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Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the former Kai Tak Airport.

Opened in 1998, Hong Kong International Airport is the world's busiest cargo gateway and one of the world's busiest passenger airports. It is also home to one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings, which was the largest when the airport opened.

The airport is operated by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), a statutory body of the Hong Kong government established on 1 December 1995. It runs 24 hours a day and is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific, Greater Bay Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express and Air Hong Kong (cargo carrier). The airport is one of the hubs of Oneworld, and is also one of the Asia-Pacific cargo hubs for UPS Airlines. It is a focus city for China Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines utilizes Hong Kong as a stopover point for their flights.

HKIA, which employs approximately 65,000 people, is an important contributor to Hong Kong's economy. The economic contribution generated by Hong Kong’s aviation industry in 2008 amounted to HK$78 billion in value added, 4.6% of Hong Kong’s GDP. More than 100 airlines operate flights from the airport to over 180 cities across the globe. In 2015, HKIA handled 68.5 million passengers, making it the 8th busiest airport worldwide by passenger traffic and the 4th busiest airport worldwide by international passenger traffic. Since 2010, it has also surpassed Memphis International Airport to become the world's busiest airport by cargo traffic (except in 2020 due to disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic).

History

Chek Lap Kok Airport was designed as a replacement for the former Hong Kong International Airport (commonly known as Kai Tak Airport) built in 1925. Located in the densely built-up Kowloon City District with a single runway extending into Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong airport had turned on the runway lights for expansion to cope with steadily increasing air traffic. By the 1990s, Kai Tak had become one of the world's busiest airports – it far exceeded its annual passenger and cargo design capacities, and one out of every three flights experienced delays, largely due to lack of space for aircraft, gates, and a second runway. In addition, noise mitigation measures restricted nighttime flights, as severe noise pollution (exceeding 105 dB(A) in Kowloon City) adversely affected an estimated 340,000 people at least.

A 1974 planning study by the Civil Aviation and Public Works departments identified the small island of Chek Lap Kok, off Lantau Island, as a possible future airport replacement site. Far away from the congested city centre, flight paths would be routed over the South China Sea rather than populous urban areas, enabling efficient round-the-clock operation of multiple runways. The Chek Lap Kok (CLK) airport master plan and civil engineering studies were completed towards the end of 1982 and 1983, respectively. In February 1983, however, the government shelved the project for financial and economic reasons. In 1988, the Port & Airport Development Strategy (PADS) Study was undertaken by consultants, headed by Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited, reporting in December 1989. This study looked at forecasts for both airport and port traffic to the year 2011 and came up with three recommended strategies for overall strategic development in Hong Kong. One of the three assumed maintaining the existing airport at Kai Tak; a second assumed a possible airport in the Western Harbour between Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island, and the third assumed a new airport at Chek Lap Kok. The consultants produced detailed analyses for each scenario, enabling the government to consider these appraisals for each of the three "Recommended Strategies". In October 1989, the Governor of Hong Kong announced to the Legislative Council that a decision had been made on the long-term port and airport development strategy for the territory. The strategy to be adopted was that which included a replacement airport at Chek Lap Kok and incorporating new container terminals 8 and 9 at Stonecutters Island and east of the island of Tsing Yi, respectively.

In the PADS study, the consultants advised that the earliest the airport could be opened was January 1998. However, in reaching the government's decision, this date was modified to January 1997, six months prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China. Construction of the new airport began in 1991. As construction progressed, an agreement was reached with China that as much as possible of the airport would be completed before the handover to China in July 1997. British Prime Minister John Major opened the Tsing Ma Bridge, the main access to Lantau Island and the airport and its supporting community in May 1997, prior to the transfer of sovereignty to China. The airport itself was opened in July 1998.

The construction period was very rushed; specialists considered that only a 10–20-year period was sufficient for this massive project. Another cause for this rush was due to the uncertain future of the airport construction after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. Shortly after the then-British colonial government of Hong Kong announced plans to construct the new airport, the Chinese government in Beijing began voicing objections to various aspects of the massive project, which prompted financial institutions to delay extending project finance. Without access to this financing, many of the companies who had secured contracts to build various portions of the project halted construction, resulting in delays that pushed the actual opening of the airport, originally planned to take place before the transition in sovereignty until one year after. As agreements were reached with the government in China, Beijing withdrew most of its objections and work then continued, albeit behind schedule.

Hong Kong International Airport was built on a large artificial island formed by flattening and levelling the former Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau islands (3.02 km2 and 0.08 km2 respectively) and reclaiming 9.38 km2 of the adjacent seabed. The 12.48 km2 airport site, with its reclamation, added nearly 1% to Hong Kong's total surface area, connecting to the north side of Lantau Island near Tung Chung new town.

Construction of the new airport was only part of the Airport Core Programme, which also involved the construction of new roads and rail links to the airport, with associated bridges and tunnels, and major land reclamation projects on both Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. The project holds the record for the most expensive airport project ever, according to Guinness World Records. Construction of the new airport was also voted as one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century at the ConExpo conference in 1999.

The detailed design for the airport terminal was awarded to a consortium led by Mott Connell (the Hong Kong office of UK consultant Mott MacDonald) with British Airports Authority as specialist designers for airport related aspects, Foster and Partners as architects and Ove Arup as specialist structural designers for the roof. Mott Connell were the designers for foundations, all other structural components and the mechanical and electrical work. The sides of the terminals, predominantly glass, were designed to break during high-speed winds, relieving pressure and allowing the terminal to withstand an intense typhoon.

The airport was officially opened in an opening ceremony by the President of the People's Republic of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party Jiang Zemin at noon Hong Kong Time on 2 July 1998. Hours later, Air Force One, carrying the President of the United States Bill Clinton, landed at the new airport and became the first foreign visitor to arrive at the new airport. The actual operation of the airport commenced on 6 July 1998, concluding the six-year construction that cost US$20 billion. On that day at 06:25 Hong Kong Time, Cathay Pacific Flight CX 889 from New York JFK Airport became the first commercial flight to land at the airport, pipping the original CX 292 from Rome which was the scheduled first arrival. However, the airport had already started to experience some technical difficulties on the first day of opening. The flight information display system (FIDS) had suddenly shut down which caused long delays. Shortly afterwards, the cargo-communication link with Kai Tak, where all the necessary data was stored (some still stored there then), went down. During the same period of time, someone had accidentally deleted an important database for cargo services. This meant that cargo had to be manually stored. At one point, the airport had to turn away all air cargo and freight headed for and exported from Hong Kong (except food and medical supplies) while it sorted out the huge mess. HKIA simply could not keep up without an automated assistant-computer system. For three to five months after its opening, it suffered various severe organisational, mechanical and technical problems that almost crippled the airport and its operations. Computer glitches were mostly to blame for the major crisis. Lau Kong-wah, a Hong Kong politician, was quoted saying "This was meant to be a first-class project, but it has turned into a ninth-class airport and a disgrace. Our airport has become the laughing stock of the world." At one time, the government reopened the cargo terminal at Kai Tak Airport to handle freight traffic because of a breakdown at the new cargo terminal, named Super Terminal One (ST1). However, after six months the airport started to operate normally.

On 31 July 2000, Todd Salimuchai, a regularised illegal immigrant in Hong Kong with no provable nationality, forced his way through a security checkpoint using a fake pistol, took a woman hostage, and boarded a Cathay Pacific aircraft. He demanded to be flown to Burma, which he claimed was his native country but had refused to admit him due to his lack of documents. He surrendered to police two and a half hours later.

Officially opened in June 2007, the second airport terminal, called T2, (check-in facility only) is linked with the MTR Airport Express on a new platform. The terminal also features a new shopping mall, SkyPlaza, providing a large variety of shops and restaurants, together with a few entertainment facilities. T2 also houses a 36-bay coach-station for buses to and from mainland China and 56 airline check-in counters, as well as customs and immigration facilities.

Besides T2, the SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course has been opened in 2007 whereas the second airport hotel, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel; and a permanent cross-boundary ferry terminal, the Skypier, began operations in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Development around T2 also includes the AsiaWorld-Expo which has started operation in late 2005. A second passenger concourse, the North Satellite Concourse (NSC), opened in 2010, followed by the Midfield Concourse in December 2015.

During August 2019, the airport was shut down multiple times as demonstrations were held inside the airport during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, over 160 flights were cancelled as both the arrivals and departures sections of the airport were occupied.

The third runway, known as the North Runway, opened in 2021, was the first part of the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030 to open. The Center runway was then closed to facilitate construction works and upgrades.

Composition
Hong Kong International Airport covers an area of 4,707 acres or 1905 ha. The airport has a total of 89 boarding gates, with 77 jet bridge gates (1–22, 23–36, 40–50, 60–71, 201–219) and 12 virtual gates (228–230, 511–513, 520–524) which are used as assembly points for passengers, who are then ferried to the aircraft by apron buses. Of the 77 jet bridges, five (Gates 5, 23, 60, 62, 64) are capable of handling the Airbus A380, the current users of which are Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines. Korean Air and China Southern Airlines previously operated a route to HKIA from Seoul and Beijing respectively using the Airbus A380, but these airlines decided to not use them due to unprofitable nature of the aircraft type. Air France, Lufthansa and Thai Airways International previously operated services to Hong Kong from Paris, Frankfurt and Bangkok using the Airbus A380, though they retired the aircraft types early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to Chek Lap Kok, the airport occupies what was Lam Chau.

Terminal 1
Terminal 1 of the HKIA, with an area measuring 570000 m2, is one of the largest passenger airport terminal buildings in the world, after the likes of Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 and Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3.

Opened on 6 July 1998, Terminal 1 was the largest airport passenger terminal building, with a total gross floor area of 531000 m2. It briefly conceded the status to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (563000 m2) when the latter opened on 15 September 2006, but reclaimed the title when the East Hall was expanded, bringing the total area to its current size of 570000 m2. Terminal 1's title as the world's largest was surrendered to Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 on 29 February 2008.

In late 2021, the air side of Terminal 1 started segregating Mainland Chinese flights and other international flights into two separate zones, "Green zone" and "Orange zone", for the purpose of reducing the risk of cross infection of novel coronavirus between travellers and airport workers serving different destinations.

