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In the Zone

In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 15, 2003, by Jive Records. Spears began writing songs during her Dream Within a Dream Tour, not knowing the direction of the record. She stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point where she felt self-exploited. During the process, she ended her highly-publicized relationship with singer Justin Timberlake. With the tour's conclusion in July 2002, Spears planned to take a six-month break from her career; however, recording for the album commenced in November.

For In the Zone, Spears experimented with different producers, trying to find those with whom she had chemistry. She collaborated with artists such as Madonna and the Ying Yang Twins, while contributions came from a wide range of producers, including Bloodshy & Avant, R. Kelly, Trixster, Moby, Guy Sigsworth and the Matrix. Their final result was an eclectic record incorporating pop and urban music styles with instrumentation from techno and Middle Eastern genres. Its lyrical themes range from romance and partying to more explicit ones such as sex and masturbation. Spears explained that the album's sexual nature was subconscious and emerged while she was in the process of developing the album.

In the Zone received positive reviews upon its release, with music critics widely praising its innovative production, aesthetics, lyricism and blend of eclectic genres, though some criticized Spears' vocals on certain tracks for being distant and processed. A global commercial success, it debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 609,000 copies, making Spears the first female artist to have her first four albums reach number one. Retrospectively, the album is widely considered a major turning point in Spears' artistic journey and a culmination in her transition from a teen pop star to a more adult artist. Various critics have considered it the album that pushed Spears past her contemporaries and establishing her as the definitive female artist of the 2000s.

In the Zone was promoted with four singles. "Me Against the Music", featuring Madonna, reached the top ten in nearly every country except the United States, where it only peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Toxic" peaked atop the charts in eight countries and at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Spears' first US top-ten hit since "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000), and won Spears her first Grammy Award. "Everytime" peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and within the top ten nearly everywhere else. "Outrageous" was plagued by a lack of promotion due to Spears injuring her knee while filming its accompanying music video, and only peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. To further promote the album, Spears embarked on the Onyx Hotel Tour (2004).

Background and development
In October 2001, Spears released her third studio album Britney, which portrayed more mature themes. Despite selling over four million copies in the United States, it was viewed as "poor-selling" in comparison to her previous efforts. The following year, her three-year relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake ended after months of speculation. After the Dream Within a Dream Tour in support of Britney ended in July 2002, Spears announced a six-month break. In November, she revealed that she had started working on her next studio album. She explained: "Well, actually, I just said that I wanted two or three weeks off. [....] And the whole world was like, 'Ohmigod, [sic] she's gone..."

While in Europe, Spears met with William Orbit and Daft Punk about possible collaborations, and originally confirmed previous collaborators Darkchild and the Neptunes as producers. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the direction of the record, Spears responded it was an organic evolution, adding: "It should just happen naturally from the way you feel. [...] Whatever happens, happens". Additionally, Spears scheduled meet-and-greets with Timbaland and Missy Elliott in an effort to help evolve her sound. Elliott was enlisted in further production work with Nisan Stewart for Spears' project; however, none of the initial material was released. Spears also worked with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, but their work was unproductive; Murphy said: "We were both lying on the floor, head-to head, working on lyrics in a notepad. She seemed eager to please, but it went nowhere. She went to dinner and just never came back." Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst wrote and produced three trip hop tracks recorded by Spears in January 2003. However, after news of an affair between them broke, Durst told Jive Records he would not let them use the songs. In March 2003, Lauren Christy from the Matrix spoke about the development of the album with MTV News, and likened their work with Spears to Madonna's album Ray of Light (1998). Scott Spock, also from the Matrix, continued comparing her to Madonna by saying: She's taking it to the next level in her career. Madonna constantly takes what's in the club and puts what she does on top of it and makes it mainstream. I think Britney is starting to embrace that concept where she's looking to work on different stuff, instead of using the same familiar, and applying it to her. [...] I don't think [her fans] will be freaked out or upset. I think they'll be really into what's going to happen. Spears previewed several songs to Quddus Philippe of MTV in May 2003, including "Touch of My Hand", "Brave New Girl" and "Everytime". Spears commented: "I've really been able to take my time and have creative control and make [the new album] special, special, special." On August 27, Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards by performing a medley of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. The performance started with Spears appearing on stage on top of a giant wedding cake while wearing a wedding gown and veil; she sang the first few lines of "Like a Virgin" before Aguilera appeared from behind the cake and joined her. Madonna then emerged from the cake wearing a black coat and a hat and started singing "Hollywood" before proceeding to kiss Spears and Aguilera on the lips. Elliott came out from a wedding chapel to sing her song "Work It" halfway through the performance. The kiss generated strong reaction from the media. The performance was listed by Blender magazine as one of the 25 sexiest music moments in television history. In 2008, MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards.

Recording and production
For In the Zone, Spears worked with hit producers such as Bloodshy & Avant, R. Kelly, Diddy, Christopher Stewart, Moby, Guy Sigsworth and the Matrix. She first started writing songs for the album during her Dream Within a Dream Tour. Spears commented about writing while touring: "The only thing that was scary to me is that I didn't know if they were good. [But] You can't trust anybody. You have to go with your feelings." Spears commented that she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point she felt self-exploited. Following the end of the tour, Spears invited her friend and backing vocalist Annet Artani to her home in Los Angeles. They started writing songs at the piano, and shortly after, they traveled to Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy. Among the tracks they worked on was "Everytime", which Artani confirmed to be written as a response to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River", as well as "Shine", written by Spears about her sister Jamie Lynn, which was left unfinished. Earnest recording of the album began in November 2002. Spears commented that although she did not know initially what direction she wanted to go with the album, she took time to work with different producers and to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded for In the Zone was "Touch of My Hand", and Spears said it "really did provide a balance for the rest of the record. We just went from there." Following the recording sessions for "Everytime" at the Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Spears complimented Sigsworth, saying: "I just basically told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound. And he was so amazing because there's a lot of producers you tell them things and they don't get it. And you're like oh, that's not the right way. He got it just right. He was amazing."

Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, titled "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of "Me Against the Music"; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics. During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason." While rehearsing for their performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" to Madonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her. RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet. Spears, who had been a fan of Madonna for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it." RedZone were then enlisted to work on several more songs for the album, including co-writing "Early Mornin'", recording background vocals for "Outrageous" and producing "The Hook Up".

The Matrix commented that after they presented songs to Spears, she tailored them to suit herself, especially the lyrics. Member Lauren Christy said: "... she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image." Christy also claimed to be impressed with Spears's vocal ability during the recording of "Shadow". Steve Anderson, Lisa Greene and Stephen Lee wrote "Breathe on Me" at Metrophonic Studios in London. Before meeting with the other writers, Anderson thought of two concepts for songs specifically for Spears: one he had worked on "for ages", and "Breathe on Me", which he drafted on the morning of the sessions. Greene and Lee did not like the first concept, and they wrote "Breathe on Me" with Anderson. The song was produced by Mark Taylor, who kept most of the programming done by Anderson. With Taylor, Spears recorded "Breathe on Me" and "And Then We Kiss", latter of which did not make the album. Other recording locations for the album included the Battery Studios, Daddy's House Recordings and The Dojo in New York City; 3:20 Studios, Decoy Studios, Pacifique Recording Studios, Record Plant and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles; The Chocolate Factory, in Chicago, Triangle Sound Studios in Atlanta, Olympic Studios in London, and Murlyn Studios in Stockholm. Throughout 2003, Spears started testing tracks by playing them in nightclubs such as Show in New York City. Before the album was released, Spears' manager Larry Rudolph commented that it was important for Spears to continue moving away from a traditional pop sound, citing "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys" from Britney as departures from her previous music. Barry Weiss, then-president of Jive Label Group, added: "She has achieved what she set out to achieve, which was to make a mature album that didn't sound like something she would have done three years while still making a commercial album that has hit singles. [...] It's the kind of record she should be doing right now, and it came down to her to make it."

Music and lyrics
According to Billboard, In the Zone marked a musical departure for Spears. Instead of traditional pop, the album is darker and more dance-oriented. Spears talked about the overall sound of the album with Rolling Stone, saying: "I'd describe it as trance-y, kind of vibe record—something you could listen to that's no so song-structured [...] Of course I'm not doing '...Baby One More Time' and those massive hits anymore. I think this record is where I am at right now in my life. It's sensual, it's sexual. I'm probably writing about that subconsciously because I don't have that right now." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described the record's sound as "bold mix of hip-hop and dance music", while Amy Schriefer of NPR stated the album "mix[es] dance, house, crunk, Diwali beats and Neptunes-style hip hop". Tom Bishop of BBC News stated that the record combines bhaṅgṛā, R&B and hip hop. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian deemed In the Zone "a happy collision of house, dreamy electro-pop and Britney’s lyrical preoccupations [...] which have her perched on the cusp between teen poppet and sexually confident woman." According to William Shaw of Blender, the main theme of In the Zone is "Spears’s awakening to her sexuality as a single woman."

