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TopClicks
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Curiosities, Wonders & Interesting Facts
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U. S. and Faraway Places
America's Roof - The highest points in the United States are listed here, and guess what--many of these mountains and peaks have webcams on them so you can see the view without ever having to pack your water bottle and trail food.
Cocori: Complete Costa Rica - Costa Rica is located on the isthmus between North and South America. A lot of history and culture are packed into this small Central American country. Find out why it is sometimes referred to as the "Switzerland of the Americas." Be sure to stop into the Library (in the Articles section) to read more about Costa Rica's traditions and holiday celebrations. Christmas in Costa Rica means eating tamales for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even coffee breaks. This delicious dish is prepared almost exclusively in December to eat during the year-end parties and celebrations, and it has been a country tradition for thousands of years. Visit Iguana Park, take a ride through a mangrove forest, or learn more about Costa Rica's tropical rain forests, sometimes referred to as "nature's crumbling cathedral."
Destination: Himalayas - Where Earth Meets Sky - This ThinkQuest contest grand prize winner was created by a team of geographically and culturally diverse kids. It gives an overview of the Himalayan region, its flora and fauna, and its environmental problems. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word that literally means "Abode of Snow." You'll find multimedia if you choose the high-bandwidth version; otherwise, the text will inform and enlighten. This is an excellent site that proves what value kids bring to the Net.
Down and Dirty Story of the Panama Canal - It seemed like a great idea in the 1870s: cut a water passageway through Panama in order to create a shortcut to the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean. It became a marvelous feat of engineering, but took a toll in lives lost as well as financial cost. Explore a time line of events here, and ponder why the original French construction team might have ordered 10,000 snow shovels to continue its work in the jungle.
Everest, Crown of the World - Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, at 29,028 feet. Most people in Nepal call it Sagarmtha , meaning "Forehead in the Sky." Tibetans call it Chomolungma , meaning "Goddess, Mother of the World." This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest Junior competition. See route maps, learn about great climbing successes and tragedies, and find out some very cool facts about the history of Mount Everest.
Mount Rushmore - Who are "the four most famous guys in rock"? Well, it's not the Beatles; it's the four American presidents carved into the granite of Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. At this site you can find out why the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are sculpted there, and how the feat was accomplished.
New York Underground @ Nationalgeographic.com - Below the streets of New York City are lots of telephone and electrical cables, subway tunnels, sewers, and huge water tunnels that bring fresh water to the city from reservoirs far away. Learn all about what's underground as you explore a cross-section. Do albino alligators really live in the New York sewers? The answer is here!
Professor's Postcards - The Professor takes trips to UNESCO World Heritage sites all over the world, and she's great about sending postcards back to her friends. Unfortunately, she always seems to leave out the most important words--like where she is! Can you figure it out from the clues on the postcards?
Shangri La Home Page - Welcome to a real-life Shangri-La! Around long before people created boundaries, the Himalayas are not just rock and snow but a breathtaking range of mountains teeming with life. The exclusive home of the spiny babbler bird, they also lay claim to some impressive records, including the highest mountain and the deepest canyon. Learn more about the geography and inhabitants of this beautiful region, and discover how humankind has left a mark on these majestic peaks.
The Panama Puzzle - Spin back in time to 1900 and take a trip with Major Walter Reed, U.S. Army Medical Corps. Your destination is Panama, where the now-famous Panama Canal is being dug. But there's a problem. Hundreds of men are dying of a disease they call "yellow jack." The major describes what was known of the disease and the popular theories regarding its outbreak, and he leads you down a series of paths that might explain it. Your answers will bring you closer to the cause that he and his colleagues discovered nearly a century ago. This site is rich in history and science and is a fun challenge to your reasoning skills. So put on your lab coat and get ready to sweat!
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - Everyone's heard about them, but who can name them? Well, there are the Pyramids, of course, and uh hmmm. Luckily, there is a list of all of them here, along with pictures and links. Since there are not many of the ancient wonders of the world around anymore, you'll also find a list of the Modern Wonders of the World, as well as the Natural Wonders of the World. There are also pictures and links for wonders such as these: the Great Wall of China, Victoria Falls, and the Eiffel Tower.
U.S. Gazetteer - A quick way to find the county, state, area code, ZIP code, and latitude and longitude of a place in the United States is to check this resource. It is linked to the XEROX PARC Map Viewer, so once you find out that Prague, Arkansas, is in Grant County, ZIP code 05053, latitude 34 17 12 N, longitude 92 16 50 W, you can click on those coordinates to view the map.
World Heritage Center - What do the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands, Moenjodaro, Volklingen Ironworks, the Island of Gore, and the Citadel of Haiti all have in common? Though each of these sites is located in a different part of the world, they share a common heritage as unique treasures. If environmental or political situations cause them to disappear, it would be a loss for each and every one of us. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) believes that preservation of this common heritage concerns us all. They have established a list of these sites, recognized as exhibiting "outstanding universal value." At press time, the World Heritage List included 582 cultural and natural sites. Find out if your country has any special sites on this list. Maybe your school can become part of the World Heritage Youth Project. Check the Just for Kids section, where you'll find out What Makes a Site and what a World Heritage site manager does, and take some Virtual Tours in the Let's Visit section.
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