On 1 November 2022, the Sky Bridge opened as part of a wider HK$9 billion airport upgrade, connecting Terminal 1 to the T1 Satellite Concourse (T1S). Lined with glass floor panels at the edges, the 200 metre long and 28 metre high bridge, the largest of its kind, is high enough for an Airbus A380 to pass underneath.

T1 Satellite Concourse
In 2007, HKIA began the construction of a two-storey T1 Satellite Concourse (T1S), previously known as the North Satellite Concourse (NSC), which opened in December 2009. This concourse was designed for narrow-body aircraft and is equipped with 10 jet bridges. The concourse has a floor area of 20000 m2 and will be able to serve more than five million passengers annually. T1S was built so the airport could accommodate at least 90 percent of its passengers by aerobridges. It has two levels (one for departures and one for arrivals). A new Sky Bridge connecting Terminal 1 and T1S opened in November 2022, allowing passengers to walk above taxiing planes, saving time from taking the airport shuttle bus.

T1 Midfield Concourse
On 25 January 2011, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) unveiled phase 1 of its midfield development project which was targeted for completion by the end of 2015. The midfield area is located to the west of Terminal 1 between the two existing runways. It was the then last piece of land on the airport island available for large-scale development. This includes 20 aircraft parking stands, three of these are wide enough to serve the Airbus A380 and cater for an additional 10 million passengers annually. Passengers reach the concourse through an extension of the underground automated people mover. A joint venture of Mott MacDonald and Arup led the design of the project. Gammon Construction undertook the construction work. The Concourse began operations on 28 December 2015, and the first flight that used it was the HX658 operated by the Hong Kong Airlines flying from Hong Kong to Okinawa. On 31 March 2016, the Concourse was officially inaugurated in a ceremony marking its full commissioning.

Former Terminal 2
Former Terminal 2 with an area measuring 140000 m2, together with the SkyPlaza, opened on 28 February 2007 along with the opening of the Airport station's Platform 3. It was only a low-cost carrier check-in and processing facility for departing passengers with no gates or arrival facilities (passengers were transported underground to gates at Terminal 1). The SkyPlaza was situated within. Former Terminal 2 was shut down in 28 November 2019 at 23:00 to make way for a new satellite terminal from the three-runway system.

Other buildings

Cathay Pacific City, the head office of Cathay Pacific and Air Hong Kong, is located on the airport island. CNAC House, the office for Air China is also located in the airport complex, together with the Civil Aviation Department headquarters. HAECO also has its head office on the airport property. HK Express has its head office on the airport property, in what was previously the Dragonair House, head office of Cathay Dragon.

The Government Flying Service (GFS) has its head office building in the airport. Additionally the head office of the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is in the Facility Building on the airport property.

Airport expansion projects
In June 2010, the Airport Authority unveiled plans to develop in stages the vast midfield site of the airport island. Stage 1 will involve the construction of a new 20-gate passenger concourse to be built in 2 phases (completion 2015 and 2020) with 11 gates in phase 1 growing to 20 gates in phase 2. The configuration of the new concourse is similar to those at Atlanta, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Berlin (Terminal 1), Chicago–O'Hare (Global Terminal), Denver, Detroit (McNamara Terminal), London–Heathrow (Terminals 2 and 5), Los Angeles (TBIT), Munich (Terminal 2), Salt Lake City, Seoul–Incheon, Washington–Dulles and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (Zumpango). After stage 1 of midfield development is completed in 2020, there will be sufficient lands remaining for further new concourses to be built as and when demand for them materialises.

Master Plan 2030
One year after, on 2 June 2011, the Airport Authority announced and released their latest version of a 20-year blueprint for the airport's development, the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030. The study took three years and according to the authority, nine consulting organisations have been hired for the research, observation, planning and advice. The main focus is to improve the overall capacity and aircraft handling ability of the airport. Based on this, two options have been developed.

Option 1: Two-runway system
To maintain the current two-runway system, there will be enhancements to the terminal and apron facilities to increase the airport's capacity. This option will enable the airport to handle a maximum of 420,000 flight movements per year, with annual passenger and cargo throughput increased to 74 million and six million tonnes respectively. The approximate cost of this plan is $23.4 billion Hong Kong dollars in 2010 prices, or HK$42.5 billion in money-of-the-day prices. The Airport Authority estimates that the airport will reach its maximum runway capacity sometime around 2020 if no extra runway is added.

Option 2: Three-runway system
This plan will focus on adding a third runway to the north of the Chek Lap Kok, the existing island the airport is built on, by land reclamation, using deep cement mixing, of about 650 ha. Associated facilities, additional terminals, airfield and apron facilities, will be built as well, and, combined with the new runway, it is estimated that the airport would be able to handle a maximum of 620,000 flights per year (102 per hour, or about one flight every 36 seconds), and meet forecast annual passenger and cargo throughput of about 97 million and 8.9 million tonnes by 2030 respectively.

There are possible drawbacks. Development costs are a concern: although the proposal would increase the number of direct jobs associated with HKIA to 150,000 by 2030 and generate an ENPV of HK$912 billion (in 2009 dollars), the estimated cost is approximately $86.2 billion (2010) Hong Kong Dollars, or HK$141.5 billion (at money-of-the-day prices). There are also environmental and local noise pollution concerns.

On 20 March 2012, the Hong Kong Government adopted this option as the official expansion plan.

The third runway, with its own dedicated passenger concourse (T2 Concourse), was built parallel to the current two runways on reclaimed land directly north of the existing airport island. The third runway (referred as the North runway) began operations in July 2022, while the original North runway (re-designated as the Centre runway) was closed for reconfiguration and is expected to be completed by 2024, alongside other facilities of the Three-runway system project including the T2 expansion, new T2 Concourse, automatic people mover, and baggage handling system.

Operations

The airport is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, a statutory body wholly owned by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The airport has three parallel runways, all of which are 3800 m in length and 60 m wide. The south runway has a Category II Precision Approach, while the centre runway has the higher Category IIIA rating, which allows pilots to land in only 200 m visibility. The two runways have a capacity of over 60 aircraft movements an hour. The airport is upgrading ATC and runways so that they can handle 68 movements per hour. Normally, the centre runway (07C/25C; until 1 December 2021 the north runway 07L/25R) is used for landing passenger planes. The south runway (07R/25L) is used for passenger planes taking off and cargo flights due to its proximity to the cargo terminal. A third runway (designated 07L/25R) to their north has opened in mid-2022, while the Centre runway has been closed for upgrades. When all 3 runways are opened, it is estimated that the airport will be able to handle a maximum of 620,000 flights per year (102 per hour, or about one flight every 36 seconds).

There are 49 frontal stands at the main passenger concourse, 28 remote stands and 25 cargo stands. There are also five parking bays at the Northwest Concourse. A satellite concourse with 10 frontal stands for narrow body aircraft has been commissioned to the north of the main concourse at the end of 2009, bringing the total number of frontal stands at the airport to 59.

The airport was the busiest for passenger traffic in Asia in 2010, and the world's busiest airport for cargo traffic in 2010. In terms of international traffic, the airport is the third busiest for passenger traffic and the busiest for cargo since its operation in 1998. There are over 95 international airlines providing about 900 scheduled passenger and all-cargo flights each day between Hong Kong and some 160 destinations worldwide. About 76 percent of these flights are operated with wide-body jets. There is also an average of approximately 31 non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights each week.

The operation of scheduled air services to and from Hong Kong is facilitated by air services agreements between Hong Kong and other countries. Since the opening of HKIA, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has implemented a policy of progressive liberalisation of air services. Many low-cost airlines have started various regional routes to compete head-on with full-service carriers on trunk routes.

The airport's long term expansion opportunities are subject to variables. The airport opened its third runway in July 2022 as part of a HK$141.5 billion expansion project that would increase its land footprint by 50%. On the other hand, there exists only one airway between Hong Kong and mainland China, and this single route is often and easily backed up causing delays on both sides. In addition, China requires that aircraft flying the single air route between Hong Kong and the mainland must be at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet. Talks are underway to persuade the Chinese military to relax its airspace restriction in view of worsening air traffic congestion at the airport. Other than that, Hong Kong Airport Authority is co-operating with other airports in the area to relieve air traffic and in the future, Shenzhen may act as a regional airport while Hong Kong receives all the international flights.

Air traffic
The Government Flying Service provides short and long range search and rescue services, police support, medical evacuation and general purpose flights for the Government.

Passenger facilities
Despite its size, the passenger terminal was designed for convenience. The layout and signage, moving walkways and the automated people mover help passengers move through the building. The HKIA Automated People Mover, a driverless people mover system with 3 stations transports passengers between the check-in area and the gates. The trains travel at 62 km/h. The airport also contains an IMAX theatre that has the largest screen in Hong Kong. The theatre is located in Terminal 2, level 6 and can seat 350 persons at a time.

Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre

The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC) is located within the airport and has its own terminal and facilities separate from the public terminal. It provides services for executive aircraft and passengers, including a passenger lounge, private rooms and showers, business centre facilities, ground handling, baggage handling, fuelling, security, customs and flight planning. Designated spaces and hangars are also provided at the HKBAC for private aircraft. HKBAC has broken ground on a HK$400 million ($51 million) expansion. The project, which will double the airport's handling capacity for business jet movements, is expected to be completed in 2025.

Intermodal transportation hub
To sustain the growth of passengers, the Airport Authority formulated a "push and pull through" strategy to expand its connections to new sources of passengers and cargo. This means adapting the network to the rapidly growing markets in China and in particular to the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). In 2003, a new Airport-Mainland Coach Station opened. The coach station has a 230 m2 waiting lounge and sheltered bays for ten coaches. Many buses operate each day to transport passengers between HKIA and major cities in the Mainland.

The Coach Station was relocated to the ground floor (level 3) of Terminal 2 in 2007. The 36 bays at the new Coach Station allow cross-border coaches to make 320 trips a day carrying passengers between the airport and 90 cities and towns in the PRD. Local tour and hotel coaches also operate from T2. The coach station at T2 has shops and waiting lounges as well as a mainland coach service centre which gathers all operators together.

