Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from May 2006

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from May 2006

High 5.(Lake Baikal, Siberia, Hawaii, Tibet environmental conditions)
May 1, 2006... Our world is one of many extremes--in temperature, in altitude, in geology, and in its diversity of plants and animals. The hottest place on Earth can reach to more than 130[degrees] F. The coldest can plummet to almost -130[degrees]F. Where...

The rainiest place on Earth: Mount Waialeale, Kauai, Hawaii.(Only In ...)(Geographic overview)
May 1, 2006... About 5 million years ago, a monster volcano erupted up from the ocean floor to create the island we know today as Kauai (KAH-oo-an-ee) in the Hawaiian island chain. Mount Waialeale (WAH-ee-ah-lay-AH-lay) in the center of the island of Kauai is...

Going to extremes.(Hells Canyon)(Mt. Everest)(Atacama Desert)(Atacama Desert)
May 1, 2006... The deepest canyon in North America is Hells Canyon in Oregon. According to the Nez Perce tribe, Coyote dug this canyon to protect the people on the west side of the river from the Seven Devils, a band of evil spirits living in the mountain...

A place where the mud boils.(Yellowstone National Park)
May 1, 2006... Imagine a place where you can find steam spurting from the ground; a place where water spouts 400 feet in the air. Imagine a place where the mud boils. Such an enchanted, almost alien, land exists. John Colter is credited with discovering...

Near the ends of the Earth.(Siorapaluk )(Province overview)
May 1, 2006... If you hate cold weather and the dark, don't visit Siorapaluk (HE-or-a-palook), Greenland, in mid-January. The temperature may hit 80[degrees] below zero F (60[degrees] below zero C) at night. And night is pretty much all Siorapaluk gets at...

A matter of survival Inuit clothing.
May 1, 2006... Sometimes, deciding what to wear can feel like a matter of life and death. For the Inuit who live in the Arctic, it really is a matter of survival. For thousands of years, the Inuit have created clothing to deal with extreme temperatures...

Life at the top.(Tibetan Plateau in Central Asia)
May 1, 2006... If Earth had a belly button, it would be the Tibetan Plateau in Central Asia. Framed by the Kunlun Mountains to the north and the Himalayan Mountains to the south, the Earth here seems to poke out. Upon this high plateau slung between the...

Standing room only: two of the world's most crowded places.(Hong Kong)
May 1, 2006... Have you ever been stuck in a traffic jam or attempted to navigate your way through a crowded sidewalk? Crowded places can be both exciting and exhausting. Some places in the world are crowded all the time. Let's take a trip to a pair of...

Their home is near & far.(Grand Canyon)
May 1, 2006... Want a thrill? Adventuresome travelers can raft the rapids of the Colorado River as it winds its way through the Grand Canyon. INSET: Supai village in the Grand Canyon is home to about 450 Havasupai, which means, "people of the blue-green...

Life in the Andes.
May 1, 2006... Marino and his family live high in the Churiac Mountains of the Puna region of the Andes. Life for Marino and other residents of this part of the world is difficult. The landscape is rocky and inhospitable, with jagged mountain ranges separated...

Science in a land of extremes.(Antarctica)
May 1, 2006... Windy, you say? 200-mile-per-hour wind gusts don't deter scientists lucky enough to study in Antarctica. They have tents that can withstand even these high winds. "Great God! This is an awful place..." said British explorer Sir Robert...

Life aboard an icebreaker.(Antarctica)
May 1, 2006... It's hard to imagine a place with an environment more extreme than Antarctica. The people living on research bases need supplies. But how do you get supply ships through the ice at the bottom of the world? On icebreakers such as the U.S. Coast...

A liquid lake wrapped in ice.(lake Vostok)
May 1, 2006... Imagine one of the world's largest, deepest, freshwater lakes buried about 2 1/2 miles below the Antarctic ice sheet. No one has ever seen it. Its untouched waters have remained in total darkness and isolation for hundreds of thousands, maybe...

Tombouctou 52 jours: "Timbuktu 52 Days".(City overview)
May 1, 2006... In the year 1400, 100,000 people lived in Timbuktu. The city contained a large university and was a bustling center of commerce, learning, and culture. Its importance was legendary. Its mud-brick buildings were large and grand, and its doors...

Singing sands.
May 1, 2006... A 9th-century Chinese writer wrote a strange text. It described a "Hill of Sounding Sand," which was 500 feet high in places. In peak summer, when horses or people walked over the dunes, loud and mysterious sounds came from these sands. During...

Winners of Take a Second Look: map contest from our November 2005 issue.
May 1, 2006... Congratulations to all our winners! 11-15 Age Group * First Place Pharaoh Po-yi Lee, Age 14 Taipei, Taiwan [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Second Place Allen's Running Club Alyssa Duck, Age 13 Soddy Daisy,...

