CITY OF JOY- LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas (Spanish for The Meadows) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th most populous city in the United States with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 603,093 as of 2008. The estimated population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area as of 2007, was 1,836,333.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in the 20th century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. Outdoor lighting displays are everywhere on the Las Vegas Strip and are seen elsewhere in the city as well. As seen from space, the Las Vegas metropolitan area is the brightest on Earth.

The name Las Vegas is often applied to unincorporated areas that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. This 4 mi (6.4 km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is partly in the Las Vegas city limits, but mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester, and continues partly into unincorporated Enterprise.

CULTURE:

On the first Friday of each month, the "First Friday" celebration is held which exhibits the works of local artists and musicians in a section of the city's Downtown region now called the "Arts District".
The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, also known as the Las Vegas Zoo, exhibits over 150 species of animals and plants.
The $485 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts (currently under construction) will be located downtown in Symphony Park. The center will be appropriate for Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra, opera, and dance performances.
The city also hosts annual events like the Helldorado Days (Las Vegas).

TOURISM:

The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos. The most famous hotel casinos are located on Las Vegas Boulevard, better known as the Las Vegas Strip. Many of these hotels are massive, carrying thousands of rooms, with their large adjoining casino areas. There are many hotel casinos in the city's downtown area as well, which was the original focal point of the city's gaming industry in its early days. Several large hotels and casinos are also located somewhat off the Strip but adjacent to it, as well as in the county around the city.
Some of the most notable casinos involved in downtown gaming are on the Fremont Street Experience which was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego

BUENOS AIRES- CIDADE DA ARGENTINA.

Buenos Aires is a great metropolis with 11 million inhabitants and one of the largest in the world. It is also one of the most elegant and busy cities in South America and is in some way the essence of the variety of the Argentinean.

Whilst of modern construction and dynamic activity, it has managed to preserve old traditions and charming corners. The atmosphere, the individual personality of each of its neighbourhoods (barrios), the cordiality of its people and the wide selection of its cultural and commercial opportunities, fascinates one.

Buenos Aires, close to the splendid countryside surrounding it, is the great cosmopolitan doorway to South America. The Capital Federal, bounded by the Rde la Plata and its tributary the Riachuelo, plus the ring roads of Av. General Paz and Av. 27 de Febrero, consists of 47 distinct barrios, some of them very small and others quite large. These barrios have clearly defined limits, but informal boundaries are rarely congruent and often contradictory -the line between Palermo and Recoleta, for instance, is often indistinct, while Av. Cordoba boundary between Balvanera and Recoleta/Barrio Norte so rigidly demarcates two very distinct parts of the city that every porte (as inhabitants of the port capital are known) who crosses the street recognizes the division. Porte use the term microcentro for the area north of Av. de Mayo and east of Av. 9 de Julio, a sector that includes the Florida and Lavalle peatonales (pedestrian malls), Plaza San Martin and the important commercial and entertainment areas along Avs. Corrientes, Cordoba and Santa Fe. In fact, this also comprises parts of the barrio of Retiro and the area popularly known as Congreso, which overlaps the barrio of Balvanera. Barrio Norte, for that matter, is not a formal barrio but rather a neighborhood that comprises mostly residential parts of Recoleta and Retiro.

The major divisions are the microcentro and Av. de Mayo, Congreso and Corrientes, San Telmo and Constituci La Boca, Retiro, Recoleta and Barrio Norte, and Palermo and Belgrano (including the 'Costanera', which provides access to the Rio de la Plata). The capital's traditional focus of activity is the Plaza de Mayo, opposite the Casa Rosada presidential palace. Both the Catedral Metropolitana (cathedral) and portions of the original Cabildo (colonial town council) are also here, at the east end of Av. de Mayo. Street names change, and street numbers rise, on each side of Av. de Mayo, while numbers on east-west streets rise from zero near the waterfront. The broad Av. 9 de Julio forms a second north-south axis, simultaneously encompassing Cerrito and Carlos Pellegrini north of Av. de Mayo, and Lima and Bernardo de Irigoyen south of Av de Mayo. It runs from Plaza Constituci󮠩n San Telmo to Av. del Libertador in Recoleta, which continues to the city's exclusive northern suburbs and their spacious parks.

JEDDAH- City of Red Sea.

Jeddah is a large, cosmopolitan port city on the Red Sea, and the main starting point of pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Known as the Paris of Arabia, Jeddah also offers beaches, shopping districts, historic sights, golf courses and excellent possibilities for diving. Approximately 2.5 million foreign pilgrims visit Jeddah every year. Located on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is the second largest city and the main commercial center of the country. It is the wealthiest city in the Middle East, with a cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants that is the result of over thousand years of pilgrims from all over the Islamic world coming to Jeddah to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Jeddah is the most liberal city in Saudi Arabia, where a strict interpretation of Islam is followed, but religion still affects many parts of the society and daily life in the city. Prayer calls stop all other activity five times a day, and weekends are being celebrated from Thursday and Friday. Jeddah hosts a great number of restaurants and cafés, but as many forms of other entertainment are banned, do not expect to find a great deal of nightlife in Jeddah.

