prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: Where did they film The Beach in the country where Siddhi Savetsila was born?

The following are given passages.
Context 1: Passage 1:
The Beach (film)
The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle, from a screenplay by John Hodge, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland  The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, and Robert Carlyle  It was filmed on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi Le 
The film was a moderate box office success but received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics 

Plot
Richard, a young American seeking adventure in Bangkok, stays in a drab travelers' hotel on Khao San Road where he meets a young French couple, Françoise and Étienne  He also meets Daffy, who tells him of a pristine, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Thailand with a beautiful hidden beach  Daffy explains that he settled there in secret several years earlier, but difficulties arose and he left  Daffy commits suicide, leaving Richard a map to the island  Richard persuades Françoise and Étienne to accompany him to the island, and the three travel to Ko Samui  Richard meets two American surfers who have heard rumors of the island and he gives them a copy of the map 
En route to the island, Richard becomes infatuated with Françoise  After swimming to the island from a neighbouring island, they find a cannabis plantation guarded by armed Thai farmers  Avoiding detection, they make their way across the island and meet Keaty, who brings them to a community of travellers living on the island in secret  Sal, the community's English leader, explains that the farmers allow them to stay so long as they keep to themselves and do not allow any more travelers to come to the island  Richard lies that they have not shown the map to anyone else  The trio becomes integrated into the community 
One night, Françoise invites Richard to the beach, where she tells him that she is falling in love with him and they start an affair   Despite hoping to keep it secret, the community finds out  Although he is angry, Étienne says he will not stand in their way if Françoise is happier with Richard 
Sal selects Richard to accompany her on a supply run to Ko Pha Ngan  They encounter the American surfers who are preparing to search for the island and mention Richard's map  Sal is upset but believes Richard when he says they have no map  To ensure that Sal will not tell the rest of the island about the map, Richard has sex with her at her order   On their return to the island, Richard lies to Françoise about having had sex with Sal 
Three of the community fishermen are attacked by a shark while spearfishing  One is killed and another, Christo, is severely injured  Now terrified of the water, Christo refuses to be taken to the mainland for medical treatment and Sal refuses to allow any doctors to be brought to the island to treat him  As the man's condition worsens, the islanders simply leave him in the jungle to die, but Etienne refuses to abandon him 
When the surfers turn up on the neighboring island, Sal orders Richard to send them away and destroy their map  She tells everyone that she and Richard had sex, which leaves Françoise angry and heartbroken, causing her to return to Étienne  Isolated from the group, Richard begins to lose his sanity, imagining that he is conversing with the deceased Daffy 
The surfers reach the island but are discovered and killed by the farmers  Shocked at witnessing their deaths, Richard smothers Christo to put him out of his misery and gathers Françoise and Étienne to leave the island 
Richard is captured by the farmers along with Françoise and Étienne  The farmers are furious with the community for breaking their deal not to allow any more newcomers  The lead farmer gives Sal a gun loaded with a single bullet and orders her to make a choice: kill Richard and the group will be allowed to stay, or else they must all leave immediately  Sal pulls the trigger, but the chamber is empty  Shocked by her willingness to commit murder, the other members of the community abandon Sal, leave the island, and go their separate ways 
Back in the United States, Richard receives an email at an Internet cafe from Françoise with a nostalgic group photograph of the beach community in happier times 

Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard, a freelance traveler 
Tilda Swinton as Sal, the leader of the beach community 
Virginie Ledoyen as Françoise, the girlfriend of Étienne, and Richard's love interest 
Guillaume Canet as Étienne, the boyfriend of Françoise 
Robert Carlyle as Daffy, the eccentric former member of the beach community 
Paterson Joseph as Keaty, a member of the beach community who loves cricket 
Lars Arentz-Hansen as Bugs, Sal's South-African boyfriend and the beach community's carpenter 
Daniel Caltagirone as Unhygienix, the beach community's chef who has an obsession with soap due to having to always prepare the fish for consumption 
Staffan Kihlbom, Jukka Hiltunen, and Magnus Lindgren as Christo, Karl, and Sten, the beach community's Swedish fishermen 
Victoria Smurfit as Weathergirl, a member of the beach community whose tightening pelvis has been a sign for rain 
Zelda Tinska and Lidija Zovkić as Sonja and Mirjana, two beach community members who come from Sarajevo 
Samuel Gough as Guitarman, the beach community's residential guitarist who is not a good singer 
Peter Youngblood Hills and Jerry Swindall as Zeph and Sammy, two Americans whom Richard meets in Ko Samui 
Saskia Mulder and Simone Huber as Hilda and Eva, two women who accompany Zeph and Sammy to the island 
Peter Gevisser as Gregorio, an Italian member of the beach community 
Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul as the leader of the cannabis farmers 

Production
Ewan McGregor was cast as the main character before leaving due to disputes with the director  It was speculated that Boyle was offered additional funding under the condition that DiCaprio be cast and his character made American  Whilst promoting T2 Trainspotting on The Graham Norton Show, the dispute was discussed in more depth, with McGregor stating "It was a mis-handling and a mis-understanding over the film and it's a big regret of mine that it went on for so very long    and it didn't matter about The Beach, it was never about that  It was about our friendship  I felt like Danny's actor and it made me a bit rudderless " 
Boyle stated, "I handled it very very badly and I have apologised to Ewan for it  I felt a great shame about it and how it was handled "Members of the cast and crew were involved in a boating accident during production  It was reported that the incident involved both Boyle and DiCaprio  No one was injured The beach seen in the film is not the same as in real life  There is a gap between mountains on the actual beach in Thailand  The special effects crew digitally added some of the surrounding mountains during the post-production phase 
The waterfall scene, where DiCaprio and others jump from a high cliff to the water below, was filmed in Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand, at the Haew Suwat Waterfall 
The map in the film was illustrated by the author of the book that The Beach was based upon, Alex Garland  He received credit for this as the cartographer 
In 1999, Hélène de Fougerolles auditioned for the film but casting directors immediately told her that she was not mysterious enough for the character as she arrived with blond hair in pigtails  She asked them if she could "be an extra or serve coffees there, three months in Thailand, it sounds idyllic!"  Although firstly reluctant because the actress was already established in the industry, they finally accepted  As journalists were not allowed to come take pictures on set, the only picture the press could have of Guillaume Canet and Virginie Ledoyen before shooting started was their departure at Paris airport with de Fougerolles  They made it the cover of Studio Magazine, from which the international press reported her as officially cast  This eventually lent her lines edited out of the final cut but present in the DVD extras 

Release
The film opened February 11, 2000 in both the United Kingdom and the United States The budget of the film was US$50 million  The film opened at number 2 at the box office in both the UK and the US, with a weekend gross of $15,277,921 in the United States and Canada behind Scream 3, and a gross of £2,418,321 in the United Kingdom behind Toy Story 2  Global takings totaled over US$144 million, of which US$39 million was from the United States and Canada 

Home video
The film has been released on VHS and DVD  It was released on Blu-ray in Spain in October 2022   The standard DVD release included nine scenes that were deleted from the film, including an alternative opening which to an extent resembles the one in the novel  These  were later included in a Special Edition DVD release, along with Danny Boyle's commentary on what might have been their purpose  There is also an alternative ending which depicts Sal committing suicide and everyone loading up on a boat from the raft 

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film, co-produced by Pete Tong, features the international hits "Pure Shores" by All Saints and "Porcelain" by Moby, as well as tracks by New Order, Blur, Underworld, Orbital, Faithless, Sugar Ray, and others  Leftfield's contribution to the soundtrack, "Snakeblood", was found to have sampled Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Almost" without permission, leading to a lawsuit; band member Neil Barnes said he forgot to remove the sample from the finished track  The songs "Synasthasia" by Junkie XL, "Out of Control" by The Chemical Brothers, "Fiesta Conga" by Movin' Melodies, "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley, "Neon Reprise" by Lunatic Calm and "Smoke Two Joints" by Chris Kay and Michael Kay were also included in the movie but omitted from the soundtrack  The teaser trailer for the film featured "Touched" by VAST 
The film score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti, and a separate album containing selections of his score was released as well 

Track listing
Year-end charts
Certifications
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 119 reviews, and an average rating of 4 4/10  The website's critical consensus reads, "The Beach is unfocused and muddled, a shallow adaptation of the novel it is based on  Points go to the gorgeous cinematography, though " On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews" Critics suggested that DiCaprio's fame post-Titanic might have contributed to the financial success of this film, which came out less than three years after the James Cameron blockbuster  CNN's Paul Clinton said "Leonardo DiCaprio's main fan base of screaming adolescent girls won't be disappointed with The Beach  The majority of the film displays the titanic-sized young heartthrob sans his shirt in this story about the pseudo-angst and alienation of a young man from the United States escaping civilization and his computer-obsessed generation " He agreed with most others that The Beach was "nothing to write home about"  DiCaprio was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor for his work on the film 

Controversies
Damage to filming location
Controversy arose during the making of the film due to 20th Century Fox's bulldozing and landscaping of the natural beach setting of Ko Phi Phi Le to make it more "paradise-like"  The production altered some sand dunes and cleared some coconut trees and grass to widen the beach  Fox set aside a fund to reconstruct and return the beach to its natural state; however, lawsuits were filed by environmentalists who believed the damage to the ecosystem was permanent and restoration attempts had failed   Following shooting of the film, there was a clear flat area at one end of the beach that was created artificially with an odd layout of trees which was never rectified, and the entire area remained damaged from the original state until the tsunami of 2004 The lawsuits dragged on for years  In 2006, Thailand's Supreme Court upheld an appellate court ruling that the filming had harmed the environment and ordered that damage assessments be made  Defendants in the case included 20th Century Fox and some Thai government officials The large increase in tourist traffic to the beach as a result of the film resulted in environmental damage to the bay and the nearby coral reefs, prompting Thai authorities to close the beach in 2018 The restoration period for the bay was lengthened due to travel restrictions during the COVID pandemic  Blacktip sharks began breeding there again  In 2022, the bay reopened to tourists, under strict protocols of no boats, no swimming and no more than a one hour visit per person for a limited number of visitors at a time 

Portrayal of Thailand
After the film premiered in Thailand in 2000, some Thai politicians were upset at the way Thailand was depicted in the film and called for it to be banned  The depiction of the drug culture was said to give Thailand a bad image and having a statue of Buddha in a bar was cited as "blasphemous" 

Possible spin-off
In a 2019 interview with The Independent, Danny Boyle revealed that a television series based on his film has been written by Amy Seimetz  The proposed series is set to take place before the events from the 1996 novel, although it will be updated to occur 20 years later, in 2016 

See also
Phi Phi Islands
Passage 2:
Sylvan Beach Union Chapel
Sylvan Beach Union Chapel is a historic interdenominational church building located at Sylvan Beach in Oneida County, New York   It opened on July 3, 1887, and worship services have been held there every summer since then   The film The Sterile Cuckoo starring Liza Minnelli was shot in part at the church It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 
Passage 3:
Spring Lake, Alberta
Spring Lake, originally named Edmonton Beach, is a village in central Alberta, Canada  It is located on the eastern shore of Spring Lake, approximately 20 km (12 mi) and 40 km (25 mi) west of the cities of Spruce Grove and Edmonton respectively  Hasse Lake is located 6 km (3 7 mi) southwest of Spring Lake  It was known as the Summer Village of Edmonton Beach from 1959 to 1999 

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Spring Lake had a population of 711 living in 286 of its 308 total private dwellings, a change of 1 7% from its 2016 population of 699  With a land area of 2 28 km2 (0 88 sq mi), it had a population density of 311 8/km2 (807 7/sq mi) in 2021 In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Spring Lake recorded a population of 699 living in 261 of its 303 total private dwellings, a 31 1% change from its 2011 population of 533  With a land area of 2 33 km2 (0 90 sq mi), it had a population density of 300 0/km2 (777 0/sq mi) in 2016 The Village of Spring Lake's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 614, a 3 7% increase over its 2007 municipal census population of 592 

Services
There is a large RV park on the east side of the lake, which has a small camping store which sells candy, newspapers, and a variety of camping items  Other than this there are no commercial businesses in the village 

See also
List of communities in Alberta
List of villages in Alberta
Passage 4:
Bang Bon District
Bang Bon (Thai: บางบอน, pronounced [bāːŋ bɔ̄ːn]) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand  Its neighbours, clockwise from north, are Bang Khae, Phasi Charoen, Chom Thong, and Bang Khun Thian districts of Bangkok, Mueang Samut Sakhon district and Krathum Baen district of Samut Sakhon province, and Nong Khaem district of Bangkok 

History
Formerly Bang Bon was a tambon of amphoe Bang Khun Thian in Thonburi Province, prior to the merger of Thonburi and Phra Nakhon into a single province, after which it was a sub-district of Bang Khun Thian District 
On 14 October 1997, Bang Bon was split from Bang Khun Thian and established as a new district  The district office opened on 6 March 1998, the last of Bangkok's 50 districts to open, first established temporarily at the Thepyada Arak Fresh Market building, but later moved to a permanent location on Ekkachai Road 

Administration
The district has four sub-districts (khwaeng) 

The missing number 1 is the sub-district that was dissolved and divided into four current sub-districts 

Economy
Agriculture is an important part of the area economy  Among Bang Bon's famous products are Nam Doc Mai mangos, coconuts, orchids, and lotus 

Places
Wat Bang Bon
7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary Park, Bang Bon, otherwise known as 9 Hills Park
Sarasas Witaed Bangbon School
Suksanareewittaya School, formerly and still colloquially known as Suksanari 2 School (shared with Samut Sakhon province)

Notable people
Chalerm Yubamrung – politician
Passage 5:
Poplar Beach Resort Water Aerodrome
Poplar Beach Resort Water Aerodrome Airport was a public airport  It was located adjacent to Poplar Beach, British Columbia, Canada  The airport was listed as abandoned in the 15 March 2007 Canada Flight Supplement 
Passage 6:
Isle of Normandy
Isle of Normandy or Normandy Island or Normandy Isles or Normandy Isle is a neighborhood of North Beach in the city of Miami Beach, Florida   It is located along the eastern shore of Biscayne Bay 

Geography
It is located at 25 853°N 80 135°W﻿ / 25 853; -80 135, with an elevation 3 feet (0 91 m) 

History
After building a chain of movie theaters in Cincinnati, Alsace native Henri Levi (or Levy) moved to Miami Beach in 1922  In 1926 he undertook a 2-year period of 24-hour-a-day dredging to create Normandy Isle from the natural swampy land mass in Biscayne Bay west of 71st street theretofore called Warner-Meade Island  Levy was also instrumental in the construction of the 79th Street Causeway 

Streets
Most streets on Normandy Isle were named after French cities and architectural landmarks 
East-West

Bay Drive
Biarritz Drive
Biarritz Court
71st Street (originally Everglades Concourse)
Maimonides Street
Everglades Court (alley)
Normandy Drive
Normandy Court
Marseille Drive
Calais DriveNorth-South

Brest Esplanade
Rue Vendome
Vendome Court
Rue Versailles
Versailles Court
Vichy Drive
Rue Notre Dame
Rue Bordeaux
Trouville Esplanade
Rue Granville
Verdun Drive

Education
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the local school district  Treasure Island Elementary School in North Bay Village serves Normandy Island  Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School and Miami Beach Senior High School serve Normandy Island 

Notable residents
Joan Field, concert violinist
Roy Firestone, sportscaster and entertainer
David M  Gersten, appeals court judge
Bob Mover, jazz saxophonist
Clifford S  Perlman, restaurateur
Daniel Schechter, psychiatrist and author
Passage 7:
Stinson Beach, California
Stinson Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States  Stinson Beach is located 2 5 miles (4 km) east-southeast of Bolinas, at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m)  The population of the Stinson Beach CDP was 541 at the 2020 census Stinson Beach is about a 35-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge on California's Highway 1  It is near important attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, and Mount Tamalpais   It has a long beach, and the cold water produces fog throughout the year Stinson Beach is a popular day trip for people in the San Francisco Bay Area and for tourists visiting Northern California  Although most visitors arrive by private car, Stinson Beach is linked to Marin City by a daily bus service, and the network of hiking trails around Mount Tamalpais also reaches the town  The beach is one of the cleanest in the state, and sandy, unlike the rockier neighboring beach in Bolinas 

History
Nathan H  Stinson bought land at the site in 1866 In 1870, the first road was built along the Pacific coast from Sausalito, and a tent settlement sprang up amongst the willow trees at the beach, which gave rise to the town's original name, Willow Camp  The Mt  Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway opened in 1896, making Willow Camp more accessible  Visitors could ride the train to West Point Inn and then hike or arrange a stagecoach to take them to the beach  In 1906, refugees from the San Francisco earthquake came to the area and built some of the area's first businesses  Stinson Beach became the official town name in 1916, in honor of the largest landowners, Rose and Nathan Stinson 

The first post office opened in 1916 In 1939, the beach was sold to Marin County   It was transferred to the state of California in 1950, and was eventually transferred to the National Park Service in 1977 
In 2002, a surfer was attacked by a 12-to-15-foot-long (3 7 to 4 6 m) great white shark while surfing off Stinson Beach  The young man survived, but received more than 100 stitches to close his wounds  The attack was the second in Stinson Beach, and the 13th in Marin County since 1952  In 1998, Jonathan Kathrein was attacked by a great white shark while bodyboarding  His injury from the shark bite required over 600 stitches  The surf off Stinson Beach is within an area known as the Red Triangle, where there have been an unusually high number of shark attacks Marin County added 12 tsunami warning signs to the Stinson Beach shoreline in 2012 to explain the risk to beachgoers 

Geography
Stinson Beach is located in southern Marin County at 37°54′02″N 122°38′40″W, between Bolinas and Muir Beach  It is 15 miles (24 km) by road northwest of Sausalito and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of San Francisco 
The CDP has a total area of 0 89 square miles (2 31 km2), all of it recorded as land 

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stinson Beach has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps  Like much of the California coast, summer afternoons are often cool and windy (and usually foggy) as winds blow in off the cold ocean   Adjacent sea surface temperatures are typically in the low to mid 50s F year-round   It receives more rain than other coast cities in the San Francisco Bay Area in this latitude with 1,034 70 mm (40 736 in) of rain 

Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Stinson Beach had a population of 632  The population density was 433 1 inhabitants per square mile (167 2/km2)  The racial makeup of Stinson Beach was 582 (92 1%) White, 3 (0 5%) African American, 8 (1 3%) Native American, 14 (2 2%) Asian, 1 (0 2%) Pacific Islander, 9 (1 4%) from other races, and 15 (2 4%) from two or more races  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33 persons (5 2%) 
The Census reported that 629 people (99 5% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0 5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized 
There were 339 households, out of which 50 (14 7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 (39 5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14 (4 1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10 (2 9%) had a male householder with no wife present   There were 26 (7 7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (2 4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships  147 households (43 4%) were made up of individuals, and 45 (13 3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older  The average household size was 1 86   There were 158 families (46 6% of all households); the average family size was 2 54 
The population was spread out, with 76 people (12 0%) under the age of 18, 26 people (4 1%) aged 18 to 24, 117 people (18 5%) aged 25 to 44, 278 people (44 0%) aged 45 to 64, and 135 people (21 4%) who were 65 years of age or older   The median age was 54 4 years  For every 100 females, there were 94 5 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95 1 males 
There were 773 housing units at an average density of 529 8 per square mile (204 6/km2), of which 209 (61 7%) were owner-occupied, and 130 (38 3%) were occupied by renters  The homeowner vacancy rate was 2 3%; the rental vacancy rate was 9 7%   425 people (67 2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 204 people (32 3%) lived in rental housing units 

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 751 people, 374 households, and 178 families residing in the CDP   The population density was 712 inhabitants per square mile (275/km2)   There were 693 housing units at an average density of 657 per square mile (254/km2)   The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 89 6% non-Hispanic White, 0 5% non-Hispanic African American, 0 2% Native American, 2 2% Asian, 0 2% from Pacific Islander, 0 5% from other races, and 1 6% from two or more races  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5 2% of the population 
There were 374 households, out of which 18 7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40 6% were married couples living together, 4 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52 4% were non-families  42 0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11 0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older   The average household size was 1 98 and the average family size was 2 75 
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16 9% under the age of 18, 3 3% from 18 to 24, 25 8% from 25 to 44, 39 4% from 45 to 64, and 14 5% who were 65 years of age or older   The median age was 47 years  For every 100 females, there were 98 2 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100 0 males 
The median income for a household in the CDP was $87,679, and the median income for a family was $105,827  Males had a median income of $58,750 versus $56,875 for females  The per capita income for the CDP was $62,452   About 3 8% of families and 5 1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11 8% of those under the age of eighteen and 10 4% of those 65 or over 

Education
Stinson Beach is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, the Tamalpais Union High School District, and the Marin Community College District   Students in primary grades (K-2) attend Stinson Beach School, while elementary grade students (grades 3–8) attend Bolinas School   Stinson Beach is in the attendance area of Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley 

Government
Stinson Beach is unincorporated, receiving general government services from Marin County, including law enforcement, land use planning, library, public health, and code enforcement  Three special districts provide local services   The Stinson Beach County Water District provides water and septic tank maintenance service and contracts for garbage and recycling collection   The Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Protection District provides fire protection, emergency medical care, and disaster management services   The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District administers programs which aim to mitigate flooding, historically concentrating on issues related to the flooding of Easkoot Creek 

Community organizations
The Stinson Beach Village Association was formed in 1976 to represent the town as the County developed the first Stinson Beach Community Plan  The Village Association's current elected president is village resident Michael Matthews   Previously, development of the town had been promoted by the Stinson Beach Progressive Club, one of several non-profit organizations that formed the board of the Stinson Beach Community Center   The other founding organizations were the Allied Arts Club, the Stinson Beach Community Church, The Volunteer Fire Department, and the Parent-Teachers Club   The Community Center complex on Belvedere Avenue includes the Fire House, which fronts on Shoreline Highway, the Community Center, and the Chapel   The land was donated by the FitzHenrys and the other heirs of the Stinson families 

Regional recreation areas
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Point Reyes National Seashore

Annual events
On the second Sunday of June, the town serves as the ending point for the annual running of the Dipsea Race, the second-oldest footrace in the U S  The California Road Club holds its Mount Tamalpais Hill Climb, one of the oldest bicycle races in the West, in early fall   Since 2002, the race has been held on the third Saturday of the month, with about 400 bicyclists competing in the 12 5-mile (20 1 km) road race from Stinson to the head of Bolinas Lagoon and on to the West summit of Mount Tamalpais at Rock Spring "Cuisine on the Green" is a yearly event held in the town's central park, the Village Green, each May  It features local restaurants and merchants selling a wide variety of foods, trinkets, clothing, art, and novelty items at different booths  Talent local to the area often performs on the small park stage  Cuisine on the Green benefits the Stinson Beach Community Center 
On July 4 of every year, a "tug-of-war" is held with Bolinas across the inlet dividing the two communities  Thirty women from each shore pull against each other until a winner is declared, and then 30 men from each take their turn  It is a slice of life, pure Americana, and always contested both during the actual event and then afterward in the local bars of Smiley's and the Sand Dollar, where the winners' trophies are displayed 

Notable people
Residents, landowners, and summer people important in the development, life, and culture of Stinson Beach   Arrival or tenure is shown in square brackets   Birth and death dates are shown in parentheses 

Rafael Garcia [1836–1846], first settler on Bolinas Lagoon 
Gregorio (1791–May 10, 1863) and Ramona Garcia Briones (1793/4–June 23, 1901), received the Rancho Las Baulines Mexican land grant on February 11, 1846; after being widowed, Ramona married Benancio Munos when she was almost 80; when she died at the age of 107, Ramona Garcia Munos was believed to be the oldest woman in California 
Pablo Briones [1837–?], with his uncle, Rafael Garcia, managed the Rancho for his parents, Gregorio and Ramona; trained as curandero by his aunt, Juana Briones de Miranda; settled in Bolinas 
Captain Isaac Morgan [c  1851–?], purchased the portion of Rancho Las Baulines east of Bolinas Lagoon in 1852; on this property, called Belvidere Ranch and which was to become Stinson Beach, he grew apples, cut wood, built boats, and had a dairy farm; in 1866, as lead partner in the Morgan Land Company, purchased the Page Tract, which ran from Belvidere Ranch to Dogtown and which became the Bourne and Wilkins Ranches 
Nathan and Rose Stinson [1870s–?], established first campground at Willow Camp 
Captain Alfred Easkoot [1870s–], Marin County surveyor; founder of second campground ; member of Duxbury Grove No  26, UAOD
Thaddeus Welch (1844–1919) and Ludmila Pilat Welch (1867–1925) [1896–1905], American painters
William Kent (March 29, 1864 – March 13, 1928) United States Congressman; donor of the land for the Muir Woods National Monument; owner of the beach and tidelands that became Seadrift 
Newman Lee Fitzhenry (1881–November 20, 1938) [c  1913–1938], BS, University of Chicago, 1905; married Eve Stinson and pursued real estate and resort development; suicided November 20, 1938 
William Kent Jr , began the development of the Seadrift subdivision in the 1950s 
Mildred Sadler (May 16, 1905 – February 18, 2004) (1926–2004), Principal, Stinson Beach School, 1926–1967 
Landis Everson (1960s), poet and painter 
George Hunter White, also known as Colonel White (1965–1975) (died October 23, 1975), Federal Bureau of Narcotics agent and District Supervisor, retired; OSS Counter-Intelligence Director during WWII; led Project MKULTRA in Boston and Operation Midnight Climax in New York and San Francisco brothels (or "safehouses") until the closure of the San Francisco facilities in 1965; Fire Marshall, Stinson Beach Fire Department
Elmer Collett (1966–present), former professional football player for the 49ers and the Colts
Peter Bishop Allen (November 1, 1943 – June 3, 2004) (c  1967–2004), sculptor of marine mammals; Assistant Chief, Stinson Beach Fire Department; founder of The Kids Camp nature education program
Steve Miller (1960s–1970s), musician
Jerry Garcia (1970s), musician
Carolyn Garcia, also known as Mountain Girl (1970s), member of Merry Pranksters, wife of Jerry Garcia
Keith and Donna Godchaux (1970s), musicians
Peter Rowan (1970s), musician
Richard Jencks - former President of CBS 
The Rowan Brothers – Lorin and Chris Rowan (1970s), musicians
David Grisman (1970s), musician
George Frayne (born c  1946) (c  1973–199), musician (Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen) and artist; Frayne has referred to Stinson Beach as "formerly the grooviest place on earth "
Joseph Esherick (1987), famed architect; designed a home on Sea Drift Road
James Grant (1924–1997) (c  1980–1997), painter and sculptor; the art exhibit wall at the Stinson Beach Branch Library is named in his honor
Jerry Cebe (August 10, 1940 - Sep 1, 2017), artist (abstract painting; art glass)
Klaus Kinski

In popular culture
Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies, including:

Play It Again, Sam
The Fog
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
The Invisible Man (2020 film); this adaptation is unrelated to the novel & film listed above 
Basic Instinct
On The Edge
Shoot The Moon
 The Crazy-Quilt (1966 John Korty Film)
America Is Still the PlaceThe town was mentioned in an episode of M*A*S*H—"The Merchant of Korea"   In the episode, BJ borrows $200 from Charles to wire home to his wife as a down payment on the purchase of a one-acre lot with "trees, the beach, a view of San Francisco   everything!"
George Frayne (Commander Cody) wrote a song about Stinson Beach entitled "Midnight on The Strand"  It was recorded on his 1987 album, Let's Rock 
The town and the beach are the topic of a poem by Garrison Keillor  In We Are Still Married: Stories and Letters, Keillor has a four-page essay about his visits to Stinson Beach and how thinking of the beach helps him sleep The poet Robert Duncan wrote his influential collection Opening the Field at a house in Stinson Beach Janis Joplin's cremated ashes were scattered along this beach as well as the Pacific Ocean The story of a young surfer's recovery from a shark attack is the subject of a book, Far from Shore Author Danielle Steel writes about Stinson Beach in her novel One Day at a Time (Dell, 2009, ISBN 978-0-440-24333-5) 

See also
List of beaches in California
List of California state parks
Passage 8:
Garden City, South Carolina
Garden City, sometimes known as Garden City Beach, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States  The population was 9,209 at the 2010 census  Garden City Beach is located directly south of Surfside Beach  The developed part of the beach extends south beyond the limits of the Garden City CDP, into Georgetown County, and ends on a peninsula at the mouth of Murrells Inlet 

Geography
Garden City is located in southern Horry County at 33°35′16″N 79°0′19″W (33 587760, -79 005221)  It is bordered to the northeast by the town of Surfside Beach, to the northwest by U S  Route 17, to the south by the Georgetown County/Horry County line, and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean  U S  Route 17 Business is the main road through the center of the community, leading northeast 10 miles (16 km) to the center of Myrtle Beach  Georgetown is 25 miles (40 km) to the southwest via US 17 
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Garden City CDP has a total area of 5 4 square miles (14 1 km2), of which 5 4 square miles (13 9 km2) are land and 0 1 square miles (0 2 km2), or 1 47%, are water 

Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,235 people, 4,893 households, and 2,765 families residing in the CDP 

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,357 people, 4,703 households, and 2,873 families residing in the CDP   The population density was 1,745 1 inhabitants per square mile (673 8/km2)  There were 7,995 housing units at an average density of 1,491 1 per square mile (575 7/km2)  The racial makeup of the CDP was 97 02% White, 1 00% African American, 0 28% Native American, 0 42% Asian, 0 10% Pacific Islander, 0 30% from other races, and 0 89% from two or more races  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1 12% of the population 
There were 4,703 households, out of which 12 8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52 2% were married couples living together, 6 9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38 9% were non-families  31 9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older   The average household size was 1 96 and the average family size was 2 40 
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 11 2% under the age of 18, 5 6% from 18 to 24, 21 5% from 25 to 44, 27 6% from 45 to 64, and 34 2% who were 65 years of age or older  The median age was 54 years   For every 100 females, there were 91 5 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89 1 males 
The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,967, and the median income for a family was $40,403  Males had a median income of $27,683 versus $22,904 for females   The per capita income for the CDP was $24,062   About 2 9% of families and 5 5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7 4% of those under age 18 and 3 5% of those age 65 or over 

Attractions
The Pier at Garden City
Formally known as the Kingfisher Pier that was completely destroyed by Hurricane Hugo and replaced, It is approximately 668 feet (204 m) long, with a rain shelter at the end of the pier which includes a bar and nightly live music during the tourist season 

Garden City Golf Cart Parade
The Garden City Golf Cart Parade is a Fourth of July parade that features red, white and blue-decorated golf carts  It has been a community tradition for almost 30 years  It originally started at Calhoun Drive behind Willards Fireworks  After a brief hiatus, it was held again on July 4, 2009 

Weather
Temperatures tend to be in the 80s (°F) during the summer months in Garden City, SC, and in the 40s during the winter  The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 90 40 °F (32 44 °C), while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 37 30 °F (2 94 °C)  The annual average precipitation at Garden City is 54 57 inches  Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year  The wettest month of the year is September with an average rainfall of 6 44 inches 

Hurricane Hazel
The worst disaster in the community's history occurred on 14 October 1954  Hurricane Hazel slammed into the community and left only two houses habitable 

Hurricane Hugo
In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo destroyed 43% of the beachfront structures along the coast in Garden City  In the aftermath of the storm, Horry County administrator M  L  Love said, "Garden City for all practical purposes is gone " The Kingfisher Pier, as it was known at that time, was also destroyed by Hurricane Hugo  Reconstruction of the pier began in February 1992  The Pier at Garden City, as it is known today, was fully operational July 1992, and no significant damage has been reported since then 

Transportation
Roads and highways
U S  17 Business
U S  17

Mass transit
The Coast RTA - Bus system operating seven days a week, 364 days a year  15 routes throughout the Horry County/Grand Strand area, including Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Conway, Loris, and Aynor 
Passage 9:
Corona del Mar State Beach
Corona del Mar State Beach (Spanish for the Crown of the Sea) is a protected beach in the state park system of California, United States   It is located in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, and operated by the city of Newport Beach   The 30-acre (12 ha) park was established in 1947 

History
The beach had been a surfing hotspot until the late 1930s, when the Newport Harbor jetty was extended, leading to the creation of The Wedge as a popular surf break, but shielding Corona from all but the most southerly swells Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku is credited with the first use of a surfboard for rescue purposes at Corona del Mar beach in 1925, when a charted fishing vessel capsized in heavy surf and Kahanamoku rescued people via surfboard 

See also
List of beaches in California
List of California state parks
List of California State Beaches
Passage 10:
Sunset Beach, Oregon
Sunset Beach is a small unincorporated community located between the cities of Seaside and Warrenton in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States  Sunset Beach is located between U S  Route 101, Neacoxie Lake and the Pacific Ocean   It serves as the northernmost access to the resort community of Surf Pines, and provides motor vehicle beach access  The "Fort to Sea Trail", which follows the route used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition when hiking from Fort Clatsop to the Pacific Ocean, ends at the beach access  A beach of the same name is west of the community 

See also
Sunset Beach State Recreation Site
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Passage 11:
Whihala Beach County Park
Whihala Beach County Park is a park in Whiting, Indiana, United States  It is a public beach with life guards  The beach was previously named Whiting Beach Whihala Beach is named after the nearby cities of Whiting and Hammond and Lake County Parks Department 
Passage 12:
Oak Street Beach
Oak Street Beach is located on North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan   One of a series of Chicago beaches, the Chicago Park District defines Oak Street Beach as the area from approximately 1550 North Lake Shore Drive to 500 North Lake Shore Drive, excluding Ohio Street Beach, the South Ledge, a concrete path running from Ohio Street beach to the Oak Street Curve, Oak Street Beachstro Restaurant, Oak Street Beach proper, the North Ledge, and a concrete path running from Oak Street Beach to North Avenue Beach 

History
Up until the late 1800s the Lake Shore sloped from Oak Street to the Chicago river in a much gentler fashion  However the construction of a shipping pier at the river led to a build up of sand and silt just to the north   As the land rose up out of the water squatters began to take residence, leading to disputes with lakefront property owners 
The biggest series of clashes surrounded a man named George Streeter in 1886  Streeter's boat, with passengers and cargo, became stranded on the sandbar created by the pier  As he unloaded waste and cargo, he created a small island  Eventually he persuaded people to dump more there, and claimed a sizable island  However the city would not stand for it, and after legal battles (some of which included gun fights) Streeter was evicted and the land, which was eventually filled in, became part of Chicago and became known as Streeterville 
Oak Street Beach was formed by sand washing up against the northern side of Streeterville   Originally, it was under control of the Lincoln Park District, one of several districts in the city that were consolidated in 1934 to create the Chicago Park District Through the 1960s the sand area of Oak Street covered more than twice the area it does now, and the water was as much as three feet higher than its current level  The beach was popular for residents and tourists as a summer social spot near down town 

Cultural impact
A radio advertisement for mattresses, in the 1970s, featured a child reading a letter he was writing to the Sandman  The punch line was the child asking, "Is it true you get all your sand from Oak Street Beach?"
Chicago pop-punk band Knuckle Puck released a song titled "Oak Street" on their "While I Stay Secluded" EP 
Chicago hip-hop artist Chance The Rapper mentions Oak Street Beach in the third verse of his song, Windows 

Gallery
See also
Beaches in Chicago
Lincoln Park
Passage 13:
Muscle Beach Party
Muscle Beach Party is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures  It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series 
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones and Stevie Wonder appear in musical numbers, the latter aged thirteen and making his film debut, billed as "Little Stevie Wonder "
The movie was released two days after Peter Lorre's death 

Plot
Frankie, Dee Dee, and the beach party gang hit Malibu Beach for yet another summer of surfing and no jobs, only to find their secret surfing spot threatened by a gang of bodybuilders led by the dim-witted coach Jack Fanny  All the while a bored Italian countess is trying to steal Frankie from Dee Dee and, much to everyone's surprise, he seems more than happy to go along with it  Her plan is to turn him into a teen idol 
Due to some razzing from his former surfing buddies and sage advice from wealthy S Z  Matts, Frankie sees the error of his ways and goes back to his American beach bunny, Dee Dee 

Cast
Frankie Avalon as Frankie
Annette Funicello as Dee Dee
Luciana Paluzzi as Contessa Juliana ("Julie") Giotto-Borgini
John Ashley as Johnny
Don Rickles as Jack Fanny
Peter Turgeon as Theodore
Jody McCrea as Deadhead
Dick Dale as Himself
Candy Johnson	        	Candy
Rock Stevens (Peter Lupus)	        	Flex Martian
Valora Noland	        	Animal
Delores Wells	        	Sniffles
Donna Loren	        	Donna
Morey Amsterdam	        	Cappy
Little Stevie Wonder           	Himself
Buddy Hackett	        	S Z  Matts (rich business manager)
Dan Haggerty       	Biff
Larry Scott	        	Rock
Gordon Case	        	Tug
Gene Shuey	        	Riff
Chester Yorton	        	Hulk
Bob Seven	        	Sulk
Steve Merjanian	        	Clod
Alberta Nelson	        	Lisa, Jack Fanny's assistant
Amadee Chabot	        	Flo, Jack Fanny's assistant
Peter Lorre	        	Mr  Strangdour

