Aarushhh/wikipedia-simple-splitted huggingface dataset:
Other websites  

 Secrets of Lost Empires: Medieval Siege (building of and history of trebuchets), from the NOVA website
 article on Trebuchet Mechanics  (in PDF format)
 The Finnish Trebuchet 
 Homemade Trebuchet 
 Homemade Spring Trebuchet 
 Medieval Trébuchet 
 Animated Trebuchet
 Evolution of Sling Weapons

Weapons
Tarascon, sometimes called Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a city in the south of France. The city is about 20 km from either Arles or Avignon. The city was founded by the Romans in the year 48. Some people know the city from the book Tartarin de Tarascon by Alphonse Daudet. There is also a castle near the city. About 14.000 people lived in Tarascon in 2003. 

Cities in France
Communes in Bouches-du-Rhône
Kurdistan (; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo-cultural region in the Middle East wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. Geographically, Kurdistan roughly encompasses the northwestern Zagros and the eastern Taurus mountain ranges.

Kurdistan generally comprises the following four regions: southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Eastern Kurdistan), and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan). Some definitions also include parts of southern Transcaucasia. Certain Kurdish nationalist organizations seek to create an independent nation state consisting of some or all of these areas with a Kurdish majority, while others campaign for greater autonomy within the existing national boundaries.
Historically, the word "Kurdistan" is first attested in 11th century Seljuk chronicles. Many disparate Kurdish dynasties, emirates, principalities, and chiefdoms were established from the 8th to 19th centuries. Administratively, the 20th century saw the establishment of the short-lived areas of the Kurdish state (1918–1919), Kingdom of Kurdistan (1921–1924), Kurdistansky Uyezd i.e. "Red Kurdistan" (1923–1929), Republic of Ararat (1927–1930), and Republic of Mahabad (1946).
Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as the autonomous Kurdistan Region within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005. There is also a Kurdistan Province in Iran, but it is not self-ruled. Kurds fighting in the Syrian Civil War were able to take control of large sections of northern Syria and establish self-governing regions in an Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (commonly called Rojava), where they seek autonomy in a federal Syria after the war.

References 

Iraq
Iran
Turkey
Syria

Sources
Aigues-Mortes (French for "dead waters") is a city in the south of France. It is in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It was originally founded by the Romans in the year 102 BC. The first records mentioning it under its current name date from the 10th century. Louis IX of France rebuilt the port in the 13th century. It was the only French port of the Mediterranean at that time. The city is laid out as a bastide. It was the starting point for the Seventh Crusade (1248) and Eighth Crusade (1270). Due to changes of the coastline, the city is several miles from the sea. It is linked to the sea through a canal, nowadays. It has well-preserved city walls. In 1999, about 6.000 people lived there. Aigues-Mortes is about 35 km from Nîmes.

Bastides
Communes in Gard
Year 3 BC was a common year starting on Wednesday or Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Messalla.

Events
 King Maroboduus of the Marcomanni made a confederation of Germanic tribes, with the Hermunduri, Lombards, Semnoni and Vandals.
 Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus leads the Roman army in Germania and crossed the Elbe

Births 

 Seneca, Roman statesman (d. AD 65)
 Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman Emperor (d. AD 69)

Deaths 

 Imperial consort Fu of the Chinese Han Dynasty
Year 6 BC was a common year starting on Sunday or Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Balbus and Vetus.

Events
 Caesar Augustus sends ferrets to the Balearic Islands to control rabbits
 Tiberius is sent to Armenia. He then retires to Rhodes.

Deaths 
 Consort Ban, Chinese concubine of Emperor Cheng of Han, also a poet and scholar (b. 48 BC)
 Consort Feng Yuan (b. c. 48 BC)
 Liu Xiang, Chinese scholar (b. 77 BC)
Leopold II (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was King of the Belgians. He was born in Brussels. He was the second (but oldest surviving) son of Leopold I and Louise of Orléans. He succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865. He was king until his death.

Biography 
Leopold is mainly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State. He lay claim to the Congo, an area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He treated the people badly in order to make money. His harsh rule was responsible for the deaths of between five and 10 million Congolese people. The Congo became one of the most infamous international scandals of the early 20th century. As a result, Leopold II was forced to give control of it to the government of Belgium. Despite owning and ruling it as a dictator, Leopold II never visited the Congo Free State and Africa.

Personal life
Leopold II married Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria, in Brussels on 22 August 1853.
On 15 November 1902, Italian anarchist Gennaro Rubino tried to assassinate Leopold. Rubino fired three shots at the King. The shots missed Leopold and Rubino was immediately arrested. Leopold II had a wedding ceremony with Caroline Lacroix, a prostitute, on 14 December 1909, five days before his death. This was not legal under Belgian law.

He was succeeded as King of the Belgians by his nephew Albert, son of his brother Philippe.

