torek, 31. marec 2009

Radoviš, Macedonia on www.CheckMyCity.com

Radoviš, Macedonia

Radoviš (Macedonian: Радовиш, is a city positioned in the southeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is the seat of Radoviš Municipality, which is spread on the bottom of mountain Plačkovica and the northern part of the Strumica valley.



Radoviš City Guide

The main road Štip–Strumica is tangentially placed on the township of Radoviš. This road is a main communication route with other parts of the country.

After the settlement of the Slavs, during the rule of Samuel of Bulgaria, Radoviš became a business centre while the medieval town of Konče was a monastery and episcopal centre. As a settlement and a regional town parish, Radoviš is mentioned for the first time in the deed of the Byzantine emperor Basil II in 1019. At that time, the town was located in the North-West of the town's present location, on the banks of the Old river, where we can find traces of several churches, for example St. Archangel church.

In the 14th century, after the destruction of the Byzantine Empire, Radoviš found itself in the Serb medieval state. In 1361, the tsar Uroš sojourned in Radoviš. During the Ottoman Empire, in the 17th Century under the Kyustendil sanjak, it belonged to the diocese of the Kustendil metropolitan. At that time, the town had 3,000–4,000 inhabitants.

Almost one millennium ago, Radoviš' queen (a princess of Slavic origin) Rada, was looking from the wall of the fortress when she became upset by her fiancee's exclamation "Rado Vish". This exclamation that was supposed to warn her of the enemy attack, became according to the legend the name of the city, a synonym of its endurance over the centuries to come.

The area of the municipality is 497,48 km². Radoviš municipality has 28,244 inhabitants, according to the last census (2002). Population density is 56/km². It is populated mainly with Macedonians and partly with Turkish minority. In the Municipality of Radoviš ethnic conflicts and intolerance are unknown.

36 villages are also part of the municipality of Radoviš. The Mayor of Radoviš is Dr. Robert Velkov, MD.
Radoviš City, Macedonia
Source: Wikipedia & Macedonia Tourism
More tags: radoviš macedonia republic yugoslavia ortodox

Bitola, Macedonia on www.CheckMyCity.com

Bitola, Macedonia

Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the Medžitlija-Níki border crossing with Greece.






It is an important junction connecting the south of the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea and Central Europe. It is known from the Ottoman period as "the city of the consuls", as many European countries have consulates in Bitola. According to some sources, Bitola is the second largest town in the country, and to others the third. Bitola is also the centre of the Bitola Municipality.

According to Adrian Room, the name Bitola is derived from the old Slavic word Obitel (monastery or abode), since the city was formerly noted for its monastery. When the meaning of the name was no longer understood, it lost its prefix "o". The name Bitola is mentioned in the Bitola inscription, related to the old city fortress built in 1015. Modern Slavic variants include the Macedonian Bitola (Битола), the Serbian Bitolj (Битољ) and Bulgarian Bitolya (Битоля). In Byzantine times, the name was hellenized to Voutélion (Βουτέλιον) or Vitólia (Βιτώλια), hence the names Butella by William of Tyre, Butili by the Arab geographer al-Idrisi). The Aromanian name Bituli is also derived from the Slavic name.

Another Greek name of the city, which is currently in use, is Monastíri (Μοναστήρι), also meaning "monastery". The Turkish name Manastır (Ottoman Turkish: مناستر) is derived from the Greek name, as is the Albanian Manastiri.
Source: Wikipedia

Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN

Mall of America is a super-regional shopping mall located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the interstate from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. In the United States, it is the second largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space but is largest in terms of total enclosed floor area. Opened in 1992, the mall received 40 million visitors in 2006. Triple Five Group, owned by Canada's Ghermezian family, fully owns and manages the property.





Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft. (390,000 m²), with 2.5 million sq ft. (230,000 m²) available as retail space. The mall is a nearly symmetrical building, with a roughly rectangular floor plan. Over 520 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on one side. An addition planned north of the mall will allow for up to 900 stores. Four "anchor" department stores are located at the corners. The Mall is organized into four different zones, each with its own decorative style.