Cast notes
Funicello reprises her character from Beach Party, although in this film (and three others that follow) she is referred to as "Dee Dee", as opposed to "Dolores "  John Ashley's character, previously called "Ken", is now known as "Johnny "Harvey Lembeck's Eric von Zipper character and his Rats gang from Beach Party are absent in this film, although they appear in Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini  Lembeck as von Zipper (but sans Rats gang) also appears in a cameo in Dr  Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine  Lembeck also appeared in Fireball 500, another Avalon-Funicello vehicle, as an entirely different character  Peter Lorre appears briefly near the end of the film and there is a notice explaining that he will appear in the next installment of the series  Lorre died in March 1964; thus, this was his only appearance in the series 

Production notes
Before production producer Martin Ransohoff announced he was going to make a film called Muscle Beach based on Ira Wallach's satirical novel  This was eventually made as Don't Make Waves (1967) 

Novelization
A 141-page paperback adaptation of the screenplay, written by Elsie Lee, was published prior to the release of the film by Lancer Books 

Jack Fanny's bodybuilders
In the above-cited paperback novelisation, the Jack Fanny character (a satire of Vic Tanny) introduces his bodybuilders as Biff, Rock, Tug, Riff, Sulk, Mash and Clod, whereas in the film he calls them Biff, Rock, Tug, Riff, Sulk, Hulk, and Clod   In two separate sequences, the latter version of these names is seen printed on their shirts 
Larry Scott, who played Rock, was well known in the bodybuilding world at the time and became the first Mr  Olympia  Due to his preference for a piece of gym equipment commonly known as the Preacher Bench, the bench also became known as the Scott Curl Bench  Gene Shuey who played Riff, and Chester Yorton who played Hulk, were also well known in the bodybuilding circuit  Peter Lupus (aka "Rock Stevens") was also a champion bodybuilder himself, holding the titles of Mr  Indianapolis, Mr  Indiana, Mr  Hercules, and Mr  International Health Physique  He is best known as Willy Armitage, the strong, mostly silent, member of the IMF team in Mission: Impossible from 1966 to 1973 

Costumes and props
The swimsuits were designed by Rose Marie Reid; Buddy Hackett's clothes were from Mr  Guy of Los Angeles; and the hat that Deadhead wears was designed by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 
The surfboards used in the film were by Phil of Downey, California – aka Phil Sauers, the maker of "Surfboards of the Stars " Sauers was also the stunt coordinator for another beach party film that used his surfboards, Columbia Pictures' Ride the Wild Surf, which was released later the same year  Sauers was even portrayed in that film as a character by Mark LaBuse 
The "globe" telephone cover on Mr  Strangdour's desk is the same one in Norma Desmond's home in the film Sunset Blvd 

Music
The original score for this film, like Beach Party before it, was composed by Les Baxter 
Roger Christian, Gary Usher and Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys) wrote six songs for the film: 

"Surfer's Holiday" performed by Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and the cast;
"Runnin' Wild" performed by Frankie Avalon;
"My First Love" and "Muscle Beach Party," both performed by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones;
"Muscle Bustle" performed by Donna Loren with Dick Dale and His Del-Tones; and
"Surfin' Woodie" performed a cappella by Dick Dale with the cast Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner wrote two songs for the film: 

"Happy Street" performed by Little Stevie Wonder; and
"A Girl Needs a Boy" first performed by Annette Funicello, then reprised by Frankie Avalon as "A Boy Needs a Girl "

Opening title art
The colorful, hand-painted mural that is shown in full and in detail as background during the opening credits is by California artist Michael Dormer, whose surfer cartoon character, "Hot Curl" can also be glimpsed throughout the film 

Deleted scene
Although the end titles provide a credit reading, "Muscle Mao Mao Dance Sequence Choreographed by John Monte, National Dance Director, Fred Astaire Studios", no such sequence is found in the film's release prints 

Reception
John L  Scott of the Los Angeles Times called it "a romantic, slightly satirical film comedy with songs which should prove popular with members of the two younger sets it concerns — surfers and musclemen — and with oldsters who don't mind the juvenile antics " Variety wrote that "the novelty of surfing has worn off, leaving in its wake little more than a conventional teenage-geared romantic farce with songs     Whenever the story bogs down, which it does quite often, someone runs into camera range and yells, 'surf's up!' This is followed by a series of cuts of surfers in action  It's all very mechanical " The Monthly Film Bulletin stated, "Indifferently scripted, and lacking the brightening presence of Dorothy Malone and Bob Cummings, this is an excruciatingly unfunny and unattractive sequel to Beach Party  William Asher's direction remains quite bright, but that is about all that can be said for the film "The Golden Laurel, which had no ceremony but published its award results in the trade magazine Motion Picture Exhibitor from 1958 to 1971, nominated Annette Funicello for "Best Female Musical Performance" for this film in 1965 
The film was banned in Burma, along with Ski Party, Bikini Beach and Beach Blanket Bingo 

Cultural references
Don Rickles' character name "Jack Fanny" is based on then-popular bodybuilder and gym entrepreneur (and usually sharp-dressed) Vic Tanny  The forename "Jack" might also be a reference to another then-popular fitness instructor, bodybuilder, and gym-entrepreneur, Jack LaLanne 
Julie's remark to an angry Dee Dee, "Have you tried Miltown?" is in reference to the drug Miltown by Wallace Laboratories, a carbamate derivative used as an anxiolytic drug – it was the best-selling minor tranquilizer at the time 
Cappy's Place in this film (and Big Daddy's club in the preceding Beach Party) is a reference to Southern California beach coffeehouses in general and Cafe Frankenstein in particular 
This is the second and last time Avalon or any other "teenager" in the cast smokes cigarettes onscreen in the series – the Surgeon General's report on smoking was released on January 11, 1964, while Muscle Beach Party was being filmed 

See also
List of American films of 1964
Passage 14:
Kuramo Beach
Kuramo Beach is a sandy beach in Lagos, Nigeria, located at the south side of Victoria Island, just east of Bar Beach and south of the Kuramo Waters lagoon  It was the location of numerous illegal shanties and cabins, some of them being used for music entertainment, bars and prostitution  In August 2012, a surge of the Atlantic Ocean hit Kuramo Beach, destroying some of these shacks and killing 16 people  The next day government authorities evacuated the area, demolished the remaining shacks and began to refill the sand The ocean surge is said to occur every August at the beach, though in former years there were no deaths Some of the popular hotels to stay are Lagos Continental Hotel and Eco hotels & Suites
Passage 15:
Dillon Beach, California
Dillon Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States  It is located 3 25 miles (5 2 km) west of Tomales, at an elevation of 89 ft (27 m)  The population was 246 at the 2020 census  Dillon Beach was named after the founder, George Dillon, who settled there in 1858  The area includes a public access beach, as well as a private beach resort, the only private beach in California 

Geography
Dillon Beach is located at Bodega Bay (near the mouth of Tomales Bay), at 38°15′03″N 122°57′55″W The Estero de San Antonio State Marine Recreational Management Area is a marine protected area located 1 5 miles (2 4 km) north of Dillon Beach  Like an underwater park, this marine protected area helps conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems 
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2 98 sq mi (7 7 km2), all of it land 

History
The Coast Miwok people had a presence in the area around Dillon Beach long before Europeans arrived in the Americas  It is thought that a few of their villages lay within the greater Dillon Beach area, including one around the feature known locally as the Sand Point 
In the 1850s, local historical figure Tom Wood operated in the area, employing the natives in harvesting of grain to be milled nearby  He would attempt to ensure that they were not taken advantage of by the British, French, or American traders that would ply the coast  Hides and tallow were traded for various manufactured goods, among them whiskey  Despite Wood's efforts, many of them would fall victim to alcoholism, and while a few claim descent from the local Coast Miwoks, no full-blooded members live today  Tom's Point, immediately south of Dillon Beach on the eastern shore of the bay, is named for Tom Wood, and Wood resided there with the small village he ingratiated himself into 
Irishman George Dillon and wife Mathilda arrived at what is now Dillon Beach from the eastern U S  in 1868  When his friends and family showed interest in the area, he thought to capitalize on it; in 1888, he built an 11 bedroom hotel, restaurant, and general store  This is the Dillon Beach Resort in operation today  Visitors would explore the area on their way up the coast toward the redwood forests, strolling the beach, fishing, or digging clams from the nearby clam bars of Tomales Bay 
In 1903, Dillon sold out to John Keegan with the agreement that the beach would always be named Dillon Beach  Keegan also built cottages, one of which still stands along the road to the beach  Keegan ran a stagecoach from Dillon Beach to Tomales where it met the train 
Keegan sold the holdings to the California Eucalyptus Plantation Company in 1911  They planted the area with eucalyptus trees, a few of which still stand, but continued to operate the resort, and redoubled these efforts as the eucalyptus crop proved to warp easily and was effectively worthless  Under the subsidiary of the Dillon Beach Company, they operated the resort, ferried guests from the train in Tomales, ran a charter boat, and created Portola Beach, a subdivision along Cliff Street  Try as they might, their Dillon Beach operations were failing 
When regular visitors and Woodland ranchers Sylvester and Carrie Lawson offered to lease the property, the California Eucalyptus Plantation Company promptly agreed  Different portions of the business and land were leased or purchased by the Lawson family, and by 1942 Dillon Beach was firmly in Lawson hands  Sylvester and Carrie's older son, Howard, and his wife, Winifred, owned and ran the resort, while the younger son, Walter, and his wife, Nita, ran the southern side of the property, operating it as a ranch and opening Lawsons Landing on it  The Landing is operated by Walter's descendants to this day as a campground with a store and boating access to Tomales Bay 
During World War II, fears of a Japanese invasion of the West Coast were considered well founded, especially along sparsely populated Marin and Sonoma counties, where enemy forces could conceivably make landfall and prepare for a larger invasion of San Francisco Bay  The military commandeered many cottages and monitored the water from outposts on the surrounding hills supported by ground patrols  The sand dunes on the Lawsons Landing property were also a site for rifle and grenade practice, and the Lawson family recalls at least one instance of an armored vehicle's  50 caliber machine gun being fired around their cows, resulting in a tense conversation between soldiers and ranchers  One soldier reportedly sighted a Japanese submarine off the beach, prompting the garrison to scramble to nearby Marshall to requisition its civilian fishing boats for use in a counterattack, several of which were run by their respective owners  It took several hours to coordinate the operation, and once the soldiers finally arrived at the area of the supposed sighting, armed only with small arms, the submarine had departed, if it had been there at all 
The College of the Pacific operated from 1933 until some time in the 1980s  It stood between Portola Beach and Lawsons Landing, offering a hands-on experience for a small number of marine biology students  The concrete foundation is all that remains today, hinting at what was there before to passersby today 
During the 1960s, Oceana Marin was developed north of town by John Keegan's grandson, James Keegan of Wells Fargo Bank and Henry Trione of Sonoma County Mortgage  Fancy modern coastal houses were built on the hillsides overlooking the quaint town of small cottages, giving it a unique appeal 
The resort, day use beach, and restaurant were sold to Fred Cline in 1990 by the Lawsons  He would sell in 2018 to the group of investors owning it today 

Dillon Beach Resort
Between 2001 and 2018, Dillon Beach Resort was owned and operated by Fred and Nancy Cline of Sonoma Valley, California   In April 2018, Mike Goebel purchased the resort 
It is one of the few beaches with private (for-fee) access in northern California  
In California, public access is permitted below the high tide line  The horrible lines of traffic in Dillon Beach are caused by people waiting for entry into the parking lot of Dillon Beach Resort's beach lot  On hot holidays the line can extend all the way up to Elephant Rocks, almost a mile away 

Demographics
2010
At the 2010 census, Dillon Beach had a population of 283  The population density was 94 8 inhabitants per square mile (36 6/km2)  The racial makeup of Dillon Beach was 266 (94 0%) White, 3 (1 1%) Native American, 4 (1 4%) Asian, and 10 (3 5%) from two or more races   Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9 people (3 2%) The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households 
There were 147 households, 20 (13 6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 79 (53 7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6 (4 1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2 (1 4%) had a male householder with no wife present   There were 6 (4 1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 3 (2 0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships  48 households (32 7%) were one person and 26 (17 7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older  The average household size was 1 93   There were 87 families (59 2% of households); the average family size was 2 37 
The age distribution was 28 people (9 9%) under the age of 18, 7 people (2 5%) aged 18 to 24, 44 people (15 5%) aged 25 to 44, 127 people (44 9%) aged 45 to 64, and 77 people (27 2%) who were 65 or older   The median age was 57 4 years  For every 100 females, there were 95 2 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94 7 males 
There were 440 housing units at an average density of 147 5 per square mile, of the occupied units 125 (85 0%) were owner-occupied and 22 (15 0%) were rented  The homeowner vacancy rate was 5 3%; the rental vacancy rate was 59 3%  84 5% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 15 5% lived in rental housing units 

2000
At the 2000 census, there were 319 people, 155 households, and 103 families in the CDP   The population density was 107/sq mi (41 5/km2)   There were 415 housing units at an average density of 140/sq mi (54/km2)   The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 90 8% non-Hispanic White, 1 1% Native American, 1 4% Asian, and 3 5% from two or more races  3 2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race 
Of the 155 households 17 4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59 4% were married couples living together, 4 5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33 5% were non-families  27 7% of households were one person and 10 3% were one person aged 65 or older   The average household size was 2 06 and the average family size was 2 47 
The age distribution was 14 4% under the age of 18, 1 3% from 18 to 24, 18 8% from 25 to 44, 43 6% from 45 to 64, and 21 9% 65 or older   The median age was 52 years  For every 100 females, there were 95 7 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95 0 males 
The median household income was $47,679 and the median family income  was $52,000  Males had a median income of $40,714 versus $37,083 for females  The per capita income for the CDP was $39,475   None of the families and 1 3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under-eighteens and none of those over 64 
Passage 16:
Siddhi Savetsila
Siddhi Savetsila (Thai: สิทธิ เศวตศิลา, RTGS: Sit Sawetsila, Thai pronunciation: [sìt sàʔwèːtsìʔlaː], 7 January 1919 – 5 December 2015) was a Thai air force officer and politician  After finishing his military career with the rank of air chief marshal, he served as the foreign minister of Thailand from 1980 to 1990  In 1991, he became a member of the Privy Council of King Bhumibol Adulyadej  He was the president of the united nations security council in 1985 with Mom Luang Birabhongse Kasemsri 

Life and career
Siddhi Savetsila was born in Bangkok  He is a member of the Thai aristocracy  His father was a high-ranking official in the royal government  His paternal grandfather was Henry Alabaster who was the British consul in Siam during the reign of King Rama IV (Mongkut) and then served as an advisor to King Rama V (Chulalongkorn)  His mother was an offspring of the influential Bunnag family  He is a direct descendant of Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse Siddhi studied metallurgic engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating with an S B  degree in 1943  During the Second World War, he joined the Free Thai Movement (Seri Thai) which resisted against the de facto occupation of Thailand by Japanese forces  He collected data for the US foreign-intelligence agency OSS (predecessor of the CIA) and was temporarily detained by the Japanese  Two of Siddhis sisters married US intelligence operatives, one was the wife of former OSS agent Willis Bird and one of CIA officer William Lair  After the end of the war, he returned to the MIT and received his S M  degree in 1947 
He then served in the Royal Thai Air Force and rose up to the rank of air chief marshal (phon akat ek)  From 1975 to 1980 he served as secretary-general of the National Security Council  In this position he assisted Prime Minister Kriangsak Chomanan at the time of the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia 1978/79 
In 1980, Kriangsak appointed him minister of foreign affairs  He kept this position when Prem Tinsulanonda took over the premiership a few months later  As Thailand' representative in the United Nations (UN) and ASEAN, Siddhi advocated a tough line towards Vietnam which was occupying Cambodia after 1979  In 1983, Siddhi was elected member of parliament and in 1985 he took over the leadership of the Social Action Party (SAP) following the retirement of Kukrit Pramoj  The party did well in the 1986 election and Siddhi additionally became deputy prime minister for a short time 
In August 1990, the new Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan dismissed Siddhi as he sought a more pragmatic relationship with the communist-ruled countries of Southeast Asia  Siddhi's SAP was in great difficulties during the late 1980s and, in September 1990, Siddhi gave up his leadership  One month later, he completely retired from the parliament and the party, stating that he was tired of politics  In 1991 King Bhumibol appointed him to his privy council Siddhi holds honorary doctorate degrees from the University of the Philippines, the National University of Singapore and five universities in Thailand  He was decorated with the Order of Chula Chom Klao (first class), the Order of the White Elephant (special class) and the Order of the Crown of Thailand (special class), as well as foreign decorations from 14 countries On 8 May 2000, he was among the five Free Thai veterans who were awarded the Agency Seal Medallion by CIA director George Tenet 
He died on 5 December 2015 at the age of 96 

Honour
Foreign honour
Malaysia : Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P M N ) (1983)
 Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry(G C I H )
 United States: Medal of Freedom

Military rank
Air Chief Marshal

Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand rank
Volunteer Defense Corps Lieutenant Colonel
Context 2: Passage 1:
Kabompo River
The Kabompo River is one of the main tributaries of the upper Zambezi River  It flows entirely in Zambia, rising to the east of the source of the Zambezi, in North-Western Province along the watershed between the Zambezi and Congo river basins which also forms the border between Zambia and DR Congo  It is the second deepest river in Africa and one of the top five in the world 

Geography
The Kabompo River flows south-west through miombo woodland, then a remote Cryptosepalum dry forest ecoregion, with the West Lunga National Park on its west bank  After flowing past the town of Kabompo, it develops a swampy floodplain up to 5 km wide  The Kabompo Ferry on its lower course carries the main north–south gravel highway on the eastern side of the Zambezi  The river enters the Zambezi north of the town of Lukulu, at the north end of the Barotse Floodplain  Its main tributaries are the Western Lunga River which flows from the north, and the Dongwe River from the east 

See also
List of rivers of Africa
Passage 2:
Chapare River
The Chapare River is a river in Bolivia, which is a tributary of the Mamoré River in the Amazon Basin  The river has its source at the confluence of Espíritu Santo River and San Mateo River in the Cochabamba Department at Villa Tunari  It is the main waterway of Chapare Province 