In late September 2003, the SkyPier high-speed ferry terminal opened. Passengers arriving at the SkyPier board buses to the terminal and arriving air passengers board ferries at the pier for their ride back to the PRD. Passengers travelling both directions can bypass custom and immigration formalities, which reduces transit time. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen, Macau and Humen (Dongguan) – were initially served. As of August 2007, SkyPier serves Shenzhen's Shekou and Fuyong, Dongguan's Humen, Macau, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. Passengers travelling from Shekou and Macau can complete airline check-in procedures with participating airlines before boarding the ferries and go straight to the boarding gate for the flight at HKIA.

In 2009, the permanent SkyPier Terminal opened. The permanent ferry terminal is equipped with four berths, but the terminal is designed to accommodate eight berths. Transfer desks and baggage handling facilities are included, and the terminal is directly connected to the airport automatic people mover system.

Baggage and cargo facilities
Ramp handling services are provided by Hong Kong Airport Services Limited (HAS), Jardine Air Terminal Services Limited and SATS HK Limited. Their services include the handling of mail and passenger baggage, transportation of cargo, aerobridge operations and the operation of passenger stairways. The airport has an advanced baggage handling system (BHS), the main section of which is located in the basement level of the passenger terminal, and a separate remote transfer facility at the western end of the main concourse for the handling of tight connection transfer bags.

HKIA handles over five million tonnes of cargo annually. Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited operates one of the two air cargo terminals at the airport. Its headquarters, the 328000 m2 SuperTerminal 1, is the world's second largest stand-alone air cargo handling facility, after the opening of the West Cargo Handling Area of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on 26 March 2008. The designed capacity is 2.6 million tonnes of freight a year. The second air cargo terminal is operated by Asia Airfreight Terminal Company Limited, and has a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes a year. DHL operates the DHL Central Asia Hub cargo facility which handles 35,000 parcels and 40,000 packages per hour. Hongkong Post operates the Air Mail Centre (AMC) and processes 700,000 packages per day. It is envisaged that HKIA's total air cargo capacity per annum will reach nine million tonnes ultimately.

Aircraft maintenance services
Both line and base maintenance services are undertaken by Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO), while China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) and Pan Asia Pacific Aviation Services Limited carry out line maintenance. Line maintenance services include routine servicing of aircraft performed during normal turnaround periods and regularly scheduled layover periods. Base maintenance covers all airframe maintenance services and for this HAECO has a three-bay hangar, which can accommodate up to three Boeing 747-400 aircraft and two Airbus A320 aircraft, and an adjoining support workshop. HAECO also has the world's largest mobile hangar, weighing over 400 tons. It can be used to enclose half of a wide-body aeroplane so that the whole facility can fully enclose four 747s when the mobile hangar is used.

On 29 May 2009, CASL opened its first aircraft maintenance hangar in the maintenance area of the airport. The new hangar occupies an area of about 10000 m2 and can accommodate one wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft at the same time; the hangar also has an about 10000 m2 area in its annexe building. CASL specialises in Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 Next Generation series heavy maintenance.

Airport based ground services
The Air Traffic Control Complex (ATCX), located at the centre of the airfield, is the nerve centre of the entire air traffic control system. Some 370 air traffic controllers and supporting staff work around the clock to provide air traffic control services for the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR). At the Air Traffic Control Tower, controllers provide 24-hour aerodrome control services to aircraft operating at the airport. A backup Air Traffic Control Centre/Tower constructed to the north of the ATCX is available for operational use in the event normal services provided in the ATCX are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. Apart from serving as an operational backup, the facilities are also used for air traffic control training.

The Airport Meteorological Office (AMO) of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) provides weather services for the aviation community. The AMO issues alerts of low-level windshear and turbulence. Windshear detection is made using traditional doppler weather radars as well as the more effective doppler LIDAR, of which Hong Kong International Airport was the first to introduce. Doppler LIDAR systems use lasers to detect windshear and wind direction even when atmospheric conditions are too dry for Doppler radar to work.

Fire and rescue services
Rescue and fire fighting services within the airport are covered by the Airport Fire Contingent of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department. The contingent has 282 members, operating three fire stations and two rescue berths for 24-hour emergency calls. It is equipped with 14 fire appliances which can respond to incidents within two minutes in optimum conditions of visibility and surface conditions, satisfying the relevant recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Two high capacity rescue boats, supported by eight speed boats, form the core of sea rescue operations. One ambulance is assigned at each of the airport fire stations.

Ground transport
The Airport is connected to inner Hong Kong by the Route 8 in Hong Kong North Lantau Highway on Lantau Island.

There is an automated people mover, operated by the Airport Authority and maintained by MTR Corporation, connecting the East Hall to the Midfield Concourse via West Hall and Terminal 2. It was extended to SkyPier in late 2009 and extended to Midfield Concourse in 2015.

Bus

Citybus (CityFlyer for Airport services), New Lantau Bus, Long Win Bus and Discovery Bay Transit Services (Permits required) operate more than 40 bus routes to the airport from various parts of Hong Kong, available at the Airport Ground Transportation Centre and Cheong Tat Road. The bus companies also offer more than 20 overnight "N" and "NA" Bus lines (a.k.a. Night services).

Passengers can also take bus route number S1 to the Tung Chung MTR station. From there they can board the MTR Tung Chung line which follows the same route as the MTR Airport Express Line to Central Station with cheaper fare but longer journey time.

There is bus service to Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Control Point, with services between Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong to Zhuhai, China and Macau. Coach services are also available to major cities and towns in Guangdong Province, China. such as Dongguan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. And Also for HZMBus to Macau

Ferry
Direct ferry services are available from the airport to various destinations throughout the Pearl River Delta in China and Macau via Skypier. Passengers using these services are treated as transit passengers and are not considered to have entered Hong Kong for immigration purposes. For this reason, access to the ferry terminal is before immigration in the airport for arriving passengers. Check-in services are available at these piers. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen Airport (Fuyong) and Humen (Dongguan) in China, and Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in Macau– were initially served, extending to Guangzhou and Zhongshan at the end of 2003. The Zhuhai service began on 10 July 2007 while a Nansha service started on 14 July 2009.

Rail

The fastest service from the city to the airport is the Airport Express, which was a part of the Hong Kong Rail Network in Hong Kong. A dedicated rapid-speed rail link as part of the MTR rapid transit network. The line serves between Asia-World-Expo and Hong Kong (Central) Station makes intermediate stops at the following stations:

 * 1) Tsing Yi Station (Located in the northeastern Part of Tsing Yi Island, Kwai Tsing District, Tsing Yi [which is one of three Communes which form the Tsuen Wan New Town {the other two are Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung}], this station mostly served passengers from the western part of the New Territories. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line. Connections are also available for taxis and public/private buses at the local Maritime Square)
 * 2) Kowloon Station (Located in the Yau Tsim Mong District on the western part of the Kowloon Peninsula, this station is the major transfer hub in the Kowloon Peninsula, with stunning landmarks such as West Kowloon Cultural District, the M+ Art Museum, Hong Kong Palace Museum, Avenue of Stars and many more. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line [and Tuen Ma Line (Formerly called the West Rail Line) in Austin Station] for passengers for the East Kowloon and the New Territories. Since Autumn 2018, the High Speed Rail Network Line operates in West Kowloon Station which connects to the National Rail Network of China. Connections are also available for taxis, MTR Shuttle Buses and public/private buses at Elements. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and currently suspended under further notice as of April 2023, in-town check-in services for major airlines were provided.
 * 3) Hong Kong Station, the terminus, is located at the northern coast of Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island. It takes approximately 24 minutes to reach the airport from Hong Kong Station. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line (and Island Line and Tsuen Wan Line at Central Station, where travellators link the two stations.) Connections are also available such as free MTR shuttle bus services between Airport Express stations and hotels in the area, and free transfers to and from other MTR lines with a valid Octopus card (which is not available to Single Ride Ticket users). Hong Kong Station also provides in-town check-in services for major airlines. (Passengers can ride one stop of the Island Line or Tsuen Wan Line to Admiralty Station, where transfers are available for the South Island Line [Opened on December 28, 2016, located on Platforms 5 and 6 {towards South Horizons}] and the East Rail Line [Opened on May 15, 2022, located on Platforms 7 {towards Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Border Crossing Stations} and 8 {terminating platform}.])
 * 4) The Airport Express line originally terminated at Airport station, where trains open doors on both sides, allowing direct access to either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. It was later extended to AsiaWorld–Expo station on 20 December 2005 to facilitate the opening of the nearby AsiaWorld–Expo venue. During events at the venue, some Tung Chung line trains, which largely share the same tracks as the Airport Express, serve this station instead of Tung Chung, but these trains do not stop by Airport station.

Taxi
The airport is served by all three different types of taxis, distinguished by their colour:
 * Urban Taxis connect the Airport with Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and parts of the new towns of Metropolitan Hong Kong such as Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O.(urban taxis can go anywhere in Hong Kong except southern parts of Lantau Island). Initial fare HK$27.00 (~US$3.44)
 * New Territories Taxis connect the airport with the New Territories, except those parts in the Metropolitan Hong Kong Area such as Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O (except parts of Hang Hau) were served by urban taxis. Initial fare HK$23.50 (~US$2.99)
 * Lantau Taxis connect the airport with the rest of Lantau Island. Initial fare HK$22.00 (~US$2.80)

Accidents and incidents
The following are aviation accidents or incidents at the current HKIA (see accidents and incidents at the former HKIA at Kai Tak):

 * On 22 August 1999, China Airlines Flight 642 (an MD-11 operated by subsidiary Mandarin Airlines), which was landing at Hong Kong International Airport during Typhoon Sam after a flight from Bangkok International Airport (now Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport), rolled over and caught fire, coming to rest upside down beside the runway. Of the 315 passengers and crew on board, 3 people were killed and 219 were injured.
 * On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 from Surabaya Juanda International Airport to Hong Kong landed safely after both engines failed due to contaminated fuel. 57 passengers were injured. Its two pilots received the Polaris Award from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations for their heroism and airmanship.
 * On 11 August 2015, a French traveler died by suicide through jumping.
 * On 8 September 2016, an airport delivery van crashed into the left engine of KA691 from Hong Kong to Penang with 295 passengers and crew on board as the aircraft was taxiing to the runway. There were no fatalities.
 * On 4 October 2017, some cargo caught fire as it was being loaded onto an American Airlines plane. The authorities were able to contain the fire. The plane and an airport vehicle was damaged and one person was injured.
 * In April 2021, three cargo pallets waiting to be transferred onto a Hong Kong Air Cargo flight caught fire. Each pallet included Vivo smartphones destined for Bangkok. The airline banned shipments of Vivo phones and all shipments from two freight forwarding companies as a result.
 * On 21 July 2021, UPS Airlines Flight 5X003 suffered from an engine fire in the #1 engine shortly after take-off. The flight subsequently made a successful emergency landing on Runway 07L and was met by airport fire crews from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department Main Airport Station which extinguished the flames. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the NTSB are currently investigating the incident.
 * On 20 December 2022, United Airlines Flight 2831 suffered a bird strike on takeoff which triggered a fire. The plane was ordered back and landed on Runway 07L and was met by airport fire crews who extinguished the flames. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the NTSB are currently investigating the incident.
 * On 17 June 2024, Atlas Air Flight 4304 suffered a tire burst while performing an emergency landing. The tire fragments caused a 4 hour delay that delayed 186 of the 315 flights scheduled during this period. The Airport Authority reported that none of the 5 crew members on board the cargo plane suffered injuries. The break down of the hydraulic system caused clean up to take longer than expected.

