title: Lebanese people

text: The CIA World Factbook estimates (2020) the following , though this data does not include Lebanon's sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations: Muslim 67.8% (Sunni, Shia and smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (mainly Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, and very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus.


title: Lebanese people

text: The International Foundation for Electoral Systems provides source for the registered voters in Lebanon for 2011 (it has to be noted that voter registration does not include people under 18 and unregistered voters) that puts the numbers as following:


title: Lebanese people

text: Maronite Catholic 21.05%, Greek Orthodox 7.34%, Druze 5.74%, Melkite Catholic 4.76%, Armenian Apostolic 2.64%, other Christian Minorities 1.28%, Alawite Shia Islam 0.88%, Armenian Catholic 0.62%, Evangelical Protestant 0.53%, and other 0.18% of the population.


title: Lebanese people

text: With the diaspora included, the Christians are an absolute majority. Lebanon has a population of Mhallamis also known as "Mardinli"), most of whom migrated from northeast Syria and southeast Turkey are estimated to be between 75,000 and 100,000 and considered to be part of the Sunni population. These have in recent years been granted Lebanese citizenship and, coupled with several civil wars between Islamic extremists and the Lebanese military that have caused many Christians to flee the country, have re-tipped the demographic balance in favour of the Muslims and the Sunnis in particular. In addition, many thousands of Arab Bedouins in the Bekaa and in the Wadi Khaled region, who are entirely Sunnis, were granted Lebanese citizenship. Lebanon also has a Jewish population, estimated at less than 100.


title: Lebanese people

text: Though Lebanon is a secular country, family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages held in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.


title: Lebanese people

text: Legally registered Muslims form around 54% of the population (Shia, Sunni, Alawite). Legally registered Christians form up to 41% (Maronite, Greek Orthodox Christian, Melkite, Armenian, Evangelical, other). Druze form around 5%. A small minority of 0.1% includes Jews, and foreign workers who belong to Hindu and Buddhist religions.


title: Lebanese people

text: Non-religion is not recognized by the state, however in 2009, the Minister of the Interior Ziad Baroud made it possible to have the religious sect removed from the Lebanese identity card, this does not, however, deny the religious authorities complete control over civil family issues inside the country.


title: Lebanese people

text: Theories from some studies propose to corroborate that the Lebanese trace genetic continuity with earlier inhabitants, regardless of their membership to any of Lebanon's different religious communities today. In a 2007 study, geneticist Pierre Zalloua found that "the genetic marker which identifies descendants of the ancient Phoenicians found among members of all of Lebanon's religious communities." In a 2013 interview Pierre Zalloua, pointed out that genetic variation preceded religious variation and divisions: "Lebanon already had well-differentiated communities with their own genetic peculiarities, but not significant differences, and religions came as layers of paint on top."By identifying the ancient type of DNA attributed to the Phoenicians, geneticist Pierre Zalloua was also able to chart their spread out of the eastern Mediterranean. These markers were found in unusually high proportions in non-Lebanese samples from other parts of the "Mediterranean coast where the Phoenicians are known to have established colonies, such as Carthage in today's Tunisia." The markers were also found among samples of Syrians, Palestinians, Maltese and Spaniards, where the Phoenicians were also known to have established colonies. The study shows that 1 out of 17 people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin can be identified with the Levantine genetic markers in their male chromosomes. However, the particular marker associated by some studies with the historical Phoenicians, haplogroup J2, actually represents a complex mosaic of different demographic processes which affected the Mediterranean in prehistoric and historic times.


title: Lebanese people

text: In a 2011 genetic study by Haber et al. which analyzed the male-line Y-chromosome genetics of the different religious groups of Lebanon, revealed no large genetic differentiation between the Maronites, Greek Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholic Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, and Druze of the country in regards to the more frequent haplogroups. Major differences between Lebanese groups were found among the less frequent haplogroups.


title: Lebanese people

text: According to a 2017 study published by the American Journal of Human Genetics, present-day Lebanese derive most of their ancestry from a Canaanite-related population (Canaanite being a pre-Phoenician name), which therefore implies substantial genetic continuity in the Levant since at least the Bronze Age. More specifically, according to geneticist Chris Tyler-Smith and his team at the Sanger Institute in Britain, who compared "sampled ancient DNA from five Canaanite people who lived 3,750 and 3,650 years ago" to modern people, revealed that 93 percent of the genetic ancestry of people in Lebanon came from the Canaanites (the other 7 percent was of a Eurasian steppe population).


title: Lebanese people

text: A 2019 study, carried out by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, United Kingdom, after analyzing the "DNA evidence from the remains of nine Crusaders found at a burial site in Lebanon", concludes that, contrarily to some idea, the Crusaders didn't leave "a lasting effect on the genetics of modern-day Lebanese. Instead, today’s Lebanese Christians in particular are more genetically similar to locals from the Roman period, which preceded the Crusades by more than four centuries."<ref name="doi_10.1038/nmiddleeast.2019.58"></ref>


title: Lebanese people

text: In a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers have shown that there is substantial genetic continuity in Lebanon since the Bronze Age interrupted by three significant admixture events during the Iron Age, Hellenistic, and Ottoman period, each contributing 3%–11% of non-local ancestry to the admixed population.<ref name="doi_10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.05.008"></ref>


title: Lebanese people

text: Other studies have sought to establish relationships between the Lebanese people and other groups. A 2013 genetic study carried out by Haber at al found all Jews (Sephardi and Ashkenazi) cluster in one branch, Druze from Mount Lebanon and Druze from Mount Carmel are depicted on a private branch, and Lebanese Christians form a private branch with the Christian populations of Armenia and Cyprus. Lebanese Muslims cluster towards the Muslim populations of Syrians, Palestinians, and Jordanians, which in turn cluster on branches with other Muslim populations as distant as Morocco and Yemen.


title: Lebanese people

text: One study by the International Institute of Anthropology in Paris, France, confirmed similarities in the Y-haplotype frequencies in Lebanese, Palestinian, and Sephardic Jewish men, identifying them as "three Near-Eastern populations sharing a common geographic origin." The study surveyed one Y-specific DNA polymorphism (p49/Taq I) in 54 Lebanese and 69 Palestinian males, and compared with the results found in 693 Jews from three distinct Jewish ethnic groups; Mizrahi Jews, Sephardi Jews, and Ashkenazi Jews.


title: Hispanic

text: The term Hispanic () refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.


title: Hispanic

text: The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties formerly part of the Spanish Empire following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, parts of the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Outside of Spain, the Spanish language is a predominant or official language in the countries of Hispanic America and Equatorial Guinea. Further, the cultures of these countries were influenced by Spain to different degrees, combined with the local pre-Hispanic culture or other foreign influences. Former Spanish colonies elsewhere, namely the Spanish East Indies (the Philippines, Marianas, etc.) and Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara), were also influenced by Spanish culture, however Spanish is not a predominant language in these regions.


title: Hispanic

text: Hispanic culture is a set of customs, traditions, beliefs, and art forms (music, literature, dress, architecture, cuisine, or others) that are generally shared by peoples in Hispanic regions, but which can vary considerably from one country or territory to another. The Spanish language is the main cultural element shared by Hispanic peoples.


title: Hispanic

text: The term "Hispanic" derives from Latin "Hispanicus", the adjectival derivation of Latin (and Greek) "Hispania" (that is, the Iberian peninsula), possibly of Celtiberian origin. In English the word is attested from the 16th century (and in the late 19th century in American English).


title: Hispanic

text: "Hispanus" was the Latin name given to a person from Hispania during Roman rule. The ancient Roman Hispania, which roughly comprised what is currently called the Iberian Peninsula, included the contemporary states of Spain, Portugal, parts of France, Andorra, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. In English, the term "Hispano-Roman" is sometimes used. The Hispano-Romans were composed of people from many different Indigenous tribes, in addition to colonists from Italia. Some famous "Hispani" (plural of "Hispanus") and "Hispaniensis" were the emperors Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian, Theodosius I and Magnus Maximus, the poets Marcus Annaeus Lucanus, Martial and Prudentius, the philosophers Seneca the Elder and Seneca the Younger, and the usurper Maximus of Hispania. A number of these men, such as Trajan, Hadrian and others, were in fact descended from Roman colonial families.


title: Hispanic

text: "Hispania" was divided into two provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. In 27 B.C, Hispania Ulterior was divided into two new provinces, Hispania Baetica and Hispania Lusitania, while Hispania Citerior was renamed Hispania Tarraconensis. This division of Hispania explains the usage of the singular and plural forms (Spain, and The Spains) used to refer to the peninsula and its kingdoms in the Middle Ages.


title: Hispanic

text: Before the marriage of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469, the four Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula—the Kingdom of Portugal, the Crown of Aragon, the Crown of Castile, and the Kingdom of Navarre—were collectively called The Spains. This revival of the old Roman concept in the Middle Ages appears to have originated in Provençal, and was first documented at the end of the 11th century. In the Council of Constance, the four kingdoms shared one vote.


title: Hispanic

text: The terms "Spain" and "the Spains" were not interchangeable. Spain was a geographic territory, home to several kingdoms (Christian and Muslim), with separate governments, laws, languages, religions, and customs, and was the historical remnant of the Hispano-Gothic unity. Spain was not a political entity until much later, and when referring to the Middle Ages, one should not be confounded with the nation-state of today. The term "The Spains" referred specifically to a collective of juridico-political units, first the Christian kingdoms, and then the different kingdoms ruled by the same king. Illustrative of this fact is the historical ecclesiastical title of Primate of the Spains, traditionally claimed by the Archbishop of Braga, a Portuguese prelate.


title: Hispanic

text: With the "Decretos de Nueva Planta", Philip V started to organize the fusion of his kingdoms that until then were ruled as distinct and independent, but this unification process lacked a formal and juridic proclamation.


