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HMCS Toronto (FFH 333)

HMCS Toronto (FFH 333) is a Halifax-class frigate that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1993. Toronto is the fourth ship in her class which is the name for the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project. She is the second RCN ship to be named for Canada's largest city. When not on operations she is assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and is based at CFB Halifax. Toronto serves on MARLANT missions protecting Canada's sovereignty in the Atlantic Ocean and enforcing Canadian laws in its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.

Description and design
The Halifax-class frigate design of which Toronto belongs, was ordered by the Canadian Forces in 1977 as a replacement for the aging St. Laurent-class destroyer, Restigouche-class destroyer, Mackenzie-class destroyer, and Annapolis-class destroyeres of destroyer escorts, which were all tasked with anti-submarine warfare. In July 1983, the federal government approved the budget for the design and construction of the first batch of six new frigates of which Toronto was a part, out of twelve that were eventually built. To reflect the changing long term strategy of the Navy during the 1980s and 1990s, the Halifax-class frigates was designed as a general purpose warship with particular focus on anti-submarine capabilities.

As built, the Halifax-class vessels displaced 4750 LT and were 441 ft long overall and 408 ft between perpendiculars with a beam of 53 ft and a draught of 16 ft. That made them slightly larger than the Iroquois-class destroyers. The vessels are propelled by two shafts with Escher Wyss controllable pitch propellers driven by a CODOG system of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, generating 47,500 shp and one SEMT Pielstick 20 PA6 V 280 diesel engine, generating 8,800 shp.

This gives the frigates a maximum speed of 29 kn and a range of 7000 nmi at 15 kn while using their diesel engines. Using their gas turbines, the ships have a range of 3930 nmi at 18 kn. The Halifax class have a complement of 198 naval personnel of which 17 are officers and 17 aircrew of which 8 are officers.

Armament and aircraft
As built the Halifax-class vessels deployed the CH-124 Sea King helicopter, which acted in concert with shipboard sensors to seek out and destroy submarines at long distances from the ships. The ships have a helicopter deck fitted with a "bear trap" system allowing the launch and recovery of helicopters in up to sea state 6. The Halifax class also carries a close-in anti-submarine weapon in the form of the Mark 46 torpedo, launched from twin Mark 32 Mod 9 torpedo tubes in launcher compartments either side of the forward end of the helicopter hangar.

As built, the anti-shipping role is supported by the RGM-84 Harpoon Block 1C surface-to-surface missile, mounted in two quadruple launch tubes at the main deck level between the funnel and the helicopter hangar. For anti-aircraft self-defence the ships are armed with the Sea Sparrow vertical launch surface-to-air missile in two Mk 48 Mod 0 eight-cell launchers placed to port and starboard of the funnel. The vessels carry 16 missiles. A Raytheon/General Dynamics Phalanx Mark 15 Mod 21 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) is mounted on top of the helicopter hangar for "last-ditch" defence against targets that evade the Sea Sparrow.

As built, the main gun on the forecastle is a 57 mm/70 calibre Mark 2 gun from Bofors. The gun is capable of firing 2.4 kg shells at a rate of 220 rounds per minute at a range of more than 17 km.

Countermeasures and sensors
As built, the decoy system comprises Two BAE Systems Shield Mark 2 decoy launchers which fire chaff to 2 km and infrared rockets to 169 m in distraction, confusion and centroid seduction modes. The torpedo decoy is the AN/SLQ-25A Nixie towed acoustic decoy from Argon ST. The ship's radar warning receiver, the CANEWS (Canadian Electronic Warfare System), SLQ-501, and the radar jammer, SLQ-505, were developed by Thorn and Lockheed Martin Canada.

Two Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) SPG-503 (STIR 1.8) fire control radars are installed one on the roof of the bridge and one on the raised radar platform immediately forward of the helicopter hangar. The ship is also fitted with Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)5 long-range active air search radar operating at C and D bands, Ericsson HC150 Sea Giraffe medium-range air and surface search radar operating at G and H bands, and Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band navigation radar. The sonar suite includes the CANTASS Canadian Towed Array and GD-C AN/SQS-510 hull mounted sonar and incorporates an acoustic range prediction system. The sonobuoy processing system is the GD-C AN/UYS-503.

Modernization
The Halifax class underwent a modernization program, known as the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) program, in order to update the frigates' capabilities in combatting modern smaller, faster and more mobile threats. This involved upgrading the command and control, radar, communications, electronic warfare and armament systems. Further improvements, such as modifying the vessel to accommodate the new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and satellite links will be done separately from the main Frigate Equipment Life Extension (FELEX) program.

The FELEX program comprised upgrading the combat systems integration to CMS330. The SPS-49 2D long-range air search radar was replaced by the Thales Nederland SMART-S Mk 2 E/F-band 3D surveillance radar, and the two STIR 1.8 fire-control radars were replaced by a pair of Saab Ceros 200 recontrol radars. A Telephonics IFF Mode 5/S interrogator was installed and the Elisra NS9003A-V2HC ESM system replaced the SLQ-501 CANEWS. An IBM multi-link (Link 11, Link 16 and Link 22 enabled) datalink processing system was installed along with two Raytheon Anschütz Pathfinder Mk II navigation radars. Furthermore, Rheinmetall's Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), known as MASS DUERAS, was introduced to replace the Plessey Shield decoy system. The existing 57 mm Mk 2 guns were upgraded to the Mk 3 standard, the Harpoon missiles were improved to Block II levels, the Phalanx was upgraded to Block 1B, and the obsolete Sea Sparrow system was replaced by the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile.

Service history
Toronto was laid down on 22 April 1989 by Saint John Shipbuilding Ltd. at Saint John, New Brunswick, and launched on 18 December 1990. The frigate was commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 29 July 1993 at Toronto, Ontario, and carries the hull classification symbol FFH 333.

In 1994, Toronto deployed to the Adriatic Sea in support of the NATO blockade of Yugoslavia. In 1995, with HMCS Halifax (FFH 330) and HMCS Terra Nova (DDE 259), Toronto sailed to Europe making a series of port visits in commemoration of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The same year, the ship took part in the NATO naval exercise Linked Seas off Portugal. In 1996, Toronto sailed through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes making several port visits.

In 1998, Toronto joined the NATO fleet STANAVFORLANT in January. On 10 February, the ship was redeployed to the Persian Gulf to assist in the enforcement of sanctions against Iraq. During the ship's deployment, the frigate served with a United States Navy fleet. The ship returned to Canada on 16 June. On 5 December, Toronto sailed to the Middle East as part of Operation Apollo in the War in Afghanistan. The ship returned to Canada on 27 May 2002. From January to July 2004, Toronto took part in Operation Altair, operating with the USS George Washington (CVN-73) Carrier Strike Group as part of a U.S.-led coalition in Operation Enduring Freedom. In summer 2005, Toronto performed another tour of the Great Lakes.

On 6 September 2005, Toronto, with HMCS Athabaskan (DDG 282), HMCS St. John's (FFH 340) and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir William Alexander, were dispatched to the Gulf of Mexico to aid the United States in their response to the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, Toronto with HMCS Shawinigan (MM 704) and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Pierre Radisson made an Arctic patrol through Frobisher Bay as part of Operation Nanook. In 2009, Toronto deployed to the Caribbean Sea to perform drug-smuggling interdiction duties as part of Operation Caribbe. The ship returned to the Caribbean in 2011 as part of Operation Caribbe.

Toronto participated in Operation Artemis, commencing her first rotation (ROTO 2) in January 2013 and finishing in February 2014 (which included a crew swap in July 2013 [the first crew swap in RCN history since 1991]).

While relieving HMCS Regina (FFH 334) in the Mediterranean Sea as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, Toronto was reassigned to the Black Sea for Operation Reassurance in response to Russian intervention in Central and Eastern Europe. Toronto led Task Unit 2 (TU.02) and worked in concert with Spanish Navy frigate SPANISH FRIGATE Almirante Juan de Borbón, and operated with Romanian Navy frigate Regele Ferdinand and United States Navy destroyer USS Ross (DDG-71) as well as other vessels from Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

On 8 September 2014, Toronto was circled by two Russian Su-24 attack aircraft and a Russian surveillance plane in a provocative manner. In November 2014, six members of the crew helped fight a fire while on shore leave in Antalya, Turkey. While in the Mediterranean Sea, Toronto suffered a fire in its auxiliary machinery room on 25 December 2014. The fire was extinguished and all personnel affected by the smoke were treated and released. During the frigate's deployment, Toronto participated in three naval exercises and led Task Unit 2 while operating in the Black Sea. HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337) relieved the ship in January 2015.

Toronto was the last ship of the class to complete her FELEX refit, which was performed at Irving Shipyards in Halifax. The vessel was returned to the Royal Canadian Navy on 29 November 2016 to begin sea trials. The vessel was not expected to be operational until 2017–18. In January 2018, Toronto trained with the new Resolve-class auxiliary vessel, MV Asterix off the coast of Nova Scotia.

In October, Toronto was deployed to European waters. During a series of exercises in UK waters, the frigate developed a significant electrical problem that caused a loss of power to the ship. Power was later restored and Toronto was ordered to Belfast for repairs. As the frigate was docking in Belfast, a small fire began in the starboard gas turbine enclosure in the forward engine room, which was quickly extinguished by the crew. This marked the second such fire in days aboard Halifax-class frigates, the first aboard HMCS Halifax (FFH 330). The ship returned to Canada. On 19 January 2019, Toronto departed Halifax for the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Reassurance. The frigate sailed into the Black Sea and visited Odesa, Ukraine.

