davidanugraha/M4-RAG huggingface dataset:
西日本電信電話

西日本電信電話株式会社（にしにっぽんでんしんでんわ、英: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WEST CORPORATION）は、大阪府大阪市都島区に本社を置く、地域電気通信事業を業とするNTTグループの大手電気通信事業者。通称はNTT西日本（NTTにしにほん）。
日本電信電話株式会社等に関する法律（NTT法）に基づき、日本電信電話（NTT）の完全子会社として、西日本地域において地域電気通信事業を経営することを目的に設立された株式会社（特殊会社）である。
1997年6月、日本電信電話（NTT）の再編成により、NTTは持株会社となり、地域会社2社と長距離会社に再編成され、1999年7月1日に西日本電信電話株式会社（NTT西日本）が設立された。
「日本電信電話株式会社等に関する法律」（以下「会社法」、通称「NTT法」）により、持株会社は「地域会社が発行する株式の総数を保有し、地域会社による適切かつ安定的な電気通信役務の提供の確保と電気通信の基盤となる電気通信技術に関する研究を行う」とされ、西日本電信電話（NTT西日本）は日本電信電話（NTT）の100%出資会社となった。
本社所在地は大阪府大阪市都島区東野田町4丁目15番82号で、企業キャッチフレーズは2019年7月より「あしたへ－with you, with ICT.」としている。以前は「“光”。ひろがる。ひびきあう。」を2003年より使用していた。
会社法により地域会社は「地域電気通信事業（同一都道府県の区域内における電気通信業務）を経営することを目的とする」とされ、会社法で定められた区域を業務区域としている。
以上のように、業務区域はほぼ全域が西日本と中日本（甲信地方を除く）に属している府県の範囲に及ぶ。
地域会社（西日本電信電話）は、総務大臣の認可を受け、「会社法で定められた区域において行う地域電気通信業務（同一の都道府県の区域内における通信を他の電気通信事業者の設備を介することなく媒介することのできる電気通信設備を設置して行う電気通信業務をいう）」「地域会社の目的を達成するために必要な業務」「地域電気通信業務を営むものとされた都道府県の区域以外の都道府県の区域において行う地域電気通信業務」「地域電気通信業務を営むために保有する設備若しくは技術又はその職員を活用して行う電気通信業務その他の業務」を営むことができる。
これらの業務について総務大臣の認可が必要との特殊法人としての政府規制が残るが、役員の選任・解任、利益処分について総務省の認可が不要とされている。
当社発足後、NTTブランドの電話機端末などの販売元は東日本電信電話（NTT東日本）が担当しており、当社エリアで販売される機種についてはNTT東日本から供給を受けている形をとっている。
組織は設立後、度々変更されており、1999年の設立時は、本社内組織と業務区域内に16支店を置く体制であった。現在は、本社組織と6地域事業本部33支店体制である。
業務区域における同一府県内完結の市外通話および市内通話などの固定電話サービス、ならびにIP網サービス（フレッツ）等の地域電気通信事業行っている。
西日本電信電話の事業者識別番号は「0039」。
事業地域は必ずしも行政上の地域と一致しない。詳細は例外等を参照のこと。
事業地域の扱いは、行政上の地区と異なる場所がある。
一方で、市外局番や通話料金の算出が地元の他地域とは異なるが、事業地域は地元扱いとなるケースもある。
富山県はNTT西日本エリアであるが、中新川郡立山町芦峅寺ブナ坂外に位置する黒部ダム付近の地域は隣接の長野県大町市から電話線を引いている関係上、例外的にNTT東日本エリアとなっている。同様に静岡県もNTT西日本エリアであるが、熱海市泉（全域）と裾野市茶畑の一部は例外的にNTT東日本エリアとなっている。なお静岡県については、東西分割の検討段階でNTT東日本の営業エリアに組み込む検討もされたが、愛知県と同じNTT東海支社のエリアであった事や、東西地域会社間で利用者数や資産規模などを均一に揃えるという意図からNTT西日本の営業エリアとされた経緯がある。ただしNTT西日本エリアである静岡県田方郡函南町にはNTT東日本伊豆病院が存在する。逆にNTT東日本エリアである長野県については、木曽郡南木曽町吾妻の一部と田立では、越境合併が行われた歴史的経緯もあり、岐阜県中津川市より電話線が引かれていることでNTT西日本エリアとなっている。
以前は西日本・東海エリアの旧逓信病院から引継ぎ、以下の企業立病院を運営していた。
現在は以下の通りすべて他の医療法人に移管されている。（一方、NTT東日本では今でも複数の企業立病院を運営しており、NTTグループ関係者以外でも利用できるようになっている。）
大正期以降に竣工された逓信建築が各地に現存している。
以下の建築物は、NTT西日本が不動産として保有したまま、婚礼プロデュース・レストラン経営会社のノバレーゼと賃貸契約を締結。ノバレーゼがリノベーションを施したうえで、「モノリス」というブランドの結婚式場を運営している。
テレビCMの放映はNTT西日本エリア内のみだが、インターネットを通じて日本全国で視聴できる。ちなみに、従来はテレビCMの最後に流れるサウンドロゴでは、企業名の「NTT西日本」ではなく、企業キャッチフレーズの「“光”。ひろがる。ひびきあう。」を読み上げていた。しかし、2007年11月からは、NTT東日本と同様に企業名を読み上げるスタイルへ変更されている。
「フレッツ光CMシリーズ」では、「もしかしてだけど」（どぶろっく、2013年版CM）や「夢想花」（円広志、2014年版CM）の歌詞の一部を変えたうえで、本人が歌う音源をCMソングとして流している。ただし、どぶろっくや円は、CMの本編に登場していない。
全国ネットの提供番組については東日本電信電話を参照。
電電公社時代から電気通信局や電気通信部當の部活動として様々なスポーツ団体（硬式野球部（中国他）、陸上競技部（中国他）、ラグビー部（大阪他）、男子バレーボール部（名古屋他）、女子バレーボール部（神戸）等）が存在していた。1999年（平成11年）に日本電信電話の再編成時、全国11支社に存在していたスポーツ団体も過去の実績などを基に統廃合されることになった。統合の対象とならなかった団体は同好会、クラブチームなどの形で活動、あるいは休廃部していった。
現在は、下記のスポーツ団体を「シンボルチーム」あるいは特定の個人を「個別認定選手」として西日本電信電話でサポートしている。
以下は、日本電信電話の再編成時の過程の中で、NTT西日本内のスポーツチームを母体に生まれたチーム、あるいは途中で休廃部したチームある。
フレッツ光の公式サイトのキャラクターとしてナビットさん、コンシェルジュキャラクターとして西野ひかりがいる。
中部地方