See also
Tunari National Park

External links
 Media related to Río Chapare at Wikimedia Commons

Chapare River Floods
Passage 3:
Rhonelle
The Rhonelle is a river of northern France  It is 32 km (20 mi) long  It is a right tributary of the Scheldt  Its source is near Locquignol  It flows generally northwest along Le Quesnoy, Villers-Pol and Famars  It flows into the Scheldt in Valenciennes 
Passage 4:
Utva River (Perm Krai)
The Utva (Russian: Утьва) is a river in Perm Krai, Russia, a right tributary of the Veslyana, which in turn is a tributary of the Kama  The river is 76 kilometres (47 mi) long, and its drainage basin covers 697 square kilometres (269 sq mi)  The source of the river is in the extreme southwest of the Gaynsky District of Perm Krai, near the border with Kirov Oblast and the Komi Republic  The main tributaries are the Chugrum (right) and the Yuzhnaya Anva (left) 
Passage 5:
Hushe River
The Hushe River is a tributary river to the Shyok River which itself is tributary to the Indus River  The main source of the Hushe River is the Gondogoro Glacier  Some streams also flow from other glaciers of the Hushe valley  The Hushe river joins with Saltoro River at Haldi village before joining the Shyok River  Both the Hushe and Saltoro rivers join the Shyok river at the Tsa thang Ghursa village 
Passage 6:
Loimijoki
The river Loimijoki is a river in Finland and the longest tributary of the river Kokemäenjoki  The river originates at the lake Pyhäjärvi in Tammela and joins the river Kokemäenjoki in Huittinen  There is a 54-metre (177 ft) difference in elevation between the source and the mouth of the river, which is 114 kilometres (71 mi) long  The river drains a catchment area of 3,140 square kilometres (1,210 sq mi)  The river has several dams at Forssa, Jokioinen and Loimaa The Loimijoki river runs through the most fertile lands of Finland making its water  relatively muddy  The river was badly polluted by sewage of industry and population centers along the river, but since the 1980s the river has been starting to recover and currently the river sees also recreational use like fishing and water sports 
Passage 7:
Kraai River
The Kraai River (literally "Crow River") is a tributary of the Orange River (also called Gariep River by locals) that flows near Barkly East in the Eastern Cape, South Africa 

The Kraai River originates in the mountains south of Lesotho and flows westward from the confluence of the Bell River and the Sterk Spruit at Moshesh's Ford at 30°51′09″S 27°46′40″E all the way to Aliwal North, where it joins the Orange River at 30°40′02″S 26°45′06″E The river flows almost entirely over sandstone rocks of the Clarens Formation 
The Kraai is fishable, containing rainbow trout, brown trout and smallmouth yellowfish 

In 1881
a sandstone arch bridge called the J W Sauer bridge was completed over the river   The bridge linked communities in the Kraai River basin with Aliwal North  The Sauer bridge and the Loch Bridge on the farm
Tyger Krantz, are now Provincial Heritage sites 

Major tributaries
Bell River and a tributary of the Bell, the Kloppershoek Spruit
Sterk Spruit, its tributaries are the Bok Spruit and Rifle Spruit
Joggem Spruit
Langkloof Spruit
Diep Spruit and its tributary, the Three Drifts Stream
Carlisleshoek Spruit and the Maartenshoek Spruit
Klein Wildebeest Spruit
Saalboom Spruit and its tributary, the Vaalhoek Spruit
Karnmelk Spruit

See also

List of rivers of South Africa
List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
Passage 8:
Shaksgam River
The Shaksgam River (Chinese: 沙克思干河; pinyin: Shakesigan He, Hindi: शक्सगाम नदी, romanized: Shaksgām Nadi, Urdu: دریائے شکسگام, romanized: Daryá-e-Shaksgám) is a left tributary of the Yarkand River  The river is also known as the Kelechin River (Chinese: 克勒青河) and Muztagh River (Chinese: 穆斯塔格河)  It rises in the Gasherbrum, Urdok, Staghar, Singhi and Kyagar Glaciers in the Karakoram  It then flows in a general northwestern direction parallel to the Karakoram ridge line in  the Shaksgam Valley  It receives the waters of the Shimshal Braldu river and the Oprang river from the Pakistan-administered Hunza District before turning east and joining the Yarkand River  The stretch of the river's course between Shimshal Braldu and Oprang is used as the Pakistan–China border Administratively, the Chinese part of the valley is within the southernmost portions of Yarkand County (the source) and the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (lower course)  India claims the entire valley as part of its Jammu and Kashmir state, now part of Ladakh 

History
The river valley was explored in 1889 by Francis Younghusband (who referred to the Shaksgam as the Oprang) , and again in 1926 by Kenneth Mason, who confirmed the sources of the river 

Geography
The upper river valley is used by climbers approaching the north face of K2   The approach requires a crossing of the river, which is hazardous   Between its confluence with the Shimshal Braldu River and its confluence with the Oprang River the river forms the border between China and Pakistan administered Kashmir   The area is used as winter pastures by yak herdsmen from the village of Shimshal  Historically, the bed of the Yarkand river where Shaksgam joins it, was used for cultivation by farmers from the state of Hunza  The rulers of Hunza are said to have obtained these "territorial rights to Shaksgam" in the distant past The average annual temperature in the region can fall below freezing 

See also
Trans-Karakoram Tract
Dafdar
Yinsugaiti Glacier
Sarpo Laggo Glacier
Passage 9:
Neste (river)
The Neste (French pronunciation: ​[nɛst]; Occitan: Nestés) is a river in southern France, a left tributary of the Garonne  It is 73 1 km (45 4 mi) long  It rises from several sources around Saint-Lary-Soulan, central Pyrenees and flows through
the following departments and towns:

Hautes-Pyrénées: Saint-Lary-Soulan, Arreau, La Barthe-de-Neste
Haute-Garonne: MontréjeauTwo rivers, the Neste d'Aure and the Neste du Louron, join to form the Neste at Arreau  The Neste flows into the Garonne in Montréjeau 
Passage 10:
Bolshaya Lyampa
The Bolshaya Lyampa (Russian: Большая Лямпа) is a river in Perm Krai, Russia, a right tributary of the Uls which in turn is a tributary of the Vishera  The river is 34 kilometres (21 mi) long  Its source is near the border with Sverdlovsk Oblast  It flows into the Uls 55 kilometres (34 mi) from the larger river's mouth  The Bolshaya Lyampa's main tributary is the Malaya Lyampa 
Passage 11:
Raba (river)
The Raba is a river in the south of Poland (Lesser Poland Voivodeship), right tributary to the river Vistula  Its source is in the Beskids, between the towns of Rabka-Zdrój and Nowy Targ  It flows to the north and then to the northeast  Towns along the river Raba include Rabka-Zdrój, Mszana Dolna, Myślenice, Dobczyce and Bochnia 
For centuries, the Raba was an important artery, along which several towns and villages were established  Its name probably comes from Celtic languages, and the Raba is divided into three parts: the Upper Raba (60 kilometres [37 mi] long located in the Beskids), the Middle Raba (in the Carpathian Foothills), and the Lower Raba (in the Sandomierz Basin) 
The Raba has its source at the Sieniawa mountain pass, at the height of 750 metres (2,460 ft) above sea level  It flows into the Vistula near Uscie Solne, after 134 7 kilometres (83 7 mi), while the area of its drainage basin is  1,537 1 square kilometres (593 5 sq mi)  From its source downstream to the town of Myślenice, the Raba is a typical mountain river, with narrow valley, rock-covered bed, fast currents and big drops  Below Lake Dobczyce it retains its mountain features for several kilometers  The river has no tributaries for its last 19 kilometres (12 mi) 
The Raba marks the boundary between the Makow Beskids and the Island Beskids, as well as the boundary between the Wieliczka Foothills, and the Wisnicz Foothills  Its tributaries are mainly mountain streams, such as Poniczanka, Slonka, Krzyworzeka, Mszanka, Kasinianka, Kaczanka, Krzczonówka, Trzemesnianka, Stradomka, Babica 

See also
Rivers of Poland
1934 flood in Poland

Sources
Description of the Raba

External links
Fishing on the Raba
Kayaking on the Raba
Passage 12:
Congo River
The Congo River (Kongo: Nzâdi Kôngo, French: Fleuve Congo, Portuguese: Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third largest river in the world by discharge volume, following the Amazon and the Ganges rivers  It is also the world's deepest recorded river, with measured depths of around 220 m (720 ft)  The Congo-Lualaba-Chambeshi River system has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,900 mi), which makes it the world's ninth-longest river  The Chambeshi is a tributary of the Lualaba River, and Lualaba is the name of the Congo River upstream of Boyoma Falls, extending for 1,800 km (1,100 mi) 
Measured along with the Lualaba, the main tributary, the Congo River has a total length of 4,370 km (2,720 mi)  It is the only major river to cross the Equator twice  The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of the entire African landmass 

Name
The name Congo/Kongo originates from the Kingdom of Kongo once located on the southern bank of the river  The kingdom in turn was named for the indigenous Bantu Kongo people, known in the 17th century as "Esikongo"  South of the Kingdom of Kongo proper lay the similarly named Kakongo kingdom, mentioned in 1535  Abraham Ortelius labeled "Manicongo" as the city at the mouth of the river in his world map of 1564  The tribal names in Kongo possibly derive from a word for a public gathering or tribal assembly  The modern name of the Kongo people or Bakongo was introduced in the early 20th century The name Zaire is from a Portuguese adaptation of a Kikongo word, nzere ("river"), a truncation of nzadi o nzere ("river swallowing rivers")  The river was known as Zaire during the 16th and 17th centuries; Congo seems to have replaced Zaire gradually in English usage during the 18th century, and Congo is the preferred English name in 19th-century literature, although references to Zahir or Zaire as the name used by the inhabitants remained common  The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after it, as was the previous Republic of the Congo which had gained independence in 1960 from the Belgian Congo  The Republic of Zaire during 1971–1997 was also named after the river's name in French and Portuguese 

Basin and course
The Congo's drainage basin covers 4,014,500 km2 (1,550,000 sq mi), an area nearly equal to that of the European Union  The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from 23,000 to 75,000 m3/s (810,000 to 2,650,000 cu ft/s), with an average of 41,000 m3/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s)  The river transports annually 86 million tonnes of suspended sediment to the Atlantic Ocean and an additional 6% of bedload The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest, the second largest rainforest area in the world, after the Amazon rainforest in South America  The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon; the second-largest drainage basin of any river, behind the Amazon; and is one of the deepest rivers in the world, at depths greater than 220 m (720 ft)  Because its drainage basin includes areas both north and south of the Equator, its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru, which feed the Lualaba River, which then becomes the Congo below Boyoma Falls  The Chambeshi River in Zambia is generally taken as the source of the Congo in line with the accepted practice worldwide of using the longest tributary, as with the Nile River 
The Congo flows generally toward the northwest from Kisangani just below the Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwestward, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River and running into the Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool)  Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, where the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), running by Matadi and Boma, and into the sea at Muanda 
Lower Congo constitutes the 'lower' parts of the great river; that is the section of the river from the river mouth at the Atlantic coast to the twin capitals of Brazzaville and Kinshasa  In this section of the river, there are two significant tributaries, both on the left or south side  The Kwilu River originates in the hills near the Angolan border and enters the Congo some 100 km upstream from Matadi  The other being the Inkisi River, that flows in a northerly direction from the Uíge Province in Angola to the confluence with the Congo at Zongo some 80 km downstream from the twin capitals  Because of the vast number of rapids, in particular the Livingstone Falls, this section of the river is not operated continuously by riverboats 

Drainage basin
The Congo basin covers ten countries and accounts for about 13% of Africa  The highest point in the Congo basin is in the Ruwenzori Mountains, at an altitude of around 4,340 m (14,240 ft) above sea level 

Distribution of the Congo basin area between countries:
The most important hydrological stations along the Congo river are:

Discharge
The Congo River discharge at Kinshasa/Brazzaville stations since the start of measurements (1902 to 2021):

Tributaries
The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream):

Lower Congo (river mouth to Kinshasa)
Downstream of Kinshasa, from the river mouth at Banana, there are a few major tributaries 

M'pozo (left)
Kwilu (left)
Inkisi (left)
Djoué (right)Middle Congo (Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls)

Kwa-Kassai (left)
Fimi
Lukenie
Kwango
Kwilu
Sankuru
Alima (right)
Likouala-Mossaka (right)
Sangha (right)
Kadéï (570 km, 41,000 km², 466 m³/s)
Ubangi (right)
Mbomou
Uele
Tshuapa or Ruki (left)
Lulonga (left)
Lopori
Maringa
Mongala (right)
Itimbiri (right)
Aruwimi (right)
Lomami (left)
Lindi (right)Upper Congo (Lualaba; upstream from the Boyoma Falls)

Lowa (right)
Ulindi (right)
Elila (right)
Luama (right)
Lukuga (right)
Luvua (right)
Luapula (740 km, 173,386 km², 741 m³/s)
Chambeshi (500 km, 44,427 km², 185 m³/s)

Economic importance
Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo above them is readily navigable in sections, especially between Kinshasa and Kisangani  Large river steamers worked the river until quite recently  The Congo River still is a lifeline in a land with few roads or railways  Railways now bypass the three major falls, and much of the trade of Central Africa passes along the river, including copper, palm oil (as kernels), sugar, coffee, and cotton 

Hydroelectric power
The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa  During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic metres (1,800,000 cu ft) of water per second flows into the Atlantic Ocean  Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous  Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for 13 percent of global hydropower potential  This would provide sufficient power for all of Sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs Currently, there are about 40 hydropower plants in the Congo Basin  The largest are the Inga dams, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Kinshasa  The project was launched in the early 1970s, when the first dam was completed  The plan (as originally conceived) called for the construction of five dams that would have had a total generating capacity of 34,500 megawatts (MW)  To date only the Inga I and Inga II dams have been built, generating 1,776 MW In February 2005, South Africa's state-owned power company, Eskom, announced a proposal to expand generation through improvements and the construction of a new hydroelectric dam  The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40,000 megawatt (GW)  It is feared that these new hydroelectric dams could lead to the extinction of many of the fish species that are native to the river 

Natural history
The current course of the Congo River formed between 1 5 and 2 million years BP, during the Pleistocene  It is likely that during this period many upper tributaries of the Congo were captured from adjacent river basins, including the Uele and upper Ubangi from the Chari system and the Chambeshi River alongside a number of upper Kasai River tributaries from the Zambezi system The Congo's formation may have led to the allopatric speciation of the bonobo and the common chimpanzee from their most recent common ancestor  The bonobo is endemic to the humid forests in the region, as are other iconic species like the Allen's swamp monkey, dryas monkey, aquatic genet, okapi, and Congo peafowl In terms of aquatic life, the Congo River Basin has a very high species richness and among the highest known densities of endemics  As of 2009, almost 800 fish species have been recorded from the Congo River Basin (not counting Lake Tanganyika, which is connected but ecologically very different), and large sections remain virtually unstudied  For example, the section in Salonga National Park, which is about the size of Belgium, had still not been sampled at all in 2006  New fish species are scientifically described with some regularity from the Congo River Basin, and many undescribed species are known The Congo has by far the highest diversity of any African river system; in comparison, the next richest are the Niger, Volta and Nile with about 240, 140 and 130 fish species, respectively  Because of the great ecological differences between the regions in the Congo basin —including habitats such as river rapids, deep rivers, swamps, and lakes— it is often divided into multiple ecoregions (instead of treating it as a single ecoregion)  Among these ecoregions, the Livingstone Falls cataracts has more than 300 fish species, including approximately 80 endemics while the southwestern part (Kasai River basin) has more than 200 fish species, of which about a quarter are endemic The dominant fish families – at least in parts of the river – are Cyprinidae (carp/cyprinids, such as Labeo simpsoni), Mormyridae (elephant fishes), Alestidae (African tetras), Mochokidae (squeaker catfishes), and Cichlidae (cichlids)  Among the natives in the river is the huge, highly carnivorous giant tigerfish  Three of the more unusual endemics are the whitish (non-pigmented) and blind Lamprologus lethops, which is believed to live as deep as 160 metres (520 ft) below the surface, Heterochromis multidens, which is more closely related to cichlids of the Americas than other African cichlids, and Caecobarbus geertsii, the only known cavefish in Central Africa  There are also numerous endemic frogs and snails  Several hydroelectric dams are planned on the river, and these may lead to the extinction of many of the endemics Several species of turtles and the slender-snouted, Nile and dwarf crocodile are native to the Congo River Basin  African manatees inhabit the lower parts of the river 

History
Pre-colonial history
The entire Congo basin is populated by Bantu peoples, divided into several hundred ethnic groups  Bantu expansion is estimated to have reached the middle Congo by about 500 BC and the upper Congo by the first century AD  Remnants of the aboriginal population displaced by the Bantu migration, Pygmies/Abatwa of the Ubangian phylum, remain in the remote forest areas of the Congo Basin 
The Kingdom of Kongo was formed in the late 14th century from a merging of the kingdoms of Mpemba Kasi and Mbata Kingdom on the left banks of the lower Congo River  Its territorial control along the river remained limited to what corresponds to the modern Kongo Central province  European exploration of the Congo began in 1482 when Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão discovered the river estuary (likely in August 1482), which he marked by a Padrão, or stone pillar (still existing, but only in fragments) erected on Shark Point  Cão sailed up the river for a short distance, establishing contact with the Kingdom of Kongo  The full course of the river remained unknown throughout the early modern period The upper Congo basin runs west of the Albertine Rift  Its connection to the Congo was unknown until 1877  The extreme northeast of the Congo basin was reached by the Nilotic expansion at some point between the 15th and 18th centuries, by the ancestors of the Southern Luo speaking Alur people  Francisco de Lacerda followed the Zambezi and reached the uppermost part of the Congo basin (the Kazembe in the upper Luapula basin) in 1796 
The upper Congo River was first reached by the Arab slave trade by the 19th century  Nyangwe was founded as a slavers' outpost around 1860  David Livingstone was the first European to reach Nyangwe in March 1871  Livingstone proposed to prove that the Lualaba connected to the Nile, but on 15 July, he witnessed a massacre of about 400 Africans by Arab slavers in Nyangwe, which experience left him too horrified and shattered to continue his mission to find the sources of the Nile, so he turned back to Lake Tanganyika 

Early European colonization
The Europeans had not reached the central regions of the Congo basin from either the east or west, until Henry Morton Stanley's expedition of 1876–77, supported by the Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo



ground_truth: Ko Phi Phi Leh

Ko Phi Phi Le

prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: What is the source of the river of which Kraai River is a tributary?