Toronto returned to Halifax on 4 August 2019. On 22 August 2019, a fire broke out aboard Toronto while the ship was at dock in Halifax undergoing routine maintenance. The fire broke out at roughly 6:50 pm and was extinguished within 20 minutes. No one was injured.

title: HMCS Toronto (FFH 333)


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Talk:Planetary science

Recent removal of sections by unregistered user.
Recently an unregistered user made major changes to the page by deleting several sections.

These sections include: Professional Activity and the subsections of journals, major bodies, and conference, major organizations, and the section "in popular culture" which made mention of planetology in Dune. These are all fairly standard Wikipedia sections for a discipline in my opinion. For example, the guest user stated in regard to the professional activity section that:" this is also something that I have not seen in any other article about any scientific field. If relevant, these things should be described in normal prose. This list really does not illuminate the topic at all." The page Geography, among others, has similar sections. In my experience, this is common in high order academic disciplines pages.

I have undone most of these deletions. I took some time to rearrange the sections a bit, and did not add back all of the content. I placed a tag that this page needed more sources for verification in June, which I stand by. Many of these sections included important information that I believe helped to establish the discipline.

I changed the section "in popular culture" to be "in fiction." Currently, the section is small, but I believe significant to the topic overall as planetology/planetary science is not uncommon in science fiction, but does not warrant a separate page. Currently, this only mentions the Dune franchise, frequently described as the best-selling science fiction novel in history. As this page needs sources for verification, this mention is of note. If in the future this section becomes excessive, it can be split into its own page for "Planetary science in fiction."

I agree with the user that some of these sections could/should be converted to prose, and then separate list articles created. However, I don't agree with deleting them until such a change is made.

These are my thoughts, and I am posting here for discussion to avoid an edit war. The changes this user made are significant and as I disagree, I think should be discussed a bit here before such a major purge. Hopefully we can build a consensus.

GeogSage ( ⚔Chat?⚔ ) 20:16, 22 July 2023 (UTC)

 * "Guest user"? How incredibly disrespectful. That you start with an ad hominem attack tells us all we need to know here; you're reverting because you don't like IP editors. And you continue with rank dishonesty; there is no section like "professional activity" in Geography. And the notion that a section containing only a mention of Dune could somehow show that planetary science has had a broad impact on popular culture is preposterous. I have restored my changes. 93.159.183.71 (talk) 06:03, 23 July 2023 (UTC)
 * "IP users, guest users or unregistered users are users who edit Wikipedia without registering for an account. " -IP users
 * Guest user, is a word used to describe Wikipedia editors who are not using an account, it is not an ad hominem attack. I'm reverting because I don't agree with your edits. It has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on IP editors, I can't tag your account in an edit so I used the jargon from Wikipedia's page on IP users to refer to you instead.
 * In the geography page, there similar sections containing lists of geographers, publications, and institutions. I agreed that some of these sections could be trimmed so did not fully revert your edits to this page. I thought completely eliminating them was excessive, but did consolidate them a bit.
 * Planetary science/planetology is something that appears in fiction. Dune is an example, but it is probably not the only example. The section could be expanded in the future, or even split into another page, but for now, the short nod to planetology appearing prominently in one of the biggest science fiction franchises ever is noteworthy.
 * My dispute with your edits has everything to do with my disagreement with the edits themselves. For example, I am the one who wrote the "in popular culture" section, so obviously I would dispute its complete elimination. I moved the discussion to the talk page here to discuss this and try and build a consensus with other users. You are engaging in Edit warring with other users at this point on this issue. This was what I was trying to avoid by starting the discussion on this talk page.  GeogSage  ( ⚔Chat?⚔ ) 09:00, 23 July 2023 (UTC)

more sources
Science direct has Planetary Science as Topic (Link), which gives an overview to related books, which are quite new. It is also helpful for the discussion of the disciplinary boundaries of the field. Ai24 (talk) 05:46, 11 November 2023 (UTC)

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

title: Talk:Planetary science


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Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland

Article 2 and Article 3 of the Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) were adopted with the Constitution of Ireland as a whole on 29 December 1937, but revised completely by means of the Nineteenth Amendment which became effective 2 December 1999. As amended, they grant the right to be "part of the Irish Nation" to all those people born on the island of Ireland; the articles also express a desire for the peaceful political unification of the island subject to the consent of the people of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Before 1999, Articles 2 and 3 made the claim that the whole island formed one "national territory".

Current version
The Irish Government was bound by the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to submit Articles 2 and 3 to amendment by referendum. As a result, the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution was adopted during June of the same year by 94% of those voting. The new wording describes the Irish nation as a community of individuals with a common identity rather than as a territory, and is intended to reassure unionists that a united Ireland will not happen without the consent of a majority of the Northern Ireland electorate.

Article 2
"It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage."

Article 3
"# It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.
 * 1) Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be established by their respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may exercise powers and functions in respect of all or any part of the island."

Article 2
As amended, Article 2 provides that everyone born on the island of Ireland has the right to be a part of the 'Irish Nation'. The apparent intention is partly to allow the people of Northern Ireland, if they wish, to feel included in the 'nation' without making what might be perceived as a revanchist claim. However, it has been argued that "the new Article 2 of the Irish constitution gave northern nationalists nothing". After all, Article 9 of the Constitution of Ireland governs Irish citizenship. It provides that the "future loss and acquisition of Irish nationality and citizenship shall be determined in accordance with law". Since it was further amended during 2004, Article 9 now also provides that "[n]otwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, a person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, who does not have, at the time of the birth of that person, at least one parent who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen is not entitled to Irish citizenship or nationality, unless provided for by law".

The changes to Article 2 represent a strictly qualified provision of the Belfast Agreement recognizing:

"the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland."

The qualification to that provision of the Belfast Agreement is contained in Annex 2 to the Belfast Agreement. That Annex specifies that the above-mentioned reference to "the people of Northern Ireland" only means "all persons born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British citizen, an Irish citizen or is otherwise entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence." Accordingly, the Belfast Agreement did not bind either state to provide for any unqualified entitlement to birthright citizenship.

Article 2 further recognises the "special affinity" between the people of Ireland and the Irish diaspora.

A criticism of the new wording was that the logic of the constitution was disrupted by the new Articles 2 and 3, in particular as Article 9 already dealt with citizenship, and that the references to "Irish nation" in the new Articles do not have any practical meaning.

Article 3
As amended, Article 3, Section 1 expresses the "firm will" of the Irish nation to create a united Irish people, though not, explicitly, a united country. It stresses, however, that a united Ireland should respect the distinct cultural identity of Unionists and that it should only happen with the separate "democratically expressed" consent of the peoples of both parts of the island. This provision was intended to diminish the concerns of Unionists, that their rights would be ignored in a united Ireland, should that happen. By the Good Friday Agreement the people of Northern Ireland's "democratically expressed" consent must be secured by referendum. For a provision that states the "Irish Nation"'s desire for unity, it adds an additional legal requirement for a referendum to be held not only in Northern Ireland but also in the Republic of Ireland before a united Ireland could be brought about. This has the effect of creating an extra hurdle to Irish acceptance of a cession of Northern Ireland's territory from the UK which would not apply to a cession of any other territory.

Section 2 allows Ireland to participate in the cross-border 'implementation' bodies established by the Agreement.

Article 2
"The national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland, its islands and the territorial seas."

Article 3
"Pending the re-integration of the national territory, and without prejudice to the right of the parliament and government established by this constitution to exercise jurisdiction over the whole territory, the laws enacted by the parliament shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws of Saorstát Éireann and the like extra-territorial effect."

Note that Saorstát Éireann is the Irish-language translation of "Irish Free State", the name of the independent Irish state before 1937.

Speaking at the 1916 Easter Rising commemoration at Arbour Hill in Dublin during 1998, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said:

The British Government are effectively out of the equation and neither the British parliament nor people have any legal right under this agreement to impede the achievement of Irish unity if it had the consent of the people North and South... Our nation is and always will be a 32-county nation. Antrim and Down are, and will remain, as much a part of Ireland as any southern county.

Speaking to the Northern Ireland Forum on 17 April 1998 Ulster Unionist Party politician David Trimble said:

The illegal territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution has been removed and the South now accepts the legitimacy of Northern Ireland.

History
The drafters of the Constitution of Ireland during 1937 considered the partition of Ireland by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, and Northern Ireland's Opt Out of the Free State by the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, to be illegitimate. They desired the new constitution to proclaim the existence of a single 'Irish nation', and the theoretical right of the state to encompass the whole island, while for reasons of pragmatism recognising the de facto reality of partition, which resulted in delicate wording.

The Constitution refers to two separate entities: a nation, encompassing the whole island of Ireland, and a state, extending, for the time being, only to the twenty-six counties of the 'South'. In its 1937 form, Article 2 described the island of Ireland as the "national territory". Article 3, however, stated that the laws of the southern state would apply only to the South. The purpose of Article 3 was to clarify that Article 2 was intended largely as a kind of declaration, rather than as a provision that would have actual force of law.

