The Giant Panda, as the specie is formally named is an endangered omnivore mammal, that can live up to 20 years in the wild. It can weigh up to 300 lbs(136 kg) and its size can be related to a 6 ft man.

Most of the videos that we see about pandas are showing the bear having a feast, with its hind legs stretched before it and sitting in a very relaxed posture. That is because they have an insatiable desire for food, especially for bamboo sticks, but they won’t say no to birds or rodents. That may suggest that they are sedentary animals, but looks may deceive. The pandas are very good climbers and very efficient swimmers. Almost half of the day, the pandas eat. In this 12 hour period it is likely to ingurgitate over 30 lbs of bamboo to satisfy its daily needs.

Wild pandas live only in China, especially on the Central Mountain Range, also known as the Chungyang Range, full of wet and cool forests, exactly as the bears like it. Panda climb as high as 13000- 14000 ft(4000- 4300m) on summer, in search of low  temperature.
Sadly, there are only about one thousand giant pandas left in the wild. Only the most fortunate Zoos keep such kind of animals. All over the world, there are approximately 100 panda bears living in captivity and the Zoo keepers say it is not an easy thing to breed pandas.

Let’s hope for the better.

Although it is a national symbol, the city flourished because of the Dutch sailors, who came in the 17th century. Because of that, New York City was first named New Amsterdam, that served as the capital of New Netherland.

From 1789 to 1790 it briefly served as the capital of the United States. Not many people know that Broadway, that is officially named Highway 9, is one of the longest streets in the world, measuring approximately 150 miles, the equivalent of 241 km.

The famous Central Park has a bigger area than the State of Monaco.

The New York City Subway system is the 3rd biggest in the world, if we refer to the year it was built on(1904), preceded only by London(1863) and Paris(1900). It has a huge amount of riders, serving a number of 1.3 billion people every year. It is the 2nd largest subway system in the world, measuring 230 miles(371 km), preceded by London, which has a total of 257 miles(415 km).

Maybe the most emblematic symbol of New York, and probably of the entire United States is the Statue of Liberty. Few people know that the statue, a neoclassical sculpture, stands as a gift to the American people, courtesy of the French society. It stands on Liberty Island from October 28, 1886, and it represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. It has a total of 305 ft (95m), from which 151 ft (46m) are the actual statue.

RANGE:
Historical: North of river Zaire, from Senegal to Tanzania.
Current: Western and Central Africa

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Length: Female: 28-33 in.; Male: 30-36 in.
Weight: Female: 176 lbs.; Male: 198 lbs.
Coloration: Predominantly black; often gray on back after 20 years. Short white beard common in both sexes. The skin is variable from pink to brown or black, normally darkening with age. Infants have white “tail-tuft.”

DIET:
Wild: Ripe fruits, young plant leaves, tree seeds, flowers, galls resin and bark, insects (including termites which they fish with small sticks and grass stems) and birds occasionally.

BEHAVIOR: All chimpanzee are members of a community of 15 to 120. Males form border patrols, frequently visiting the boundary of their range. Males will attack a lone male by biting and hitting them. Mothers which migrate to a neighboring community risk attacks also. Chimpanzee are predominently arboreal. (tree dwellers)

ADAPTATION: They are inventive problem-solvers. They have learned to use their hands like man. Tools are used for getting some food. They depend heavily upon their sense of smell. All their teeth are large compared to human.

BREEDING & GROWTH: Females raised in captivity begin mating at 8-9 years of age. Give birth at 10-11 years of age. Wild females mature 3-4 years later. Chimpanzees give birth to one in 8-9 1/2 months. Twins are rare. Weight at birth is around 4 lbs. Longevity is around 40 to 45 years.

STATUS: The main threat comes from habitat destruction, particularly commercial logging, hunting for bush meat and commercial exploitation for overseas trade. Some countries they are extinct.

GENERAL INFORMATION: They travel sometimes with other communities, and may share overlapping ranges. Males are larger and stronger than females. They sleep in nests, made fresh every night. Usually the nests are in the tallest trees, in the crotch of branches with a leafy canopy overhead. Adults sleep alone, except when infants with their mothers.

Personal Life
Jacques Cartier was born in St. Malo, Breton. He was born to Jame Cartier and Geseline Jansart in 1491. Jacques Cartier was about 20 when he married Marie Katherine des Granches in 1519.

Cartier’s Voyages
On Cartier’s first voyage, he left from St. Malo, Britain, to look for gold. He sailed around New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Then he met a tribe of Iroquois Indians who were very friendly and sent two of their boys to help them find gold. Instead, with a little help, Cartier found what is now the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which is an important discovery in history. It is important because the St. Lawrence river goes into the Great Lakes. People could explore further into the New World by sailing down the St. Lawrence river.