Titles and styles
 9 April 1835 – 17 December 1865 His Royal Highness The Duke of Brabant, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Duke in Saxony.
 17 December 1865 – 17 December 1909 His Majesty The King of The Belgians. Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony.

References

1835 births
1909 deaths
Kings and Queens of Belgium
Human rights abuses
Knights of the Golden Fleece
People from Brussels
George V (born George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 186520 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom. He was the first British monarch with the family name Windsor. His father was Edward VII.

George was born in 1865. He was in the Royal Navy when he was twelve; he left the Navy to become king. George was crowned King and Emperor of India in 1911. He was married to Princess Mary of Teck.

As King during World War I, George and his wife visited the Western Front regularly to greet British and Commonwealth troops and also to raise morale amongst the troops. He changed the family name to "Windsor" to remove any association with a German heritage, because Germany was very unpopular at this time. Among other things, he started the "Royal Christmas Broadcast" tradition. He was known for being a stamp collector. His sons Edward and George would later become kings of the United Kingdom and British Empire.
George was a popular monarch. His great-grandson is the current British monarch, King Charles III, who ascended the throne in 2022.

Early life and family
George was born the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). He married a distant cousin (his double second cousin once removed) Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary), and they stayed married until his death.

George was known as the Duke of York for many years until his grandmother, Queen Victoria, died peacefully at the age of 81. His father, Edward, inherited the throne gaining the nickname "Edward the Peaceful" for his hard work maintaining stability when tensions were increasing. Edward's death was greeted with great sadness across the empire, George describing him as "my best friend". By the time George became king Britain was the richest, most powerful nation in the world and during his reign the Empire expanded to its greatest ever extent.
King and Emperor
George was quick to prove himself a decent and popular monarch. He became a symbol of British resistance during the First World War in which he, and his wife, visited the war front regularly. During these visits, he tried to raise the morale of the troops and also awarded medals such as the Victoria Cross to certain troops who had excelled themselves in the battlefield such as Khudadad Khan. However, at home his popularity was waning with even H.G Wells referring to him as "an alien" because of his German background (his grandfather Prince Albert was German). Growing increasingly worried he changed the family name to “Windsor" to remove any association with a German heritage. He was seriously injured when thrown by his horse at a troop review in France.
Death
Seriously ill, on the evening of 15 January 1936, the King took to his bedroom at Sandringham House feeling unwell; he died on the 20th January. He was 70 years old. He lay in Westminster Hall before his state funeral. A night previous all his surviving sons mounted guard, known as the Vigil of the Princes as a mark of deep respect. Statues of King George V were erected across the world and he has been portrayed numerous times by actors.
It was not known until recently that he had been deliberately euthanized by his chief physician, Lord Dawson of Penn. Dawson issued a bulletin with words that became famous: "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close". Dawson's private diary, unearthed after his death and made public in 1986, reveals that the King's last words, a mumbled "God damn you!", were addressed to his nurse when she gave him a sedative on the night of 20 January. Dawson wrote that he hastened the King's death by injecting him with a lethal combination of morphine and cocaine. Dawson noted that he acted to preserve the King's dignity, to prevent further strain on the family, and so that the King's death at 11:55 p.m. could be announced in the morning edition of The Times newspaper rather than "less appropriate ... evening journals".

This account, revealed in 1986, caused great astonishment. Euthanasia was completely illegal in Britain at the time of Dawson's action.
Titles
HM King George V had many titles from his birth to his death. His titles were:
 June 1865 – 24 May 1892: His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales
 24 May 1892 – 22 January 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of York
 22 January 1901 – 9 November 1901: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York
 9 November 1901 – 6 May 1910: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
 9 November 1901 – 6 May 1910: His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay (Scotland only)
 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936: His Majesty The King

He was also often referred to as His Imperial Majesty The King within the British Empire
or His Most Gracious Majesty The King, although this was not his official title.

References

Other websites 
 
 

1865 births
1936 deaths
Kings and Queens of the United Kingdom
Deaths by euthanasia
Order of St Michael and St George
Royalty from London
Philatelists
Candy, also called a sweet, is a sweet kind of food that is usually made from sugar and water, with flavors and other ingredients added. 
The word candy comes from the Persian word for "cane sugar",(نیشکر), and probably also from Sanskrit khanda, which means "piece (of sugar)".

Candy is found in almost any store because they are made in many companies. Candy can also be made at home. Many people like candy and think it tastes good. Other people do not like it. Candy contains lots of sugar, so it is not very healthy, but can be eaten sometimes. It is the most common snacking food, and there are hundreds of flavors, shapes, and sizes.
Candy is not limited to being sweet. Candy can be spicy in different cultures.  To add on, Sugar, mainly sucrose from sugar beets or sugarcane, is the major constituent of most candies. Other sweeteners employed in candy manufacture include corn syrup, corn sugar, honey, molasses, maple sugar, and noncaloric sweeteners.

Related pages 
Confectionery

References
A loanword is a word that is adopted by a language that comes from another language. Since people who speak different languages often need to talk to each other, it is actually very common for languages to "borrow" words from other languages. 