title: Hispanic

text: Although colloquially and literally the expression "King of Spain" or "King of the Spains" was already widespread, it did not refer to a unified nation-state. It was only in the constitution of 1812 that was adopted the name "Españas" (Spains) for the Spanish nation and the use of the title of "king of the Spains". The constitution of 1876 adopts for the first time the name "Spain" for the Spanish nation and from then on the kings would use the title of "king of Spain".


title: Hispanic

text: The expansion of the Spanish Empire between 1492 and 1898 brought thousands of Spanish migrants to the conquered lands, who established settlements, mainly in the Americas, but also in other distant parts of the world (as in the Philippines, the lone Spanish territory in Asia), producing a number of multiracial populations. Today, the term "Hispanic" is typically applied to the varied populations of these places, including those with Spanish ancestry. Because of their historical, linguistic, and cultural ties with Spain, Filipinos can be considered Hispanic.


title: Hispanic

text: The Latin gentile adjectives that belong to Hispania are "Hispanus, Hispanicus," and "Hispaniensis." A Hispanus is someone who is a native of Hispania with no foreign parents, while children born in Hispania of Roman parents were "Hispanienses". "Hispaniensis" means 'connected in some way to Hispania', as in "Exercitus Hispaniensis" ('the Spanish army') or "mercatores Hispanienses" ('Spanish merchants'). "Hispanicus" implies 'of' or 'belonging to' Hispania or the Hispanus or of their fashion as in "gladius Hispanicus". The gentile adjectives were not ethnolinguistic but derived primarily on a geographic basis, from the toponym Hispania as the people of Hispania spoke different languages, although Titus Livius (Livy) said they could all understand each other, not making clear if they spoke dialects of the same language or were polyglots.


title: Hispanic

text: The first recorded use of an anthroponym derived from the toponym Hispania is attested in one of the five fragments, of Ennius in 236 B.C. who wrote "Hispane, non Romane memoretis loqui me" ("Remember that I speak like a Spaniard not a Roman") as having been said by a native of Hispania.


title: Hispanic

text: Persons from Portugal or of Portuguese extraction are referred to as Lusitanians. In Portugal, Hispanic refers to something historical related to ancient Hispania (especially the term hispano-roman and Hispania) or the Spanish language and cultures shared by all the Spanish-speaking countries. Although sharing the etymology for the word (pt: "hispânico", es: "hispánico"), the definition for Hispanic is different between Portugal and Spain.


title: Hispanic

text: The Royal Spanish Academy (Spanish: Real Academia Española, RAE), the official royal institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language defines the terms ""hispano"" and ""hispánico"" (which in Spain have slightly different meanings) as:


title: Hispanic

text: The modern term to identify Portuguese and Spanish territories under a single nomenclature is "Iberian", and the one to refer to cultures derived from both countries in the Americas is "Iberian-American". These designations can be mutually recognized by people in Portugal and Brazil. "Hispanic" is totally void of any self-identification in Brazil, and quite to the contrary, serves the purpose of marking a clear distinction in relation to neighboring countries' culture. Brazilians may identify as Latin-Americans, but refute being considered Latinos or Hispanics because their language and culture are neither part of the Hispanic cultural sphere, nor Spanish-speaking world. In a similar way to Canadians, particularly from the French-speaking region, who do not regard themselves as American (from the USA) but may identify as North-Americans.


title: Hispanic

text: In Spanish, the term ""hispano"" as in ""hispanoamericano"", refers to the people of Spanish origin who live in the Americas and to a relationship to Hispania or to the Spanish language. There are people in Hispanic America that are not of Spanish origin, as the original people of these areas are Amerindians, other European, African, and also originating from other parts of the world.


title: Hispanic

text: Like in Portugal, in the rest of Europe (and wider world) the concept of 'Hispanic' refers to historical ancient Hispania (especially the term hispano-roman and Hispania during the Roman Empire) or the Spanish language and cultures shared by all the Spanish-speaking countries.


title: Hispanic

text: Both "Hispanic" and "Latino" are widely used in American English for Spanish-speaking people and their descendants in the United States. While "Hispanic" refers to Spanish speakers overall, "Latino" refers specifically to people of Latin American descent. "Hispanic" can also be used for the people and culture of Spain as well as Latin America. While originally the term "Hispanic" referred primarily to the Hispanos of New Mexico within the United States, today, organizations in the country use the term as a broad catchall to refer to persons with a historical and cultural relationship with Spain regardless of race and ethnicity. The United States Census Bureau uses "Hispanic or Latino" to refer to "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race" and states that Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race, any ancestry, any ethnicity.


title: Hispanic

text: Because of the technical distinctions involved in defining "race" vs. "ethnicity," there is confusion among the general population about the designation of Hispanic identity. Currently, the United States Census Bureau defines six race categories:


title: Hispanic

text: According to census reports, of the above races the largest number of Hispanic or Latinos are of the White race, the second largest number come from the Native American/American Indian race who are the indigenous people of the Americas. The inhabitants of Easter Island are Pacific Islanders and since the island belongs to Chile they are theoretically Hispanic or Latino. Because Hispanic roots are considered aligned with a European ancestry (Spain), Hispanic ancestry is defined solely as an "ethnic" designation (similar to being Norse or Germanic). Therefore, a person of Hispanic descent is typically defined using both race and ethnicity as an identifier—i.e., Black-Hispanic, White-Hispanic, Asian-Hispanic, Amerindian-Hispanic or "other race" Hispanic.


title: Hispanic

text: A 1997 notice by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget defined "Hispanic or Latino" persons as being "persons who trace their origin or descent to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish cultures." The United States Census uses the ethnonyms "Hispanic or Latino" to refer to "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Hispanic culture or origin regardless of race."


title: Hispanic

text: The 2010 Census asked if the person was "Spanish/Hispanic/Latino". The United States Census uses the "Hispanic or Latino" to refer to "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race." The Census Bureau also explains that "[o]rigin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino or Spanish may be of any race."


title: Hispanic

text: The U.S. Department of Transportation defines "Hispanic" as, "persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race." This definition has been adopted by the Small Business Administration as well as by many federal, state, and municipal agencies for the purposes of awarding government contracts to minority owned businesses.


title: Hispanic

text: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Conference include representatives of Spanish and Portuguese, Puerto Rican and Mexican descent. The Hispanic Society of America is dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of the Hispanic and Lusitanic world. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, proclaimed champions of Hispanic success in higher education, is committed to Hispanic educational success in the United States, and the Hispanic and Lusitanic world.


title: Hispanic

text: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission encourages any individual who believes that he or she is Hispanic to self-identify as Hispanic. The United States Department of Labor – Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs encourages the same self-identification. As a result, individuals with origins to part of the Spanish Empire may self-identify as Hispanic, because an employer may not override an individual's self-identification.


title: Hispanic

text: The 1970 Census was the first time that a "Hispanic" identifier was used and data collected with the question. The definition of "Hispanic" has been modified in each successive census.


title: Hispanic

text: In a recent study, most Spanish-speakers of Spanish or Hispanic American descent do not prefer the term "Hispanic" or "Latino" when it comes to describing their identity. Instead, they prefer to be identified by their country of origin. When asked if they have a preference for either being identified as "Hispanic" or "Latino", the Pew study finds that "half (51%) say they have no preference for either term." A majority (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family's country of origin, while 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label such as Hispanic or Latino. Among those 24% who have a preference for a pan-ethnic label, "'Hispanic' is preferred over 'Latino' by more than a two-to-one margin—33% versus 14%." 21% prefer to be referred to simply as "Americans."


title: Hispanic

text: Hispanicization is the process by which a place or a person absorbs characteristics of Hispanic society and culture. Modern hispanization of a place, namely in the United States, might be illustrated by Spanish-language media and businesses. Hispanicization of a person might be illustrated by speaking Spanish, making and eating Hispanic food, listening to Spanish-language music or participating in Hispanic festivals and holidays - Hispanicization of those outside the Hispanic community as opposed to assimilation of Hispanics into theirs.


title: Hispanic

text: One reason that some people believe the assimilation of Hispanics in the United States is not comparable to that of other cultural groups is that Hispanics have been living in parts of North America for centuries, in many cases well before the English-speaking culture became dominant. For example, California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico (1598), Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Puerto Rico have been home to Spanish-speaking peoples since the 16th century, long before the United States existed. These and other Spanish-speaking territories were part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and later Mexico (with the exception of Florida and Puerto Rico), before these regions joined or were taken over by the United States in 1848 (Puerto Rico was in 1898). Some cities in the United States were founded by Spanish settlers as early as the 16th century, prior to the creation of the Thirteen Colonies. For example, San Miguel de Gualdape, Pensacola and St. Augustine, Florida were founded in 1526, 1559 and 1565 respectively. Santa Fe, New Mexico was founded in 1604, and Albuquerque was established in 1660. El Paso was founded in 1659, San Antonio in 1691, Laredo, Texas in 1755, San Diego in 1769, San Francisco in 1776, San Jose, California in 1777, New Iberia, Louisiana in 1779, and Los Angeles in 1781. Therefore, in many parts of the United States, the Hispanic cultural legacy predates English/British influence. For this reason, many generations have largely maintained their cultural traditions and Spanish language well before the United States was created. However, Spanish-speaking persons in many Hispanic areas in North America amounted to only a few thousand people when they became part of the United States; a large majority of current Hispanic residents are descended from Hispanics who entered the United States in the mid-to-late 20th and early 21st centuries.


title: Hispanic

text: Language retention is a common index to assimilation; according to the 2000 census, about 75% of all Hispanics spoke Spanish in the home. Spanish language retention rates vary geographically; parts of Texas and New Mexico have language retention rates over 90%, whereas in parts of Colorado and California, retention rates are lower than 30%. The degree of retention of Spanish as the native language is based on recent arrival from countries where Spanish is spoken. As is true of other immigrants, those who were born in other countries still speak their native language. Later generations are increasingly less likely to speak the language spoken in the country of their ancestors, as is true of other immigrant groups.


title: Hispanic

text: Today, Spanish is among the most commonly spoken first languages of the world. During the period of the Spanish Empire from 1492 and 1898, many people migrated from Spain to the conquered lands. The Spaniards brought with them the Castilian language and culture, and in this process that lasted several centuries, created a global empire with a diverse population.