Controversy
Until their amendment during 1999 Articles 2 and 3 were the subject of some controversy, particularly among Unionists in Northern Ireland. To Northern Ireland Unionists the articles were a hostile claim upon their territory, and a declaration that they might be coerced into a united Ireland without their consent, and in violation of the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, they claimed, the articles constituted an extraterritorial claim to a part of a foreign nation and were therefore in violation of international law.

For many decades the correct interpretation of the articles also caused some controversy among Irish nationalists. Some considered the constitution as placing an enforceable legal obligation on the government of the Republic to use its influence to actively seek the unification of the island. Invoking Article 2, some Northern Ireland nationalists elected to the UK parliament requested, but were denied, the right to be recognised in the southern parliament (the Oireachtas) as TDs (members of Dáil Éireann). Before 1999, however, the Irish Supreme Court affirmed in consistent rulings that Article 2 created no rights or obligations that were actually enforceable in a court of law.

After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985, unionist politicians Christopher and Michael McGimpsey brought a suit against the Irish government in the High Court arguing that the Agreement was unconstitutional by Articles 2 and 3, because it recognised that Northern Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. This argument was unusual coming from unionists because of the traditional unionist opposition to these two articles, but was done to discredit an agreement they opposed, albeit not for the reasons they opposed it. Their case failed in the High Court, and again on appeal to the Supreme Court.

Of the two main Unionist parties in Northern Ireland, the amended versions of Articles 2 and 3 were accepted by the Ulster Unionist Party but rejected by the Democratic Unionist Party as not representing an improvement on their predecessors. The DUP has, in recent elections, become the largest political party in Northern Ireland.

Adoption of new versions of the Articles
At midnight on 1 December 1999, the direct rule of the UK parliament ended in Northern Ireland when power was formally devolved to the new Northern Ireland Assembly. On 2 December 1999, power was devolved to the North/South Ministerial Council and the British–Irish Council when commencement orders for the British–Irish Agreement came into effect. However, Article 4(2) of the British–Irish Agreement (the Agreement between the British and Irish governments for the implementation of the Belfast Agreement) required the two governments to notify each other in writing of the completion of the requirements for the entry into force of the Belfast Agreement. Entry into force was to be upon the receipt of the later of the two notifications. The British government agreed to participate with a televised ceremony at Iveagh House in Dublin, the Irish department of foreign affairs. Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, attended early on 2 December 1999. He exchanged notifications with David Andrews, the Irish foreign minister. Soon after the ceremony, at 10.30 am, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signed the declaration formally amending Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution. He then announced to the Dáil that the British–Irish Agreement had become effective (including certain supplementary agreements concerning the Belfast Agreement).

Citizenship law
By granting an unqualified right to citizenship to all of those born on the island of Ireland, the new articles have also caused further controversy in the Republic. In January 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional for the Government to deport the parents of children who were Irish citizens. In October 2004 the European Court of Justice ruled (in the Chen case) that a mother who is neither a UK nor an Irish citizen, whose child was born in Northern Ireland and had subsequently (as was the child's entitlement) acquired Irish citizenship, had the right to live with her child in the UK, since denying this would in effect deny residence to the child, in violation of her rights as a citizen. The ECJ ruling acknowledged that, under certain circumstances, a person born in part of the UK (i.e. Northern Ireland) could not gain citizenship of that nation state, but could gain Irish citizenship, without having ever set foot in the Republic of Ireland, or having any connection with it.

The Twenty-seventh Amendment was approved by referendum on 11 June 2004, and was enacted on 24 June. It inserted a new section in Article 9 of the constitution stating that, "notwithstanding any other provision of [the] Constitution", no-one would be automatically entitled to Irish citizenship unless they had at least one parent who was (or was entitled to be) an Irish citizen. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 amended citizenship law to remove the entitlement to citizenship from those born on the island of Ireland who did not have an Irish-citizen parent, or whose parents had not lived in Ireland for three of the previous four years. This law was commenced on 1 January 2005.


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Talk:Groenlo

Although the new municipality uses the name "Groenlo-Lichtenvoorde", the official name (as published in the Staatscourant) is really "Groenlo". See for example the website of Statistics Netherlands (CBS):. I think the first date at which a new name can be made official is 1 year after the creation of the new municipality; that would be January 1, 2006. Eugene van der Pijll 22:36, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Catholic? According to the page about The Netherlands, the population is one of the most secular in Europe, with under 40% being religiously affiliated. Certainly, the "Catholics" can't claim ownership on this region? Second, it hints at Carnaval being a Catholic fest, which it is not, because it's more of an anti-christian activity. I have the impression that "the Catholics" have been going around and arbitrarily slapping their label on where it isn't appropriate. Someone ought to review all of this, and take appropriate action. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.237.5.185 (talk) 21:37, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

title: Talk:Groenlo


text:
Thiophene

Thiophene is a heterocyclic compound with the formula C4H4S. Consisting of a planar five-membered ring, it is aromatic as indicated by its extensive substitution reactions. It is a colorless liquid with a benzene-like odor. In most of its reactions, it resembles benzene. Compounds analogous to thiophene include furan (C4H4O), selenophene (C4H4Se) and pyrrole (C4H4NH), which each vary by the heteroatom in the ring.

Isolation and occurrence
Thiophene was discovered by Viktor Meyer in 1882 as a contaminant in benzene. It was observed that isatin (an indole) forms a blue dye if it is mixed with sulfuric acid and crude benzene. The formation of the blue indophenin had long been believed to be a reaction of benzene itself. Viktor Meyer was able to isolate thiophene as the actual substance responsible for this reaction.

Thiophene and especially its derivatives occur in petroleum, sometimes in concentrations up to 1–3%. The thiophenic content of oil and coal is removed via the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process. In HDS, the liquid or gaseous feed is passed over a form of molybdenum disulfide catalyst under a pressure of H2. Thiophenes undergo hydrogenolysis to form hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide. Thus, thiophene itself is converted to butane and H2S. More prevalent and more problematic in petroleum are benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene.

On Mars
Thiophene derivatives have been detected at nanomole levels in 3.5 billions year old Martian soil sediments (Murray Formation, Pahrump Hills) by the rover Curiosity at Gale crater (Mars) between 2012 and 2017. It represents an important milestone for the mission of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in the long and elusive quest of organic matter on the red planet. Heating at high temperature (500° to 820 °C) of lacustrine mudstone samples by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument allowed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of the evolved gases and the detection of aromatic and aliphatic molecules including several thiophene compounds. The presence of carbon-sulfur bonds in macromolecules could have contributed to the preservation of organic matter at very long-term. It is estimated that ~ 5 % of organic molecules analysed by the SAM instrument contains organic sulfur. It remains unknown whether the origin and the mode of formation of these molecules is biotic or abiotic, but their discovery put forward the puzzling question of thiophenic compounds as a possible ancient biosignature on Mars. Detailed analyses of carbon isotopes (δ13C) at trace level by a next generation of Martian rovers, such as Rosalind Franklin, will be necessary to determine if such organic molecules are enriched in light carbon (12C) as living micro-organisms usually are on Earth.

Synthesis and production
Reflecting their high stabilities, thiophenes arise from many reactions involving sulfur sources and hydrocarbons, especially unsaturated ones. The first synthesis of thiophene by Meyer, reported the same year that he made his discovery, involves acetylene and elemental sulfur. Thiophenes are classically prepared by the reaction of 1,4-diketones, diesters, or dicarboxylates with sulfidizing reagents such as P4S10 such as in the Paal-Knorr thiophene synthesis. Specialized thiophenes can be synthesized similarly using Lawesson's reagent as the sulfidizing agent, or via the Gewald reaction, which involves the condensation of two esters in the presence of elemental sulfur. Another method is the Volhard–Erdmann cyclization.

Thiophene is produced on a modest scale of around 2,000 metric tons per year worldwide. Production involves the vapor phase reaction of a sulfur source, typically carbon disulfide, and a C-4 source, typically butanol. These reagents are contacted with an oxide catalyst at 500–550 °C.

Properties and structure
At room temperature, thiophene is a colorless liquid with which thiophene shares some similarities. The high reactivity of thiophene toward sulfonation is the basis for the separation of thiophene from benzene, which are difficult to separate by distillation due to their similar boiling points (4 °C difference at ambient pressure). Like benzene, thiophene forms an azeotrope with ethanol.

The molecule is flat; the bond angle at the sulfur is around 93°, the C–C–S angle is around 109°, and the other two carbons have a bond angle around 114°. The C–C bonds to the carbons adjacent to the sulfur are about 1.34 Å, the C–S bond length is around 1.70 Å, and the other C–C bond is about 1.41 Å.

Reactivity
Thiophene is considered to be aromatic, although theoretical calculations suggest that the degree of aromaticity is less than that of benzene. The "electron pairs" on sulfur are significantly delocalized in the pi electron system. As a consequence of its aromaticity, thiophene does not exhibit the properties seen for conventional sulfides. For example, the sulfur atom resists alkylation and oxidation.

Oxidation
Oxidation can occur both at sulfur, giving a thiophene S-oxide, as well as at the 2,3-double bond, giving the thiophene 2,3-epoxide, followed by subsequent NIH shift rearrangement. Oxidation of thiophene by trifluoroperacetic acid also demonstrates both reaction pathways. The major pathway forms the S-oxide as an intermediate, which undergoes subsequent Diels-Alder-type dimerisation and further oxidation, forming a mixture of sulfoxide and sulfone products with a combined yield of 83% (based on NMR evidence):

In the minor reaction pathway, a Prilezhaev epoxidation results in the formation of thiophene-2,3-epoxide that rapidly rearranges to the isomer thiophene-2-one. Trapping experiments demonstrate that this pathway is not a side reaction from the S-oxide intermediate, while isotopic labeling with deuterium confirm that a 1,2-hydride shift occurs and thus that a cationic intermediate is involved. If the reaction mixture is not anhydrous, this minor reaction pathway is suppressed as water acts as a competing base.