What am I?
May 1, 2006... I am located in SOUTH Asia I am known by several DIFFERENT NAMES, including "Chomolungma," which means "Goddess Mother of the World" or "Goddess of the Valley." I can be found on the BORDER of Tibet and Nepal. Sir Edmund Hillary...

Face facts.(Palm Islands)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The three Palm Islands located 3 miles off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, are the largest artificial offshore islands in the world. The resort islands, which are shaped like palm trees, were made using massive amounts of dredged sand...

The wettest place on Earth.(Cherrapunji)
May 1, 2006... One of the places in the world with the most rain is in India. In some years, the town of Cherrapunji (Chair-ah-POON-jee) is the rainiest. In other years, its neighbor, the town of Mawsynram (maw-sin-RAHM), gets the most rain. It once...

Lake Baikal: Siberia's vast treasure.
May 1, 2006... The oldest lake in the world is also the world's largest freshwater lake. Lake Baikal (buy-KALL), in south-central Russia in a region called Siberia (sigh-BEER-ee-ah), is 400 miles long, 50 miles wide, and more than a mile deep. It holds more...

Yakutsk: permafrost capital of the world: did you forget to turn off the water? In Yakutsk, a city just below the Arctic Circle, a little drip from a pipe creates an enormous ice sculpture.
May 1, 2006... Located in East Siberia, Russia, Yakutsk is the capital of the Russian republic of Sakha, or Yakutia. Located just below the Arctic Circle, it has a population of 250,000. It is a major port on the Lena River. Yakutsk is at the same latitude as...

Human homes: that master the weather.
May 1, 2006... From hot, dry deserts to windy, freezing steppes, the Earth has extreme climates. People who live in these harsh climates must adapt to them. Some need shelters that keep them warm in cold temperatures. Others need homes that protect them from...

The Atlantic's forgotten island.(Tristan da Cunha Islands)
May 1, 2006... Do you have a hard time remembering names? Then Tristan da Cunha may be the place for you. The 300 people who make their home on the mountainous island have one of seven different last names. Tristan da Cunha is part of the Mid-Atlantic...

Brother Camel, sister date palm.( Sahara )
May 1, 2006... Most people who live in the Sahara are Muslims. A Muslim is someone who practices the religion of Islam. This religion shares many beliefs with Judaism and Christianity. Muslims believe in the same God as Jews and Christians. They believe that...

Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind & Haveli.(Books)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind & Haveli by Suzanne Fisher Staples Life among camel-dealing nomads of Pakistan is a daily challenge for Shabanu as she learns to control her willful ways. The descriptions in this Newbery Medal--winning book...

Life in Outer Space.(Books)(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Life in Outer Space by Randy Littlejohn Highly informative material and a wealth of photographs make this book a worthwhile read for experiencing what life is like in one of the most extreme environments: outer space, the International...

Rain Forests: Surviving in the Amazon.(Books)(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Rain Forests: Surviving in the Amazon by Michael Sandler This book provides thorough coverage of the topic of rain forests--from explaining what a rain forest is to tales of adventurers lost here. Discover what animals and people live here,...

52 Days by Camel.(Books)(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... 52 Days by Camel by Lawrie Raskin with Debora Pearson Would you like to take a trip through the Sahara by camel but can't afford the plane ticket? Not to worry. Here's the next best thing. Join Lawrie Raskin, an adventuresome traveler,...

Cave Sleuths.(Books)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Cave Sleuths by Laurie Lindop It might not be obvious, but caves are among Earth's most extreme and unusual environments. From the series Science on the Edge, this book takes you on a tour of the world's most renowned caves, such as...

Norilsk: Life in the Arctic.(DVDs)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2006... Norilsk: Life in the Arctic This 20-minute film provides a fascinating glimpse into life in the northern Russian Arctic. One of the most inhospitable places on Earth, it is accessible only by airplane and boat. Highlights are the scenes of...

Desert: Land of Extremes.(DVDs)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2006... Desert: Land of Extremes by Cambridge Educational How are deserts created? Where are they found on Earth? Why are deserts so hot and so cold? This DVD does an excellent job of answering these questions and more. Ages 9 to 14 ...

Life in the Desert.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Life in the Desert by Stuart A. Kallen Welcome to the land of the desert. Whether hot or cold, you can be sure of one thing: You will be thirsty. As you explore the desert region, pay close attention to the plants and animals you may find....

Faces[R] from the past: don't stop now!(One Last Face)
May 1, 2006... Kalahari Life FAC0302 Situated in southern Africa, the Kalahari Desert is home to both ancient peoples and modern industry, including diamond mining. Learn about the trance dance, the legend of the honeyguide bird, and other traditions of...

Extreme contest!
May 1, 2006... Travelers have always placed stickers on luggage or sent postcards to friends from the places they've visited. Draw your own colorful sticker or postcard about an extreme place you've visited (or would like to visit) and send it to us at FACES,...