Accolades

 * Skytrax World's Best Airport for Dining (2017)

title: Hong Kong International Airport


text:
Amherstburg

Amherstburg is a town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In 1796, Fort Malden was established here, stimulating growth in the settlement. The fort has been designated as a National Historic Site.

The town is approximately 25 km south of the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan, facing Wyandotte, Grosse Ile Township, Brownstown Charter Township, Trenton, and Gibraltar, Michigan. It is part of the Windsor census metropolitan area.

Communities
Besides the town proper of Amherstburg, the town of Amherstburg comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including the following communities:

 * Former Anderdon Township: - Edgewater Beach, McGregor (partially), River Canard (partially); Golfview, Kingsbridge, Pointe West; Auld, Delisle's Corners (partially), Loiselleville, Paquette Corners (partially), Rivière-Aux-Canards, Southwick, Splitlog
 * Former Malden Township: - Amherstburg, Amherst Point, Bar Point, Busy Bee Corners, Erieview Beach, Glen Eden, Lake Erie Country Club, Lakewood Beach, Malden Centre, McGregor (partially), Sunset Beach, Willow Beach, Willowood; Gordon, North Malden, Quarries; Good Child Beach, Sinasac Corners, The Meadows, Boblo Island

History
French colonists had settled along what became the Canadian side of the Detroit River during the colonial era, establishing small farms. The Petite Côte settlement was founded along the river to the north.

In 1796, after losing the Thirteen Colonies following the American Revolutionary War, the British established Fort Malden as a military fort overlooking the river's mouth at Lake Erie. It was occupied as a garrison. This stimulated development in the area, as did the Crown granting land in Upper Canada to Loyalists (now known as United Empire Loyalists) in compensation for losses in the Thirteen Colonies, or as payment for service in the military during the war.

The Crown also wanted to increase population and development in Upper Canada. The new settlers built many of their houses in the French style of a century before, giving the new town a historic character. French-speaking colonists also settled here, some of whom were descendants of soldiers and traders associated with Fort Detroit, or other early colonists. They were known as Fort Detroit French, in contrast to later migrants of the 19th century from Quebec, who became known as Canadian French. St. Jean was their Catholic church.

During the days of the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War, refugee African-American slaves often crossed the Detroit river to escape to freedom in Canada, after the Crown abolished slavery. Although Michigan was a free state, slavecatchers went to Detroit trying to capture slaves and take them to owners for bounty. Detroit abolitionists William Lambert and especially George DeBaptiste were key to helping the slaves escape. DeBaptiste owned a lake steamboat that he used to offload refugees in town while docked ostensibly to load lumber. They used Fort Malden as one of several entry points to Canada. The town is mentioned in Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the entry point of George and Eliza, after escaping from slavery in the United States.

By 1869, the town of Amherstburg in the Township of Malden, County of Essex had a population of 2,500. When the fort was no longer needed for military purposes, the government adapted it for use as a provincial "lunatic asylum". Its main building was later used as a Port of Entry, Money Order office, Post Office & savings bank.

Amherstburg was incorporated as a town in 1878. The town is named after Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, commander of the British forces and first British Governor General of the Province of Quebec (1760).

In 1998, The Town of Amherstburg absorbed the neighbouring Township of Anderdon (to its northeast) and Township of Malden (to its southeast) to form a larger Town of Amherstburg.

At 20:01 Eastern Daylight Time on April 19, 2018, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake (with a depth of 7.8 km) occurred in Amherstburg, between the main portion of town and McGregor. No damage was reported, but the 30-second shaking was felt in Windsor, Downtown Detroit, and the Downriver communities across the river, such as Grosse Ile, Michigan. Some minor shaking was felt as far away as Toledo, Ohio along Lake Erie and Ann Arbor in the interior of Michigan.

The Amherstburg Police Service was dissolved at the end of 2018, with its officers and responsibilities transferred to a detachment of the Windsor Police Service.

Education
The local public high school in Amherstburg is North Star High School. Up until 2022 the high school was General Amherst High School, named after Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst. Although North Star High School is located in the town, some youth residents choose to attend St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School, located near the neighbourhood of River Canard. French-speaking students in Amherstburg may also attend École Secondaire E.J. Lajeunesse, located in Windsor, Ontario.

Tourist attractions
Amherstburg is home to several tourist attractions, including Fort Malden and the Amherstburg Freedom Museum (formerly the North American Black Historical Museum). This explores the history of African-American refugees in western Ontario, who sought freedom from slavery and made their homes here.

An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected in Amherstburg by the province to commemorate Bellevue House. Built c. 1816-19, it was the home of Catherine Reynolds, a landscape painter, and her brother Robert Reynolds. Additional tourist attractions include the Park House Museum and King's Navy Yard Park, both of which are located in the heart of old Amherstburg.

The Gibson Gallery is located in a former Michigan Central Railroad Station (c. 1896), which has been fully restored. The gallery operates year-round, featuring exhibits by local artists, the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Windsor, travelling exhibits from Ontario museums and galleries, and student art/photography exhibits. A restored Essex Terminal railway caboose is operated as a railway museum. Gordon House was built in 1798 as a residence overlooking the Detroit River. Since being restored, it houses a Marine exhibit. The Holiday Beach Conservation Area is one of the best fall birding sites in North America for viewing migratory birds. The 546 acre nature reserve contains over 2000 ft of beaches, picnic areas, a 2 km trail along the edge of Big Creek Marsh. Holiday Beach is considered a premiere spot to view the fall migration of raptors (birds of prey). A 'Festival of Hawks' event takes place in September.

BobLo Island, which has been developed into a 240-acre private residential community, also has white sand beaches, full-service marina, nature trails, the BobLo Island Beach House Restaurant, Captain Bob‘s Island Ice Cream and Coffee Cabin and South Beach Water Sports. BobLo is accessible via a 10-minute private ferry ride, which runs every 20 minutes, 365 days per year.

Economy
Amherstburg is a town of trade and services to support regional agriculture. It has also become known for several wineries in the area. Amherstburg Farmers' Market is open every Saturday, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. The Farmer's Market is located at the end of Howard Avenue near County Rd 20.

Amherstburg also has a high proportion of retirement residences and second homes.

Local industry includes Diageo, a whiskey bottling plant for the Crown Royal Canadian whiskey, Windsor Mold's Precision Plastics, one of Ontario's largest full-service suppliers of industrial plastics and thermoplastic, and Honeywell Performance Materials and Technology. Marathon Oil has a coke storage site near the river.

Chemical plant history
The production at the Honeywell plant of hydrofluoric acid (HF) was suspended in October 2013 in favour of a plant in Geismar, Louisiana. The Honeywell plant is used in the production of fuels, refrigerants, and other materials. HF is a precursor to numerous pharmaceuticals, as well as being used to produce Teflon, fluoropolymers and fluorocarbons. Because of its highly corrosive nature, HF is also used to dissolve glass, in glass etching and frosting, and is used in quartz purification, chemical milling, steel pickling and cleaning silicon wafers. It is produced by treating the mineral fluorite with sulfuric acid, which produces hydrogen fluoride and calcium sulfate. The plant, which is located at 395 Front Rd, North, had previously suspended its operations between 1992 and 1996. There is hope locally that production will resume at some future time.

The plant's gypsum pond was identified in 2008 as the source of high levels of arsenic pollution in the area, which have been a provincial Ministry of the Environment concern since 2006.

Honeywell now owns the adjacent Brunner Mond chemical plant and soda ash settling basins site, whose former owners, General Chemical Industrial Products, declared bankruptcy in 2005. This site was used since 1920 to manufacture calcium chloride and other chemicals, which were shipped from a deep water port on the Detroit River. The site has been since April 2012 the subject of remediation work, supervised by CH2M Hill.

The plant was once part of Allied Chemical, which retained it when it sold the soda ash and calcium chloride operations and Amherst Quarries to General Chemical. The plant is composed of three separate parcels connected through rights of way and easements. In 1999, Allied Signal merged with the much smaller Honeywell Inc. but chose to carry on the newly expanded corporation under the Honeywell name.

Transportation
In September 2022, Transit Windsor began a providing service between Amherstburg and Windsor (the nearest local metropolis), on a two-year pilot project.

Commercial rail service is provided through Essex Terminal Railway, which operates a 35 km line to Windsor.

The former Michigan Central Railway/CASO railway linking Amherstburg to Essex was converted into the Cypher Systems Group Greenway rail trail in stages beginning in 2007, with the two stream bridges being rehabilitated for public use again in 2017.

Small boats are welcome to call at any one of three local marinas that serve Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

Amherstburg Ferry Company operates private ferry service to Bob-Lo Island community. The ferry service once operated MS Windmill Point, a car ferry acquired in 1960s after the Ogdensburg–Prescott Ferry service closed following the opening of the Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge. In July 2020, the Amherstburg Ferry Company acquired the Daldean Ferry which had been operating on the St. Clair River between since 1951.