Despite Minnesota's sub-zero temperatures in the winter, only the mall's entrances are heated. Heat is allowed in through skylights above Nickelodeon Universe. Heat is produced by lighting fixtures, other electric devices and also by employees and guests of the mall in sufficient amounts to keep it comfortable. In fact, even during the winter, air conditioning systems need to be run nonstop during peak hours to ensure a comfortable shopping environment.

Two nearly identical seven story parking ramps on east and west sides provide 12,550 parking spaces. Parking lots on the north and south of the building, along with nearby overflow parking, bring the total number of spaces up to approximately 20,000.

The mall is used as a major transportation hub in the region, with bus and light rail service linking the mall to other destinations. Regular public transit service is provided by Metro Transit and other area bus lines, and nearby Mystic Lake Casino offers free shuttles to their establishment. The primary bus/rail station for scheduled local service is in the lower level of the eastern parking ramp. There, the Hiawatha Line light rail line connects the mall to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and from there to downtown Minneapolis (another major shopping destination in the region, particularly during weekdays). The mall is being discouraged as a park and ride facility, and overnight parking is banned to prevent passengers taking the train to the airport. Commuters are encouraged to use the nearby 28th Avenue Station's parking lot.

It has been deliberately made difficult for drivers to park at the mall and then ride the train, so many passengers drive to the nearby 28th Avenue station, which has a 600-space Park and Ride lot, however, a Cedar Grove station will be built in the coming months on the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Line.

From Mall of America station, there are direct connections to routes 5, 54, 415, 515, 540, and 542.
Source: wikipedia

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Eden Prairie is an edge city 12 miles (22 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 12th largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota.



Eden Prairie in Video

The city lies on the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. As the seventh largest suburb, Eden Prairie and nearby suburbs form the southwest portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.2 million residents. The U.S. Census Bureau recorded the city's population at 54,901 in 2000. Composed of large lakes and ponds, the city has more than 170 miles (270 km) of multi-use trails, 2,250 acres (9 km2) of parks, and 1,300 acres (5 km2) of open space. Previously a bedroom suburb in the 1960s, the city is now home to more than 2,200 businesses and headquarters for Supervalu, ADC Telecommunications, MTS Systems Corporation and the Minnesota Vikings. Regionally known for Eden Prairie Center, it is also the hub for SouthWest Transit, serving public transportation to three adjacent suburbs. Eden Prairie was selected as the 10th best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. The name Eden Prairie is attributed to the Anderson family. Robert Anderson was a founder of the settlement and the name was chosen as a testament to the beauty of the land and it was considered Eden. For most of its existence, Eden Prairie has been a slow-growing, pastoral village on the far southwestern fringes of the Twin Cities area. Between 1880 and 1960, Eden Prairie’s population grew by only 1,300 people, from 739 to 2,000. Native Americans were the first to live in the area. In 1851, a treaty opened land west of the Mississippi River to settlement allowing pioneers to settle in what is now Eden Prairie. The town board of Eden Prairie held its first meeting in a log school house on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. However, Eden Prairie's farming community grew slowly over the years. Flying Cloud Airport was the first sign of big development in 1946. The 1960s and 1970s were decades of growth for the City's parks and recreation system. In the mid-70s, the community earned a higher profile with the addition of Interstate Highway 494 and the Eden Prairie Shopping Center. Eden Prairie became a Village in 1962 and a statutory city in 1974.
Source: wiki

torek, 24. marec 2009

Salina, Kansas on www.CheckMyCity.com

Salina, Kansas

Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States.[3] First settled in 1856 along the Saline and Smoky Hill Rivers and founded by William A. Phillips in 1858, Salina is situated at the intersection of Interstate Highways I-70 and I-135 in central Kansas. The population was 45,679 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be 46,140 in the year 2006.



Salina and worlds longest flight around the world

Salina is the principal city of the Salina Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Saline and Ottawa counties.

Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low below 20 °F (−7 °C) in January to an average high of over 93 °F (34 °C) in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 61 days per year and reaches 100 °F (38 °C) an average of 14 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point (32°F) an average of 114 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between early October and early November, and the last spring freeze occurs during the month of April.

The area receives about 32 inches of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—with a combined 18 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year the total amount of precipitation may be anywhere from 24 to 44 inches (1,100 mm). There are on average 77 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages almost 19 inches, but the median is less than 10 inches (250 mm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 9 days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on seven of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 27 days per year.

On September 25, 1973 a tornado measuring F3 passed through the southeast part of town injuring 6 people, destroying 2 houses and the Sundowner East trailer park.

On June 11, 2008 another EF3 tornado passed on the south side of the town severely damaging several buildings including a nursing home.
Source: wikipedia

Longest skijup on www.CheckMyCity.com

Planica, Slovenia

Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border town Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora.




Further south, the valley is extended into Tamar, a popular hiking destination in the Triglav National Park. Planica is famous for ski jumping. The first ski jumping hill was constructed before 1930 at the slope of the Ponca mountain. In 1934 Stanko Bloudek constructed a larger hill, sometimes also called the mammoth hill. The first ski jump over 100 metres was achieved here in 1936 by the Austrian Sepp Bradl. This is the biggest jumping hill in the world, sometimes called "the mother of all jumping hills". In 1969 a new K-185 hill, Letalnica Bratov Gorišek, was constructed by Lado and Janez Gorišek. Since 1986, when Matti Nykänen flew 191 metres, new world records have always been set at Planica rather than any other ski jumping hill (e.g. Kulm in Austria, Harrachov in Czech Republic, Oberstdorf in Germany or Vikersundbakken in Norway). In 1994, Toni Nieminen of Finland was the first ski jumper in history to jump over 200 metres. The current world record stands at 239 metres, set by Bjørn Einar Romøren of Norway in 2005. The ski jumping infrastructure is fairly outdated at the moment (ski jumpers must walk uphill for most of their way to the top of a hill). In 2001, the Bloudek's old K-120 hill collapsed and has not been reconstructed yet due to endless bureaucratic troubles. Regardless, the International Ski Federation still allows competitions at the K-185 hill, and many are hopeful that Planica will mature into a modern winter sports centre. In August 2008, the Slovenian government accepted a plan to renovate Planica into a modern winter sports centre until 2020 (with the centre to be able to host the 2009 championship).

source: Wikipedia

petek, 13. marec 2009

Auckland, New Zealand on www.CheckMyCity.com

Auckland, New Zealand

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with over 1.3 million residents, 31 percent of the country's population.



Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country. Increasingly cosmopolitan, Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world, and has seen many people of Asian ethnicity move there in the last two decades. It is a metropolitan region made up of Auckland City (excluding the Hauraki Gulf islands), North Shore City, and the urban parts of Waitakere and Manukau cities, along with Papakura District and some nearby urban parts of Rodney and Franklin Districts. In Māori its name is Tāmaki-makau-rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana. Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water. Auckland has a warm-temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters. It is the warmest main centre of New Zealand and is also one of the sunniest, with an average of 2060 sunshine hours per annum. The average daily maximum temperature is 23.7 °C in February, and 14.5 °C in July, the absolute maximum recorded temperature is 32.4 °C, while the absolute minimum is -2.5. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round with an average of 1240 mm per year spread over 137 'rain days'. Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea, hence unofficial temperature records exist, such as a maximum of 34 °C in west Auckland. On 27 July 1939 Auckland received its only recorded snowfall. The early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853: "In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails..." Many Aucklanders used this time of day to walk and run in parks. As car ownership rates are very high and emissions controls relatively weak, Auckland suffers from some air pollution, especially in regards to fine particles emissions. There are also regular breaches of guideline levels of carbon monoxide. While maritime winds normally disperse the pollution relatively quickly it can sometimes become visible as smog, especially on calm winter days.
Source: wikipedia

Vojnik, Slovenia on www.CheckMyCity.com

Vojnik, Slovenia

Vojnik is in central Slovenia in the north-east of the Celje Basin. Most of the people make their living from farming, but there are also many small businesses.




