Travel – 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/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.

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.