In the Zone opens with "Me Against the Music", constructed as a duet with Madonna after she was added to the track. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings solo in the bridge. The instrumentation in the song includes influences of hip hop and funk guitars. The song's lyrics feature Spears and Madonna singing of the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor, in "I'm up against the speaker / Trying to take on the music / It's like a competition". The second song, "I Got That (Boom Boom)", is an Atlanta-style hip hop track featuring the Ying Yang Twins. "Showdown" has "bubbly" beats and its lyrics, about "fighting and making up with carnal relations", include the lines "I don't really want to be a tease / But would you undo my zipper, please?" Rolling Stone classified the song pop-dancehall. "Breathe on Me" was described as the most sensual song of the record and compared to Madonna's 1992 studio album Erotica. On the Euro trance and ambient-techno song with trip hop influences, Spears sings: "Oh, it's so hot, and I need some air / And boy, don't stop 'cause I'm halfway there" and "Just put your lips together and blow." "Early Mornin'" depicts Spears looking for men at a club in New York City. The song has a percolating beat and featured subdued vocals from Spears, who purrs and yawns through the track. The nightclub Show is referenced. "Toxic", which Spears later named her favorite song from her career, was originally offered to Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It contains elements of hip hop, electropop, and bhangra music, and features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, high-pitched strings and surf guitars. Lyrically, "Toxic" talks about being addicted to a lover.

"Outrageous" is a hip hop-inspired track which, according to MTV, features Spears "whisper[ing] and moan[ing] [...] with a snake charmer melody giving the song an exotic feel." The lyrics address materialism and amusement, with the singer referencing in the chorus a number of things that give her pleasure. On "Touch of My Hand", which Spears felt it was comparable to Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" (1993), she sings in a lower register. The instrumentation contains elements of music from the Far East, particularly in its use of the Chinese instrument the erhu, and its lyrics refer to masturbation: "Into the unknown, I will be bold / I'm going to the places I can be out of control / And I don't want to explain tonight / All the things I've tried to hide." "The Hook Up" has a reggae feel and features Spears singing in a Jamaican Patois accent. The power ballad "Shadow" talks about how reminders of a lover can still linger after he's gone. The lyrics of "Brave New Girl" talk about a young woman finding her passion and losing inhibitions. Backed by choppy, electro-funk beats, she sings in a bouncy near-rap: "She's gonna pack her bags, she's going to find her way, she's going to get right out of this / She don't want New York, she don't want L.A., she's going to find that special kiss." The Eurodance and pop song was inspired by No Doubt, Blondie and Madonna. "Everytime" begins with a piano introduction accompanying Spears's breathy vocals, which build from soft to strong throughout the song. Its lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. In the song, Spears explains she feels unable to continue in lines such as "Everytime I try to fly I fall / Without my wings I feel so small". During an interview with MTV, Spears said: "It's about heartbreak, it's about your first love, your first true love. That's something all people can relate to, because you all have that first love that you think you're going to be with the rest of your life." When asked if "Everytime" was about Justin Timberlake, she responded: "I'll let the song speak for itself." The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against the Music" removes the original melody of the song and adds a clattering backbeat and Punjabi shouts. On the international editions bonus track "The Answer", Spears sings that her lover is the answer to all her needs: "Who can hold me tight, keep me warm through the night? / Who can wipe my tears when it's wrong, make it right? / Who can give me love till I'm satisfied? / Who's the one I need in my life?". On the Australian, Japanese and UK editions bonus track "Don't Hang Up", she pleads on the phone for her lover to keep her satisfied long-distance.

Release and promotion

To promote In the Zone, Spears first performed the lead single "Me Against the Music" at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live on September 4, 2003. The performance segued into a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U", which included pyrotechnics. On September 14, Spears played a surprise concert at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort, and performed "Me Against the Music", "Breathe on Me" and a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U". On October 18, she performed "Me Against the Music" and "Everytime" on Saturday Night Live. Spears opened the 2003 American Music Awards on November 16 with a performance of "Me Against the Music". The following day, a concert special titled Britney Spears: In the Zone aired on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). On November 18–the day In the Zone was released in the United States–she performed "Me Against the Music" and "(I Got That) Boom Boom" on Total Request Live at Times Square. The ABC special and Total Request Live performances would later be included on video album Britney Spears: In the Zone, released on April 6, 2004. The video debuted atop the US Music Video Sales and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Me Against the Music" was also performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 17, 2003, and on Live with Regis and Kelly on November 24. She also performed "Toxic", "Breathe on Me" and "Me Against the Music" as the headliner of the Jingle Ball on December 8, at the Staples Center.

In November 2003, Zomba Label Group president Barry Weiss had spoken to Billboard and said that In the Zone was being promoted on a global level, exhausting areas such as print and electronic media, television, radio and video to raise awareness of its release. In addition, Jive worked with lifestyle marketer the Karpel Group to market the album to the gay community. Other broader-based marketing efforts included a tie-in with marketing company LidRock, where after ordering a soda at Sbarro, customers received a cup featuring the artwork and a three-inch disc in the lid featuring "Brave New Girl" and songs by two other artists; in December, an updated LidRock disc was made available, including a remix of "Me Against the Music" without Madonna, as well as songs by fellow Jive acts Nick Cannon and Bowling for Soup. Regal Theaters also showed a short film that included footage of the making of Spears's music videos. Two national television advertising campaigns had begun on November 1–one with a teaser ad on Saturday Night Live and another exclusively on MTV. No sponsored cross-marketing campaigns were planned, as Larry Rudolph explained: "[This time] it's going to be more about the music than about corporate tie-ins." In terms of international exposure, during a four-month period Spears was featured in seven mini TV-specials and over 150 interviews outside the US. Among the international performances were Spears opening the NRJ Music Awards in France with "Toxic" on January 24, 2004, and a performance of "Everytime" on the June 25 episode of Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom, which became the final televised performance in support of the album.

A tour to further promote In the Zone was announced in December 2003, originally titled In the Zone Tour. However, Spears was sued for trademark infringement by the San Diego company Lite Breeze, Inc. and was banned from using the phrase "in the zone", hence the tour's title was changed to The Onyx Hotel Tour. It commenced on March 2, 2004 at the San Diego Sports Arena. Spears felt inspired to create a show with a hotel theme which she later mixed with the concept of an onyx stone. The stage, inspired by Broadway musicals, was less elaborate than her previous tours. The setlist was composed mostly by songs from In the Zone as well as some of her past songs reworked with different elements of jazz, blues and Latin percussion. Tour promoter Clear Channel Entertainment marketed the tour to a more adult audience than her previous shows, while sponsor MTV highly promoted the tour on television shows and the network's website. The tour was divided into seven segments: Check-In, Mystic Lounge, Mystic Garden, The Onyx Zone, Security Cameras, Club and the encore. Check-In displayed performances with dance and advanced in the hotel theme. Mystic Lounge featured an homage to Cabaret and other musicals, while remixing some of Spears's early hits. Mystic Garden displayed a jungle-inspired stage. The Onyx Zone displayed a ballad performance with acrobats. Security Cameras was the raciest part of the show, with Spears and her dancers emulating different sexual practices. Club displayed a performance with urban influences. The encore consisted of a system malfunction interlude and Spears performed wearing a red ensemble. The tour received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who praised it for being an entertaining show while criticizing it for looking "more [like] a spectacle than an actual concert". The Onyx Hotel Tour was commercially successful, grossing $34 million. In March, Spears suffered a knee injury onstage which forced her to reschedule two shows. On June 8, Spears fell and hurt her knee again while filming the accompanying music video for "Outrageous". She underwent surgery and the remainder of the tour was cancelled.

Singles
"Me Against the Music" was released as the lead single from In the Zone on October 14, 2003. Jive Records' choice for the first single was originally "Outrageous", but Spears convinced them to release "Me Against the Music". The song received mixed reviews from music critics; some felt it was a strong dance track, while others referred to it as lackluster and disappointing. "Me Against the Music" achieved international commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other countries; however, it peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100, being Spears' lowest-charting lead single. The song won the Hot Dance Single of the Year award at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. In the song's accompanying music video, directed by Paul Hunter, Spears chases Madonna inside a nightclub.

"Toxic" was released as the second single from In the Zone on January 12, 2004, to widespread critical acclaim. After trying to choose between Jive's suggestions "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous", Spears selected "Toxic" instead. It attained worldwide commercial success, reaching the top five in 15 countries, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first single to peak inside the top ten since "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000). Directed by Joseph Kahn, the accompanying music video for the song portrays Spears as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video also includes interspersed scenes of Spears naked with diamonds over her body. "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award, for Best Dance Recording (2005), and is often referred to as one of her signature songs.

"Everytime" was released as the third single from In the Zone on May 10, 2004, to critical acclaim. A commercial success, it peaked within the top five in most countries, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its accompanying music video, directed by David LaChapelle, portrays Spears as a star hounded by paparazzi, who drowns in her bathtub when she starts bleeding from a wound in her head. In the hospital, doctors fail to resuscitate her while a child is born in the next room, implying she reincarnated. The original treatment would have had Spears killing herself from a drug overdose, but the plot was removed after it received criticism by several organizations, who perceived it as a glamorization of suicide.