title: Hispanic

text: Culturally, Spaniards (those living in Spain) are Southern European, but they may also have small traces of DNA to peoples from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. This includes, for example, Germanic and Scandinavian Europe, France, the rest of Mediterranean Europe, or Western Asia and Northern Africa.


title: Hispanic

text: The Miguel de Cervantes Prize is awarded to Hispanic writers, whereas the Latin Grammy Award recognizes Hispanic musicians, and the Platino Awards as given to outstanding Hispanic films.


title: Hispanic

text: Folk and popular dance and music also varies greatly among Hispanics. For instance, the music from Spain is a lot different from the Hispanic American, although there is a high grade of exchange between both continents. In addition, due to the high national development of the diverse nationalities and regions of Spain, there is a lot of music in the different languages of the Peninsula (Catalan, Galician and Basque, mainly). See, for instance, Music of Catalonia or Rock català, Music of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias, and Basque music. Flamenco is also a very popular music style in Spain, especially in Andalusia. Spanish ballads "romances" can be traced in Argentina as "milongas", same structure but different scenarios.


title: Hispanic

text: On the other side of the ocean, Hispanic America is also home to a wide variety of music, even though "Latin" music is often erroneously thought of, as a single genre. Hispanic Caribbean music tends to favor complex polyrhythms of African origin. Mexican music shows combined influences of mostly European and Native American origin, while traditional Northern Mexican music — norteño and banda — polka, has influence from polka music brought by Central European settlers to Mexico which later influenced western music. The music of Hispanic Americans — such as tejano music — has influences in rock, jazz, R&B, pop, and country music as well as traditional Mexican music such as Mariachi. Meanwhile, native Andean sounds and melodies are the backbone of Peruvian and Bolivian music, but also play a significant role in the popular music of most South American countries and are heavily incorporated into the folk music of Ecuador and the tunes of Colombia, and in Chile where they play a fundamental role in the form of the greatly followed nueva canción. In U.S. communities of immigrants from these countries it is common to hear these styles. Rock en Español, Latin hip-hop, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia and Reggaeton styles tend to appeal to the broader Hispanic population, and varieties of Cuban music are popular with many Hispanics of all backgrounds.


title: Hispanic

text: Spanish-language literature and folklore is very rich and is influenced by a variety of countries. There are thousands of writers from many places, and dating from the Middle Ages to the present. Some of the most recognized writers are Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Spain), Lope de Vega (Spain), Calderón de la Barca (Spain), Jose Rizal (Philippines), Carlos Fuentes (Mexico), Octavio Paz (Mexico), Miguel Ángel Asturias (Guatemala), George Santayana (US), José Martí (Cuba), Sabine Ulibarri (US), Federico García Lorca (Spain), Miguel de Unamuno (Spain), Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), Rafael Pombo (Colombia), Horacio Quiroga (Uruguay), Rómulo Gallegos (Venezuela), Luis Rodriguez Varela (Philippines), Rubén Darío (Nicaragua), Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru), Cristina Peri Rossi (Uruguay), Luisa Valenzuela (Argentina), Roberto Quesada (Honduras), Julio Cortázar (Argentina), Pablo Neruda (Chile), Gabriela Mistral (Chile), Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina), Pedro Henríquez Ureña (Dominican Republic), Ernesto Sabato (Argentina), Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (Equatorial Guinea), Ciro Alegría (Peru), Joaquin Garcia Monge (Costa Rica), Juan León Mera (Ecuador) and Jesus Balmori (Philippines).


title: Hispanic

text: In the majority of the Hispanic countries, association football is the most popular sport. The men's national teams of Argentina, Uruguay and Spain have won the FIFA World Cup a total five times. The Spanish La Liga is one of the most popular in the world, known for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Meanwhile, the Argentine Primera División and Mexican Primera División are two of the strongest leagues in the Americas.


title: Hispanic

text: However, baseball is the most popular sport in some Central American and Caribbean countries (especially Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela), as well as in the diaspora in the United States. Notable Hispanic teams in early baseball are the All Cubans, Cuban Stars and New York Cubans. The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum recognizes Hispanic baseball personalities. Nearly 30 percent (22 percent foreign-born Hispanics) of MLB players today have Hispanic heritage.


title: Hispanic

text: Several Hispanic sportspeople have been successful worldwide, such as Diego Maradona, Alfredo di Stefano, Lionel Messi, Diego Forlán (association football), Juan Manuel Fangio, Juan Pablo Montoya, Eliseo Salazar, Fernando Alonso, Marc Gené, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Carlos Sainz Jr. (auto racing), Ángel Nieto, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Márquez, Marc Coma, Nani Roma (motorcycle racing), Emanuel Ginóbili, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol (basketball), Julio César Chávez, Saúl Álvarez, Carlos Monzón (boxing), Miguel Indurain, Alberto Contador, Santiago Botero, Rigoberto Urán, Nairo Quintana (cycling), Roberto de Vicenzo, Ángel Cabrera, Sergio García, Severiano Ballesteros, José María Olazábal (golf), Luciana Aymar (field hockey), Rafael Nadal, Marcelo Ríos, Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, Juan Martín del Potro (tennis).


title: Hispanic

text: The Spanish and the Portuguese took the Roman Catholic faith to their colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia; Roman Catholicism remains the predominant religion amongst most Hispanics. A small but growing number of Hispanics belong to a Protestant denomination. Hispanic Christians form the largest ethno-linguistic group among Christians in the world, about 18% of the world's Christian population are Hispanic (around 430 millions).


title: Hispanic

text: In the United States, some 65% of Hispanics and Latinos report themselves Catholic and 21% Protestant, with 13% having no affiliation. A minority among the Roman Catholics, about one in five, are charismatics. Among the Protestant, 85% are "Born-again Christians" and belong to Evangelical or Pentecostal churches. Among the smallest groups, less than 4%, are Jewish.


title: Hispanic

text: Among the Spanish-speaking Catholics, most communities celebrate their homeland's patron saint, dedicating a day for this purpose with festivals and religious services. Some Spanish-speakers in Latin America syncretize Roman Catholicism and African or Native American rituals and beliefs. Such is the case of Santería, popular with Afro-Cubans, which combines old African beliefs in the form of Roman Catholic saints and rituals. Other syncretistic beliefs include Spiritism and Curanderismo. In Roman Catholic tradition "Our Lady of the Pillar" is considered the Patroness of the Hispanic people and the Hispanic world.


title: Hispanic

text: While a tiny minority, there are some Muslims in Latin America, in the US, and in the Philippines. Those in the Philippines live predominantly in Bangsamoro.


title: Hispanic

text: There are also Spanish-speaking Jews, most of whom are the descendants of Ashkenazi Jews who migrated from Europe (German Jews, Russian Jews, Polish Jews, etc.) to Hispanic America, particularly Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Cuba (Argentina is host to the third-largest Jewish population in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States and Canada) in the 19th century and following World War II. Many Spanish-speaking Jews also originate from the small communities of reconverted descendants of anusim — those whose Spanish Sephardi Jewish ancestors long ago hid their Jewish ancestry and beliefs in fear of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition in the Iberian Peninsula and Ibero-America. The Spanish Inquisition led to many forced conversions of Spanish Jews.


title: Hispanic

text: Genetic studies on the (male) Y-chromosome conducted by the University of Leeds in 2008 appear to support the idea that the number of forced conversions have been previously underestimated significantly. They found that twenty percent of Spanish males have Y-chromosomes associated with Sephardic Jewish ancestry. This may imply that there were more forced conversions than was previously thought.


title: Hispanic

text: There are also thought to be many Catholic-professing descendants of marranos and Spanish-speaking crypto-Jews in the Southwestern United States and scattered through Hispanic America. Additionally, there are Sephardic Jews who are descendants of those Jews who fled Spain to Turkey, Syria, and North Africa, some of whom have now migrated to Hispanic America, holding on to some Spanish/Sephardic customs, such as the Ladino language, which mixes Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic and others, though written with Hebrew and Latin characters. Ladinos were also African slaves captive in Spain held prior to the colonial period in the Americas. (See also History of the Jews in Hispanic America and List of Hispanic American Jews.)


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Aashiqui 2 () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical drama film directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Mukesh Bhatt, Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under the Vishesh Films and T-Series Films, with Mahesh Bhatt serving as presenter. A spiritual successor to the 1990 musical film "Aashiqui". A remake of the 1937 film "A Star Is Born", the film stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles, with Shaad Randhawa and Mahesh Thakur in supporting roles, as well as Salil Acharya in a cameo appearance. Set in the early 2010s, the film centers on a turbulent romantic relationship between a failing singer, Rahul Jaykar, and his protege, aspiring singer Aarohi Keshav Shirke, which is affected by Rahul's issues with alcohol abuse and temperament.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: There were initially several concerns in the Indian media that it could not live up to the high standards and success of the original. Production of the film began in 2011, with the principal photography taking place in Cape Town, Goa and Mumbai on a budget of .


title: Aashiqui 2

text: "Aashiqui 2" was released on 26 April 2013, The film became a commercial success at the box-office despite featuring newcomers, and was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2013, earning over and within the first four weeks, ending both Kapur's and Kapoor's early years of struggle for recognition. Eventually, it became the highest grossing production for the Bhatt brothers and the Vishesh Films banner. The soundtrack to the film became very popular after its release; the songs "Tum Hi Ho" and "Sunn Raha Hai" topped the charts across various platforms in India, as did the songs "Chahun Main Ya Naa" and "Milne Hai Mujhse Aayi". Later on, it was remade in Telugu as "Nee Jathaga Nenundali".