中部地方（ちゅうぶちほう）は、日本の地域の1つで、近代以降における本州中央部の地方。その範囲に法律上の明確な定義はないが、一般的には新潟県・富山県・石川県・福井県・山梨県・長野県・岐阜県・静岡県・愛知県の9県とされている｡
域内最大都市である愛知県名古屋市を中心とした中京圏の意味で用いられることもある（その場合、近畿地方に属する三重県も含む）。
日本列島の中央に位置する。関東地方・東北地方と近畿地方の間に挟まれた地域を指し、これらのいずれにも分類されない地域に対する暫定的な呼び名として明治後期に用いられ始めた。広義では、七地方区分やそれに類似する範囲を慣用的に指す場合が多いが、狭義（企業・官庁の管轄エリア名など）では、東海地方や中京圏に類似した範囲を指すこともある。
七地方区分では以下の9つの県を含み、さらに日本海に面する北陸地方、内陸部の中央高地（東山地方）、太平洋に面する東海地方の3つの下位区分がある。
中央部に険しい日本アルプスがそびえること、日本の経済・文化の東西の中心地である東京と大阪の中間に位置することから、中部地方は東側と西側でも様々な面で違いがあり、地方としての一体の結びつきは他の地方ほど強くない。大まかにいえば、文化面では糸魚川大井川線、地質や植生ではフォッサマグナが東西の境界となる。文化的・経済的統一感に欠ける中部地方という概念に対して、都市圏を中心とした以下の地域分類の方がインフラやメディアが発達した現代の実態により即していると言える。中央省庁の地方支分部局（出先機関）においても下記の地域分類が用いられることが多い。なお、以下の地域分類は一般的な例の一つであり、公的機関や民間企業によってその管轄の範囲は様々である。
糸魚川浜名湖線から東側は広域関東圏に含まれることがあり、特に東京都に隣接する山梨県は首都圏の一角を占めていて、文化・スポーツ面では、関東ブロックの大会（箱根駅伝など）への参加が圧倒的である。加えて、新潟県、長野県も新幹線や高速道路でのアクセスのよい関東地方（特に東京）との結びつきが強い。そのため関東地方の外縁部に当たる甲信越（山梨県・長野県・新潟県）の3県は関東甲信越地方と分類されることが多い。
他方で愛知県名古屋市を中心とする地域では、日本三大都市圏の1つである中京大都市圏が形成されている。歴史的には近畿地方に属している三重県は県北部（北勢）を中心に経済やメディアで愛知県（特に名古屋）と繋がりの強いため、太平洋に面していない内陸県の岐阜県とともに、東海地方として扱われることが一般的である（詳しくは「東海3県」「中京圏」「名古屋都市圏」を参照）。一方で、東海地方東部に位置する静岡県は地理的に東西に広いため、一般的には名古屋を中心とした上記のような都市圏には含まれない。静岡県西部は愛知県、県東部は首都圏との繋がりが強い。静岡県は関東地方と同一の管轄である場合もある。
日本海側に面する北陸地方の4県については、経済的・文化的なブロックを形成している北陸3県（富山県・石川県・福井県）と、関東甲信越の一角である新潟県は異なる分類をされることもあり、単に北陸地方と言った場合に北陸3県を指す場合も多い。なお、福井県は近畿地方と同一の管轄である場合もある。
なお、各県内でも河川の流域や交通事情などによって細かに違いがある（静岡県伊豆地域、三重県伊賀地域、福井県嶺南など）。
前述のように「中部地方」の範囲に対して法律上の明確な定義は存在しないため、慣用的に様々な範囲が用いられている。三重県は地理的な要因では中部地方ではなく近畿地方に含める場合が多い。なお、中部圏開発整備法において法律的に定められた「中部圏」（富山県、石川県、福井県、長野県、岐阜県、静岡県、愛知県、三重県、滋賀県）については、本項では取り上げない（該当記事を参照）。
以下はその一部。
「中部」の名を冠する国家機関・企業・法人は名古屋に拠点を置きその周囲のエリアを管轄する例が多く、七地方区分と比較してそのエリアは狭い。この場合、新潟県や山梨県など名古屋よりも東京に近いエリアは東京に置かれた拠点の管轄となる例が多い。
本節では、七地方区分に基づく範囲について述べる。
本節では、七地方区分に基づく範囲について述べる。
次のグラフは新潟県・富山県・石川県・福井県・山梨県・長野県・岐阜県・静岡県・愛知県・三重県の人口を合計した。
本節では、七地方区分に基づく範囲について述べる。
中部地方の方言は、次のように分類される。
壇ノ浦

壇ノ浦（だんのうら）は、山口県下関市の関門海峡にある浦。治承・寿永の乱（源平合戦）の最後の合戦となった壇ノ浦の戦いの戦場として有名である。また、幕末の馬関戦争の主戦場の一つとしても知られている。
中国地方最西部、本州最西部に面する関門海峡の一角である早鞆瀬戸（はやとものせと）の北側の浦（海辺）。
現在行政上は山口県下関市壇之浦町周辺地域にあたり、山口県南西端、下関市街地の東部に相当する。1889年（明治22年）における同県赤間関市＿＿、1879年（明治12年）における同県赤間関区＿＿。江戸時代における長門国豊浦郡赤間関（あかまがせき）の一角、江戸幕藩体制下の長門府中藩知行赤間関内。平安時代における長門国豊浦郡の早鞆瀬戸西岸。
日本語の表記揺れにより、古風に「壇之浦」とも記し、また、土偏の「壇」でなく木偏の「檀」で「檀ノ浦」とも記す。
同じく源平合戦の屋島の戦いの舞台となった讃岐国（現・香川県）の檀ノ浦と区別するために、「長門壇ノ浦」と呼ばれることもある。
関門海峡でも最も狭隘な海域である早鞆瀬戸に面している。そのため、現在では本州と九州を結ぶ陸上交通機関の多くが壇ノ浦と対岸の和布刈（福岡県北九州市門司区和布刈地区）の間を連絡している。
元来の地名としてはあくまで海岸地形の名称である。現在行政市町村名としては、大字壇之浦町）がその名を引き継いでおり、関門橋直下周辺を区域としている。しかし広義には、壇之浦町・みもすそ川町・本町の大字3区域を指す。
■国道9号
壇ノ浦とその周辺地域にある特筆すべき施設等を、おおよそ北にあるものから順に記載する。もっとも、どこまでを該当地域とするかについて確かな基準は見当たらない。地名構成語「浦」の概念に照らしてみた場合は、水辺との関係性の薄い地域は該当しない。
壇ノ浦の戦いで伊勢平氏が迎えた歴史的事実になぞらえて、物事の悲劇的な結末の譬えに用いられる。
高瀬舟