"Outrageous" was released as the fourth and final single from In the Zone on July 13, 2004. The song was finally chosen as a single after it was selected as the theme song for the film Catwoman (2004). It received mixed reviews from critics, as some praised its funky sound, noting its influence from Michael and Janet Jackson, while others deemed it "forgettable". Plagued by low promotion, the song became the album's lowest-charting single, peaking at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Directed by Dave Meyers, its accompanying music video was being filmed in New York City on June 8, when Spears injured her knee and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery. The video was cancelled, as well as the remainder of the Onyx Hotel Tour and the feature in the Catwoman soundtrack.

Critical reception
Upon its release, In the Zone received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 13 reviews. Jason Shawhan of About.com gave a positive review, saying that while the album's vibe is sexy, the result is a personal statement from Spears. He also added: "T[here]'s another thing about Spears' new record, as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record. I miss Max Martin, for sure, but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone. To put it another way, this is Britney's True Blue." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that the album "[is] all club-ready, but despite some hints of neo-electro and the Neptunes, it doesn't quite sound modern—it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna's Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light. Production-wise, these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums." Ruth Mitchell of the BBC called "Early Mornin'" the best track from the album, but added: "Sadly, her attempts to prove her new-found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone." Mim Udovitch of Blender commented: "This I'm-coming-out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin [...] No longer a girl, freed from slavery, now fully a woman, she makes a pretty convincing mistress."

David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called "Brave New Girl" and "Touch of My Hand" the best and most straightforward moments of In the Zone, but added that "On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood, Spears remains distant and submerged. For all her freedom, she's still finding her way." Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone said: "[Spears'] voice is so processed, its physicality almost disappears. [...] In the Zone offers strip-club, 1-900 sex, accommodating and hollow. Beyond the glittering beats, Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated: "Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past. [...] For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement [...] even more appropriate." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian commented: "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna." Jason King of Vibe deemed it as "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter."

Accolades
! scope="row"| 2004 ! scope="row"| 2004 ! scope="row"| 2004 ! scope="row"| 2005
 * Japan Gold Disc Award
 * International Rock Albums of the Year
 * rowspan="2"| In the Zone
 * Won
 * align="center"|
 * Premios Oye!
 * English Album of the Year
 * Nominated
 * align="center"|
 * Billboard Music Award
 * Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year
 * Britney Spears
 * Nominated
 * align="center"|
 * Grammy Award
 * Best Dance Recording
 * "Toxic"
 * Won
 * align="center"|
 * }

Commercial performance

In the United States, In the Zone debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart dated December 6, 2003, with first-week sales of 609,000 copies. It initially registered the highest first-week sales of 2003 for a female artist, before Alicia Keys surpassed Spears with The Diary of Alicia Keys two weeks later. Spears also became the second female artist in Billboard's history to have four consecutive number-one albums, behind Janet Jackson who had the most at the time with five. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 2023, for album-equivalent units of three million copies. It placed at number eight on the year-end Billboard 200 for 2004. As of 2016, it has sold over three million copies in the country, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Canada, the album debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 31,000 units. It was certified triple platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipments of 300,000 copies.

In the United Kingdom, In the Zone debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 13 in its 34th week and spending a total of 43 weeks on the chart. It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in March 2004. The album attained higher peaks across mainland Europe, reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and peaking at number three on the European Top 100 Albums. In France, it debuted at number one, becoming her second number-one album in the country after Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), and was certified double gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in December 2004. It was certified platinum by the IFPI in April, for selling one million copies across Europe.

Across Latin America, In the Zone was certified platinum in Argentina and Mexico. In Australia, the album debuted and peaked at number ten on the ARIA Top 100 Albums. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2004. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 28; in April 2004, it peaked at number 25 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). The album was a commercial success across Asia, debuting at number one in South Korea. In Japan, the album debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling 59,128 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in December 2003. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), In the Zone was the eighth best-selling album of 2003 with more than 12 million copies sold worldwide.

Impact and legacy
In the Zone has been declared a metamorphosis for Spears by numerous critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented: "If 2001's Britney was a transitional album, capturing Spears at the point when she wasn't a girl and not yet a woman, its 2003 follow-up, In the Zone, is where she has finally completed that journey and turned into Britney, the Adult Woman." Erlewine compared Spears to her peer Christina Aguilera, explaining that both equated maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs, but while Aguilera "comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the girl next door cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she can indulge herself." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated: "For a girl who's always seemed too sexed-up for her age, In the Zone finds Britney finally filling her britches, so-to-speak. Her little girl coquettishness actually works now—maybe because, at 21, she's finally a woman." Jason King of Vibe said the album showcased a transformed Spears, "no longer a girl, and all the woman any man can handle."

Following the abrupt conclusion of the Onyx Hotel Tour due to her knee injury, Spears embarked on a prolonged hiatus from performing, and would not release another studio album until Blackout in October 2007. She began a relationship with Kevin Federline, whom she met while on tour in April 2004 and married on September 18. Her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200. Spears was unable to promote it, though the album produced two international hit singles–"My Prerogative" and "Do Somethin'". In September 2005, Spears gave birth to her first son Sean Preston, giving birth to her second son Jayden James a year later. In November 2006, filed for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalized in July 2007. Within that period, Spears was involved in a series of media scandals and suffered from a mental breakdown, most notably shaving her head in February 2007.

Several critics have credited In the Zone for influencing pop music of the 2000s. In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR listed the album among the "50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade". Calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s", she deemed Spears as the ideal vehicle for a futuristic sound, since she was still trying to break away from her teen pop past. Schriefer praised "Toxic" and "Everytime", and added: "While the decade's history of celebrity obsession, paparazzi voyeurism and conflicted constructions of female sexuality and motherhood are written on Spears' body, the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work." Celebrating the album's 15th anniversary in 2018, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard claimed it "signaled a more mature direction for Spears as she explored electronic music and hip-hop like never before. And the record's lyrics — which referenced her breakup with Justin Timberlake and pushed back at her critics in the media — celebrated new levels of independence and candor for the singer."

Los Angeles pop-up museum The Zone, celebrating Spears' "iconic songs, videos, and outfits through Instagram-worthy photo ops, interactive displays and personalized content activated by special RFID wristbands", was titled after the album and opened in January 2020.

Track listing

 * Notes
 * $undefined$ signifies a co-producer.
 * $undefined$ signifies a vocal producer.
 * $undefined$ signifies a remix producer.

 * Sample credits
 * "Toxic" contains a sample of "Tere Mere Beech Mein" by Lata Mangeshkar and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam from the film Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981).

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of In the Zone.