title: Aashiqui 2

text: The film opens by showing a large crowd waiting for Rahul Jaykar, a successful singer and musician whose career is waning because of his alcohol addictionto perform at a stage show in Goa. After nearly completing a song, he is unexpectedly interrupted by an artist, Aryan, who was losing his career due to Rahul's, during his performance. Rahul fights him, stops his performance, and drives to a local bar. He meets Aarohi Keshav Shirke, a bar singer who idolises Rahul. After noticing Aarohi looking at a photograph of Lata Mangeshkar in the bar, he assumes that she wants to become a singer. Impressed by her simplicity and voice, Rahul promises to transform her into a singing sensation and asks her to never perform again in bars. Due to his assurance, Aarohi leaves her job and returns to Mumbai with Rahul, who convinces record producer Saigal to meet her. When Aarohi calls Rahul, he is attacked and injured by some thugs, and is unable to receive her call. His friend and manager Vivek decides that news of the assault on Rahul should not be leaked to the media, and instead publicises a false story that Rahul has left the country to participate in stage shows. When Aarohi attempts to contact Rahul again, Vivek ignores the calls. After two months of futilely attempting to contact Rahul, a broken Aarohi is forced to sing in bars again because of her family problems.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Meanwhile, Rahul recovers from his injuries and again starts the search for Aarohi. He learns that Aarohi is working in a bar again and that Vivek had ignored her calls without informing him. Rahul apologizes to Aarohi and fires Vivek, and they meet with Saigal for the recording agreement. Rahul begins to train Aarohi, who signs a music contract to sing in films and becomes a successful playback singer. Her family and Rahul are happy, but when people begin to gossip that Rahul is using her as a servant, he relapses into alcohol addiction. Aarohi, who loves Rahul more than her career, comforts him and they end up making love. Despite Aarohi's mother Subhadra's disapproval, Aarohi moves in with Rahul and things go well until Rahul's addiction worsens, causing him to become aggressive and violent.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Aarohi attempts to rehabilitate Rahul, sacrificing her singing career in doing so. After Saigal reminds them about their dream of Aarohi becoming a successful singer, Rahul orders her to focus on her work. During Aarohi's stage show, Rahul meets Kunal Basu, a journalist, backstage, where Kunal accuses him of using Aarohi for pleasure and money. Furious, Rahul beats up Kunal and starts drinking. He ends up in jail, and Aarohi comes to bail him out. Rahul overhears Aarohi telling Saigal that she is going to leave her career for him and is ready to give up her celebrity status because Rahul is more important to her. Rahul understands that he has become a burden in her life, and that leaving her is his only option to save her. The next day, he bids her farewell by assuring her that he will change his lifestyle, but little is she aware that he actually intends to commit suicide, which he does by jumping off a bridge. His death pains a number of people, including Saigal, who was otherwise insistent, just like Rahul, on Aarohi moving ahead in her career.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Distraught by Rahul's death, Aarohi decides to leave her career but Vivek persuades her to stay. He reminds her that Rahul wanted her to become a successful singer and killed himself as he did not want to be a burden on her and remain an obstacle in the path of her success. Aarohi agrees, and returns to singing. Later, she signs her name as "Aarohi Rahul Jaykar" in a fan's handbook as a tribute to Rahul and her unsung desire to marry him. As it starts raining, she watches the couple who took her autograph sharing a romantic moment under a jacket as she and Rahul had once done.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: In September 2011, the Indian media reported that Mahesh Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar were keen to remake the 1990 musical blockbuster "Aashiqui". Kumar approached Bhatt for a possible sequel, although it was Shagufta Rafique's melodramatic romantic script which persuaded him that the film had potential as a sequel and decided to proceed with the project. Given "Aashiqui"s status in Hindi cinematic history as one of the finest Indian musicals of all time, many expressed concerns towards the decision to remake the film, dubious that the producers could come up with a soundtrack on par with the quality of the 1990 film. Bhatt stated that they completely resisted the temptation to use the soundtrack of the earlier film, and promised that "Aashiqui 2" would revive the era of melodious film music, as "Aashiqui" had done 22 years ago.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: It was reported that Madhur Bhandarkar had been approached to direct the film, but later turned down the offer because of other working commitments. It was confirmed in November 2011 that Vishal Mahadkar, director of "Blood Money", was to direct the picture, but the following month it was announced that Mohit Suri had replaced Mahadkar as director at the last minute. Bhatt confirmed the development, saying "Earlier we had finalised Vishal for the project. But now we have scrapped that idea and found a fresh one. We got Mohit to direct the film". Several media outlets falsely reported that the film was a remake of the Vishesh films 1990 love triangle "Awaargi". However, Mahesh Bhatt denied the rumours and said ""Aashiqui 2" is not a remake of any of our films. It's an original script. A very contemporary love story dealing with mature emotions."


title: Aashiqui 2

text: The film's producers launched a nationwide talent hunt to discover new faces for the film, initially refusing to employ established actors. However, the actors who came to audition were not promising enough for the roles, and the idea was scrapped. Mahesh Bhatt said, "It was a disastrous talent hunt. We discovered that people lacked the courage to audition. Those who are amateurs went for audition ...and people with certain talent were like why should we risk public rejection." When Suri saw some pictures of Aditya Roy Kapur and met him, he found Kapur perfect for the role and cast him to play the male lead.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: In June 2012, Shraddha Kapoor was signed to play the female lead. Bhatt said, "Yes, Shraddha Kapoor is playing the lead with the two boys Aditya Roy Kapur and Shaad Randhawa. We found her to be very talented. All three actors have extremely challenging dramatic roles." When asked about replacing new actors with known ones, Suri said "People said I couldn't make a film with new actors and expect an audience to come in. But I was pretty sure I wanted Aditya and Shraddha to play my protagonists. My writer Shagufta Rafique and I saw them as the protagonists. See, Aditya and Shraddha may have had unsuccessful films before. But that never took away from their talent."


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Principal photography for the film began in late 2012 with film's lead cast. The film was shot in Goa, Mumbai and Cape Town. During the filming in South Africa, Shraddha Kapoor needed medical attention after kneeling on broken glass fragments during the scene in which she had to kneel on the floor and talk to her co-star Aditya Roy Kapoor. Aditya Roy Kapur also received burns to his hand during the filming of the scene in which they light some Chinese lanterns in Cape Town.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: The first look was released on 22 March 2013, and was well received by critics and audiences. Unlike other films whose theatrical trailers are released first, the makers of the film chose to release the songs before the trailer. The first song, "Tum Hi Ho", was released on 16 March 2013 to unanimous critical reception from critics and became very popular among the audiences. The song became an instant hit with approximately 2 million views on YouTube within 10 days of release, which helped in the marketing of the film. It has been trending on Twitter and YouTube since its launch.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: The film's preview poster showing Aditya and Shraddha under a jacket in a rain-drenched street with the streetlight casting a glow was released along with music on 3 April 2013. At the music release event, Aditya and Shraddha recreated the scene from "Aashiqui" from under a jacket (much like the poster) on the stage. The theatrical trailer was released in mid-April 2013, two weeks before the film's release, and was well received by critics and audiences.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Unlike most Bollywood films which indulge in months of promotion before the release, "Aashiqui 2" had less than three weeks for promotion before its release. A music concert where singers (who sang songs in the soundtrack album) performed to their respective songs was organised to promote the film. The makers of the film launched the "Aashiqui 2" jackets, as seen in the film's poster. Statues resembling the signature image of the couple hiding under the jacket were placed inside various theatres.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Due to the romantic theme of the film, it was originally planned for a Valentine's day release on 14 February 2013, but this was postponed because of production delays. The film was released on 26 April 2013 in over 1100 screens across India. The film was not released in key markets such as UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: A sequel to the film Aashiqui 3 has been announced by Mukesh Bhatt & Bhushan Kumar. The music for the sequel will be composed by Pritam and will star Kartik Aaryan. The female lead is yet to be announced.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: On its opening day, "Aashiqui 2" collected about and collected during its first weekend. The film collected in its first week. In the second week, despite new releases, it collected , which took its two-week box-office collections to . It remained steady on weekdays and collected in its third week and total collections rose to . The film had the highest third week collections of 2013 to that date. The film's revenues remained consistent in its fourth weekend and took its total to . Box Office India called the film a success after its three-week box office run. As of 20 May, it was the second-highest grossing Hindi film of 2013 and the highest-grossing film produced by Vishesh Films. According to Box Office India, "Aashiqui 2" is the best trending film at the box office since "3 Idiots" as the fourth week's collections were nearly nett, which was more than every film released in the last ten years apart from "3 Idiots". The fourth week collections were the third highest of all time. The film collected nett approx in its fifth week. The film went on to gross approximately in its sixth week at the domestic box-office.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Internationally, "Aashiqui 2" collected around 150,000 over the first weekend because its limited release meant it was only released in UAE and Pakistan. The film collected worldwide in its fourth week.