Sports
Amherstburg is home to the following competitive sports teams:

 * Amherstburg Admirals Jr. C Hockey
 * Amherstburg Stars Minor Hockey
 * Amherstburg Cardinals Baseball
 * Amherstburg Timberwolves Football
 * North Star High School Wolves (various Men's and Women's sports teams)

The Amherstburg North Stars Midget "B" hockey team were winners of the 1976 OMHA playdowns and winners of the town's first-ever OMHA All-Ontario title for any age group.

The Amherstburg North Stars Juvenile "BB" hockey team were the winners of the 1977 OMHA playdowns and winners of the town's first-ever OMHA All-Ontario title for that age group.

The Amherstburg Stars Midget "A" hockey team were winners of the 2010 and 2011 OMHA playdowns and winners of the town's first-ever OHF title.

Festivals
In the first week of every August, Amherstburg holds a heritage festival, consisting of activities at several locations around town. At Fort Malden, re-enactors depict eras ranging from the Roman Empire to the Second World War, establishing camps and performing battle demonstrations.

Since 2006, Amherstburg has held an annual Shores of Erie Wine Festival. As of 2017, the event has been cancelled indefinitely after a liquor breach fine and the death of a teenager in 2014.

Amherstburg also celebrates Canada Day with a yearly fireworks display and a day of family activities.

Art by the River (established in 1967), is an annual two-day arts and craft festival that takes place the weekend before Labour Day weekend on the grounds of Fort Malden National Historic Site.

Other festivities include:
 * TRUE Fest - inclusive disco dance party in the streets (January)
 * Amherstburg Fort Malden Horticultural Society Garden Tour (June)
 * Open Air Weekends (Fridays at 3 pm - Sundays at 3 pm, June–September)
 * Canada Day Celebrations & Fireworks (July 1) is an annual two-day arts and craft festival that takes place on the grounds of ⠀⠀Fort Malden⠀⠀ National Historic Site the weekend before Labour Day
 * Ribfest (June)
 * Woofa Roo Pet Festival (June)
 * Gone Crazy Car Show, showcasing hundreds of vintage classics (July)
 * Art by the River on the beautiful Fort Malden grounds (last weekend in August)
 * The Uncommon Festival (September) - AWARD WINNING!
 * Santa Parade (Late November)
 * River Lights (November through December) - AWARD WINNING!
 * For more event information visitamherstburg.ca

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Amherstburg had a population of $23,524$ living in $9,193$ of its $9,548$ total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $21,936$. With a land area of 183.76 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Population trend for former municipalities:
 * Population in 2001: 20,339
 * Amherstburg (former town): 10,822
 * Anderdon (former township): 6331
 * Malden (former township): 3186
 * Population total in 1996: 19,273
 * Amherstburg (town): 10,245
 * Anderdon (township): 5730
 * Malden (township): 3298
 * Population total in 1991: 17,577
 * Amherstburg (town): 8921
 * Anderdon (township): 5502
 * Malden (township): 3155

Notable people

 * Sally Ainse - Oneida diplomat and fur trader
 * Shelton Brooks - songwriter/composer
 * Seth Bullock - Wild West sheriff, hardware store owner and U.S. Marshal
 * Robert T. Burton - early Mormon leader and Utah pioneer, born in Amherstburg
 * Jay "Nig" Clarke - Major League Baseball player
 * George "Rube" Deneau - early minor league baseball player, manager and promoter
 * Norman Hackett - actor, born in Amherstburg
 * Terry Jones - racing driver
 * Malcolm Knight - economist and financier
 * Henry William McKenny - politician, Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 1905 - 1917
 * Richard Peddie - former President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment
 * John Richardson - military officer and author
 * Anne M. Squire - 31st Moderator of the United Church of Canada
 * Wesley Weber - counterfeiter
 * Kevin Westgarth - Stanley Cup Champion and former NHL player
 * Eugene Whelan - politician, Federal Minister of Agriculture, born in Anderdon Township

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Amherstburg


text:
Russia Day

Russia Day (День России, Den' Rossii) called Day of adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of RSFSR (День принятия Декларации о государственном суверенитете РСФСР, Den' prinyatia Declaratsii o gosudarstvennom suvernitete RSFSR) before 2002, is the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It has been celebrated annually on 12 June since 1992. The day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) on 12 June 1990. The passage of this Declaration by the First Congress of People's Deputies marked the beginning of constitutional reform in the Russian Soviet state.

History
With the creation of the post of the President of the Russian Federation and the adoption of the new Russian Constitution to reflect the new political reality, the national flag, anthem, and emblem of the Russian Federation were major landmarks in the consolidation of Russian statehood. The country's new name, the Russian Federation, was adopted on December 25, 1991. In 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia proclaimed June 12 as a national holiday. By presidential decree on June 2, 1994, the date was again proclaimed Russia's national holiday. Under a subsequent presidential decree on June 16, 1998, the holiday was officially named "Russia Day". In 2002, the new Labour Code gave its official seal to this title.

In 2019 the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic proclaimed Russia Day a "state holiday".

Customs
People may attend concerts and fireworks that take place in many cities throughout the country. Prominent Russian writers, scientists and humanitarian workers receive State Awards from the President of Russia on this day. Most public offices and schools are closed on June 12. If the day falls on a weekend, the public holiday shifts to the following Monday.

However, many Russians see Russia Day only as a day off. As it commemorates the Soviet Union's dissolution, it brings back bitter memories for some. This is because the dissolution coincided with severe unemployment, high crime and poverty within Russia and other former Soviet republics.

In 2002, about 5000 representatives from across the country took part in the pageantry from Tverskaya Zastava to Manezh Square. The highlight of the Day of Russia-2003 was the air show, which included aerobatic teams "Russian Knights" and "Swifts". Sukhoi and MiG planes left a trail forming the Russian flag. On June 12, 2004 at Red Square a historical military parade was held. Its members, soldiers of the Russian army and representatives of 89 regions, dressed in national costumes, presented the audience the most significant milestones of Russian history. In 2007 celebrations occurred in a hundreds of cities. For example, in Krasnoyarsk action thousands of people in white, blue and red robes formed more than a kilometer long tricolor.

Russia Day in 2008 was celebrated for three days from 11 to 14 June. In Tomsk a "Wooden Carnival" displayed a huge wooden Russian ruble, one hundred times the size of the coin. In Samara enthusiasts reconstructed forces of Minin and Pozharsky in 1612 with Polish–Muscovite War. In Moscow, the holiday included a three-hour concert and concluded a six-month contest over the "Seven Wonders of Russia". In Red Square 20 lines of stage pyrotechnics, confetti cannon in the colors of the Russian flag and 100 guns.

In 2009 residents of Volgograd formed a map of the country covering 127 square meters. In Sevastopol, youths passed through the city center carrying a 30-meter flag of Russia. In Moscow, at Revolution Square that day a two-meter Khokhloma doll was painted. For the first time at the Ostankino Tower the state flag was displayed.

Name
According to some surveys, many Russians think that this holiday is Russia's Independence Day, but the holiday has never had such a name in official documents. According to the survey of Levada Center in May 2003, 65 percent of the respondents named the holiday as the Independence Day of Russia.

title: Russia Day


text:
Tecumseh, Ontario

Tecumseh is a town in Essex County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor and had a population of roughly 23,300 as of the 2021 census according to Statistics Canada. It is part of the Windsor census metropolitan area, and is a part of the Windsor-Essex County region along with Amherstburg, Kingsville, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Leamington. Tecumseh was originally a Franco-Ontarian settlement.

Food processing is a major industry in Tecumseh, as Bonduelle owns a food processing plant near the town. The plant was built by Green Giant in 1931. Green Giant sold the plant in the late 1990s to Family Tradition Foods, who sold it to Carrière Foods in 2006. Carrière Foods was purchased in 2007 by Bonduelle.

The Tecumseh Corn Festival has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario.

Tecumseh is surrounded by Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. Detroit is easily accessible to Tecumseh residents by the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, both of which are located within the neighbouring municipality of Windsor.

The town is named after Tecumseh, an 18th-century Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands.

History
The building of St. Anne’s (Catholic) Parish Church on the corner of Lesperance and Tecumseh Road in 1858 was the start of the Village of Tecumseh. Settled by a few French families who crossed over from the Detroit River. Land Grants to Charles Lesperance in 1796 from the British Administrators of the District of Hess is Tecumseh’s start. Later the building of the Great Western Railway brought job seekers and more settlement. The town became an important railway depot and stopover for travellers. County residents took horse and buggy into Tecumseh and then transferred onto the train, journeying by rail the rest of the way into Windsor. Several hotels were established in Tecumseh to accommodate travellers. The Bedell Hotel, the Soulliere Inn, the Hebert and the Hotel Perreault were some of the places most frequented by travellers and locals alike.

The French were the original settlers of Tecumseh, the majority of them descendants of the Frenchmen who had lived in the area before the arrival of British administrators after the Paris Peace Agreement in 1763. Those that had been living on their River farms kept them. Today the street names from Ouellette Avenue in Windsor to Lesperance Road in Tecumseh are a reminder of the men that cleared the land and farmed it.

As the town of Windsor grew, the overflow of immigrants settled in Tecumseh and other peripheral regions. Indicative of the change was the mix-up created by the introduction of the tomato to the area of Tecumseh. The first post office was opened in 1870, located on the northeast corner of Tecumseh and Lesperance Roads. Called Ryegate Station, its first Postmaster was a Mr. (Joseph) Christie. It was renamed "Tecumseh" in November 1875. Some of the first businesses in Tecumseh included a lumber mill operated by J.B. Cada; a grocery store operated by Arthur Cecile; a cheese factory on Banwell Road operated by Joseph Breault; a bakery owned by John Dugell; three butcher shops; a canning factory and a brewery eventually closed under Carling Brewery. In 1921 it was felt that Tecumseh was not getting its fair share of improvements in proportion to the taxes paid to the municipality of Sandwich East. A group of people headed by Malcolm Clapp petitioned the legislature to separate from the township and incorporate as the Town of Tecumseh with a population of 978. Dr. Paul Poisson was appointed as the first mayor of the town. The real growth in Tecumseh occurred in 1931 with the establishment of the Green Giant Factory as Fine Foods of Canada. Green Giant (now Bonduelle) is still located in Tecumseh and continues to employ full and part-time workers.