 * Ed Alton – string arrangement (track 8)
 * Steve Anderson – keyboards (track 4), programming (track 4), songwriting (track 4)
 * J.D. Andrew – engineering assistance (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Annet Artani – songwriting (track 12)
 * Steve Bearsley – engineering assistance (track 7)
 * Tom Bender – engineering assistance (track 10)
 * BlackCell – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Bloodshy & Avant – arrangement (tracks 3 and 6), digital editing (tracks 3 and 6), engineering (tracks 3 and 6), instrumentation (tracks 3 and 6), production (tracks 3 and 6), programming (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Ray Brown – styling
 * B.U.D. – backing vocals (track 9)
 * Sean "P. Diddy" Combs – production (track 14), songwriting (track 14)
 * Fran Cooper – make-up
 * Courtney Copeland – backing vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Josh Copp – engineering assistance (track 2)
 * Tom Coyne – mastering (all tracks)
 * Cathy Dennis – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
 * DaCorna Boyz – keyboards (track 9)
 * Patrick Demarchelier – photography
 * Kara DioGuardi – backing vocals (track 11), songwriting (track 11)
 * Dan Dymtrow – management representation
 * Roxanne Estrada – backing vocals (tracks 1, 7, 9 and 13)
 * Niklas Flyckt – mixing (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Chriss Fudurich – engineering (track 8)
 * Matt Furmidge – engineering assistance (track 4)
 * Andy Gallas – engineering (track 7)
 * Abel Garibaldi – engineering (track 7), programming (track 7)
 * Roy Gartrell – banjo (track 2), guitar (track 2)
 * Şerban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7 and 9)
 * Brad Gilderman – engineering (track 8)
 * Lori Goldstein – styling
 * Lisa Greene – backing vocals (track 4), songwriting (track 4)
 * Mick Guzauski – mixing (track 10)
 * Rob Haggert – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
 * Chris Haggerty – digital editing (track 3)
 * Roy "Royalty" Hamilton – arrangement (track 2), backing vocals (track 2), instrumentation (track 2), production (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
 * Dug Hanes – Pro-Tools engineering (track 5)
 * John Hanes – digital editing (tracks 1, 7, 9 and 13), Pro-Tools engineering (tracks 2 and 5)
 * Jimmy Harry – arrangement (track 8), guitar (track 8), keyboards (track 8), production (track 8), programming (track 8), songwriting (track 8)
 * Emma Holmgren – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Vance Hornbuckle – engineering assistance (track 5)
 * Isabel – make-up
 * Janson & Janson – string arrangement (track 6), string conduction (track 6)
 * Henrik Jonback – guitar (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Juggy D – backing vocals (track 13)
 * Jennifer Karr – backing vocals (track 11)
 * R. Kelly – backing vocals (track 7), mixing (track 7), production (track 7), songwriting (track 7)
 * Brian Kierulf – engineering (tracks 11 and 15), guitar (track 11), keyboards (tracks 11 and 15), production (tracks 11 and 15), programming (tracks 11 and 15), songwriting (tracks 11 and 15), vocal editing (tracks 11 and 15), vocal engineering (tracks 11 and 15)
 * Laurentius – hair
 * Stephen Lee – songwriting (track 4)
 * Kyron Leslie – backing vocals (track 5)
 * Ryan Leslie – instrumentation (track 14), production (track 14), songwriting (track 14)
 * Vanessa Letocq – production coordination (track 4)
 * Vivien Lewit – legal representation
 * Thomas Lindberg – bass (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Paul Logus – mixing (track 14)
 * Stephanie Louise – hair, make-up
 * Steve Lunt – A&R, arrangement (tracks 1–3, 6, 9 and 13)
 * Donnie Lyle – guitar (track 7)
 * Madonna – songwriting (tracks 1 and 13), vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Penelope Magnet – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), backing vocals (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9 and 13), production (tracks 1, 9 and 13), songwriting (tracks 1, 5, 9 and 13), vocal arrangement (tracks 5 and 7), vocal production (tracks 5 and 7)
 * Marla Weinhoff Studio – set design
 * The Matrix – arrangement (track 10), backing vocals (track 10), engineering (track 10), production (track 10), songwriting (track 10)
 * Charles McCrorey – engineering assistance (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Sean McGhee – editing (track 12), engineering (track 12), mixing (track 12)
 * Mentor – keyboards (track 13)
 * Ian Mereness – engineering (track 7), programming (track 7)
 * Charlie Midnight – songwriting (track 10)
 * Jason Mlodzinski – engineering assistance (track 7)
 * Moby – engineering (track 5), instrumentation (track 5), production (track 5), programming (track 5), songwriting (track 5)
 * Lyn Montrose – engineering assistance (track 14)
 * Balewa Muhammad – songwriting (track 8)
 * Pablo Munguia – engineering (tracks 2 and 4)
 * Jackie Murphy – art direction, packaging design
 * Terius Nash – songwriting (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Andrew Nast – engineering assistance (track 10)
 * Kendall Nesbitt – keyboards (track 7)
 * Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye – songwriting (tracks 1, 9 and 13)
 * Gary O'Brien – guitar (tracks 1, 9 and 13), songwriting (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Oribe – hair
 * Jonas Östman – engineering assistance (tracks 3 and 6)
 * Pardeep Sandhu Orchestra – algozee (track 13), tumbi (track 13)
 * Rob Paustian – engineering (track 14)
 * Ranjit – photography
 * Jason Rankins – engineering assistance (track 2)
 * Rishi Rich – programming (track 13), remix production (track 13)
 * Emma Roads – backing vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Tim Roberts – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 13)
 * Chyna Royal – backing vocals (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
 * Larry Rudolph – management
 * Josh Schwartz – backing vocals (track 15), engineering (tracks 11 and 15), guitar (tracks 11 and 15), production (tracks 11 and 15), songwriting (tracks 11 and 15)
 * Alexis Seaton – engineering assistance (track 14)
 * Guy Sigsworth – instrumentation (track 12), production (track 12)
 * Slam – production coordination (track 14)
 * Shep Solomon – production (track 8), songwriting (track 8)
 * Britney Spears – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), songwriting (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8–13 and 15), vocals (all tracks)
 * Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (tracks 1 and 8), vocal engineering (tracks 1 and 13)
 * Mary Alice Stephenson – styling
 * Christopher Stewart – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), backing vocals (track 5), instrumentation (tracks 1 and 9), production (tracks 1, 9 and 13), programming (tracks 1 and 9), songwriting (tracks 1, 5, 9 and 13), vocal arrangement (tracks 5 and 7), vocal production (tracks 5 and 7)
 * Stockholm Session Strings – strings (track 6)
 * Rich Tapper – engineering (track 2), engineering assistance (tracks 4, 5, 7 and 9)
 * Mark Taylor – engineering (track 4), mixing (track 4), production (track 4)
 * Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – digital editing (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9 and 13), engineering (tracks 1 and 9), vocal engineering (tracks 5, 7 and 13)
 * David Treahearn – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
 * Mike Tucker – vocal editing (tracks 11 and 15), vocal engineering (tracks 11 and 15)
 * Seth Waldmann – engineering assistance (track 12)
 * P-Dub Walton – digital editing (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
 * Nathan Wheeler – engineering assistance (track 7)
 * The Wizardz of Oz – backing vocals (track 10)
 * Dan Yashiv – digital editing (track 8)
 * Ying Yang Twins – songwriting (track 2), vocals (track 2)
 * Jong Uk Yoon – engineering assistance (track 4)
 * Tony Zeller – engineering assistance (tracks 11 and 15)

title: In the Zone


text:
M3 (Canadian TV channel)

M3 was a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Established in 1998 as MuchMoreMusic, the network began as a spin-off of the youth-oriented MuchMusic, targeting an older demographic with adult contemporary and classic music videos, along with music news programs, concert specials, and pop culture programming (usually sourced from the U.S. network VH1, which shared a similar positioning).

Under Bell ownership and its final branding as M3, and following the lead of its parent network, the channel adopted a general entertainment format and began to heavily downplay music programming outside non-peak hours (similar to Much at the time). On September 1, 2016, M3 was shut down and replaced under its license and most channel allotments by Gusto.

History
In June 1993, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began accepting licence applications for new Canadian specialty channels for the first time since 1987. On August 31, 1993, MuchMusic and CITY-TV co-founder Moses Znaimer announced on-air a proposal by CHUM Limited to launch a specialty channel called MuchMoreMusic as an adult music/lifestyle channel, quoted as offering music more "familiar, tuneful, [and] melodic" for an audience who "could do with a little less rock and rap and metal". This followed CHUM's earlier application for a country music channel, MuchCountry. "Melodic pop, soft rock, jazz, soul and blues" were to be some of the genres played by MuchMoreMusic; according to CHUM, the new channel would be able to provide such music to the "sizable" portion of its existing audience who enjoyed such softer music but could not find it reliably on MuchMusic.

At a subsequent February 1994 public hearing, the CRTC reviewed a total of seven applications for music channels, comprising five country music channels, MuchMoreMusic, and CHUM's MusiquExtra, which was to be a French-language adult contemporary counterpart. In a Canadian Press article, commissioner Adrian Burns noted concerns with giving one operator control of multiple music channels; Znaimer, meanwhile, claimed that there was no room for more than one operator of music channels in Canada. In June, the MuchMoreMusic application was denied by the Commission, as well as the MuchCountry and MusiquExtra proposals; out of the seven, the only application approved was Maclean-Hunter and Rawlco Communications' The Country Network (which launched as New Country Network, and later became CMT). Subsequently, the CRTC was criticized for passing only 10 of the 48 total applications.

In January 1996, the next round of licensing began, drawing another 44 applications; CHUM submitted nine of these, including MuchMoreMusic and the French-language adult contemporary channel, now called MusiMax (formerly MusicMax). The new application, delivered by MuchMusic programmer Denise Donlon on May 8, 1996, incorporated video testimonials by a number of Canadian musicians, including Anne Murray, Bruce Cockburn, Burton Cummings, Celine Dion, David Foster, Lawrence Gowan, Dan Hill and Marc Jordan, attesting to the need for the channel; Donlon conceded, in a Canadian Press article, that a number of Canadian musicians were no longer filming music videos because MuchMusic was not able to accommodate every music genre equally. On the same day, CHUM also made pitches for Canadian Learning Television and Computer Access, a later rejected computer education channel.

MuchMoreMusic was licensed by the CRTC in 1996 (as well as some of CHUM's other proposals rejected in 1994, including CablePulse24, Space, and Musimax); the channel was launched on October 5, 1998 under the ownership of CHUM Limited.

In January 1999, Globe and Mail critic John Doyle commented on the channel's invariant hosting at the time, remarking that it "appears to be staffed by one person only, Jana Lynne White. The woman does everything — interviews, running down the appalling video chart, promos, everything except come to your house and turn on the TV for you." The channel's early lineup also included the MuchMusic program ClipTrip, which was moved to MuchMoreMusic, along with its host Diego Fuentes, the winner of MuchMusic's 1995 VJ search. In May 2000, Bill Welychka also transferred from MuchMusic, to host Freshly Pressed and later The Loop. In April 2000, full-time staff and programming was expanded, including daytime "information segments". Studio space, at 299 Queen Street West, was shared with MuchMusic until May 2000, when it was moved to the fourth floor of the building. In September 2003, MuchMoreMusic launched a sister digital network, MuchMoreRetro, which focuses exclusively on classic music videos.

On June 22, 2007, CTVglobemedia gained control of MuchMoreMusic as a result of a takeover of CHUM Limited. On March 31, 2009, MuchMoreMusic was relaunched with a new on-air format and subsequently was renamed MuchMore. The changeover took effect at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the first edition of the newly branded morning video flow series Juiced! Ownership changed hands once again when Bell Canada gained 100% control of CTVglobemedia's assets, including MuchMore, resulting in MuchMore being taken over by Bell Media on April 1, 2011.

As M3
On September 19, 2013, Bell announced that MuchMore would be relaunched as M3 on September 30, shifting towards an entertainment-oriented "superstation" format with a focus on newly-acquired dramas and comedies alongside music programming. Unlike MuchMore, which was marketed as a spin-off of MuchMusic, M3 was marketed as a separate brand to quell concerns over viewers incorrectly suggesting that the network was catered towards a youth demographic due to its similar name. A high definition feed was also launched.

