Later, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet received Nobel science prizes. In total, 114 laureates across all fields have a relationship to Switzerland. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded nine times to organisations headquartered in Switzerland.Geneva and the nearby French department of Ain co-host the world's largest laboratory, CERN, dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research centre is the Paul Scherrer Institute.Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), the scanning tunnelling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurised balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.The Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. It was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies participate in the space industry, such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors.Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power, producing negible CO2. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported) after a moratorium expired in 2000. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported). The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is responsible for energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.The densest rail network in Europe spans 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) and carries over 596 million passengers annually as of 2015. In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, more than any other European country. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. 60% of the network is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest standard gauge railway company, BLS AG, two railways companies operate on narrow gauge networks: the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates with RhB the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz/Davos. Switzerland operates the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre-long (35.5 mi) Gotthard Base Tunnel, the largest part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project.Switzerland has a publicly managed, toll-free road network financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the annual purchase of a vignette (toll sticker)—for 40 Swiss francs—to use its roadways, including passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network stretches for 1,638 km (1,018 mi) and has one of the highest motorway densities in the world.Zurich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway; it handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012), EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (located in France), Bern Airport, Lugano Airport, St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier. Its main hub is Zürich, but it is legally domiciled in Basel.Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among developed nations. It is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. With Mexico and South Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).The country is active in recycling and anti-littering programs and is one of the world's top recyclers, recovering 66% to 96% of recyclable materials, varying across the country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.Switzerland has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators. As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities, mandatory stickers or dedicated garbage bags allow the identification of disposable garbage. In common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990 and has continued to grow.The population is about 8.7 million (2020 est.). Population growth was projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration. Like most of Europe, Switzerland faces an ageing population, with a fertility rate close to replacement level. Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population. Most of these (83%) were from European countries. Italy provided the largest single group of foreigners, providing 14.7% of total foreign population, followed closely by Germany (14.0%), Portugal (11.7%), France (6.6%), Kosovo (5.1%), Spain (3.9%), Turkey (3.1%), North Macedonia (3.1%), Serbia (2.8%), Austria (2.0%), United Kingdom (1.9%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.3%) and Croatia (1.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka (1.3%), most of them former Tamil refugees, were the largest group of Asian origin (7.9%).2021 figures show that 39.5% (compared to 34.7% in 2012) of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over (around 2.89 million), had an immigrant background. 38% of the population with an immigrant background (1.1 million) held Swiss citizenship.In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in xenophobia. In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness. A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased from 10% in 2014 to almost 17% in 2018, according to the Federal Statistical Office.Switzerland has four national languages: mainly German (spoken natively by 62.8% of the population in 2016); French (22.9%) in the west; and Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language, Romansh (0.5%), is a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Grisons, and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French, and Italian. In Article 70 it is mentioned as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in Romansh.In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have local dialectal forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies dramatically: in German-speaking regions, Swiss German dialects have become more prevalent since the second half of the 20th century, especially in the media, and are used as an everyday language for many, while the Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f. diglossic usage of a language). Conversely, in the French-speaking regions, local Franco-Provençal dialects have almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th century), while in the Italian-speaking regions, the use of Lombard dialects is mostly limited to family settings and casual conversation.The principal official languages have terms not used outside of Switzerland, known as Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of Swiss Standard German that do not appear in Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian azione used not only as act but also as discount from German Aktion). Swiss French, while generally close to the French of France, also contains some Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, although certain Helvetisms denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography. Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms; notably, Swiss French uses different terms than that of France for the numbers 70 (septante) and 90 (nonante) and often 80 (huitante) as well.Learning one of the other national languages is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German. While learning one of the other national languages at school is important, most Swiss learn English to communicate with Swiss speakers of other languages, as it is perceived as a neutral means of communication. English often functions as a lingua franca.Swiss residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, its health outcomes compare well with other European countries; patients have been reported as in general, highly satisfied with it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women – the world's highest. However, spending on health at 11.4% of GDP (2010) is on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than the US (17.6%). From 1990, costs steadily increased.It is estimated that one out of six Swiss persons suffers from mental illness.Fourteen percent of men and 6.5% of women between 20 and 24 reported consuming cannabis in the past 30 days, and 5 Swiss cities were listed among the top 10 European cities for cocaine use as measured in wastewater.Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominate in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.Christianity is the predominant religion according to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office (about 67% of resident population in 2016–2018 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Catholic Church (35.8% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (23.8%), further Protestant churches (2.2%), Eastern Orthodoxy (2.5%), and other Christian denominations (2.2%).Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of members. In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered and church tax paying members (corresponding to 35.2% of the total population), while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members (23.3% of the total population).26.3% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with a religious community.As of 2020, according to a national survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Christian minority communities included Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%, mostly incorporated in the Schweizer Pfingstmission), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%, including Methodism), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions are Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.4%).Historically, the country was about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, in a complex patchwork. During the Reformation Switzerland became home to many reformers. Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before John Calvin arrived. In 1541, he founded the Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the Protestant Rome and housed such reformers as Theodore Beza, William Farel or Pierre Viret. Zürich became another reform stronghold around the same time, with Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead. Anabaptists Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing Peter Martyr Vermigli and Hans Denck. Other centres included Basel (Andreas Karlstadt and Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), and St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian). One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, the Valais, the Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhodes, the Jura, and Fribourg are traditionally Catholic.The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters. Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight Catholic majority, because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority were not affiliated with any religious body (21.4% in Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%), canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: >25%; canton: 23%).The earliest forms of literature were in German, reflecting the language's early predominance. In the 18th century, French became fashionable in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands increased.Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001.Famous French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss literary landscape, generally in proportion to their number.Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of books on similar themes.Freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the constitution. The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and foreign media with its reporting.Switzerland has historically boasted the world's greatest number of newspaper titles relative to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper, in the most common local language.The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to financing and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content. SRG SSR studios are distributed across the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while video media are produced in Geneva, Zürich, Basel, and Lugano. An extensive cable network allows most Swiss to access content from neighbouring countries.Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports, reflecting the nature of the country Winter sports are practised by natives and visitors. The bobsleigh was invented in St. Moritz. The first world ski championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among its most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche.The most prominently watched sports in Switzerland are football, ice hockey, Alpine skiing, Schwingen, and tennis.The headquarters of the international football's and ice hockey's governing bodies, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are located in Zürich. Many other headquarters of international sports federations are located in Switzerland. For example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), IOC's Olympic Museum and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are located in Lausanne.Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host, with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located in Switzerland, the Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.Many Swiss follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 teams of the National League, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time. It also became World Vice-Champion in 2013 and 2018. Its numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive sailing destination. The largest, Lake Geneva, is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer is widely regarded as among the sport's greatest players. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments overall including a record 8 Wimbledon titles. He won a joint-record 6 ATP Finals. He was ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks. He ended 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 ranked no. 1. Fellow Swiss players Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka also hold multiple Grand Slam titles. Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing. The country continued to produce successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Sébastien Buemi, Jo Siffert, Dominique Aegerter, successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu, 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2015 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Nico Müller. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007–08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the Swiss National Council, one house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or Schwingen, a tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named Unspunnenstein.The cuisine is multifaceted. While dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent, each region developed its gastronomy according to the varieties of climate and language, for example, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, engl.: sliced meat Zürich style. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century. Its reputation grew at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering, which enabled higher quality. Another breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest chocolate consumers.Due to the popularisation of processed foods at the end of the 19th century, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner created the first nutrition-based therapy in the form of the well-known rolled oats cereal dish, called Birchermüesli.The most popular alcoholic drink is wine. Switzerland is notable for its variety of grape varieties, reflecting the large variations in terroirs. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though traces of a more ancient origin can be found. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir. Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.Index of Switzerland-related articlesOutline of SwitzerlandThe Federal Authorities of the Swiss ConfederationSwitzerland at CurlieTourism","Switzerland | leaderTitle | Federal_Chancellor_of_Switzerland","Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh.Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago.Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy.In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked.Switzerland has no exclaves.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly across localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the near-Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip.: 76 The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of Switzerland's federal state.Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and, through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy.The Federal Council directs the federal government, the federal administration, and serves as a collective Head of State.Thus no city in Switzerland has the official status either of capital or of Federal City.However, Switzerland does participate in the Schengen Area.Many international institutions have headquarters in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality.In 2020, IMD placed Switzerland first in attracting skilled workers.For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (per capita GDP).Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal, and Switzerland has free trade agreements with many countries.Switzerland is a tax haven.One in ten jobs in Switzerland is considered low-paid; roughly 12% of Swiss workers hold such jobs, many of them women and foreigners.Education in Switzerland is diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the operation for the school system to the cantons.Switzerland has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 42.5 years.According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).As of 2020, resident foreigners made up 25.7% of Switzerland's population.In reply to one critical report, the Federal Council noted that 'racism unfortunately is present in Switzerland', but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally successful integration of foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness.Because the largest part of Switzerland is German-speaking, many French, Italian, and Romansh speakers migrating to the rest of Switzerland and the children of those non-German-speaking Swiss born within the rest of Switzerland speak German.Switzerland won the Davis Cup title in 2014.Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing.","The Federal Chancellor of Switzerland is the title of the leader of Switzerland."
-"Akeem Elijah Adams (13 April 1991 – 30 December 2013) was a Trinidadian international footballer who played as a defender.Adams spent his early career in Trinidad with W Connection, T&TEC SC, United Petrotrin and Central.Akeem received a trial with the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer and played the second half of an international friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara on October 12, 2010 in Seattle.In August 2013, Akeem signed a contract with Hungarian club Ferencváros.On 25 September 2013, Adams suffered a heart attack. His condition did not improve quickly enough and his left leg had to be amputated on October 8 in a life-saving surgery.His doctor stated that his body was not ready for a heart transplant that would be necessary to keep him alive.On 28 December 2013, Adams suffered a stroke while at the Városmajori Heart Clinic and fell into a coma. He died in Budapest on 30 December 2013.Adams played youth international football with the Trinidad and Tobago under-17 team, participating in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and was part of the under-20 squad at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adams made his full international debut in March 2008 at age 16, in a 1-0 victory against El Salvador.His brother is fellow player Akini Adams.","Akeem_Adams | club | Central_F.C.","","Akeem Adams plays for Central F.C."