Oxidation of thiophenes may be relevant to the metabolic activation of various thiophene-containing drugs, such as tienilic acid and the investigational anticancer drug OSI-930.

Alkylation
Although the sulfur atom is relatively unreactive, the flanking carbon centers, the 2- and 5-positions, are highly susceptible to attack by electrophiles. Halogens give initially 2-halo derivatives followed by 2,5-dihalothiophenes; perhalogenation is easily accomplished to give C4X4S (X = Cl, Br, I). Thiophene brominates 107 times faster than does benzene. Acetylation occurs readily to give 2-acetylthiophene, precursor to thiophene-2-carboxylic acid and thiophene-2-acetic acid.

Chloromethylation and chloroethylation occur readily at the 2,5-positions. Reduction of the chloromethyl product gives 2-methylthiophene. Hydrolysis followed by dehydration of the chloroethyl species gives 2-vinylthiophene.

Desulfurization by Raney nickel
Desulfurization of thiophene with Raney nickel affords butane. When coupled with the easy 2,5-difunctionalization of thiophene, desulfurization provides a route to 1,4-disubstituted butanes.

Polymerization
The polymer formed by linking thiophene through its 2,5 positions is called polythiophene. Polymerization is conducted by oxidation using electrochemical methods (electropolymerization) or electron-transfer reagents. An idealized equation is shown:
 * n C4H4S  →   (C4H2S)n  +  2n H+  +  2n e−

Polythiophene itself has poor processing properties and so is little studied. More useful are polymers derived from thiophenes substituted at the 3- and 3- and 4- positions, such as EDOT (ethylenedioxythiophene). Polythiophenes become electrically conductive upon partial oxidation, i.e. they obtain some of the characteristics typically observed in metals.

Coordination chemistry
Thiophene exhibits little sulfide-like character, but it does serve as a pi-ligand forming piano stool complexes such as Cr(η5-C4H4S)(CO)3.

Thienyl
Upon deprotonation, thiophene converts to the thienyl group, C4H3S−. Although the anion per se does not exist, the organolithium derivatives do. Thus reaction of thiophene with butyl lithium gives 2-lithiothiophene, also called 2-thienyllithium. This reagent reacts with electrophiles to give thienyl derivatives, such as the thiol. Oxidation of thienyllithium gives 2,2'-dithienyl, (C4H3S)2. Thienyl lithium is employed in the preparation of higher order mixed cuprates. Coupling of thienyl anion equivalents gives dithienyl, an analogue of biphenyl.

Ring-fused thiophenes
Fusion of thiophene with a benzene ring gives benzothiophene. Fusion with two benzene rings gives either dibenzothiophene (DBT) or naphthothiophene. Fusion of a pair of thiophene rings gives isomers of thienothiophene.

Uses
Thiophenes are important heterocyclic compounds that are widely used as building blocks in many agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. The benzene ring of a biologically active compound may often be replaced by a thiophene without loss of activity. This is seen in examples such as the NSAID lornoxicam, the thiophene analog of piroxicam, and sufentanil, the thiophene analog of fentanyl.

title: Thiophene


text:
Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt (Pidgin: Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa) is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is located in the oil rich Niger Delta. As of 2023, Port Harcourt's urban population is estimated at 3,480,000. The population of the metropolitan area of Port Harcourt is almost twice its urban area population with a 2015 United Nations estimate of 2,344,000. In 1950, the population of Port Harcourt was 59,752. Port Harcourt has grown by 150,844 since 2015, which represents a 4.99% annual change.

The area that became Port Harcourt in 1912 was before that of a farmland of people of Rebisi (Ikwerre). The colonial administration of Nigeria created the port to export coal from the collieries of Enugu located 151 mi north of Port Harcourt, to which it was linked by a railway called the Eastern Line, also built by the British.

Port Harcourt's economy turned to petroleum when the first shipment of Nigerian crude oil was exported through the city in 1958. Through the benefits of the Nigerian petroleum industry, Port Harcourt was further developed, with aspects of modernization such as overpasses, city blocks, and taller and more substantial buildings. Oil firms that currently have offices in the city include Shell and Chevron.

There are a number of public and private tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt. These institutions include Rivers State University, University of Port Harcourt, Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Ignatius Ajuru University, Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology, Madonna University, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria. The current mayor is Victor Ihunwo. Port Harcourt's primary airport is Port Harcourt International Airport, located on the outskirts of the city; the NAF base is the location of the only other airport and is used by commercial airlines Aero Contractors and Air Nigeria for domestic flights.

Etymology
The port was built in 1912, but not given a name until August 1913, when the then Governor of Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, named it "Port Harcourt" in honor of Lewis Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt, then the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Okrika word for the city is Hakoti Kiri or Parakot. The native Obulom name for the city is Obomotu, lit. 'Big House'.

History

Port Harcourt was founded in 1912 by Frederick Lugard, governor of both the Northern Nigeria Protectorate and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. Its purpose was to export the coal that geologist Albert Ernest Kitson had discovered in Enugu in 1909. The colonial government caused the people of Diobu to cede their land, and in 1912 the building of a port-town was started. Other villages that were later absorbed into the city included Oroworukwo, Oromeruezimgbu, Nkpogu, and Rumuomasi;  In the creeks to the south of the original port were the fishing camps and grounds of the Wakirike-Ijaw group.

During the First World War, Port Harcourt was used as a point for military operations against the Central Powers in German Kamerun. After the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in 1956, Port Harcourt exported the first shipload from Nigeria in 1958. Port Harcourt became the center of the Nigerian oil economy and it subsequently reaped benefits of its associations with the petroleum industry by undergoing modernization and urbanization. Port Harcourt's growth is further due to its position as the commercial center and foremost industrial city of the former Eastern Region; its position in the Niger Delta; and its importance as the center of social and economic life in Rivers State. After the Republic of Biafra seceded from Nigeria in 1967 Port Harcourt fell to Nigerian forces on 19 May 1968. From an area of 15.54 km2 in 1914, Port Harcourt grew uncontrolled to an area of 360 km2 in the 1980s.

Geography
The main city of Port Harcourt is the Port Harcourt City in the Port Harcourt local government area, consisting of the former European quarters now called Old GRA and New Layout areas. The urban area (Port Harcourt metropolis), on the other hand, is made up of the local government area itself and parts of Obio-Akpor and Eleme accordingly. Port Harcourt, which is the current capital of Rivers State, is highly congested as it is the only major city of the state. In 2009, a law was passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and governor Amaechi's administration to spread development to the surrounding communities as part of the effort to decongest the Port Harcourt metropolis. The Greater Port Harcourt region, spans eight local government areas that include Port Harcourt, Okrika, Obio-Akpor, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Ogu–Bolo, Etche and Eleme. Its total population was estimated at 2,000,000 as of 2009, making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in Nigeria. But that number has greatly increased according to recent studies.

Climate
Port Harcourt features a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: Am) with lengthy and heavy rainy seasons and very short dry seasons. Only the months of December to February truly qualifies as dry season months in the city. The harmattan, which climatically influences many cities in West Africa, is less pronounced in Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt's heaviest precipitation occurs during September with an average of 367 mm of rain. December on average is the driest month of the year, with an average rainfall of 20 mm. Temperatures throughout the year in the city are relatively constant, showing little variation throughout the course of the year. Average temperatures are typically between 25 and 28 °C in the city.

Air Pollution
Residents of the city have been experiencing particle (soot) pollution since the last quarter of 2016. Residents state their clothes and everything outside is covered with a layer of black soot. Official PM2.5 information from the state's environmental commissioner, Roseline Konya, states a high reading of 270 micrograms per cubic meter for air pollution in the city from a 2016 sampling. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) index air quality index (AQI), a reading of 0 – 50 is good, readings between 200 – 300 which Port Harcourt falls under is considered unhealthy for everyone and E.P.A advises residents of such areas to avoid heavy and prolonged exertion, and move activities indoors. "For a 15-month period ending in June [2018] ... air quality was in the unhealthy range on 240 days, with 85 days ranking very unhealthy, and 13 days as hazardous."

The increased deterioration of ambient air quality led to a state protest in February 2017. There were experiences of black soot settling in nostrils, on cars, floors, roofs, windows, bathtubs, bathroom, kitchen sinks and household furniture surfaces resulting in frequent cleaning of affected surfaces and places. potable, domestic and rainwater were equally affected. Abuloma, Iwofe, Rupokwu, Okrika, and Woji were mostly affected with other areas such as Rumuigbo, Eleme, and Oyigbo Local Government Councils, as well as Ogoni.

The covering of the haze of soot in most parts of the city have resulted in visibility impairment by PM2.5, soil, and water deposition, and disruption in ecosystem diversity. This also made the city dwellers to spend more time indoors than outdoors. Residents in cities such as Rumosi and Rumuodumanya in Obio/Akpor Council have relocated to other safe cities leading to decline in business activities.