After the relaunch, MuchMoreRetro was rebranded as MuchRetro, aligning the channel with the Much brand. The MuchMore Countdown became the M3 Countdown and was relaunched with a new format on January 18, 2014. It was the last remaining original music-related program on the network. Juiced was cancelled following the rebrand and M3Top20.ca (formerly known as MMMTop20.ca and, later, MMTop20.ca), a viewer-voted countdown show, was removed from the schedule in the spring of 2014.

On September 7, 2014, M3 debuted a new countdown show called the Retro 30. Replacing the M3 Countdown, Retro 30 focuses on "the biggest news, events and artists of a specific day of a year". Following its introduction, the network began adding more retro videos into its rotation. In January 2015, M3 debuted a new country music block: the M3 Country Brunch. Retro 30 was cancelled in 2015 and the Country Brunch block was later removed from the schedule.

On September 1, 2016, M3 was replaced on its CRTC license and channel allotments by Gusto, a food and lifestyle-oriented network. A prior incarnation of the network was operated by Knight Enterprises under a Category B license; the company sold the Canadian rights to the Gusto brand and programming to Bell Media, and the channel was taken over by Bell Media via M3's license.

Programming
Programming on M3 primarily consisted of dramas, sitcoms, reality shows, and theatrically-released films. M3 often carried same-week encores of programming aired on CTV and CTV Two, as well as off-network repeats of shows that aired on other Bell Media-owned channels.

Music videos were broadcast from 6:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m ET on weekdays, and 6:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m ET on weekends. Originally, the channel's music content was aligned towards lighter genres of music. Under the MuchMore branding, the channel began airing a more pop-driven rotation of videos.

As noted before, M3 was marketed as a "superstation" and a separate channel from Much. Though both channels had diverged from their original purpose, Much still retained its music-based format while expanding to focus on pop culture and adopting more younger-skewing programming (The music-based format has since been removed, as Much eventually changed its demographic to male).

Notable former personalities

 * Matt Wells
 * Karen Bertelsen
 * Diego Fuentes
 * Bill Welychka

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

title: M3 (Canadian TV channel)


text:
Talk:3rd Summit of the Americas

Comments
20 000 people? I was there in 2001 and I think there were more than 50 000 people. 20 000 people was the number used by the corporate media and since this isn't a corporate site but rather more of a site similar to indymedia maybe we should use their numbers which were closer to 50 000. Fred- — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.196.172.165 (talk) 08:57, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Nice job, Montrealais, but the Québec event was the third in a series of Summits: (and there's a special one coming up this January in Monterrey &ndash can hardly wait).
 * Miami (94) (when the FTAA idea was first taken on board)
 * Santiago (98)
 * Québec City (01)

Québec wasn't exclusively FTAA-related, either. None of them, really.

The homepage of the Summits process is here, if you fancy taking a look; broader context and all that.

– Hjr 05:22, 14 Nov 2003 (UTC)

 * If you would like to suggest a preferable title, please feel free to do so. Montréalais

 * Third Summit of the Americas? Summit of the Americas (Québec City)? 2001 Summit of the Americas? Any of those'd give us room to cover past and future ones,too. Hjr

---

The Summit of th Americas is not that a fancy name for the General Assembly of the Organization of the American States, or it is a different instance?? Baloo rch 18:45, 24 Jan 2004 (PST)

 * No -- different animals. For instance, OAS General Assembly is only at foreign-minister level; the Summits are for heads of state/govt. GA is annual; Summits are every 3 or 4 years. The Summits are not exclusively OAS events either -- there are other organizations involved. Etc. HTH, as they say. – Hajor 19:34, 24 Jan 2004 (PST)

___

 * I was reading this story and the following paragraph jumped out at me as a bit POV (especally the first sentance)...

"Although initially justified, the police response became indiscriminate. Teargas and other confrontation was used on non-violent protestors as well as citizens of the city uninvolved in the protest. Teargas was fired so near the green zone that unaware shoppers in the city were suddenly choking. Teargas was fired into at least one home, where a resident struggled to get his 6 month old to safety."

"Although initially justified, the police response became indiscriminate." says who? is this from Shirley Heafey? (the Robetson complaint mentioned further on...) or is it the impression of someone who was gassed? I think an attrabution for this comment could help clear this up.

does this warrent an NPOV tag? Mike McGregor (Can) 08:39, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

___

 * This cought my eye too:

"Police responded to the protests by firing tear gas canisters, water cannon, and rubber bullets"

Rubber bullets have been largly phased out in favor of plastic baton rounds. everything I saw on the ground and all the rounds my friend brought back were PBRs. I'm going to take some time to look into this.Mike McGregor (Can) 04:51, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

Evidence of police misconduct
The Fifth Estate did a piece about this, and had video footage of police using excessive force against the protestors (ie: One protestor was peacefully sitting in front of a police line-up, and was shot with rubber bullets several times without justification) Thus, the statement on the main article, that protestors had no evidence to back up their claim of police brutality, is invalid. I do not have a link to the video, but if anyone wants to look for it, they can find it on cbc.ca, just look up the show "the Fifth Estate". And do a search on the Quebec protests.

--- I was there and did my best to report the events as I saw them. The police and army ran out of tear gas., it's true. I put the story on Rabble. Best wish, Spanner McNeil. http://rabble.ca/babble/rabble-news-features/g-20-summit-toronto-and-tear-gas-summit-quebec-city — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.70.68.91 (talk) 16:53, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

--- I was in attendance covering this event for the our student paper The Link at Concordia University. This article is missing references about the police violence. I am unsure how to update the notes and add some references. /Frederick Edwards

From: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/may2001/queb-m02.shtml "Le Soleil has reported that bystander Eric Lafrenière was hit in the throat by a rubber bullet while watching a protest near the security perimeter. Lafrenière's larynx has been so seriously injured he may never be able to talk again. Another passerby, Richard Savignac, told La Presse that he was hit by a rubber bullet while taking a stroll with friends. NDP MP Svend Robinson was hit in the foot by a bullet while standing amid a crowd of 200 people peacefully demonstrating outside the security fence . In the same volley in which Robinson was hit, one protester's jaw was fractured and another's hand was broken."

From: http://www.labournet.net/world/0103/ftaa4.html "The Anti Riot Weapon Enfield, or Arwen 37, is described as “the first multi-purpose, multi-shot weapon system to combine lightweight, high accuracy and the ability to fire up to five shots before reloading” by its Canadian distributor, Police Ordnance Company." “If it hits someone in a rib, it is meant to crack a rib and put them in a lot of pain,” said Toronto police Constable Bob Leighton, who helps train the force’s Emergency Task Force.Weetigo (talk) 00:16, 28 October 2011 (UTC)

Format
For some reason, I cannot see much of the end of this article, including the end of the last section, the external links, and the sources. Does anyone know why? This is copied from the edit this page but I cannot view it on the article:

A formal complaint regarding the RCMP's conduct was filed by New Democrat MP Svend Robinson with the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP. On November 13, 2003, the complaint's chairwoman Shirley Heafey found that "RCMP members used excessive and unjustified force in releasing tear gas to move the protesters when a more measured response could have been attempted first." The commission recommended improved crowd-control techniques, disciplinary action against certain officers, and a formal apology to protesters.

Redundant information?
At some point, the list of the summits in the Overview section will be considered redundant. There is a navbox at the bottom of the page; and it presents similar data in an abbreviated format. --Tenmei (talk) 18:20, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

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title: Talk:3rd Summit of the Americas


text:
Elle Fictions

Elle Fictions (stylized ELLE Fictions) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group. The channel broadcasts general entertainment programming targeting young adult women.

It replaced the music television channel MusiquePlus first established in 1986 as a joint venture between CHUM Limited—owner of its English-language sister MuchMusic, and Montreal-based radio broadcaster Radiomutuel. Following the acquisition of CHUM by CTVglobemedia, Radiomutuel's successor Astral Media acquired CHUM's stake in MusiquePlus, marking its separation from common ownership with its English counterpart. After the 2013 acquisition of Astral by CTVglobemedia's successor Bell Media, MusiquePlus was sold to V Media Group, parent company of Quebec's V network. In February 2019, V Media Group announced that it planned to discontinue MusiquePlus entirely, and replace the channel with an entertainment format targeting women. The channel officially launched, licensed from the French women's magazine Elle, on August 26, 2019.

As a former Category A service, Elle Fictions was required to be carried on the basic service of all digital television providers serving the province of Quebec. The channel is typically offered optionally at the discretion of providers outside of the province.

MusiquePlus
Launching on September 2, 1986, MusiquePlus originated with an eight-hour schedule, sharing channel space with TVJQ (a predecessor of VRAK.TV); it consisted of music videos and interviews and performances that were taped from a studio on Boulevard St. Laurent in Montreal. Four hours of this programming was produced from MuchMusic's studios in Toronto and sent to Vidéotron for broadcast in Quebec to subscribers of MuchMusic. This programming is repeated once daily.

