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Post by Atlantico Norte on May 15, 2006 6:25:45 GMT -5
Historically, the country was referred to in English as "White Russia". Although this is not exactly correct – the correct translation is "White Ruthenia" – the practice continues to this day in other languages. The first known use of "White Russia" to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th century by European Jerome Horsey. He used the term to describe the areas of Ivan the Terrible's empire. During the 17th century the Russian tsars used "White Ruthenia", asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the Commonwealth broke up, the lands that now make up Belarus were officially referred to as "Belarus" and "Belarusi", instead of the then-banned terms of "Litwa" and "Licwiny."
The spellings Belorussia and Byelorussia are transliterations of the name of the country in Russian. Belarus was named "Belorussia" in the days of Imperial Russia, and the Russian tsar was usually styled "Emperor of All the Russias — Great, Minor, and White". This practice continued throughout the Soviet era, with the country taking the official name of the "Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic". Some Belarusians object to the name "Belorussia", as it is an unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and Soviet rule.
In 2002, an informal survey was conducted by the website pravapis.org to see which version of the name was used on a majority of websites. By using Google, the website looked up various terms and it found that "Belarus", the official short form of the name, was used on 93% of websites checked. Spellings "Belorussia", "Bielorussia" and "Byelorussia" were used in 1%–2% of cases.[4] A number of languages today still refer to Belarus as White Russia, such as "Weißrussland" in German, "Beyaz Rusya" in Turkish or "Λευκορωσία" (Leukorosía) in Greek.
Principat d'Andorra
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Post by Ness Snorlaxia on May 16, 2006 19:30:28 GMT -5
The name "Andorra" probably originates from a Navarrese word andurrial, which translates as shrub-covered land.
Republik Österreich
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Post by Kritschboilek on May 24, 2006 12:26:21 GMT -5
The Republik Österreich is a permanent neutral state, however their appliance to the EU and Blitzkrieg in WW2 جمهوری اسلامی ايران (Difficult )
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Post by yesmusic on May 27, 2006 23:56:48 GMT -5
The Iranian system of government is based in shariah, the interpretation of Islamic law outlined by the Quran. The revolution of 1979 overthrew the Shah and established the current system. Conservatives are now in control of both the executive and legislature. Oh yeah, and tensions have been heating up between Iran and the US over the past few months...
Brazil
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Post by South Malaysia on May 28, 2006 0:59:29 GMT -5
The name Brazil is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word brasil, the name of an East Indian tree with reddish-brown wood from which a red dye was extracted. The Portuguese found a New World tree related to the Old World brasil tree when they explored what is now called Brazil, and as a result they named the New World country after the Old World tree. The word brasil is cognate with French brésil, Old French berzi and bresil, Old Italian verzino, and Medieval Latin brezellum, brasilium, bresillum, braxile. The many Latin forms suggest a non-Latin, non-Romance origin, as in an East Indian term. Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun (i'm not evil )
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Post by Ness Snorlaxia on Jun 12, 2006 20:54:00 GMT -5
The original Armenian name for the country was Hayq, later Hayastan. Hayasa, combined with the Persian suffix '-stan' (land). Haik was one of the great Armenian leaders after whom the The Land of Haik was named. According to legend, Haik was a great-great-grandson of Noah (son of Togarmah, who was a son of Gomer, who was a son of Japheth, who was a son of Noah), and according to an ancient Armenian tradition, a forefather of all Armenians. He is said to have settled at the foot of Mount Ararat, travelled to assist in building the Tower of Babel, and, after his return, defeated the Babylonian king Bel (believed by some researchers to be Nimrod) on August 11, 2492 BC near the mountains of Lake Van, in the southern part of historic Armenia (presently in Turkey).
Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān
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Post by Neo-Patriot Nation on Jun 15, 2006 18:34:35 GMT -5
With 300 international awards in the past twenty-five years, films from Iran continue to be celebrated worldwide. Perhaps the best-known director is Abbas Kiarostami. All media in Iran are controlled directly or indirectly by the state and must be approved by the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. This includes the Internet, which has become an expanding means to accessing information and self-expression among the younger population. Iran is now the world's fourth largest country of bloggers.
Scotland
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Post by Ness Snorlaxia on Jun 15, 2006 22:10:20 GMT -5
In 1603, the Scottish King James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of the Kingdom of England, and became also "James I" of England. With the exception of a short period under The Protectorate, Scotland remained a separate state, but there was considerable conflict between the crown and the Covenanters over the form of church government. After the Glorious Revolution and the overthrow of the Roman Catholic James VII by William and Mary, Scotland briefly threatened to select a different Protestant monarch from England. In 1707, however, following English threats to end trade and free movement across the border, the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England enacted the twin Acts of Union, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Ancient Egypt
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Post by yesmusic on Jun 16, 2006 11:16:56 GMT -5
The Hyksos were a line of invading Semetic kings who ruled over Egypt in the fifthteenth and sixteenth dynasties. They were not able to penetrate into upper Egypt, which was dominated by the Theban Egyptian kings. When the Hyksos were finally defeated, all traces of their rule were erased from art and histories. Some evidence about attitude towards their dynasties remain, however, in the form of poetry lamenting the foreign rule over Egypt and a few songs that even contemplate suicide as a result of the breakdown of traditional order and religion with the overthrow of the Egyptian Pharaoh as the divine king. More than a few Egyptians probably threw themselves into the Nile for this reason, which was at the time filled with crocodiles (not anymore, though).
Al-Jumhuriyah al-Lubnaniyah
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Post by The Lon Lon Ranch on Jun 17, 2006 17:08:37 GMT -5
Lebanon (Arabic: لبنان Lubnān), officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a small, largely mountainous country in the Middle East, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south, with a narrow coastline along its western edge. The flag of Lebanon features the Lebanon Cedar in green against a white backdrop, with two quarter-height horizontal red stripes on the top and bottom.
The name Lebanon (also "Loubnan" or "Lebnan") is derived from the Aramaic word laban, meaning "white", a reference to snow-capped Mount Lebanon.
Eesti Vabariik
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Post by Ness Snorlaxia on Jun 27, 2006 10:26:02 GMT -5
As a result of the abolishment of serfdom and the availability of education to the natives, an active Estonian nationalist movement started in the 19th century. It began on a cultural level, resulting in the establishment of Estonian-language literature, theater and professional music and the formation of the Estonian national identity. Among the leaders of this movement were Johann Voldemar Jannsen, Jakob Hurt and Carl Robert Jakobson. Significant accomplishments were the publication of the national epic, Kalevipoeg, in 1862, and the organization of the first national song festival in 1869.
Natalia Republic
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Post by The Buhayin on Dec 19, 2006 9:06:14 GMT -5
On Sunday the 16th of December, while laagered near the Umslatos river, the Boer farmers in the country were attacked by over 10 000 Zulus. The Boers had firearms, the Zulus their assegais only, and after a three hours' fight the Zulus were totally defeated, losing thousands killed, while the farmers' suffered no casualties.
Republika ng Pilipinas
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Post by Skydiving Penguin on Mar 22, 2007 19:19:18 GMT -5
capital is Manila
Portugal
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Post by Gummiz on Mar 28, 2007 3:28:59 GMT -5
There are 43,000 Portuguese migrants in UKRAINE!
Macau
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Post by Luningning on Aug 6, 2007 3:36:51 GMT -5
Macau is 60 kilometres (37 miles) southwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 miles) from Guangzhou.
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