Examples of this can be seen in the English language because it has many loanwords. When the Normans took over England during the Norman Conquest in 1066, they made French the official language of England. Since then, many French words later became English words. For example, the English words beef, pork, poultry, and mutton are loanwords based on the Norman French names of the animals cow, swine, chicken, and sheep in that same order. In English, the loanwords mean the meat of those animals specifically. Since later the British Empire took over many different countries and people, they also borrowed many words from the languages of the people they took over. An example of this is the word "jungle", which is a Hindi word that has been adopted into English.
Languages often use loanwords because cultures learn about new ideas and inventions from people of the languages they borrow from.  For example, in English the names of meats and wines often come from French, musical terms often come from Italian, and philosophical terms often come from German.  Although native English speakers are now familiar with Chinese ideas and inventions, they are often called by their Japanese names in English because these were introduced to Americans through Japan. China, on the other hand, was closed off from the world when its ideas and inventions spread throughout the world because its communist government stopped communication with most outside countries, including America.
The names of food are some of the most common loanwords across languages because people may not have any idea of what the food is like when they are first introduced to a certain culture. For example, Italian food usually has Italian names like spaghetti and pasta, Japanese food has Japanese names like sushi and tempura, and Mexican food has Spanish names like tacos and carnitas.

Related pages
Calque
Gairaigo

Words
Moray eels are a family of eels in the family Muraenidae. Moray eels can be found all over the world. There are 200 different species in 15 genera.

Body
Like all eels, moray eels look like a cross between a fish and a snake.

The body is generally patterned. In some species, the inside of the mouth is also patterned. 

Moray eels normally have wide jaws and large sharp teeth, but some types of Moray eel have blunt teeth which help them to eat animals that live in shells. Morays also have pharyngeal jaws inside the main jaws.

Typically, moray eels grow to a length of about 1.5 metres. The largest known moray eel is the Slender giant moray, which can reach 4 metres in length. Moray eels live in coral reefs and rocky areas, at a depth of about 200m.

Habitat

The moray eel can be found in both freshwater habitats and saltwater habitats. However most live in the sea in salt water, never entering fresh water.

Moray eels normally live in warmer waters, but it depends on the type of eel.
Feeding behavior
Morays are opportunistic, carnivorous predators and feed primarily on smaller fish, crabs, and octopuses. 

There are not many animals that eat eels, but groupers, barracudas and sea snakes do eat them. Humans also eat eels.

Relationship with humans 

Humans eat eels, but sometimes moray eels will give people food poisoning. Moray eels are also caught to put in aquariums for people to look at. Some types of Moray eel may be considered beautiful and hard to find, in which case they will be expensive to buy.

Genera
Genera 

 Subfamily Muraeninae
 Genus Diaphenchelys — 1 species
 Genus Echidna — 11 species
 Genus Enchelycore — 13 species
 Genus Enchelynassa — 1 species
 Genus Gymnomuraena — 1 species
 Genus Gymnothorax — 125 species
 Genus Monopenchelys — 1 species
 Genus Muraena — 10 species
 Genus Pseudechidna — 1 species
 Genus Rhinomuraena — 1 species
 Genus Strophidon — 1 species
 Subfamily Uropterygiinae
 Genus Anarchias — 11 species
 Genus Channomuraena — 2 species
 Genus Cirrimaxilla — 1 species
 Genus Scuticaria — 2 species
 Genus Uropterygius — 20 species

Gallery

Related pages 

 List of fish common names

References

Further reading 

 Gross, Miriam J.. The Moray Eel. United States: Rosen Publishing Group's PowerKids Press, 2005.
 Purser, Phillip. Keeping Moray Eels in Aquariums. United States: T.F.H., 2005.
 Didier, Dominique A.. Moray Eel. United States: Cherry Lake Publishing, 2014.
 Goldish, Meish. Moray Eel: Dangerous Teeth. United Kingdom: Bearport Publishing, 2009.

Other websites
Other websites

 Moray Eels Grab Prey With Alien Jaws
 Smith, J.L.B. 1962. The moray eels of the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 23. Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

Eels
The Anguilloidei are a suborder of the order Anguilliformes (the eels) containing three families:

Anguillidae (freshwater eels)
Serrivomeridae (sawtooth eels)
Nemichthyidae (snipe eels)

This suborder used to have included several other families that have recently been moved to new suborders: 
Chlopsidae (false morays), Heterenchelyidae (mud eels), Moringuidae (worm eels), Muraenidae (moray eels), and Myrocongridae (thin eels).

References

 

Eels
Carcassonne () is a fortified French town, in the Aude département, Occitanie region. It is separated into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse.

This bastide, which was thoroughly restored from 1853 by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

History

Romans fortified the hilltop of Carcassonne around 100 BC and eventually made it the colonia of Julia Carsaco, later Carcasum. The main part of the lower courses of the northern ramparts dates from Gallo-Roman times.