As the population grew, so did the demands for services. In 1922 a fire chief was appointed although no fire department was in existence, the fires were fought by town volunteers. The Ontario Provincial Police started policing the town in 1948 with 2 officers.

In 1999, as part of a reorganization of Essex County, Tecumseh was merged with the Village of St. Clair Beach, and the Township of Sandwich South into the Town of Tecumseh. In 2003, the City of Windsor annexed approximately 23 km2 (located south and east of the Windsor International Airport) from the Town of Tecumseh. Now considered to be a bedroom community of Windsor, Tecumseh is often cited as an example of urban sprawl; new subdivisions have developed on some of Canada's most valuable agricultural land beginning in the late 1980s.

Communities
Besides the town proper of Tecumseh itself, the town of Tecumseh comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including Fairplay, Maidstone, Oldcastle, Paquette, Paquette Corners (partially) and St. Clair Beach (formerly from Maidstone Township).

2022 Town Council
The results of the Ontario 2022 Municipal Election for the Town of Tecumseh were announced the night of October 24th. The town had a voter turnout of 28.72%. Jennifer Alexander, Acting Clerk signed off on the Official results for the municipal election.

 * Mayor: Gary McNamara
 * Deputy Mayor: Joe Bachetti
 * Ward 1: Alicia Higgison
 * Ward 2: James Dorner
 * Ward 3: Rick (Rico) Tonial
 * Ward 4: Brian Houston
 * Ward 5: Tania Jobin

The positions of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Ward 4 Councillor were all acclaimed.

2018 Town Council
The 2018 Municipal Election in the Town of Tecumseh, which took place on October 22, had a voter turnout of 37.43%. The official results for the municipal election were signed off by Laura Moy, Director of Corporate Services/Clerk for the Town of Tecumseh.

 * Mayor: Gary McNamara
 * Deputy Mayor: Joe Bachetti
 * Ward 1: Andrew Dowie
 * Ward 2: William Altenhof
 * Ward 3: Rick (Rico) Tonial
 * Ward 4: Brian Houston
 * Ward 5: Tania Jobin

The positions of Mayor, Ward 1 Councillor, Ward 2 Councillor, and Ward 5 Councillor were all acclaimed.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Tecumseh had a population of $23,300$ living in $8,946$ of its $9,111$ total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $23,229$. With a land area of 94.59 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

The median household income in 2005 for Tecumseh was $90,206, which is above the Ontario provincial average of $60,455. Most of the population is of Franco-Ontarian descent.

Mother tongue:
 * English only 	17,535
 * French only 	1,915
 * English and French 	1,734
 * Other language(s) 	3,040

Aboriginal population:
 * Aboriginal identity population 	 364
 * Non-Aboriginal identity population 	23,860

Visible minority population characteristics:
 * Chinese 	200
 * South Asian 	460
 * Black  	55
 * Filipino 	210
 * Latin American 	105
 * Southeast Asian 87
 * West Asian 	15
 * Visible minority, n.i.e. 	35
 * Multiple visible minority 	10
 * Not a visible minority 	       22,805

Population Distributed by Age (%):

 * 0 to 14 years 	15.2%
 * 15 to 64 years 	 65.6%
 * 65 years and older 	 19.2%
 * 85 years and older 	 2.2%

The average age in Tecumseh is 43.4 years old.

Schools
French Catholic Schools:
 * École élémentaire catholique Saint-Antoine – 1317 Lesperance Road, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marguerite d'Youville – 13025 St Thomas Street, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * École secondaire catholique l'Essor – 13605 St. Gregory's Road, Tecumseh, Ontario

French Immersion Catholic School:
 * St. André French Immersion Catholic Elementary School – 13765 St. Gregory Road, Tecumseh, Ontario

French Immersion Public School:
 * Tecumseh Vista Academy/Académie – 11555 Shields Street, Tecumseh, Ontario

English Public Schools:
 * A. V. Graham Public Elementary School – 815 Brenda Cr, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * D. M. Eagle Public Elementary School – 14194 Tecumseh Rd. Tecumseh, Ontario

English Catholic Schools:
 * St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School – 644 Lacasse Boulevard, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * Saint Peter Catholic Elementary School – 2451 St Alphonse Rd, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School – 12048 County Rd 34, Maidstone, Ontario

Private Schools:
 * Académie Ste-Cécile International School – 12021 Tecumseh Rd. East, Tecumseh, Ontario
 * Lakeview Montessori School – 13797 Riverside Drive, Tecumseh, Ontario

Transit
Tecumseh Transit is the municipal bus service, operated by First Student Canada, which commenced on December 21, 2009. A connection has been made to Transit Windsor services at Tecumseh Mall. The Tecumseh Transit service covers 30 kilometres and 43 stops, and operates using two buses.

Tourism and events
Tecumseh hosts many special events throughout the year. The Optimist Club of St. Clair Beach organizes and overseas 2 of Tecumseh's major events
 * Christmas in Tecumseh (Taking place on November 23, 2018)
 * The Taste of Tecumseh
 * Tecumseh Corn and Music Festival (a.k.a The Tecumseh Corn Festival, or The CornFest).

It is also home to the Tecumseh Historical Museum (a.k.a. Tecumseh Heritage Centre) run by the Tecumseh Area Historical Society (TAHS).

Sports
Tecumseh is home to the St. Clair Green Giants of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League and play at Lacasse Park.

Notable residents

 * Joseph Groulx, French-language storyteller
 * Zack Kassian, professional hockey player
 * Pawel Kruba, CFL player
 * Chris Lori, Olympic bobsledder
 * Kerby Rychel, professional hockey player
 * Dave Steen, Olympic bronze medal-winning decathlete
 * Eric Wellwood, professional hockey player
 * Kyle Wellwood, professional hockey player
 * Jack Studnicka, professional hockey player
 * Former NHL players Mark Renaud, Tim Kerr, Bob Boughner, Warren Rychel, Adam Graves, Ernie Godden and Bob Probert (All but Rychel were born in the area, Rychel likely lived in the area during his time with the Spitfires).

Climate
Average Temperatures (°C)

High and Low

January: -0.06 and -8.17

February: 1.28 and -7.33

March: 6.56 and -2.94

April: 14.50 and 2.94

May: 20.61 and 8.33

June: 26.33 and 14.00

July: 28.56 and 16.17

August: 27.78 and 15.28

September: 23.78 and 11.28

October: 17.83 and 5.61

November: 8.78 and 0.17

December: 1.89 and -5.83

Flooding
Recent changes in global climate have caused increased flooding activity through Windsor-Essex, impacting Tecumseh directly. Two major flooding events occurred in 2016 and 2017, resulting in 190 millimetres and 140–200mm of rainfall respectively. During the 2016 flood, over 1500 homes in Tecumseh reported flood damage. The 2017 flood, according to Environment Canada, was the most expensive storm across Canada during 2017, with an insurance payouts totalling $154 million. States of emergencies were called by the Mayor of Tecumseh, as well as the Mayor of Windsor, due to the overwhelming amount of rain that accumulated within the area over such a short period of time.

Parks
Tecumseh has over 40 parks throughout the municipality, including Lacasse Park, Green Acres Park, and Lakewood Park, which includes a disc golf course which was opened in 2016. The Town maintains 200 acres of parkland within the municipality. The town is also home to the membership-exclusive 18 hole golf course owned by Beach Grove Golf and Country Club.

Sister towns

 * 🇮🇪 Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland (April 23, 2009)
 * 🇮🇹 Frosinone, Italy (May 2009)
 * 🇺🇸 Tecumseh, Michigan, United States (January 19, 2013)

title: Tecumseh, Ontario


text:
Music of Colombia

The music of Colombia is an expression of Colombian culture, music genres, both traditional and modern, according with the features of each geographic region, although it is not uncommon to find different musical styles in the same region. The diversity in musical expressions found in Colombia can be seen as the result of a mixture of Amerindian, African, and European (especially Spanish) influences, as well as more modern American.

Colombia has a vibrant collage of talent that touches a full spectrum of rhythms ranging from Pop music and Classical music to Salsa and Rock music. Colombian music is promoted mainly by the support of the largest record labels, independent companies and the Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of Culture.

Caribbean region
Colombia is known as "the land of a thousand rhythms" but actually holds over 1,025 folk rhythms. Some of the best known genres are cumbia and vallenato. The most recognized interpreters of traditional Caribbean and Afrocolombian music are Totó la Momposina and Francisco Zumaqué.

Cumbia
Cumbia began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia. It is a mixture of Spanish, Native Colombian and African music. The style of dance is designed to recall the shackles worn around the ankles of the slaves. In the 19th century, slavery was abolished and Africans, Indians and other ethnic groups got a more complete integration in the Colombian culture.

Cumbia is a complex, rhythmic music which arose on Colombia's Atlantic coast. In its original form, cumbia bands included only percussion and vocals; modern groups include saxophones, trumpets, keyboards and trombones as well. It evolved out of native influences, combining both traditions. Some observers have claimed that the dance originally associated with iron chains around the ankle. Others still believe that it is a direct import from Guinea, which has a popular dance form called cumbe.

Cumbia's form was solidified in the 1940s when it spread from the rural countryside to urban and middle-class audiences. Mambo, big band and porro brass band influences were combined by artists like Lucho Bermúdez to form a refined form of cumbia that soon entered the Golden Age of Cumbia during the 1950s. Discos Fuentes, the largest and most influential record label in the country, was founded during this time. Fruko, known as the Godfather of Salsa, introduced Cuban salsa to Colombia and helped bring Discos Fuentes to national prominence by finding artists like La Sonora Dinamita, who brought cumbia to Mexico, where it remains popular.

It is worth pointing out that the "classic" cumbia known throughout Colombia is the Cumbia Cienaguera. This song reflects a uniquely Colombian feel known as "sabor" (flavour) and "ambiente" (atmosphere). Arguably, this song has remained a Colombian staple through the years and is widely known as Colombia's unofficial national anthem. Some artists are Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Los Graduados, Los Black Stars, Los Golden Boys, Los Teen Agers, and Los Corraleros de Majagual. In the United States, an Afro- Colombian band based in New York called Grupo Rebolu, performs a variety of Afro-Colombian rhythms with authentic instruments such as Tambora and Tambor Alegre. Their repertoire includes Cumbia and many more genres from the Northern coast of Colombia as part of their original compositions.

