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Quảng Bình province

Quảng Bình is a southern coastal province in the North Central Coast region, the Central of Vietnam. It borders Hà Tĩnh to the north, Quảng Trị to the south, Khammouane of Laos to the west and the East Sea (Gulf of Tonkin) to the east.

Quảng Bình was formerly Tiên Bình under the reign of Lê Trung Hưng of the Lê dynasty (this province was renamed Quảng Bình in 1604). The province has an area of 7998.76 km2 and population of 913,860 inhabitants (as of 2022). Historically, this region belonged to Văn Lang and later the kingdom of Champa. Later it was claimed by both the Đại Việt and Champa and officially annexed into Đại Việt by Lý Thường Kiệt, a Lý dynasty general (under the reign of Lý Thánh Tông).

The site of present-day Quảng Bình was battlefields between Champa and Vietnam until the Vietnamese territory was expanded further south by subsequent dynasties. Quảng Bình's importance expanded after Nguyễn Hoàng, a prince of Nguyễn lords was sent to the south by a king of the Lê dynasty. Hoàng built his estate and turned it into Đàng Trong, a rival of the de facto Trịnh-controlled Đàng Ngoài. Quảng Bình became an important front to defend Đàng Trong from attack by Đàng Ngoài. Under French rule, this province was part of Annam. During the Vietnam War, this province was part of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (aka North Vietnam), only 20 km from the DMZ. This province was severely devastated by bombing from U.S. B-52s. This province is home to the World Heritage Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The province is also home to several famous Vietnamese persons, including revered Senior General Võ Nguyên Giáp, poet Hàn Mặc Tử, writer Bảo Ninh and the family of former South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm.

Location and area
The province occupies coordinates 16°55’ to 18°05’ North and 105°37’ to 107°00’ East. It borders Hà Tĩnh province on the north with the Ngang mountain pass as the natural frontier, Quảng Trị province to the south, Laos to the west, and faces the Dong Sea to the east. The narrowest part from east (seaside) to west (Laotian border) is just 40 km. The provincial topography is characterized by a general slope, higher in the west and lower in the east, with hilly and mountainous areas accounting for 85% of the total area. The Annamite Range is the natural border between Quảng Bình province and Laos with peaks ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 m, the summit of which is peak Phi Co Pi with the height of 2,017 m. In the east of the province are lower hills and then several narrow plains and river deltas. The seaside sand dunes belt is a natural dam that protects the land from the ocean tides.

The provincial land area is 8,037.9 km2 and divided as follows: Sand area accounts for 5.9% of the land, and alluvial soil accounts for only 2.8% of the land. The province's east coastline is 116.04 km long and the western borderline with Laos is 201.81 km long. The province owns 4866.88 km2 of forests, of which 4478.37 km2 is natural jungle, and 388.54 km2 is reforestation (including 175.97 km2 of pines).
 * Inhabited land: 41.45 km2
 * Agriculture: 1635.46 km2
 * Forest: 4912.62 km2
 * Specific usage: 199.36 km2
 * Unused: 26.01 km2

The province is located at the coordinates: The coastline is 116.04 km on the east, the borderline with Laos is 201.87 km on the west.
 * The northernmost point: 180 5'12" N
 * The southernmost point: 170 5'02" N
 * The westernmost point: 106 59'37" E
 * The westernmost point: 105 36'55" E

Rivers and sea
There are five major rivers in this province, as follows:
 * 1) Gianh River (this historic river used to be the border splitting Vietnam into two countries during the Trịnh–Nguyễn War)
 * 2) Ron River
 * 3) Nhật Lệ River (the confluence of the Kiến Giang and Long Đại rivers)
 * 4) Ly Hoa River
 * 5) Dinh River
 * 6) Kiến Giang River, Lệ Thủy District
 * 7) Son River, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng

Most of the rivers originate in the Truong Son Range and empty into the Sea. River and stream density is 1.1 km/km2. There are some 160 natural and man-made lakes with total water deposit of 234.3 million cubic meter of fresh water, Quảng Bình Province's sea area includes continental shelf and special economic area up to 20,000 km2. Off the sea, there lie Hòn La islet, Hòn Gió islet, Hòn Nồm islet, Hòn Cỏ islet, Hòn Chùa islets with the total fishery capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes. Hòn La bay is a 4-square-km marine bay with the depth up to 15 m and a surrounding land of 4 km2 suitable to develop sea deep-water port and industrial park.

Mountains

The Hoành Sơn Mountains run through the northeastern part of the province.

Many mount summits concentrate in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng area with over 1,000 metres height. Noteworthy peaks are the Peak Co Rilata with a height of 1,128 m and the Peak Co Preu with a height of 1,213 m. Mountains in karstic area of the park rise at typical height of above 800 m constitute a continuous range along Laotian-Vietnamese borderline, of which notable summits above 1000m are: Phu Tạo (1174m), Co Unet (1150m), Phu Canh (1095m), Phu Mun (1078m), Phu Tu En (1078m), Phu On Chinh (1068m), Phu Dung (1064m), Phu Tu Ôc (1053m), Phu Long (1015m), Phu Ôc (1015m), Phu Dong (1002m). Inserting into these summits are 800–1000 m high summits of Phu Sinh (965m), Phu Co Tri (949m), Phu On Boi (933m), Phu Tu (956m), Phu Toan (905m), Phu Phong (902m), and Ma Ma (835m).

Climate
There are four separate seasons here: in spring (from February to April), it is warm with slight rains, humid and the temperature around 18 to 25 degrees Celsius. In the summer (from May to July), it is hot, dry with little downpours, the temperature may reach up to 35 to 36 degrees Celsius. In the fall, it is rainy, cool with temperature around 22 to 28 degrees Celsius. In the winter, it is humid, slight rain with temperature about 12 to 16 degrees Celsius. Annual average precipitation is around 2,000-2,300 mm. Heaviest rainy season is from September to November. From April to August is the dry season. The hottest months are from June to August.

Flora
Quảng Bình province is endowed with biodiversity, especially typical of Annamites eco-region. According to the results of initial surveys, the primary tropical forest in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is home to 140 families, 427 genera, and 751 species of vascular plants, of which 36 species are considered endangered and listed in the Vietnam's Red Data Book. The most common tree species in this park are Hopea sp., Sumbaviopsis albicans, Garcinia fagraeoides, Burretiodendron hsienmu, Chukrasia tabularis, Photinia arboreum and Diospyros salletii. Seedlings can only grow in holes and cracks in the limestone where soil has accumulated, so in general regeneration after disturbance is slow. The forest type in this national park is dominated by evergreen tree species with scattered deciduous trees such as Dipterocarpus kerri, Anogeissus acuminata, Pometia pinnata and Lagerstroemia calyculata. In Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng, the dominant plant families are the Lauraceae, Fabaceae, Theaceae and Rosaceae, with some scattered gymnosperms such as Podocarpus imbricatus, Podocarpus neriifolius, and Nageia fleuryi.

In the national park there is a 5000-ha forest of Calocedrus macrolepis on limestone (Calocedrus rupestris) mounts with about 2,500 trees, 600 per hectare. This is the largest forest of this tree in Vietnam. Most of these trees here are 500–600 years old. These trees are listed in group 2A (rare, precious and limited exploitation) of the official letter 3399/VPCP-NN dated 21 June 2002, an amendment to Decree 48 by the Government of Vietnam. Biologists discovered three rare orchid species. Orchids found here include: Paphiopedilum malipoense, Paphiopedilum dianthum, Paphiopedilum concolor. In 1996, IUCN classified these orchid species in danger of extinction in the near future.

Endemic species in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park include: Burretiodendron hsienmu, Cryptocarya lenticellata, Deutzianthus tonkinensis, Eberhardtia tonkinensis, Heritiera macrophylla, Hopea sp., Illicium parviflorum, Litsea baviensis, Madhuca pasquieri, Michelia foveolata, Peltophorum tonkinensis, Semecarpus annamensis, Sindora tonkinensis.

Fauna
The forests of Quảng Bình, particularly in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng, are home to at least 98 families, 256 genera and 381 species of vertebrates. 66 animal species are listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book and 23 other species in the World Red Book of Endangered Species. In 2005, a new species of skink (Lygosoma boehmeiwas) was discovered here by a group of Vietnamese biologists together with biologists working for the park, Cologne Zoo in Germany and the Saint Petersburg Wild Zoology Institute in Russia.

The gaur and one species of eel have been discovered in this park. 10 new species previously unknown in Vietnam were discovered by scientists in the park. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is home as well to a significant population of primates in Vietnam, with ten species and subspecies. These include the globally vulnerable pig-tailed macaque, Assam macaque, stump-tailed macaque and white-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys and Nomascus leucogenys siki). The park is home to one of the largest populations of François' langur in Vietnam, including two different forms of the species. The area is known for its population of Hatinh and black langurs. 10 species of bats listed in the IUCN List of Threatened Species are recorded in this park. Of the 59 recorded reptile and amphibian species, 18 are listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book and 6 are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. The 72 fish species include 4 species endemic to the area, including Danio quangbinhensis.

The park is home to over 200 bird species, including such rare birds as the chestnut-necklaced partridge, red-collared woodpecker, brown hornbill, sooty babbler and the short-tailed scimitar babbler. An initiative survey conducted by Russian and Vietnamese scientists from Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre (funded by WWF) recorded 259 butterfly species of 11 families. Almost all major butterfly taxa in Vietnam can be found in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng.

Administrative divisions
Quảng Bình is subdivided into 8 district-level sub-divisions:

 * 6 districts:
 * Bố Trạch
 * Lệ Thủy
 * Minh Hóa
 * Quảng Ninh
 * Quảng Trạch
 * Tuyên Hóa

 * 1 district-level town:
 * Ba Đồn (newly created since 2013)
 * 1 provincial city:
 * Đồng Hới (capital)

They are further subdivided into 7 commune-level towns (or townlets), 136 communes, and 16 wards.

These in turn are further subdivided into villages (lang or thon). Like administrative system of Vietnam, the leader of each administrative unit is the secretary of the local Communist Party Cell. Each administrative unit includes a people's council, who elects a people's committee to execute its daily affairs.

Culture and education
The province is home to Quảng Bình University, a newly established university from the Normal College of Quảng Bình. This university has faculties of business administration, normal faculty and informatics faculty.

There are several high schools and primary schools in counties. Inhabitants here regards education as family tradition and the most important means to make ends meet and to eliminate poverty. Quảng Bình province is the land of rich culture and famous people. There is an archaeological site of Bàu Tró, Phù Lưu ancient bronze drums in the time of Dong Son's culture.

On 3 July 2007, an earthen pot of ancient coins weighing 20 kg was found buried at 500 cm underground in a paddy field and later sold for US$12.5 per kilo. This site is located in Tran Xa village, Ham Ninh commune, Quảng Ninh district. The coins were from the Tang dynasty period. Compared to other provinces in areas surrounding Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City and Đà Nẵng, Quảng Bình is the poorest province. Therefore, more and more young and educated here find their ways to the big cities and more industrialized provinces. In each commune (xã, a rural subdivision of a district), there is a clinic and there is a hospital in every county, in Đồng Hới city, there are more. The Đồng Hới Hospital, which was donated by Cuba, was built in the 1980s.

