India

India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a rich cultural heritage.  The official name is Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya. Capital of India is New Delhi.   It is constituted by 29 states and 7 Union territories. India is the 7th largest country in the world and stands apart from the rest of Asia marked off as it is by mountains and dthe sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity.  

Flag description:  The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion.  At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.

Location:   The Indian peninsula is separated from mailand Asia by the Himalayas.  The country is surrounded by the the Bay of Bengal in the easat, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.

Climate:  The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one.  But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters.

There are four seasons:

Winter (December-February)

Summer (March-June)

south-west monsoon season (June-september)

post-monson season (october-november)

People:

Population:  India's population, as on 1 March 2011 stood at 1,210,193,422 (623.7 million males and 586.4 million females).

The average annual exponential growth rate stands at 1.64 per cent during 2001-2011.

The sex ratio is 940 females per 1000 males according to 2011 census.

In India five major racial types find representation among the people of Asia, they are:  Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid and Negroid.

Religions:  According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1,028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.%, Muslims came second at 13.4% followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and others.

Languages:  There are 22 different languages that have been recognised dby the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is an Official Language.  Article 343(3) empowered Parliaments to provide by law for continued use of English for official purposes.

Government:   India is a Sovereing Socialist Secual Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.  The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the legal system in the country.

Executive branch:  The President of India is the Head of the State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office with the rupport of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet Ministry.

Legislative Branch:  The Indian Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (council of state) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.

Judicial Branch:  The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indial legal system, followed by other High courts and subordinate courts.  Source:  www.india.gov.in

Food:

Biryani is a set of rice based food made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables.  Is a very popular dish all over the World.

Baingan Bharta:  Roasted eggplant mashed together with a variety of other vegetables and spices, served with flatbread.

Butter Chiken.  It is chicken marinated overnigh in yoghurt and spices mixture and cooked with a special Makhani sauce made of butter, tomato puree and various spices that gives the dish its unique flavor.  It is one of the most popular dishes among non vegetarians throughout the World.  It is the pride of Punjabi cuisine.  Source:  www.allrecipes.com and www.vahrehvah.com

Vindaloo & Rogan Josh.  Is an aromatiac, gravy curry dish of Lamb goat or other meats.

Tandoori Chicken.  Chicken dish marinated in yoghurt and seasoned with tandoori masala.  Tandoori chicken is a highly popular Indian dish, traditionally cooked in Tandoor (clay oven).  Source:   www.vahrehvah.com

Palak Paneer - A popular vegetarian dish consisting of Palak (spinach) and Paneer (cottage cheese) in a curry sauce.  It is a traditional North Indian delicacy and is an integral part of the Punjabi cuisine.

Bhelpuri:  Puffed rice fried with vegetables, in a spicy and tangy tamarind sauce.

Philippines

The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign island country in the southeast Asia situated in the Pacific Ocean.  It consists of 7,107 islands that are categorized under three main geographical divisions:  Luzon, Vizayas and Mindanao.  The capital city of Philippines is Manila, and the most popular city is Quezon city; both of them are part of Metro Manila.

Population:  96.71 million (2012)

People of Philippines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXERACVEsDs

Currency:  Philippin Peso

President:  Benigno Aquino III.  The current and 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Official Languages:  English and Philippin Languages.

History:

Here you can take a look to a brief history of Philippines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaGAsaBvtk0

Interesting Places:  Borácay, Taal, Arrozales en las terrazas de las cordilleras de Philipinas.

Borácay is a tropical island located to 315 km to the south of Manila.

Climate:  The Philippines has a tropical maritime climate and is usually hot and humid.  The average yearly temperature is around 26.6°C (79.9 °F).

Religion:  More than 90% of the population are Christians:  about 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% belong to Protestant Christian denominations, such as the Iglesia in Cristo, the Philippine Independent Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (a mainline Protestant United church), and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Sports:  

Basketball is played at both amateur and professional levels and is considered to be the most popular sport in the Philippines.  Other popular sports and pastimes are boxing, cockfighting, volleyball, football, badminton, karate, taekondo, billiards, ten-pin bowl, chess, and sipa. Motocross, cycling, and mountaineering are also becoming popular.  

Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino boxer known by the nickname Pac-Man who became the first eight-division world champion.  He received the BWAA Fighter of the Year award in 2006, 2008 and 2009;  in 2010,  was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s (decade) by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and World Boxing Organization (WBO).  Source: www.en.wikipedia.org and www.famousbirthdays.com

Take a look at the best moments in the legendary career of Manny Pacquiao, here you can watch his greatest hits (HBO Boxing).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpE0P-eP8xU

Famous people:

Tim Tebow, Football player, was born in August 14, 1987 in Philippines.  Former University of Florida standout quarterback who led the school to two BCS Championships.  He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft and then he went on to play for the New York Jets and become a member of the New Englan Patriots' pre-season roster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcmbPh6CDrY

Lou Diamon Phillips:

Golden Globe nominee who is perhaps best known for his roles in La Bamba and Stand and Deliver.  As a stage actor, he received a Tony Award nomination for the King and I.

This is an extract from la Bamba movie (1987), Lou Diamon Phillips interprets Richie Valenz (the  Rock star in 1959).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTHmuJZDwqk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKTZR8TpffU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8MCyBR0iU




More famous people:

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/birthplace/philippines.html

South Africa

South Africa is the 25th-largest country in th world by land area and it is located at the southernmost region of Africa with a long coastline that stretches more than 2,500 km (1,553 mi) and along two oceans (the South Atlantic and the Indian). The interior of South Africa consists of a vast in most places, almost flat, plateau with an altitude of between 1,000 m( 3,300 ft) and 2,100 m (6,900 ft), highest in the east, sloping gently downwards towards the west, south and north. Source:  www.en.wikipedia.org

The official name of this country is the Republic of South Africa.