The following are given passages.
Context 2:  At the time one of the last open questions of the European exploration of Africa was whether the Lualaba River fed the Nile (Livingstone's theory), the Congo, or even the Niger River  Financed in 1874, Stanley's first trans-Africa exploration started in Zanzibar and reached the Lualaba on October 17, 1876  Overland he reached Nyangwe, the center of a lawless area containing cannibal tribes at which Tippu Tip based his trade in slaves  Stanley managed to hire a force from Tippu Tip to guard him for the next 150 kilometres (90 mi) or so, for 90 days  
The party left Nyangwe overland through the dense Matimba forest  On November 19 they reached the Lualaba again  Since the going through the forest was so heavy, Tippu Tip turned around with his party on December 28, leaving Stanley on his own, with 143 people, including eight children and 16 women  They had 23 canoes  His first encounter with a local tribe was with the cannibal Wenya  In total Stanley reports 32 unfriendly meetings on the river, some violent, even though he attempted to negotiate a peaceful thoroughfare  But the tribes were wary as their only experience of outsiders was with slave traders 
On January 6, 1877, after 640 kilometres (400 mi), they reached Boyoma Falls (called Stanley Falls for some time after), consisting of seven cataracts spanning 100 kilometres (60 mi) which they had to bypass overland  It took them to February 7 to reach the end of the falls  Here Stanley learned that the river was called Ikuta Yacongo, proving to him that he had reached the Congo and that the Lualaba did not feed the Nile 
From this point, the tribes were no longer cannibals but possessed firearms, apparently as a result of Portuguese influence  Some four weeks and 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi) later he reached Stanley Pool (now Pool Malebo), the site of the present day cities Kinshasa and Brazzaville  Further downstream were the Livingstone Falls, misnamed as Livingstone had never been on the Congo: a series of 32 falls and rapids with an elevation change of 270 metres (900 ft) over 350 kilometres (220 mi)  On 15 March they started the descent of the falls, which took five months and cost numerous lives  From the Isangile Falls, five falls from the foot, they beached the canoes and Lady Alice and left the river, aiming for the Portuguese outpost of Boma via land  
On August 3 they reached the hamlet Nsada  From there Stanley sent four men with letters forward to Boma, asking for food for his starving people  On August 7 relief came, being sent by representatives from the Liverpool trading firm Hatton & Cookson  On August 9 they reached Boma, 1,001 days since leaving Zanzibar on November 12, 1874  The party then consisted of 108 people, including three children born during the trip  Most probably (Stanley's own publications give inconsistent figures), he lost 132 people through disease, hunger, drowning, killing and desertion Kinshasa was founded as a trading post by Stanley in 1881 and named Léopoldville in honor of Leopold II of Belgium  The Congo Basin was privately claimed by Leopold II as Congo Free State in 1885 where the many Atrocities in the Congo Free State were committed until the region was called the Belgian Congo 

See also
List of crossings of the Congo River
2021 Congo River disaster

Notes
Passage 13:
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within Tanzania  It is also the largest and longest river in the country  The river is formed by the confluence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers  It is approximately 600 kilometres (370 mi) long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean opposite Mafia Island across the Mafia Channel, in Pwani Region  Its principal tributary is the Great Ruaha River  It is navigable for approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) 
The Rufiji river is approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Dar es Salaam  The river's delta contains the largest mangrove forest in eastern Africa 

History
A branch of ancient sea routes led down the East African coast called "Azania" by the Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE as described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (and, very probably, Chinese: 澤散 in the 3rd century by the Chinese), at least as far as the port known to the Romans as Rhapta, which was probably located in the delta of the Rufiji River in modern Tanzania During the First World War, from October 1914 to July 1915, the river delta was the scene of a protracted naval operation  These were the attempts, and later achievement, by the Royal Navy to neutralize and destroy the German cruiser Konigsberg 

Basin
The catchment basin for the Rufiji River complex is 177,429 square kilometres (68,506 sq mi) 

Hydroelectric Project
Tanzania president John Magufuli has approved the construction of a controversial new dam and power station on the river at Stiegler's Gorge  The power station is expected to provide 2,100 megawatts of electricity, more than triple Tanzania's existing installed hydropower capacity which is only 562 megawatts  Construction of the dam started on July 26, 2019, and it is expected be ready by 2022 
Passage 14:
Mangalam River
Mangalam River is the main tributary of the river Gayathripuzha, which in turn is a tributary of Bharathapuzha, the second longest river in Kerala, India   It is around 30 km long in length, with its source from Nelliyampathi forests, and passing through Vadakkencherry, Kannambra, Puthucode, Padur, etc  and joining Gayathripuzha at Plazhi in the border of Thrissur and Palakkad districts 
Cherukunnapuzha is a tributary of Mangalam River and Mangalam Dam is constructed across this river  A canal system for irrigation purpose was completed and opened in 1966, in Alathur taluk, Palakkad district 

Tributaries of the river Mangalam river
Cherukunnapuzha

See also
Bharathapuzha - Main river
Gayathripuzha - One of the main  tributaries of the river Bharathapuzha

Other tributaries of the river Gayathripuzha
Ayalurpuzha
Vandazhippuzha
Meenkarappuzha
Chulliyar
Passage 15:
Cagne
The Cagne is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France  Its source is near Coursegoules, and it flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Cagnes-sur-Mer  It is 27 5 km (17 1 mi) long  The Malvan is one of its tributaries 
Passage 16:
Thoré
The Thoré (French pronunciation: ​[tɔʁe]) is a 61 6-kilometre-long (38 3 mi) river in the Hérault and Tarn departments in southern France  Its source is in the northern part of Rieussec  It flows generally northwest  It is a left tributary of the Agout, into which it flows between Navès and Castres 

Departments and communes along its course
This list is ordered from source to mouth: 

Hérault: Rieussec, Verreries-de-Moussans,
Tarn: Labastide-Rouairoux, Anglès, Lacabarède, Rouairoux, Sauveterre, Albine, Saint-Amans-Valtoret, Saint-Amans-Soult, Bout-du-Pont-de-Larn, Mazamet, Pont-de-Larn, Aussillon, Payrin-Augmontel, Aiguefonde, Caucalières, Labruguière, Castres, Navès,
Passage 17:
Klehini River
The Klehini River is a large, glacially fed stream in the vicinity of Haines in the U S  state of Alaska 
The Klehini River is about 42 miles (68 km) long from its source in British Columbia to its mouth at the Chilkat River, of which it is the largest tributary   The Klehini River is renowned for its salmon runs, its biannual congregation of bald eagles—the second largest in the Haines area after the Chilkat River's Council Grounds—and for the Klehini Falls  The Klehini also delineates the northern boundary of the Chilkat Range 
The name Klehini appears to be derived from the Tlingit phrase l’éiw héeni, which translates to river with sand or gravel in it    The Klehini River contains abundances of both sand and gravel 
The lower Klehini is located within the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve 
Walt Disney's 1991 rendition of White Fang was filmed along the Klehini River 

Klehini Falls
The Klehini Falls are a series of four cataracts in far northwestern British Columbia occurring in a narrow gorge near the headwaters of the Klehini River  The falls are separated from one another by a distance of approximately 300 feet (91 m), with an average plunge of 30 to 40 feet (9 1 to 12 2 m)  The individual cataracts are currently unnamed 

See also
List of rivers of Alaska
List of British Columbia rivers
Passage 18:
Orange River
The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: Oranjerivier) is a river in Southern Africa  It is the longest river in South Africa  With a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi), the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north  It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean  The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa  Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities  The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power  The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon  Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib, which is rendered in Afrikaans as Gariep River with the intrusion of a velar fricative in place of the alveolar click, Groote River (derived from Kai !Garib) or Senqu River (used in Lesotho), derived from ǂNū "Black"  It is known in isiZulu as isAngqu 

Course
The Orange rises in the Drakensberg mountains along the border between South Africa and Lesotho, about 193 km (120 mi) west of the Indian Ocean and at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft)  The extremity of the Orange River inside Lesotho is known as the Senqu  Parts of the Senqu River freeze in winter because of the high altitude  This creates droughts downstream, which mainly affect goat and cattle production 

The Orange River then runs westward through South Africa, forming the south-western boundary of the Free State province  In this section, the river flows first into the Gariep Dam and later into the Vanderkloof Dam  From the border of Lesotho to below the Vanderkloof Dam, the river bed is deeply incised  Further downstream, the land is flatter, and the river is used extensively for irrigation 
At the western point of the Free State, southwest of Kimberley, the Orange meets with its main tributary, the Vaal River, which forms much of the northern border of the province  From here, the river flows further westward through the arid wilderness of the southern Kalahari region and Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province to meet with Namibia at 20°E longitude  From here, it flows westward for 550 km (340 mi), forming the international border between the province and Namibia's ǁKaras Region  On the border, the river passes the town of Vioolsdrif, the main border post between South Africa and Namibia 

In the last 800 km (500 mi) of its course, the Orange receives many intermittent streams, and several large wadis lead into it  In this section, the Namib Desert terminates on the north bank of the river, so under normal circumstances, the volume of water added by these tributaries is negligible  Here, the bed of the river is once again deeply incised  The Augrabies Falls are located on this section of the Orange, where the river descends 122 m (400 ft) in a course of 26 km (16 mi) 
The Orange empties into the Atlantic Ocean between the small towns of Oranjemund (meaning "Orange mouth") in Namibia and Alexander Bay in South Africa, about equidistant between Walvis Bay and Cape Town  Some 33 km (21 mi) from its mouth, it is obstructed by rapids and sand bars and is generally not navigable for long stretches 
The river has a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi) 

Catchment and rainfall
In the dry season, the volume of the water in the river is considerably reduced because of the rapid run-off and evaporation  At the source of the Orange, the rainfall is about 2,000 mm (79 in) per annum, but precipitation decreases as the river flows westward; at its mouth, the rainfall is less than 50 mm (2 0 in) per year  The factors that support evaporation, though, tend to increase in a westerly direction  In the wet season (summer), the Orange river becomes a brown colored torrent  The huge mass of sediment carried constitutes a long-term threat to engineering projects on the river The total catchment of the Orange River (including the Vaal) extends over 973,000 km2 (376,000 sq mi), i e  equivalent to about 77% of the land area of South Africa (1,221,037 km2 (471,445 sq mi))  Around 366,000 km2 (141,000 sq mi) (38%), however, are situated outside the country in Lesotho, Botswana, and Namibia 

Tributaries
Vaal River - 1,458 km (906 mi)
Caledon River - 642 km (399 mi)
Khubelu River - 144 km (89 mi)

Dams
Armenia Dam
Egmont Dam
Gariep Dam
Newberry Dam
Vanderkloof Dam
Welbedacht Dam

History
Etymology
Some of the earliest precolonial inhabitants called the river ǂNūǃarib, referring to its black colour, or sometimes just Kai !Arib ("Great River"), from which is derived the Afrikaans version Gariep, and translation "Groote Rivier"  The early Dutch name for the river was just that translation, Groote Rivier, meaning "Great River"  The river was named the Orange River by Colonel Robert Gordon, commander of the United East India Company (VOC) garrison at Cape Town, on a trip to the interior in 1779  Gordon named the river in honor of William V of Orange  A popular but incorrect belief is that the river was named after the supposedly orange color of its water, as opposed to the color of its tributary, the Vaal River, which name is derived from the name ǀHaiǃarib "pale river" (vaal being Afrikaans for pale or grey)  Since the end of apartheid, the name "Gariep" has had greater favour in official correspondence in South Africa, although the name "Orange" has greater international recognition  In Lesotho, where the river rises, it is known as the Senqu River, derived from the original Khoemana name 

The Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee has advertised its intention to consider a name change from the colonial name, for that portion of the river that forms the border between the Eastern Cape and the Free State, with suggestions being IGqili or Senqu  The advertisement placed in the Aliwal Weekblad newspaper states that the "present name is perceived to have a strong association with the history of colonial subjugation and has therefore no place under the current democratic dispensation "

The Grootslang
In South African folklore, the Orange River is often associated with the Grootslang, a mythical being resembling a giant serpent, which is often connected to the river's alluvial diamonds  The Grootslang is described as living in a gem-filled cave connected to the Orange River by a natural pipe through which the diamonds gradually enter the river  Other sites said to be lairs of the creature include the pool beneath the King George Cataract at Aughrabies Falls, which is also said to be a source of diamonds, and a large rock in the middle of the river itself  In this version of the legend, the Grootslang is also said to prey on cattle from the river's banks 

Economy
As the collection point for the majority of South Africa's water, the Orange River plays a major role in supporting agriculture, industry, and mining  To assist in this, two large water schemes have been created, the Orange River Project and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project  Historically, the river played an important role in the South African diamond rush, with the first diamonds in the country being discovered in alluvial deposits on the Orange  Today, several commercial diamond mines operate along the final stretch of the Orange River and around its mouth 
Because of the lack of dangerous animals and high water levels during summer, the river is used for recreational canoeing and rafting  Orange River rafting has become very popular with many companies using their camps along the river from which to operate  The most popular trips are four-day and six-day river trips that take place either along the gorge below the Augrabies Falls or along the Richtersveld area 

Orange River Project
The Orange River Project (ORP) was one of the largest and most imaginative projects of its kind in South Africa  It was constructed by Hendrik Verwoerd's government at the height of the apartheid era  The ORP was built to exploit the waters of the Orange River—which, without the Vaal River, represents some 14 1% of the total runoff in South Africa—and in the process, to satisfy an increasing demand for water  The main objectives of the project were:

to stabilise river flow,
the generation and transmission of hydroelectric power,
to provide a reliable water supply for users in the Orange River basin, and
to give a new lease on life to water-deficient areas in the Eastern Cape, such as the Great Fish and Sundays River valleys The Gariep Dam near Colesberg is the main storage structure within the Orange River  From here, the water is supplied in two directions, westward along the Orange River (via hydroelectric power generators) to the Vanderkloof Dam and southward through the Orange-Fish Tunnel to the Eastern Cape 

Hydroelectricity
Eskom operates hydroelectric power stations at both the Gariep Dam and the Vanderkloof Dam  The hydroelectric power station at the Vanderkloof Dam was the first power-generation station in South Africa situated entirely underground  The towns Oviston and Oranjekrag were established to facilitate the construction and operation of the new infrastructure 

Irrigation
Irrigation in the vast area downstream of the Vanderkloof Dam, which has turned thousands of hectares of arid veld into highly productive agricultural land, was made possible by the construction of the Gariep and Vanderkloof Dams  Old established irrigation schemes such as those at Buchuberg, Upington, Kakamas, and Vioolsdrif have also benefitted because regulation of the flow is now possible  On the Namibian side of the river, Aussenkehr produces grapes with the help of water from the Orange 
In recent years, the wine-producing areas along the Orange River have grown in importance  Irrigation in the Eastern Cape has also received a tremendous boost, not only from the additional water being made available, but also owing to improvement in water quality  Without this improvement, the citrus farmers along the Lower Sundays River would almost certainly have continued to suffer losses of productivity 

Lesotho Highlands Water Project
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was conceived to supplement the water supply in the Vaal River System  Water is delivered to South Africa by means of the delivery tunnel which passes under the Lesotho South Africa border at the Caledon River, and then under the Little Caledon River south of Clarens in the Free State, and discharges into the Ash River about 30 kilometres (19 mi) further to the north  The scheme became viable when water demands in Gauteng reached levels that could no longer be supported economically by alternative schemes such as the Tugela River-Vaal River pumped storage scheme, which used the Sterkfontein Dam, located near Harrismith in the Free State 

Alluvial diamonds
In 1867, the first diamond discovered in South Africa, the Eureka Diamond, was found near Hopetown on the Orange River  Two years later, a much larger diamond known as the Star of South Africa was found in the same area, causing a diamond rush  This was soon eclipsed by the diamond rush to mine diamonds directly from kimberlite at Kimberley in 1871, although alluvial diamonds continued to be found in the Orange  Today, several commercial diamond mines operate on the last stretch of the river, as well as the beaches around its mouth  Diamond mines also operate on the middle stretch of the river 

Rafting and canoeing
During the temperate months of March and April, given good rains and the sluices of the dams being open, a canoeist (or rafter) can easily travel 30 kilometres (19 mi) per day  The lower reaches of the river are most popular, because of the spectacular topography  Commercial tours are available, and these expeditions depart from the border town of Vioolsdrif 

Wildlife
The Orange River has no large animals  It lies outside the range of the Nile crocodile, and although hippopotami were once abundant, they were hunted to extermination in the 19th century  The Orange River has a relative paucity of species diversity  A 2011 survey of 13,762 fish found only 16 species of fish present   Three of these, the common carp, the Mozambique tilapia, and the western mosquitofish are not indigenous   Another exotic species, rainbow trout, is found in the river headwaters in Lesotho 
Seven species are endemic to the Vaal-Orange River system:
Rock-catfish (Austroglanis sclateri)
Maluti redfin or Maloti minnow (Pseudobarbus quathlambae)
Namaquab barb (Barbus hospes)
River sardine (Mesobola brevianalis)
Smallmouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus)
Largemouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus kimberlyensis)
Orange River Mudfish (Labeo capensis)

See also
List of rivers in South Africa
List of international border rivers
List of crossings of the Orange River
Passage 19:
Bhilangna River
Bhilangna River is a Himalayan river in Uttarakhand, India, which is the major tributary of the Bhagirathi river, the source stream of the Ganges River of India  Bhilangana is a combination of Bhil and Ganga The mainstem, Bhilangna, rises at the foot of the Khatling Glacier (elevation 3,717 m (12,195 ft)) approximately 50 km (31 mi) south of the ice cave at Gaumukh, traditionally considered the source of both the Bhagirathi and the Ganges and flows into the Bhagirathi at Old Tehri, the site of the Tehri dam   It meets its major tributary the Bal Ganga at Ghansali (elevation 976 m (3,202 ft)) 
The Bal Ganga, whose headwaters are formed at the foot of Mount Kukhli Dhar (elevation 4,600 m (15,100 ft)), itself has a minor tributary, the Dharam Ganga, which meets it at Thati Kathur (also Budha Kedar) at elevation 1,524 m (5,000 ft)
The Khatling trek route passes alongside the Bhilangna, starting from the last point accessible by road, Ghuttu, until the glacier, which stands at 3700 metres  If one were to go further on the trail past the glacier, one could reach Kedarnath 

See also
Bhagirathi River
Ganges
Alaknanda River



ground_truth: Thaba Putsoa

prompt_front: Answer the question based on the given passages. Only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: Along with the Closer performer, what notable pop artist started out his career on adult contemporary radio?

