 |
 The Sea of
Galilee lies in the
Jordan Plain of northern Israel, about 30 miles
from the Mediterranean. It is fed by the Jordan
River, which flows through it from north to
south. It was on its shores where Jesus performed
the miracle of feeding a multitude with a few
loaves of bread and a basket of fish. |
 The Great
Wall of China is the
world's longest human-made structure, stretching
over 4,000 miles from Shanhaiguan in the east to
Lop Nur in the west. Despite many common myths to
the contrary, the Great Wall of China cannot be
seen from the Moon. |
 Hainan,
which translates to "south of
the seas," is the southernmost and smallest
province of the People's Republic of China.
Although the province consists of about 200
hundred islands in three archipelagos off the
southern coast, with a combined land area of
about 13,100 square miles, Hainan Island accounts
for about 12,700 square miles of that combined
area. |
 Republic
of Lebanon: Facts and Figures Local
Name al-Jumhouriya al-Lubnaniya. Area
4,015 sq mi. Population 4,125,247. Capital
Beirut. Gained Independence November 22,
1943 |
 Moshe
Sharett was one of
the signatories of Israel's Declaration of
Establishment in 1947. As the country's first
Foreign Minister, he established diplomatic
relations with dozens of nations, got Israel into
the United Nations, and signed a reparations
agreement with West Germany in 1952. |
 Harun al-Rashid
was the hero in many of the stories collectively
known as The Tales of the Arabian Nights. |
 Archbishop
Makarios III was a leader of the
Greek Cypriot movement for independence and the
first President of the Republic of Cyprus. |
 Rashid Karami
served as Prime Minister of Lebanon a total of
eight terms, each time serving during a period of
major crisis. |
 The Dead
Sea is the saltiest body of water in
the world, with almost six times more salt than
the ocean. At more than 1,300 feet below sea
level, it is also the lowest point on earth. |
 King Hussein
oversaw major improvements in the standard of
living for Jordanians. He was very popular with
his subjects, but not always well liked by his
fellow world leaders. |
 State
of Qatar: Facts and Figures
Local Name Dawlat Qatar. Area 4,247
sq mi. Population 833,285. Capital
Doha. Independence from Great Britain
Achieved September 3, 1971. |
 Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini dedicated many
years to overthrowing the rule of the Shah of
Iran, which was finally accomplished in 1979; he
subsequently led the country until 1989. |
 Mohammed
Zahir Shah became King of
Afghanistan upon the assassination of his father
in 1933, and reigned until being peacefully
overthrown in 1973. |
 Islamic
Republic of Pakistan: Facts and Figures
Local Name: Islami Jamhuriyah e Pakistan. Area:
310,404 sq. mi. Population: 164,741,924. Capital:
Islamabad. |
 People's
Republic of Bangladesh: Facts and Figures
Local Name: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh. Area:
55,598 sq mi. Population: 153,546,896. Capital:
Dhaka. |
 Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi began his campaign of civil disobedience
(satyagraha) that was to become his
trademark in South Africa, and then carried it
into India. It was this campaign that ultimately
led to India gaining its independence in 1947. |