Champeta and African-diasporic music
Some Colombian communities, such as Chocó, Cartagena, San Andres and Providence Island, have large African-descendant communities. Unlike most of the country, cultural mixing with native and European influences have been rare, and, especially in El Chocó, music has changed little since being imported from West Africa. Providencia Island is also home to a type of folk music which is closely related to mento, a Jamaican folk form. Most influentially, however, is the city of Cartagena and its champeta music which has been influenced by soukous, compas, zouk, and reggae. Champeta musicians have included Luis Towers, El Afinaíto, El Sayayín, El Pupy, and Boogaloo, while others like Elio Boom have incorporated Jamaican raggamuffin music to champeta.

Porro
Porro bands are a form of big band music that came from Sucre, Córdoba and Sabana de Bolívar. The brass ensembles are modeled after European military bands. Notable porros include Pacho Galan.

Vallenato
Vallenato was first played by the pre-Columbian Indians using traditional instruments. The first vallenato singer was Guillermo Buitrago, born in the Magdalena department. Vallenato did not always use accordion as its main instrument. In fact, from 1920 to 1936 the main instrument was the guitar. Groups such as bovea and sus vallenatos also are among the first vallenato singers. They form the group in the city of Barranquilla Atlantico department. They also were the first to take the vallenato music to a different country like Argentina, specifically in northern Argentina. Contrary to popular belief, vallenato is not a rhythm. Rather, it is a genre. It is made up of four rhythms: Son, Puya, Merengue, and Paseo. Vallenato arose in Valledupar on Colombia's Atlantic Coast and only gained popularity elsewhere in the country in the 1980s. Its origins are shrouded in mystery but are said to have begun with Francisco el Hombre, who allegedly defeated Satan in a musical contest. Based around the accordion, the guacharaca, and the caja vallenata (a larger version of the bongo), vallenato has long been connected with cumbia. Influential artists include Alejo Duran and more recently, Alfredo Gutiérrez and Lisandro Meza. In addition to the accordion, the bass guitar has been a common part of vallenato ensembles since it was introduced by Caliya in the mid-1960s. The most recent modernization of vallenato occurred in 1993 when Carlos Vives released Clásicos de la Provincia, which made him into a star and changed the face of vallenato.

An important phenomenon has occurred in Colombia with vallenato. At first it was an exclusive kind of music for Atlantic Coast people but because the proliferation of radio programs of this genre in other cities of the republic (such as Bogota), and the migration of people from the coast to the capital, vallenato spread to the rest of Colombia. Not only the music, but the musicians of the genre increased in the capital and other cities. In 2006 for the first time, a musician from Bogota, Alberto "Beto" Jamaica, was the king of vallenato in the traditional competition to play accordion, "El Festival Vallenato". Other important musicians from other cities have taken importance in the vallenato world.

Vallenato has spawned several subgenres, including vallenato-protesta, which is known for socially aware lyrics, and charanga vallenata, which was invented by Cubans in the United States like progenitor Roberto Torres.

Other Caribbean genres

 * Chalupa
 * Champeta
 * Chande
 * Cumbión
 * Bullerengue
 * Décimas
 * Fandango
 * Gaita
 * Lumbalú
 * Mapalé
 * Maya
 * Merecumbé
 * Mode Up/Mud Up
 * Pajarito
 * Parrandí
 * Pilón
 * Pompo
 * Porro
 * Puya
 * Son Sabanero
 * Son Palenquero
 * Tambora
 * Tamborito

Currulao
This is one of the most African influenced-styles in all of Colombia, and has its roots among the Afro-Colombian people of the Pacific coast.

In its most basic form, the currulao is played by a group of four musicians.

One musician plays a 6-8 rhythm on a drum known as a "cununo", which superficially resembles the "alegre" drum (used in Cumbia) to the untrained eye, but is narrower and taller. The Currulao rhythm is created by both striking the skin of the drum with the one's hand and tapping the side of the drum with a small stick.

The second musician keeps time on a shaker known in parts of Colombia as a "guasá"(goo-ah-SAH) or "guache"(goo-AH-cheh), which is typically a hollow cylinder made of metal, wooden, or guadua bamboo, filled with light seeds, rice is sometimes used in home-made guasás.

But the main instrument of the currulao style is perhaps the Colombian marimba, a wooden xylophone which resembles the African balafon also for the style of playing.

Many groups in Colombia perform this traditional style of music. Currently, the most renowned groups include Grupo Socavón, Grupo Gualajó, and Grups Bahia Trio. A well renowned figure among the old marimbero masters in Colombia is Baudilio Cuama Rentería from Buenaventura Colombia.

In the United States two Colombian Bands performing this genre with authentic traditional instruments are La Cumbiamba NY, on the east coast (New York), and Aluna Band in the west coast (San Francisco). In 2010, Currulao has been added to the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Other Pacific genres

 * Abozao
 * Aguabajo
 * Alabao
 * Andarele o Amanecer
 * Arrullo
 * Bambara Negra
 * Bambuco Viejo
 * Berejú
 * Boga
 * Bunde Chocoano
 * Caderona
 * Calipso Chocoano
 * Chigualo o Gualí
 * Contradanza Chocoana
 * Danza Chocoana
 * Jota Chocoana
 * Juga
 * La Caramba
 * La Madruga
 * Makerule
 * Mazurka chocoana
 * Pango o Pangora
 * Patacoré
 * Polka Chocoana
 * Porro Chocoano
 * Pregón
 * Romance
 * Salve
 * Saporrondón o Sapo-Rondó
 * Son Chocoano
 * Tamborito Chocoano
 * Tiguarandó
 * Villancico Chocoano

Bambuco
Bambuco is a type of music with Basque and Native American influence, sometimes known as Música del interior. It is not clear the origins of this style, many specialists agree that it has some components of Spanish folk music, while others believe it has a typical rhythm which was inherited from the Quechua or Chibchas. According to Rafael Pombo, the Bambuco orinated among the mestizo masses. Briefly, it is the result of the ethhinic mixture from the colony time, being influencing by different cultural elements. Its popularity has long been, but was extremely popular across Colombia from the mid-1920s to the late 1930s. Artists include Estudiantina, Los Carranguerros de Raquira, Jaime Llano González, Jorge Villamil, and the Morales Pino Trío.

Guabina
Guabina is a rhythm from the Andean Mountains in Colombia. The features of this music are based on dances and lifestyles of the people from Antioquia, Santander, Boyacá, Tolima, and, Huila. The Guabina rhythm includes dancers, but it may be played without them. There is a version of the Guabina that is played faster and is called Torbellino. Another type of Guabina, known as guabina-torbellino, is a mixture of the instrumental torbellino and the sung guabina, particularly in its a cappella format. Guabina is most popular in rural communities.

Other Andean genres

 * Bambuco fiestero
 * Bunde
 * Caña
 * Cañabrava
 * Carranga
 * Copla
 * Danza Criolla
 * Porro Antioqueño

 * Rajaleña
 * Rumba Campesina
 * Fandanguillo Criollo
 * Guabina
 * Guaneña
 * Guasca

 * Pasillo
 * Sanjuanero
 * Torbellino
 * Vueltas Antioqueñas
 * Criollo waltz

Joropo
Música llanera is a harp-led genre of music from the Llanos popular throughout Colombia. It includes the traditional joropo musical style, and is known for verbal contests called contrapunteo. Artists in this genre include Alfredo Rolando Ortiz (born in Cuba), Alma Llanera (Colombian band), Cimarrón (band), Luis Ariel Rey, Carlos Rojas, Sabor Llanero, Arnulfo Briceño, and Orlando Valdemarra. This particular type of music is also popular in Venezuela due to the shared llanos. It is considered to be the national music of Venezuela. Listen joropo music.

Other Orinoco region genres

 * Cachicama
 * Catira
 * Chipola
 * Contrapunteo
 * Corrío
 * Galerón
 * Gaván
 * Pasaje
 * Periquera
 * Perro de Agua
 * Gavilan
 * Guacaba
 * Guacharaca
 * Juana Guerrero
 * Merecure
 * Moña or Moño
 * Pajarillo
 * Poema Llanero
 * Quirpa
 * Seis
 * Zumba-que-zumba

Musical genres

 * Calipso
 * Compas
 * Foxtrot
 * Mazurka
 * Mento
 * Praise Hymn
 * Pasillo isleño
 * Polca
 * Quadrille
 * Reggae
 * Schottische
 * Soca
 * Vals isleño
 * Zouk

Musical instruments

 * Guitar
 * Menguaré
 * Shakers
 * Drum
 * Tambourine

Musical genres

 * Batuques
 * Ciría
 * Dobrado
 * Mariquinha
 * Mixtianas
 * Paseata
 * Porrosambas
 * Tangarana
 * Sanjuanito
 * Huayno
 * Bambuco
 * Pasillo
 * Sanjuanero
 * Merengure Campesino
 * Tonadas Indígenas

Colombian salsa
Salsa music was born among Puerto Ricans and Cubans in New York, but soon spread to Colombia. Native salsa groups like Fruko y sus Tesos and labels that recorded them like Discos Fuentes emerged. Artists like Joe Arroyo followed, inventing a distinctively Colombian form of salsa. Other influential Colombian salsa artists include Cristian Del Real "The Timbal Genius", Grupo Niche, Alquimia, La Misma Gente, Los Titanes, Los Nemus del Pacífico, Orquesta Guayacán, Grupo Galé and La Sonora Carruseles. Some of the most prolific composers in the genre are Jairo Varela and Nino Caicedo whose compositions have been recorded by Grupo Niche and Orquesta Guayacán respectively. Several Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians who have established in Colombia, such as Diego Valdés and Israel Tanenbaum, have collaborated with Colombians in salsa projects. Recently Colombian dancers have become World Champions year after year and the style is becoming more popular and admired among Salsa professionals worldwide; with two of the most prominent salsa schools being Swing Latino driven by the dance choreographer Eduardo 'El Mulato' Hernandez, and Constelación Latina driven by one of the world's most beloved dancers Jhoanna 'KKO' Agudelo. As a dance, Colombian Salsa is unique and different from New York/Puerto Rico and Cuban salsa. Colombian Salsa concentrates on footwork and does not incorporate cross-body leads. Dancers leave the upper part of the body still and relaxed while the feet do extremely fast and complex movements.

