Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft).

Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aquacentric luxury resorts. The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mete in the north, next to the St Regis Resort, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent population of Bora Bora is 8,880.

Other Information

• Location : Pacific Ocean
• Archipelago : Society Islands
• Area : 29.3 km² (11.31 sq mi)
• Highest elevation : 727 m (2,385 ft)
• Highest point : Mount Otemanu
• Country : France
• Overseas collectivity : French Polynesia
• Administrative subdivision : Leeward Islands
• Commune : Bora-Bora
• Largest city : Vaitape (pop. 4,927 inhabitants)
• Population 8,880 (as of August 2007 census)

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• タヒチ 画像

El Salvador is the smallest, and also the most densely populated country that lies in the heart of Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as do Honduras and Nicaragua further south.

It has a population of approximately 5,744,113 people, as of 2009. The capital city of San Salvador is the largest city of the Republic. The colón was the currency of El Salvador between 1892 and 2001, when El Salvador adopted the U.S. Dollar. The Colón continues to be legal tender. The people that are from El Salvador are called Salvadorians and/or Central Americans .

Tourism

The only airport serving international flights in the country is Comalapa International Airport. This airport is located about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of San Salvador. The airport is commonly known as Comalapa International or El Salvador International.

El Salvador’s tourism industry has grown dynamically over recent years as the Salvadoran government focuses on developing this sector. Last year tourism accounted for 4.6% of GDP; only 10 years ago, it accounted for 0.4%. In this same year tourism grew 4.5% worldwide. Comparatively, El Salvador saw an increase of 8.97%, from 1.15 million to 1.27 million tourists. This has led to revenue from tourism growing 35.9% from $634 million to $862 million. As a reference point, in 1996 tourism revenue was $44.2 million. Also, there has been an even greater increase in the number of excursionists (visits that do not include an overnight stay). 222,000 excursionists visited El Salvador in 2006, a 24% increase over the previous year.

Most North American and European tourists are seeking out El Salvador’s beaches and nightlife. Besides these two choices, El Salvador’s tourism landscape is slightly different than those of other Central American countries. Because of its geographical size and urbanization, there aren’t many nature-themed tourist destination such as ecotours or archaeological monuments. Surfing, however, is a natural tourist sector that is gaining popularity in recent years as more surfers visit many beaches in the coast of La Libertad and the east side of the country, finding surfing spots that are not yet overcrowded. Also, the use of the United States dollar as Salvadoran currency and direct flights of 4–6 hours from most cities in the United States are important things to note for first-time travelers from the United States. Urbanization and Americanization of Salvadoran culture has also led to something else that first time tourists might be surprised to see: the abundance of American-style malls, stores, and restaurants in the three main urban areas, especially greater San Salvador.

Currently, tourists to El Salvador can be classified into four groups: Central Americans; North Americans; Salvadorans living abroad, primarily in the United States; and Europeans and South Americans. The first three represent the vast majority of tourists. Recently, El Salvador has attempted to broaden its tourist base and increase the number of visitors from Europe and South America. Early indicators show that the government’s efforts are working. When comparing January–March 2007 to the same period in 2006 (most recent data available), overall tourism has grown 10%, while from North America 38%, Europe 31%, and South America 36%.^[55] In the fall, Livingston Airlines will initiate the only direct flight between Europe (departing from Milan) and El Salvador. The Decameron Salinitas, a recently inaugurated resort, has contributed to the growth of tourists from South America (because of name recognition of the resort chain) and is looking to do the same with Europeans.

Tourists continue to be drawn by El Salvador’s turbulent past. Some of the latest tourist attractions in the former war-torn El Salvador are gun fragments, pictures, combat plans, and mountain hideouts. Since 1992, residents in economically depressed areas are trying to profit from these remains. The mountain town of Perquin was considered the "guerrilla capital." Today it is home to the "Museum of the Revolution," featuring cannons, uniforms, pieces of soviet weaponry, and other weapons of war once used by the FMLN’s (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) headquarters.

According to El Salvador newspaper El Diario De Hoy the top 10 attractions are the beaches, La Libertad, Ruta Las Flores, Suchitoto, Playa Las Flores in San Miguel, La Palma, Santa Ana where you find the country’s tallest volcano, Nahuizalco, Apaneca, Juayua, San Ignacio. there are a few hotels you can find with Internet. only the more expansive ones are good to find. Now there is one site they have all the hotels off El Salvador.