Cartier sailed to Canada. One of the places he sailed to was Quebec, where a brutal winter struck and killed 25 of his men. He also sailed to the Georgian Bay and Cape Brenton Island. Another place he sailed to was the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Cartier named it that because he was there on All Saints Day.

Hardships
On Cartier’s first voyage, his ship ran into some rapids and he was forced to go back. On his third voyage, he found icebergs and foggy weather which stopped him from going any further.

Equipment
Cartier had two ships on his first voyage. The two ships had 61 men and weighed 60 tons. On Cartier’s later voyages he would have three, four, or even five ships. Cartier had three voyages.

Navigator
Jacques Cartier had a wonderful reputation as a navigator. Some people said he was a “solid navigator”; “an excellent commander”. Others said he was just a leader of men. As you can see, Jacques Cartier was a wonderful man because he explored so much in American history. He died when he was about 78.

Cabot was born in Genoa, Italy. He became a citizen of Venice and traveled widely in the Mediterranian before moving to England with his family. He sailed from Bristol in May 1497 with 18 or 20 men on the Matthew. He landed in North America, probably Newfoundland, on June 24, and may have sailed as far south as Maine or as far north as Labrador.

Returning to England, Cabot was welcomed by the people of London and granted an annual pension of 20 pounds by Henry VII. John seems to have thought he had reached the northeastern corner of Asia, and he rapidly prepared a second voyage to sail beyond his earlier landing point. He was planning to sail to Japan. He set out in May 1498 with five ships and about 200 men. He was lost at sea in 1498, and no clear records of this second voyage have survived. Some of his ships may have returned to England, and one may have gone south and reached Spanish holdings in the Carribean Sea.

John Cabot will never be forgotten for his wonderful discovery of this beautiful island, Newfoundland!

James was a British navigator and one of the World’s greatest explorers. He commanded three voyages to the Pacific Ocean and sailed around the World twice. He went on to become the first European to visit Hawaii and Australia’s East coast.

Cook was a man of great ambition and curiosity who was born in Marton, England, near York. On his first voyages, he worked aboard ships that carried coal to English ports. He joined the British Navy in 1765, during the French and Indian war. He carried out a dangerous wartime mission in 1759, when he entered French territory in Canada to survey the St. Lawrence River for the navy. His charts contributed to the British capture of the French city of Quebec later on that year.

In 1768, the navy appointed Cook to lead a scientific expedition to Tahiti, a Pacific Island. His ship, the “Endeavor”, sailed from England in August and reached Tahiti in April, 1769. There, the scientists on the expedition watched the planet Venus pass between the sun. This observation was the main goal of the voyage.

In October, Cook became the first European to visit New Zealand. In April 1770, the “Endeavour” sailed into Botany Bay on the east coast of Australia. Cook claimed the entire coast for Great Britian. He returned to England in July 1771 without developing an outbreak of scurvy ( a disease that had long plagued sailors ). He was the first ship commander to prevent this disease.

In July 1772, Cook left England on the Resolution in another attempt to find the southern continent. He sailed farther south than any other European had ever gone and faced many hazards on the way involving the cold Antartic waters. Jagged mountains of ice as high as 60 feet often blocked the way. Powerful winds blew ice towards the ships, and blinding fog increased the danger, especially at night. James circled Antartica, but ice surrounded it, which prevented him from sighting land.

In 1773 and 1774, Cook became the first European to visit a number of Pacific Islands. He arrived back in England in July 1775 and was promoted to Captain.

In July 1776, James Cook set out with two ships, the “Resolution” and the “Discovery”, the look for a possible northern sea passage between Europe and Asia. This unknown route was called the “Northwest Passage”. Cook first sailed to New Zealand. and other Pacific Islands. In January 1778, he became the first known European to reach the Hawaiian Islands.

Later in 1778, he sailed to the northwest coast of North America. He was the first European to land on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He continued sailing up the coast, he sailed through the Bering Strait, and entered the Atlantic Ocean, but walls of ice blocked the expedition, and so Cook headed back to the Hawaiian Islands in August.

In February 1779, an islander stole a boat from the “Discovery” at Kealakekua Bay. Cook tried to investigate the theft, but was stabbed to death in a fight with islanders on February 14. The expedition returned to England in Octobor.

James Cook will always be known to the World for his great discoveries!!!

The governor Velasquis got suspicious that Cortes would take his place. So he threw Cortes in prison. Cortes got out, but nobody knows how. Once, he learned about the gold city that the Indians had. He convinced the governor to let him go. Cortes spent his time buying muskets, ammunition, crossbows, and navigational instruments. Then he set sail for Mexico with 508 men and 100 sailors. When he landed, Cortes was attacked by the Talascan Indians. In that fight the Spanish lost 2 men, even though the Indians lost 800 men. Later Aztec men greeted them. They gave Cortes gold and silver.