Colombian rock music

In the late 1950s, Mexican rock artists like Enrique Guzmán and César Costa became very popular in Colombia. Soon, native rock bands like Los Speakers and The Flippers gained a wide following. Starting in 1967 (see 1967 in music), native bands like Génesis (unrelated to the more famous band Genesis of a similar name) fused native musical forms (like cumbia) with rock. Marco, the voice of the Rock and Roll, was a pioneer and promoter of the "Rockabilly Colombian" performed with his unmistakable personal stamp in their own language. Virtuality is in their first recordings routed to the sensitive listener to enjoy the simplicity of rock bass, guitar and drums, combined into a whole to produce a very particular and in an atmosphere of a home recording studio, filled with reel tapes and three microphones mixed in mono line. (Marco Tulio Sanchez B) contributed to the Colombian rock and roll look to the past to remember our roots, dabbling in country and rockabilly music evokes Elvis Presley, is called today the "Elvis colombiano", awarded abroad for their ability on stage as a whole "Showman" and the unmistakable voice of Cronn rocker.

Rock in Colombia gained great popularity during the 1980s with the arrival of bands such as Soda Stereo (Argentina), Los Prisioneros (Chile), and Hombres G (Spain). During the 90's, many punk and heavy metal bands appeared in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. Colombia has possibly the biggest underground, hardcore, metal and punk movement of the continent, and is known in Latin America as the "punk corner". Kraken and Masacre are some of the most important Colombian rock bands.

The music event Rock al Parque celebrated yearly in Bogotá is the largest free rock festival in Latin America; around 100 bands playing their music along 3 days and 400,000 people in attendance. Currently, Doctor Krápula, a rock band with strong ska influences that is known for making covers of traditional Latin American songs, enjoys great popularity. A popular Colombian Rock band outside of Colombia is The Monas. Aterciopelados named "Colombia's Hottest Band" in a Time magazine article, is one of the most recognized Rock bands of Colombia. "The band, made up of front woman Andrea Echeverri and bassist/producer Hector Buitrago, mixes punk, surf guitar and ska with folky Colombian styles such as vallenato, a bouncy, accordion-heavy genre".

Other popular and interesting bands are Ekhymosis, a group led by Juanes, who began making music in 1988 and are known for doing rock with a Colombian influence, The Hall Effect who make English pop/rock linked with Britpop influences. SOUNDACITY performs a mix of Brit rock, pop and Andean sounds, rhythms and instrumentation, sing both in English and Spanish and have toured the United States east coast. Proper Strangers is an avant-garde rock band. Two Way Analog is an eclectic band whose influence are roadmovies and its soundtracks, Divagash is an electronic soft-rock band, La Pestilencia is a post-hardcore band, Bajo Tierra, Palenke Soultribe (traditional Colombin roots music fused with electronic beats). But, possibly, the most successful "indie" band is Sidestepper, with its fusion of Colombian traditional music, electronic and African rhythms, who already appeared in Coachella Festival in 2006. Some musical groups in the death metal genre are the world-famous Internal Suffering, Carnivore Diprosopus, Goretrade, Mindly Rotten, Suppuration, and Amputated Genitals. Colombia is also the birthplace of the well known black metal band Inquisition, now based in Seattle, Washington. Miguel Fernando Trapezaris, the bassist of Cyprus-based Epic power metal band Winter's Verge, is of Colombian descent.

Colombian pop music

This musical genre has been growing recently with artists like Los de Adentro, San Alejo, Sebastian Yepes, Lucas Arnau or Mauricio & Palodeagua. Pop with strong traces of traditional Colombian music, named Tropipop, is also rising currently. Fonseca and Maía represent this trend.

Some of Colombia's most recognized pop artists
Shakira is the highest selling and most recognized Colombian artist. After the success of her album Pies Descalzos in 1995, Shakira began working with producer Emilio Estefan Jr. and recorded Dónde Están los Ladrones?, which sold millions worldwide. Showing all her talent, after her MTV Unplugged presentation, Shakira went on to make an English album Laundry Service which debuted at #3 in the Billboard Charts of the USA.

One of her most successful songs is Hips Don't Lie, which sold over 10 million copies and downloads worldwide, topped in over 70 countries #1.

She is winner of 2 American and 7 Latin Grammies. In 2008, Shakira was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Singer-songwriter Juanes is also one of the most important singers from Colombia. He stood out at the Latin Grammys in 2003 with his album Un Día Normal, which has become very popular in the US and Europe. Juanes is the most important Colombian artist of the last decade, as mentioned by the Billboard magazine and Colombian El Espectador newspapaer, due to the success of songs such as Fíjate Bien, A Dios le Pido, La Camisa Negra, Me Enamora and Yerbatero. His albums Fíjate Bien, Un Día Normal, Mi Sangre, La Vida es un Ratico and P.A.R.C.E. have been successful in many countries around the world.

Juanes was chosen by CNN as a global icon and is the youngest of the list. His humanitarian activism has characterized him as a very supportive artist in the history of Latin music. Since he began his musical career, Juanes has broken several records in the history of the Latin Grammys.

Fanny Lú, is also an important artist, from the southern city of Santiago de Cali. She has released three full-length albums, Lágrimas Cálidas, Dos and Felicidad y Perpetua. Her first almbum produced two hits: No Te Pido Flores and Y Si Te Digo. The second one included the hit Tú No Eres Para Mi and, more recently, Fanfarrón became a hit from her third studio album. She also serves as a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.

Maía, born in the same port city as Shakira, Barranquilla, is a trilingual artist who has topped the charts with several international hits including Niña Bonita, Se Me Acabó El Amor, and Ingenuidad. From her debut album, there is El Baile de los Sueños.

Ilona, a native of Colombia's capital city, Bogotá, cut her teeth singing in the public transport bus service at the age of 15. She has released two full-length studio albums including Desde Mi Ventana and the Latin Grammy Award nominated Allá en el Sur.

Carlos Vives, a singer from the coastal city of Santa Marta, is famous for fusing classic vallenato sounds with rock and pop music. He has collaborated with diverse international artists such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Daddy Yankee, as well as countrymen Sebastián Yatra, ChocQuibTown and Maluma.

Naty Botero, is a singer and composer from the city of Medellín, known for interpreting pop and Latin pop songs. Some of her main hits are Te Quiero Mucho, Dinosaurio, Mio and Adicta, among others. She have worked on musical productions with Colombian artists such as Joe Arroyo, ChocQuibTown and Andrés Cabas and artists from other countries such as Felix da Housecat. She also has a foundation called Coraje, to help the native people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Other famous pop singers include artists such as Soraya, Anasol, Paula Arenas, Lucas Arnau, Marbelle, Ali Stone and more recently, Sebastián Yatra.

Colombian urban and hip-hop music

Hip Hop came to Colombia in the late 1980s when a few US Hip-Hop tracks by NWA and MC Hammer spurred a break-dancing fever among the young of the less privileged areas of major cities such as Medellín, Cali and Bogotá. Towards the end of this decade groups began to form, eventually leading to complete album productions in the mid-1990s. La Etnnia and Gotas de Rap were two of the various hip-hop groups that emerged and are widely considered as the pioneers of Colombian Rap. Promoting a very independent style, both groups expressed extreme political and social views, protesting violence, corruption, inequality and hardships in the marginalized regions of Colombia. Then Asilo 38 from Cali come onto the scene with the albums, La Hoguera (2000) and La Descarga (2002), presenting a more commercial and polished sound, while still retaining strong socio-political messages. It is about this time that Reggaeton from Puerto Rico surges in popularity and Hip-Hop in Colombia takes a back seat for a while as artists try their hand at the new controversial sound. Artist(s) such as Tres Pesos, J Balvin, Maluma, Reykon y Yelsid have established themselves in this genre and hits such as 'Baila (Negra de trasero grande)' by Leka el Poeta and the explixcitly worded 'La Quemona' and 'Micaela' by Master Boy take the country by storm. Even the first ever Colombian 'X Factor' in 2006 produces a Reggaeton singer called Farina Pao Paucar Franco who places third in the competition.

Karol G is a Colombian reggaetón singer who has done collaborations with other reggaetón singers, such as J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Maluma. Throughout her career, Karol G has had troubles in the industry because reggaetón is a genre that is dominated by male artists. She recounts how when starting her career she noticed that there weren't many opportunities for her in the genre because reggaeton was dominated by male artists. In 2018, Karol G's single Mi Cama became very popular and she made a remix with J Balvin and Nicky Jam. The Mi cama remix appeared in the top 10 Hot Latin Songs and number 1 in Latin Airplay charts. This year she has collaborated with Maluma called Creeme and with Anuel AA in Culpables. The single, Culpables has been in the top 10 Hot Latin Songs for 2 consecutive weeks.

Reggae has always been popular in the Colombian Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providence and Spanish Reggae from Panama has helped to strengthen the movement of Reggae artists in the Colombian interior. Artists such as Voodoo Soul Jah, Nawal and Alerta Kamarada (Colombian representatives in the Jamaican Reggae festival) are currently spearheading this ever more popular genre in Colombia. 2006 brings a renaissance in Colombian Hip-Hop in the form of Afro-Colombian group ChocQuibTown, fusing traditional rhythms and instruments from their native lands in the Colombian Pacific into their sound. Already hailed as the new phenemomenon in Colombian Hip-Hop, their popularity is ever increasing and making way for other Urban artists to emerge. One such artist is Jiggy Drama, from the island of San Andres, who has become one of the most loved and controversial rap artist in Colombia, his lyrics are spicy and intelligent. Jiggy Drama collaborated with Colombian Party Cartel on the urban merengue track "Chico Malo". *On the international stage Aztek Escobar based in Houston, Colombian Party Cartel based in Nashville, Tres Coronas based in New York, Adassa based in Miami and 3 of the seven-man group of Culcha Candela in Berlin, Germany are representing Colombian urban music worldwide.

Other sources

 * Brill, Mark. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2nd Edition, 2018. Taylor & Francis ISBN 1138053562
 * Burton, Kim. "El Sonido Dorado". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 372–385. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0

title: Music of Colombia