CHUM later applied to the CRTC in 1987 for a licence to operate MusiquePlus as a dedicated 24-hour channel. The CRTC approved its application, and MusiquePlus was launched as a separate channel on September 1, 1988. The channel was a joint venture between CHUM Limited and Radiomutueleach owning 50%. Radiomutuel was acquired by Astral Media in June 1999.

In July 2006, CTVglobemedia announced it would make a bid to buy CHUM Limited. Initial plans were to keep MusiquePlus and MusiMax, although CTVglobemedia soon announced that it would sell its stake in MusiquePlus and Musimax. On April 11, 2007, Astral announced that it would acquire the remaining 50% of MusiMax and MusiquePlus from CTVglobemedia, giving it full ownership—separating the network from its original parent. This deal was completed on June 30, 2007—to signify its independence from MuchMusic, MusiquePlus adopted a new logo the following year in September 2008.

On August 23, 2010, Astral launched a high definition feed of MusiquePlus.

As with its English counterpart, MusiquePlus was formerly oriented primarily towards music programming. Due to shrinking interest in music television because of the growth of online platforms, MusiquePlus increasingly focused on non-music programming targeting a young adult audience, such as comedy, films, and reality shows.

Sale to Remstar/V Media Group
While MusiquePlus has operated separately from MuchMusic ever since the deal, the network was almost re-united with its former parent in 2012 when CTVglobemedia's successor Bell Media attempted to acquire the entirety of Astral Media for an estimated $3.38 billion. However, the proposed deal was rejected by the CRTC. On March 4, 2013, following consultation with the Competition Bureau, Bell announced that it would go through with the purchase, but divest MusiquePlus, Musimax, and four other Astral-owned channels.

On December 4, 2013, Remstar, owners of the French television system V, announced that it would acquire MusiquePlus and MusiMax for an undisclosed amount. On September 11, 2014, the CRTC approved the sale. The acquisition is valued at $15.5 million; to fund the purchase, Remstar sold 15% stakes in the holding company V Media Group to the Caisse, Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Investissement Québec, and sold $1.5 million in advertising time across MusiquePlus and MusiMax to Bell. Remstar also successfully applied to have the amount of music-oriented programming the channel must air reduced to 80%. The sale was closed on September 16, 2014.

Elle Fictions
In February 2019, V Media Group announced that MusiquePlus would be replaced later in the year by a network featuring scripted programming catered towards a female audience. The company cited the successful relaunch of sister channel MusiMax as the general entertainment channel Max as a factor in the decision.

In May 2019, it was announced that the channel would launch on August 26 as Elle Fictions and that it would feature series and films targeting "active" young adult women. The branding is licensed from the French magazine Elle: the French Canadian version of the magazine had previously been published by Remstar rival Groupe TVA, but it had been announced that the rights were being acquired by KO Media—owned by local personality Louis Morissette.

Programming
The channel primarily broadcasts French-language dubs of drama series, as well as an originally-Spanish-language telenovela.
 * Dawson's Creek
 * Desperate Housewives
 * For the People
 * Gilmore Girls
 * Gossip Girl
 * Pasión prohibida
 * Road to Avonlea

title: Elle Fictions


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Point-to-multipoint communication

In telecommunications, point-to-multipoint communication (P2MP, PTMP or PMP) is communication which is accomplished via a distinct type of one-to-many connection, providing multiple paths from a single location to multiple locations.

Point-to-multipoint telecommunications is typically used in wireless Internet and IP telephony via gigahertz radio frequencies. P2MP systems have been designed with and without a return channel from the multiple receivers. A central antenna or antenna array broadcasts to several receiving antennas and the system uses a form of time-division multiplexing to allow for the return channel traffic.

Modern point-to-multipoint links
In contemporary usage, the term point-to-multipoint wireless communications relates to fixed wireless data communications for Internet or voice over IP via radio or microwave frequencies in the gigahertz range.

Point-to-multipoint is the most popular approach for wireless communications that have a large number of nodes, end destinations or end users. Point to Multipoint generally assumes there is a central base station to which remote subscriber units or customer premises equipment (CPE) (a term that was originally used in the wired telephone industry) are connected over the wireless medium. Connections between the base station and subscriber units can be either line-of-sight or, for lower-frequency radio systems, non-line-of-sight where link budgets permit. Generally, lower frequencies can offer non-line-of-sight connections. Various software planning tools can be used to determine feasibility of potential connections using topographic data as well as link budget simulation. Often the point to multipoint links are installed to reduce the cost of infrastructure and increase the number of CPE's and connectivity.

Point-to-multipoint wireless networks employing directional antennas are affected by the hidden node problem (also called hidden terminal) in case they employ a CSMA/CA medium access control protocol. The negative impact of the hidden node problem can be mitigated using a time-division multiple access (TDMA) based protocol or a polling protocol rather than the CSMA/CA protocol.

The telecommunications signal in a point-to-multipoint system is typically bi-directional, TDMA or channelized. Systems using frequency-division duplexing (FDD) offer full-duplex connections between base station and remote sites, and time-division duplex (TDD) systems offer half-duplex connections.

Point-to-multipoint systems can be implemented in licensed, semi-licensed or unlicensed frequency bands depending on the specific application. point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links are very popular in the wireless industry and when paired with other high-capacity wireless links or technologies such as free space optics (FSO) can be referred to as backhaul.

The base station may have a single omnidirectional antenna or multiple sector antennas, the latter of which allowing greater range and capacity.

title: Point-to-multipoint communication


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Germline

In biology and genetics, the germline is the population of a multicellular organism's cells that develop into germ cells. In other words, they are the cells that form gametes (eggs and sperm), which can come together to form a zygote. They differentiate in the gonads from primordial germ cells into gametogonia, which develop into gametocytes, which develop into the final gametes. This process is known as gametogenesis.

Germ cells pass on genetic material through the process of sexual reproduction. This includes fertilization, recombination and meiosis. These processes help to increase genetic diversity in offspring.

Certain organisms reproduce asexually via processes such as apomixis, parthenogenesis, autogamy, and cloning. Apomixis and Parthenogenesis both refer to the development of an embryo without fertilization. The former typically occurs in plants seeds, while the latter tends to be seen in nematodes, as well as certain species of reptiles, birds, and fish. Autogamy is a term used to describe self pollination in plants. Cloning is a technique used to creation of genetically identical cells or organisms.

In sexually reproducing organisms, cells that are not in the germline are called somatic cells. According to this definition, mutations, recombinations and other genetic changes in the germline may be passed to offspring, but changes in a somatic cell will not be. This need not apply to somatically reproducing organisms, such as some Porifera and many plants. For example, many varieties of citrus, plants in the Rosaceae and some in the Asteraceae, such as Taraxacum, produce seeds apomictically when somatic diploid cells displace the ovule or early embryo.

In an earlier stage of genetic thinking, there was a clear distinction between germline and somatic cells. For example, August Weismann proposed and pointed out, a germline cell is immortal in the sense that it is part of a lineage that has reproduced indefinitely since the beginning of life and, barring accident, could continue doing so indefinitely. However, it is now known in some detail that this distinction between somatic and germ cells is partly artificial and depends on particular circumstances and internal cellular mechanisms such as telomeres and controls such as the selective application of telomerase in germ cells, stem cells and the like.

Not all multicellular organisms differentiate into somatic and germ lines, but in the absence of specialised technical human intervention practically all but the simplest multicellular structures do so. In such organisms somatic cells tend to be practically totipotent, and for over a century sponge cells have been known to reassemble into new sponges after having been separated by forcing them through a sieve.

Germline can refer to a lineage of cells spanning many generations of individuals—for example, the germline that links any living individual to the hypothetical last universal common ancestor, from which all plants and animals descend.

Evolution
Plants and basal metazoans such as sponges (Porifera) and corals (Anthozoa) do not sequester a distinct germline, generating gametes from multipotent stem cell lineages that also give rise to ordinary somatic tissues. It is therefore likely that germline sequestration first evolved in complex animals with sophisticated body plans, i.e. bilaterians. There are several theories on the origin of the strict germline-soma distinction. Setting aside an isolated germ cell population early in embryogenesis might promote cooperation between the somatic cells of a complex multicellular organism. Another recent theory suggests that early germline sequestration evolved to limit the accumulation of deleterious mutations in mitochondrial genes in complex organisms with high energy requirements and fast mitochondrial mutation rates.

DNA damage, mutation and repair
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as byproducts of metabolism. In germline cells, ROS are likely a significant cause of DNA damages that, upon DNA replication, lead to mutations. 8-Oxoguanine, an oxidized derivative of guanine, is produced by spontaneous oxidation in the germline cells of mice, and during the cell's DNA replication cause GC to TA transversion mutations. Such mutations occur throughout the mouse chromosomes as well as during different stages of gametogenesis.

The mutation frequencies for cells in different stages of gametogenesis are about 5 to 10-fold lower than in somatic cells both for spermatogenesis and oogenesis. The lower frequencies of mutation in germline cells compared to somatic cells appears to be due to more efficient DNA repair of DNA damages, particularly homologous recombinational repair, during germline meiosis. Among humans, about five percent of live-born offspring have a genetic disorder, and of these, about 20% are due to newly arisen germline mutations.