Other Information

• Capital : San Salvador City
• Largest city : capital San Salvador, Soyapango, Santa Ana, San Miguel, Usulutan
• Official language : Spanish
• Ethnic groups : 85% Mestizo, 12% White/Caucasian, 1% Amerindian (Pipil, Lenca)
• Demonym : Salvadorian, Salvadorean, Salvadoran
• Government : Presidential republic
• Independence :
  • from Spain September 15, 1821
  • from the First Mexican Empire 1823
  • from the Central American Federation 1842
  • Recognized by Spain : June 24, 1865
  • from the United States of Central America November 13, 1898
• Area : 21,040 km² 8,124 sq mi
• Water (%) : 1.4
• Population : July 2009 estimate 6,134,000
• 2009 census : 5,744,113
• Density : 341.5/km² 884.4/sq mi
• GDP (PPP) : 2010 estimate
• Total : $43.641 billion
• Per capita : $7,442
• GDP (nominal) : 2010 estimate
• Total : 21.805 billion
• Per capita : $3,718
• Gini (2002) : 52.4 (high)
• HDI (2010) : 0.659 (medium) (90th)
• Currency : U.S. dollar² (USD)
• Time zone : (UTC-6)
• Drives on the : right
• ISO 3166 code : SV
• Internet TLD : .sv
• Calling code : +5031

Incoming search terms:

• el salvador awesomeness

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. An island nation in South Asia, it was until 1972 known as Ceylon. Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait and lies in the vicinity of India and Maldives.

Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system with its official seat of government in Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, the capital.

As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia. It has also been a center of the Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times and is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia along with Ladakh, Bhutan and the Chittagong hill tracts The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population; Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal Vedda people.

The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon, the latter which is native to the country. The natural beauty Sri Lanka has led to the title The Pearl of the Indian Ocean, it is full of lush tropical forests, white beaches and diverse landscape throughout along with a rich biodiversity. The country lays claim to a long and colorful history of over three thousand years, having one of the longest documented histories in the world. Sri Lanka’s rich culture can be attributed to the many different communities in the island. Sri Lanka is a founding member state of SAARC and a member United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G77 and Non-Aligned Movement.

Other Information

• Capital : Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte
• Largest city : Colombo
• Official languages : Sinhala, Tamil
• Ethnic groups (2001) :
  • 73.9% Sinhalese
  • 12.6% Tamil
  • 7.4% Moors
  • 5.2% Indian Tamil
  • 0.5% Others
• Demonym : Sri Lankan
• Government : Democratic Socialist Republic
• President : Mahinda Rajapaksa
• Prime Minister : D. M. Jayaratne
• Independence : from the United Kingdom
• Dominion (Self rule) : February 4, 1948
• Republic : May 22, 1972
• Area : 65,610 km² (122nd) 25,332 sq mi
• Water (%) : 4.4
• Population :  2009 estimate 20,238,000
• Density : 308.4/km² 798.9/sq mi
• GDP (PPP) : 2010 estimate $102.537 billion
• Per capita : $5,026
• GDP (nominal) : 2010 estimate
• Total : $41.979 billion
• Per capita : $2,029
• Gini (1999–00) : 33.2 (medium)
• HDI (2010) : 0.658 (medium)
• Currency : Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
• Time zone : Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30)
• Drives on the : left
• ISO 3166 code : LK
• Internet TLD : .lk
• Calling code : 94

Incoming search terms:

• palk strait

Venice is a city in northern Italy known both for tourism and for industry, and is the capital of the region Veneto, with a population of about 272,000 (census estimate 1 January 2004). Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000).

The name is derived from the ancient tribe of Veneti that inhabited the region in Roman times. The city historically was the capital of an independent city-state. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini, writing in The New York Times, described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe’s most romantic cities.

The city stretches across 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers. The population estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the population of the whole Comune of Venezia; around 60,000 in the historic city of Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (the Mainland), mostly in the large frazioni of Mestre and Marghera; and 31,000 live on other islands in the lagoon.

The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain and spice trade) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history. It is also known for its several important artistic movements, especially the Renaissance period. Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi.

Other Information

• Country : Italy
• Region : Veneto
• Province : Venice (VE)
• Frazioni : Chirignago, Favaro Veneto, Mestre, Marghera, Murano, Burano, Giudecca, Lido, Zelarino
• Government : – Mayor Giorgio Orsoni (Democratic Party)
• Area : – Total 414.57 km² (160.1 sq mi)
• Elevation : 0 m (0 ft)
• Population (2009-04-30) : 270,660
• Density : 652.9/km² (1,690.9/sq mi)
• Demonym : Venetians
• Time zone : CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST) : CEST (UTC+2)
• Postal code : 30100
• Dialing code : 041
• Patron saint : St. Mark the Evangelist
• Saint day : 25 April

Link

• Official website

Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between Eastern Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia. Turkey’s location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it a country of significant geostrategic importance.