Economy
The provincial GDP per capita is one of the lowest of Vietnam (around US$1500, compared to Vietnam's average GDP per capita of US$2385). Industries base on mainly construction material production (cement, tiles, building rock, brick) thanks to its abundance in limestone and white clay deposits. The province has two industrial parks, one in Đồng Hới city and the other in Hon La bay. Sea food processing, bio-fertilizer and aluminum production are also important to this provincial economy. Over 80% of the population live on agricultural production. In recent years, tourism has been emerged as the significant contribution to Quảng Bình thanks to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park and white fine sand beaches. Trade conducted with Laos through Cha Lo gate by National Road 12. In 2005, this province's export value is just 30 million US$ or 1% of Vietnam's export revenue. In 2012, the province contributed 1840 billion VND (US$90 million) to the state budget (of the total US$37.68 billion) or 0.24% only

The province's agriculture is comprehensively developed with the direction of production of commodities. Crops and cultivation calendar have been gradually arranged in a more appropriate manner. The food production has been continuously increased reaching 200,000 tons in 2000. The total area of industrial trees is 14,105ha, of which the area of rubber is 6,400 ha providing 2,000 tons of dried resin. Cattle and husbandry keep growing. The average agriculture growth rate is 5.7% during the period 1996–2000. In the recent years, forestry production in Quảng Bình province has been changed in terms of structure from mainly exploiting to protecting, developing forest for forest resource conservation. The value of forestry and afforestation has increased 87.3%, in particular from 1996 to 2000 the growth rate was 65.3%. The annual forestation area is around 4,000 ha. Up to date 38,851 ha of forest has been planted.

The fishery sector has continuously developed and become a key economic sector of the province. At present the province has around 3,200 fishing boats with power of over 67,000CV. In the year 2000, the output of sea products is estimated at 17,104 tons, of which about 1,600 tons is from raising. The province has 3 shrimp nursery stations, 8 fish nursery stations supplying 5–7 mil. tiger baby shrimps, 40–45mil. baby fish and 4–5 mil. fingerlings annually. At present the province has 2 factories of processing frozen sea products and 4 factories of processing dried products for exportation. The services of fishing sector such as making and repairing ships, purchasing, processing sea products and providing technical assistance and infrastructure for fishing are continuously developed. However, the development of the fishery sector in recent years has not met its expected potential. As of February 2008, the province licensed 59 investment projects with a total capitalization of USD $500,000,000. , this province is home to two special economic zones with preferential investment and tax treatments, namely the Hòn La Economic Zone by the Hòn La seaport, and Cha Lo Border Gate Economic Zone in the border with Laos.

Landscapes and attractions

Quảng Bình has several tourist attraction sites that could be turned into tourism development. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park is noted for its system of some 300 cave and grotto systems with a total length of about 70 km, of which only 20 have been surveyed by Vietnamese and British scientists; 17 of these are in located in the Phong Nha area and three in the Kẻ Bàng area. Phong Nha holds several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways. Following UNESCO listing of this park, the number of visitors to this province changed significantly. Tourists mainly visit Phong Nha, Tien Son and Thiên Đường caves and Hang Én. Sơn Đoòng Cave has yet available for visitors due to unavailability of access road and other relating facilities.
 * Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park: This park features a karst region of more than 200,000 km2 if Hin Namno region in Laos bordering this park is combined. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is a protected area, a national park and was listed in UNESCO's world heritage in 2003. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is located in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts, in North Central Coast, Vietnam, about 50 km northwest of Đồng Hới, 42 km east of South China Sea from its borderline point. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is situated in a limestone zone of 200,000 hectare in Vietnamese territory and borders another limestone of 200,000 hectare of Hin Namno in Laotian territory. The core zone of this national park covers 85,754 hectares and a buffer zone of 195,400 ha. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.

 * Đá Nhảy, Ly Hoa and Nhật Lệ beaches feature white and fine sands, clean water, and are among the most attractive beaches in Vietnam
 * Bang Spa: a hotspring area in Lệ Thủy District with resort and health care services. The temperature of the water at the jet hole can reach up to 105 degree Celsius.
 * Ho Chi Minh trail, many important sites along the trail during Vietnam War.

The great natural landscapes of Quang Binh have been used in the movie: Kong: Skull Island.

Transportation
Quảng Bình has well-developed transportation infrastructure including an airport, seaport, roadways, railways and riverways. Dong Hoi Airport currently is serviced by three airlines including Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific, with flights to and from the major cities of Vietnam such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong. In August 2017, Jetstar Pacific will launch a Chiang Mai–Dong Hoi international flight. The road and rail systems, border economic zones and ports are likewise interlinked. There are two national highways – National Route 1A and Ho Chi Minh Highway – and the North–South railway running along the length of the province, the Cha Lo Border Gate Economic Zone, which extends into Laos, and Hon La deep water seaport which is capable of vessels of 30,000–50,000 tonnes. Going east to west, National Road 12A connects Hon La deep-water seaport 2 to Cha Lo Border Gate Economic Zone (with Laos) via Huu Nghi No.3 Bridge to Thailand, Myanmar and Southeast Asian nations with the length of about 350 km. Located in the East West Economic Corridor (EWEC), Quang Binh is an important point of commercial exchange within the region and the world.

Demographics
The provincial population is 882,500 (2016). There are 24 ethnic groups living here, predominantly Kinh, Vân Kiều and Chứt. Other minorities are in very small quantity with 100 persons each. All of 23 ethnic minority groups live in mountainous areas. The province has the most number of Vietic languages spoken in Vietnam, including Vietnamese, Nguồn, Arem, Maleng and Chứt.

The provincial population is unevenly distributed, with more than 90% live in around 10% of the provincial land while just 10% live in 90% mountainous and sand areas. 80% inhabitants lives in rural areas, 20% lives in urban areas. 47.08% of the population (380,306) was in the labor force in 2000, 72% of whom work in rural sectors (agriculture and syvicuture) and 10.9% in urban areas (industrial, service and commercial sectors). There are 10,720 university graduates and postgraduates (4,676 college graduates and 6042 university graduates) in 2000. Of blue-collar workers, only 35,000 have passed appropriate training courses.

History
Archaeological excavation in this area proved that human living in what is now Quảng Bình province in Stone Age period. Many artifacts such as ceramic vases, stone tools, china was unearthed in Quảng Bình.

In 1926, a French archaeologist, Madeleine Colani, discovered and excavated many artifacts in caves and grottoes in west mountainous areas of Quảng Bình. She concluded that the Hòa Bình culture belonged to this region. Through C14 dating test, the artifacts dated back to 10,509 (plus or minus 950) years ago. From Quy Đạt township (in Minh Hóa District) to 150 m southwest, the Hum grotto contains many stone tools and animal stones from an ancient human community. Inside the Khai grotto near Quy Đạt township, similar artifacts were also found. Especially, there are several ceramics of Đông Sơn culture. Additionally, artifacts from the Stone Age were unearthed in some grottoes in Quảng Bình. Owners of these artifacts lived in the caves and grottoes and hunted for their food.

Under the Hung kings, when Văn Lang nation founded the Văn Lang tribal coalition, Quảng Bình belonged to the Việt Thường group. Under Lê Trung Hưng, this province was named Tiên Bình. The central and the south of Vietnam (from Ngang mount pass to Bình Thuận province) was part of the Champa Kingdom. During that time, wars between Champa kingdom and Đại Việt were frequent. Majority of the wars were started by Champa Kingdom, who was then, stronger than Đại Việt. Quảng Bình became Đại Việt's territory in 1306 A.D. following the arrange marriage of the Trần Dynasty princess Huyền Trân to the Champa king, Jaya Sinhavarman III (Vietnamese: Chế Mân). Huyen Trần was King Trần Nhân Tông's daughter and King Trần Anh Tông's younger sister. Political matches made to acquire land were common traditional practices by Champa kings. Because of the marriage, Đại Việt acquired lands (as dowry) of what is now Quảng Trị Province, and Thừa Thiên-Huế province (then known respectively as Chau O and Chau Ri or Chau Ly), the new map changed Quảng Bình from being the southernmost land and the southern border of Đại Việt. During the Trinh-Nguyễn family war in the 17th century, the Gianh River in Quảng Bình province became the border between Dang Trong (South Vietnam) and Đàng Ngoài (North Vietnam). Đồng Hới city was built as a fortress to protect the Nguyễn family's Dang Trong from Đàng Ngoài's attacks.

In 1604, the provincial name was changed to Quảng Bình. Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát divided Quảng Bình into 3 counties (dinh): dinh Bố Chính (formerly dinh Ngói), dinh Mười (or dinh Lưu Đồn), and dinh Quảng Bình (or dinh Trạm). The province was established in 1831, with the part of phủ Quảng Ninh, then added phủ Quảng Trạch. Under French colony (French Indochina, Quảng Bình was situated in Annam of French Indochina and Đồng Hới airbase in Quảng Bình was used by the French to attack the Việt Minh in north-central Vietnam and the Laotian Pathet army in north and south Laos. In 1954, the Geneva Accord was signed by France, Vietnam, and other parties involved. According to which, Vietnam was to be temporarily divided into 2 parts, with the 17th parallel as the boundary. North Vietnam was under the control of the Communist party while the South was an anti-communist and French collaborators control. A universal election was to be held in 1956 in order to determine the unification of Vietnam. However, in the South, Ngô Đình Diệm held a referendum, which determined the form of government for the South; consequently, leading to the foundation of the Republic of Vietnam.

50 km north of the 17th parallel, during the Vietnam War, Quảng Bình was the most heavily bombed province by U.S. B-52s due to its location. In 1976, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị province and Thừa Thiên province were merged into Bình Trị Thiên province; in 1990 Binh Tri Thien province was split into three provinces as they were before.

Notable people

 * Ngô Đình Diệm (1901-1963), Former President of the Republic of Vietnam
 * Pierre Van Vien Nguyen (born 1965), Vietnamese Roman Catholic prelate

title: Quảng Bình province


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William Frank Carver

William Frank "Doc" Carver (May 7, 1840 – August 31, 1927) was a late 19th-century sharpshooter and the creator of a popular diving horse attraction.

Early life
William Frank Carver was born in Winslow, Illinois, to William Daniel Carver (1828–1888), a physician, and Deborah Tohapenes (Peters) Carver (1829–1907), who had migrated to Illinois from Pennsylvania in 1849. He had a younger brother, William Pitt, who became a farmer in Kansas, and a sister, May, who was born in May 1856 and died before the age of two.