-"Adirondack Regional Airport (IATA: SLK, ICAO: KSLK, FAA LID: SLK) is a public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) northwest of the central business district of Saranac Lake, in Franklin County, New York, United States. The airport is owned by the Town of Harrietstown and is situated in the north-central Adirondacks two miles (3 km) from Lake Clear. It is served by one commercial airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,252 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 4,809 enplanements in 2009, and 5,762 in 2010. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).In the autumn of 1940, a group of local men from the Saranac Lake Planning board got together to discuss the possibility of an airport in the Adirondack Mountains, near Saranac Lake. Their thinking was that such a development would play an important part in the future development of the Adirondacks. Due to the mountainous nature of the region many thought such a development would not be likely. However, after countless reviews of area maps, a plateau large enough for airport purposes was identified within a few miles of Saranac Lake Village.The Planning Board's search for an airport site had been prompted by an announcement from Washington, D.C., that Congress had appropriated funds for the building of a system of airports throughout the country. There was, among other problems, however, one restriction. The land for an airport site, to be acceptable to the federal government, had to be publicly owned. The ideal site which these men had spotted on the map was part of the holdings of the Paul Smith's Electric Company. Since no other tract of suitable terrain was to be found within a radius of some 40 miles (64 km), the whole effort might have bogged down but for the public-spirited cooperation of the Paul Smith's Electric Company which, in the interests of regional development, immediately deeded the 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) tract to the Town of Harrietstown without cost.With the requirement of public ownership thus complied with, events moved swiftly toward the realization of an airport for the Adirondacks. Through persistent effort on the part of various citizens, who maintained close contact with Washington, D.C., the site was inspected and federal expenditures for construction of a Class III airport were approved. Step by step, the Town of Harrietstown Town Board and the Saranac Lake Airport Commission worked closely with state and federal agencies in the building process. Construction of the airfield was completed in 1942. The Town of Harrietstown issued bonds to augment the available funds and erected a terminal building in 1948 and a 100 by 100-foot (30 m) hangar in 1950.At the time, the airport was rated as one of the best built Class III airports in the country. Two commercial airlines, Colonial Airlines and Resort Airlines, served the region at that time. Airmail service was provided by Colonial Airlines. The volume of air express business handled by Railway Express Agency increased steadily, as did the number of privately owned aircraft using the field. Resort traffic response was immediate and increased steadily.The airport was officially dedicated to the service of the people of the Adirondacks on July 10, 1949. Since 1960, the Town of Harrietstown has operated the airport. The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights. During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport. Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007. Commutair had been flying into Adirondack Regional Airport on 19-seat planes, and Commutair decided to replace all of those planes with larger planes that it decided were too large for the airport.Big Sky Airlines, a partner of Delta Air Lines, began service at the airport when Commutair ended its service. Big Sky Airlines ended its service to the airport in December 2007, and the airline went out of business several months later.The United States Department of Transportation invited airlines to bid to serve the airport, and Cape Air was the only airline to bid. Cape Air was a partner of JetBlue and Continental Airlines. Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.  Between mid-1957 and mid-1958, the main runway (5/23) was extended to 5000 feet long.  Runway 16/34 was 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but was abandoned sometime between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.  The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.  Also, a parallel taxiway was added to almost the full length of runway 9-27 and a partial parallel taxiway was added between the abandoned northwest–southeast runway - part of which was converted into a taxiway and the approach end of runway 23. Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-03. at New York State DOT Airport DirectoryAerial image as of May 1994 from USGS The National MapFAA Terminal Procedures for SLK, effective July 13, 2023Resources for this airport:FAA airport information for SLKAirNav airport information for KSLKASN accident history for SLKFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerNOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three daysSkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures","Adirondack_Regional_Airport | 1st_runway_LengthFeet | 6573","The Saranac Lake Airport was renamed in 1989 to the Adirondack Regional Airport.Commutair, a marketing affiliate of US Air, began serving Adirondack Regional Airport in 1991.In 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration cited Adirondack Regional Airport for several violations, including failure to conduct monthly fire-and-rescue training and triennial full-scale emergency exercises, faded markings on the taxiway, cracked pavement on runways and the taxi-way, and broken lights.During an inspection in 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration found the violations had not been corrected and, as a result, Adirondack Regional Airport surrendered its certificate allowing larger planes to land at the airport.Repairs began in September 2001.Commutair ended service at Adirondack Regional Airport in October 2007.Cape Air's service at Adirondack Regional Airport began in 2008.Adirondack Regional Airport covers an area of 1,499 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 1,663 feet (507 m) above mean sea level.It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,573 by 150 feet (2,003 x 46 m) and 9/27 is 3,997 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 m).Originally and through the 1960s, the Adirondack Airport had three runways, all of which were 4000 feet long.The main runway was then lengthened from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to its present length during the early 1970s or thereabouts and an instrument landing system and approach lighting system was installed on the southwest-facing runway 23.Around the mid-2010s, runway 27 had its landing threshold displaced by 400 feet.For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 6,940 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 72% general aviation, 27% air taxi, and <1% military.At that time there were 16 aircraft based at this airport: 13 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:Official website Adirondack Regional Airport'Adirondack Regional Airport' (PDF).","The 1st runway length in feet of Adirondack Regional Airport is 6573."
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