The Ministry of Environment took action by analysing air samples from various sites in the city and found out to be 11 times higher than WHO specifications for PM2.5 and PM10. This non-compliance was tackled by shutting down the Chinese Government Company (CGC), H&H Engineering Company, and AUC Asphalt Company located in Aluu community, found to be the location of high volume discharge of emissions thereby contravening environmental regulations. Illegal refineries, burning of tires, gas flaring, liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations and processes, petro-chemical companies, and refineries were other suspected sources of soot pollution.

Residential areas
Some of Port Harcourt's more popular and well-known residential areas are known as Port Harcourt Township (or just "Town"), GRA (Government Reserved Area) phases 1–5, Elekahia, Rumuomasi, D-line, Elelenwo, Eliozu, Iboloji, Ogbunabali, Rumuola, Rumuigbo, Mgbuoba, Diobu, Woji, Amadi Flats, Umuchitta, Rumuokoro and Borikiri. The main industrial area is located in Trans Amadi, Abuloma.

Economy
Port Harcourt is a major industrial centre as it has a large number of multinational firms as well as other industrial concerns, particularly business related to the petroleum industry. It is the chief oil-refining city in Nigeria and has two main oil refineries located at Eleme. Both refineries process around 210,000 barrels of crude oil a day, both operated by the Port Harcourt Refining Company. Rivers State is one of the wealthiest states in Nigeria in terms of gross domestic product and foreign exchange revenue from the oil industry, crude oil being its principal export earner. Microapartment architecture is quite common in certain parts of Port Harcourt. The Point Block of Rivers State Secretariat is an icon of the city. An 18-story building, it is the tallest building in the South East and South South geopolitical zones combined.

Ethnic groups
Port Harcourt is primarily composed of coastal Ikwerre, Ijaw, Obulom, and Ogoni peoples.

Religion
As in other cities in the country's south, the predominant religion of Port Harcourt is Christianity. Roman Catholics make up a significant portion of the Christian population. There are scores of churches, parishes and priests within the Port Harcourt Catholic diocese. The central church is the Corpus Christi Cathedral Parish in D-line. The city is also home to other Christian denominations such as Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Jehovah's Witnesses and members of Evangelical and Pentecostal groups. A very small number of residents adhere to the Islamic faith.

Literature
The Port Harcourt Book Festival, formerly known as Garden City Literary Festival remains one of the city's most important and popular events since its inception in 2008. Established by the government of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the yearly gathering improves local literacy levels, promotes reading habits among denizens, and benefits exhibitors seeking wider audience. Throughout its annual run, Port Harcourt Book Festival has hosted renowned publishers such as Heinemann, Learn Africa Plc, Africana First Publishers and EPP Books Services. The festival currently continues to draw writers, literary connoisseurs, booksellers and publishers from every walk of life to the city. In July 2012, UNESCO, IPA, IBF and IFLA named Port Harcourt the World Book Capital for the year 2014, making her the 14th city in the world to be selected as World Book Capital and the first in Black Africa.

The city also features in Looking for Transwonderland, one of the first volumes of travel writing written by a Nigerian, Noo Saro-Wiwa.

Nightlife
Aside from being the oil capital, Port Harcourt is also known for the vibrant late-night activities and entertainment scene. There are several public houses, lounges, clubs, dance bars and restaurants spread out around the city. Partyers and revellers tend to spend a chunk of their night time at New GRA, where most of the bars and high-end nightclubs are located. Uptempo and club-friendly music can be heard in nearly every corner of the city at night. There have been increases in sex-oriented businesses including strip clubs and brothels.

In music
Port Harcourt city has produced great musicians in the likes of Rex Lawson during jazz, highlife and old skool days.
 * Award-winning Nigerian musician Duncan Mighty also popularly known as Port Harcourt's First Son. Duncan Mighty is known for his hit song "Port Harcourt Son".
 * Grammy winner Burna Boy was born and raised in Port Harcourt. He speaks of Port Harcourt in his song titled "Ph City Vibration".
 * Timaya afro singer was born and raised in Port Harcourt City. He accolades the city in his album
 * Award winning International singer Omah Lay was born and raised in Port Harcourt
 * Ajebo Hustlers the duo singers were raised in Port Harcourt
 * Duncan Daniels London-based artiste also grew up in Port Harcourt
 * Singer and actress Muma Gee highlights the city's scenes and culture in her song "Port Harcourt Is Back".
 * Reggae-fusion singer Slim Burna sang a song called "Port Harcourt Boy" from his 2013 release I'm on Fire.

In movies

 * In the film Blood and Oil, which tells the tale of two British women and their unusual journey to the hinterland of the Niger Delta, the main character Alice Omuka travels to Port Harcourt, where she learns of the kidnapping of foreign oil workers.
 * Port Harcourt is a location in the Blessing Uduefe-directed movie The Green Eyed. The movie also premiered in the city.
 * Girls Hostel, a Nollywood movie filmed in Port Harcourt helped catapult actresses Mary Uranta and Empress Njamah into stardom.

Colleges and universities
Several institutions of tertiary education in Port Harcourt offer a wide range of professionally accredited programmes and qualifications. Most of these institutions are publicly funded, while others are run by private entities. The University of Port Harcourt was ranked sixth in Africa and first in Nigeria by Times Higher Education in 2015. The federal government owned university has its main campus at Choba district.

Universities and colleges administered by the Government of Rivers State are also located in the city. They include Rivers State University, Kenule Beesor Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic (Former Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori), Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology. The notable private institutions are Catholic Institute of West Africa and Eastern Polytechnic. While the latter is the first and only private polytechnic established in the state.

Media
Media in Port Harcourt consists largely of print, online blogs, social media and broadcast. Information is generally disseminated to the public through radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet. The government owns a number of the existing communications media, although, some private media is permitted. As a regulatory authority, the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications is responsible for overseeing the entire broadcasting system, as well as promoting competition, and ensuring the provision of qualitative services throughout the city. Since English is much more popular in the country's urban areas, media content such as publications, news, radio and television programmes are available mostly in the English language.

Newspapers
In print media, the largest-circulated daily newspaper published in Port Harcourt is The Tide. It is state supported and has an online version. Another popular newspaper is the weekly tabloid National Network which is owned by local politician Jerry Needam. Additionally, other noteworthy papers like The Neighbourhood published by Nativity Communications Company and The Newswriter published by Writers House have begun competing for market presence and are both headquartered in the metropolis.

Radio
Radio is an important mass medium in these parts. Not only has it become a strong source of news and entertainment, it is also wide reaching and has proved a cheap means to reach a mass audience. Many of Port Harcourt's radio stations are in private hands with just a few are state owned. Radio Rivers, founded 1981 offers programs in English and various indigenous languages. Its operator is the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC). As of December 2013, more than 5 local FM stations some of which were privately owned by media conglomerates Silverbird Group, South Atlantic Media, Globe Broadcasting and Communications and The Multimesh Company were already commercially licensed.

Television

 * Rivers State Television – Government owned TV station on UHF channel 22. Established in 1985.

Transport
There is an international airport, Port Harcourt International Airport on the outskirts of the city, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base which is the location of the only other airport used by commercial airlines Aero Contractors, Caverton Helicopters and Bristow Helicopters for domestic flights, two seaports (FOT Onne, Port Harcourt Wharf).

Sports
The city has three stadiums, the Sharks Stadium, the Yakubu Gowon Stadium located in Elekahia and Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium located at Omagwa.

Port Harcourt is home to one of the most popular soccer clubs in Nigeria and Africa, the Rivers United F.C. In September 2019, the-governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, unveiled plan to launch a football academy in cooperation with the Spanish giants, the Real Madrid football club. The academy was to be known as the Real Madrid Academy. 18 months later, the academy was commissioned by the governor and the national sports minister, Sunday Dare.

Healthcare
Port Harcourt is the leading hub for medical services in Rivers State. Many healthcare facilities including hospitals and research facilities are located in Port Harcourt. The city has a prominent tertiary health institution University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) is situated on East West Road.

Government hospitals are widely favoured and caters to a larger pool of patients. One of the oldest is Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital. Founded in 1925, the 375-bed facility provides general and specialist medical and surgical services along with a range of diagnostic and support services. Between 2009 and 2013, the Rivers State government commissioned two additional hospitals. This includes Kelsey Harrison Hospital and the Rivers State Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital.

Some other notable hospitals in the city are Meridian Hospital and Rehoboth Specialist Hospital which are private.

Water supply and sanitation
The Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project aims at delivering sustainable water supply to the people of Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor local government areas. The project is the first phase of the rehabilitation of the old Port Harcourt water supply system and its extension to new areas of the city. It involves the rehabilitation and upgrade of the stations in Rumuola, increasing its current capacity to 187000 m3 per day.

In Rivers State, Water sector and utility reforms were initiated in 2009 and included the enactment of the Rivers State's Water and Sanitation policy 2012 and the enactment of the Rivers State Water Sector development law #7of 2012.

The policy and Law provided for the creation of specialized institutions for service delivery. Key agencies include the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RWSSA), the Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation (STWSSA), the Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC), and the Rivers State Water Services Regulatory Commission.

Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC) was established pursuant to the Water Sector Development Law #7 of 2012 to replace the former Rivers State Water Board and to ensure the provision of potable drinking water and waste water treatment services. The corporation formally took off in September 2014 with the recruitment of the pioneer managing director, Kenneth Anga with a mandate to convert it to a self-sustaining public service corporation.