Epigenetic alterations
Epigenetic alterations of DNA include modifications that affect gene expression, but are not caused by changes in the sequence of bases in DNA. A well-studied example of such an alteration is the methylation of DNA cytosine to form 5-methylcytosine. This usually occurs in the DNA sequence CpG, changing the DNA at the CpG site from CpG to 5-mCpG. Methylation of cytosines in CpG sites in promoter regions of genes can reduce or silence gene expression. About 28 million CpG dinucleotides occur in the human genome, and about 24 million CpG sites in the mouse genome (which is 86% as large as the human genome ). In most tissues of mammals, on average, 70% to 80% of CpG cytosines are methylated (forming 5-mCpG).

In the mouse, by days 6.25 to 7.25 after fertilization of an egg by a sperm, cells in the embryo are set aside as primordial germ cells (PGCs). These PGCs will later give rise to germline sperm cells or egg cells. At this point the PGCs have high typical levels of methylation. Then primordial germ cells of the mouse undergo genome-wide DNA demethylation, followed by subsequent new methylation to reset the epigenome in order to form an egg or sperm.

In the mouse, PGCs undergo DNA demethylation in two phases. The first phase, starting at about embryonic day 8.5, occurs during PGC proliferation and migration, and it results in genome-wide loss of methylation, involving almost all genomic sequences. This loss of methylation occurs through passive demethylation due to repression of the major components of the methylation machinery. The second phase occurs during embryonic days 9.5 to 13.5 and causes demethylation of most remaining specific loci, including germline-specific and meiosis-specific genes. This second phase of demethylation is mediated by the TET enzymes TET1 and TET2, which carry out the first step in demethylation by converting 5-mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) during embryonic days 9.5 to 10.5. This is likely followed by replication-dependent dilution during embryonic days 11.5 to 13.5. At embryonic day 13.5, PGC genomes display the lowest level of global DNA methylation of all cells in the life cycle.

In the mouse, the great majority of differentially expressed genes in PGCs from embryonic day 9.5 to 13.5, when most genes are demethylated, are upregulated in both male and female PGCs.

Following erasure of DNA methylation marks in mouse PGCs, male and female germ cells undergo new methylation at different time points during gametogenesis. While undergoing mitotic expansion in the developing gonad, the male germline starts the re-methylation process by embryonic day 14.5. The sperm-specific methylation pattern is maintained during mitotic expansion. DNA methylation levels in primary oocytes before birth remain low, and re-methylation occurs after birth in the oocyte growth phase.

title: Germline


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Sian Elias

Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) was the 12th chief justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and on several occasions acted as administrator of the Government.

Early life and family
Born in London of an Armenian father and a Welsh mother (hence her Welsh forename and Armenian surname), Elias arrived in New Zealand in 1952, and later attended Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland. She completed a law degree from the University of Auckland in 1970, and then undertook further study at Stanford University. She took up employment with an Auckland law firm in 1972, beginning her career as a barrister three years later. She also served as a member of the Motor Spirits Licensing Appeal Authority and of the Working Party on the Environment.

Elias is married to Hugh Fletcher, former CEO of Fletcher Challenge and a former Chancellor of the University of Auckland.

Early judicial career
Elias served as a Law Commissioner from 1984 to 1988. She is also known for her work in relation to various Treaty-related cases. In 1990, she was awarded a New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in recognition of her services. In 1988 she and Lowell Goddard were made the first women Queen's Counsel in New Zealand. Elias became a judge of the High Court in 1995, and occasionally sat on the Court of Appeal.

Chief Justice
On 17 May 1999, Elias was sworn in as Chief Justice of New Zealand, the first woman to hold that position in New Zealand. In the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Service as Administrator of the Government
One aspect of the role of chief justice that of administrator of the Government when the governor-general is unable to fulfil their duties (due to a vacancy in the position, illness, absence from New Zealand or some other cause). Elias most prominently held the role of administrator of the Government from 22 March 2001 until 4 April 2001, between the terms of Sir Michael Hardie Boys and Dame Silvia Cartwright, from 4 August 2006 until 23 August 2006 between Cartwright's term and that of Sir Anand Satyanand, from 23 August 2011 until 31 August 2011 between the terms of Satyanand and Sir Jerry Mateparae, from 31 August 2016 until 28 September 2016 between the terms of Mateparae and Dame Patsy Reddy, and at other times when the governor-general has been unable to act.

Support for Māori Treaty claims
In 1984, Elias helped Ngāneko Minhinnick's Manukau Harbour claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. This led to work on other treaty cases, including as counsel in New Zealand Maori Council v Attorney-General, and in a claim to prevent the Government selling radio frequencies, and the case challenging the 1994 Māori electoral option. In June 2003 she was involved in a landmark case which allowed for the possibility that the Māori Land Court could issue freehold title over the foreshore and seabed. The subsequent legal uncertainties and upheavals in Māoridom dominated the political agenda for the next 18 months.

The Blameless Babes speech
In July 2009 Elias caused controversy with her remarks in the annual Shirley Smith address, organised by the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Law Society's Women-in-Law committee. The annual lecture is given in honour of noted criminal defence lawyer, Shirley Smith. The speech was entitled "Blameless Babes" after a quote from Smith, who wrote "[providing] a prison at the bottom of the cliff is not a solution. Criminals will just go on falling into it, at great cost to the community. We have to find out why blameless babes become criminals."

In her speech, Elias expressed concern about prison overcrowding and argued against what she described as the "punitive and knee-jerk" attitude of politicians towards the criminal justice system.

As a final point, Elias said that unless New Zealand takes action to address the underlying causes of crime, Government may be forced into the position of using executive amnesties to reduce the growing number of prisoners. The Chief Justice's comments were widely reported in the media. Simon Power, the Minister of Justice, said in response: "The Chief Justice's speech does not represent Government policy in any way, shape or form".

title: Sian Elias


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Talk:Rakaposhi

Edit conflict
I noticed the broken link after I saved the page. Immediately went to update it and added more information which caused an annoying page already updated conflict. I simply copied and pasted the entire edit buffer into a new update. RedWolf 05:33, Nov 14, 2003 (UTC)

Corrected Lat/Long
Source: List of highest mountains

Major additions
--Spireguy 17:15, 18 March 2006 (UTC)
 * added seconds to lat/long (source: digital data)
 * minor frostbite, not severe, on first ascent
 * added entries to timeline (see sources)
 * various corrections/additions to timeline (see sources)
 * major revision of route info
 * sources added: two of the most standard, trusted reference books, plus the Alpine Club's Himalayan Index, and on-line digital data
 * links moved, added

Viewpoint info
I cleaned up the info about the "Zero Point of Rakaposhi." It was redundant and not particularly grammatical. --Spireguy

Range correction
The Karakoram are more properly considered a separate mountain range from the Himalaya, so I changed the first sentence to reflect that. --Spireguy 03:00, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

Changed the infobox
I've removed the infobox because there was something wrong with the "coor" tag, I replaced it with the infobox used on Nanga Parbat's page which is more obvious, WYSIWYG. Waqas.usman 12:21, April 16, 2006 (UTC)

Old infobox:

I edited the infobox above because the template Mtnbox has been deprecated. This was done to facilitate the transition to the template infobox Mountain. Droll 02:43, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Vertical rise---"no other point" claim
I deleted the claim that no other point has this much rise over 11.5km, since according to my info, Annapurna rises 5800m in 11.25km. (I don't think any other peak besides these two is a good contender for the 5800m rise title, but I'd have to check my info more thoroughly.) If someone can find a reliable source supporting an undisputed victory for Rakaposhi (and hence contradicting my Annapurna claim), feel free to reinstate. -- Spireguy (talk) 03:26, 26 December 2008 (UTC)
 * The claim, to my best knowledge, was actually correct. Annapurna I does not rise 5800 m unobscured above any place whatsoever within a radius of 11.25 km. The peak you're probably referring to is a minor subpeak of the Annapurna massif, called Baraha Shikhar (more info @Annapurna) which, as a matter of fact, beside Dhaulagiri W face, is a relevant competitor to the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat which is most often referred to as the tallest wall in the world. There is no peak though, except for Rakaposhi, that rises nearly 6000 m uninterrupted in such a steep manner. This is the truly world's highest mountain in a colloquial sense, i.e. looked at from the valley flor or simply measured from its base and it well surpasses Everest in this regard (over twice the height of Everest N face).--46.171.197.14 (talk) 20:58, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 03:52, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

Random lines on this page.
There's a thumb word on the top which links it to the wikipedia page of a thumb. Last line for the paragraph asks the reader to go to youtube. looks like some self advertising. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.66.183.106 (talk) 02:49, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Rakaposhi


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Backchannel (disambiguation)

A backchannel is a real-time online conversation using networked computers that takes place alongside live spoken remarks.

Backchannel may also refer to:
 * Back Channel, a canal in California

 * Return channel, a low-speed, or less-than-optimal, telecommunications transmission channel in the opposite direction to the main channel
 * Backchanneling, the method a malicious malware program uses to secretly communicate to command and control servers from a compromised computer
 * Backchannel diplomacy or Track II diplomacy, an unofficial channel of communication between states or other political entities
 * Backchannel (linguistics), listener responses that can be both verbal and non-verbal in nature
 * Backchanneling, an organizational practice in business that involves bypassing recognized or official chains of command in order to create vulnerability at the level(s) skipped
 * Backchannel (blog), a technology publication on the blog-publishing platform Medium

title: Backchannel (disambiguation)


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Limpopo

Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.