Cortes decided to make a colony of his own. Montezuma, the Aztec leader, sent more gifts in hopes that Cortes would go away. But he did not go away. They wanted to capture Tecnochtitlan. On the way there they ran into the Talascan Indians. Cortes tried to explain, but the Indians would not listen. With thousands of men the Indians attacked Cortes and his 400 men. After a long time the Indians fled. But soon they came back. Cortes learned that more then 4,000 wanted to join him. Then Montezuma sent a letter inviting Cortes to come to Tecnochtitlan. The Indians with Cortes warned him.

Next Cortes went to Cholula. One day, it looked like the Indians were going to attack them. But Cortes attacked first. His men massacred the Indians. On Nov. 1, 1519, Cortes started the march. On Nov. 8, his men reached the capital. Soon war broke out. The Spanish killed Aztecs for their jewelry. On Nov. 30, 1920 Cortes’ men were massacred. With only a handful of men, Cortes retreated. Later, more Spanish came and Cortes defeated the all powerful Aztec.

The Aztecs did not eat that much, because they had no large domestic animals such as cattle. Meat was a luxury. The peasants grew most of their food. They traded for other things in market places. Men and boys hunted with blow guns, spears, clubs, and rocks.

The Aztecs believed that one of their gods had white skin and a beard. This god sailed away on a raft made of snakes, but promised to return. In 1519 Montezuma, the king of the Aztecs, was told that white-skinned, bearded men were coming. Montezuma believed the Aztec god had returned. At first the strangers were welcomed. Soon, however, Montezuma learned that their leader, Hernando Cortez, was not a god. He and his men had come to conquer the New World for the king of Spain.

The Aztecs made many sacrifices to their gods. When victims reached the altar they were caught by the priests and stretched across a sacrificial stone. A priest with an obsidian knife cut open each chest and tore out the victims heart. The heart was placed in a bowl or the chacmool–a stone statue.

The Aztec’s society was made up of the emperor, the chief advisor, nobles,and slaves. The leader of the Aztecs was the emperor. The emperors chief adviser was a man who had the strange title of Cihuacoatl or Snake Woman. Below the rulers were the great nobles, the Tlatani, who governed the provinces. The lowest group in Aztec society were the slaves. Some were prisoners taken in battle. Others were Aztecs who had fallen on hard times.

The Aztecs built their city on an island in the middle of a swampy lake called Texcoco or in English, Lake of the Moon. They called their city Tenoctitlan which means Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus.

To build more land they built large rafts made from straw on which they placed river mud. They planted trees and vegetables and their long roots anchored the rafts to the bottom of the lake. By placing the rafts apart they created a system of canals throughout the city. Most of the city was built using slave labor by forming poor tribes who could pay taxes to work.

Around the center of the city there were also four districts, each with its own government. Each district had its own houses, shops, parks, schools, and temples for lesser gods. The city was rich with gold, silver, and rare jewels.

The Aztecs were an interesting tribe to learn about, because they had unusual culture habits.

He led the attack on the Incas and won San Migaul (Piura)in 1528. Later his forces attacked the Inca city of Cajamarcra. There he captured the Inca king Atahuapla. He demanded ransom for Atahuapla’s life, he got the ransom but killed Atahuapla anyway. Without a king the Incas felt helpless, so it was easier to conquer them. His conquest of Peru was good for Spain because it was full of gold, silver, and other riches. He was appointed governor of Peru by the king of Spain. But his conquest had it’s mess-ups, like when his brother led an expedition into the rain forest that became a nightmare of starvation, cannibalism, and death. In the late 1530′s Almagro, his partner in conquering the Incas went to war with Pizarro. They fought over the former Inca mountain capital of Cusco until Pizarro won in 1538. He then executed Almagro, but in 1541 Almagro’s followers and his son killed Pizarro.

The Choctaw had fun,too. They developed a game called “Stick ball.” There would be around 60 players on each side. The object of the game was to get a ball through a goal, with two lacrosse sticks. The only rule was you couldn’t hit someone with your stick.

The Choctaw had a government. It was a government of chiefs. Each town had a chief and some assistants. There would be 3 top chiefs who would make sure that everything was right. During wars, they would have a war chief who would lead during wars. Every month they would have a meeting to discuss matters.

The Choctaws life wasn’t perfect. De Soto took captured Maubila’s chief, but he still welcomed them. The chief ran into a house and de Soto told an Indian to get the chief. The Indian refused and de Soto killed him. Then war broke out. Nearly 5000 Indians were killed. Maubila was burned and the chief was dead. The Indians really didn’t have a chance because the Spaniards had swords and crossbows. (After that, the Choctaw didn’t have any trouble with the Europeans until the British ceased them.)

The Choctaw had very strange customs. They would flatten their babies’ heads before they could walk. They would probably use a board and continue to tighten it. After that, you can easily see why their head normally was flat. The other interesting thing about the Choctaw was they were not as interested about religious ceremonies as other Alabama tribes were.