Biodiversity of South Africa:

King Protea, national flower.

Finbos, Cape floristic region.

Blue Crane, national bird.

Flowers in the West National Park

Population:  South Africa is the world's 24th-most populous nation with close to 53 million people.  South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages and religions.  It is pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of 11 oficial languages, which is among the highest number of any country in the world.

Language:  

It is surprising that South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swasi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.  Fewer than two percent of South Aficans speak a first language other than an official one. Most South Africans can speak more than one language.  Dutch and English were the first official languages of South Africa from 1910 to 1925.

This is a Trilingual government building sign in Afrikaan, English and Xhosa:

This is a map which shows the dominan home languages in South Africa, based on ward-level data from 2011 census.  In this context a languge is dominant if it more than 50% of the population in a ward speak it at home, or more than 33% speak it and no other language is spoken by more than 25%. 

   Afrikaans

   English

   isiNdebele

   isiXhosa

   isiZulu

   Sesotho sa Leboa

   Sesotho

   Setswana

   siSwati

   Tshivenda

   Xitsonga

   No language dominant

source: en.wikipedia.org

Government:

The government in South Africa is a Constitutional Parliamentary Republic.  President is Jacob Zuma; Deputy President is Kgalema Motlanthe; NCOP chairman is Mningwa J. Mahlangu; Speaker of the National Assembly is Max Sisulu and Chief Justice is Mogoeng Mogoeng.

Education: 

South Africa has a 3 tier system of education starting with primary school, followed by high school and tertiary education in the form of (academic) universities and universities of technology.  Learners have twelve years of forman schooling, from grade 1 to 12.  Grade R is a pre-primary foundation year.  Primary schools span the first seven years of schooling.  High school education spans a further five years.  The Senior Certificate examination takes place at the end of grade 12 and is necessary for tertiary studies at a South African University.   Source: www.en.wikipedia.org.

Many of South Africa Universities are world-class academic institutions at the cutting edge of research in various spheres. Together, the country's 23 public higher education institutions offer a range of study and research options for both local and international students.

Subsidied by the state, South Africa's universities are governed in terms of the Higher Education Act.  They remain autonomous, however, reporting to their own councils rather than to the government.

Source: http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/universities.htm#.U4Jxk_l5Nhs

Famous people:  

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)World Leader.  He was a South African revolutionary and politician who radically changed the conditions of the Apartheid state of South Africa for the better by addressing institutionalized racism and inequality. He served 27 years in prison and upon his release in 1994, he became South Africa's first black chief executive, an office he served for five years.   He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 while he was still in prison and he has been portrayed by Sidney Poitier.  Danny Glover, Idris Elba, Terrence Howard, and Morgan Freeman in various folks about his life.

Dave Matthews, singer and guitar player for the Dave Mathews band who won a grammy award for the song "So much to say, he has written singles like "Where are you going?" and "some Devil".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4bFX1ZEKyA

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.  This country geographically comprises two main landmasses, that of the North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui, and the South Island or Te Waipounamu and numerous smaller islands.  This country is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1000 kilometres south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga.  New Zealand was one of the last lands to be settled by humans because of its remoteness.

The capital of New Zealand is Wellington.  The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland.

Languages:  Official languages in this country are as follows:

95.9% English

4.2%   Maori

0.6%   NZ sign language

Government:  

They have a Parliamentary constitutional monarchy.  The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, the Governor-General is  Jerry Mateparae and the prime minister is John Key.   The legislature is a parliament (house of representatives).

Population:

The population as of January 2014 is estimated in 4,509,461.  The majority of New Zealand's popultion is of European descent; the indigenous Mäori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages with English predominant. 


Population density map of New Zealand:
source: http://www.bestcountryreports.com/Population_Map_New%20Zealand.php

Economy:

New Zealanders enjoyed one ot the highest standars of living in the world in the 1950s, but the 1970s saw a deep recession, worsened by oil shocks and the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community.  The country underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from aprotectionist to a liberalised free trade economy.


Interesting places:

Milford sound:   It is New Zealand's most well-known hiking trail, and only a limited number of spots are available every year.

source:  
http://www.raptitude.com/2010/05/the-ten-most-beautiful-places-i-visited-in-new-zealand/

Napier:  Napier stands out among New Zealand communities.  Much of its distintive character came after 1931 earthquake leveled the city.  The rebuilding effort spurred the local economy out of its depression, and the facades were styled in progress-oriented Art Deco.  It is a city that values form and aesthetics, both natural and man-made. There is a exceptional weather.

Punakaiki Coast:  Punakaiki is a tiny settlement that exists for no purpose other than to service the hordes that come to see the area's most striking feature:  a unique coastal rock formation called Pancake rocks.  South Island's west coasts feels a lot like the edge of the world.  The beaches are violent and rocky, and the lush vegetation gives it a primal, wild sort of atmosphere.

Abel Tasman Coast Track:

These are some of the beaches along the coastal track:

source:
http://www.raptitude.com/2010/05/the-ten-most-beautiful-places-i-visited-in-new-zealand/



Education:

Universities:

The university of Auckland is a public university located in Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand founded in 1883.

Address:  Auckland 1010 New Zealand

Phone:  +64 9-373 7999


https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en.html

The University of Otago:  This university is located at Dunedin in New Zealand with more than 20,000 matriculated students as of 2006.  This university was founded in 1869.

Address:  364 Leith walk, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand

Phone:  +64 3-479-7000

The University of Canterbury:

This is a university located at Christchurch city in New Zealand in the south island.  It was founded in 1873.

Address:  20 kirkwood ave, Upper Ricarton, Christchurch 8041 Zew Zealand.


http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/