The province is made up of three former homelands of Lebowa, Gazankulu and Venda and part of the former Transvaal province. The Limpopo province was established as one of nine provinces after the 1994 South African general election. The province's name was first "Northern Transvaal", later changed to "Northern Province" on 28 June 1995, with two other provinces. The name was later changed again in 2002 to the Limpopo Province. Limpopo is made up of three main ethnic groups: the Pedi, the Tsonga and the Venda.

Traditional leaders and chiefs still form a strong backbone of the province's political landscape. Established in terms of the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders Act, Act 5 of 2005, the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders' main function is to advise the government and the legislature on matters related to custom, tradition, and culture, including developmental initiatives that affect rural communities. On 18 August 2017, Kgosi Malesela Dikgale was re-elected as the Chairperson of the Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders.

History
The world heritage site of the Mapungubwe National Park boasts archaeological finds from the period of a powerful local kingdom that ruled here between CE.800 and 1290. existed. The remains of a settlement from the period between the CE.15th and 17th century can be seen in Thulamela in the northern part of the Kruger National Park.

Until CE.1994 it was the northern part of the former Transvaal Province. For a short period since CE.1994 it was called the Province of Northern Transvaal and thereafter, through the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Amendment Act No. 20 of CE.1995 from July CE.1995 initially Northern Province''. The province was named after the Limpopo River by decision of the provincial assembly in CE.2002, and at the same time most of the cities on its territory were renamed. However, the renaming of the province required an amendment to the South African constitution, which was passed with an amending law was made in CE.2003. ''

In CE.2013, Stan Mathabatha replaced his predecessor Cassel Mathale (both ANC) as Prime Minister.

Geography
Limpopo Province shares international borders with districts and provinces of three countries: Botswana's Central and Kgatleng districts to the west and northwest respectively, Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces to the north and northeast respectively, and Mozambique's Gaza Province to the east. Limpopo is the link between South Africa and countries further afield in sub-Saharan Africa. On its southern edge, from east to west, it shares borders with the South African provinces of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and North West. Its border with Gauteng includes that province's Johannesburg-Pretoria axis, the most industrialised metropolis on the continent. The province is central to regional, national, and international developing markets.

Limpopo contains much of the Waterberg Biosphere, a massif of approximately 15000 km2 which is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Law and government
The current Premier of Limpopo Province is Stanley Mathabatha, representing the African National Congress.

Municipalities

Limpopo Province is divided into five district municipalities. The district municipalities are in turn divided into 25 local municipalities:

District municipalities

 * Capricorn District
 * Blouberg
 * Lepele-Nkumpi
 * Molemole
 * Polokwane
 * Mopani District
 * Ba-Phalaborwa
 * Greater Giyani
 * Greater Letaba
 * Greater Tzaneen
 * Maruleng
 * Sekhukhune District
 * Elias Motsoaledi
 * Ephraim Mogale
 * Fetakgomo Tubatse
 * Makhuduthamaga
 * Vhembe District
 * Makhado
 * Musina
 * Collins Chabane
 * Thulamela
 * Waterberg District
 * Bela-Bela
 * Lephalale
 * Modimolle–Mookgophong
 * Mogalakwena
 * Thabazimbi

Economy
Limpopo has a total population of 6.015 million with 1.641 million Households. The province has a high Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.710, which is the third highest in South Africa.

Agriculture
The bushveld is beef cattle country, where extensive ranching operations are often supplemented by controlled hunting. About 80% of South Africa's game hunting industry is in Limpopo. Sunflowers, cotton, maize and peanuts are cultivated in the Bela-Bela and Modimolle areas. Modimolle is also known for its table grapes. An embryotic wine industry is growing in Limpopo. Tropical fruit, such as bananas, litchis, pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws, as well as a variety of nuts, are grown in the Tzaneen and Louis Trichardt areas. Tzaneen is also at the centre of extensive citrus, tea, and coffee plantations and a major forestry industry. Most of the farmers and households lack a water supply. Therefore, they drill their boreholes on their premises.

Housing
Most Limpopo residents live in rural areas; this has led to a new phenomenon of rural development, where the residents have invested in building lavish homes on their tribal land. Limpopo rural houses have been profiled by TV channels, lifestyle vloggers, social media influencers, and Africa's biggest facts brand, Africa Facts Zone. According to 96.2% of Limpopo live in formal housing, above the national average of 84.0%. This makes Limpopo the province with the highest percentage of people living in formal housing in South Africa.

Mining
Limpopo's rich mineral deposits include the platinum group metals, iron ore, chromium, high- and middle-grade coking coal, diamonds, antimony, phosphate, and copper, as well as mineral reserves like gold, emeralds, scheelite, magnetite, vermiculite, silicon, and mica. Commodities such as black granite, corundum, and feldspar are also found. Mining contributes to over a fifth of the provincial economy.

Limpopo has the largest platinum deposit in South Africa. The Waterberg Coalfield, the eastern extension of Botswana's Mmamabula coalfields, is estimated to contain 40% of South Africa's coal reserves.

Tourism
The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism has targeted the province as a preferred eco-tourism destination. Its Environment and Tourism Programme encompasses tourism, protected areas, and community environment development to achieve sustainable economic growth.

While Limpopo is one of South Africa's poorest provinces, it is rich in wildlife, which gives it an advantage in attracting tourists. Both the private and public sectors are investing in tourism development.

Near Modjadjiskloof, at Sunland Baobab farms, there is a large Baobab tree which has been fashioned into a relatively spacious pub.

Transportation and communications
The province has excellent road, rail, and air links. The N1 route from Johannesburg, which extends the length of the province, is the busiest overland route in Africa in terms of cross-border trade in raw materials and beneficiated goods. The port of Durban, South Africa's busiest, is served directly by the province, as are the ports of Richards Bay and Maputo. Polokwane International Airport is situated just north of Polokwane. Limpopo province contains approximately 56 airports and airstrips.

Education
The Department of Education is responsible for effecting quality education and training for all. The Department has to coordinate all professional development and support. Policies, systems, and procedures had to be developed.

Educational institutions
As of December 2020, 12.9% of the Limpopo population had attained some post-school qualifications. The following higher education institutions are found in Limpopo:
 * University of Limpopo (Polokwane, Mankweng)
 * University of Venda (Thohoyandou)
 * Tshwane University of Technology (Polokwane Campus)
 * Capricorn College for TVET (Polokwane)
 * Lephalale TVET College (Lephalale)
 * Letaba TVET College (Tzaneen)
 * Mopani South East TVET College (Phalaborwa)
 * Sekhukhune TVET College (Motetema)
 * Vhembe TVET College (Venda)
 * Waterberg TVET College (Mokopane)

Sports

 * Association football: Polokwane was one of South Africa's host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with matches being played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Football clubs in the province include Real Rovers, Silver Stars, Black Leopards, Polokwane City, Magesi, Baroka, Ria Stars and Dynamos.
 * Rugby union: Limpopo has no provincial rugby team of its own; it is represented in the domestic Currie Cup by the Pretoria-based Blue Bulls. The Blue Bulls also operate a Super Rugby franchise, the Bulls. Limpopo nonetheless produces its share of top players. Most notably, the most-capped forward in the history of the country's national team, Victor Matfield, is a native of Polokwane.
 * Basketball: The province is home to Limpopo Pride, a professional team that plays in South Africa's top basketball division, the Basketball National League.

Demographics
The population of Limpopo consists of several ethnic groups distinguished by culture, language, and race. 97.3% of the population is Black, 2.4% is White, 0.2% is Coloured, and 0.1% is Indian/Asian. The province has the smallest percentage and second smallest total number of White South Africans in the country. However, there are several localities with a White majority, notably Hoedspruit and Modimolle. It also has the highest Black percentage out of all the provinces.

The Northern Sotho people comprise the largest percentage of the population, 52% of the province. The Tsonga people comprise about 24.0% of the province; the Tsonga also comprise about 11.5% of Mpumalanga province since the southern part of their homeland, Gazankulu, was cut off from Limpopo and allocated to Mpumalanga. The Venda make up about 16.7%. Afrikaners make up the majority of Limpopo's White population, about 95,000 people; English-speaking Whites number just over 20,000. Vhembe district has the smallest share of White people in Limpopo, about 5,000 total. In contrast, the Waterberg district has the largest share of Whites, with more than 60,000 Whites residing there. Coloureds and Asians/Indians make up a tiny percentage of the province's total population.

HIV / AIDS
At 18.5% (2007), Limpopo has a relatively high incidence of HIV compared to other South African provinces. Cases rose from 14.5% to 21.5% between 2001 and 2005, with a slight fall between 2005 and 2007. However, as at 2019, the Limpopo province HIV stats sat at (13.2%) which is one of the lowest in comparison with other provinces in South Africa.

title: Limpopo


text:
Channelization (telecommunications)

Channelized in a telecommunications environment means that the line that communications have been transmitted over contains more than one message thread, separated in some fashion.

Typical channelization methods include packetizing, frequency-division multiplexing, and time-division multiplexing.

See also Channel (communications)

title: Channelization (telecommunications)