There seems to be no creditable information about Carver's childhood, as the contradictions in stories he told classify them as entertainment rather than fact. For most of his adult life Carver gave the year of his birth as 1840, but it is likely he did so in order to enlarge the time frame needed to create stories of frontier experience for his admiring audiences after he became a showman. Carver's biographer, Raymond Thorp, wrote that Carver left home at a young age to assert his family's right to land in Minnesota that the Sioux had supposedly granted his grandfather, Jonathan Carver, and that during this period of time he lived with the Santee Sioux. This contention, however, like other claims made by Carver about his early life and never investigated by his biographer, does not withstand the scrutiny of reputable historians.

A plainsman
Carver was trained as a dentist and hence acquired the nickname "Doc". He migrated to the West in 1872, where he practiced dentistry at Fort McPherson, Nebraska, and North Platte, Nebraska. He later attempted to distance himself from his early profession as a dentist, but the name "Doc" clung for life. At Fort McPherson he met Buffalo Bill Cody, Texas Jack Omohundro, and other well-known figures of the day. In November 1872 he moved to the newly organized Frontier County, Nebraska, in the company of Ena Raymonde, a southern belle from Georgia, whose brother W. H. "Paddy" Miles had recently established a trapper's camp known as Wolf's Rest on Medicine Creek. Carver took a claim near Wolf's Rest, and it was here that he began to acquire the target shooting, horseback riding, and hunting skills that would lead to his later success as a world-class marksman. Raymonde, a recognized markswoman, who had been challenged to shoot by Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro, is credited with playing a part in teaching Carver to shoot. An entry from Raymonde's 1872 journal reveals insights into Carver as a young man and also portrays the prevailing enthusiasm for shooting sports in the 19th century: "Sunday afternoon we all…went to see a prairie-dog town! We went at half-speed or better all the way. Shot about 200 rounds; the Dr. doing the most of the business of shooting if not killing..."

Although Carver's time as a plainsman was short, he was on the western Nebraska frontier during an exciting era. Conflict between whites and Native Americans in the immediate area was decreasing but not eliminated. A remnant band of Lakota Sioux known as the Cut-off Sioux was encamped on Medicine Creek several miles to the east of Carver's cabin, and although his claim of having killed the Cut-offs' old war chief Whistler and two of his braves in late 1872 does not conform to the evidence, Carver was certainly in the area during a time of potential and sometimes real hostilities between whites and Native Americans.

It was a common practice during the late 19th century for well-heeled men, from the East and from abroad, to travel to the West to engage in hunting expeditions, and Carver undoubtedly had the opportunity to participate in several of these hunts. Buffalo Bill Cody wrote in his 1879 autobiography that Carver, who, in Cody's words, "has recently acquired considerable notoriety as a rifle-shot," had joined a hunt at which Cody had been engaged as a guide by the Englishman Thomas P. Medley. Late in 1874 Carver spent two weeks practicing dentistry at Fort Sidney, after which he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he continued working as a dentist.

Shooting career
Carver migrated to California in 1876, where he honed his shooting skills. At about this time he coined the moniker "Evil Spirit," accompanied by a "camp-fire tale" that the name had been given to him by Spotted Tail, the famous chief of the Brulé Lakota, because Carver had felled a rare white buffalo. In December 1877 the Evil Spirit issued a challenge to all comers; he would use a rifle and the challenger could use a shotgun, and the targets would be glass balls thrown from the newly invented Bogardus glass ball trap. He also contended that he could hit more targets from horseback than a challenger could hit while standing on the ground. One of the first significant awards Carver won was for breaking 885 glass balls out of 1000 in San Francisco on February 22, 1878. The gold badge was capped with the image of a grizzly bear and bore an inscription that proclaimed Dr. W. F. Carver the "Champion Rifle Shot of the World." Following his success in California, Carver recruited Texas Jack Omohundro, and the pair went on tour giving exhibitions of shooting prowess, with Carver demonstrating his expertise with the rifle while Omohundro displayed his proficiency with the pistol. These demonstrations included endurance contests as well as target competitions. An article in the New York Times on July 6, 1878, illustrates the reception Carver received:

Dr. W. F. Carver, the man who can put a bullet through a silver quarter while the coin is flying through the air, is an enlarged and revised edition of Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack. Being fresh from the broad plains of the untrammeled West, he has that delightful air of unconventionality to be found only in the land of the setting sun...

Dr. Carver is, no doubt, the best short-range marksman in the world. He gave his second exhibition at Deerfoot Park yesterday, and astonished everybody who saw him. He is as fine a specimen of fully developed manhood as ever walked on Manhattan Island. More than six feet high, every part of his body is built to correspond. His chest is so deep that it would take a powerful rifle to send a bullet through it. His shoulders are broad and high, and, altogether, he is exactly the man that ordinary people wouldn't put themselves out of the way to pick a quarrel with...

The scene of yesterday's shooting is worthy of description. A... table, on which were four rifles, several boxes of cartridges, and half a dozen score-books. Fifteen or 20 feet in front of this, again, a barrel and a man, the man taking the glass balls out of the barrel and throwing them in the air, and Dr. Carver breaking them with the bullets as fast as they appeared. Somebody was always at work loading a rifle. The marksman could fire them faster than the loaders could load. And they were the most remarkable rifles – breach-loaders, of course. When they were opened at the end one cartridge was shoved in after another, till it seemed as if the first one must surely be somewhere up by the muzzle...

He seldom misses what he fires at. Most of the time was taken up in shooting glass balls, filled with feathers. The balls were of the thinnest film of glass, slightly tinted, so as to be seen easily in the air, and when they broke, the feathers scattered in every direction...

Carver also joined the ranks of western figures that embellished their frontier credentials by writing books. In 1878 he published a book, ''Life of Dr. Wm. F. Carver of California: Champion Rifle Shot of the World'', which contains entirely fictional versions of his early life but also includes extracts from the press coverage of his first shooting tour across the country.

On August 20, 1878, while in New Haven, Connecticut, Carver married Josephine Dailey, whom he had met on a previous trip. Little is known about the marriage, as Carver's biographer mentions Josephine only in several brief references describing the first few years following the marriage. It appears she was a marginal presence in Carver's life throughout his early years as a showman, and apparently they later separated. It is known that the Carvers had two children, Al and Lorena, both of whom were eventually involved in their father's diving horse act.

Carver versus Bogardus
Almost from the beginning of his shooting career, Carver issued challenges to Captain Adam Henry Bogardus, who was recognized across the country and around the world as the champion trap shooter. Bogardus was Carver's senior by seventeen years, however, and had little to gain and much to lose by accepting a challenge from the newcomer.

In 1879 Carver set sail for a tour of Europe, where he shot in numerous exhibitions and matches, using shotgun, rifle, and pistol and shooting from horseback or from foot. He performed for ordinary citizens and for nobility, the most notable being the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). He traveled to France, Belgium, Germany, and Austria, but most of the tour was in the British Isles, where he was booked for a long-term engagement at the Crystal Palace, in the wealthy Sydenham Hill district of London.

Regardless of the considerable success he was having in Europe, the desire to stage a match with the great Bogardus was ever-present. So anxious was Carver to shoot against Bogardus that in 1881, in a challenge printed in the London Sportsman, he offered to pay $250 toward expenses if Bogardus would travel to London for a match. Bogardus ignored this challenge. Carver returned to the United States in the fall of 1882 and again threw down the gauntlet. Early in 1883 Bogardus finally agreed to a live pigeon shoot in Louisville, Kentucky. The proposed match created much excitement in the shooting world, and a crowd of nearly 1000 gathered to watch two of the world's finest shooters compete. The Louisville Commercial ran the following article on February 21, 1883:

"Captain A. H. Bogardus, the champion shot, arrived in the city yesterday morning, and immediately repaired to the Louisville Hotel, where his rival, Dr. Carver is stopping. Neither of them 'recognized' the other, although they met several times during the morning and dined at adjoining tables. Captain Bogardus remarked to a friend in a fatherly way that the 'young 'un' seemed to be in fine form, and Dr. Carver was overheard saying as he blushed before a plate of potato salad, that 'the old man was looking pretty well himself.' Once or twice they glared politely at each other, and the scene was rather amusing. Captain Bogardus would transfix a baked apple with his fork, and then cast a quick glance at Carver, who at that moment was sipping his ox-tail soup, timidly eyeing the Captain over the rim of the bowl."

Carver won the match 83 to 82, giving Bogardus the nudge needed to issue a challenge for further matches. In Chicago, Illinois, they shot two matches, one at live birds and one at clay pigeons, Carver winning both matches. From there they traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, where they found a message waiting for them from the Ligowsky Clay Pigeon Company. If they used Ligowsky's clay pigeons, the company would award a $7500 purse for the series of 25 matches. The match using clay pigeons that they had already shot in Chicago was counted as one match, another match was shot while they were in St. Louis, and from there they traveled to 23 more cities. Carver won 19 of the 25 matches and secured his position as one of the world's best marksmen.

Wild West show
About this same time, Carver went into partnership with Buffalo Bill Cody to put a Wild West show on the road. The grand opening of the "Wild West: Hon. W. F. Cody and Dr. W. F. Carver's Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition" was in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 17, 1883. Their series of shooting matches completed, both Carver and Bogardus joined the show in Omaha. The show was an immediate success, but the relationship between the two showmen, Carver and Cody, was contentious from the beginning. At the end of the season they parted ways and divided the assets by the flip of a coin. Cody then formed a partnership with the promoter and showman Nate Salsbury, and the show continued as Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

Carver put his own show on tour, also billed as the Wild West. As the two shows crisscrossed the country for the next few years, Carver and Cody engaged in legal wrangling over various issues. The foremost points of dispute were the use of the name Wild West and Carver's assertion that Cody still owed him $27,000, which Carver claimed he had invested in the original show. In July 1885 both shows were in Connecticut, and the New York Times reported that "An interminable row has broken out in this State between Dr. Carver, the marksman, and Buffalo Bill. They have been running rival shows under the same title of 'Wild West'." A trial, intended to end the suits and countersuits, was set for July 20, 1885. Cody failed to appear, however, so Carver agreed to dismiss his suit for $10,000 cash and Salsbury's offer to pay the court costs. Carver and Cody, once friends, remained bitter enemies for the rest of their lives.

His show broken up, Carver did not have the financial resources to reorganize. For the next few years he appeared as a featured act in several outdoor shows. By 1889 he had secured financial partners and organized his own show, Wild America. Carver launched a worldwide tour, covering much of the same circuit as Cody, but the two shows avoided each other until August 1890, when Carver's show arrived in Hamburg, Germany, ahead of Cody's. Carver's claim to exclusive use of the available electric lights left Cody's show in the dark and added further hostility to the fierce competition between the two showmen. In December 1890 Carver shipped the Wild America troupe to Australia, where it was received with enthusiasm.

