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What do camels eat?

Camels are herbivores, which means they eat plants or vegetation.

Camels are specially adapted to live in the desert, where vegetation is scarce. What does grow in the desert can be prickly and tough due to the lack of water. Camels have leathery mouths which allow them to eat thorny twigs, as well as leaves, stems, shoots and fruit.

Mother and son looks at the camels at the zoo

Their mouths aren’t the only part that is especially adapted to desert living.

If you would like to know more about camels, please see the link below.

More interesting camel facts from I Love Animals

Their mouths are so tough, they can even eat cacti!

What/where is Colombia?

Colombia is a country in South America. It shares a border with Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

Colombia on Earth on reflective surface

The official language is Spanish although many other languages are spoken in the country. It has a population of around 50 million people.

The capital city is Bogota. The currency used is the Peso.

The Colombian flag.

kolumbien fahne colombia flag

If you would like to know more about Colombia, please see the comprehensive Wikipedia article at the link below.

Wikipedia article on Colombia

Please see Lonely Planet’s short video below to see what Colombia has to offer the traveller.

What/where is Belgium?

Belgium is a country in Europe. It is a monarchy and a member of the European Union. The country has borders with France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Belgium on model of Earth

The country is made up of three regions which are organised and run separately. Brussels is the capital city and has its own region. Brussels is famous for being the base for the European Union, as well as other institutions like NATO.

Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium

Above is a picture of the Grand Place in Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The other two regions in Belgium are the French-speaking Wallonia, and the Dutch-speaking Flanders. The third official language is German.

The population of Belgium is just over 11 million people.

The Belgian flag.

Flag of Belgium

For more further reading, please click link below.

Wikipedia entry on Belgium

If you would like a list of facts on Belgium, please click on the link below.

Fun facts from Eupedia on Belgium

What/where is Panama?

Panama is a country in Central America, found between Costa Rica and Colombia.

Panama on Earth on reflective surface

It has a population of around 4 million people. The main language spoken there is Spanish. Although the US Dollar is legal tender there, the official currency is the Balboa. The largest and capital city is Panama City.

The Panamanian flag.

National flag of Panama on the flagpole

For a video taste of what Panama has to offer tourists, please see below.

The country is known for its canal which links the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. This was a very important engineering project as it allowed ships to avoid travelling around the continent of South America, cutting time and danger as the seas around to southern tip are very treacherous.

For a detailed video on the history of the Panama Canal, please see below.

Who was Mozart?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian classical musical composer born in 1756. He started composing from 5 years of age and was considered a musical genius.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart cartoon character. Vector Illustration. Kids Collection.

Mozart was born in Salzburg and lived there in the early part of his life. He is often associated with Vienna, where he moved to in his late teens.

He wrote many symphonies, operas and concertos and his music is very well known the world over and still to this day.

He was only 35 when he died in 1791. He died of an unknown illness.

For a video on his life and some clips of his music, please see below.

How many people have walked on the moon?

Twelve people have walked on the surface of the moon.

Kid.

The twelve were part of NASA’s Apollo Programme which ran from 1961 to 1972. The first person walked on the moon on the 20th of July 1969.

For more in depth information on the Apollo Mission, please click on this link.

The twelve astronauts are named below. Click on their names for their individual Wikipedia pages.

For a brief history of the first moon landing, and some details of the heroism and ingenuity of the astronauts involved, please see the video below.

How strong is stomach acid?

Stomach (or gastric) acid is a mixture of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride and sodium chloride. An acid’s strength is measured on the pH scale. The range of acid strength goes from 0(strongest) to 6(weakest). Stomach acid measures between 1 and 3 on this scale, making it quite a strong acid.

Asian boy conduct an experiment microscope

The reason the acid doesn’t burn our insides is because the stomach produces mucus to line itself and protect it from the acid. We need acid in our stomachs as this starts the process of breaking our food down(digestion), so it can be absorbed by our bodies.

After the food leaves the stomach and enters the next part of your digestive system, the pancreas releases a bicarbonate which helps to neutralise, or weaken, the acid so it doesn’t damage your insides.

For further reading and facts on the stomach, click on this link.

For a video that explains the part of the stomach in the digestive system, please see below:

Who was St Andrew?

In the Bible, Andrew the Apostle was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He was one of the closest disciples to Christ and was at the Last Supper.

Saint Andrew Figure at Osorno Church in Chile

He is associated with Scotland as it is believed his remains were taken there in around 700AD to the place now known as St Andrews. The Scottish Flag, also known as the Saltire, is based on the Cross of St Andrew. St Andrew was meant to have been crucified on a cross of that shape.

Scottish flag blowing in the wind

He is also the patron saint of other countries too, including Romania, Ukraine and Bulgaria. The 30th of November is St Andrew’s Day.

For a video of his story, please see below.

What is UNESCO?

UNESCO is part of the United Nations. Its full name is United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Its headquarters is in Paris, France and 195 countries are members.

unescologo

It’s main aim is to coordinate international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It hopes that this will bring together nations and societies and wants to ensure that each child has access to quality education, can fully benefit from scientific advances, can enjoy freedom of expression and can grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue.

One of the main things UNESCO is known for are ‘World Heritage Sites.’ These are areas or landmarks chosen because they important for cultural, historical or scientific reasons. Once chosen, these sites are then protected under international law.

There are UNESCO World Heritage Sites all around the World.

Click on this link for the full list of sites.

If you wanted to visit a site in the United Kingdom, you have plenty of choice.

Examples in England, Stonehenge…

Stonehenge

The City of Bath…

bathpic

The Palace of Westminster…

parliament

In Northern Ireland, you have the Giant’s Causeway…

Giants Causeway on Sunny Irish Day

In Scotland, you have the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh…

edinburgh1

In Wales you have the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd…

beaumaris

The country with the most World Heritage Sites in the World is Italy, closely followed by China.

Thank you to SJR Photography for the pictures.

Who was Guy Fawkes?

Guy Fawkes is famous for the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Guy was a Catholic who wanted to kill the Protestant King James I and put a Catholic monarch back on the throne.

Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators

The plotters rented a cellar under the Houses of Parliament and packed it with gunpowder. They planned to create a massive explosion when the King was in the Houses of Parliament. An anonymous letter was sent to the authorities warning them of the plot. This made them search under the Houses of Parliament and Guy Fawkes was caught guarding the gunpowder.

He was tortured and executed and ever since we have celebrated the failure of this plot on the 5th of November.

For a fun video explanation, please see below.