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Taran Adarsh of "Bollywood Hungama" rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating that it "brings romance back on the Hindi screenintense, pure, selfless and heart wrenching. A stirring account with brilliant moments, bravura performances, strong emotional quotient and addictive music, this one's an absolute must watch for the romantics." He praised the lead cast's performances, writing that " ...Aditya Roy Kapur's depiction of the intense character is outstanding... [which] clearly demonstrates his potency as an artist of caliber and competence. Shraddha also gets to sink her challenging character and the attractive youngster is simply amazing, more so towards the demanding moments in the second hour. Furthermore, the chemistry between Aditya and Shraddha is incredible." "Indiatimes" gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and said, "Suri pitches the story with old-world romance, high-drama and well-crafted heart-breaking moments." Indo-Asian News Service rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote, "Director Mohit Suri traverses the angst-soaked territory with a sincere and deep understanding of the dynamics that destroy love and trust between couples in the glamorous and competitive profession", and that, ""Aashiqui 2" makes us grateful for the movement of the love story away from the standard Romeo & Juliet format into the dark destructive domain of "A Star Is Born"."


title: Aashiqui 2

text: The film also received some mixed reactions from critics. Writing for "Hindustan Times", Anupama Chopra rated the film 2.5 out of 5 and believed that the film didn't fulfill its potential, but said, "It's an interesting scenario and Suri and his actors set it up well. Aditya gives Rahul's angst a certain charm. He is earnest and broken. And the real triumph here is Shraddha, whose porcelain face has a haunting vulnerability. She's very good as the woman in the throes of a grand passion who believes that love will show the way."


title: Aashiqui 2

text: Published Palestinian Bollywood writer, Ahmad Rashad Arafa, calls "Aashiqui 2" "an infinitely better film than Lady GaGa and Bradley Cooper's "A Star Is Born"" saying that "while Cooper and GaGa’s retelling is atonal and jarring, "Aashiqui 2", the Bollywood remake of "A Star Is Born", is firmly cohesive in its tone, pacing and general mise-en-scène."


title: Vegetable oil

text: Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are "mixtures" of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fats from seeds. Olive oil, palm oil, and rice bran oil are examples of fats from other parts of fruits. In common usage, vegetable "oil" may refer exclusively to vegetable fats which are liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oils are usually edible.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Oils extracted from plants have been used since ancient times and in many cultures. Archaeological evidence shows that olives were turned into olive oil by 6000 BCE and 4500 BCE in present-day Israel and Palestine.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In addition to use as food, fats and oils (both vegetable and mineral) have long been used as fuel, typically in lamps which were a principal source of illumination in ancient times. Oils may have been used for lubrication, but there is no evidence for this. Vegetable oils were probably more valuable as food and lamp-oil; Babylonian mineral oil was known to be used as fuel, but there are no references to lubrication. Pliny the Elder reported that animal-derived fats such as lard were used to lubricate the axles of carts.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Many vegetable oils are consumed directly, or indirectly as ingredients in food – a role that they share with some animal fats, including butter, ghee, lard, and schmaltz. The oils serve a number of purposes in this role:


title: Vegetable oil

text: Oils can be heated to temperatures significantly higher than the boiling point of water, , and used to fry foods. Oils for this purpose must have a high flash point. Such oils include both the major cooking oils – soybean, rapeseed, canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, cottonseed, etc. – and tropical oils, such as coconut, palm, and rice bran. The latter are particularly valued in Asian cultures for high-temperature cooking, because of their unusually high flash points.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Many vegetable oils are used to make soaps, skin products, candles, perfumes and other personal care and cosmetic products. Some oils are particularly suitable as drying oils, and are used in making paints and other wood treatment products. They are used in alkyd resin production. Dammar oil (a mixture of linseed oil and dammar resin), for example, is used almost exclusively in treating the hulls of wooden boats. Vegetable oils are increasingly being used in the electrical industry as insulators as vegetable oils are not toxic to the environment, biodegradable if spilled and have high flash and fire points. However, vegetable oils are less stable chemically, so they are generally used in systems where they are not exposed to oxygen, and they are more expensive than crude oil distillate. Synthetic tetraesters, which are similar to vegetable oils but with four fatty acid chains compared to the normal three found in a natural ester, are manufactured by Fischer esterification. Tetraesters generally have high stability to oxidation and have found use as engine lubricants. Vegetable oil is being used to produce biodegradable hydraulic fluid and lubricant.


title: Vegetable oil

text: One limiting factor in industrial uses of vegetable oils is that all such oils are susceptible to becoming rancid. Oils that are more stable, such as ben oil or mineral oil, are thus preferred for industrial uses. Castor oil has numerous industrial uses, owing to the presence of hydroxyl group on the fatty acid. Castor oil is a precursor to Nylon 11. Castor oil may also be reacted with epichlorohydrin to make a glycidyl ether which is used as a diluent and flexibilizer with epoxy resins.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Vegetable oil is used in the production of some pet foods. AAFCO defines vegetable oil in this context as the product of vegetable origin obtained by extracting the oil from seeds or fruits which are processed for edible purposes.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Vegetable oils are also used to make biodiesel, which can be used like conventional diesel. Some vegetable oil blends are used in unmodified vehicles but straight vegetable oil, also known as pure plant oil, needs specially prepared vehicles which have a method of heating the oil to reduce its viscosity. The use of vegetable oils as alternative energy is growing and the availability of biodiesel around the world is increasing.


title: Vegetable oil

text: The NNFCC estimates that the total net greenhouse gas savings when using vegetable oils in place of fossil fuel-based alternatives for fuel production, range from 18 to 100%.


title: Vegetable oil

text: The production process of vegetable oil involves the removal of oil from plant components, typically seeds. This can be done via mechanical extraction using an oil mill or chemical extraction using a solvent. The extracted oil can then be purified and, if required, refined or chemically altered.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Oils can be removed via mechanical extraction, termed "crushing" or "pressing." This method is typically used to produce the more traditional oils (e.g., olive, coconut etc.), and it is preferred by most health-food customers in the United States and in Europe. There are several different types of mechanical extraction. Expeller pressing extraction is common, though the screw press, ram press, and ghani (powered mortar and pestle) are also used. Oilseed presses are commonly used in developing countries, among people for whom other extraction methods would be prohibitively expensive; the ghani is primarily used in India. The amount of oil extracted using these methods varies widely, as shown in the following table for extracting mowrah butter in India:


title: Vegetable oil

text: The processing of vegetable oil in commercial applications is commonly done by chemical extraction, using solvent extracts, which produces higher yields and is quicker and less expensive. The most common solvent is petroleum-derived hexane. This technique is used for most of the "newer" industrial oils such as soybean and corn oils. After extraction, the solvent is evaporated out by heating the mixture to about .


title: Vegetable oil

text: Unsaturated vegetable oils can be transformed through partial or complete hydrogenation into oils of higher melting point, some of which, such as vegetable shortening, will remain solid at room temperature.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Hydrogenating vegetable oil is done by raising a blend of vegetable oil and a metal catalyst, typically nickel, in near-vacuum to very high temperatures, and introducing hydrogen. This causes the carbon atoms of the oil to break double-bonds with other carbons. Each carbon atom becomes single-bonded to an individual hydrogen atom, and the double bond between carbons can no longer exist. A fully hydrogenated oil, also called a saturated fat, has had all of its double bonds converted into single bonds. If a polyunsaturated oil is left incompletely-hydrogenated (not all of the double bonds are reduced to single bonds), then it is a "partially hydrogenated oil" (PHO). An oil may be hydrogenated to increase resistance to rancidity (oxidation) or to change its physical characteristics. As the degree of saturation is raised by full or partial hydrogenation, the oil's viscosity and melting point increase.


title: Vegetable oil

text: While full hydrogenation produces largely saturated fatty acids, partial hydrogenation results in the transformation of unsaturated cis fatty acids to unsaturated trans fatty acids in the oil mixture due to the heat used in hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenated oils and their trans fats have been linked to an increased risk of mortality from coronary heart disease, among other increased health risks. These concerns have led to regulations mandating the removal of partially hydrogenated oils from food.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In the processing of edible oils, the oil is heated under vacuum to near the smoke point or to about , and water is introduced at the bottom of the oil. The water immediately is converted to steam, which bubbles through the oil, carrying with it any chemicals which are water-soluble. The steam sparging removes impurities that can impart unwanted flavors and odors to the oil. Deodorization is key to the manufacture of vegetable oils. Nearly all soybean, corn, and canola oils found on supermarket shelves go through a deodorization stage that removes trace amounts of odors and flavors, and lightens the color of the oil. However, the process commonly results in higher levels of trans fatty acids and distillation of the oil's natural compounds.


title: Vegetable oil

text: People can breathe in vegetable oil mist in the workplace. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the legal limit (permissible exposure limit) for vegetable oil mist exposure in the workplace as 15 mg/m total exposure and 5 mg/m respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a recommended exposure limit (REL) of 10 mg/m total exposure and 5 mg/m respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Typical productivity of some oil crops, measured in tons (t) of oil produced per hectare (ha) of land per year (yr). Oil palm is by far the highest yielding crop, capable of producing about 4 tons of palm oil per hectare per year.


title: Vegetable oil

text: The following triglyceride vegetable oils account for almost all worldwide production, by volume. All are used as both cooking oils and as SVO or to make biodiesel. According to the USDA, the total world consumption of major vegetable oils in 2007/08 was:


title: Vegetable oil

text: Note that these figures include industrial and animal feed use. The majority of European rapeseed oil production is used to produce biodiesel, or used directly as fuel in diesel cars which may require modification to heat the oil to reduce its higher viscosity.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Seed oils are vegetable oils obtained from the seed (endosperm) of some plants, rather than the fruit (pericarp). Most vegetable oils are seed oils. Examples are sunflower, corn, and sesame oils.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Extracting the oils first by expeller or cold pressing methods, then solvent expelling the rest of the oils from the leftover matter. This is a method used by larger capacity oil mills. As the energy consumption of the mechanical press increases as more oil is released, it is more efficient to extract the rest of the oil (past around 60%) by solvent extraction.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Such oils have been part of human culture for millennia. Oils such as poppy seed, rapeseed, linseed, almond oil, sesame seed, safflower, and cottonseed were variously used since at least the Bronze Age in the Middle East. Vegetable oils have been used for lighting fuel, cooking, medicine and lubrication.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Palm oil has long been recognized in West and Central African countries, and European merchants trading with West Africa occasionally purchased palm oil for use as a cooking oil in Europe and it became highly sought-after commodity by British traders for use as an industrial lubricant for machinery during Britain's Industrial Revolution. Palm oil formed the basis of soap products, such as Lever Brothers' (now Unilever) "Sunlight", and


title: Vegetable oil

text: B. J. Johnson Company's (now Colgate-Palmolive) "Palmolive", and by around 1870, palm oil constituted the primary export of some West African countries.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In 1780 Carl Wilhelm Scheele demonstrated that fats were derived from glycerol. Thirty years later Michel Eugène Chevreul deduced that these fats were esters of fatty acids and glycerol. Wilhelm Normann, a German chemist introduced the hydrogenation of liquid fats in 1901, creating what later became known as trans fats, leading to the development of the global production of margarine and vegetable shortening.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In the USA cottonseed oil was developed, and marketed by Procter & Gamble as a creamed shortening – Crisco – as early as 1911. Ginning mills were happy to have someone haul away the cotton seeds. The extracted oil was refined and partially hydrogenated to give a solid at room temperature and thus mimic natural lard, and canned under nitrogen gas. Compared to the rendered lard Procter & Gamble was already selling to consumers, Crisco was cheaper, easier to stir into a recipe, and could be stored at room temperature for two years without turning rancid.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Soybeans are protein-rich, and the medium viscosity oil rendered from them was high in polyunsaturates. Henry Ford established a soybean research laboratory, developed soybean plastics and a soy-based synthetic wool, and built a car "almost entirely" out of soybeans. Roger Drackett had a successful new product with Windex, but he invested heavily in soybean research, seeing it as a smart investment. By the 1950s and 1960s, soybean oil had become the most popular vegetable oil in the US; today it is second only to palm oil. In 2018–2019, world production was at 57.4 MT with the leading producers including China (16.6 MT), US (10.9 MT), Argentina (8.4 MT), Brazil (8.2 MT), and EU (3.2 MT).


