Blog : Your Language Connection, Lancaster, PA » volcanoes

Where Would You Find 7107 Islands, 200 Volcanoes and Karaoke?

mdsalinas — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:43:51 +0000

The Philippines, officially called the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelago of 7,107 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Located in Southeast Asia, this archipelagic nation is surrounded by neighboring countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China. The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country that shares no land borders with its neighbors. Manila serves as its administrative capital.

Once, it used be the colony of Spain and Spaniards ruled over it for about three centuries. The United States bought The Philippines from Spain for $20 million in the Treaty of Paris of 1898. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained its independence.

The Philippines has an American-style democracy, headed by a president who is both head of state and head of government. The president is limited to one 6-year term in office.

The Philippines has a population of more than 90 million people and an annual growth rate around 2%, making it one of the most populous and fastest growing countries on Earth. It is the 12th most populous country in the world.

The climate in the Philippines is tropical and monsoonal. The country has an average yearly temperature of 26.5°C (79.7°F); May is the warmest month, while January is the coolest. The monsoon rains, called habagat, hit from May to October, bringing torrential rain which is abetted by frequent typhoons. An average of 6 or 7 typhoons per year strike the Philippines. November to April is the dry season, with December through February also being the coldest part of the year.

Interesting and Fun Facts about the Phillipines

mdsalinas — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:06:22 +0000

There are more than 200 volcanoes, though only a few are active.
It is the only country in the world which hoists its flag upside-down when the country is in war.
It was named after King Philip II of Spain.
It is equal in size to Italy.
It is regarded the “text capital of the world”. About 350 to 400 million SMS (Short Message Service) or text messages are sent daily by 35 million cell phone subscribers in the country, which is more than the total daily text messages sent in the U.S. and Europe, together.
The karaoke was invented in the Philippines and not Japan. Karaoke means “singing without accompaniment” in Japanese was invented by Roberto del Rosario. The invention of “Sing-Along-System” was later called karaoke.
The “Conus Gloriamaris”, which the rarest and most expensive seashell in the world, is one of the 12,000 species of seashells found in this country.

Have You Climbed a Volcano Lately?

mdsalinas — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:47:30 +0000

There are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide. A volcano is considered active if it has erupted in the last 10,000 years. Over 75% of the world’s volcanoes and most active volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Do you know where these 3 active volcanoes are located? They can all be climbed by tourists.
Hint: If you need to learn the language of any of these three countries, we offer them at Your Language Connection.

Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and has been erupting almost continuously since 1932. Because it has been active for much of the last 2,000 years and its eruptions are visible for long distances at night, it is known as the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean”. It is among the world’s most visited volcanoes.

Stromboli is widely known for its spectacular eruptions which jet fountains of molten rock from its lava-filled central crater. Because these eruptions are so distinctive and well known, geologists use the word “Strombolian” to clearly describe similar eruptive activity at other volcanoes.

Mount Mayon is an active stratovolcano renowned as the “Perfect Cone” because of its almost perfectly conical shape. A level 2 alert is in force for Mayon because of increased activity in June-July 2009.
Mayon has had forty-nine eruptions in recorded history. The first recorded eruption was in 1616, the last major eruption ceased on 1 October 2006. The most destructive eruption occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed, but the destruction was from the ash that buried the town of Cagsawa—only the bell tower of the town’s church remained above the new surface. Proximate areas were also devastated by the eruption with ash accumulating to 9 m (30 ft) in depth. 2,200 locals perished in what is considered to be the most lethal eruption in Mayon’s history.

Highly active Pacaya Volcano is the most frequently climbed volcano in this country. It is easily accessible and commonly puts on a good show for volcano enthusiasts.

Pacaya’s current active phase began in 1965, and the volcano has been almost constantly in eruption since then. Eruptive activity ranges from minor gaseous emissions and quiet steam eruptions, to explosions powerful enough to hurl bombs up to 12 kilometers and necessitate the evacuation of numerous villages on the flanks of the volcano. Eruptions also include strombolian activity, vulcanian explosions, minor flows from the crater, and larger flows emitted as flank eruptions.

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Stromboli is in Sicily, Italy
Mount Mayon is in the Philippines
Pacaya is in Guatemala