In conjunction with the outdoor exhibition, Carver had added a dramatic play, and on his return to the United States in early 1892 launched a tour of both productions across the country. An economic depression, however, had spread across the country by the early 1890s. In addition, a number of similar shows were touring the country, and they were no longer an entertainment novelty. For these and other reasons, Carver's show disbanded sometime in 1893. Carver had continued to give shooting exhibitions and to challenge competitors while on tour in the United States and abroad. After seventeen years as the "Champion Shot of the World" Carver gave one of his last public exhibitions in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1896. Noting that Carver refused to tell his age but looked fifteen years younger than his stated age, the State Journal reported that "Dr. W. F. Carver, the champion shot of the world, has been giving exhibitions of his wonderful skill in rifle, shotgun and horseback shooting this week at Lincoln park that mystified, surprised and astonished the audience present."

Diving horses
After the breakup of his show Carver put together a smaller show, which featured trained animals and shooting exhibitions. His biographer wrote that Carver added the diving horse act to the show in Kansas City, Missouri, in August 1894. Carver told several versions of a story describing an exciting escape from bandits, which inspired the diving horse act, but those who remembered him in Nebraska said he got the idea after plunging on horseback off a bank into a deep hole in Medicine Creek. Over the next few years the other acts were eliminated, and the diving horse exhibition became Carver's primary endeavor. Included in the touring company were his son, Al, who helped train and take care of the horses, and his daughter, Lorena, said to be the first rider. By the time his future daughter-in-law, Sonora Webster, joined the show in 1924, Carver had two diving teams on the road, each performing in a different city.

In June 1927, Carver attended an Old-Timers' Convention in Norfolk, Nebraska, where he enjoyed reuniting with other frontiersmen. Following the convention he traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, and while there received word that his favorite horse had drowned following a dive into the Pacific Ocean. Sonora later wrote that the loss of the horse coupled with failing health seemed to diminish Carver's desire to live. He died on August 31, 1927, in Sacramento, California, and was buried beside his mother and sister in Winslow, Illinois. Sonora remembered that Carver was a stern and taciturn man but loved his horses and insisted that they be given the best of care.

Following Carver's death, the diving horse show continued with Al Carver at the helm. In October 1928 Al Carver and Sonora Webster were married. A short time later he signed a contract for a season's engagement at Atlantic City's Steel Pier, and the diving horse act became a permanent fixture there for several years. Sonora Webster Carver lost her eyesight in 1931 when her horse "Red Lips" dove into the tank off-balance, causing her to hit the water face first. She failed to close her eyes quickly enough, resulting in detached retinas. Though now blinded, Sonora continued with the act for eleven years. Her younger sister, Arnette Webster (later French), had joined the show in 1930 and started diving in 1931.

Al and Sonora Carver retired in 1942. The act finally closed as a result of pressure from animal rights groups in the 1970s. Sonora Carver, however, always contended that the horses were never forced to dive and, in fact, enjoyed the act. She died in September 2003, at the age of 99. Her early career inspired the 1991 Disney movie Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, starring Gabrielle Anwar and based on Carver's memoir, A Girl and Five Brave Horses.

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

title: William Frank Carver


text:
Yury Solomin

Yury Mefodievich Solomin (Ю́рий Мефо́диевич Соло́мин; 18 June 1935 – 11 January 2024) was a Soviet and Russian actor and director who was an art director of the Maly Theatre in Moscow from 1988. He previously served as Minister of Culture of the RSFSR from 1990 to 1991.

Biography
Solomin studied at the Malyi Theatre School and joined its troupe in 1957. He was acclaimed as Khlestakov in Igor Ilyinsky's production of The Government Inspector (1966), Tsar Feodor in Tsar Feodor Ioannovich (1976), Slavin in TASS Is Authorized to Declare... TV series (1984), Nicholas II in Az Vosdam... (1990), and Famusov in his own production of Woe from Wit (2000). Solomin was cast as a Russian imperial officer in many Soviet movies, including Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala (1975), which won him aapan]]ese decoration for the outstanding contribution to the world culture (1993). Solomin served as the Russian Minister of Culture from 1990 to 1992. On 11 March 2014, he signed the appeal of culture of the Russian Federation in support of the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and Crimea. In December 2015, he supported the policy of Putin with respect to Ukraine and the annexation of the Crimea.

His younger brother Vitaly Solomin (1941–2002) was also a noted actor.

Yury Solomin died of complications from a stroke on 11 January 2024, at the age of 88.

Honors and awards

 * People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan (1996)
 * Honored Worker of Arts of the Republic of Mari El
 * Order of Friendship of Peoples (1985)
 * Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation (2020)
 * People's Artist of the USSR (1988)
 * People's Artist of the RSFSR (1974)
 * Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1971)
 * Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR (1971) - for his role of Captain Koltsov in the mini-series The Adjutant of His Excellency (1969)
 * Award of the KGB (1984) - for his role as Slavin in the mini-series TASS Is Authorized to Declare... (1984)
 * Award for student work in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Kobe (Japan)
 * Order "For Merit to the Fatherland";
 * 1st class (29 June 2015)
 * 2nd class (18 June 2005)
 * 3rd class (25 October 1999)
 * 4th class (29 May 1995)
 * Order of the Academy of Arts of Japan "for contribution to world culture" (No. 199)
 * "Golden Aries" award for his outstanding contribution to the development of national cinema (1996)
 * State Prize of the Russian Federation (2001)
 * International Stanislavsky Theater Award - for his role in the play Famusov Maly, "Woe from Wit" (2001)
 * Medal "In Memory of Kazan 1000th anniversary" (2009)
 * Award of Kuzbass (2007)
 * Commemorative Medal "150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov" (2011)
 * 10054 Solomin  asteroid number 10054, named in his honor
 * Award "Man of the Year 2008" (Russian Biographical Institute)
 * Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
 * Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Education (1992)
 * Award of the Federal Security Service in the "acting job" for the creation of highly image security personnel in the domestic film industry (2010)
 * Order of Honour (2010)
 * Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow (Russian Orthodox Church)
 * Medal Glory of Chita  (No. 1)
 * Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (Japan, 2011)

Selected filmography

 * A Mother's Heart (1965)
 * Strong with Spirit (1967)
 * The Adjutant of His Excellency (1969)
 * The Red Tent (1969)
 * Dauria (1971)
 * Dersu Uzala (1975)
 * Melodies of a White Night (1976)
 * An Ordinary Miracle (1978)
 * School Waltz (1978)
 * Die Fledermaus (1979)
 * Moon Rainbow (1983)
 * TASS Is Authorized to Declare... (1984)
 * Sofia Kovalevskaya (1985)
 * Anna Karamazoff (1991)
 * Dreams of Russia (1992)
 * Moscow Saga (2004)

authors: Анатолий Росдашин

title: Yury Solomin


text:
Krylov subspace

In linear algebra, the order-r Krylov subspace generated by an n-by-n matrix A and a vector b of dimension n is the linear subspace spanned by the images of b under the first r powers of A (starting from $$A^0=I$$), that is,
 * $$\mathcal{K}_r(A,b) = \operatorname{span} \, \{ b, Ab, A^2b, \ldots, A^{r-1}b \}. $$

Background
The concept is named after Russian applied mathematician and naval engineer Alexei Krylov, who published a paper about the concept in 1931.

Properties

 * $$\mathcal{K}_r(A,b), A\,\mathcal{K}_r(A,b)\subset \mathcal{K}_{r+1}(A,b)$$.
 * Let $$r_0 = \operatorname{dim} \operatorname{span} \, \{ b, Ab, A^2b, \ldots \}$$. Then $$\{ b, Ab, A^2b, \ldots, A^{r-1}b \}$$ are linearly dependent unless $$r>r_0$$, $$\mathcal{K}_r(A,b) \subset \mathcal{K}_{r_0}(A,b)$$ for all $$r$$, and $$\operatorname{dim} \mathcal{K}_{r_0}(A,b) = r_0$$. So $$r_0$$ is the maximal dimension of the Krylov subspaces $$\mathcal{K}_r(A,b)$$.
 * The maximal dimension satisfies $$r_0\leq 1 + \operatorname{rank} A $$ and $$ r_0 \leq n$$.
 * Consider $$\dim \operatorname{span} \, \{ I, A, A^2, \ldots \} = \deg\,p(A)$$, where $$p(A)$$ is the minimal polynomial of $$A$$. We have $$r_0\leq \deg\,p(A)$$. Moreover, for any $$A$$, there exists a $$b$$ for which this bound is tight, i.e. $$r_0 = \deg\,p(A)$$.
 * $$\mathcal{K}_r(A,b) $$ is a cyclic submodule generated by $$b$$ of the torsion $$k[x]$$-module $$(k^n)^A$$, where $$k^n$$ is the linear space on $$k$$.
 * $$k^n$$ can be decomposed as the direct sum of Krylov subspaces.

Use
Krylov subspaces are used in algorithms for finding approximate solutions to high-dimensional linear algebra problems. Many linear dynamical system tests in control theory, especially those related to controllability and observability, involve checking the rank of the Krylov subspace. These tests are equivalent to finding the span of the Gramians associated with the system/output maps so the uncontrollable and unobservable subspaces are simply the orthogonal complement to the Krylov subspace.

Modern iterative methods such as Arnoldi iteration can be used for finding one (or a few) eigenvalues of large sparse matrices or solving large systems of linear equations. They try to avoid matrix-matrix operations, but rather multiply vectors by the matrix and work with the resulting vectors. Starting with a vector $$b$$, one computes $$A b$$, then one multiplies that vector by $$A$$ to find $$A^2 b$$ and so on. All algorithms that work this way are referred to as Krylov subspace methods; they are among the most successful methods currently available in numerical linear algebra. These methods can be used in situations where there is an algorithm to compute the matrix-vector multiplication without there being an explicit representation of $$A$$, giving rise to Matrix-free methods.

Issues
Because the vectors usually soon become almost linearly dependent due to the properties of power iteration, methods relying on Krylov subspace frequently involve some orthogonalization scheme, such as Lanczos iteration for Hermitian matrices or Arnoldi iteration for more general matrices.

Existing methods
The best known Krylov subspace methods are the Conjugate gradient, IDR(s) (Induced dimension reduction), GMRES (generalized minimum residual), BiCGSTAB (biconjugate gradient stabilized), QMR (quasi minimal residual), TFQMR (transpose-free QMR) and MINRES (minimal residual method).

title: Krylov subspace


text:
Maclean-Hunter

Maclean-Hunter (M-H) was a Canadian communications company, which had diversified holdings in radio, television, magazines, newspapers and cable television distribution.

History
The company began in 1887, when brothers John Bayne Maclean and Hugh Cameron Maclean launched their first trade publication, Canadian Grocer & General Storekeeper. Hugh left the company in 1899 and later return to Toronto to establish his own publication firm. John subsequently expanded his company into other areas of publishing, launching the general interest magazine Maclean's in 1905, the business newspaper Financial Post in 1907, the lifestyle magazine Canadian Homes and Gardens in 1925, the women's magazine Chatelaine in 1928, and its French-language counterpart, Châtelaine in 1960.

