Bolivia Travel Guide

Named after the independence and freedom fighter Simon Bolivar, Bolivia is the sixth largest country in Latin America that gained independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1825. Mentioned below are some basic facts about the country.

Demographics: Bolivia has an estimated population of approximately 9 million people. A majority of this population is Amerindians and the rest include Europeans, Whites and people belonging to other ethnic origins. Europeans in the country include Spanish, Italians, Croatians, Germans, Russians and Polish. It is also one of the least developed countries in the world with two-thirds of the population living below the poverty level. Majority of Bolivians are Roman Catholics. However, people of other religions such as Protestants and Muslims are also present. Spanish is the official language of the country. Other languages followed in the country include Quechua and Aymara. Almost 87 percent of Bolivians are literate. La Paz is the administrative capital of the country while Sucre is its constitutional capital. Boliviano is the currency of the country.

Geography: It is spread over an area of 424,164 square miles. The country has become a landlocked nation since 1879. The Andes run in two parallel ranges, one on the western region and one on the eastern region. Geographically, the country is divided into three distinct regions. These include highlands, mountains and Altiplano on the west coast, Yungas and temperate valleys on the eastern mountain slopes, and tropical lowlands or plains. An interesting geographical wonder in the country is the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats, that lies on the southwest corner of the country. The entire country is divided into nine departments that are further divided into provinces, municipalities and cantons.

Economy: This country is rich in natural resources. It has the second largest natural gas reserves in South America. 70 percent of world’s iron and magnesium reserves are present here.

By: Pauline Go

categories Travel America | admin July 26, 2009 | comments Comments (0)

Travel Trivia – The Most in the World

Hmm, I want to swim and ride down the longest river in the world!!! Which one should I choose?

The Nile River in Africa is a major north-flowing river in Africa with a length of 6,650 km (4,132 mi) and generally regarded as the longest river in the world. The Amazon River in South America is the largest river in the world by volume. The Mississippi-Missouri River in USA is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of 2,320 mi (3,734 km) from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in Gulf of Mexico. The Yangtze River in Asia is the longest river in Asia and regarded as the third longest in the world. The river is about 6,300 km long and flows from its source in Qinghai Province, eastwards into the East China Sea at Shanghai. What should I choose?

Attention shoppers! If you wanted to head to the largest mall, you’d be going to…

The Suntec City Mall Singapore is the largest shopping centre in Singapore with 888,000 square feet of retail space until the opening of VivoCity in 2006. It also offers a club house called the Suntec City Guild House located on the fifth storey.

The Mall of America, USA is a super-regional shopping mall. In the United States, it is the third largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space but is largest in terms of total enclosed floor area. Opened in 1992, the mall received 40 million visitors in 2006.

The Sawgrass Mills Mall, USA is a popular, alligator-shaped shopping mall that is located in Sunrise, Florida. There are over 300 retail outlets and name brand discounters as anchors. With 2.5 million square feet of retail selling space, it is the eighth largest mall in the United States, and the fourth largest outlet mall in the world. The mall opened in 1990 and has been expanded three times since then, most recently in 2006.

The West Edmonton Mall, Canada is the largest shopping mall in North America and the third largest in the world. It was the world’s largest mall for a 23-year period from 1981 until 2004.

Your passion is hogs, not the kind that provide bacon but the kind you ride with wind-in-your-face, flying-down-the-highway excitement. Where would you find the largest motorcycle museum in the world?

Barber Vintage Motorsports, Alabama showcases over 700 motorcycles (although not all are on display at one time). The Sammy Miller Museum, England as set up in 1964, after the former championship winning trials rider Sammy Miller set up a parts business in New Milton, Hampshire, England. The business started after Miller put a few of his old racing motorcycles in the corner, which eventually became the catalyst of the present day museum. The museum is now held in trust, houses some 300 machines including motorcycles and 3-wheeled vehicles.

If Superman was going to leap over the world’s tallest building, over which one would he be leaping?

The Taipei 101, Taiwan is a 101-floor landmark. It is the world’s tallest completed skyscraper. Taipei 101 received the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2004. It has been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (Discovery Channel, 2005).