The predominant religion by number of people is Islam–about 97% of the population, the second by number of people is Christianity–0,6%, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia. The country’s official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who comprise 18% of the population.

Turks began migrating into the area now called Turkey ("land of the Turks") in the 11th century. The process was greatly accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Manzikert. Several small beyliks and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol Empire’s invasion. Starting from the 13th century, the Ottoman beylik united Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. After the Ottoman Empire collapsed following its defeat in World War I, parts of it were occupied by the victorious Allies. A cadre of young military officers, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, organized a successful resistance to the Allies; in 1923, they would establish the modern Republic of Turkey with Atatürk as its first president.

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient cultural heritage. Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major economies. Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963 and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995. Turkey has also fostered close cultural, political, economic and industrial relations with the Middle East, the Turkic states of Central Asia and the African countries through membership in organizations such as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Given its strategic location, large economy and army, Turkey is classified as a regional power.

Other Information

• Capital : Ankara
• Largest city : Istanbul
• Official language : Turkish
• Demonym : Turkish
• Government : Parliamentary republic
• Declaration of Republic : October 29, 1923
• Area : 783,562 km² (37th), 2,535 sq mi
• Water (%) :
• Population : 2010 census 7,804,122
• Density : 6/km² 239.8/sq mi
• GDP (PPP) : 9 estimate
• Total : 04 trillion
• Per capita : $12,476
• GDP (nominal) : 2009 estimate $617.099 billion
• Per capita : $10,206
• HDI (2009) : 79 (high) (83rd)
• Currency : kish lira (TRY)
• Time zone :  (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST) : T (UTC+3)
• Drives on the :right
• ISO 3166 code : TR
• Internet TLD : .tr
• Calling code : 90

Incoming search terms:

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Hong Kong is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. Situated on China’s south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km² (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong’s population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong’s Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony’s boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories by 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China regained sovereignty. The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era. The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West", and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England until reforms implemented in 2009.

Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China. Hong Kong’s independent judiciary functions under the common law framework. The Basic Law of Hong Kong, its constitutional document, which stipulates that Hong Kong shall have a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign relations and military defence, governs its political system. Although it has a burgeoning multi-party system, a small-circle electorate controls half of its legislature. An 800-person Election Committee selects the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the head of government.

As one of the world’s leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth most traded currency in the world. The lack of space caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a centre for modern architecture and the world’s most vertical city. The dense space also led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport travelling rate exceeding 90 percent, the highest in the world.

Other Information

• Official language : Chinese, English
• Spoken languages : Cantonese, English
• Demonym : Hongkonger
• Government : Non-sovereign partial democracy with unelected executive
• Area : 1,104 km² (179th) 426 sq mi
• Water (%) : 4.58 (50 km²; 19 mi²)
• Population :  2010 estimate 7,055,071
• 2010 census : 7,061,200
• Density : 6480/km² 16,576/sq mi
• GDP (PPP) : 2010 estimate
• Total : $322.486 billion
• Per capita : $45,277
• GDP (nominal) : 2010 estimate
• Total : US$226.485 billion
• Per capita : US$31,799
• Gini (2007) : 43.4
• HDI (2010) : 0.862 ( very high)
• Currency : Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
• Time zone : HKT (UTC+8)
• Drives on the : left
• ISO 3166 code : HK
• Internet TLD : .hk
• Calling code : +852

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Singapore Changi Airport, Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about 17.2 kilometres (10.7 mi) north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a 13 square kilometres (5.0 sq mi) site.

The airport, operated by the Changi Airport Group, is the home base of Singapore Airlines, Singapore Airlines Cargo, SilkAir, Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia Airways, Valuair, and Jett8 Airlines Cargo. As of September 2010, Changi Airport serves 96 airlines flying off to some 200 cities in about 60 countries and territories worldwide. The airport is a secondary hub for Qantas, which uses Singapore as the main stopover point for flights on the Kangaroo Route between Australia and Europe. Qantas is the largest foreign airline to operate from the airport, with over two million passengers annually. An important contributor to the Singapore economy, more than 28,000 people are employed at the airport, which accounts for over S$4.5 billion in output.

In 2009, the airport handled 37,203,978 passengers, a 1.3% decrease over the 2008 fiscal year. This made it the 21st busiest airport in the world and the fifth busiest in Asia by passenger traffic in 2009. In addition to being an important passenger hub, the airport is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world, handling 1.63 million tons of cargo in 2009.