Horace Talmadge Hunter joined Maclean Publishing in 1903, moving up the management ranks from general manager in 1911 to succeed John Bayne Maclean as president in 1933; in 1945 the company's name was changed to Maclean-Hunter. Hunter retired in 1952 and died in 1961. Hunter's son Donald Fleming later became president and chairman of M-H.

In 1961, the company began to diversify, adding its first broadcasting asset, radio station CFCO in Chatham, Ontario. In 1968 Maclean-Hunter Publishing Company Limited was renamed to Maclean-Hunter Limited and finally as Maclean Hunter Limited in 1981.

In the 1970s, M-H merged its Le Maclean French-language magazine with Actualité, and began publishing L'actualité. In 1982, the company acquired a controlling interest in Sun Media; ownership of the Financial Post was transferred to Sun Media for $46 millions in 1987 to facilitate the publication's expansion from a weekly to a daily newspaper. The following year Maclean Hunter acquired additional shares of Sun Media, bringing its total ownership to 60.5% of all shares (up from 50.8% in 1987).

By the early 1990s, Maclean-Hunter's assets also included cable television services in 35 Ontario markets, 21 radio stations, television station CFCN in Calgary and a significant minority share in CTV.

Maclean-Hunter was acquired in 1994 by Rogers Communications. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the transaction, but required Rogers to divest itself of some of Maclean-Hunter's individual assets to alleviate concerns about concentration of media ownership. Shaw Communications acquired some of the cable holdings and radio stations, Telemedia and Blackburn Radio acquired other radio stations, and the consortium of Baton Broadcasting and Electrohome acquired CFCN and the CTV shares. Sun Media was sold in an employee buyout in 1996.

Maclean-Hunter also had cable holdings in the United States, which were acquired by Comcast in 1994 for $1.27bn.

Maclean-Hunter lives on in the publication Maclean's magazine.

In 2016 L'actualité was sold to Mishmash (XPND Capital).

The former assets of Maclean-Hunter were sold by Rogers to St. Joseph Communications in March 2019.

Operations
Maclean-Hunter's main office was at College Park from the 1980s until its acquisition by Rogers in 1994. Its previous head office was in a series of buildings along the corner of Dundas Street and University Avenue. Maclean's magazine moved to Rogers Communications premises at 1 Mount Pleasant Road (Rogers Building) and remained there until it was sold to St. Joseph Communications.

In 1948, M-H moved their printing plant at 210 Dundas Street West to North York (Highway 401-Yonge Street). The large plant was built near the home of Robert Earl Bales, Reeve of North York. The plant was sold and demolished in 2001 for re-development as "Mansions of Avondale" condominiums and Avondale Park. Macleans along with other Rogers Media print publications are now printed by Transcontinental.

Presidents

 * John Bayne Maclean — 1887-1933
 * Horace Talmadge Hunter — 1933-1952
 * Floyd Chalmers — 1952-1964 - chairman 1964-1969
 * Donald Fleming Hunter — 1964-1976 - later as chairman
 * Frederick T. Metcalf — 1977-1984 - later as chairman
 * Donald Graham Campbell — 1984-1986
 * Ronald Osborne — 1986-1994

Assets
At the time of Maclean-Hunter's takeover by Rogers in 1994, the company owned the following assets:

Television
Rogers immediately spun off Maclean-Hunter's television assets. Baton Broadcasting and Electrohome acquired CFCN-TV and Maclean-Hunter's share of CTV, a transaction which moved Baton significantly closer to its eventual takeover of the entire CTV network. Shaw acquired Maclean-Hunter's share in the New Country Network, which was licensed but had not yet launched at the time of the takeover.

 * Calgary - CFCN-TV
 * 14.3% of CTV
 * 60% of New Country Network

Radio
Maclean-Hunter owned 21 radio stations. Most were spun off by Rogers to other owners; only the Kitchener and Ottawa stations are still owned by Rogers today.

 * Amherst - CKDH
 * Brampton - CFNY
 * Campbellton - CKNB
 * Charlottetown - CFCY, CHLQ
 * Chatham - CFCO
 * Halifax - CHNS, CHFX
 * Kitchener - CKGL, CHYM
 * Leamington - CHYR
 * Moncton - CKCW, CFQM
 * Newcastle - CFAN
 * Ottawa - CIWW, CKBY
 * Saint John - CIOK
 * Sarnia - CKTY, CFGX
 * Sussex - CJCW
 * Toronto - CKYC

Cable television
Maclean-Hunter Cable served the following markets in Ontario. These were acquired by Rogers, although some were later sold to Shaw Cable or Cogeco.

 * Ajax
 * Alexandria
 * Alfred
 * Arnprior
 * Beachburg
 * Bourget
 * Carp
 * Chalk River
 * Cobden
 * Collingwood
 * Deep River
 * Guelph
 * Hamilton
 * Hawkesbury
 * Huntsville
 * Lancaster
 * Limoges
 * London
 * Maxville
 * Midland
 * Niagara Falls
 * North Bay
 * Ottawa (west of Bank Street)
 * Owen Sound
 * Pakenham
 * Pembroke
 * Peterborough
 * Renfrew
 * St. Catharines
 * St. Isidore de Prescott
 * Sarnia
 * Sault Ste. Marie
 * Thunder Bay
 * Toronto
 * Wallaceburg

title: Maclean-Hunter


text:
Wilferd Madelung

Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung FBA (26 December 1930 – 9 May 2023) was a German author and scholar of Islamic history widely recognised for his contributions to the fields of Islamic and Iranian studies. He was appreciated in Iran for his "knowledgeable and fair" treatment of the Shia perspective. In the obituary of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (London) where Madelung worked his last years, it reads: "With particular reference to religious schools and movements in early Islam, his studies, based on a vast array of primary sources, have enriched the discipline’s understanding of almost every major Muslim movement and community – not only early Imami Shi‘ism and the later developments of Twelver, Ismaili and Zaydi Islam but also the lesser known aspects of Sunni, Khariji and the Mu‘tazili schools of theology and philosophy."

Early life and career
Madelung was born in Stuttgart on 26 December 1930. After World War II (in 1947 ), as an adolescent, he accompanied his parents Georg Hans Madelung and Elisabeth Emma Madelung to the US where his father continued his career as an aeronautic engineer specialising in rockets. Wilferd Madelung enrolled at Georgetown University in Washington DC before going to Cairo in 1951 to study Arabic literature and Islamic history; there he was a student of "Muḥammad Kamil Ḥusayn (1901–1961), who edited numerous Ismaili texts of the Fatimid period". From 1958 to 1960, he served as cultural attaché at the West German Embassy in Baghdad, before starting his scientific career. Later, Madelung was apparently also holding British citizenship.

Academic career
Madelung received his doctorate and habilitation at the University of Hamburg in Germany (lecturer for Islamic studies 1963–1966). His PhD thesis from 1957 was titled "The Qarmatians and the Fatimids. Their mutual relations and their teachings on the Imamate". He was a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin in 1963, and assistant professor (1964–65), associate professor (1966–68) and professor of Islamic History from 1969 until 1978 at the University of Chicago. He was the Laudian Professor of Arabic at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St John’s College there from 1978 to 1998.

During this time, his 1997 book The Succession to Muhammad was celebrated as a landmark work in the equitable depiction of Shia views on the Islamic succession process following the death of Muhammad. Madelung also wrote academic journal articles and lectures about Ibadism. From 1999, he was a member of the British Academy, and a senior research fellow at the Institute for Ismaili Studies in London.

In 2013, he was awarded the Farabi International Award by the Iranian Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture for his significant contributions to the fields of Islamic and Iranian studies. Later, Madelung was also involved in publishing early Arabic writings of spiritually oriented alchemy (see list of publications).

Personal life
He was married with Margaret Madelung.

Death
Madelung died on 9 May 2023 at the age of 92.

Works
Already 20 years before passing away he had produced some 15 books and edited volumes, 60 book chapters and papers in scientific journals, 130 encyclopaedia entries and about 160 book reviews.
 * Madelung, W. (editor) - Arabic Texts Concerning The History of The Zaydī Imāms of Tabaristān, Daylamān And Gīlān, collected and edited by Wilferd Madelung. Franz Steiner Verlag, Beirut and Wiesbaden, 1987.
 * Madelung, W. - Religious Trends in Early Islamic Iran. Columbia Letters of Iranian Studies no. 4, The Persian Heritage Foundation, 1988. ISBN 0-88706-700-X / 0-88706-701-8 (pbk.).
 * Madelung, W. - Religious and Ethnic Movements in Medieval Islam, Ashgate Publishing, 1992. (New editions from 2016 on by Routledge, Oxon and New York, ISBN 978-086078-310-7
 * Madelung, W. - The Succession to Muhammad, Cambridge University Press, 1997, ISBN 0521646960.
 * Madelung, W. and Walker, P. - An Ismaili Heresiography: The 'Bāb al-Shayṭān' from Abū Tammāms' Kitāb al-shajara, Leiden, 1998.
 * Madelung, W. and Walker, P. - The Advent of the Fatimids: A Contemporary Shi'i Witness. An Edition and English Translation of Ibn al-Haytham’s Kitab al-Munazarat, by Wilferd Madelung and Paul E. Walker. I.B. Tauris, London, 2000, ISBN 1-86064-551-8. (Published online by Cambridge University Press in 2016.)
 * Madelung, W. - Der Imam al-Qasim ibn Ibrahim und die Glaubenslehre der Zaiditen, Walter De Gruyter Incorporated, 2002 (first edition 1966), ISBN 9783110826548.
 * Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā al-Balāḏurī: Ansāb al-Ašrāf (Part 2). Edited by Wilferd Madelung. Beirut, 2003.
 * Muhammad Ibn Umail: Book of the Explanation of the Symbols. Kitāb Ḥall ar-Rumūz (Corpus Alchemicum Arabicum. Vol. I). Edited by Theodor Abt, Wilferd Madelung, Thomas Hofmeier, with Introduction by Theodor Abt. Living Human Heritage Publications, Zurich, 2003; ISBN 3-9522608-1-9.
 * Madelung, W. - Religious schools and sects in medieval Islam, Variorum Reprints, 1985.
 * Madelung, W. (editor) - The Book of the Rank of the Sage. Rutbat al-Ḥakīm by Maslama al-Qurṭubī. Arabic Text edited with an English Introduction by Wilferd Madelung. Corpus Alchemicum Arabicum IV. Living Human Heritage Publications, Zurich 2016.
 * Ibāḍī Texts from the 2nd/8th Century
 * Muhammad Ibn Umail: The Pure Pearl and other texts by Muhammad Ibn Umail. Ad-Durra an-naqīya, As-Sīra an-naqīya, Al-Qașīda al-Mīmīya, Al-Mabāqil as-sab'a (Corpus Alchemicum Arabicum. Vol. V). Arabic Edition by Wilferd Madelung with an Introduction by Theodor Abt. Translation by Salwa Fuad and Theodor Abt. Living Human Heritage Publications, Zurich, 2019; ISBN 978-3-9524468-3-6.