Greater Port Harcourt
Under the leadership of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi, plans was announced for the creation of a new city to be called Greater Port-Harcourt City. The new city is to be located at the outskirt of Port Harcourt close to the Port-Harcourt International Airport. The total coverage area for the Greater Port Harcourt city development is about 1900 km2 spanning eight local governments in Rivers State, including Ogu Bolo, Eleme,Ikwerre, Etche, Obio Akpor, Okrika.

The Authority (GPHCDA) was established by law in April 2009 with a mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Greater Port Harcourt master plan and build the new city. The Authority is led by an administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey Gam, supported by a pioneer management team comprising the Secretary to the authority and Board, Silva Opusunju, Director Finance Aaron Obelley, Director Administration (Permanent Secretary) MI Tella, Director Public Affairs Kenneth Anga, Director Legal Justice Nwobike, Director Projects Edmund Altraide, Director Development Control Sir Ngozi Worgu.

The Greater Port Harcourt city hosted several of the events at the 17th national sports festival tagged "Garden City Games".

Twin towns – sister cities
Port Harcourt has the following sister city relationships, according to Sister Cities International:

 * 🇺🇸 Kansas City, Missouri, United States

title: Port Harcourt


text:
Kano (city)

Kano (Ajami: كَنُواْ) is a city in northern Nigeria and the capital of Kano State. It is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos, with over ten million citizens living within 449 km2. Located in the Savanna, south of the Sahel, Kano is a major route of the trans-Saharan trade, having been a trade and human settlement for millennia. It is the traditional state of the Dabo dynasty who have ruled as emirs over the city-state since the 19th century. Kano Emirate Council is the current traditional institution inside the city boundaries of Kano, and under the authority of the Government of Kano State.

The city is one of the seven medieval Hausa kingdoms. The principal inhabitants of the city are the Hausa and Fulani people. Centuries before British colonization, Kano was strongly cosmopolitan with settled populations of Arab, Tuareg, Kanuri and remains so with the Hausa language spoken as a lingua-franca by over 70 million speakers in the region.

Islam arrived in the city in the 11th century or earlier primarily through the trans-Saharan trade. As a result, Kano became wealthy and the commercial nerve centre of the region and Northern Nigeria, and is still associated as the "centre of commerce".

Etymology
Kano was originally known as Dala, after the hill, and was referred to as such until the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th by Bornoan sources.

Founding and Bagauda dynasty
In the 7th century, Dala Hill, a residual hill in Kano, was the site of a hunting and gathering community that engaged in iron work (Nok culture); it is unknown whether these were Hausa people or speakers of Niger–Congo languages. The Kano Chronicle identifies Barbushe, a warrior priest of Dala Hill and a female spirit deity known as Tsumburbura, Barbushe is from the lineage of the hunter family (maparauta) who were the Maguzawa and city's first settlers they worship the deity Tsumburbura (Elizabeth Isichei notes that the description of Barbushe is similar to those of Sao people). While small chiefdoms were previously present in the area, according to the Kano Chronicle, Bagauda son of Bawo and grandson of the mythical hero Bayajidda, became the first king of Kano in 999, reigning until 1063. His grandson Gijimasu (1095–1134), the third king, began building city walls (badala/ganuwa) at the foot of Dala Hill. His own son, Tsaraki (1136–1194), the fifth king, completed them during his reign.

Middle Ages: spread of Islam and trade
In the 12th century, Ali Yaji from Kudawa lineage as King of Kano renounced his allegiance to the cult of Tsumburbura, converted to Islam and proclaimed the Sultanate that was to last until its fall in the 19th century. The reign of Yaji ensued an era of expansionism that saw Kano becoming the capital of a pseudo Habe Empire. In 1463, Muhammad Rumfa (reigned 1463–1499) ascended the throne. During his reign, political pressure from the rising Songhai Empire forced him to take Auwa, the daughter of Askiyah the Great as his wife. She was to later become the first female Madaki of Kano.

Rumfa was a rich and flamboyant king. Luxurious clothing and expensive ostrich feather shoes were common among government officials. The kakaki (a kind of trumpet) was also first used during his reign. His wealth is owed to Kano's commercial prosperity during this period. Kano arguably achieved the height of its reputation as an important trading center of the trans-Saharan trade in the Middle Ages during his reign. Leo Africanus's description of Kano is believed to be that of Rumfas era. He described the locals as "wealthy merchants and skilled craftsmen" and commended the cavalry of the Sultan's army. He also noted the abundance of rice, corn, cotton and citrus fruits.

Rumfa reformed the city, expanded the Sahelian Gidan Rumfa (Emir's Palace), and played a role in the further Islamization of the city, as he urged prominent residents to convert and invited many prominent scholars to the city. He also built the walls of the city and the Kurmi market. The Kano Chronicle attributes a total of twelve "innovations" to Rumfa. According to the Kano Chronicle, the thirty-seventh Sarkin Kano (King of Kano) was Mohammed Sharef (1703–1731). His successor, Kumbari dan Sharefa (1731–1743), engaged in major battles with Sokoto as a longterm rivalry.

Fulani rule
At the beginning of the 19th century, Fulani Islamic leader Usman dan Fodio led a jihad affecting much of central Sudan which demolished the Habe kingdom, leading to the emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate. In 1805 the last sultan of Kano was defeated by the Jobe Clan of the Fulani, and Kano became an Emirate of the Caliphate. Kano was already the largest and most prosperous province of the empire. The city suffered famines from 1807 to 1810, in the 1830s, 1847, 1855, 1863, 1873, 1884, and from 1889 until 1890.

During the 19th century when Kano came under the suzerainty of the Sokoto Caliphate, Kano prospered as the center of commercial activity. Weaving, dyeing and leatherwork were traded as far north as Morocco and thereafter to Europe. Its cotton cloth traded as far as Tripoli, Lake Chad, and Timbuktu.

In 1851, Heinrich Barth (a German scholar who spent several years in northern Nigeria in the 1850s) mentioned that Kano had a 10-mile long 30 ft high clay walls with a population of 30,000 with commerce and manufacturing abundant. He mentioned "its huge market was a labyrinth of narrow alleys with everything sold from vegetables to slaves". He also called Kano the greatest emporium of central Africa and estimated the percentage of slaves in Kano to be at least 50%, most of whom lived in slave villages. This was one of the last major slave societies, with high percentages of enslaved population long after the Atlantic slave trade had been cut off.

From 1893 until 1895, two rival claimants for the throne fought a civil war, or Basasa. With the help of royal slaves, Yusufu was victorious over his brother Tukur and claimed the title of emir.

British colony, indirect rule, and independence
In March 1903, the city-state was absorbed into the British Empire after the Battle of Kano, the Fort of Kano was captured by the British, It quickly replaced Lokoja as the administrative centre of Northern Nigeria. It was replaced as the centre of government by Zungeru and later Kaduna, and only regained administrative significance with the creation of Kano State following Nigerian independence.

From 1913 to 1914, as the peanut business was expanding, Kano suffered a major drought, which caused a famine. Other famines during British rule occurred in 1908, 1920, 1927, 1943, 1951, 1956, and 1958. By 1922, groundnut trader Alhassan Dantata had become the richest businessman in the Kano Emirate, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo.

In May 1953, an inter-ethnic riot arose due to southern newspapers misreporting on the nature of a disagreement between northern and southern politicians in the House of Representatives. Thousands of Nigerians of southern origin died as a result a politically sparked riot. Ado Bayero became emir of Kano in 1963. Kano state was created in 1967 from the then Northern Nigeria by the Federal military government. The first military police commissioner, Audu Bako, is credited with building a solid foundation for the progress of a modern society. He started a lot of development projects—network of roads, a reliable urban water supply. He was a keen farmer himself and funded construction of number of dams to provide irrigation. Thanks to his policies, Kano produced all types of produce and export it to the neighbouring states. The first civilian governor was Abubakar Rimi.

In December 1980, radical preacher Mohammed Marwa Maitatsine led a riot. He was killed by security forces, but his followers later started uprisings in other northern cities.

21st century
After the introduction of sharia law in Kano State in the early 2000s, many Christians left the city. 100 people were killed in riots over the sharia issue during October 2001.

In November 2007, political violence broke out in the city after the People's Democratic Party (PDP) accused the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) of rigging the November 17 local government elections. (The ANPP won in 36 of the state's 44 local Government Areas.) Hundreds of youths took to the streets, over 300 of whom were arrested; at least 25 people were killed. Buildings set on fire include a sharia police station, an Islamic centre, and a council secretariat. 280 federal soldiers were deployed around the city. In January 2012, a series of bomb attacks killed up to 162 people. Four police stations, the State Security Service headquarters, passport offices and immigration centres were attacked. Jihadist insurgents Boko Haram claimed responsibility. After the bombings, Kano was placed under curfew. The Boko Haram insurgency continued with mass murders in March 2013, November 2014 and February 2015.

On 6 June 2014, Emir Ado Bayero who reigned as Emir of Kano for over five decades died, and a succession crisis loomed amongst the royal family. On 8 June 2014, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi a grandson of former Emir Muhammadu Sanusi I emerged as the new Emir of Kano. His accession led to widespread protests from supporters of Sanusi Ado Bayero the Chiroman Kano (Crown Prince) and son of the late Emir Ado Bayero, with allegations that Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso interfered with the king-making process.