Sights and activities in Jeddah: shopping, diving & golf coursesJeddah is a large city that offers plenty of sights and activities. The old city, called Al-Balad, located in the southern side of the modern city center has plenty of traditional multi-story houses built from coral stone. Many of the old buildings, such as the Naseef House, have been preserved and act as museums. The old city also contains a popular bazaar, Souq al-Alawi. Shopping in Jeddah is very good, and the city contains many traditional souqs as well as a myriad of modern designer shops and glamorous shopping malls. Besides the historic Naseef House, the museums in Jeddah include an archaeological and ethnological museum, a municipal museum and an arts heritage museum. Jeddah is home to the tallest fountain in the world, named King Fahid Fountain. The long seaside avenue, Corniche connects the city together and offers nice beaches, cafés, seaside resorts and sculptures. Diving in Jeddah is excellent, as the Red Sea offshore to the city is filled with beautiful coral reefs with abundant marine life. There are diving and snorkeling excursions available. Jeddah also has many public recreational parks, as well as a water park of Sail Island and a theme park called Al-Shalal. Golf in Jeddah is popular entertainment, and there are several good golf courses near the city. Desert excursions by four-wheel drive cars are also available. Jeddah also hosts an annual festival with many games and activities from water skiing to art exhibitions and music.

BEIRUT- THE CITY OF LIGHTS.

Known as the "Cultural Capital of the Arab World," "Paris of the East," and "The City of Lights," Beirut is the capital, chief port, and primate city of Lebanon. Once regarded as the center for economic, social, and cosmopolitan life, Beirut suffered many loses during the civil war from 1975 to 1990. This site attempts to explore the many different aspects of Beirut as well as the effects of the civil war on the city.

The capital and largest city of Lebanon, Beirut has a metropolitan area of 26 square miles. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Beirut has established itself as one of the leading port cities in the Middle East.

CLIMATE AND REGION:

Beirut has a wide range of geographical regions. The city is situated atop two hills, the Al-Ashrafiyah and the Al-Musaytibah, which meet to create a triangular peninsula protruding into the Mediterranean Sea. The As-Sahil, a coastal plan, borders the two mountains to the east and extends into the north from the mouth of the Nahr Al-Kalb, the Dog River, and in the south from the entrance of the Nahr Ad-Damur, or the Damur River. Beirut’s subtropical climate produces hot, humid summers and mild winters. Beirut’s rainy season, which occurs from mid-autumn to early spring, produces the majority of the annual rainfall, an average of 36 inches. In mid-winter, the average mid-day temperature rises to 62º F and reaches 51º F in the night. Beirut’s average temperature in the summer is approximately 73º F.

Considered to be the most Westernized city of the Middle East, Beirut has survived almost complete destruction numerous times but has managed to retain the reputation of being a haven for liberalism and social acceptance. Even after 15 years of civil war in which Beirut was pushed to the brink of total devastation, the city is in the process of reconstruction and re-establishing itself as the "Paris of the Middle East."

CAIRO- CITY OF PYRAMIDS.

Cairo lies on the banks of the Nile River in the north of Egypt. the geographical coordinates if the city are Latitude 30°2' N, Longitude 31°13' E. with a population of close to 8 million people and a total area of 214 sq km, Cairo is one of the densest populated cities of the world.

Cairo International Airport serves the city. The city holds the credit of being the only African city to have Metro system. The Cairo Transportation Authority handles all other transportations in the city like bus system. Citicab is the other public transport facility in the city.

Cairo hotels offers divers lodging options carrying from resorts to luxury hotels and from stylish neighborhoods near the River Nile and the Pyramids to small scale hotels including hostels. Dusit Thani Lakeview, Four Seasons At Nile Plaza, Conrad, Nile Hilton and Le Meridien Pyramids are some of the most prominent and famous Cairo hotels.

Egyptian Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is the major tourist attraction in the city. Many monuments and historical artifacts attract tourists to the city. People gather in the city, which has several malls and theaters like Citystars, the second largest mall in the world where anything under the sun can be obtained. The city has 18 cinemas and an amusement park.

The skyscrapers in the city including Nile City Towers, The National bank of Egypt towers, The Fairmont Cairo, New Cairo City Towers and The New Saudi Arabian Embassy Tower catch the sight of the visitors. El-Gamaa Bridge, Tahrir Square, Sphinx, and Marriot Palace Cairo are the other interesting spots in the city.

MOSCOW- UNFORGETABLE CITY.