Award

 * Farabi International Award (2013)

title: Wilferd Madelung


text:
National Patriotic Front of Liberia

The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) was a Liberian rebel group that initiated and participated in the First Liberian Civil War from 24 December 1989 – 2 August 1997. The NPFL emerged out of rising ethnic tensions and civil unrest due to the Liberian government that was characterized by totalitarianism, corruption, and favoritism towards ethnic Krahns. The NPFL invaded Liberia through Ivory Coast’s border with Nimba County in Liberia under the direction of Charles Taylor, a former Liberian politician and guerrilla leader who served as the 22nd president of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003.

The NPLF was responsible for a vast array of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including mass murder, rape, sexual slavery, conscription of child soldiers, torture, and political assassinations. Over 60,000 human rights violations committed by the NPFL were formally recorded by the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Leadership

The military aspects of NPFL were led by Charles Taylor, who instructed the NPFL to take up arms against the regime of Samuel Doe on 24 December 1989. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 16 January 2006 – 22 January 2018, was the International Coordinator of the NPFL and helped raise money for the rebel group. Sirleaf later disavowed Taylor and went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize for supporting the non-violent struggle for the safety of women to participate in peace-building work. Tom Woewiyu served as the Defense Minister and spokesman of the NPLF and worked to justify the rebel group's mission and objectives to high ranking foreign officials. Martina Johnson was one of the NPFL front line commanders and allegedly directly participated in mutilation and mass killing in late 1992 during an NPFL offensive known as Operation Octopus.

External actors
The rise of NPFL was supported by African countries and leaders that extended far beyond Liberian borders. In the early stages of the NPFL, the rebel group was backed notably by Muammar Gaddafi, who served as the de facto leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011. Gaddafi was introduced to Taylor by the 2nd president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré. Both Libya and Burkina Faso served as training grounds and bases for the initial Liberian insurgents. Gaddafi and Compaoré continued their support for the NPFL by supplying arms and military advisors. Under the orders of Taylor and Compaoré, NPFL troops were actively involved in the 1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état and assassination of the then Burkinabé President Thomas Sankara. Journalist Mark Huband, who was kidnapped by the NPFL while reporting in Liberia, notes in his book The Liberian Civil War that Compaoré's involvement in the war suited his Francophone fellow leaders who were as eager as France to confront the Anglo-Saxon presence in the region by promoting a rebellion that was certain to dilute American influence in West Africa.

In the early 1980s, Liberia was also considered one of America’s most important African allies. During the Reagan administration, Liberia played a pivotal role in the United States' efforts to counteract Gaddafi's Libya, which had been identified as a state sponsor of terrorism. Liberia served as a staging ground for a CIA task force against Gaddafi's socialist regime. To facilitate covert aid to the Angolan rebel movement UNITA, the United States upgraded Roberts Field airport and utilized the Kamina and Kinshasa air bases in Zaire as key transit points. In exchange for its cooperation, the Doe regime in Liberia received substantial financial assistance from the United States. From 1980 to 1985, Liberia received nearly $500 million in military and economic aid, which amounted to one-third of its operating budget. At the time, this rendered Liberia the largest recipient of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa on a per capita basis.

Ethnic divides
Following a series of coups d'états attempted by Commanding General Thomas Quiwonkpa of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and his ally later turned enemy Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, tensions between the Dan, Mano, and Krahn ethnic groups increased. Quiwonkpa was of Dan origin, whereas Doe was a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group. While Quiwonkpa and Doe initially joined together to overthrow Liberian President William Tolbert in a military coup on 12 April 1980, it was not long before these two fell out of step. Following the assassination of President William Tolbert, Doe rose to power and assumed office as the 21st president of Liberia from 1980 until his murder in 1990. In 1983, Doe demoted Quiwonkpa from his position as the commanding general of the Liberian armed forces and subsequently charged him with an attempt to overthrow his presidency, forcing him out of the country. Two years later, Quiwonkpa returned, set on launching a retaliatory coup d'état against Doe. With the support of two dozen heavily armed soldiers, Quiwonkpa covertly entered Liberia through Sierra Leone in an attempt to remove Doe from power. However, Quiwonkpa's coup d'état resulted in failure. Quiwonkpa was captured on 15 November 1985 and was killed and mutilated by Krahn soldiers loyal to Doe.

Charles Taylor worked in the government of Samuel Doe, but was later removed following accusations of embezzlement and imprisoned by President Doe. Taylor would escape prison in 1989 and flee to Libya, where he was trained as a guerrilla fighter. He returned to Liberia in 1989 to overthrow the Doe government, now leading a group of Libyan-backed rebels, the NPFL, initiating the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996). Most NPFL fighters were originally drawn from the Dan and Mano ethnic groups of northern Liberia who were persecuted under Doe's Krahn regime. President Doe was captured in Monrovia on 9 September 1990, by Prince Y. Johnson, one of Liberia's most infamous warlords and former leader of INPFL, a breakaway faction of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia. Prince Y. Johnson took President Doe to his military base where he brutally tortured him until death. Following Doe's execution, Taylor gained control of a large portion of the country and became one of the most prominent warlords in Africa.

Membership
According to estimates, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia boasted a membership of approximately 25,000 combatants, and its actions were associated with a range of human rights violations, including but not limited to massacres, sexual violence, forced recruitment of child soldiers, mutilation, torture, kidnapping, and political assassinations. In addition to the ongoing civil war in Liberia, the rebel group supported the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, fomenting unrest against the military government in order to secure control over the local diamond trade in the region. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) emerged as a collective of Sierra Leonean nationals who endeavored to emulate Charles Taylor's previous triumph in overthrowing the Liberian government. Alongside founder Foday Sankoh, of Temne background, and allies Abu Kanu and Rashid Mansaray, the RUF received substantial assistance from Charles Taylor in developing the leadership positions of the organization.

Support
The NPFL rapidly expanded from a small force of a few hundred troops to a vast, irregular army that controlled almost 90% of Liberia within a year due to significant domestic support. NPFL efforts to capture the capital city of Monrovia were thwarted by the arrival of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) cease-fire monitoring group, ECOMOG. In response, the NPFL created an alternative national administration in 1991 called the National Patriotic Reconstruction Assembly Government (NPRAG), based in the Bong County town of Gbarnga. The formation of NPRAG was an opposition response to the leadership of the internationally recognized Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), headed by interim president Amos Sawyer. Taylor's authority as self-proclaimed head of the NPRAG was, however, challenged by a breakaway faction, known as the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), led by Prince Yormie Johnson. The INPFL troops were estimated to number less than 500, yet rapidly gained control of parts of central Monrovia.

Operation Octopus
On 15 October 1992, the NPFL launched "Operation Octopus" in a bid to overrun the capital Monrovia, Charles Taylor ordered the NPFL and the Small Boys Unit (SBU), composed of child soldiers, to attack opponents Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) forces. Although the NPFL never maintained long-term control of the capital, the group controlled the neighboring cities and countryside in addition to Liberia's rich natural resource deposits. Only one month after the fighting began, the World Health Organization estimated that up to 3,000 civilians and combatants had been killed. The SBU was composed of children as young as ten and twelve years old who were drugged by Taylor's men and trained how to throw grenades and shoot AK-47s overnight. Intense fighting occurred both within the city and its outskirts, with Gardnersville, Barnersville, New Georgia, and Caldwell suburban regions being particularly hard hit by the rebels. Approximately 200,000 people were displaced due to the conflict. The urgency of the conflict in Monrovia compelled ECOMOG to adopt a new defense strategy by enlisting the aid of other Liberian factions in combatting the NPFL. However, the human rights record of these factions, namely the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), were questionable. The AFL had been discredited due to its heinous abuses during the 1980s and especially during the First Liberian Civil War, where it massacred civilians and wreaked havoc in Monrovia. Similarly, ULIMO, which was an offshoot of the AFL, reportedly conducted attacks on civilians, looting, and executions of suspected NPFL sympathizers in the areas it captured in 1992.

Although the formal connections between the AFL and ULIMO remain unclear, it is worth noting that most of ULIMO's key commanders were former AFL leaders, and many AFL soldiers apparently left their barracks to join ULIMO. Initially, ECOMOG supported the AFL's right to defend itself from NPFL attack and subsequently allowed the AFL to operate alongside multinational troops, although it retained a separate command structure and controlled certain areas independently. While ECOMOG claimed that ULIMO operated autonomously, it was evident that there was some coordination between the groups. Operation Octopus and the greater armed conflict in Liberia had ramifications that extended into the neighboring Sierra Leone and its ongoing civil war. The spill-over prompted the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to undertake a peacekeeping intervention. Subsequently, a peace agreement was signed in 1996, paving the way for democratic elections on 19 July 1997.

Political aspirations
Liberia's seven-year civil war was brought to an end by the democratic elections of 1997. Preceding the elections, there were several treaties ratified to establish peace in Liberia. These include the Cotonou Accord on 25 July 1993, the Akosombo Agreement on 12 August 1994, and its Accra Clarification. One of the final thirteen peace agreements, the Abuja Agreement, was signed on 19 August 1995 in Nigeria. As part of this agreement, Taylor consented to the dissolution of the NPFL and its subsequent transformation into a civilian political party, which ultimately became the National Patriotic Party (NPP). Charles Taylor and the NPP won the 19 July 1997 election with a substantial majority, winning 49 of 64 seats in the House of Representatives and 21 of 26 in the Senate. While international observers deemed the polls administratively free and transparent, they noted that it had taken place in an atmosphere of intimidation because most voters believed that Taylor would resume the war if defeated. Taylor's electoral victory was met with allegations of unjust practices, such as giving handouts to the destitute and illiterate electorate, yet he claimed victory with 75 percent of the total votes cast.

title: National Patriotic Front of Liberia


text:
MAMA Gallery

MAMA is a contemporary art gallery located in Los Angeles, California. As its name implies, MAMA fosters and exhibits contemporary artworks executed in a wide variety of media including visual installations, film, video, automata, but not excluding 'traditional' forms such as painting. A number of its projects and programmes are rooted in popular digital, video, and street culture. The physical space closed in 2017 following a partnership dispute, and the gallery became AB Contemporary by Adarsha Benjamin, an independent art advising company based in Malibu, California.

In addition to exhibitions, MAMA develops new ways of working with a range of audiences and communities through visual arts and culture.

The gallery is also notable for being the host location of Jena Malone's The Holy Other photography exhibition. In November 2014, Malone exhibited 39 photographs that she took in Myanmar in the summer of that year. The exhibition ran from November 21 to November 28, 2014. Proceeds were donated to Girl Determined, a non-profit organization which benefits girls' education in Myanmar.

In February 2015, MAMA had its inaugural solo exhibition There is No End with American visual artist James Georgopoulos and featured his large scale video sculptures.