In 2019, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje balkanized the traditional Kano Emirate into four new emirates; Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye. This unprecedented move was criticized by elders. According to the law, out of the 44 local government areas in the state, Sanusi as Emir of Kano will preside over just 10 local government areas; with the remainder carved up amongst the new emirates. On 9 March 2020, Sanusi was dethroned by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The emir was immediately moved to detention under heavy security escort to an apartment in awe, Nasarawa state. It took the intervention of the federal high court in Abuja to order his release from detention in Nasarawa.

Location
The city lies south of the Sahara Desert in the Sudanian Savanna region that stretches across the south of the Sahel. The city lies near where the Kano and Challawa rivers flowing from the southwest converge to form the Hadejia River, which eventually flows into Lake Chad to the east.

Climate
Kano is 481 m above sea level. Kano has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). The city has on average about 980 mm of precipitation per year, the large majority of which falls from June through September. Like the vast majority of Nigeria, Kano is very hot for most of the year, peaking in April. From December through February, the city is less hot, with morning temperatures during the months of December, January and February averaging between 14 and 16 °C.

LGAs
Metropolitan Kano has eight local governments:

Economy
The economic history of Kano dates back to the Middle Ages when the city served as the southernmost point of the famous trans-Sahara trade routes. Kano was well connected with many cities in North Africa and some cities in southern Europe. By 1851, the city of Kano produced 10 million pairs of sandals and 5 million tanned hides annually for export, with other products including textile materials, leather and grains. Kano was connected with trans-Atlantic trade in 1911 when a railway line reached Kano. Kano is a major centre for the production and export of agricultural products like hides, skins, peanuts, and cotton.

The city maintains its economy and business even in the 21st century, with it producing the richest man in Africa—Aliko Dangote—whose great-grandfather Alhassan Dantata was the richest West African in the mid 20th century. Over the years, inconsistent government policies and sporadic electricity supply hampered manufacturing and industry, so that Kano's economy relies primarily on trade, retail and services. There are plans to establish an information technology park in the city.

Equestrianism
Kano is traditionally an equestrian society and this is manifested during the annual Durbar festival to mark and celebrate the two annual Muslim festivals Eid al-Fitr (to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (to mark the Hajj Holy Pilgrimage). Kano Durbar Festival is the Nigeria's Most Spectacular Horseparade that marks a celebration of northern Nigeria's cultural treasure. The festival begins with skilled horsemen from the royal court and aristocrats being accompanied by musicians, artillerymen, and traditional circus in a procession of highly rich and colorful style through the city on the way to the emir's palace. Once assembled near the palace, the horsemen separate into their respective groups, each under the banner of district head (hakimai) or a titled nobleman from the emir's court (masarauta), take it in turns to charge toward the emir, pulling up just feet in front of the seated dignitaries to offer their respect and allegiance. During the festival, the emir makes a beautiful appearance in different colors dressed and adorned with the attire of a king.

For the first time in 200 years, the durban horse festival was cancelled in 2012 due to the bad health condition of the Emir of Kano. Some analysts suggested that the cancellation could also be attributed to the rising deadly Boko haram attacks in the northern part of Nigeria at that time.

Architecture
Kano's architecture over the years has seen wide variations, especially from the traditional architecture to modern architecture. The city is a leading axis of Sudano-Sahelian architecture, developing the local Tubali style which manifested in mosques, walls, common compounds, and gates.

The design exteriorization of building façades was and is still widely used in Kano architecture, with the city harboring several skilled artisans.

Old City
Formerly walled, most of the gates to the Old City survive. The Old City houses the vast Kurmi Market, known for its crafts, while old dye pits—still in use—lie nearby. In the Old City are the Emir's Palace, the Great Mosque, and the Gidan Makama Museum.

Places of worship
Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslims mosques.

There are also Christian churches for several denominations including :

 * Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion);
 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Kano (Catholic Church);
 * Nigerian Baptist Convention (Baptist World Alliance);
 * Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (World Communion of Reformed Churches);
 * Pentecostal megachurches including; Assemblies of God, Living Faith Church Worldwide; Redeemed Christian Church of God

Fortifications
The Ancient Kano City Walls were built as a defensive wall with the construction of the foundation laid by Sarki Gijimasu (r. 1095–1134), the third king of the Kingdom of Kano in the Kano Chronicle. In the mid 14th century during the reign of Zamnagawa, the wall was completed before it was further expanded during the 16th century. According to historians, the then General-Governor of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, Fredrick Lugard, wrote in a 1903 report about the Kano Walls that he had "never seen anything like it in Africa" after capturing the ancient city of Kano along with British forces.

Old palaces and residences
Many old royal residences have also survived to this day, mainly within the old city and its surroundings. Such private houses include the Gidan Chiroma, Filin Chiranchi, and others. Larger palaces, include the Gidan Rumfa, Gidan Makama, and winter retreat for the emir.

Universities

 * The Bayero University Kano is the oldest university in the city. The university was first founded in 1962 by Isa Kaita. It became a state university in 1975, and remains an important institution of learning today.
 * Sa'adatu Rimi University of Education Kano
 * Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), founded in 2018.
 * Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano (YUSMUK), founded in 2012.

Colleges

 * Kano State Polytechnic was founded in 1975.
 * Federal College of Education, Kano
 * Aminu Kano College of Islamic Legal Studies, Kano

Transport
Kano houses a railway station with trains to Lagos routed through Kaduna, while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport lies nearby. The city is supplied with water by the nearby Challawa Gorge Dam, which is being considered as a source of hydro power. Because Kano is north of the rail junction at Kaduna, it has equal access to the seaports at Lagos and Port Harcourt.

The airline Kabo Air had its head office in the city. Kano was also headquarters of Azman Airlines and is the headquarters city of Max Air and various independent travel agencies. After a hiatus of many years, the railway line from Kano to Lagos was rehabilitated by 2013. The train trip to Lagos takes 30 hours and costs the equivalent of US$12, only a quarter of the equivalent bus fare.

In 2014, a new double track, standard gauge line is under construction from Lagos.

In 2017, a 74-km, four-line light rail network was announced by the Kano State Ministry of Works, Housing & Transport; with a US$1.8 billion contract signed with China Railway Construction Corporation.

Two trans-African automobile routes pass through Kano:
 * Algiers-Lagos Highway

 * Dakar-Ndjamena Highway

From 2006 to 2015, backed by high oil prices, major highways, overhead bridges and other transportation infrastructure were built by the state government. The most notable of these are the Silver Jubilee flyover bridge at Kofar Nassarawa, the Kofar Kabuga underpass and various 6-lane highways in the city. In 2020, the Vice president of Nigeria Yemi Osibanjo was in Kano to commission the Alhassan Dantata flyover along Murtala Muhammad Way and Tijjani Hashim underpass way, Kofar Ruwa.

Notable people

 * Sani Abacha, former Nigerian Head of State
 * Lawan Musa Abdullahi, lawyer and politician
 * Aliko Dangote, entrepreneur.
 * Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, Businessman and entrepreneur
 * Alhassan Dantata, businessman
 * Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, current Governor of Kano State
 * Aminu Kano, teacher, politician and reformer
 * Rabiu Kwankwaso, politician, former Governor of Kano State, Senator in the Nigerian Senate and Minister of Defense
 * Murtala Muhammed, former Head of State, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
 * Abdul Samad Rabiu, entrepreneur
 * Isyaku Rabiu, businessman
 * Abubakar Rimi former Governor of Kano state.
 * Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, banker
 * Ibrahim Shekarau, politician, former Governor of Kano State, Minister of Education, and Nigerian Senate
 * Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila bureaucrat and politician.
 * Alhassan Yusuf, footballer, currently plays for Royal Antwerp in Belgium

title: Kano (city)


text:
Yola, Nigeria

Yola (Fulfulde: Ƴola), meaning 'Great Plain' or 'Vast Plain Land', is the capital city and administrative centre of Adamawa State, Nigeria. It is located on the Benue River, and has a population of over 336,648 (2010). Yola is split into two parts. The old town of Yola where the Lamido of Adamawa resides, is the traditional city and the new city of Jimeta (about 5 km NW) is the administrative and commercial centre.

To the north are the Mandara Mountains and to the south are the Shebshi Mountains and Mount Dimlang (Vogel Peak).

Yola is an access point to the Gashaka Gumpti Nature Reserve, which is one of the largest national park in Nigeria, the Ngel Nyaki montane forest reserve, the Mambilla Plateau, the Sukur UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is Africa's first cultural landscape to receive World Heritage List inscription, the Yadin Waterfalls, the Kiri Dam on the Gongola River, the Benue national park in nearby Cameroon, the Waza National Park, and the Cameroonian town of Garoua, which lies across the border, on the Benue river.

History
It was established in 1841, Yola is a municipality that sprawls across the hillside of this North-Eastern region of Nigeria. It was the capital of a Fulani state until it was taken over by the British in 1901. Today, it is the capital of Adamawa State, which was formed in 1991 from part of Gongola State. Modibbo Adama, a local chief of the Fulani, founded Yola in 1841. During the Islamic movement led by Shehu Usman Dan Fodio in the early 19th century, Modibbo Adama was recognised as a Muslim Scholar who could lead the people in the Upper Benue area. The first European to visit the area was Heinrich Barth in 1851, shortly after Yola was founded. He traveled by the Sahara route, coming through Kukawa near Lake Chad, which at the time was the capital of the Borno Empire.