Moscow is one of the world’s largest megacities. Its population was 10,500,000 people in October 2002, with the territory of 878,7 square kilometers. The boundary of Moscow (since 1960) corresponds to the Moscow Ring road which is situated 17-21 kilometers away from the city centre.

Local authorities are, since 1991, Moscow Mayoralty and Moscow government.

In terms of urban ecology, Moscow was claimed to be a very clean city during the stagnation period. But recently, with positive political changes, the real situation became known: air and water pollution by chemicals is rather heavy, especially in the southern and south-eastern parts of the town. This is explained by the pattern of enterprises and by the predominant winds. Moreover, information on radioactive pollution is now available, and several strongly polluted sites have been discovered. Unfortunately, they are dispersed all over the territory of the town including its public gardens and densely populated blocks of flats ("sleeping areas").

Location and Climate:

Moscow is located at 55.55'of northern latitude and 37.37' to the east of the Greenwich's meridian, in the centre of the East-European plain in the zone of mixed forests. It is intersected by the Moscow river, which takes a number of tributaries between the Oka and the Volga. The largest of the tributaries are the Yausa and Setun'.

There is a folk saying about seven hills supporting Moscow. In fact, hilly are only some parts of former Moscow area, and the highest is the south-western part of the town. Geographically, it is defined as Teplostanskaya upland; the central and eastern parts of the town's area are more flat and low, and its major part is occupied by the valley of the Moscow river with its tributaries.

The Moscow climate is moderately continental, although it is colder than in other European cities. Temperature amplitude is 28 C. The cool period of the year starts on September, 29 and ends on May, 10. Normally, the rainfall ranges within 540-650mm per year. The rainy period lasts from April to October. An estimated duration of the severe snow period is from November, 26 to April, 11. The height of the snow cover reaches 35 cm in the end of winter. Atmospheric pressure, which doesn't strongly change during the year, is 747mm. Winds in Moscow may blow in any direction, but during periods of warm weather the north-western ones prevail, while the south-western winds are proper to cool seasons.

Weather is rather unstable in Moscow, and the weather forecast service is the most common object for jokes. One of possible reasons justifying not quite reliable forecasts is considerable temperature amplitude between parts of Moscow, which may reach 10 C in spring or autumn.

People and language :

More than 8mln people are living in Moscow, and more than 11mln in Moscow with its suburbs. Initially, Russians predominated, and this is true now as well, although there are some changes in proportions between Russians, Tatars, Jews and people from the Caucasus republics. Muscovites by birth are not so numerous now. Christianity is a predominant religion in Moscow. Russian Orthodox Church is most popular, other religious societies are active: Moslems, Protestants, Old-believers, Single-believers, Judaism. Each religious confession has its own church, or synagogue, or any other house for praying, as well as a school and publishing house. ct "pure" language.

LUCKNOW- HISTORICAL CITY OFINDIA.

Lucknow’s foundations were laid in the 13th century a.d., a fairly recent date as compared to other cities in India. Lakshman Tila, the central part of the city, is believed to have been the site where a fort was built by a clan from Bijnor. By the end of the 13th century a.d., the fort had fallen into the hands of the Sharqi rulers of Jaunpur, who held it till a.d. 1476. In the 1540s, the fort was annexed by the Sultan of Delhi, Sher Shah Sur (reigned a.d. 1540-45).During the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign (a.d. 1556-1605), Oudh, as Lucknow was then called, flourished under imperial patronage. In 1724, the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, appointed Nawab Sadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk as the Governor of Oudh. Thus began the reign of the Nawabs over Oudh, which continued till the close of the 18th century a.d.

The Process of Modernizing:

The TownNawab Asaf-ud-Daula, who had his capital at Faizabad, was the last Nawab of Oudh. In 1775, he shifted his capital to Lucknow, and proceeded to ‘modernise’ the town by building numerous monuments. When the region was struck by a famine in 1784, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula offered ‘food for work’.Under his directions and funding, work began on the Bara Imambara.The generous Nawab, who employed more than 22,000 people, including nobles, adopted a dual policy of construction. During the day, the Imambara was built, and at night, the workers destroyed parts of what had been built. This was to ensure that no one remained unemployed, and the edifice was not completed too soon.

¤ Lucknow Came Under The Rule of British:

By 1854, the British, under Lord Dalhousie, had taken Lucknow. An unconcerned Nawab Wajid Ali Shah played chess while British troops entered and occupied Lucknow. By the time he realised his folly, it was too late. The British had come to stay.In 1857, India revolted against British dominion. British troops in and around Lucknow retreated to the Residency, with Indian sepoys and civilians laying siege to the complex. When Sir Colin Campbell took on the Indian forces in a bid to rescue his countrymen, the siege lasted 87 days during which cannon and small arms fire ruined the Residency.After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Lucknow was made the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Today, the city is a busy political centre, and the hometown of India’s current Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.