The gallery has collaborated with other artists in a variety of artistic practices, including Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, and Daniel Johnston.

title: MAMA Gallery


text:
Khánh Hòa province

Khánh Hòa is a southern coastal province in the South Central Coast region, the Central of Vietnam. It borders Phú Yên to the north, Ninh Thuận to the south, Đắk Lắk to the west, Lâm Đồng to the southwest and the East Sea to the east.

Khánh Hòa has a population of 1,147,000 and spans an area of 5199.62 km2. Its capital is Nha Trang. Khánh Hòa is the site of Bảo Đại's summer home, the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, the Institute of Oceanography, the Institute of Vaccines and Biological Substances. Cam Ranh Bay port is on land closest to a deep sea drop in Vietnam - the best site for submarine bases in Vietnam. An ancient temple of Champa is on the north side of Nha Trang.

History
The site of what is now Khánh Hòa had been within the territory of the Champa Kingdom before it was annexed to Đại Việt's (Vietnam's) territory. In 1653, one of the Nguyễn lords, Nguyễn Phúc Tần, sent his troops to occupy Phan Rang. The Champa king Bà Tấm surrendered to Nguyễn's troops and ceded an area from the east of the Phan Rang River to Phú Yên to the Nguyễn lord. The Nguyễn lord accepted the ceded territory and set up the Thái Khang garrison and divided it into two districts: Thái Khang and Diên Ninh.

When Jean-Louis Taberd published the map of Vietnam in 1838, the province was named "Bình Hòa Trấn," with "Trấn" meaning "Department" or province. In 1832, under the rule of Emperor Minh Mạng, this area was renamed Khánh Hòa and was divided into two districts, Phủ Diên Khánh and Phủ Ninh Hòa, which between them had a total of four counties: Phước Điền and Vĩnh Xương counties; and Quảng Phước and Tân Định counties, respectively.

Under French Indochina, the provincial capital was located in Diên Khánh Citadel, but it was relocated to Nha Trang in 1945.

During the Vietnam War, Khánh Hòa was a hub of military activity for the Republic of Vietnam army (ARVN), the Republic of Vietnam Navy, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and for the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (USAF), particularly in Cam Ranh Bay and at the Nha Trang Air Base. The II Corp. headquarters were located in Nha Trang and populated by general and field officers, intelligence groups and ARVN liaisons.

After the communists' victory and the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the communist regime merged two provinces, Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa, into Phú Khánh province on 29 October 1975. In 1977, Nha Trang was upgraded to city status. In 1982, the National Assembly decided to incorporate the Spratly Islands into Phú Khánh province. On June 30, 1989, the National Assembly reversed its previous decision and split Phú Khánh province into two provinces as they were before.

Geography and climate
Khánh Hòa province has an area of 5,197 sqkm. Its geographical coordinates are 108°40’33" to 109°27’55" E and 11°42’50" to 12°52’15" N.

The provincial coastline spreads from Đại Lãnh Commune to the end of Cam Ranh Bay with 385 km of coastline featuring numerous creek mouths, lagoons, river mouths, and hundreds of islands and islets. The province also administers large territorial waters. The Spratly Islands are part of the province's Trường Sa District. The coastline is indented by several bays, most notably the four bays of Vân Phong Bay, Nha Phu Bay, Nha Trang Bay (Cù Huân) and Cam Ranh Bay, of which Cam Ranh Bay with an area of around 200. sqkm, encompassed by a mountain range, is regarded as one of the three best natural seaports in the world. Cam Ranh Bay is strategically important and has been used as a naval base by several major powers throughout history.

Hòn Đôi Cliff (Mũi Hòn Đôi) on the Hòn Gốm Peninsula in Vạn Ninh District is the easternmost tip of Vietnam's mainland.

The province is mostly mountainous. The highest peak is Vọng Phu Mountain (2051 m) at the border of Đắk Lắk province. The only large lowland area is located around Ninh Hòa in the north of the province. Partly as a result of this, not much land is available for agriculture. 87,100. ha or 16.7% of Khánh Hòa's total area are used for farming, one of the lowest shares in the South Central Coast. Forests cover more than half of the province's area.

The province enjoys a mild climate with an average annual temperature of 26.7 °C. There are two distinct seasons: the rainy season lasts from April to December, with the other months being the dry season, except in Nha Trang where the rainy season lasts for just two months. The average relative humidity is 80.5%. The climate on the summit of Hòn Bà Mountain (located 30 km from Nha Trang) features a climate like that of Đà Lạt and Sa Pa.

Demographics
, the province had a population of 1.147 million, of which the majority are Kinh or Vietnamese people, the dominant ethnic group in Vietnam. Minority groups dwelling in the province are the Cham, Raglai people, the "Overseas Chinese" Hoa people, and the Austroasiatic-speaking Koho people.

Khánh Hòa had an urban population of 466,500 people or 40.7% of the total in 2007, making it the most urbanized province of the South Central Coast. The average population growth per year between 2000 and 2007 was 1.26%, close to the average of the region. Growth was particularly strong in urban areas (2.24%).

Administrative divisions
Khánh Hòa is subdivided into nine district-level sub-divisions:

 * 6 districts:

 * Cam Lâm
 * Diên Khánh
 * Khánh Sơn
 * Khánh Vĩnh
 * Trường Sa (also known as the Spratly Islands)
 * Vạn Ninh

 * 1 district-level town:
 * Ninh Hòa (recently upgraded from district status)
 * 2 provincial cities:

 * Cam Ranh
 * Nha Trang (capital)

They are further subdivided into six commune-level towns (or townlets), 99 communes, and 35 wards.

Economy
With a GDP per capita of 16.1 million VND (2007), Khánh Hòa is economically the most developed province of central Vietnam (after Da Nang). It has a relatively small agricultural sector, but strong industry and services. The province is endowed with beautiful natural landscapes and beaches, which (together with its Cham heritage) attracts a large number of tourists. Khánh Hòa has had a significant trade surplus in recent years, with exports in 2007 of US$503.3 million and imports of US$222.5 million.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing
Given its lack of flat land, Khánh Hòa has a relatively small agricultural sector. Rice harvests are among the lowest in the South Central Coast with 188,500t in 2007. However, its output of sugar cane (738,200t in 2007, 4.25% of the national figure) and cashew nuts (5,238t, 1.74%) are more significant.

Khánh Hòa is one of the few provinces with a higher gross output in fishing than in agriculture. This is mostly due to the large number of aquaculture farms in the province, which make up around two thirds of the fishing output.

Industry
Nha Trang is the South Central Coast's second largest industrial center and the province in general accounts for more than one fifth of the region's industrial GDP. Food processing industries are large, especially those processing local fishing products and food for shrimp farms. Other industrial sectors produce beverages, fabric, textiles, paper, and construction materials.

Industrial production is not only in and around Nha Trang. The province has also benefited significantly from investment related to the former Russian naval base at Cam Ranh, to which around 30 factories were attached. A major new industrial center is being developed in the north of the province around Vân Phong Port (Vân Phong Economic Zone).

Infrastructure
Khánh Hòa is located along Vietnam's main north–south transport corridors. National Road 1 and the North–South Railway run through the province. All Reunification Express trains as well as some local trains stop at Nha Trang Railway Station.

As a coastal province featuring several natural deep water bays, Khánh Hòa has what is needed to develop its deep-water seaports. Nha Trang Port (a tourist and cargo port) and Dốc Lết Port (a shipbuilding and logistics port) are now in use. Vân Phong Port, a megaproject intended to be developed in Vân Phong Bay by a consortium of Japanese corporations (with Sumitomo as the leading investor) with an estimated investment of US$15 billion, is in progress. On completion, this deep sea port will be capable of handling ships up to 100,000 tonnes and 100 million tonnes of loaded/unloaded cargo per annum.

Cam Ranh International Airport is located in the south of the province.

Education
Khánh Hòa is one of the most important educational centers in Vietnam. It is home to Nha Trang University (formerly Nha Trang Fishery University), a multidisciplinary university; the Naval Academy; the Air Force Officer Academy; a Normal College; a Kindergarten Teacher's Training College; and an Arts and Tourism College.

title: Khánh Hòa province


text:
Famous-Barr

The Famous-Barr Co. (originally Famous and Barr Co.) was a division of Macy's, Inc. (formerly Federated Department Stores). Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, in the Railway Exchange Building, it was the flagship store of The May Department Stores Company, which was acquired by Federated on August 30, 2005. On February 1, 2006, it was subsumed into the newly created Macy's Midwest division.

History
The company can be traced back to Motte's, a store founded in 1874 by Jesse W. Motte, who sold boots and shoes at 714 Franklin Street. In 1876, Motte took on as business partner his store's supervisor, Joseph Specht. The two added clothing to their wares, and presently moved the store to 703–705 Franklin, where it was listed in the city directory as Famous, Motte & Specht. It was more popularly known as the Famous Clothing Company — "famous" reportedly coming from the public's referring to the store as the "famous place for bargains".

Retailer David May acquired the Famous Clothing Store in 1892. Sometime later, he acquired William Barr Dry Goods Co. In 1911, he merged the two to create Famous-Barr.

Famous-Barr was one of many St. Louis retail companies that owned a resort along the Meramec River between the early 1900’s to 1940’s.

In 1914, David May opened a new Famous-Barr department store in downtown St. Louis, the first air-conditioned department store in the country.

On October 8, 1948, Famous-Barr opened its first branch store in Clayton, Missouri at the intersection of Forsyth and Jackson.

In 1955, Famous-Barr opened another branch store, at the Northland Shopping Center in Jennings — a mall owned by Famous-Barr's corporate parent, the May Companies. The Northland store celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1980.

In 1991, it took operational control of the L.S. Ayres division in Indiana, and in 1998 took on The Jones Store in Kansas City when May acquired that chain in the aftermath of the Dillard's acquisition of Mercantile Stores Co. Both chains retained their names, but shut down their headquarters.

The Famous-Barr name was retired on September 9, 2006, when Federated converted most of Macy's regional department stores to the Macy's nameplate, with the exception of the Eastland Mall store in Evansville Indiana. The Eastland Mall store closed and became Dillard's instead due to the existing Lazarus store which already became Macy's in 2005. The downtown St. Louis store and headquarters were first shrunk and then closed in summer 2013; the remaining retail employees moved to other stores, while the headquarters staff moved to Earth City.

title: Famous-Barr


text:
Logroñés

Logroñés may refer to five clubs based in Logroño, Spain:
 * CD Logroñés, Spanish football club founded in 1940 and not entering any competition since 2009
 * AD Fundación Logroñés, Spanish football club founded in 1999 and dissolved in 2009
 * Logroñés CF, Spanish football club founded in 2000 and dissolved in 2008
 * UD Logroñés, Spanish football club founded in 2009
 * SD Logroñés, Spanish football club founded in 2009

title: Logroñés


text:
User:Jobh

Me: Born 1974. Live in Oslo. Graduate in computer science, now studying for a physics master.

title: User:Jobh


text:
Rochford Rural District

Rochford Rural District was a rural district with an area of 146.01 square kilometres in the county of Essex, England. It was created in 1894, in 1897 the parish of Leigh was removed to create the Leigh-on-Sea Urban District. In 1926 the parish of Canvey Island was removed to create the Canvey Island Urban District. In 1929 the parishes of Hadleigh, South Benfleet and Thundersley were removed to create the Benfleet Urban District, at the same time the parishes of Rayleigh and Rawreth were removed to create the Rayleigh Urban District.