The following are given passages.
Context 3: Passage 1:
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet storm and rock influence  Adult contemporary is generally a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect the evolution of pop/rock music Adult contemporary tends to have lush, soothing and highly polished qualities where emphasis on melody and harmonies is accentuated  It is usually melodic enough to get a listener's attention, and is inoffensive and pleasurable enough to work well as background music  Like most of pop music, its songs tend to be written in a basic format employing a verse–chorus structure  The format is heavy on romantic sentimental ballads which mostly use acoustic instruments (though bass guitar is usually used) such as acoustic guitars, pianos, saxophones, and sometimes an orchestral set  The electric guitars are normally faint and high-pitched  However, recent adult contemporary music may feature synthesizers (and other electronics, such as drum machines) An AC radio station may play mainstream music, but it usually excludes hip-hop and some forms of dance-pop and teen pop, as these are less popular among adults, the target demographic  AC radio often targets the 25–44 age group, the demographic that has received the most attention from advertisers since the 1960s  A common practice in recent years of adult contemporary stations is to play less newer music and more hits of the past, even some songs that never even charted the AC charts   This de-emphasis on new songs slows the progression of the AC chart Over the years, AC has spawned subgenres including "hot AC" (also known as "modern AC"), "soft AC" (also known as "lite AC"), "urban AC" (a softer type of urban contemporary music), "rhythmic AC" (a softer type of rhythmic contemporary), and "Christian AC" (a softer type of contemporary Christian music)  Some stations play only "hot AC", "soft AC", or only one of the variety of subgenres  Therefore, it is not usually considered a specific genre of music; it is merely an assemblage of selected songs from artists of many different genres 

History
1960s: Early roots; easy listening and soft rock
Adult contemporary traces its roots to the 1960s easy listening format, which adopted a 70—80% instrumental to 20–30% vocal mix  A few offered 90% instrumentals, and a handful were entirely instrumental  The easy listening format, as it was first known, was born of a desire by some radio stations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to continue playing current hit songs but distinguish themselves from being branded as "rock and roll" stations  Billboard first published the Easy Listening chart July 17, 1961, with 20 songs; the first number one was "Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton  The chart described itself as "not too far out in either direction" Initially, the vocalists consisted of artists such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, and others  The custom recordings were usually instrumental versions of current or recent rock and roll or pop hit songs, a move intended to give the stations more mass appeal without selling out  Some stations would also occasionally play earlier big band-era recordings from the 1940s and early 1950s After 1965, differences between the Hot 100 chart and the Easy Listening chart became more pronounced  Better reflecting what middle of the road stations were actually playing, the composition of the chart changed dramatically  As rock music continued to harden, there was much less crossover between the Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart than there had been in the early half of the 1960s  Roger Miller, Barbra Streisand and Bobby Vinton were among the chart's most popular performers One big impetus for the development of the AC radio format was that, when rock and roll music first became popular in the mid-1950s, many more conservative radio stations wanted to continue to play current hit songs while shying away from rock  These middle of the road (or "MOR") stations also frequently included older, pre-rock-era adult standards and big band titles to further appeal to adult listeners who had grown up with those songs 
Another big impetus for the evolution of the AC radio format was the popularity of easy listening or "beautiful music" stations, stations with music specifically designed to be purely ambient  Whereas most easy listening music was instrumental, created by relatively unknown artists, and rarely purchased (especially as singles, although Jackie Gleason's beautiful music albums sold well in the 1950s), AC was an attempt to create a similar "lite" format by choosing certain tracks (both hit singles and album cuts) of popular artists 

1970s: Soft rock forms as a radio format
By the late 1960s hard rock had been established as one of the rock genres leading hard rock and soft rock to became distinct popular forms in the rock scene, and as major radio formats in the US  Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies  Major artists included Carole King, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Bread In the early 1970s, softer songs by The Carpenters, Anne Murray, John Denver, Barry Manilow, and even Barbra Streisand, began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio  Top 40 radio stations played the Top 40 hits regardless of genre   As the texture of much of the music played on Top 40 radio began to soften, the Hot 100 and Easy Listening/AC charts became more similar  Easy Listening radio began playing songs by artists who had begun in other genres, such as rock and roll or R&B  Much of the music recorded by singer-songwriters such as Diana Ross, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King and Janis Ian got as much, if not more, airplay on AC stations than on Top 40 stations  AC stations also began playing softer songs by Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, and other rock-based artists  Soon after, the adult contemporary format began evolving into the sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts as Chicago and the Eagles, becoming associated with the format  In addition, several early disco songs, did well on the Adult Contemporary format 
Soft rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such as Toto, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Air Supply, Seals and Crofts, Dan Fogelberg, America and the reformed Fleetwood Mac, whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade  By 1977, some radio stations, notably New York's WTFM and NBC-owned WYNY, and Boston's WEEI, had switched to an all-soft rock format  As Softrock 103, WEEI was famous for its promotional campaigns, featuring slogans such as "Joni, without the baloni " and "The Byrds, without the nyrds "  However, different forms of popular music  targeted to different demographic groups, such as disco vs  hard rock, began to emerge in the late-1970s  This led to specialized radio stations that played specific genres of music, and generally followed the evolution of artists in those genres 

1980s: Adult contemporary succeeds as radio format
On April 7, 1979, the Easy Listening chart officially became known as Adult Contemporary, and those two words have remained consistent in the name of the chart ever since  Adult contemporary music became one of the most popular radio formats of the 1980s  The growth of AC was a natural result of the generation that first listened to the more "specialized" music of the mid-late 1970s growing older and not being interested in the heavy metal and rap/hip-hop music that a new generation helped to play a significant role in the Top 40 charts by the end of the decade 
Mainstream AC itself has evolved in a similar fashion over the years; traditional AC artists such as Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, John Denver, and Olivia Newton-John found it harder to have major Top 40 hits as the 1980s wore on, and due to the influence of MTV, artists who were staples of the Contemporary Hit Radio format, such as Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Bonnie Tyler, George Michael, Phil Collins, Laura Branigan and Journey began crossing over to the AC charts with greater frequency  Collins has been described by AllMusic as "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond"  However, with the combination of MTV and AC radio, adult contemporary appeared harder to define as a genre, with established soft-rock artists of the past still charting pop hits and receiving airplay alongside mainstream radio fare from newer artists at the time 
The amount of crossover between the AC chart and the Hot 100 has varied based on how much the passing pop music trends of the times appealed to adult listeners  Not many disco or new wave songs were particularly successful on the AC chart during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and much of the hip-hop and harder rock music featured on CHR formats later in the decade would have been unacceptable on AC radio 
Although dance-oriented, electronic pop and ballad-oriented rock dominated the 1980s, soft rock songs still enjoyed a mild success thanks to Sheena Easton, Amy Grant, Lionel Richie, Christopher Cross, Dan Hill, Leo Sayer, Billy Ocean, Julio Iglesias, Bertie Higgins, and Tommy Page  No song spent more than six weeks at No  1 on this chart during the 1980s, with nine songs accomplishing that feat  Two of these were by Lionel Richie, "You Are" in 1983 and "Hello" in 1984, which also reached No  1 on the Hot 100 
In 1989, Linda Ronstadt released Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, described by critics as "the first true Adult Contemporary album of the decade", featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville on several of the twelve tracks  The album was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone and became a major success throughout the globe  The Grammy Award-winning singles, "Don't Know Much" and "All My Life", were both long-running No  1 Adult Contemporary hits  Several additional singles from the disc made the AC Top 10 as well  The album won over many critics in the need to define AC, and appeared to change the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day to day radio play 

1990s: Subgenre formations/radio crossovers
The early 1990s marked the softening of urban R&B in the shape of new jack swing, at the same time alternative rock emerged and traditional pop saw a significant resurgence  This in part led to a widening of the market, not only allowing to cater to more niche markets, but it also became customary for artists to make AC-friendly singles  At the same time, the genre began adopting elements from hard rock as tastes were shifting towards louder music, while AC stations in general began playing more rock acts  "Softer" features such as light instrumental music (carried over from the beautiful music format—many AC stations carried the format until the early 1970s), new age songs and most pre-1964 artists were gradually phased out from AC radio throughout the early to mid-1990s 
Unlike the majority of 1980s mainstream singers, the 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as All-4-One, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys and Savage Garden generally crossed over to the AC charts  Latin pop artists such as Lynda Thomas, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Selena, Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel also enjoyed success in the AC charts 
In addition to Celine Dion, who has had significant success on this chart, other artists with multiple number ones on the AC chart in the 1990s include Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, Bryan Adams, Whitney Houston and Shania Twain  Newer female Adult album alternative singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow also broke through on the AC chart during this time In 1996, Billboard created a new chart called Adult Top 40, which reflects programming on radio stations that exists somewhere between "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music  Although they are sometimes mistaken for each other, the Adult Contemporary chart and the Adult Top 40 chart are separate charts, and songs reaching one chart might not reach the other  In addition, hot AC is another subgenre of radio programming that is distinct from the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart as it exists today, despite the apparent similarity in name 
In response to the pressure on Hot AC, a new kind of AC format cropped up among American radio recently  The urban adult contemporary format (a term coined by Barry Mayo) usually attracts a large number of African Americans and sometimes Caucasian listeners through playing a great deal of R&B (without any form of rapping), gospel music, classic soul and dance music (including disco) 
Another format, rhythmic AC, in addition to playing all the popular hot and soft AC music, past and present, places a heavy emphasis on disco as well as 1980s and 1990s dance hits, such as those by Amber, and Black Box, and includes dance remixes of pop songs, such as the Soul Solution mix of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" 
In its early years of existence, the smooth jazz format was considered to be a form of AC, although it was mainly instrumental, and related a stronger resemblance to the soft AC-styled music  For many years, George Benson, Kenny G and Dave Koz had all had crossover hits that were played on both smooth jazz and soft AC stations 

2000s–present: AC music goes mainstream and mainstream music goes AC
During the 2000s, the AC market gained an increased presence in the music industry, as its radio formats were popular nationwide—Smooth jazz and "Urban AC" stations were ubiquitous in the East Coast, while Soft rock and "adult standards" stations were common in the Midwest, and pop-oriented "Hot AC" and "world music"/Hispanic AC stations were easily found in the West Coast and the "Sun Belt"  This led to the presence of numerous genres on the AC charts, often crossing to the "pop" charts, winning over many critics in the need to define AC, and increased the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day-to-day radio play 
Josh Groban's single "You Raise Me Up" and Michael Bublé's cover of "Fever" are often cited as key examples of the high production values and ballad-heavy sound that defined 2000s-era AC, often dubbed as "jazz-pop", heavily carrying classical, jazz and traditional pop influences  Artists such as Nick Lachey, James Blunt, Jamie Cullum, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse and Susan Boyle also achieved great success during this period  During most of the 2000s, country music/countrypolitan musicians such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood scored hits on soft AC, particularly in Southern states  A popular trend in the late 1990s and 2000s was remixing dance music hits into adult contemporary ballads, especially in the US, (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of "Heaven" by DJ Sammy, "Listen To Your Heart" by D H T , and "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada) 
Key to the success of AC in the 2000s was the 25–34 demographic which had outgrown the pop music offerings of the time, most new rock became too alternative and harsh for AC radio and most new pop was now influenced heavily by dance-pop, hip-hop and electronic dance music  At the same time, the music industry also began to focus on older audiences and markets generally considered "niche" 
During the late 2000s, certain pop songs began entering the AC charts instead, generally after having recently fallen off the Hot 100  Adrian Moreira, senior vice president for adult music for RCA Music Group, said, "We've seen a fairly tidal shift in what AC will play"  Rather than emphasizing older songs, adult contemporary now began playing many of the same songs as top 40 and adult top 40, but only after the hits had become established  An article on MTV's website by Corey Moss describes this trend as: "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die a very long death  Or, to optimists, to get a second life " As adult contemporary has long characterized itself as family-friendly, "clean" versions of pop songs began appearing on the AC chart, as were the cases of "Perfect" by P!nk, and "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green, both in 2011 AC radio's shift into more mainstream pop was a result of the changes on the broadcasting landscape following the 2005–2007 economic downturn and eventual recession, as advertisers preferred more profitable chart-based formats, which meant the demise of many AC-based formulas, primarily those aimed at older audiences, with tastes changing towards more modern music among all age groups  Diminishing physical record sales throughout the 2010s also proved a major blow to the AC genre, and there are concerns that the portable people meter, a device being used to determine radio listenership, may be incompatible with AC songs and may not accurately pick up that a person is listening to an AC station because of the pitches and frequencies used in the style Key AC artists of the early to mid-2010s included Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Adele, Arcade Fire, Meghan Trainor, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran, featuring a more pop-influenced, uptempo style than the typical AC fare of previous years, also featuring production values reminiscent of the Motown sound and the so-called Wall of Sound that dominated the soul-heavy pop charts of the early 1960s, when the Easy Listening chart was first introduced  The earlier years of the decade also saw alternative and indie rock acts such as Wilco, Feist, The 1975, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers quickly becoming AC mainstays, although these were eventually replaced by rhythm-based rock bands such as Panic! at the Disco, Neon Trees, X Ambassadors, Sheppard, Bastille, American Authors, Fitz and the Tantrums, Foster the People, Twenty One Pilots, Walk the Moon and Milky Chance 
During the middle of the decade, newer artists such as CeeLo Green, OneRepublic, Rachel Platten, Christina Perri, Andy Grammer, James Bay, Sara Bareilles, Shawn Mendes, Sia, Sam Smith, Gavin Degraw, Charlie Puth and Colbie Caillat as well as acts that were popular in the 1990s and early 2000s such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were added to the rotation of most AC stations 
As trap music and similar styles of hip-hop began dominating top 40 stations during the last years of the 2010s, AC stations began picking up rhythmic artists like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, Taio Cruz and Pitbull as well as EDM artists like Avicii, Daft Punk, Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Tiesto  Meanwhile, younger artists like Camila Cabello, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas and the Jonas Brothers and Halsey began to be featured on AC stations more than on top 40 stations 

Adult contemporary formats
In radio broadcasting, adult contemporary is divided into several sub-formats, each with their own musical direction and demographic targeting  Hot adult contemporary formats generally feature an uptempo rotation of recent hits that appeal to a wide adult audience  A station formatted as "adult contemporary" with no qualifier, also referred to as "mainstream adult contemporary", generally has a similar playlist to hot AC stations, but with a broader rotation of classic hits from past decades Soft adult contemporary formats have a more conservative sound oriented primarily towards adult women, urban AC focuses on R&B and soul music that appeal to African American adults, and rhythmic AC focuses on dance music and other rhythmic genres 

Hot adult contemporary
Hot adult contemporary (hot AC) radio stations play a wide range of the present day's popular music that appeals towards the 18–54 age group; it serves as a middle ground between the youth-oriented contemporary hit radio (CHR) format, and adult contemporary formats (such as "mainstream" and soft AC) that are typically targeted towards a more mature demographic  They generally feature uptempo hit music with wide appeal, such as pop and pop rock songs, while excluding more youth-oriented music such as hip-hop  Recurrents usually reflect familiar and youthful music that adults had grown up with  Likewise, mature material from pop acts such as the Backstreet Boys, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and Pink have also been prominent within the format The "hot AC" designation began to appear in the 1990s, to describe adult contemporary stations with a more energetic presentation and uptempo sound than their softer counterparts  An early example of the format, Houston's KHMX Mix 96 5, climbed from 14th place in the market to 3rd in the six months after its launch  The station's format and branding was widely replicated by other stations  Many hot AC outlets are among the top stations in their respective market Initially focused more on pop rock, the format has evolved to reflect changes in the composition of this audience; by the mid-2000s, the format had evolved to include more uptempo pop music, while alternative and indie rock crossovers (such as Foster the People, Imagine Dragons, Lovelytheband, and Twenty One Pilots) became more prevalent within the format during the 2010s These developments helped to expand the popularity of the format among younger listeners such as millennials; Nielsen Audio ranked hot AC as the third most-popular format among millennials, behind pop and country music  Of the format's expanding demographic reach, WOMX-FM program director Dana Taylor stated that hot AC stations "may not be the radio station that everybody agrees on, but it's a radio station that everybody goes, 'I'm okay with that' " The increasingly downtempo direction of pop hits in the mid-to-late 2010's also helped to attract additional listeners Hot AC stations typically keep a larger body of recent hits in rotation than those with rigid, chart-driven formats like CHR and urban contemporary  As these stations' playlists have become concentrated towards airing only the current hits at a given time, hot AC airplay can build and sustain a song's popularity over a long-term period  This effect has been credited in helping build an audience for early singles from new acts such as Adele, Rachel Platten ("Fight Song", which gained prominence for its use during Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential election campaign), and Max Schneider (whose 2016 single "Lights Down Low", over a year after its original release, became a sleeper hit on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and Hot 100 due in part to strong hot AC airplay) The popularity of the hot AC format prompted many mainstream AC stations to add uptempo music to their playlists, while still maintaining a deeper rotation of older hits than hot AC stations 

Modern adult contemporary
Modern adult contemporary refers to AC formats with a stronger lean towards modern rock and pop rock 
In the 1990s and early 2000s, modern AC was typically targeted towards women, with Mike Marino of KMXB in Las Vegas describing the format as reaching "an audience that has outgrown the edgier hip-hop or alternative music but hasn't gotten old and sappy enough for the soft ACs " The format typically focused on female rock acts such as Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Jewel, and Sarah McLachlan, and folk rock-influenced bands such as Counting Crows and The Wallflowers  Today, the format is fairly uncommon, with KTCZ in the Minnesota Twin Cities being one of the few modern AC stations left 

Soft adult contemporary
The Soft adult contemporary format typically targets women 25–54 and at-work listening  Soft AC playlists are generally conservative in comparison to hot AC, focusing on pop and power ballads, soft rock, and other familiar, light hits  Upon its establishment in the 1980s, the soft AC format was positioned as being a more upbeat version of easy listening that would appeal better to a younger audience, mainly by excluding instrumental beautiful music  Easy listening stations had begun shifting to the format out of concern that their existing programming would not appeal to the current generation of listeners In a 1990 article, James Warren of the Chicago Tribune characterized soft AC stations as being "as middle-of-the-road and unthreatening as modern media get", with personalities that were encouraged to be as inoffensive and "low-profile" as possible, and a more conservative music library than hot AC-leaning stations  In particular, Chicago's WLIT did not have its airstaff talk over the beginning and endings of songs (in contrast to the hot AC-leaning WFYR), and played Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonite" but not "Old Time Rock and Roll" (which was part of WTMX's playlist)  The director of a soft AC station in Connecticut, WEZN-FM, told Warren that he had barred the reading of top-of-hour news headlines, so that listeners wouldn't be tempted to tune away to an all-news station to learn more Soft AC stations tend to be more selective in their music libraries than other adult contemporary stations, preferring proven songs over current hits  Upon the onset of the format's popularity, core artists typically included singers such as Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, and Barbra Streisand  By the 1990s, to improve their appeal among changing demographics, some soft AC stations began to widen their playlist to include selections from contemporary acts with 80s, & 90s, musicians & bands such as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Roxette, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John, Cher, Whitney Houston, Journey, and Queen  On the other hand, by 1996, New York's WLTW had begun to phase out its softer music in favor of a more uptempo direction In 2017, Inside Radio reported that soft AC had the third-largest decrease in US stations offering the format over the past decade (at 128), ranking behind only adult standards and oldies—a shift credited to aging demographics and a major boom in the wider-appealing classic hits format (which saw the largest overall increase over the same period)  Consultant Gary Berkowitz argued that the soft AC format had become increasingly irrelevant in comparison to mainstream and hot AC, due to PPM markets preferring uptempo music At the same time, however, soft AC began to experience a resurgence  In April 2016, iHeartMedia flipped its San Francisco classic soul station KISQ to soft AC as The Breeze; as of November 2018, it was the top station in the Bay Area  The trend continued into 2017 and 2018, with iHeartMedia extending its Breeze brand to other soft AC flips, and the brand (among others) being adopted by competitors such as Entercom  Industry analyst Sean Ross argued that older demographics were becoming more lucrative due to changes in listening habits among younger audiences, which prefer digital platforms such as music streaming services over linear terrestrial radio, and also noted how mainstream AC was dependent on the Top 40 charts to break new songs Current soft AC stations have continued to feature recurrents such as Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, and Whitney Houston, while contemporary musicians such as Adele and Michael Bublé have also become modern fixtures of the format  In addition, the soft AC sound has diversified to include more songs that are "safe and universal" and not necessarily "soft", with Ross presenting Examples such as Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)", as well as the retroactively-defined genre of yacht rock  Over time, some stations have gradually adjusted their playlists to include more recurrents from the 1980s and 1970s (although not to the same extent as other "soft oldies" formats, such as MeTV FM, which have also grown in popularity) 