title: Vegetable oil

text: The early 20th century also saw the start of the use of vegetable oil as a fuel in diesel engines and in heating oil burners. Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to run on vegetable oil. The idea, he hoped, would make his engines more attractive to farmers having a source of fuel readily available. Diesel's first engine ran on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany, on 10 August 1893 on nothing but peanut oil. In remembrance of this event, 10 August has been declared "International Biodiesel Day". The first patent on Biodiesel was granted in 1937. Periodic petroleum shortages spurred research into vegetable oil as a diesel substitute during the 1930s and 1940s, and again in the 1970s and early 1980s when straight vegetable oil enjoyed its highest level of scientific interest. The 1970s also saw the formation of the first commercial enterprise to allow consumers to run straight vegetable oil in their vehicles. However, biodiesel, produced from oils or fats using transesterification is more widely used. It is Led by Brazil, many countries built biodiesel plants during the 1990s, and it is now widely available for use in motor vehicles, and is the most common biofuel in Europe today. In France, biodiesel is incorporated at a rate of 8% in the fuel used by all French diesel vehicles.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In the mid-1970s, Canadian researchers developed a low-erucic-acid rapeseed cultivar. Because the word "rape" was not considered optimal for marketing, they coined the name "canola" (from "Canada Oil low acid"). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved use of the canola name in January 1985, and U.S. farmers started planting large areas that spring. Canola oil is lower in saturated fats, and higher in monounsaturates. Canola is very thin (unlike corn oil) and flavorless (unlike olive oil), so it largely succeeds by displacing soy oil, just as soy oil largely succeeded by displacing cottonseed oil.


title: Vegetable oil

text: A large quantity of used vegetable oil is produced and recycled, mainly from industrial deep fryers in potato processing plants, snack food factories and fast food restaurants.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Recycled oil has numerous uses, including use as a direct fuel, as well as in the production of biodiesel, livestock feed, pet food, soap, detergent, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Since 2002, an increasing number of European Union countries have prohibited the inclusion of recycled vegetable oil from catering in animal feed. Used cooking oils from food manufacturing, however, as well as fresh or unused cooking oil, continue to be used in their animal feed.


title: Vegetable oil

text: Due to their susceptibility to oxidation from the exposure to oxygen, heat and light, resulting in the formation of oxidation products, such as peroxides and hydroperoxides, plant oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids have a limited shelf-life.


title: Vegetable oil

text: In Canada, palm oil is one of five vegetable oils, along with palm kernel oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, and cocoa butter, which must be specifically named in the list of ingredients for a food product. Also, oils in Canadian food products which have been modified or hydrogenated must contain the word "modified" or "hydrogenated" when listed as an ingredient. A mix of oils other than the aforementioned exceptions may simply be listed as "vegetable oil" in Canada; however, if the food product is a cooking oil, salad oil or table oil, the type of oil must be specified and listing "vegetable oil" as an ingredient is not acceptable.


title: Vegetable oil

text: From December 2014, all food products produced in the European Union were legally required to indicate the specific vegetable oil used in their manufacture, following the introduction of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation.


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Zachary Adam Gordon (born February 15, 1998) is an American actor. He rose to prominence by playing Greg Heffley in the first three films of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series. He then went on to play Tate Wilson in "Good Trouble" and Jason Cohen in "Dead of Summer".


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Gordon was born in Oak Park, California, to Linda and Kenneth Gordon. He has two older brothers and was raised in Southern California. He graduated from a public high school in Oak Park. He is Jewish.


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Gordon has made multiple television appearances on programs such as "How I Met Your Mother" and "All of Us". He also appeared in the 2008 pilot of "Desperate Housewives", plus two other episodes, and in two episodes of "24" that aired in January 2009. He appeared in three episodes as a guest star on "Last Man Standing", where he played Tim's daughter's boyfriend.


title: Zachary Gordon

text: His film credits include "Sex and Death 101", "Lower Learning", the Garry Marshall film "Georgia Rule" (for which he won the Young Artist Award for his portrayal of Ethan), "The Brothers Bloom", as young Bloom, and in "".


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Gordon has been credited with numerous voice over roles including Brad Spolyt in "The Chubbchubbs Save Xmas", Ricky Garcia in "Project Gilroy", San San in Nick Jr.'s "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" and "The Mighty B!" He was a series regular as the original voice of Gil in the Nickelodeon series "Bubble Guppies".


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Gordon had voice cameo roles as Baby Melman in the animated film "", Kotaro in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection", and young Tony Stark in "The Super Hero Squad Show". In 2010, he played Greg Heffley in the film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". In 2011, he voiced Papi Jr. in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" and as Paws in Disney's "The Search for Santa Paws".


title: Zachary Gordon

text: In June 2010, 20th Century Fox announced a sequel to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"; Gordon returned as Greg Heffley and the film, "", was released on March 25, 2011.


title: Zachary Gordon

text: In 2011, Gordon provided voices for Charlie Brown, Linus, and Franklin on the comedy show "Robot Chicken", and in 2012, he reprised the role of Greg Heffley in "". In the fourth film, "", he was replaced by Jason Drucker. In October 2013, Gordon was chosen to host a miniseries for Nintendo, titled "Skylander's Boomcast", on YouTube channel SkylandersGame, reviewing and talking about the video game series "Skylanders".


title: Zachary Gordon

text: Additional films for 2013 included "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" and a role as Pete Kidder in Walden Media's and Hallmark Channel's "Pete's Christmas".


title: Torchwood

text: Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of "Doctor Who", it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from BBC Three to BBC Two to BBC One, and acquiring American financing in its fourth series when it became a co-production of BBC One and Starz. "Torchwood" is aimed at adults and older teenagers, in contrast to "Doctor Who"s target audience of both adults and children. As well as science fiction, the show explores a number of themes, including existentialism, sexuality and human corruptibility.


title: Torchwood

text: "Torchwood" follows the exploits of a small team of alien-hunters, who make up the Cardiff-based, fictional Torchwood Institute which deals mainly with incidents involving extraterrestrials. Its central character is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), an immortal con-man from the distant future; Jack originally appeared in the 2005 series of "Doctor Who". The initial main cast of the series consisted of Gareth David-Lloyd, Burn Gorman, Naoko Mori, and Eve Myles. Their characters are specialists for the Torchwood team, often tracking down aliens and defending the planet from alien and human threats. In its first two series, the show uses a time rift in Cardiff as its primary plot generator, accounting for the unusual preponderance of alien beings in Cardiff. In the third and fourth series, Torchwood operate as fugitives. Gorman and Mori's characters were written out of the story at the end of the second series. Recurring actor Kai Owen was promoted to the main cast in series three, in which David-Lloyd was written out. Subsequently, American actors Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins and Bill Pullman joined the cast of the show for its fourth series.


title: Torchwood

text: The first series premiered on BBC Three and on BBC HD in 2006 to mixed reviews, but viewing figures broke records for the digital channel. It returned in 2008 where it aired first on BBC Two, receiving a higher budget; its uneven tone, a criticism of the first series, was largely smoothed out, and the show attracted higher ratings and better reviews. The third series' episodes worked with a higher budget, and it was transferred to the network's flagship channel, BBC One, as a five-episode serial titled "". Although "Children of Earth" was broadcast over a period of five consecutive summer weeknights, the show received high ratings in the United Kingdom and overseas. A fourth series, co-produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium entertainment network Starz aired in 2011 under the title "". Set both in Wales and the United States, "Miracle Day" fared less well with critics than "Children of Earth", although it was applauded by some for its ambition. In October 2012, Davies announced that for personal reasons the show would enter indefinite hiatus.


title: Torchwood

text: All four televised series have been broadcast in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. Owing to the early popularity of "Torchwood", various tie-in media were produced, including audio dramas, novels and comic strips. From its inception, the BBC invested in a heavy online presence for the series, with an alternate reality game running alongside the show's first two series, and an animated Web series running alongside its fourth. The BBC continued to approve and commission licensed spin-offs after the show's conclusion, including an audio series from Big Finish Productions.


title: Torchwood

text: On 21 February 2020, all 41 televised episodes returned to the BBC's online streaming service, BBC iPlayer. In the United States, the entire series was made available on HBO's new streaming service, HBO Max, upon its launch in May 2020.


title: Torchwood

text: Before the revival of "Doctor Who", Russell T Davies began to develop an idea for a science-fiction/crime drama in the style of American dramas, in particular those created by Joss Whedon like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". This idea, originally titled "Excalibur", was abandoned until 2005, when BBC Three Controller Stuart Murphy invited Davies to develop an after-watershed science fiction series for the channel. During the production of the 2005 series of "Doctor Who", the word "Torchwood" (an anagram of "Doctor Who") had been used as a title ruse for the series while filming its first few episodes to ensure they were not intercepted. Davies connected the word "Torchwood" to his earlier "Excalibur" idea and decided to make the series a "Doctor Who" spin-off. Subsequently, the word "Torchwood" was seeded in "Doctor Who" episodes and other media that aired in 2005 and 2006.


title: Torchwood

text: Because "Torchwood" is shown after the watershed – that is, after 9 pm – it has more mature content than "Doctor Who". Davies told "SFX":


title: Torchwood

text: We can be a bit more visceral, more violent, and more sexual, if we want to. Though bear in mind that it's very teenage to indulge yourself in blood and gore, and "Torchwood" is going to be smarter than that. But it's the essential difference between BBC One at 7 pm, and BBC Three at, say, 9 pm. That says it all – instinctively, every viewer can see the huge difference there.