高瀬舟（たかせぶね、旧字体：高瀨舟）もしくは高瀬船とは、日本各地で使用されていた川舟、川船（かわぶね）の一種。
上代から中世にかけて主に河川で用いられた吃水の浅い小船と、近世以降に普及した、川船の代表として各地の河川で貨客の輸送に従事した船とに大別される。
高瀬舟は河川や浅海を航行するための木造船である。
「高瀬舟」という語の初出は、平安時代前期に編纂された歴史書『日本三代実録』の巻第46の元慶8年9月16日条（西暦換算：ユリウス暦で884年10月8日の条、先発グレゴリオ暦で同年10月12日の条）に見られる、以下の記述である。
中世の高瀬舟は、船体が小さく、高背で、船底が深かった。近世になると船体は大きくなり、船底は平たく浅くなった。
近世以降に普及したほうの高瀬舟は、室町時代末期頃の備中国・美作国（現在の岡山県岡山市周辺一帯に相当）の主要3河川（吉井川・高梁川・旭川。近代以降にいう『岡山三大河川』）などで使用され始め、江戸時代になると日本各地に普及し、昭和時代初期まで使用された。帆走、もしくは、馬や人が曳く方法（cf. 曳舟道）で運行され、物資の輸送を主な目的としていた。主な輸送物資は、岡山においては、年貢米や木材、塩、海産物、醤油、酒などがある。
角倉了以・素庵親子が開削して京都・伏見間を繋いだ運河「高瀬川」は、それによって隆盛を始めた当地域における高瀬舟の運航にちなんで名付けられたものである。
近世以降に普及した高瀬船は、広まってからというもの、日本の川船の代表する存在となり、大小様々なものが建造された。備中国・美作国の主要3河川（吉井川・高梁川・旭川）でも、山城国の高瀬川、駿河国の富士川、下総国の利根川でも、河川舟運を担う最も重要な川船であった。
近世以降に普及した高瀬船は帆船であり、帆は1反の布を細い綱（船頭綱）でからめて連結したもので、中央の帆柱・帆桁（ほげた）・帆綱で支えられており、船体内部は張り板（船首から前舟張り、中舟張り、後舟張り）で区切られ、それぞれ表の間・胴の間・艫（とも）の間と呼ばれている。船頭は舳先の立板に立ち、棹（さお）で岩を避けつつ操作した。
近世以降に普及した高瀬船の大きさが分かる史料としては、正田家文書『忍藩御手船新艘注文帳』がある。これは忍藩が高瀬船1艘を新造した文化14年（1817年）の注文書である。それによると、注文した高瀬船の大きさは、敷長12尋1尺（約22.20m）、横胴敷1丈3寸（約3.12m）、敷板厚1寸6分（約0.11m）、巾78寸（約2.36m）、釘間5寸（約0.15m）というものであった。その大きさのため、川を下るときは櫓などを使って下り、反対に上る際には帆を張って風の力で進んだり、人力で網を引っ張り上げたりした。。
近世以降に普及した高瀬船の船乗りは、陸上の宿に泊まることはほとんどなく、船上で寝起きしていた。川水を飲料水に使用し、釜や瓦竈（かわらくど）などの炊事道具や布団を積み込んでいた。浮世絵師・葛飾北斎の手になる『富嶽三十六景 常州 牛堀』には、水上生活者の範疇にある彼らの暮らしぶりが描き込まれている（■右列に画像と詳説あり）。近世以降の高瀬船は、土足で入ると縁起が悪くなるといって水できれいに洗った足半（あしなか。足裏の半ばまでしかない、藁草履の一種）を履いて船に乗った。。
高瀬舟が荷積して山峡の船路を上るのは大変な重労働であった。岡山では、船頭は川底に竿を着け、その端を自分の胸に当て、舟尾に向かってふんばり歩いて舟を押し進めながら、寂声（さびごえ。枯れて渋みのある声）ででまかせ歌を歌う。「ヨーイヤナー、ソーリヤーヨー 赤いやつを出してﾖー せんたくしとるノー」（縁起担ぎの一つで、赤い色を吉兆として喜んだ。）
岡山県真庭市勝山（明治初期の真島郡勝山村。江戸時代における美作国真島郡勝山村、幕藩体制下の美作勝山藩知行高田村）には、かつて高瀬舟が行きかっていた発着場が残っている。かつてここでは川下から塩や海産物・干し海老（ほしえび）・畳表（たたみおもて）などの生活必需品の多くが高瀬舟によって山間部へもたらされ、さらにここから山中地域（旧・真庭郡域）へ送り出されていた。そして、山中地域からは木炭・米・蒟蒻（こんにゃく）などの物資を積み下ろしたりなど、物資の集散地になっていた。 岡山方面への舟は、午前中に荷積みをし、落合で1泊した後、翌日、岡山まで下る。その翌日に荷を下ろし、終わり次第戻って荷を積む。岡山からの帰りは4日程度かかっていた。
江戸時代中期にあたる享保17年（1732年）の『高田村絵図』に描かれた高瀬舟の発着場は、現在の中国勝山駅の裏辺りであり、「浜」と呼ばれ、岡山まで18里（約70.69km）、蔵から年貢米を積み出していたと思われる。
明治時代には370艘ほどが稼働しており、そのうち、落合（明治半ばにおける真島郡落合町、現・真庭市落合地区）に100艘、久世（明治半ばにおける大庭郡久世村、現・真庭市久世）に30艘、勝山（明治半ばにおける真島郡勝山町、現・真庭市勝山）には48艘程度の船が発着していた。
津山市船頭町の吉井川河川敷に、かつて高瀬舟の船着き場として利用されていた石積みの護岸が残っている。これは森忠政が1603年に津山に入封し、津山城を拠点に津山のまちづくりに取り掛かるが、その中で治水対策として吉井川左岸に堤防を築いたあとに船着き場を整備したものである。合わせて、他の町でも見られるように、同種の職人を町の中の一定の区画に集める中で、船着き場の周辺に舟運関係者を集めて現在の船頭町となる。
高瀬舟をかなり詳細に描いたものとしては、霞ヶ浦に停泊する利根川の高瀬船を描いた葛飾北斎の名所浮世絵『富嶽三十六景 常州牛堀』（■右列に画像と詳説あり）や、江戸本所の四ツ木通用水（通称：曳舟川）での高瀬船の曳舟の様子を描いた歌川広重の『名所江戸百景 四ツ木通用水引ふね』などがある。ほかにも、多くは画面上の“脇役”としてではあるが、浮世絵師を中心に様々な絵師によって描かれている。
森鷗外の短編小説『高瀬舟』では、江戸時代における京都の高瀬川と高瀬舟が物語の舞台背景になっている。
岡山県真庭市の落合地区（江戸時代における美作国真島郡内の後世の落合町相当地域）では、明和元年（1764年）以来の伝統和菓子である落合羊羹が、考案者の老舗・古見屋羊羹を始めとするいずれも老舗の5業者・5店舗によって製造・販売されているが、古見屋羊羹では主たるバリエーション商品として「高瀬舟羊羹」も製造・販売している。開発時期についての情報は確認できない。中身は昔ながらの田舎羊羹であるが、パッケージデザインを舟形にして、旭川の河川舟運を担った高瀬舟にゆかりある土地柄にふさわしい商品となっている。また、名称こそ違うが、古見屋以外の4業者も同様に舟形の外装で高瀬舟を表した商品を製造・販売している。
日本の地方公共団体一覧