Urban adult contemporary
The Urban adult contemporary format focuses primarily on current and classic R&B and soul music,  The format typically targets African-American adults: July 2018 numbers from Nielsen Audio recorded it as the top format among African-Americans 25–54 and 35–64  It also has a sizable popularity among younger listeners, ranking behind urban contemporary as the second-most popular format among African-American adults 18–34 in the same report, with an 18 9 audience share The format typically excludes youthful rhythmic music, such as commercial hip-hop and rap, that are usually associated with the urban contemporary format  The urban AC format is also associated with the "quiet storm"—mellower R&B ballads and slow jams, often in a jazz-influenced style  The syndicated evening program Keith Sweat Hotel focuses specifically on such music As urban contemporary stations prefer hit-driven hip-hop songs, labels typically service R&B songs to the urban AC format only  Some current R&B musicians have complained that this is an artificial divide that prevents them from reaching a wider, mainstream audience (citing the relatively smaller number of urban AC outlets in comparison to urban and rhythmic), even with attempts to give some singles a hip-hop-influenced sound to improve the potential for crossover appeal  Some acts have attempted to disassociate themselves from "R&B" to reduce the effect of this stigma, although streaming services have helped to expose R&B to a wider audience beyond urban AC radio 

Rhythmic adult contemporary
The Rhythmic adult contemporary format generally focuses on a variety of current and classic dance music, such as dance-pop, hip-hop, and R&B (often resembling a blend of the Classic hits and hot AC formats in practice)  The exact composition of current and recurrent content can vary between stations, depending on local cultures and the heritage of rhythmic formats in the market, ranging from late-80s/early-90s dance hits (including latin freestyle), to disco and Motown  Rhythmic hot AC has also been used as a format, popularized by stations such as New York's WKTU 

Smooth adult contemporary
The Smooth adult contemporary format is a variant of the smooth jazz format that incorporates mainstream and/or urban adult contemporary songs; they are designed to appeal to a wider range of demographics than a straight smooth jazz format  Some smooth AC stations may limit their airplay of jazz instrumentals to those by better-known performers such as Kenny G 

Christian adult contemporary
Contemporary Christian music (CCM) has several subgenres, one being "Christian AC"  Radio & Records, for instance, lists Christian AC among its format charts  There has been crossover to mainstream and hot AC formats by many of the core artists of the Christian AC genre, notably Amy Grant, Michael W  Smith, Kathy Troccoli, Steven Curtis Chapman, Plumb, and more recently Big Daddy Weave, Casting Crowns, For King & Country, Lauren Daigle, MercyMe, and Newsboys 

Adult album alternative
The Adult album alternative (triple-A or AAA) format generally features a diverse playlist of music that appeals to an adult audience, with a focus on emerging songs and artists, and often featuring songs that were not released as singles  The exact composition of a triple-A station's playlist can vary, with alternative rock, indie rock, and indie pop commonly used as core genres, and some stations featuring more uncommon genres such as alternative country, Americana, blues, folk music, and world music  NPR observed in 2018 that roughly half of all triple-A stations in the U S  were non-commercial stations  With the wide variety of music that is serviced to the format, adult album alternative charts have often served as a feeder for the Adult Top 40, and have been credited for breaking acts such as Dave Matthews Band and Lorde 

Christmas music
Since the 1990s it has become common for many AC stations, particularly soft AC stations, to play primarily or exclusively Christmas music during the Christmas season in November and December  While these tend mostly to be contemporary seasonal recordings by the same artists featured under the normal format, most stations will also air at least some vintage holiday tunes from older pop, MOR, and adult standards artists – such as  
Boney M , The Carpenters, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Percy Faith, Mannheim Steamroller, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Andy Williams – many of whom would never be played on these stations during the rest of the year 
These Christmas music marathons typically start a few weeks before Thanksgiving Day and end after Christmas Day, or sometimes extending to New Year's Day  Afterwards, the stations usually resume their normal music fare  Several stations begin the holiday format much earlier, at the beginning of November especially after Halloween  The roots of this tradition can be traced back to the beautiful music and easy listening stations of the 1960s and 1970s 

Syndicated radio shows and networks carrying the adult contemporary format
Delilah – One of the US's most popular radio shows, Delilah airs primarily in the evening  Its Christmas Edition airs from mid-November to late December 
Intelligence for Your Life – Hosted by John Tesh, this show also airs evenings and also on weekends 
American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest – One version of AT40 airs on US hot AC stations, which is a little different from its Top-40/CHR counterpart 
Rick Dees Weekly Top 40/Weekly Top 30 – Began offering Hot AC versions of the popular countdown show in June 1996  These shows feature the top 20 Hot AC songs in the US along with about 10 past hits from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s (decade)  A softer "AC" version was added in July 2009 to try to fill in the void left by Casey Kasem ending his AC countdown 
Radio Disney Music Top 30 Countdown, One version is for Hot AC stations, the other version is for Mainstream AC stations  Plays the USA Top 30 songs of the week according to Mediabase and a music rating service called ratethemusic com  This show, like Rick Dees' show, is distributed by Compass Media Networks 
Backtrax USA with Kid Kelly – Weekend programs focusing on the '80s and '90s, targeted for hot AC stations 
ABC and Dial Global both offer AC 24-hour networks programming soft and hot AC 
Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey have popular morning shows that air on urban AC (and sometimes Hip-Hop) stations  Both shows are often heard on competing stations in the same city, such as St  Louis, Philadelphia and Atlanta  Joyner's show is syndicated by ABC Radio, and Harvey's show by Premiere Radio Networks 
Retro Rewind with Dave Harris is a weekend-based radio show highlighting a massive playlist of songs from the 1980s and 1990s, interviews, spotlights and contests  The show is done live across the US on Saturday nights, taking audience requests  The show is targeted towards HOT AC and AC radio stations 
The EZ Rock network is a brand/network of soft AC heard in Canada 
Heart - A radio network in the UK that grew throughout 2009 as more stations were rebranded as "Heart" 
Smooth Radio – A UK-wide radio network that formed from six regional Smooth Radio stations 
Smoothfm – A network of two Australian commercial radio stations (based in Sydney and Melbourne) that are focused on providing an eclectic easy-listening playlist, usually featuring ballads 
Nova – A network of five Australian commercial radio station (based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) that are very similar to Smoothfm 
The Breeze – A group of New Zealand adult contemporary radio stations owned by MediaWorks Radio  There are 20 stations currently broadcasting throughout New Zealand 
The Bob and Sheri Show – American morning drive show based in Charlotte, North Carolina  Heard on more than 50 AC stations and the American Forces NetworkFormer syndicated programming includes Dick Clark's US Music Survey (1996–2005), Casey's Hot 20/Casey's Countdown/American Top 20/10 (1992–2009) and Top 30 USA 

See also
Adult Contemporary, a chart appearing in Billboard since 1961  This chart is typically (but not exclusively) closer to soft AC 
New-age music
Yacht rock
Passage 2:
KCIX
KCIX (105 9 FM, "Mix 106") is a commercial radio station located in Garden City, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho, area   KCIX airs a hot adult contemporary music format 

Personalities
The station has cycled through more than a dozen morning show combinations since the departure of popular host Kate McGwire in 2016  Its ratings have plunged  Chris and Ryan in the Morning took over weekday morning duties (5AM-10AM) on the station in November of 2022  The show features segments with listeners, local content, and lifestyle topics 
The morning drive show is followed by middays with Deanna from 10AM to 2PM before Marco takes over in afternoon drive from 2PM to 7PM 
At 7PM, Pop Crush Nights with Donny Meacham airs which features celebrity gossip and pop culture news  Lauryn Snapp hosts on the weekend 
The station features traffic cut-ins shared with corporate sister stations, hosted by Dave Burnett and Robin Scott 

History
KCIX was originally branded as K-106 with an Adult Contemporary format including songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and the '90s   By the later 1990s, the station moved in a Hot AC direction   In 1999, KCIX rebranded as Mix 106, and shifted away songs from the '60s and '70s to focus more on the '80s and '90s 
On November 16, 2006, Clear Channel Communications planned to sell 448 of its radio stations outside the top 100 markets including KCIX, along with Boise's sister stations including KSAS-FM, KTMY (now KAWO), KXLT-FM, KIDO, and KFXD  In March 2007, Peak Broadcasting LLC bought the latter stations, making Boise one of the largest markets without any radio stations owned by the future iHeartMedia 
In 2011, Mix 106 silently began adding more contemporary pop currents, moving the station in an Adult Top 40 direction 
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would purchase Peak Broadcasting's stations, including KCIX  The deal was part of Cumulus Media's acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare swapped Peak's Fresno, California stations to Cumulus for its stations in Dubuque, Iowa and Poughkeepsie, New York, and Peak, Townsquare, and Dial Global were all controlled by Oaktree Capital Management  The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013 
Passage 3:
WOKH
WOKH (102 7 FM) is an adult contemporary–formatted radio station licensed to serve Springfield, Kentucky, as well as Lebanon and Bardstown  The station is owned by Bardstown Radio Team, LLC as part of a duopoly with Bardstown–licensed country music station WBRT (1320 AM)  The two stations share studios on South Third Street in downtown Bardstown, while its transmitter facilities are located off Lanham Road in rural Washington County west of Springfield 

History
Choice Radio sold WOKH to current ownership Bardstown Radio Team, owner of WBRT, in 2017 The station has been assigned these call letters by the Federal Communications Commission since January 12, 2006 

Previous logos
Passage 4:
WEBZ
WEBZ (99 3 FM) is a commercial urban adult contemporary radio station located in Mexico Beach, Florida (Panama City metro)  The station is owned by iHeartMedia 

External links
Official Website

WEBZ in the FCC FM station database
WEBZ on Radio-Locator
WEBZ in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
Passage 5:
CFVR-FM
CFVR-FM is a Canadian radio station serving Fort McMurray, Alberta, broadcasting at 103 7 FM with a hot adult contemporary format branded on-air as Mix 103 7 
The station is owned & operated by Harvard Media 

History
The station received approval by the CRTC to operate at 103 7 FM in November 2006 and officially launched on January 14, 2008 
Passage 6:
Closer (Josh Groban album)
Closer is the second studio album by vocalist Josh Groban, released in November 2003  Much like his first studio album, half of this album's songs are sung in English, with the remainder sung in various other languages (Italian, Spanish and French)  Closer was the top selling classical album of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan The album debuted at No  4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling about 375,000 copies in its first week  In January 2004, the album rose from #11 to No  1 in its ninth week on the chart, selling about 110,000 copies that week  This followed a sales campaign by Target In Australia, Closer reached a peak position of #25 on the ARIA Albums Chart of Australia  On June 13, 2007, it re-entered the chart at No  39  As of October 2015, the album has sold over 6 1 million copies in the US  The track, "You Raise Me Up", charted at No  73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart  The track, "Remember When It Rained", reached No  15 on the AC chart 

Track listing
Notes

^a  signifies an additional producer
^b  signifies a co-producer

TV appearances
Good Morning America – November 11, 2003
The View – November 13, 2003

Charts
Certifications
Passage 7:
KLAG
The following is a list of full-power radio stations, HD Radio subchannels and low-power translators in the United States broadcasting K-Love programming, which can be sorted by their call signs, frequencies, city of license, state and broadcast area 

Blue background indicates a low-power FM translator 
Gray background indicates an HD Radio subchannel 

External links
Master Station List
Passage 8:
CKNR-FM
CKNR-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts an adult contemporary format at 94 1 MHz in Elliot Lake, Ontario  The station uses the on-air brand 94 1 Moose FM 

History
The station first aired in 1967 at 1340 AM, and was owned by Algonquin Broadcasting  CKNR had two sister stations, CKNS in Espanola (established in 1976) and CJNR in Blind River (actually the oldest of the three, first established in 1958)  Huron Broadcasting acquired the stations in 1976 
In 1986, CJNR and CKNS were given approval to amend their broadcasting licenses, by deleting the condition of license which required these stations to operate as affiliates of the CBC's English-language AM radio network All three stations became part of Mid-Canada Radio in 1986, and were subsequently sold to the Pelmorex Radio Network in 1990 On November 15, 1990, CKNR was given permission to disaffiliate from the CBC as the Elliot Lake area was now served by the Corporation's CBEC-FM North Channel Broadcasting acquired the stations from Pelmorex in 1996, and converted CKNR to 94 1 MHz on March 3, 1997 with a transmitter on Manitoulin Island  Due to the station's signal strength (it can be heard as far as Sudbury and into Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula), the CJNR and CKNS signals were both discontinued  After the move to 94 1 FM, the station transmitted in mono and aired a mix of classic hits, oldies, and adult contemporary with some current music  Prior to and after CKNR's move to FM, the station had aired the Toronto Blue Jays baseball games 
North Channel subsequently sold CKNR to Haliburton Broadcasting Group in 2004, a sale which reunited CKNR with many of its former sister stations in the Pelmorex Radio Network After Haliburton purchased CKNR-FM, the station rebranded as 94 1 Moose FM with adult contemporary, variety music and switched to FM stereo 
On April 23, 2012, Vista Broadcast Group, which owns a number of radio stations in western Canada, announced a deal to acquire Haliburton Broadcasting, in cooperation with Westerkirk Capital  The transaction was approved by the CRTC on October 19, 2012 

Transmitters
Although officially licensed to Elliot Lake, the primary transmitter is located closer to Little Current (approximately 80 km to the southeast of the city), and parts of the city of Elliot Lake itself consequently do not receive an adequate signal on the 94 1 frequency  On July 9, 2007, CKNR applied to re-broadcast their FM signal at 98 7 MHz to serve the population of Elliot Lake and received CRTC approval on August 24, 2007 

Previous logos
Passage 9:
Light Sings
"Light Sings" is a song written by Will Holt and Gary William Friedman and performed by The 5th Dimension   It reached #12 on the U S  adult contemporary chart, #15 on the Canadian adult contemporary chart, #22 on the Canadian pop chart, and #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971   It was featured on their 1971 album, Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes The song was produced by Bones Howe and arranged by Bob Alcivar 

In media
The song was featured in the 1970 musical, The Me Nobody Knows 
Passage 10:
I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song)
"I Can Only Imagine" is a song by Christian rock band MercyMe  Written and composed by lead singer Bart Millard, it was originally recorded for the band's 1999 independent album The Worship Project before being included on their 2001 major-label debut album Almost There  The song was the last to be written for The Worship Project; in writing it, Millard drew upon his thoughts about his father's death  Lyrically, it imagines what it would be like to be in front of God in heaven; it opens with just a piano before building to include guitar and drums 
After being released on October 12, 2001, as the second single from Almost There, "I Can Only Imagine" became a major success on Christian radio; it spent two weeks at No  1 on the Radio & Records Christian AC chart and became the most-played Christian single of 2002  It became an unexpected mainstream hit in 2003, peaking at No  71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No  5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart while also hitting top 40, adult top 40, and country radio charts  The song returned to the charts after its story was adapted into a 2018 film of the same name, peaking at No  1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart and No  10 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart 
"I Can Only Imagine" received positive reviews from critics  Particular praise was given to its lyrics, and some critics called it the best song on Almost There  It received the Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year at the 33rd GMA Dove Awards, also garnering Millard the award for Songwriter of the Year; he also won the Songwriter of the Year award at the 25th American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Christian Music Awards  In 2004, CCM Magazine ranked it as the fourth-best song in Christian music, and it has since become the most-played song in the history of Christian radio as well as the best-selling Christian song of all time; it has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and as of April 2018, it has sold over 2 5 million copies 

Background and recording
MercyMe was formed in 1994 by vocalist Bart Millard, guitarist Mike Scheuchzer, and keyboardist Jim Bryson  The band later brought on drummer Robby Shaffer and bassist Nathan Cochran  In their early years, they independently released four Christian alternative rock albums, drawing influence from the grunge style of rock music popular at the time  However, they realized that their original songs from these albums failed to connect with their audiences while their covers of popular worship songs were much more popular  Because of this, the band decided to write and produce an album of original worship songs  This album,  The Worship Project, utilized a simple verse–chorus format designed to easily fit on a PowerPoint screen In the last phases of production, MercyMe needed one more song to include on the album  Late at night on the band's bus, Millard found an old notebook with the phrase "I can only imagine" written in it  He began to write a song, basing it on his personal feelings about his father Arthur's death  Early in Bart's life, Arthur had been physically and emotionally abusive towards his family, with Bart being beaten severely at points; Arthur and his wife Adele eventually divorced, and Bart was sent to live with his mother after an especially extreme whipping  Bart kept in contact with his father, however, who  was later diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Bart was 15  His father began to make amends for his actions and started becoming more religiously observant, reading the Bible and going to church regularly  As Arthur progressively became more ill, his relationship with his son improved dramatically; by the time Arthur died in 1991, when Bart was 18, the two were very close  Millard said that "I got a front row seat to see this guy go from being a monster to falling desperately in love with Jesus  By the time he passed away when I was a freshman in college, not only was he my best friend, he was like the Godliest man I’d ever known"  After Arthur's death, Bart became obsessed with the phrase "I can only imagine" after hearing his grandmother say that she could only imagine what Arthur was seeing in heaven  Millard found comfort in the thought and began to write it on anything he could find Once Millard started writing the song, he estimated that it took him only about ten minutes to write the lyrics  Millard said that it was one of the few songs he had ever written where there were not any mistakes in the writing process; "it was just written the way it is and left at that"  MercyMe initially attempted to record "I Can Only Imagine" as a fast song, but after several failed attempts, Millard talked with Bryson about arranging it into a slower version  As the band was tearing down the equipment in their recording studio, Bryson began playing a piano intro  Millard immediately decided to use the intro, and the rest of the song was completed in around five minutes  Although the rest of the band did not see how it would fit on the record, as it didn't meet the basic verse-chorus format the rest of the album had, they felt it needed to be included on it because it meant so much to Millard The Worship Project was released on October 14, 1999  Sales for the album far exceeded the band's previous efforts; Millard estimated the album's overall sales at 100,000, which other sources peg the album's sales as of 2006 at 60,000 or 65,000 copies  The difficulty of meeting sales demands when selling the album directly, in addition to having to book and manage for themselves, led the band to pursue a contract with a record label; MercyMe would sign with INO Records in 2000  "I Can Only Imagine" was one of several songs from the band's independent records that were selected to be included on their debut album with INO, Almost There (2001) 