In 462 the Romans officially left and the Visigothic king Theodoric II built more fortifications at Carcassonne, some of them still stand. In 760, Pippin was unable to take Carcassonne, although he was able to most of the south of France.
In 1067 Carcassonne became the property of Raimond Bernard Trencavel, viscount of Albi and Nîmes. Carcassonne became famous in its role in the Albigensian Crusades, when the city was a stronghold of occitan cathars. In August 1209 the crusading army of Simon de Montfort forced its citizens to surrender. He added to the fortifications. Carcassonne became a border citadel between France and Aragon.

Geography
Carcassonne is at about  southeast of Toulouse in the space between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central of France. It is at the crossing of two major traffic routes: the route leading from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and that from the Massif Central to Spain, skirting the Pyrenees. Both routes exist since ancient history.

The commune is in the valley of the Aude river. Another river that flows through the city is the Fresquel river. The Canal du Midi also flows through the commune.

The commune of Carcassonne has an area of , and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .
The commune of Carcassonne is surrounded by the communes:

Climate
The climate of Carcassonne, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - oceanic climate with warm summers.

Population
The inhabitants of Carcassonne are known, in French, as Carcassonnais (women: Carcassonnaises ).

With a population of 45,941, Carcassonne has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Carcassonne

Carcassonne forms, with other 2 communes, the urban area of Carcassonne with a population of 49,257 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Carcassonne, formed by 71 communes with a population of 98,318 inhabitants (2013) and an area of .

Education 
A campus of the École nationale de l'aviation civile (French civil aviation academy) is in Carcassonne.
Administration 
Carcassonne is the prefecture of the Aude department, the capital of the arrondissement of Carcassonne and the administrative centre () of three cantons:
 Carcassonne-1, with 15,128 inhabitants (2014).
 Carcassonne-2, with 20,700 inhabitants (2014).
 Carcassonne-3, with 21,479 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality Carcassonne Agglo ().

Twinned and partner towns 
Carcassonne is twinned with:
 Eggenfelden, Germany
 Baeza, Spain
 Hargesheim, Germany

The fortified city
The fortified city

The fortifications consist of a double ring of ramparts and 53 towers. In 1849, the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc took over restoration works.
At his death in 1879 his pupil Paul Boeswillwald, and later the architect Nodet continued the rehabilitation of Carcassonne. The restoration was strongly criticized during Viollet-le-Duc's lifetime because he made the error of using slates and restoring the roofs as pointed cones, where local practice was traditionally of tile roofing and low slopes, as in this region snow was very seldom. But today Viollet-le-Duc's work at Carcassonne is thought to be a work of genius, even if it is not exactly the same as it was.

Transports
 Carcassonne Airport

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Carcassonne
 Communes of the Aude department

References

Other websites
Other websites

 Official website of the city of Carcassonne
 Office de tourisme de Carcassone
 Online resource for the Aude & Pyrénées-Orientales , including tourist information for Carcassonne
 Cité de Carcassonne, from the French Ministry of Culture
  Photographs of Carcassonne and the Region
 Many photos of Carcassonne 
 Tourist attractions in Carcassonne 
 Official website of Carcassonne Airport  

Bastides
 
World Heritage Sites in France
Carcassonne can mean:

 Carcassonne, the medieval fortified city in France
 Carcassonne (board game), a 2001 Spiel des Jahres award-winning German-style board game
 Carcassonne (Faulkner), a short story by written by William Faulkner in 1931.
 Carcassonne (album), a music album by Stephan Eicher.
Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Gascon: Vilanuèva d'Olt) is a town and commune in southwestern France, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is a subprefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department. The commune was formerly named Villeneuve-d'Agen.

It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and of 2 cantons in the department: Villeneuve-sur-Lot-1 and Villeneuve-sur-Lot-2.

History
The region where the city is was first populated by the Romans. In the 11th century, a Benedictine abbey was constructed near where is the city now. There was a small village of potters and farmers around the abbey. Between 1254 and 1263, Alphonse of Poitiers had a bastide built. He also gave the bastide city rights. The bastide has a rectangular look, with a central square.

Because of its privileged geographical situation on the river lot, the city played an important role in wars of the region:
 In the Hundred Years' War
 In the Huguenot wars
 In the Fronde, a civil war in France.
Geography
The commune has an area of . Its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is surrounded by the communes Lédat, Castelnaud-de-Gratecambe, La Sauvetat-sur-Lède, Monflanquin, Savignac-sur-Leyze, Saint-Aubin, Trentels, Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot, Penne-d'Agenais, Hautefage-la-Tour, Pujols and Bias.

The Lot river flows through the city of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. The Lède river, a tributary of the Lot, flows through the northern part of the commune.

Climate
The climate of Villeneuve-sur-Lot is an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

Population
The inhabitants of Villeneuve-sur-Lot are known, in French, as Villeneuvois (women: Villeneuvoises).