日本の地方公共団体一覧（にほん/にっぽんのちほうこうきょうだんたいいちらん） 広域的地方公共団体である47都道府県（1都、1道、2府、43県）の下に、計1,718市町村および計23特別区が設置される。
日本の市町村の数は、2024年（令和6年）10月1日の時点で、市が792、特別区（東京都区部）が23、町が743、村が183で、合計1,741である（ただし、ロシア連邦が実効支配している北方地域に属する6村は数に含まれていない）。
太字は、都道府県庁所在地（と北海道は振興局所在地）
Chūgoku Region Lullaby

Chugoku Region Lullaby (Japanese: 中国地方の子守唄 or chūgoku chihō no komoriuta) is a traditional folk song in Okayama Prefecture, Chugoku region, Japan, and is a well known Japanese cradle song.
The song is best known by the arrangement by Kosaku Yamada that was made in 1938. An instrumental version, played on a harp, historically marked the end of transmission at night on RCC, broadcasting to Hiroshima Prefecture. Up until 1987, a violin version was used on Sanyo Broadcasting, in Okayama and Kagawa, also signalling the end of daily programming. During the shutdown of analog television in Japan on 24 July 2011, RCC played the song for the final time on the station's analog signal shortly before the station switched off its analog transmitters.
Chūgoku dialects

The Chūgoku dialect (中国方言, Chūgoku hōgen) is a group of the Japanese dialects spoken in most of the Chūgoku region and in the northwestern Kansai region. It may be separated into two groups according to the form of the copula.
Although Kansai dialect uses copula ya, Chūgoku dialect mainly uses ja or da. Chūgoku dialect uses ken or kee instead of kara meaning "because". ken is also used in Umpaku dialect, Shikoku dialect, Hōnichi dialect and Hichiku dialect. In addition, Chūgoku dialect uses -yoru in progressive aspect and -toru or -choru in perfect. For example, Tarō wa benkyō shiyoru (太郎は勉強しよる) means "Taro is studying", and Tarō wa benkyō shitoru (太郎は勉強しとる) means "Taro has studied" while standard Japanese speakers say Tarō wa benkyō shiteiru (太郎は勉強している) in both situations. -Choru is used mostly in Yamaguchi dialect.
Pitch accent of Chūgoku dialect is similar to the Tokyo accent and is a contrast to Kansai dialect and Shikoku dialect.
List of regions of Japan

Japan is often divided into regions, each containing one or more of the country's 47 prefectures at large. Sometimes, they are referred to as "blocs" (ブロック, burokku), or "regional blocs" (地域ブロック, chiiki burokku) as opposed to more granular regional divisions. They are not official administrative units, though they have been used by government officials for statistical and other purposes since 1905. They are widely used in, for example, maps, geography textbooks, and weather reports, and many businesses and institutions use their home regions in their names as well, for example Kyushu National Museum, Kinki Nippon Railway, Chūgoku Bank, and Tōhoku University.
One common division, preferred by the English Wikipedia, groups the prefectures into eight regions. In that division, of the four main islands of Japan, Hokkaidō, Shikoku, and Kyūshū make up one region each, the latter also containing the Satsunan Islands, while the largest island Honshū is divided into five regions. Okinawa Prefecture is usually included in Kyūshū, but is sometimes treated as its own ninth region.
Japan has eight High Courts, but their jurisdictions do not correspond to the eight Wikipedia regions (see #Other regional divisions and Judicial system of Japan for details).
This is a list of Japan's major islands, traditional regions, and subregions, going from northeast to southwest. The eight traditional regions are marked in bold.
In many contexts in Japan (government, media markets, sports, regional business or trade union confederations), regions are used that deviate from the above-mentioned common geographical 8-region division that is sometimes referred to as "the" regions of Japan in the English Wikipedia and some other English-language publications. Examples of regional divisions of Japan as used by various institutions are:
In the later stages of World War II, in preparation for an Allied invation of the home islands, regions served as administrative units between the Home Ministry and the governments of prefectures from 1943. Initially, nine "regional administrative joint conferences" (地方行政協議会, chihō gyōsei kyō-kaigi) were set up, each comprising several prefectural governments under the leadership of one prefectural government. In 1945, they were consolidated into eight centralized "regional governorates-general" (地方総監府, chihō sōkan-fu) with authority of command over the subordinate prefectural governments. The regions corresponded territorially to the military districts (軍管区, gunkan-ku) as used by the Imperial Army in 1945. They were namely:
After capitulation, the governorates-general were immediately dissolved by GHQ/SCAP and the (in the Empire: very limited) local autonomy of prefectural governments and their elected assemblies restored to be eventually substantially expanded by the Constitution and the Local Autonomy Law in 1947.
Media related to Regions of Japan at Wikimedia Commons
Great Seto Bridge