At 15 December 2010, annual passengers surpassed 40 million for the first time. The biggest source of passengers come from Indonesia and then Australia, Malaysia, China and Thailand respectively.

Incentives such as the Air Hub Development Fund, first introduced in 2003, have proven effective in attracting airlines. A new S$300 million fund to strengthen Changi’s hub status began in 2007 when the previous S$210 million fund expired. A new S$1.75 billion Terminal 3 opened on 9 January 2008. Terminal 1 will be upgraded along the lines of the renovated Terminal 2, with the latter costing S$240 million. Changi has been courting both premium and budget travellers with the opening of a "commercially important persons terminal" by JetQuay and a S$45 million Budget Terminal in 2006.

Since its opening in 1981, the airport has made its mark in the aviation industry as a benchmark for service excellence, winning over 340 awards in a 22-year period from 1987 to 2009, including 27 ‘Best’ awards in 2009 alone. Changi Airport’s efforts to counter the onset of age include periodic physical upgrades to its existing terminals, building of new facilities and the provision of a high level of customer service.

Passenger terminals

Changi Airport currently has five terminals, T1, T2, T3, JetQuay CIP Terminal and Budget Terminal, with a total handling capacity of 73 million. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are directly connected with a common transit area, with airside passengers being able to freely move between the terminals without going through immigration. Transport within and between these three terminals is provided by people movers and the skytrain system, although it is also possible to walk between the terminals on foot for landside visitors. Situated beside Terminal 2 is JetQuay, which has its own check-in facilities for premium passengers and where transportation to aircraft in any of the other terminals is by personal buggy. The Budget Terminal, purpose-built for low-cost carriers, is physically separated from the main terminals towards the south, where connections are possible via a zero-fare shuttle bus service to Terminal 2.

Other Information

• Airport type : Public/Military
• Owner : Government of Singapore
• Operator : Changi Airport Group (S) Pte Ltd, Republic of Singapore Air Force
• Serves : Singapore
• Location : Changi, East Region
• Hub for : Jetstar Asia Airways, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, Tiger Airways, Qantas, Valuair
• Elevation AMSL : 7 m / 22 ft

Link

• www.changiairport.com

Incoming search terms:

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• content

The Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most internationally recognizable hotels in Hong Kong. Opened in 1928, it is Hong Kong’s most historical hotel. It is located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Founded by members of the Kadoorie family, the hotel today is part of the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group headed by Sir Michael Kadoorie, is the flagship property of the The Peninsula Hotels group. The Peninsula has been voted the world’s best hotel on several occasions, and is widely regarded as one of the region’s legendary properties.

other Information

• Location : Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
• Opening date : December 1928
• Management : Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels
• Owner : Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels
• Rooms : 300
• Restaurants : 8

Link

• www.peninsula.com/Hong_Kong/en/default.aspx

See Also

• Business Hotels

Incoming search terms:

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The Jalousie plantation is set into the hillside in the Valley of the Pitons: the twin volcanic peaks rise sharply out of the sea and bookend views of the Caribbean Sea. Guests are assured privacy in their own separate spacious villas, each with a patio and its own plunge pool about the size of a Jacuzzi without all the bubbling – perfect for an early morning or evening cool-down. The Sugar Mill Suites are closest to the main buildings and beach.

Honeymoons are big business here, and pint-sized guests are few. The property, originally an 18th century sugar mill, is lush with fruit trees and flowering shrubs. Native plants hang heavy with mango, banana, papaya, coconut, avocado, star fruit and sour sop, while colorful hibiscus, jasmine, bougainvillea and oleander scent the air.

Other Information

• Address: Forbidden Beach, Eden Bay, PO Box 251, Soufriere, St. Lucia
• Phone:800-544-2883 or 758-4568000
• Other amenities: Beach, pool, tennis.
• Rooms: 112, including 65 Mountain View, 35 Ocean View, and 12 Sugar Mill Suites

Link

• Website

The Four Seasons Resort & Spa Maui at Wailea is a luxury oceanfront resort that sits gracefully among 15 acres on one of Wailea’s best beaches. These Maui Luxury Suites provide an extraordinary blend of elegance and gracious service with the finest recreational activities on land and sea.

Four Seasons Maui has three pools, including an ocean-view infinity pool. Outrigger-canoe excursions are among the many complimentary activities. Dining choices include Spago and a beachfront restaurant.

Other Information

• Location : 3900 Wailea Alanui, Maui (Island), HI 96753
• Phone: (808) 874-8000
• Fax: (808) 874-2244
• Hotel Type:  Full-Service Resort