With a population of 23,263, Villeneuve-sur-Lot has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Administration
Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a subprefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department since 1800. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and the administrative centre () of 2 cantons:
 Villeneuve-sur-Lot-1, formed with a part of Villeneuve-sur-Lot-Nord and the commune Lédat, with 16,376 inhabitants (2014).
 Villeneuve-sur-Lot-2, formed with a part of Villeneuve-sur-Lot-Sud and the communes Bias, Hautefage-la-Tour, Pujols, Saint-Antoine-de-Ficalba and Sainte-Colombe-de-Villeneuve, with 17,055 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality Grand Villeneuvois ().

Twin towns 
Villeneuve-sur-Lot is twinned with:
  Ávila, Castile and León, Spain
  Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
  Neustadt bei Coburg, Germany
  San Donà di Piave, Veneto, Italy
  Troon, Scotland

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot
 Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department

References

Other websites
Other websites

 Ville de Villeneuve-sur-Lot - Official site 
 Departamental Council of Lot-et-Garonne 
 Prefecture official website 
 Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine 

Bastides
Subprefectures in France
Communes in Lot-et-Garonne
Agen is a commune in southwestern France, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department and the capital of the arrondissement of Agen.

The Agenais, the region where is the commune, is a natural region of the old province of Aquitaine, now in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Geography
Agen is in the southeast of the Lot-et-Garonne department, on the right (eastern) side of the Garonne river and close to the Canal de Garonne. The city is at about  from Toulouse and  from Bordeaux.

The commune has an area of . Its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

Agen is surrounded by the communes Colayrac-Saint-Cirq, Foulayronnes, Pont-du-Casse, Bon-Encontre, Boé and Le Passage.

Climate
The climate of Agen is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

Population
The inhabitants of Agen are known, in French, as Agenais (women: Agenaises).
With a population of 34,126, Agen has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Agen

Agen forms, together with other 15 communes, the urban area of Agen with a population of 81,110 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Agen, formed by 64 communes, with a population of 112,801 inhabitants (2013) and an area of .

Administration
Agen is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department since 1790. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Agen and the administrative centre () of 4 cantons:
 Agen-1, formed with a part of Agen and the communes Bajamont, Foulayronnes and Pont-du-Casse, with 16,720 inhabitants (2014).
 Agen-2, formed with a part of Agen and the communes Boé and Bon-Encontre, with 13,830 inhabitants (2014).
 Agen-3, formed with a part of Agen, with 16,606 inhabitants (2014).
 Agen-4, formed with a part of Agen and the commune Le Passage, with 18,686 inhabitants (2014).
It is part of the intercommunality Agen ().

Twin towns 
Agen is twinned with:
  Tuapse, Russia
  Dinslaken, Germany
  Llanelli, Wales, United Kingdom
  Toledo, Spain
  Corpus Christi, United States

Miscellaneous
Agen is the "capital of the prune", a local produce sold as a sweet (stuffed with prune purée) or as an after-dinner delight (prunes soaked in Armagnac – a type of brandy). Every September, the Prune festival organizes rock concerts, circuses and prune tasting.

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Agen
 Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department

References

Other websites

 Ville d'Agen - Official site 
 Tourist Office of Agen 
 Departamental Council of Lot-et-Garonne 
 Prefecture official website 
 Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine 

Cities in France
Departmental capitals in France
Communes in Lot-et-Garonne
Libourne (;  ) is a commune in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, both known for their wines.

History
Libourne was created as a bastide by Roger de Leybourne in 1270. The original name of Leybourne changed to the present Libourne. Its original aim was to be a port to ship wine of the Dordogne valley to England.

Geography
Libourne is at the confluence of the Isle and Dordogne rivers. The city is at about  from Bordeaux and  from Arcachon.

It has an area of , and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

Libourne is surrounded by the communes Les Billaux, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Moulon, Génissac, Arveyres, Fronsac and Saillans.

Climate
The climate of Libourne is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.
Population
The inhabitants of Libourne are known, in French, as Libournais (women: Libournaises).

With a population of 24,595, Libourne has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Libourne

Administration
Libourne is a sub-prefecture of the Gironde department since 1790. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Libourne and the administrative centre () of the canton of Le Libournais-Fronsadais with 53,307 inhabitants (2014).:

It is part of the intercommunality Le Libournais ().

Twin towns 
Libourne is twinned with:
   Morocco 
   Berne, Switzerland
  Morocco Casablanca, Morocco

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Libourne
 Communes of the Gironde department

References

Other websites

 Ville de Libourne - Official site 
 Departamental Council of Gironde  
 Prefecture official website 
 Agence de Développement Touristique de la Gironde  
 Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine 

Bastides
Subprefectures in France
Communes in Gironde
Wine regions of France
Mirepoix is a city in the south of France. Today, about 3.000 people live there. It was founded as a bastide. Though it is not a bastide in the sense that it is a planned city. It was rebuilt following complete destruction after the local river overboarded. This reconstruction was done according to the 'bastide' idea. 

