Geography – Catius

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.

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.

What is coffee and where is it grown?

Coffee is a drink made from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. The coffee plant originally grew in Africa, but is now grown around the world, usually in areas near the equator.

Girl in coffee plantations

Coffee is grown in over 70 countries around the world. The top three producing countries are Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. Coffee is grown near the equator because it needs certain weather conditions to grow well(plenty of warmth and rain).

The seeds are roasted and then ground according to the type of coffee you are making. It is then mixed with hot water to brew, although you can also soak it in cold water to make a different tasting drink.

Coffee is not recommended for children as it contains caffeine. This is something that helps adults feel more awake when they drink it!

For further reading from the Eden Project, please click this link.

For a quick video run through of the process, please see below.

What is a diamond?

A diamond is a precious stone and is the hardest naturally occurring material known. It is made from carbon which can come in different forms depending on how its atoms are arranged. A diamond has a lattice structure in which the atoms are bonded together very strongly.

Family in shopping mall looking at jewelry department

Diamonds are formed deep underground in the earth’s mantle, around a 100 miles down. They are formed under high pressure and temperatures and can take 1 to 3 billion years to form. They are brought closer to the surface by deep volcanic eruptions and are then mined by people.

For further reading and some fun facts on diamonds please click this link.

For a video explanation, please see below.

What/when is Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest is one of the world’s largest festivals and occurs in Munich, Germany every year. It is a beer festival and travelling funfair and is an important part of Bavarian culture. People attending often wear traditional Bavarian costume.

Two kids, boy and girl in traditional Bavarian costumes in wheat field

The festival begins in mid September each year and lasts for just over two weeks, ending in early October. Over six million people attend each year.

Although you may think it is aimed at adults, the Oktoberfest is also a great day out for families too. The Tuesdays during the festival period are designated ‘Family Days’ with discounted entry and rides. Children are allowed into the beer tents, but those under 6 years old must leave by 8pm.

Click here for a blog post of one family’s Oktoberfest experience.

For a video on the history of the festival, and an excellent showcase of German humour, please see below.

Are there any countries with exactly the same number of boys and girls?

Worldwide there are more boys than girls. It is believed that for every 100 girls born, 107 boys are born. Over time, the populations even out a bit due to differing factors, for example war, accidents etc.

Due to populations being measured in millions, the chance of having exactly the same number of each is highly unlikely. Studies over the years have seen some trends in certain parts for the world. Caribbean countries like Barbados, Haiti and Aruba have tended to have more girls than boys. China and India tend to have more boys than girls. Central African countries like Zambia and DPR Congo tend to have a split closer to 50/50.

Six happy children

Click here for more in depth reading from Science ABC

For a video explanation, please see below.

What is a hurricane?

A hurricane is a large storm characterised by very strong winds. If a tropical cyclone has winds over 74mph(119km/h) and it forms in the Atlantic Ocean, it is known as a hurricane. There are 5 categories of hurricane numbered 1 to 5. The most severe category 5 hurricanes can have winds up to 200mph(320km/h). The hurricane develops around an area of low pressure(the eye) and the winds rotate in an anti clockwise direction around this point. This is what they look like from space.

Extremely detailed and realistic high resolution 3D illustration of a Hurricane approaching Texas. Shot from Space. Elements of this image are furnished by Nasa.

A hurricane is specific to the area around the USA. A tropical storm formed in the Indian Ocean is called a cyclone, and one formed in the Western Pacific Ocean is called a typhoon.

For more in depth information on hurricanes, please see the following link:

An excellent page from Weather Wiz Kids

For a video on hurricanes, please see below.

How far is South East London from the Equator?

South East London is around 5700 kilometres, or 3540 miles, from the Equator.

Boy On Trip To Museum Looking At Map And Writing In Notebook

If you would like more information about how to calculate how far you are from the Equator, please see the following link:

City to Equator distance calculator from sciencing.com

A basic way to work it out is to take your latitude and to multiply this by 111.111. This will give you the answer in kilometres. To convert to miles, multiply by 0.621.

Please see below video explaining why the distance you are from the Equator affects the weather you experience.