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text: According to Barrowman: "I don't do any nude scenes in series one; they're saving that for the next series! I don't have a problem with getting my kit off, as long as they pay me the right money." Davies also joked to a BBC Radio Wales interviewer that he was "not allowed" to refer to the programme as ""Doctor Who" for grown-ups". The first series includes content rarely seen or heard in the "Doctor Who" franchise, including sex scenes and use of profanity in several episodes.


title: Torchwood

text: Although Torchwood was originally intended to be sci-fi aimed at adults, the character Captain Jack Harkness, who had previously been introduced in Doctor Who, proved popular with young audiences. Davies decided to edit the second series to be "child-friendly", removing overt sexuality and swearing. These edits to the shows enabled it to be broadcast at 7 pm (pre-watershed).


title: Torchwood

text: The first three series of "Torchwood" were produced in-house by BBC Wales. The Head of Drama at the time of the first series, Julie Gardner, served as executive producer alongside Davies. The first two episodes of series 1 of "Torchwood" premiered on 22 October 2006 on BBC Three and BBC HD. Series 2 premiered on BBC Two and BBC HD on 16 January 2008. The third series, a five-part mini-series titled "", aired on BBC One and BBC HD between 6 and 10 July 2009.


title: Torchwood

text: BBC Three described "Torchwood" as the centrepiece of its autumn 2006 schedule and the successful first series led to a second series on BBC Two and a third on BBC One in 2009. However, Davies expressed concern that the third series was aired in a summer evening graveyard slot. Lead actor John Barrowman felt that the show had been mistreated by BBC executives, despite what he felt was the programme's proven popularity and success. The third series, "Children of Earth", began shooting on 18 August 2008 and comprised a five-episode mini-series that aired over five consecutive days at 9 pm on BBC One from 6 July 2009, and 9 pm on BBC America HD and BBC America from 20 July 2009. Davies and Gardner stayed on as executive producers and Peter Bennett produced the series.


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text: In August 2009, Davies stated that the fourth series was "ready to go", and that he had the next series planned out, stating, "I know exactly how to pick it up. I've got a shape in mind, and I've got stories. I know where you'd find Gwen and Rhys, and their baby, and Jack, and I know how you'd go forward with a new form of Torchwood." At the time, he stated he would prefer for series four to be another mini-series, though he had no qualms about doing another thirteen-episode run. A November 2009 article posted on Eve Myles's website stated that shooting for the fourth series was to begin in January 2011.


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text: Subsequently, Davies looked to US networks to finance future series of the programme. He was turned down by one of the United States' major television networks, Fox; some had speculated the Fox project could have been a spin-off or a reboot. Later, Davies succeeded in striking a deal with US premium cable network Starz. The production of the fourth series was not officially announced until June 2010: a ten-episode mini-series co-produced between BBC Wales, Starz and BBC Worldwide, airing summer 2011.


title: Torchwood

text: As with the third, the fourth series was given its own title: "". Shortly after the broadcast of "Miracle Day" in March 2012, the chief executive officer of Starz, Chris Albrecht, announced that he was remaining in touch with the BBC regarding a further series of "Torchwood", though it would depend on Davies being free from his other commitments. , no plans for fifth series have been announced, however in early 2015 Barrowman confirmed that Torchwood was returning in the form of several BBC radio plays that could lead to the possibility of a future return to television.


title: Torchwood

text: In the first series, the main writer alongside Russell T Davies was Chris Chibnall, creator of the BBC light drama show "Born and Bred" and future "Doctor Who" showrunner. Other writers include P.J. Hammond, Toby Whithouse, "Doctor Who" script editor Helen Raynor, Catherine Tregenna and "Doctor Who" cast member Noel Clarke. Of the first two series, Russell T Davies wrote only the première episode. Helen Raynor and Brian Minchin were the programme's script editors.


title: Torchwood

text: Series one of "Torchwood" was filmed from May 2006 until November 2006. For the second series, lead writer Chris Chibnall wrote the opening episode and the three final episodes. Both Catherine Tregenna and Helen Raynor wrote two episodes for the second series. The other episodes were written by James Moran, Matt Jones, J. C. Wilsher, Joseph Lidster, P.J. Hammond and Phil Ford. Russell T Davies was initially announced as writing two episodes, but due to commitments to "Doctor Who", he no longer anticipated writing any "Torchwood" episodes. For series three, Davies returned and wrote the first and last episodes, co-wrote episode three with James Moran and plotted the overall story arc himself. John Fay wrote episodes two and four.


title: Torchwood

text: For the fourth series, "Miracle Day", Davies secured several popular US television writers, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writer Jane Espenson; "The X-Files", "" and "Supernatural" writer John Shiban; and "House" writer Doris Egan. Additionally, both Davies and John Fay returned to write episodes. In continuing the series Davies chose to keep "Torchwood" more focused on the human condition than its science fiction backdrop. He drew inspiration from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", noting that "the best metaphors in Buffy came down to, 'What's it like to be in high school, as a kid?'" He felt the fourth series of "Torchwood" to be "about us and our decisions and our lives, and how we live with each other and how we die with each other". The depiction of human nature in the fourth series led to a sequence which many felt to be evocative of the Holocaust. Jane Espenson noted that as a series "Torchwood" "is willing to go to horrible places". She stated that in storylining "Miracle Day", the writers "didn't want to flinch away from what mankind can do."


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text: The first block of series two, consisting of episodes by Raynor and Tregenna, was directed by Andy Goddard. Colin Teague directed the second block, which consists of episode two by Moran and episode four by Tregenna, with Ashley Way directing the third block, consisting of the series two premiere by Chibnall and the sixth episode of the series, by JC Wilsher. Euros Lyn directed all five episodes of the third series, "Children of Earth".


title: Torchwood

text: In June 2010, a BBC News report confirmed that the fourth series would have 10 episodes. Filming began in January 2011. Unlike the previous series, this series' directors did not direct in blocks but in specific episodes. The series four directors included Bharat Nalluri, Billy Gierhart, Guy Ferland and Horder-Payton.


title: Torchwood

text: Richard Stokes produced series 1 and 2 of Torchwood; Originally, James Hawes (a "Doctor Who" director) was lined up as the producer, but he later withdrew from this project. Series 3 was produced by Peter Bennett. Series 4 was produced by Kelly A Manners, with UK filming produced by Brian Minchin, producer of Series 4 and 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The series also shares "Doctor Who"'s production designer, Edward Thomas. Music for the series was composed by Ben Foster and "Doctor Who"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s composer Murray Gold, with composer Stu Kennedy assisting on Series 4.


title: Torchwood

text: In lieu of a full-length title sequence, the opening sequence of the show's first two series is composed of a voice-over monologue by Barrowman as Harkness, establishing the show's premise. The show's theme tune plays over this monologue and the additional intertitle. The theme was written by "Doctor Who" composer Murray Gold.


title: Torchwood

text: The opening sequence was re-done specifically for series 2, episode 5 "Adam", adding the titular character to the existing scenes. This reflected the in-universe story of Adam psychically inserting himself into the team members' memories as a long-standing member of the team.


title: Torchwood

text: For "", a recap of the last episode was played at the beginning of each episode, followed by a title card. The theme was not featured in this, instead only featuring over the end credits.


title: Torchwood

text: A new theme arrangement and opening credit sequence was introduced with Series 4 (though a musical motif, or "sting", from the original theme is still audible in numerous scenes). Although each episode of "Miracle Day" has a published individual title, "Torchwood: Miracle Day" is the only on-screen title used.


title: Torchwood

text: The series is set in Cardiff, Wales and follows a rogue covert agency called Torchwood which investigates extraterrestrial incidents on Earth and scavenges alien technology for its own use. This Torchwood, led by Captain Jack Harkness, is a small, independent organisation, but began as the Cardiff branch of the larger Torchwood Institute, then-defunct, which began in the Victorian era. (Its origins were outlined in the "Doctor Who" episode "Tooth and Claw", and Harkness's long connection to it is covered in flashback scenes in a "Torchwood" series 2 episode.) As the opening monologue explains, the organisation is separate from the government, outside the police, and beyond the United Nations. Their public perception is as merely a 'special ops' group. The events of the first series take place sometime after the "Doctor Who" series two finale, in which the Torchwood Institute's London headquarters was destroyed. This format was maintained for the first two series.


title: Torchwood

text: Series three, a miniseries, saw the Cardiff headquarters destroyed and the team temporarily operating as fugitives in England's capital city of London, its membership declining and the organisation thoroughly broken over the course of the serial. Series four starts with Torchwood fully disbanded. Jack has left Earth after the events of series three, and a pregnant Gwen has retired to be with her family. The group is then unofficially reformed, this time operating primarily in the United States, joined by two fugitive CIA agents who have been framed for treason, during Miracle Day.


title: Torchwood

text: Unlike its parent programme, "Torchwood" centres on a team instead of a single character with companions. The show initially depicts a small team of alien-hunters known as Torchwood Three, based in Cardiff. The team is made up of five operatives led by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), formerly a time-traveling "Time Agent" and con man from the distant future who has lived on Earth as an immortal since the 19th century. Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), the female lead, joins the team in the first episode; she is originally an audience surrogate, but later grows into a more morally complicated character. The original cast is filled out by Torchwood medical officer Owen Harper (Burn Gorman), computer specialist Toshiko Sato (Naoko Mori), and general "factotum"-cum-administrator Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd). Toshiko and Owen are killed off in the second series finale, as is Ianto in the show's third series. Recurring characters are Rhys Williams (Kai Owen), Gwen's live-in boyfriend and later husband; and Andy Davidson (Tom Price), Gwen's former police partner. Kai Owen becomes a main cast member in the programme beginning with the third series; his character is initially unaware of Gwen's activities with Torchwood, but later becomes her close confidant and the team's ally. Price appears in all four series.