Bastides
Communes in Ariège
Kiss is the self-titled first album from the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It was released on February 8, 1974.

Track listing 
 Strutter
 Nothin' to Lose
 Firehouse
 Cold Gin
 Let Me Know
 Kissin' Time
 Deuce
 Love Theme from Kiss
 100,000 Years
 Black Diamond

Kiss (band) albums
1974 albums
Debut albums
Hard rock albums
Heavy metal albums
Hotter Than Hell is the second album from the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It was released on October 22, 1974.

Track listing 
 Got To Choose
 Parasite
 Goin' Blind
 Hotter Than Hell
 Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
 All The Way
 Watchin' You
 Mainline
 Comin' Home
 Strange Ways

References

Kiss (band) albums
1974 albums
Hard rock albums
Heavy metal albums
Dressed to Kill is the third studio album from the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It was released on March 19, 1975.

Track listing 
Room Service
Two Timer
Ladies in Waiting
Getaway
Rock Bottom
C'mon and Love Me
Anything for My Baby
She
Love Her All I Can
Rock and Roll All Nite

Kiss (band) albums
1975 albums
Hard rock albums
Heavy metal albums
Alive! is the fourth album from the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It is also their first live album. It was released on September 10, 1975.

Track listing 
 Deuce
 Strutter
 Got To Choose
 Hotter Than Hell
 Firehouse
 Nothin' To Lose
 C'mon And Love Me
 Parasite
 She
 Watchin' You
 100,000 Years
 Black Diamond
 Rock Bottom
 Cold Gin
 Rock And Roll All Nite
 Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll

Kiss (band) albums
1975 albums
Hard rock albums
Heavy metal albums
Destroyer is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall by the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It was released on March 15, 1976.

Track listing 
 "Detroit Rock City"
 "King Of The Night Time World"
 "God Of Thunder"
 "Great Expectations"
 "Flaming Youth"
 "Sweet Pain"
 "Shout It Out Loud"
 "Beth"
 "Do You Love Me"

Kiss (band) albums
1976 albums
Hard rock albums
Heavy metal albums
The 12-hour clock is a way of dividing the 24 hours of the day into two sections. The two halves are called ante meridiem (a.m.) and post meridiem (p.m.). Both names are from Latin and , means "before midday" and  means "after midday".

Each period has 12 hours and are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Time from midnight to noon is a.m. and from noon to midnight p.m. The table at right shows how it relates to the 24-hour clock.

The 12-hour time is common in several English-speaking countries and former British colonies (such as the United Kingdom, the United States, the English speaking parts of Canada or India), as well as a few other countries. There is no widely accepted convention for how midday and midnight should be represented: in English-speaking countries, "12p.m." means 12 o'clock noon, while "12a.m." means 12 o'clock midnight.

References 

Time

Clocks
Classic could mean:
Classic songs
Classic books
Classic cars
Classic literature
Classic movies
Classic rock music
Classic stamps
Classic television programs
British Classic Races
American Classic Races
Classic cycle races
The Classic (snooker) tournament
Macintosh Classic
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic (transit bus), a type of transit bus manufactured from 1982 to 1997
The Classic a mid-size car by American Motors
Cult classic
The Classic, a Korean movie
Western canon
Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been), a 2007 song by Kanye West, Nas, Rakim, KRS-One and DJ Premier
A United Kingdom chocolate bar
Products that compare unfavourably with other products from the same manufacturer, for example because of design age, are often marketed as a 'classic' edition - for example the Range Rover Classic
Likewise, basic trim level editions of cars are sometimes labelled 'classic' - e.g. Mercedes Benz C-Class Classic
 Classical antiquity
 Classical scholarship (relating to Classical antiquity)  
Classical music
Classical music
Classical physics
Related pages
Classicism 
Classical
Classics (disambiguation)
The Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show is an annual showcase of rides, country music, carnival food, expensive contraptions, and horses that takes place in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.  The fair has been held in Norfolk County since the 19th Century. Simcoe Composite School people enjoy the competitions and cheerleading that goes on in the grandstands.

Festivals in Canada
Ontario
19th-century establishments in Canada
Bootylicious is a song sung by R&B girl group Destiny's Child. It is on their third album Survivor 2001 and was the second single from the album. It was their fourth U.S. number-one single and reached the top-five in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The music video was directed by Matthew Rolston.

The word "bootylicious" is a combination of "booty" (buttocks) and "delicious".

2001 songs
Billboard Hot 100 number one songs
Destiny's Child songs
Missy Elliott songs
Songs about sexuality
Rigor Mortis, the first sign of post-mortem decomposition, literally translates to ‘stiffness of death’ in Latin. As the name suggest, rigor mortis is the process in which a body stiffens after death. During this process, all the muscles in the body contract, and they do not relax for approximately 36 hours. 