Vojnik was first mentioned as a borough in 1306. It was on fire many times and the town even burned to the ground in 1839.Nowadays, it a known center of turism.
Source: wikipedia

Slovenia on www.CheckMyCity.com

Dobrnič, Slovenia


Warsaw, Poland on www.CheckMyCity.com

Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw also known by other names) is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly 370 kilometers (230 mi) from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains.





Its population as of 2007 was estimated at 1,706,624, with a metropolitan area of approximately 3,350,000. The city area is 516.9 square kilometers (199.6 sq mi), with an agglomeration of 6,100.43 square kilometers (2,355.4 sq mi) (Warsaw Metro Area – Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy). Warsaw is the 8th largest city in the European Union. Warszawianka (1831) (French: La Varsovienne) is widely considered the unofficial anthem of the Capital City of Warsaw. On November 9, 1940 the City of Warsaw was awarded with the highest military decoration for courage in the face of the enemy - Order Virtuti Militari for the heroic defence in 1939. Warsaw is also known as the "phoenix city", as it was completely destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt with the herioc effort of Polish citizens. Warsaw has given its name to the Warsaw Pact, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising. An older spelling of Warsaw in Polish is Warszewa or Warszowa, meaning "owned by Warsz". Folk etymology attributes the city name to a fisherman Wars and his wife Sawa. Actually, Warsz was a 12th/13th century nobleman who owned a village located at the site of today's Mariensztat neighbourhood. The official city name in full is Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa (English: "The Capital City of Warsaw"). Warsaw has been known in Latin as Varsovia. A native or resident of Warsaw is called Varsovian. See wiktionary:Warsaw for the name in other languages.
Source: wikipedia

Highest elevated airport in USA on www.CheckMyCity.com

Lake County Airport, Colorado

Lake County Airport (IATA: LXV, ICAO: KLXV, FAA LID: LXV), also known as Leadville Airport, is a county-owned public-use airport located two statute miles (3 km) southwest of the central business district of Leadville, a city in Lake County, Colorado, United States.



At 9,927 ft (3,026 m) above mean sea level the airport claims the distinction of being North America's highest. Pilots receive a free certificate commemorating their landing upon a successful landing. Aircraft performance deteriorates rapidly with altitude, so many organizations use the Leadville Airport as a base for high altitude performance testing. Lake County Airport covers an area of 605 acres (245 ha) which contains one runway (16/34) measuring 6,400 x 75 ft (1,951 x 23 m), plus a helipad measuring 150 x 100 ft (46 x 30 m).
Source: Wikipedia

sreda, 11. marec 2009

London the most expensive city in the world - on www.CheckMyCity.com

London, UK

London is proclaimed the most expensive city in the world. London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union.



An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its foundation, London has been part of many movements and phenomena throughout history, including the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited medieval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis that has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly. London is one of the world's most important business, financial and cultural centres and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts contributes to its status as a major global city. Central London is the headquarters of more than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies. The city is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors, with annual expenditure by tourists of around £15 billion. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympic Games and will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Greater London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church. London's population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city. As of July 2007, it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London making it the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area is the second largest in the EU after Paris with a population of 8,278,251, and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 million and 14 million, the largest metropolitan area in the EU. The public transport network, administered by Transport for London, is one of the most extensive in the world, Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic and the air space is the busiest of any city in the world.
Source: wikipedia

Zuerich, Switzerland the richest city in the world - on www.CheckMyCity.com

Zuerich, Switzerland

Zürich (German: Zürich, Zürich German: Züri, French: Zurich, Italian: Zurigo in English generally is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich.