The Great Seto Bridge or Seto Ohashi Bridge (瀬戸大橋, Seto Ōhashi) is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–1988, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands and the only one to carry rail traffic. The total length is 13.1 kilometers (8.1 mi), and the longest span, the Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge, is 1,100 m (3,600 ft).
Crossing the bridge takes about 20 minutes by car or train. The ferry crossing before the bridge was built took about an hour.
The bridges carry two lanes of highway traffic in each direction (Seto-Chūō Expressway) on the upper deck and one railway track in each direction (Seto-Ōhashi Line) on the lower deck. The lower deck was designed to accommodate an additional set of Shinkansen tracks for a proposed construction of the Shikoku Shinkansen line to Shikoku.
When in 1889 the first railway in Shikoku was completed between Marugame and Kotohira, a member of the Prefectural Parliament, Jinnojo Ōkubo (大久保諶之丞, Ōkubo Jinnojo, 1849–1891), stated in his speech at the opening ceremony: "The four provinces of Shikoku are like so many remote islands. If united by roads, they will be much better off, enjoying the benefits of increased transportation and easier communication with each other."
While it took a century for this vision of a bridge across the Seto Inland Sea to become reality, another of Ōkubo's ideas, mentioned in a drinking song he composed, was accomplished twenty years sooner:
The bridge idea lay dormant for about sixty years. In 1955, after 171 people, including 100 students from elementary and junior high schools on school trips, died when two ferries collided in dense fog off the coast of Takamatsu, a safer crossing was deemed necessary. By 1959, meetings were held to promote building the bridge. Scientists began investigations shortly after, and in 1970, the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Construction Authority was inaugurated. However, work was postponed for five years by the "1973 oil shock"; once the Environment Assessment Report was published in 1978, construction got underway. The ferry disaster also led to the creation of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge.
The project took ten years to complete at a cost of US$7 billion; 3.646 million cubic meters (128.8 million cubic feet) of concrete and 705,000 tons of steel were used in construction. Although nets, ropes and other safety measures were employed, 17 workers were killed during the 10 years of construction.
The bridge opened to road and rail traffic on April 10, 1988 by then-Crown Prince Akihito. At opening time, the toll fee for a one-way drive on the bridge's highway cost ¥ 6300.
Six of the eleven bridges are separately named, unlike some other long bridge complexes such as the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. The other five bridges are viaducts. The six named bridges from north to south are listed below.
Awaji Island

Awaji Island (淡路島, Awaji-shima) is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 square kilometres (228.64 square miles). It is the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea.
As a transit between those two larger islands, Awaji originally means "the road to Awa", the historic province bordering the Shikoku side of the Naruto Strait, now part of Tokushima Prefecture.
The island is separated from Honshū by the Akashi Strait and from Shikoku by the Naruto Strait. Since April 5, 1998, it has been connected to Kobe on Honshū by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the world. Since its completion, the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway across the island has been the main eastern land link between Honshū and Shikoku. The Naruto whirlpools form in the strait between Naruto, Tokushima and Awaji.
The Nojima Fault, responsible for the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, cuts across the island. A section of the fault was protected and turned into the Nojima Fault Preservation Museum in the Hokudancho Earthquake Memorial Park (北淡町震災記念公園) to show how the movement in the ground cuts across roads, hedges and other installations. Outside of this protected area, the fault zone is less visible. The Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum (大鳴門橋記念館, Ōnarutokyō Kinenkan) and the Uzushio Science Museum (うずしお科学館, Uzushio Kagakukan) are located near Fukura.
According to the creation myth in Shinto, Awaji was the first of the ōyashima islands born from the kami Izanagi and Izanami. Awaji constituted a province between the 7th and the 19th century, Awaji Province, and was a part of Nankaidō. Today the island consists of three municipalities: Awaji, Sumoto and Minamiawaji.
The Awaji Ningyō-Jōruri, a more-than-500-year-old form of traditional puppet theater, or ningyō-jōruri, daily performs several shows in the Awaji Ningyō-Jōruri Hall (人形浄瑠璃館) in Minamiawaji, Hyōgo in the southern part of the island and is designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. The Awaji puppets perform popular traditional dramas but have their origins in religious rituals.
Starting in the 1830s, the local potter Minpei started producing what would be then known as Awaji ware, also known as Minpei ware.
Tadao Ando designed several structures on the island, among them, the Hompuku-ji water temple (本福寺) and the Awaji Yumebutai, both located in Awaji, Hyōgo.
In 1995, this island was the epicenter of the Kobe earthquake, which killed over 5,502 people. The earthquake caused enormous damage around the northern part of the island, which experienced a severe earthquake with a seismic intensity 7. The earthquake has a seismic fault called Nojima Fault. This fault is one of the closest faults to the epicenter and was designated as a national natural monument in 1998.
There are 3 municipalities in Awaji island: Awaji, Sumoto and Minamiawaji. They are part of Hyōgo Prefecture.
Monuments of Japan

Monuments (記念物, kinenbutsu) is a collective term used by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote Cultural Properties of Japan as historic locations such as shell mounds, ancient tombs, sites of palaces, sites of forts or castles, monumental dwelling houses and other sites of high historical or scientific value; gardens, bridges, gorges, mountains, and other places of great scenic beauty; and natural features such as animals, plants, and geological or mineral formations of high scientific value.
The government designates (as opposed to registers) "significant" items of this kind as Cultural Properties (文化財 bunkazai) and classifies them in one of three categories:
Items of particularly high significance may receive a higher classification as:
As of February 2019, there were 3,154 nationally designated Monuments: 1,823 Historic Sites (including 62 Special Historic Sites), 415 Places of Scenic Beauty (including 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty), and 1,030 Natural Monuments (including 75 Special Natural Monuments). Since a single property can be included within more than one of these classes, the total number of properties is less than the sum of designations: for example Hamarikyu Gardens are both a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
As of 1 May 2013, there were a further 2,961 Historic Sites, 266 Places of Scenic Beauty, and 2,985 Natural Monuments designated at a prefectural level and 12,840 Historic Sites, 845 Places of Scenic Beauty, and 11,020 Natural Monuments designated at a municipal level.
Alterations to the existing state of a site or activities affecting its preservation require permission from the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs. Financial support for purchasing and conserving designated land and for the utilization of the site is available through local governments.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs designates monuments based on a number of criteria. A monument can be designated based on multiple criteria.
A separate system of "registration" (as opposed to "designation" hereabove) has been established for modern edifices threatened by urban sprawl or other factors. Monuments from the Meiji period onward which require preservation can be registered as Registered Monuments (登録記念物). Members of this class of Cultural Property receive more limited assistance and protection based mostly on governmental notification and guidance. As of April 2012, 61 monuments were registered under this system.
List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments

To protect Japan's cultural heritage, the country's government selects through the Agency for Cultural Affairs important items and designates them as Cultural Properties under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Designated items are classified in a number of categories, one of which is Monuments (記念物, kinenbutsu). This category includes historic locations such as shell mounds, ancient tombs, sites of palaces, sites of forts or castles, monumental dwelling houses and other sites of high historical or scientific value; gardens, bridges, gorges, mountains, and other places of great scenic beauty; and natural features such as animals, plants, and geological or mineral formations of high scientific value.
The government further designates "significant" monuments classifying them in three categories: Historic Sites (史跡, shiseki), Places of Scenic Beauty (名勝, meishō), and Natural Monuments (天然記念物, tennen kinenbutsu). Items of particularly high significance receive higher classifications: Special Historic Sites (特別史跡, tokubetsu shiseki), Special Places of Scenic Beauty (特別名勝, tokubetsu meishō), and Special Natural Monuments (特別天然記念物, tokubetsu tennen kinenbutsu) respectively. As of October 24, 2023 there are 1,040 Natural Monuments, 1895 Historic Sites, 429 Places of Scenic Beauty, 75 Special Natural Monuments, 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty and 63 Special Historic Sites.
Since a single item can fall under more than one of these categories, the total number of sites is less than the sum of designations.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs designates monuments based on a number of criteria. A monument can be designated based on more than one of these criteria:
The table's columns (except for Remarks and Photo) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.
Nakata Cave Tombs

The Nakata Cave Tomb (中田横穴, Nakata yokoaka) is an archaeological site containing a Kofun period corridor-type kofun [ja] (横穴式石室, yokoana-shiki sekishitsu) located in what is now part of the city of Iwaki, Fukushima in the southern Tōhoku region of Japan. It is significant in that it is a decorated kofun with geometric patterns painted in red on the walls of the burial chamber. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1970.
The site is located on a tuff hill approximately five kilometers south of the mouth of the Natsui River and was discovered during construction work on a prefectural road in 1969. The hill contained five cave tombs arranged in three rows, the bottom of which extended for 6.67 meters into the hillside, and was the only one which was decorated. The cave-tomb had a drainage groove and several chambers, each blocked by a stone gate. The decoration is the in form of three rows of continuous lines of red and white triangles, about 40-cm on a side, which covered the rear and side walls of the innermost chamber. Also noteworthy as the fact that the floor had also been painted with the red pigment. Grave goods found in a side niche in the tomb included straight swords, bronze bells, fragments of armor, beads, magatama, rings, horse trappings, bronze cooking vessels and a large amount of Sue ware pottery. It is estimated to date from the second half of the sixth century.
It was formerly open to the public for a few days each year; however after damage by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami it has bene closed. Excavated artifacts are exhibited at the Iwaki City Archaeological Museum
The site is approximately 20 minutes by car from Iwaki Station on the JR East Jōban Line.
Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs

Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs (清戸迫横穴, Kiyotosaku yokoaka) is an archaeological site containing numerous Kofun period Corridor-type kofun [ja] (横穴式石室, yokoana-shiki sekishitsu) located in what is now part of the town of Futaba, Fukushima in the southern Tōhoku region of Japan. It is significant in that it is tomb No.76 is a highly decorated kofun with geometric patterns, human figures and animals painted in red on the walls of the burial chamber. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1968.
The site dates from the first half of the 7th century and consists of over 300 graves located on hilly land. The existence of these tombs has been known since ancient times, but they were only excavated in 1968, as part of rescue archaeology during construction work on the Futaba Minami Elementary School. Most were destroyed by the construction; however, tomb No.76 was found to contain well preserved mural paintings. The tomb has a rectangular opening facing southeast and is 3.15 meters in length, 1.56 meters in height and 2.34 to 2.8 meters in width. The murals include spiral designed in red iron oxide, with a crowned human figure wearing a hakama and shoes, and another figure with a helmet and a raised left hand next to a horse. Other designs include figures with bows and arrows representing a hunting scene, with wild boar, deer and dogs.
The site was damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has been in an area off limits to the public due to radiation. In February 2017, Tohoku University received special permission to revisit the site, and to make a detailed three-dimensional scan of the interior of the tomb, in order to have a detailed record of the dimensions of the tomb and its interior decorations just in case future damage should occur.
The site is about 20 minutes on foot from Futaba Station on the JR East Jōban Line.
Енрике Лисалде

Енрике Лисалде (на испански: Enrique Lizalde) е мексикански актьор и режисьор.
Роден е в град Тепик, Наярит, Мексико на 9 януари 1937 г. Първоначално учи литература, а по-късно – актьорско майсторство.
Започва своята кариера в началото на 1960-те години. Има роли в киното и театъра. Актьор със силно присъствие на екрана и впечатляващ глас, Енрике Лисалде е познат предимно с участията си в теленовели. Лисалде е сред от основателите на Синдиката на независимите актьори в Мексико.
Енрике Лисалде е женен за актрисата Тита Грийг. Неговият брат Едуардо Лисалде, е писател.
Той почива в понеделник на 3 юни 2013 на 76 възраст от рак на черния дроб. Неговата смърт е настъпила в девет часа местно време, когато той е бил със съпругата си Тита Грийг, съобщава един от неговите синове. Тялото му е било кремирано във вторник, 4 юни по обяд в столицата Мексико.
Находище на пролетно ботурче – Бреница

Находище на пролетно ботурче – Бреница е защитена местност в България. Намира се в землището на село Бреница, област Силистра.
Защитената местност е с площ 3,19 ha. Обявена е на 17 март 2015 г. с цел опазване защитения растителен вид – пролетно ботурче (Cyclamen coum), и неговото местообитание.
В защитената местност се забраняват:
Прецесия

Прецесия е промяна на наклона на оста (оттам и на равнината) на въртене на едно тяло. Всяко въртящо се твърдо тяло може да прецесира.
Жироскоп е устройство с маховик (тежко въртящо се тяло), което може да променя оста си на въртене във всяка една посока, но се стреми да я запазва заради въртящия се маховик.
Жироскопът може да прецесира —
Земната ос прецесира – върти се под наклон около оста на еклиптиката в посока, обратна на посоката на движение на Земята около Слънцето, с период приблизително 25 800 години.
Шунга

Шунга (на японски: 春画, „пролетна картина“) е жанр в японското изобразително изкуство, разновидност на укийо-е с еротични сюжети.
Шунга е била разпространена и ценена сред всички класи на обществото, както от мъже, така и от жени. Редица суеверия са свързани с еротичните картини – приема се, че те са кадем срещу смъртта за самурая, и срещу пожар за търговците и домакинствата. И трите групи – самураи, търговци и домакини – водят живот, който изисква дълго физическо разделение на брачните партньори – самураите с месеци живеели във военни лагери или казарми, търговците пътували на дълги разстояния, а аристократичните домакинства следвали практиката санкин котай, която налагала години разделяне на съпругите и децата от мъжете.
Традиционен сватбен подарък за булката е принтирана гравюра с еротични сцени от „Сказание за Генджи“.
Революции от 1848 година