Composition
"I Can Only Imagine" is set in the key of E major and has a tempo of 80 beats per minute  Bart Millard's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of B3 to the high note of G♯5  Millard is credited with writing and composing the song  A contemporary Christian and pop song, "I Can Only Imagine" has been considered both a ballad and a power ballad  The song opens up with only a piano, building up to include guitar and drums The song has a directly Christian message; its religious lyrics weren't edited for mainstream radio  In the song, the narrator wonders what it would be like to stand before God in heaven  In the refrain, the singer ponders "Will I dance for You Jesus/or in awe of you be still/Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall/Will I sing hallelujah/will I be able to speak at all/I can only imagine/I can only imagine"  Regarding the lyrical theme of "I Can Only Imagine", Millard explained to Fox News that "I was always told that if [my father] could choose, he would rather be in Heaven than here with me  As a Christian I believed that, but as an 18-year-old it was a little hard to swallow  So the questions in the song came from me asking God what was so great about Him that my dad would rather be there "

Critical reception
Critical reception for "I Can Only Imagine" was positive  Steve Losey of AllMusic praised it as being "passionate" and "emotionally compelling"  Kevin Chamberlin of Jesus Freak Hideout said the song's lyrics were "amazing"  It was called the "definite highlight" of Almost There by New Release Tuesday's Kevin McNeese, who also praised its piano intro, saying it "instantly invokes chills", as well as the song's lyrical content  Charisma writer Margaret Feinburg lauded the song's "heart-gripping" lyrics, and it was cited as the centerpiece of the album by Megumi Nakamura of Cross Rhythms, who called it "beautiful and touching"  Writing for CCM Magazine, Adam Woodroof described the song as "heavenly" and said it was the highlight of Almost There  Although Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today called it "beautiful and inspiring", he questioned if "I Can Only Imagine" was actually a worship song At the 33rd GMA Dove Awards in 2002, I Can Only Imagine" earned the GMA Dove Awards for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and Song of the Year  Millard won the award for Songwriter of the Year at the same ceremony as well as at the 25th American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Christian Music Awards, held on June 2, 2003   In 2004, CCM Magazine ranked "I Can Only Imagine" as the fourth-greatest song in Christian music 

Legacy
"I Can Only Imagine" has been regarded as MercyMe's "breakthrough hit" as well as their signature song  It is the most-played song in the history of Christian radio and one of the most-played songs in the history of contemporary music  As of April 2018, it is the best-selling Christian song of all-time  It has consistently ranked among the best-selling Christian digital songs each year in the Billboard year-end charts, ranging from number 19 in 2016 to number three in 2018  It is often requested to be played at funerals  "I Can Only Imagine" was named the official inspirational song for the state of Oklahoma in 2018; the measure was passed by the Oklahoma Legislature and signed by Governor Mary Fallin The story behind "I Can Only Imagine" was adapted into a film  Directed by the Erwin Brothers and starring J  Michael Finley as Bart Millard and Dennis Quaid as Arthur Millard, the movie was released to theaters on March 16, 2018  It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and exceeded initial expectations at the box office, grossing $17 1 million in its opening week  This was the fourth best-ever opening for a faith-based film, behind only The Passion of the Christ, Son of God, and Heaven Is for Real  The film finished its theatrical run having grossed $83 4 million in the United States and Canada and $1 8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $85 2 million  As of August 2019, it ranks as the fifth-highest grossing music biopic of all-time in the United States (behind Bohemian Rhapsody, Straight Outta Compton, Walk the Line, and Rocketman) and was the highest-grossing independent film of 2018 

Release and promotion
Originally, "I Can Only Imagine" was set to be released by fellow Christian artist Amy Grant  Millard had initially declined a request from Grant's record label to allow her to record the song; some segments of the Christian community had reacted negatively to her divorce, and Millard wasn't sure if he wanted to be involved  After consulting with his pastor, who felt Millard should accept the opportunity, he began to reconsider, and finally agreed to let her cover it after talking with Grant over the phone  Grant had planned to release her version of the song as the lead single from her upcoming album and MercyMe would release a different song as their first single, hoping to capitalize on having written what would presumably become a major hit for Grant  The band released their first single from Almost There, "Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)", which performed poorly at Christian radio, leading to poor sales of the album  Plans were made to release another single from the record, but the band's manager, Scott Brickell, decided to reach out to Grant to see if she still planned to release her version as a single  Grant gave MercyMe her blessing to release the song as a single and signed the rights back to the band; "I Can Only Imagine" was released on October 12, 2001, as the album's second single The song debuted on the Christian AC chart on November 2, 2001, reached the No  1 position on February 22, 2002, and spent two weeks at the top spot  It also peaked at No  15 on the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart  The song became the most-played song on Christian radio in 2002  As a result of its success on radio, Almost There experienced a "surge" in sales, debuting on the Billboard 200 in December 2001 and entering the top ten on the Christian Albums chart in January 2002  The song stayed on Christian radio for so long that plans to release a third single from Almost There were cancelled, with the band instead beginning work on a new album In 2003, a Dallas mainstream radio station, 100 3 Wild-FM, played the song on its morning show, The Fitz Radio Program  They had responded to a caller's repeated requests and the urgings of the program's producer, Todd Sheppard, a former seminary student  Although it had been played almost as joke, it soon became the most requested and most played song on the station  After hearing the song played on the station, Millard called-in and spoke with the crew, and MercyMe then came in and played the song live  Big Gay Steven, one of the show's hosts, described their audience's response to the song as "overwhelming"  As other mainstream stations around the country began to play the song, MercyMe's label, INO Records, partnered with Curb Records to market the single to mainstream radio  Its initial success was seen as surprising due to its overtly religious themes, although several other Christian artists had begun achieving mainstream success at the same time, including Stacie Orrico, whose singles "Stuck" and "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life" had both hit the Billboard Hot 100  Curb began to promote the song to adult contemporary and Top 40 radio, and INO and Curb released a double A-side physical single, "I Can Only Imagine/Word of God Speak", in September 2003 "I Can Only Imagine" debuted on the Adult Contemporary chart on May 23, 2003, eventually peaking at No  5 for the chart week of September 8, 2003  "I Can Only Imagine" spent 30 weeks on the chart  The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week of October 11, 2003 at No  76  The song peaked at No  71 and spent 16 non-consecutive weeks on the chart  "I Can Only Imagine" also peaked at No  1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, a component chart of the Billboard Hot 100 that ranks the best-selling physical single releases, for 10 weeks  During the week of November 22, 2003, it became the first No  1 physical single to be outsold by the highest-selling digital single of the week; for that week, "I Can Only Imagine" sold 7,500 physical copies in the United States while Outkast's "Hey Ya!" sold 8,500 digital downloads  The song also charted on the Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, and Country Songs charts In 2012, "I Can Only Imagine" appeared on France's Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) chart, spending two weeks and peaking at No  65  In March 2018, following the release of the film I Can Only Imagine, which was based on the song's story, it appeared on the Billboard Christian Songs chart; because the chart had been created after the song's original run on Christian radio, it was eligible to chart for the first time  It debuted at No  2 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart and also spent a third week at No  1 on the Billboard Christian Digital Songs chart; the song had spent 425 weeks on the chart at that point, the longest run of any song in the chart's history  "I Can Only Imagine" peaked at No  1 on the Christian Songs chart on March 31, 2018, and spent three weeks at the top spot  It also peaked at No  10 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart and ranked at No  8 on the 2018 year-end Christian Songs chart In April 2010, "I Can Only Imagine" was certified platinum by the RIAA, signifying sales of over 1 million digital downloads  It was the first single by any artist in the Christian music genre to go platinum  The song was certified double platinum in September 2014, triple platinum in June 2018, and quadruple platinum in September 2019  As of March 2018, it has sold 2 5 million copies, making it the best-selling Christian single of all time 

Music video
A music video was released for "I Can Only Imagine"  According to Millard, the video's inspiration came from seeing people holding empty picture frames at their concerts, symbolizing their deceased loved ones  Millard said that the "I've had so many people after a show pull out a picture of someone they've lost  These people embrace these photos and I just thought how can we tap into that"  The video features everyday people as well as several music artists including Michael Tait, Tammy Trent, Bob Herdman, and Jesse Katina, each holding an empty picture frame to signify their loss of a loved one; as the video progresses, they are holding pictures of their loved ones including Millard with his father's photograph 

Live performances
Despite including "I Can Only Imagine" on The Worship Project, MercyMe initially did not perform the song in concerts because they felt it did not fit with the rest of the record  The band's first performance of the song did not come until the summer after the release of The Worship Project at a summer camp at the request of a camp counselor  The band has played the song at every show since as of February 2009 MercyMe's 2004 concert tour (the Imagine Tour) and 2018–19 tour (the Imagine Nation Tour) both took their name from the song MercyMe performed "I Can Only Imagine" at the 33rd GMA Dove Awards, with an accompanying "inspiring video that underscored the emotional and inspirational power of song"  The band also performed the song at the 40th GMA Dove Awards, held on April 23, 2009, in a medley with "Finally Home"  At the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast, MercyMe performed the song with President Donald Trump in attendance  In March 2018, MercyMe performed "I Can Only Imagine" live on Fox & Friends to promote the film 

Other versions
Both an acoustic and live version of "I Can Only Imagine" were included in the Platinum edition of Almost There, which was released in August 2006  MercyMe released a new recording of the song on their iTunes Originals album, which was released in March 2008  On their compilation album 10, MercyMe released a new recording of the song featuring the London Session Orchestra as well as a live version  For their 2018 compilation album I Can Only Imagine: The Very Best of MercyMe, released to commemorate the release of the movie, the band recorded an updated recording titled "I Can Only Imagine (The Movie Session)", which peaked at No  19 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart "I Can Only Imagine" has been covered by several artists  In 2002, Amy Grant released her reworked version of the song, titled "Imagine" and paired with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus", on her album Legacy    Hymns and Faith  Country singer Jeff Carson's 2003 cover peaked at No  50 on the Country Songs chart, and in 2014, gospel singer Tamela Mann's cover of the song spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard Gospel Songs chart  In May 2017, Aliyah Moulden, the third-place finisher on the 12th season of the reality competition show The Voice, performed the song on the show; her version debuted and peaked at No  4 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, selling 15,000 copies in its first week and spending two weeks on the chart in total 

Track listing
CD release
"I Can Only Imagine" – 4:06 (Bart Millard)
"Word of God Speak" – 3:07 (Peter Kipley, Millard)

Personnel
(Credits from the album liner notes)MercyMe

Bart Millard – vocals
Jim Bryson – keyboards
Nathan Cochran – bass guitar, background vocals
Mike Scheuchzer – guitar, background vocals
Robby Shaffer – drumsAdditional performers

Paltrow Performance Group – stringsTechnical

Julian Kindred – engineer
Pete Kipley – producer, programming
Skye McCaskey  – engineer
Salvo – mixing
Shane Wilson – mixing

Release and radio history
Charts and certifications
Certifications
Passage 11:
WAJI
WAJI (95 1 FM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format  Licensed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States, the station is owned by Bloomington–based Sarkes Tarzian, Inc WAJI broadcasts in HD, with its HD2 channel simulcasting sister station WGBJ, and its HD3 channel broadcasting a "Top 20" CHR format 

History
WAJI was known as WPTH throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a sister station to WPTA television, and in the summer of 1974 branded themselves as "Rock 95", using TM Productions' "Stereo Rock" Top 40 reel to reel automation package  The station went live in 1979, and changed calls in 1981 to WFWQ (95Q), continuing to do battle with 97 3 WMEE for the Top 40 audience in Fort Wayne  The station mellowed to Adult Contemporary, eventually changing to its current WAJI calls and imaging in 1985  "Majic 95" soon once again became one of Fort Wayne's top-rated stations, reaching #1 in the market several times during the late 1980s 
On March 20, 2014, the first day of spring WAJI changed names to BEST FM 95 1 WAJI reflecting the music they play today 
The station lineup consisted of "The BEST-FM Morning Show" with Sid Kelly, Angie Nash and James Raggi   Mandi Michaels, Program Director Dan Kennedy and Dave B  Goode (who also serves as the station's Promotions Director) 
Angie Nash spent the previous ten years of her career at cross-town WJFX Hot 107 9 before joining the morning show   Afternoons were handled by Dan Kennedy who also serves as the stations Director of Programming   Kennedy was VP/Programming for five station Grenax Broadcasting in Arizona prior to his arrival in Fort Wayne in 2012  Dave B  Goode hosts weeknights after spending several years at stations such as crosstown WBTU and WNHT  Dave also serves as the station's Promotions Director 
After changing formats, BEST-FM has brought in several new staff members  On June 23, 2014 it was announced that James Raggi would join Angie Nash for mornings after spending three years as an intern/producer in Boston on Kiss 108 
In September 2014 Mandi Michaels joined the staff as the new mid-day personality 
On October 24, 2014 Best FM announced the hiring of Sid Kelly  Sid was brought in to be the new host of the morning show, joining Angie and James  Sid Kelly came to WAJI after spending 3 and-a-half years at WVKS 92 5 Kiss FM in Toledo 
In July 2015 Program Director/afternoon personality Dan Kennedy announced he was leaving the station after 4 years to take a job outside of radio 
In September 2015 Captain Chris (Didier) Program Director of sister station WLDE, Fun 101 7 was named Program Director for WAJI and Operations Manager for the all 3 Fort Wayne, IN, Sarkes Tarzian radio stations 
On September 4, 2015, 95 1 rebranded back to "Majic 95 1"  The new Majic is being positioned as “Songs You Can Sing Along To” and comes with the exit of several staffers over the previous few weeks, with the first song being "You and Me" by Lifehouse  Program Director Dan Kennedy left in July for a non-radio industry position  Morning host Sid Kelly, producer James Raggi, and middayer Mandi Michaels were let go earlier that week leading up to the change  Later on, they changed their slogan to "Songs that make you feel good" 
The current WAJI line-up consists of Angie Nash, Andy Beckman, and Katrina Walburn live in mornings  According to WAJI, Katrina Walburn helps you through the Afternoons, and Andy and "Kat" in the morning do a live podcast from 5:30 AM to 10 AM EDT and EST 
On September 8, 2022, WAJI moved its CHR format and "The Twenty FM" branding from its HD2 subchannel to its HD3 subchannel 

Awards and charitable activities
In 2002, Majic 95 1 began an annual 2-day telethon called the "Majic Riley Radiothon" to raise funds for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana  In 2006,  this fundraising effort expanded to include local Fort Wayne recording facility Sweetwater Studios  The radio station and recording studio partnered to record live, acoustic music from nationally recognized artists and bands traveling through Fort Wayne  These recordings, along with others, have been used to produce an ongoing series of "Majic Miracle Music" charity CDs  100% of proceeds from the sale of these CDs benefits Riley Hospital for Children  Artists who recorded at Sweetwater Studios for "Majic Miracle Music" CDs include REO Speedwagon, Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka, Aimee Allen, Jars of Clay, Rick Springfield, Ben Jelen, Josh Kelley, Sara Bareilles, Jon McLaughlin, Gin Blossoms, and Collective Soul In 2005, 2006 and again in 2007, WAJI won Radio&Records Hot AC station of the year for their community support and programming excellence 
In late 2010, WAJI MidDay Host Barb Richards received the Bob Lind Supporter of the Year national award from the Children's Miracle Network for her active involvement in helping Riley Hospital for Children with the Majic Riley Radiothon, Majic Miracle Music releases, and involvement in other Riley Hospital-related activities In 2011, WAJI Program Director Dan Kennedy received the distinguished Edison 30 Under 30 Award for his programming achievements under the age of 30   He was also awarded the Copper Radio Award for his service to the communities of Arizona while programming a group of stations in that state  In 2015, WAJI Program Director Dan Kennedy was awarded the Fort Wayne 40 Under 40 award for service and excellence to the community 

Previous logo
Passage 12:
Minipops
Minipops is a television series broadcast in 1983 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom  Designed primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set featuring preteen children singing then-contemporary pop music hits and older classics  The children were usually made to look like the original performers, including clothing and make-up  Controversy over children singing songs that often contained a subtext of adult content (in adult costumes and make-up) led to the show's cancellation after one series 

History
Minipops was the brainchild of Martin Wyatt, who created a new child group from London called the MiniPops and released an album in 1982 which reached the top 30 in the UK and Europe  This resulted in a French record label releasing a single from the album, "Stupid Cupid",  which was sung by Martin Wyatt's young daughter Jo  The song reached number 1 in France, knocking "Ebony and Ivory" off the top spot Head of Entertainment Cecil Korer at Channel 4 and record producer Mike Mansfield embraced the idea of producing a TV show around the MiniPops; Korer believed it would boost and broaden the group's audience appeal  On 4 July 1982, thousands of amateur child performers from across Britain descended on a London theatre for the audition in a search to find additional children to sing and star in the television show with the original five members of the group 

Criticism
The programme began attracting criticism from commentators in the British media for the portrayal of children in this manner (one caller on Channel 4's Right to Reply programme stated, "Minipops should be called MiniWhores  Are you people out of your mind?") 

Discography
Seven albums were produced and released in the UK, Europe and Canada 

Albums
Before the television show:

The Mini Pops (1982)After the television show:

We're the Mini Pops (1983)
Christmas (1984)
Let's Dance (1984)
Wanna Have Fun (1985)
Magic Juke Box (1986)
Rocket to the Stars (1989)In Canada We're the Mini Pops was successful, becoming the third-highest-selling album in Canada at the time  This prompted the Minipops to hold a three-week tour in 1983, enjoying controversy-free success A number of singles were released across Europe 

See also
Kidz Bop
Mini Pop Kids



ground_truth: Michael Bublé