The World Trade Center, New York City, USA (destroyed by terrorist attack September 11, 2001) was a complex of seven buildings. The complex contained 13.4 million square feet of office space, almost four percent of Manhattan’s entire office inventory. Best known for its iconic 110-story Twin Towers, after having survived a bombing on February 26, 1993, all of the original buildings in the complex were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks; two collapsed (1 and 2) and the others (3, 4, 5, 6) were damaged beyond repair. The Building seven of the World Trade Center also collapsed.

The Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the world’s tallest twin buildings. They were the world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 if measured from the level of the main entrance to the structural top, the original height reference used by the US-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat from 1969 (three additional height categories were introduced as the tower neared completion in 1996).

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

OK, this last one isn’t a place at all, but when we found out about it, we just had to tell everyone about the world’s smallest guitar. How small is it? Well, according to Scholastic Book of World Records by Jenifer Corr Morse, the guitar is about the same length as …

The head of a pin – Dustin Carr and Harold Craighead of Cornell University’s Nanofabrication Facility created the Nano-guitar – it’s only 10 micrometers long (about the size of a single cell). The guitar strings are each about 50 nanometers or 100 atoms wide!

Length of a human cell – How tiny is it? Just 10 micrometers, about the size of a human cell. We’re not sure who would play this six-stringed instrument, but it would have to be someone with really tiny finger.

By: Caterina Lenards

categories Travel America | admin July 24, 2009 | comments Comments (0)

Train Travel in Texas – Enjoy a Historical Train Ride

Texas is one of the largest and one of the most beautiful states in America. Texas is marked by several different types of geography, making train travel an enjoyable, interesting and historical activity.

There are the interior lowlands in Texas, which include the North Central Plains, where the National Park, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is located. There are the Great Plains, which include the cities of Austin, Odessa, Midland and Amarillo. The Great Plains are rolling hills made of shrub and grassland. The Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyon State Parks are located in the Great Plains. Traveling by train in this region is not only relaxing but also filled with spectacular views.

When aiming to travel by train in Texas, there are many options to choose from. The Texas State Railroad is a historic passenger train that runs through East Texas. The geography the railroad covers consists of pine woods where there is abundant wildlife, binoculars and cameras are encouraged. This is a great trip for the children to get to experience the beauty of Texas wildlife.

Both steam and diesel engine train excursions are available. The depots served by this train are located in Palestine and Rusk. They still maintain their original 19th century charm and coupled with hospitality southern style, an excursion on the Texas State Railroad can only prove to be an enjoyable adventure.

When you travel by train in Texas, it’s always a good idea to research which railroad would best suit you and your family’s idea of a fun vacation. Not only does Texas have to offer their State Railroad, but there is the Austin Steam Train to choose from as well. Here you have a choice of three different types of cars to ride in. The coach cars, which are the simplest and least expensive fares, have no heat or air conditioning in them. The excursion cars, the moderate one of the three, has both air conditioning and heat, while the lounge cars are the most luxurious with heat, air conditioning and snacks.

These trains are historic. One is pulled by a 1960 Alco Diesel Electric engine, and there is also a 1916 steam engine which has been restored. When you travel by train in Texas you can sign up for one of the big events the trains offer. There is a Halloween event in October, the Halloween Bertram Flyer for Kids. There is an onboard Halloween costume contest, candy to be trick or treated, and the telling of ghost stories. Another popular event is the Main Street Bethlehem, a Christmas attraction meant to mimic the sights and sounds of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. There is plenty of time to eat dinner and shop, and then the town of Burnet becomes a mini Bethlehem with people dressed in period costumes and chickens, goats and even cattle roaming the streets.

Or, you could travel by train in Texas via Amtrak, which offers a service called The Texas Eagle. Amtrak offers sleeper cars, coaches, lounges, and dining cars. The Heartland Flyer runs from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City and runs two trains daily.

Whichever track you choose to travel, Texas is filled with such beautiful scenery and wildlife; you may find yourself wanting to ride them all.

By: Wendy Pan

categories Travel America | admin July 20, 2009 | comments Comments (0)