title: Torchwood

text: Prior to the programme's debut, publicity materials featured Indira Varma as Suzie Costello among the regular cast members, giving the impression that she would appear throughout the series. However, Suzie was killed off at the end of the first episode with Gwen taking her place on the team, Suzie reappearing only once more as an antagonist. In the first two series, Paul Kasey regularly appears under heavy prosthetics, portraying, as in "Doctor Who", a number of aliens on the series, such as humanoid Weevils and Blowfishes. Other recurring characters include "Doctor Who"s Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)—like Jack, a former time-traveller, and now medical officer for the militaristic alien-investigating organisation UNIT—who crosses over into "Torchwood" for three episodes in series two. Additionally, James Marsters portrays Captain John Hart, Jack's villainous former lover and Time Agent partner. Others in the second series, recurring in a minor capacity, include a mysteriously age-immune little girl (Skye Bennett) and Victorian-era Torchwood member Alice Guppy (Amy Manson). The second series also introduces Gwen's parents, Geraint (William Thomas) and Mary Cooper (Sharon Morgan), who later reappear in the show's fourth series.


title: Torchwood

text: "" featured a largely new supporting cast for the duration of the five-episode serial, such as Permanent Secretary John Frobisher (Peter Capaldi), Clem McDonald (Paul Copley), Frobisher's personal assistant Bridget Spears (Susan Brown), Prime Minister Brian Green (Nicholas Farrell), ruthless operative Agent Johnson (Liz May Brice), Jack's middle-aged daughter Alice (Lucy Cohu), her son Steven (Bear McCausland) and Ianto's sister Rhiannon (Katy Wix). Cush Jumbo was cast as Frobisher's personal assistant Lois Habiba; Habiba was written into the story after Agyeman was unavailable to return to portray Martha.


title: Torchwood

text: The fourth series, "Miracle Day", features an expanded cast of eight. Barrowman, Myles and Owen all return to the series. New to the Torchwood team are CIA agents Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer), and Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins), and surgeon Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur). American film star Bill Pullman joins as Oswald Danes, a highly intelligent child murderer, and Lauren Ambrose plays Jilly Kitzinger, a ruthless PR woman who takes on Danes as a client. Tur's character is killed off in the fifth episode, whilst Pullman and Havins last until episode ten. Recurring characters include CIA directors Brian Friedkin (Wayne Knight) and Allen Shapiro (John de Lancie), San Pedro camp manager Colin Maloney (Marc Vann), Esther's sister Sarah Drummond (Candace Brown), and CIA watch analysts Charlotte Willis (Marina Benedict) and Noah Vickers (Paul James). Nana Visitor plays Olivia Colasanto, who directs the team toward their real enemies; Frances Fisher and Teddy Sears portray recurring villains.


title: Torchwood

text: The premiere episode "Everything Changes" was written by Russell T Davies and introduces the main characters and roles within the series, using newcomer Gwen as the audience surrogate in a similar style to the introduction of the companion characters in "Doctor Who". The second episode, titled "Day One", aired immediately after the first. It continues Gwen's neophyte role and includes a "sex monster" science fiction storyline. The first 13-episode series ended with a two-parter on 1 January 2007. The first part, entitled "Captain Jack Harkness", is a love story set in wartime Britain, with a subplot which pushes the setting toward an apocalypse for the finale "End of Days". It deals with the ramifications of diseases and persons from throughout history falling through time and across the universe to arrive in the present day, and particularly in Cardiff. The episode also sets up Jack's return in the "Doctor Who" episode "Utopia".


title: Torchwood

text: 2008's second 13-episode series of "Torchwood" begins with Jack's return from the previous "Doctor Who" episode, "Last of the Time Lords" with the series premiere, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang". The series introduces Jack's ex-partner Captain John Hart in its premiere, reveals flashbacks to Jack's childhood in "Adam" and shows how each member joined Torchwood in the penultimate episode "Fragments". A three-episode arc ("Reset", "Dead Man Walking" and "A Day in the Death") in the middle of the series guest stars "Doctor Who" actress Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones, temporarily drafted into Torchwood. The arc focuses on the death and partial resurrection of main character Owen Harper, and how he copes as a dead man. The second series finale, "Exit Wounds", features the departures of main characters Owen and Tosh, whose deaths at the hands of Jack's long-lost brother Gray reduced the cast to Barrowman, Myles and David-Lloyd in its closing scenes. The Torchwood Three team made a crossover appearance in the series four finale of "Doctor Who", "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End", which featured Jack Harkness leaving the Doctor at the close of the story, accompanied by Martha Jones and Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke).


title: Torchwood

text: Series three is only five episodes long, and was broadcast over consecutive nights as a single story, "" (2009). The series focuses on the consequences of appeasement policy; having been given 12 children as a tribute in 1965, aliens called the 4-5-6 arrive in the present demanding a greater share of the Earth's child population. For the first time in the series, the majority of the action takes place outside Wales; Torchwood's base of operations is destroyed in the premiere and the remainder of the Torchwood team have relocated to London. Kai Owen is promoted to a regular cast member, while a new cast of political figures are introduced alongside family members of main characters Jack and Ianto. Nicholas Farrell plays Prime Minister Brian Green whose intent is to give in rather than fight the 4–5–6, leaving Torchwood to stand against the government and the aliens. David-Lloyd departs the cast when Ianto is killed by the aliens in episode four, leaving Jack distraught. In the series closing scenes, with Gwen pregnant and Jack abandoning Earth, Torchwood effectively disbands.


title: Torchwood

text: Series four, "" (2011), comprising ten episodes, sees Torchwood having been reduced to the status of legend following "Children of Earth". The narrative follows two CIA agents (Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins) who discover Torchwood on the same day death ceases to occur, due to an event known as Miracle Day. The agents join Gwen and Jack as they seek to restore death to the world. While primarily a conspiracy thriller, the series also examines the depths humanity can sink to under pressure. Actress Arlene Tur portrays a surgeon who challenges the failing medical system and shifting government legislation. The characters of Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) and Jilly Kitzinger (Lauren Ambrose) are used to highlight the precariousness of fame and the amorality of the media. The late-2000s global recession is implicated as another element of the Miracle Day conspiracy. Though largely set in the US, Wales remains a key setting. The origins of the Miracle Day conspiracy are revealed in a 1920s flashback in "Immortal Sins", as the worldwide scale of the story takes the protagonists to Shanghai and Buenos Aires in the finale "The Blood Line". In the epilogue, Gwen questions Jack whether he will stay to reform Torchwood; he does not provide an answer.


title: Torchwood

text: The first two series of "Torchwood" were both filmed and set in Cardiff. The makers of "Torchwood" deliberately portray Cardiff as a modern urban centre, contrasting with past stereotypical portrayals of Wales. "There's not a male voice choir ... or a miner in sight." said BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards. Conservative MP Michael Gove described the debut of "Torchwood" as the moment confirming "Wales' move from overlooked celtic cousin to underwired erotic coquette". Filming has also taken place outside of Cardiff, including in Merthyr Tydfil.


title: Torchwood

text: The team's headquarters during the first two series, referred to as "the Hub", was beneath Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay – formerly known as the Oval Basin. This is where the TARDIS landed in the "Doctor Who" episodes "Boom Town" and "Utopia" to refuel, and is the location of the spacetime rift first seen in "The Unquiet Dead". The Hub itself was around three storeys high, with a large column running through the middle that was an extension of the fountain above; at its base lay the rift machine. The Hub had two means of access: a lift that rose to the plass next to the fountain (camouflaged by a perception filter), and a more mundane entrance hidden in a tourism office. Production crew were keen to use everything Wales had to offer in filming the series; for example, the military base scenes in "Sleeper" and the booby-trapped abandoned warehouse scenes in "Fragments" were filmed at RAF Caerwent, near Chepstow.


title: Torchwood

text: The third series opened in the traditional setting, but in the first episode the Hub was destroyed; the show adapted to a conventional London setting, with many scenes filmed and set at real-life British intelligence agency headquarters Thames House. For the show's fourth series, the programme was largely filmed and set in the United States, but parts were filmed in Wales and other locations.


title: Torchwood

text: Torchwood explores various themes in its narrative, including issues around existentialism, the nature of human life and the absence of a traditional afterlife, and the corrupting nature of power. The program is also notable in its portrayal of LGBT characters and the degree to which its various characters are sexually fluid; through those characters, the series examines homosexual and bisexual relationships.


title: Torchwood

text: "Torchwood Declassified" is a "making-of" programme similar to "Doctor Who Confidential". Each "Declassified" episode runs under ten minutes, in contrast to "Confidential"<nowiki>'s</nowiki> 45 (formerly 30). "Torchwood Declassified" aired on BBC Three (series 1) and BBC Two (series 2), and was also available online through the BBC's iPlayer and dedicated "Torchwood" site. Installments were produced for each episode of the first two series, with a single installment produced for the "Children of Earth" DVD release.


title: Torchwood

text: In 2007, Titan Magazines launched "Torchwood Magazine", which was released on 24 January 2008 in the United Kingdom. The United States version was launched in February 2008. The Australia/New Zealand version was launched in April 2008. The magazine emulated "Doctor Who Magazine" in combining behind-the-scenes features with original story content in the form of a serialised comic strip and short stories; as the magazine's run progressed, the original fiction became more predominant. The magazine was discontinued in early 2011, after two-dozen issues.


title: Torchwood

text: Titan published six issues of a monthly "Torchwood" comic book in 2009 for North American markets; the comic consisted of reprints of the magazine's comic strips and short stories, and was cancelled in the wake of the parent publication folding.


title: Torchwood

text: Following the cancellation of "Torchwood Magazine", "Doctor Who Magazine" and its US counterpart, Doctor Who Insider, ran articles on the series.