Революциите от 1848 година, или Пролетта на народите, както и Годината на революциите са поредица от обществени трусове с различен мащаб и характер, които засягат почти целия европейски континент с изключение на Англия, Русия и Османската империя.
Революциите от 1848 – 1849 г. увличат цели народи в Европа в стремежа им за промяна на съществуващите политически системи и институции от времето на Виенския конгрес с неговия Европейски концерт. Стремежът на силите, разбунили Европа по това време, е към национализъм, т.е. към обособяването на национални държави и към социално-икономически промени в интерес на т.нар. буржоазия и във вреда на роялистите и клерикалите.
Общоевропейското революционно движение се придружава от активизиране на републиканските идеи и от желание за по-големи политически права и индивидуални свободи на гражданите в синхрон с програмните документи на американската и последвалата я Велика френска революция.
Началото на събитията е положено с нова и поредна Френска революция (1848), довела след себе си до Втора република (Франция). Същата година излиза и манифест на Комунистическата партия.
Gradina, Plovdiv Province

Gradina is a village in Southern Bulgaria, located in Plovdiv Province, Parvomay Municipality. As of the June 2020 census of Bulgaria, the total population count of the village is 2192.
In the land area of Gradina village there are around 2460 acres of forest. The largest locality of marsh snowdrop in Southern Bulgaria can be found. The area is used for ecological tourism, scientific observations and measurements and has a conservative significance of national and European importance.
The plant is used in the development in many cures. The snowdrop locality is included in a project which would eventually lead in the area becoming a protected area.
The first written mention of the village was in 1576 in Ottoman documents. Gradina village was officially established in 1885. The oldest name of the village is Chakardzhii. In 1906 it was renamed to Tsarsko selo and it took the name Gradina on 8 February 1950 after a vote of the villagers.
Between 1934 and 1944, Tsarsko selo was the municipality centre, governing the nearby villages Dobri Dol, Krushevo and Plodovitovo.
Center for European Renewal

The Center for European Renewal (CER) is a pan-European conservative organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The CER was founded in the summer of 2007 by a group of mainly European conservatives. They included Dutch ethicist and legal philosopher Andreas Kinneging, the (late) German political thinker Caspar von Schrenck-Notzing, Czech think-tank director Roman Joch, Spanish publishing executive Jorge Soley Climent, Flemish law professor Matthias Storme, and Alexandre Pesey of L'Institut de formation politique (IFP).
Following an exploratory meeting in the spring of 2006, the CER has held annual summer meetings—in Vienna (2007), Madrid (2008), Budapest (2009), Kraków (2010), Leuven (2011), Cirencester (2012), Prague (2013), Warsaw (2014), Dubrovnik (2015), Cirencester (2016), Berlin (2017), and Riga (2018). Speakers at these meetings have included Roger Scruton, Ryszard Legutko, Chantal Delsol, David Gress, Rémi Brague, Anthony Daniels, Agnieszka Kołakowska, Gabriele Kuby, and Douglas Murray, as well as other young scholars, policy analysts, journalists, and political activists.
The CER aims to become a European network of thinkers, writers, scholars, etc., along the lines of the U.S.-based Philadelphia Society. Inspired by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, it also hopes to eventually offer educational programs. To date, the CER has published one collection of essays, Plato on Wall Street, in collaboration with the Ośrodek Myśli Politycznej (Centre for Political Thought). Some members of the CER also produce a quarterly magazine entitled The European Conservative.
'Educating for Liberty in Old Europe', The Canon, the Intercollegiate Studies's member and alumni magazine, Fall 2007, pp. 24–29.
People's Party (Greece)

The People's Party or Populist Party (Greek: Λαϊκὸν Κόμμα, romanized: Laïkòn Kómma) was a conservative and pro-monarchist Greek political party founded by Dimitrios Gounaris, the main political rival of Eleftherios Venizelos and his Liberal Party. The party existed from 1920 until 1958.
Gounaris founded the party out of the Nationalist Party in October 1920, after his return from exile in Corsica. Gounaris and his parliamentary candidates campaigned for the withdrawal of the Hellenic Army from Asia Minor, which it occupied under the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres in the aftermath of World War I. The party was triumphant in the 1920 Greek general election and formed successive governments under Gounaris, Nikolaos Stratos and Petros Protopapadakis.
However, it failed to live up to its promise to bring the troops back home and became more entangled in Asia Minor than their Liberal Party predecessors. To complicate matters further, after the death of King Alexander on October 25, 1920, it brought back exiled Constantine I which cost Greece the support of her former Entente Allies. Defeat in the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and the subsequent Asia Minor disaster put an end to its rule as Greek military leaders overthrew the government they viewed as responsible for the national catastrophe.
Its leaders, including Dimitrios Gounaris, were executed after a short trial and the party suffered great losses in the following elections. Nevertheless, it returned to power, in 1933 under the leadership of Panagis Tsaldaris and in 1935 played a leading part in the restoration of monarchy with the return of King George II.
After Panagis Tsaldaris's death in 1936, Konstantinos Tsaldaris led the party and in the legislative elections of 1946 it achieved a huge victory. The party supported the restoration of George II in the plebiscite of 1946, during a period of fierce civil conflict. Nevertheless, Konstantinos Tsaldaris resigned, in order that a government of national unity (centre-liberals and conservatives) could be formed under the leadership of the Liberal politician Themistoklis Sophoulis. This government with the participation of both the People's Party and the Liberal Party led the country during the civil war.
The People's party remained the dominant power of the right until 1950, but, in 1951, the Greek Rally of retired General Alexandros Papagos swept the election. A number of prominent Populists, including future Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis, defected to the new party.
Relegated to the margins of Greek politics, the once-proud party fought an election for the last time in 1958. It was then dissolved by its last leader, Konstantinos Tsaldaris. The bulk of its supporters had already joined Karamanlis' National Radical Union, the successor of the Greek Rally.
Pussy willow

Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring. These species include (among many others):
Before the male catkins of these species come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tiny cats, also known as “pussies”. The catkins appear before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring. At other times of year trees of most of these species are usually known by their ordinary names.
The many buds of the pussy willow make it a favourite flower for Lunar New Year. The fluffy white blossoms of the pussy willow resemble silk, and they soon give forth young shoots the colour of green jade. In Chinese tradition, this represents the coming of prosperity. Towards the Lunar New Year period in spring, stalks of the plant may be bought from wet market vendors or supermarkets.
Once unbundled within one's residence, the stalks are frequently decorated with gold and red ornaments—ornaments with colours and textures that signify prosperity and happiness. Felt pieces of red, pink, and yellow are also a common decoration in Southeast Asia.
Xie Daoyun's comparison of snow and willow catkins is a famous line of poetry and is used to refer to precocious young female poets.
The flowering shoots of pussy willow are used both in Europe and America for spring religious decoration on Palm Sunday, as a replacement for palm branches, which do not grow that far north.
Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox; Ruthenian, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Bavarian, and Austrian Roman Catholics; Finnish and Baltic Lutherans and Orthodox; and various other Eastern European peoples carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palm branches. This custom has continued to this day among Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ruthenian Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Kashubian Catholic and Polish Catholic émigrés to North America. Sometimes, on Palm Sunday they will bless both palms and pussy willows in church. The branches will often be preserved throughout the year in the family's icon corner.
Pussy willow also plays a prominent role in Polish Dyngus Day (Easter Monday) observances, continued also among Polish-Americans, especially in the Buffalo, New York, area.
In Greater Iran it may be part of the decoration on the Haft-Seen table during the new year celebration of Nowruz on the first day of spring, and its distilled flower is used in traditional medicine.
Galanthus reginae-olgae

Galanthus reginae-olgae, Queen Olga's snowdrop, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Sicily and the west and north-west Balkans (parts of Greece and the former Yugoslavia). Some variants produce their pendant white flowers in autumn, others in winter and early spring. It is cultivated as ornamental bulbous plant, preferring warmer situations in the garden than other species of Galanthus (snowdrops).
Galanthus reginae-olgae has revolute leaves that are dark green with a central silver line and when fully grown are 11–15 cm long by 3–8 mm wide. Its flowers have three larger outer tepals, pure white, and three smaller inner tepals, white with variable green markings near the tips. The outer tepals are about 15–35 mm long, the inner ones 9–12 mm long. Populations of Galanthus reginae-olgae that flower at different times, with or without the leaves being fully developed, have been described as separate species or subspecies. Those described as G. reginae-olgae subsp. reginae-olgae flower in the autumn, either before the leaves develop or with the leaves. Those described as G. reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis flower in late winter or early spring, with the leaves.
Galanthus reginae-olgae was first described in 1876 by Theodoros G. Orphanides. The epithet reginae-olgae means 'of Queen Olga'; Olga Constantinovna of Russia was then Queen of Greece. The species (or when divided into subspecies, its autonymous subspecies) has been treated as Galanthus nivalis subsp. reginae-olgae. Other regularly used synonyms include G. olgae and G. corcyrensis. The name Galanthus corcyrensis has been particularly used for plants that flower in the autumn with the leaves rather than before them.
The species has been divided into two subspecies, distinguished by the time of flowering:
There is however no sharp division between these two subspecies.
Galanthus reginae-olgae is native to Sicily and parts of the Balkans, in particular Greece and former Yugoslavia. It is found in relatively dry, shady woodland.
Galanthus reginae-olgae is cultivated as an ornamental bulbous plant, particularly the autumn-flowering variants. In cultivation, it requires a warmer and sunnier position than most other Galanthus species. The cultivar 'Cambridge', originating from the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, has large green markings on the inner tepals.
Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. reginae-olgae has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Nina Marker

Nina Cornelia Marker (born 1997) is a Danish fashion model who speaks frequently on neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health issues. A top-ranked runway model who has worked internationally with luxury brands such as Chanel and Versace, she is known within the industry for her "refreshingly unpretentious approach" to her work and more broadly in her Instagram profile.
Marker was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She struggled in school and was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, after seeking help for depression when she was 15 years old.
Marker was scouted while riding the subway on the way to McDonald's. In 2014, she won the Copenhagen round of the Elite Model Look competition. Her major break came as a runway model for Anthony Vaccarello's collection for Saint Laurent. She has appeared on catwalks at the New York, London, Paris, and Milan fashion weeks, and has modeled for brands such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Stella McCartney, and Versace.
In September 2017, as one of the top models at Milan Fashion Week, she gained international attention when she posted a photograph of herself on Instagram wearing a t-shirt that said, "Bee Kind, I Have Autism". In the message to her followers, she wrote, "It's possible for us to be successful and have a good time...Stay safe and protect your mind." The post quickly went viral on social media, particularly among family and friends of children with Aspergers and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and caused a stir in the fashion world.
Marker was subsequently featured in the American edition of Vogue magazine, and has since spoken regularly about mental health issues, sharing her frustration in school, which she says was ill-equipped to deal with her condition. In 2021, she told Vogue Business that she constantly needs to remind people how her neurodivergence affects her on set, where there are many stimuli that could lead to sensory overload, because of misconceptions that her "normal" appearance means she is neurotypical. She works with her agents at The Society and Elite to ensure that she has breaks between jobs to allow her to decompress, and that her travel plans are arranged to minimize stress and avoid possible triggers. She practices yoga to improve her ability to cope with work pressures.
Vogue listed Marker as a breakout model for the Spring 2018 season, describing her as "delivering confidence and attitude aplenty", and said that "by using her social media platforms to raise awareness about autism in the midst of everything, Marker made her impact on and off the runway".
As of 2022, Marker is ranked on the Models.com Money List of models with commercial clients.
Munda Biddi Trail

The Munda Biddi Trail is a long-distance mostly off-road cycling trail in Western Australia. It runs for over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from Mundaring to Albany. The completed Munda Biddi Trail opened end-to-end in April 2013 when it claimed the title of the longest continuous off-road cycling trail of its kind in the world.
Sections of the trail vary in terms of their difficulty and terrain type but it has stages suitable for everyone's cycling ability and pace. The trail is easily accessible by car, and riders can begin their journey from multiple locations. There are free campsites at various points along the trail, some with more than a day's ride between them. Detailed maps of the trail are available.
In April 2012, geocaches were placed throughout the Munda Biddi Trail.
The name Munda Biddi means "path through the forest" in the Noongar Aboriginal language, and it runs largely through an undeveloped natural corridor. The track traverses vast areas of unspoiled forests and bushland with mostly gentle terrain. While the track is open year-round as of May 2017, riding conditions are better during spring and autumn, and potentially hazardous from December to March because of the often extreme heat and fire danger at that time of year.
The record for completing the Munda Biddi Trail is two days, twelve hours and 15 minutes, set by Jack Thompson in November 2023. The female record for completing the Munda Biddi Trail (South to North) was set by Sacha Dowell on 28 September 2021, with a time of three days, fifteen hours and 43 minutes.
The previous records were:
The trail is run by the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which was formed to assist the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and other land managers get the trail project off the ground. The foundation continues to be involved in trail development and planning, including managing volunteers, delivering events and trip planning, among other activities.
Stage 1 - Mundaring to Collie
Stage 2 - Collie to Northcliffe
Stage 3 - Northcliffe to Albany