Since 1 April 1974 it has formed part of the District of Rochford.

At the time of its dissolution it consisted of the following 12 civil parishes.

 * Ashingdon
 * Barling Magna
 * Canewdon
 * Foulness
 * Stambridge
 * Great Wakering
 * Hawkwell
 * Hockley
 * Hullbridge
 * Paglesham
 * Rochford
 * Sutton

title: Rochford Rural District


text:
Ninh Thuận province

Ninh Thuận, previously named Phan Rang province, is a coastal province in the southernmost part of the South Central Coast region, the Central of Vietnam. It borders Khánh Hòa to the north, Bình Thuận to the south, Lâm Đồng to the west and the East Sea to the east.

Ninh Thuận province is sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region, the Southern.

History
The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuận province, but also included much of what is now Bình Thuận province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471. It remained independent until 1832, when emperor Minh Mạng annexed it. In 1901, Phan Rang province was established and then renamed Ninh Thuận. Ninh Thuận province was merged into Bình Thuận province in 1976, together with Bình Tuy province, Ninh Thuận became a separate province again in 1991.

Geography
Ninh Thuận's topography is typical for the South Central Coast in that high mountains are located not only near the western border to the Central Highlands, but also near the coast, the highest of which is Chúa mountain (Núi Chúa) at 1040 m in the north east of the province. Several other peaks with heights up to 643 m, including Đá Bạc mountain (Núi Đá Bạc) in the south, are located along the coast. The highest mountains are located at the borders to Khánh Hòa province and Lâm Đồng province, with three mountains of over 1600 m and the highest at 1652 m, Sương Mù mountain (Núi Sương Mù). Only a small part of the province around Phan Rang has elevations of under 50 m. The province's major river is the Dinh River, which flows through the main lowland of the province as well as Phan Rang. It has several tributaries in the province and is connected to Don Duong Lake in Lâm Đồng province.

As of 2007, 55.7 per cent of Ninh Thuận's area was covered by forests, making it the most forested province of the South Central Coast. Forests cover most of Ninh Hải District at the coast in the north east, and most of the north and south west of the province. Ninh Thuận is Vietnam's most arid province, with some areas in the province receiving less than 800 mm of rain per year. There are reserves of molybdenum in the north of the province.

Demography
Ninh Thuận had a population of 565,700 in 2009. Its urban population was 185,700 or 32.3% in 2007, a rapid increase from the 123,700 seven years ago. The urban population grew by an average 6% from 2000 to 2007, while the rural population actually had slightly negative growth. Overall population growth averaged 1.5%, which is the second highest in the South Central Coast after Da Nang.

Apart from the Kinh, significant parts of the province's population belong to the Cham and Raglai ethnic groups. Many of the Cham live near the capital Phan Rang (Panduranga). The Raglai live in more remote parts of the province, such as the Ninh Hải District in the north-east and the mountainous regions in the west.

As of April 1, 2009, the province has 10 observed religions, with a total of 184 577 followers. In particular, there are 65,790 Catholics, followed by Buddhism with 43,192 people, Hindus 40,695 (the highest proportion in the country), Muslims 25,513, Protestants 7,570, and other minor religions. There are 1,784 people following Cao Dai, 26 people following Bahá'í, 5 people in Hoa Hao Buddhism and the Pure Land Buddhist Association in Vietnam had one follower.

Administrative divisions
Ninh Thuận is subdivided into 7 district-level sub-divisions:

6 districts:

 * Bác Ái
 * Ninh Hải
 * Ninh Phước
 * Ninh Sơn
 * Thuận Bắc
 * Thuận Nam

1 provincial city:
 * Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm (capital)

They are further subdivided into 3 commune-level towns (or townlets), 47 communes, and 15 wards.

Cham villages
Cham names for Cham villages in Ninh Thuận province are as follows (Sakaya 2014:755-756).

• Thuận Nam District

• *Ram Văn Lâm

• *Aia Li-u: Phước Lập

• *Aia Binguk: Nghĩa Lập (Chăm Jat)

• *Pabhan: Vụ Bổn

• *Palaw: Hiếu Thiện

• Ninh Phước District

• *Hamu Craok: Bầu Trúc

• *Caklaing: Mỹ Nghiệp

• *Bal Caong: Chung Mỹ

• *Hamu Tanran: Hữu Đức

• *Thuen: Hậu Sanh

• *Mblang Kathaih: Phất Thế

• *Padra: Như Ngọc

• *Cakhaok: Bình Chữ

• *Boah Bini: Hoài Trung

• *Boah Dana: Chất Thường

• *Caok: Hiếu Lễ

• *Mblang Kacak: Phước Đồng

• *Baoh Deng: Phú Nhuận

• *Katuh: Tuấn Tú

• *Cuah Patih: Thành Tín

• Ninh Sơn District

• *Cang: Lương Tri

• Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm

• *Tabeng: Thành Ý

• Ninh Hải District

• *Pamblap Klak: An Nhơn

• *Pamblap Birau: Phước Nhơn

• Thuận Bắc District

• *Bal Riya: Bỉnh Nghĩa

Economy
Ninh Thuận is southern Vietnam's poorest and least industrialized province. Nominal per capita GDP was 6.66 million VND in 2007, half of the national average and 56% of the South Central Coast's average of 10.8 million VND. Ninh Thuận has also been the only province in the South Central Coast with an average annual GDP growth rate of less than 10% from 2000 to 2007 - at 9.4% compared to the region's average of 11.2%. While its industrial growth has been slightly above the region's average at 16.4%, it started from a very low base and therefore contributed little to overall growth. Growth in services has been at 9.8%, significantly below the region's average, while agriculture, forestry and fishing have grown at an average rate of 6.7%, somewhat higher than the average.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing
Ninh Thuận's agriculture is mostly based on rice. 33,400 ha out of a total of 70,000 ha were used for the cultivation of rice, followed by maize with 14,200 ha. 173,200 t of rice and 36,300 t of maize were harvested in 2007, accounting for 0.5% and 0.9% of national output. The most important cash crop is tobacco. It is grown on 1,300 ha (as of 2007) in the central part of the province west and north-east of Phan Rang with an output of 3,300 t, or 10.3% of Vietnam's total output. The province also harvested 200 t in 2007, 1.2% of the national total. Other less significant crops include cashew nuts, sugar-cane, peanuts, and coconuts.

Despite the large forests of the province, there is little commercial use of forest resources. Gross output of the forestry sector was 23.7 billion VND, accounting for only 1.8% of the South Central Coast, and therefore even less than Da Nang. Much of the province's forests are protected as part of Núi Chúa National Park and Phước Bình National Park. These National Parks as well as the nearby Vịnh Vĩnh Hy attracted the building of Amanoi, a five star franchise hotel belonging to Aman Resorts.

Ninh Thuận's fishing gross output was 1138.8 billion VND in 2007, 1.3% of Vietnam's output and therefore more significant in a national context than agriculture. It has grown at an average of 11.7%, far exceeding agricultural growth and making it one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. As of 2007, there were 589 offshore fishing vessels registered in the province.

Industry
Ninh Thuận has a very small industrial sector, with a gross output accounting for only 2% of the South Central Coast's total. Industry contributes 1.3 million VND to the GDP per capita, compared to an average of 4.4 million VND for the region.

The province's industrial products are mostly basic processed food and seafood products (frozen aquatic products, fish sauce, shelled cashew nuts) and processed raw materials (stones, bricks, salt). However, the industrial sector's growth of 16.4% has enabled it to absorb much of Ninh Thuận's labor force growth by increasing industrial employment from 14,900 in 2000 to 43,700 in 2007 - although this employment growth has been overshadowed by the service sector, which created 57,300 additional jobs in the same period despite its slower growth.

Transport
Ninh Thuận is located along Vietnam's main north-south corridors; therefore National Route 1, North–South Expressway East as well as North–South Railway run through the province. Ninh Thuận's main railway station is at Tháp Chàm. There are also two smaller railway station: Bà Râu in Thuận Bắc District in the north and Cà Ná near the southern border. Phan Rang is connected to Da Lat by National Road 27 via Ngoan Muc Pass. There used to be a railway serving the same route, but it has not been in use since the start of the Vietnam War.

Ninh Thuận has three ports:
 * at Vịnh Vĩnh Hy in northeastern Ninh Hải District
 * Ninh Chu Port in southern Ninh Hải District near Phan Rang
 * Cà Ná Port in the south of the province

The nearest commercial airport is Cam Ranh International Airport.

Energy
Ninh Thuận has become a renewable energy production base starting in the late 2020s, taking advantage of the local climate with the lowest annual rainfall, highest total solar heat radiation and fastest average wind speed in Vietnam. However, it is located far from major load centers of Vietnam.

As of 2021, around 100 ha of photovoltaic panels were already deployed in the province, with several projects still under construction. Solar power capacity totaled 2,256 MW in 2021.

Construction of a 200 MW wind power plant has also started and is planned to be completed by 2012. The total planned wind power capacity is 1,429MW.

Da Nhim hydropower plant is located in Ninh Sơn District in the northwest of Ninh Thuận. Ninh Thuận was chosen as the site for some of Vietnam's future electricity projects that are part of Vietnam Electricity's diversification away from hydropower. The country's first nuclear power plant is under construction in the south of the province. A second nuclear power project is being prepared with Japanese partners and will also be in Ninh Thuận.

Notable residents

 * Po Klong Garai - king of Panduranga from 1167 to 1205.
 * Nguyễn Văn Thiệu - former President of South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975.
 * Chế Linh - Vietnamese (ethnic Cham) popular singer, songwriter.
 * Po Dharma (Quảng Văn Đủ) - Vietnamese human rights activist and Cham cultural historian.
 * Al Hoang (Hoàng Duy Hùng) - is a former member of the Houston City Council.

title: Ninh Thuận province


text:
Yearbook of International Organizations

The Yearbook of International Organizations is a reference work on non-profit international organizations, published by the Union of International Associations. It was first published in 1908 under the title Annuaire de la vie internationale, and has been known under its current title since 1950. It is seen as a quasi-official source associated with the United Nations.

The Yearbook contains profiles of over 67,000 organizations active in about 300 countries and territories in every field of human endeavor. It profiles both international intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, from formal structures to informal networks, from professional bodies to recreational clubs. The Yearbook does not, however, include for-profit enterprises. Profiles include names and addresses, historical and structural information, aims, links with other organizations, as well as specifics on activities, events, publications and membership. In addition to organization profiles, the Yearbook also provides biographies of important members, a bibliography of the important publications of international organizations, and statistics.

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title: Yearbook of International Organizations