The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. Zürich can be counted as one of the world's pre-eminent global cities. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. The earliest known form of the city's name is Turicum, attested on a tombstone of the late 2nd century AD in the form STA(tio) TURICEN(sis) ("Turicum tax post"). Neither the name's linguistic origin (most likely Rhaetic or Celtic) nor its meaning can be determined with certainty. A possibility is derivation from *Turīcon, from the Gaulish personal name Tūros. A first development towards its later, Germanic form is attested as early as the 6th century AD with the form Ziurichi. From the 10th century onward, the name has more or less clearly been established as Zürich (Zurih (857), Zurich (924)). Note that in the modern Zürich dialect, the name has lost its final ch [x]. This is hypocoristic rather than the result of a regular sound change, and the adjective remains Zürcher ['tsyr.xer] also in dialect.
Source: wikipedia

sobota, 7. marec 2009

London, Heathrow airport on www.CheckMyCity.com

London, Heathrow International Airpot

London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow (IATA: LHR, ICAO: EGLL), located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom.



It is the world's third busiest airport for passenger traffic and it handles the most international passenger traffic in the world. Heathrow is owned and operated by BAA, which also owns and operates six other UK airports. BAA is itself owned by an international consortium led by the Spanish Ferrovial Group. Heathrow is the primary hub of British Airways, bmi and Virgin Atlantic. Located 12 NM (22 km; 14 mi) west of Central London, England, Heathrow originally was designed to have six runways in three pairs spaced approximately 120 degrees apart but now has just two parallel main runways running east-west and five terminals. The site covers 12.14 square kilometres (4.69 sq mi). Terminal 5 was officially opened by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II on 14 March 2008 and opened to passengers on 27 March 2008. Construction of Heathrow East, to replace Terminal 2 and The Queen's Building, began in 2008, and is expected to be completed by 2012. Terminals 3 and 4 will also be refurbished during this period. In November 2007 a consultation process began for the building of a new third runway and was controversially approved on 15th January 2009 by UK Government ministers. Heathrow Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P527) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
Source: Wikipedia

More keywords: london heathrow airport international british airways cathay virgin travel video A380 airbus

Dallas Fort Worth Int. Airport on www.CheckMyCity.com

Dallas Fort Worth int. Airport

With 685,491 aircraft movements in 2007, it is the third busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements. In terms of passenger traffic, it is the seventh busiest airport in the world transporting 59,784,876 passengers in 2007.



57,093,187 passengers passed through DFW Airport in 2008. In terms of land area, at 18,076 acres (7,315 ha), it is the largest airport in Texas, the second largest in the United States, behind Denver International Airport, and third largest in the world. It is the ninth busiest international gateway in the United States, and in Texas, behind Houston Intercontinental Airport. It is tied with Chicago O'Hare International Airport with the most runways, with seven. In 2006 the airport was named the "Best Cargo Airport in the World" according to the second edition of a survey. The airport, within the incorporated cities of Coppell, Euless, Grapevine, and Irving, serves 128 domestic destinations and 36 international, and is the largest and main hub for American Airlines (745 daily flights), and also the largest hub for American Eagle. Eighty five percent of all flights at Dallas/Fort Worth are operated by American Airlines. Delta Air Lines moved its Dallas/Fort Worth hub to Los Angeles International Airport in February 2005 in an effort to cut costs and avoid direct competition with American before eliminating it all together due to the oil price increases since 2003. The airline shrank operations from 258 daily nonstop flights to 21. The airport is often referred to by its IATA airport code, "DFW." It is operated in many ways like a small city. It has its own post office, ZIP Code, and Public Services. The United States Postal Service gave the airport its own city designation, DFW Airport, TX.[8] The members of the airport's Board of Directors are appointed by the "owner cities" of Dallas and Fort Worth. The airport is inside the city limits of three other suburban cities, a situation that has led to legal battles over jurisdiction (see below). To help ensure future harmony with its neighbors, the DFW Airport Board includes a non-voting member — a representative chosen from the airport's neighbors (Irving, Euless, Grapevine, and Coppell) on a rotating basis. DFW is connected by shuttle bus to a commuter rail station just south of the airport. The Trinity Railway Express line serves both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth.


Source: Wikipedia