Three to four hours after death, bodies begin to show signs of rigor mortis, and all muscles are fully contracted after 12 hours. 
The use of muscles in everyday actions causes the filaments in our muscles to knit together. When we stop using the muscles, the Adenosine triphosphate (the energy within the cell - ATP) helps untangle the filaments. But when someone dies, their body no longer can create ATP, so the muscles are unable to untangle, so they remain contracted. 
Rigor mortis ends when autolysis (the self-digestion of cells) takes place. Post mortem, the cell digests its own walls, and the muscles break down, meaning they no longer have the strength to remain rigid. 

Death
The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a large artefact or structure in the city of Rome. The construction of the Colosseum started around 70–72 AD and was finished in 80 AD. Emperor Vespasian started all the work, and Emperor Titus completed the colosseum. Emperor Domitian made some changes to the building between 81 and 96 AD. It had seating for 50,000 people. It is the biggest amphitheatre built by the Roman Empire, and the largest in the world. It was built between 81 and 96 AD.
Colosseum was first called the Flavian Amphitheatre or in Latin, the Amphitheatrum Flavium. This was after Vespasian and Titus who had the family name of Flavius. It was used for gladiatorial contests, and other shows like animal hunts, in which animals would hunt and eat prisoners; or in which gladiators would fight against animals. There were also executions of prisoners, plays, and battle scenes; sometimes it was filled with water to fight sea battles. The people of Rome could go into the Colosseum without any costs; it was free.

In the Middle Ages, after the mid-fifth century, it was no longer used for performances. It was then used as housing, workshops, a Christian shrine, and as a supply of building stones.

It is now in ruins because of earthquakes. The Colosseum is a symbol of the Roman Empire. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. On Good Fridays, the Pope leads a torch lit "Way of the Cross" procession around the various levels of the amphitheatre.
The Colosseum appears on the Euro five cent coins.

Sighting views 

The building of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian in around 70–72 AD. The area was flat, in a valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills. There was a stream flowing through the valley, but this had been made into a canal. People had been living in this area for over 200 years, but the houses were destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. The Emperor Nero took much of the land for his own use. He built a grand palace, the Domus Aurea which had a lake, gardens, paths covered with a roof held up by columns (porticoes), and large shelters (pavilions) to sit in. He had the Aqua Claudia aqueduct made longer to supply water to the area. There was also a big bronze statue of Nero, the Colossus of Nero, at the front of the Domus Aurea. In 68 AD, Nero lost control of the government. The Senate made him a public outlaw, and he killed himself soon after.
A great moment 
To celebrate the end of Nero's rule, the Emperor Vespasian built the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake. This was seen as giving back the land to the people of Rome. The Romans often built monuments to celebrate important events, and the Colosseum is a part of that tradition.
Most of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land used for the Colosseum. Schools for gladiators and other buildings were put up in the old gardens of the Domus Aurea. The Colossus was left in place, but Nero's head was replaced. Vespasian renamed it after the sun-god, Helios (Colossus Solis). Many historians say that the name of the Colosseum comes from the statue, the Colossus. The Colosseum was originally structured to accomoodate a total of 70000 guests of which 60000 could be seated while rested 10000 can be stand. Usually in Roman cities, the amphitheatres were built on the edge of the city.
The Colosseum was built in the city centre; in effect, placing it in the real and symbolic heart of Rome.
Fights 
The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building opened by his son, Titus, in 80. Cassius Dio said that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the opening games. The building was changed by Vespasian's younger son, Emperor Domitian. He added the hypogeum, underground tunnels used to hold the animals and slaves used in the games. He also added a fourth level at the top of the Colosseum to add more seats.

Renovations
Renovations 

In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by fire. Cassius Dio said the fire was started by lightning. The fire destroyed the wooden upper levels inside the amphitheatre. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. Theodosius II and Valentinian III (ruled 425–450), repaired damage caused by an earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484 and 508. The last record of gladiator fights is about 435, while animal hunts continued until at least 523.

The Colosseum in medieval times 

The Colosseum went through big changes of use during the medieval period. At the end of the 500's, a small church had been built into a part of the building. The arena was used as a cemetery. The areas under the seating was used for houses and workshops. There are records of the space being rented as late as the 1100s. About 1200, the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and made it into a castle.
During the great earthquake in 1349, the outer south side fell down. Most of the fallen stones were used to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings in Rome. In the middle of the 1300s, a religious group moved into the north part, and were still there in the 1800s. The inside of the Colosseum was used to supply building stones. The marble facade was burned to make quicklime. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were ripped off the walls leaving marks that can still be seen today.

The Colosseum in modern times 

During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials looked for a use for the big and ruined building. Pope Sixtus V (1521–1590) wanted to turn the building into a wool factory to provide jobs for Rome's prostitutes, but he died and the idea given up. In 1671 Cardinal Altieri said it could be used for bullfights. Many people were upset by this idea, it was quickly dropped.
In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV said that the Colosseum was a sacred place where early Christians had been martyred. He stopped people from taking any more building stones away. He set up the Stations of the Cross inside the building. He said the place was made sacred with the blood of the Christian martyrs who had died there. However, there is no historical evidence that any Christians had been killed in the Colosseum.