The state is serviced by the Yola International Airport which is among the first airport buillt in Nigeria.

On 17 November 2015, a suicide bombing killed over 30 people.

Climate

Yola has a tropical savanna climate that borders on a hot semi-arid climate (Aw bordering on BSh according to the Köppen climate classification) with a dry season and wet season. The temperature is warm year-round, with August and September having the lowest average high at 31.3 C and December having the lowest average low at 16.9 C. March has the highest average high of 42.8 C, while April has the highest average low at 27.0 C. The highest temperatures occur in March and April, just before the wet season starts.

Yola receives 872.4 mm of precipitation annually on average. There is a wet season from May to October and a dry season for the rest of the year. The dry season, especially from February to April, has higher daytime temperatures and can have lower nighttime lows. The dry season also has a higher diurnal temperature variation. August is the wet month, receiving 196.1 mm of rain on average over 16 precipitation days. No precipitation falls from December to February. Humidity is low in the dry season, dropping to just 13.5% in February, but it can get quite humid during the wet season, especially from July to September. Yola receives 2,845.5 hours of sunshine annually, which is well-distributed throughout the year, with November having the most sunshine and August having the least.

Clouds
Yola's cloud cover varies significantly throughout the year; clearer months last 4.6 months, while partly overcast months last 7.4 months. The clearest month is January, with 53% of the sky being either mostly clear or clear with 78% of the sky being clouded or overcast, May is the cloudiest month.

Rainfall
Yola's monthly rainfall varies greatly according to the season, with a 7.3-month rainy season ranging from March 27 to November 7 and averaging 0.5 inches. The heaviest rain falls in August, with an average of 6.5 inches. The duration of the dry spell is 4.6 months, with January recording the lowest average rainfall of 0.0 inches.

Infrastructure
The nearby town of Jimeta has a market, zoo, an airport with direct flights to Saudi Arabia, NiPost and NiTel offices as well as the main mosque and cathedral. Being a state capital, it is a major transport hub with buses and taxis heading north to Mubi and Maiduguri, west to Numan, Gombe, jalingo and Bauchi and south to Makurdi and Katsina Ala. Taxis are available to Garoua in Cameroon. There is an airport with regular flights to Abuja and Lagos. The town is home to various institutions of learning, such as the: American University of Nigeria (AUN) (which is Africa's first and only development university), Adamawa State Polytechnic, The Modibbo Adama University Yola (MAU) previously known as Federal University of Technology, Yola, located about 10 km north of the city on the road to Mubi, The Federal Government Girls College, Yola, AUN Academy (ABTI Academy), Aliyu Mustapha Academy, Chiroma Ahmad Academy, Ahmadu Ribadu College, MAUTECH university secondary school, Concordia College (which was nominated as the best post-primary school for 2007 by the National Association of Nigerian Students). Yola also houses one of the six campuses of the Nigerian Law school located beside the American University of Nigeria and many other educational institutions. Adamawa has one of the best depots in Nigeria, located about 5 km west on the road to Numan. Tourist sites include: The Three sister hills in Song Local Government Area, which are three scenic rock formations standing side by side at different height with the middle one as the big sister. The former Njuwa lake fishing festival site which is now dried and developed into residential area. The Lamido's Palace and the Annual horse-riding durbar, originally a Fulbe settlement, the town is largely dominated by Fulbe, as well as people from other parts of the country and the neighboring country of Cameroon.

Notable people

 * Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
 * Atiku Abubakar
 * Mohammed Barkindo
 * Aisha Buhari
 * Boni Haruna
 * Boss Mustapha
 * Panam Percy Paul
 * Nuhu Ribadu
 * Alex Badeh

title: Yola, Nigeria


text:
Baird's sparrow

Baird's sparrow (Centronyx bairdii) is a species of North American birds in the family Passerellidae of order Passeriformes. It is a migratory bird native to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Taxonomy
The Baird's sparrow was first described in North Dakota in 1843 by John James Audubon, and another record of this species was not made for 29 years following its discovery. It was named after the American naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird.

Description
The Baird's sparrow can be identified as a small brown streaked sparrow. Their faces are a yellow-brown color featuring subtle black markings. These birds have a narrow band of brown streaks on their chests. This species can be distinguished from others by its unique broad ochre central crown stripe. Juveniles exhibit similar coloration but often have more streaking. Adult size is comparable for both males and females, no sexual dimorphism is exhibited. Adults are generally about 12 cm (5") and weigh 17-21 g (½ to ¾ oz); their wingspan is usually around 23 cm (9").

They are larger than LeConte's sparrow and do not exhibit orange coloration on their faces. They exhibit very similar coloration and patterning to Henslow's sparrow but do not have green coloration on their faces. The Savannah sparrow is more heavily streaked and has an extra white marking on its head.

Distribution and habitat
The Baird's sparrow migrates from its summer breeding habitat, the tall grass prairies of north central United States and South Central Canada, to spend winters in northern Mexico and the southern tip of the United States near Texas. Due to this migratory behavior, they may be spotted all across the Midwest portion of the United States during migratory seasons, but most frequently can be found in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Canada during the summer.

This species of sparrow resides in grassland habitats. These birds rely on the (now diminishing) tallgrass prairies, mixed grass prairies, and moister fescue prairies of northern United States and southern Canada. The dwindling status of this habitat puts many animals whose lifestyles rely on these ecosystems in peril. Land featuring woody vegetation and cultivated land is generally not a suitable environment for Baird's sparrows to thrive in.

Diet
Baird's sparrow feed on the ground, picking up insects and grass seeds.

Conservation status and threats
There is some concern about the conservation status of Baird's sparrows; their numbers are reduced compared to historic numbers. This species is listed under the IUCN Red List under the category of "least concern". Maintaining the original habitat is important for this species because artificial habitat recreation is not suitable for these birds. Fragmentation can lead to adverse conditions for Baird's sparrows, including increased nest parasitism.

Reproduction/life cycle
Baird's sparrows nest on the ground in either depressions or tufts of grass. These nests are usually made out of grass and consist of two layers, with finer material on the inside. These birds nest in small loose colonies. A normal clutch size is usually two to six white-gray eggs with brown spots. These birds are altricial, and rely on parental care for survival after hatching.

Breeding populations of Baird's sparrow fluctuate from year to year. This is most likely the result of a variable environment including factors like wildfires, drought, and the movement of American bison herds. When confronted with danger or a potential predator, Baird's sparrows may evade their foes by running on foot rather than flying away.

Book

 * Green, M. T., P. E. Lowther, S. L. Jones, S. K. Davis, and B. C. Dale. 2002. Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii). In The Birds of North America, No. 638 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Reports

 * Anonymous (1993). Canadian Baird's sparrow recovery plan. Ottawa: Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife Committee, 1993. vii, 28 p. (36 pages)
 * De Smet KD. (1991). Manitoba's threatened and endangered grassland birds project: 1990 update. Winnipeg: Manitoba Natural Resources, Wildlife Branch, 1991. iv, 47 p. (53 pages).
 * De Smet KD. (1992). Manitoba's threatened and endangered grassland birds: 1991 update and five year summary. Winnipeg: Manitoba Natural Resources, Wildlife Branch, 1992. vi, 77 p. (85 pages)
 * De Smet KD & Miller WS. (1989). Status report on the Baird's sparrow, Ammodramus bairdii, in Canada. Ottawa: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 1989. ii, 28 p. (34 pages).

Theses

 * Ahlering MA. PhD (2005). Settlement cues and resource use by Grasshopper Sparrows and Baird's Sparrows in the Upper Great Plains. University of Missouri - Columbia, United States, Missouri.
 * Davis SK. PhD (2003). Habitat selection and demography of mixed-grass prairie songbirds in a fragmented landscape. The University of Regina (Canada), Canada.
 * Gamble K. MS (2005). Habitat use in Baird's and grasshopper sparrows. University of Missouri - Columbia, United States, Missouri.
 * Green MT. PhD (1992). Adaptations of Baird's sparrows (Ammodramus bairdii) to grasslands: Acoustic communication and nomadism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States, North Carolina.
 * Klippenstine DR. MSc (2005). Can egg mimicry by Brown-headed Cowbirds explain the acceptance of brood parasitism by grassland passerines?. University of Manitoba (Canada), Canada.
 * Mahon CL. MSc (1995). Habitat selection and detectability of Baird's sparrows in southwestern Alberta. University of Alberta (Canada), Canada.

title: Baird's sparrow


text:
User:Optim

Message left on Missing Wikipedians:

Administrator and Bureaucrat. Missed since 19:00 PM (UTC), March 6, 2004. Optim came to Wikipedia in 2003 because he wanted to help with the creation of free educational material. He started 115 new articles and contributed more than 19 photos he took using his digital camera. He decided to leave because he felt fed up with some particular Wikipedians. He wishes to everyone Good Luck and PEACE PROFOUND. Optim 19:08, 6 Mar 2004 (UTC)
 * He blocked himself for a period of one year. We'll be very lucky to have him back, whenever he decides its worth it. Like all of us, he has a lot of things to do, and when he tallied up the stresses and satisfactions... The stress-o-meter was a multiple of the satisfaction meter :( Let's try to make this profoundly beneficial contributor feel as welcome and happy as possible, if and when he returns. Sam Spade 04:03, 8 Mar 2004 (UTC)

title: User:Optim