Later popes started projects to save the building from falling down. They took out the many plants which had overgrown the building and were causing more damage. The facade was made stronger with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827. The inside was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The underground area was partly dug out in 1810–1814 and 1874. This digging was finished by Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.'

Description

The outside
The outside 

The Colosseum is a free standing building, quite different to the earlier Greek theatres which were built into the sides of hills. It is really two Roman theatres joined together. It is oval shaped, 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide. It covers an area of . The outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet) high. The distance around the building was 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The arena is an oval  long and  wide, surrounded by a wall  high. Around the arena were raised rows of seating.
The outer wall was made from about  of travertine stone. This was held together by  of iron clamps. There was no mortar used to hold the wall together. The outside wall has been badly damaged over the years. Large sections have fallen down after earthquakes. The north side of the outside wall is still standing. It has triangular brick wedges at each end, added in the early 1800s to hold up the wall. The rest of the outside wall that can be seen today, is in fact the original inside wall.

References 

Buildings and structures in Rome
1st-century establishments in Europe
Establishments in Italy
An amphitheatre (or amphitheater)  is a type of structure. It is a flat area, surrounded by an area that ascends gradually. In the ascending area, people can be seated. Today, such structures are used for presentations, but also spectator sports.

In Ancient Rome, these structures were used to entertain the population. Gladiator combats, athletics and executions were staged there.

Natural amphitheatre
A natural amphitheatre is a natural formation of rocks or cliffs, which resemble a man-made amphitheatre.

Related pages
 Stadium
 Arena

References

Other websites

 The Ancient Theatre Archive

Entertainment venues
The Circus Maximus (translates to biggest round-course) is an ancient hippodrome in Rome. It was built by the Romans. It was used to stage chariot races, but also other uses like gladiator fights. Today it is a park.

Other websites 

 James Grout: Circus Maximus, part of the Encyclopædia Romana
 Circus Maximus  Ipix 360° panorama
 

Buildings and structures in Rome
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016), was an English composer and conductor. He received many honours, including his appointment as Master of the Queen’s Music. His surname was "Davies"; "Maxwell" is his middle name, and his friends called him 'Max'.

Life 
Davies was born in Salford, Lancashire. He grew up in Lancashire. He learned to play the piano and started composing when he was still very young. After education at Leigh Grammar School, he studied at the University of Manchester and at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now part of the Royal Northern College of Music). He met other students there who became famous musicians: Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Elgar Howarth and John Ogdon. Together they formed a group which they called the “New Music Manchester”. This group performed a lot of contemporary music (music that was being composed at the time). After a short stay in Rome he got a job as Director of Music at Cirencester Grammar School from 1959 to 1962.
Davies wanted to study with other composers, so he went to the United States to study with Roger Sessions, Milton Babbitt and Earl Kim. Then he moved to Australia, where he was Composer in Residence at the University of Adelaide from 1965 to 1966.

He then returned to the United Kingdom, and moved to the Orkney Islands. Davies, who was openly gay, lived there on the island of Sanday with his partner Colin Parkinson. In 1977 he started a big arts festival on Orkney, called the St Magnus Festival. This still takes place every year. He often uses it to give first performances of new works (often played by the local school orchestra).

Davies held several posts, including artistic director of the Dartington Summer School from 1979 to 1984. From 1992 to 2002 he was associate conductor/composer with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and he has conducted a number of other well-known orchestras.
He was given several honorary doctorates including one from the University of Oxford. He has been President of Making Music (The National Federation of Music Societies) since 1989. Davies was made a CBE in 1981 and knighted in 1987. He was appointed Master of the Queen's Music for a ten-year period from March 2004. He was also a professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music.

Music 
Davies wrote a lot of music. Some of his first works used serial techniques, sometimes combined with ideas from Mediaeval and Renaissance music, including bits of plainsong.
Pieces from the late 1960s combine these ideas with expressionism and a violent character, for example Eight Songs for a Mad King which is about King George III. Written for a singer and a small group of instruments the singer has to shout and screech at times, and also act. He wrote an opera Taverner about the Renaissance composer John Taverner. The orchestral piece St Thomas Wake (1969) uses many different styles of music, including foxtrots (played by a twenties-style dance band), a pavan by John Bull and Davies's own modern style. Many works from this period were performed by the Pierrot Players which Davies founded with Harrison Birtwistle in 1967 (they were reformed as The Fires of London in 1970 and stayed together until 1987).

Mathematics played a part in Davies’ music. In his work Ave Maris Stella he used a magic square. Worldes Blis 1969 shows the beginning of his more mature style. Some people think it is similar to Jean Sibelius.