ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
New Zealand (known as in the Māori language) is an island country in Oceania. It is a sovereign state in the south-western part of the Pacific Ocean. It is made up of two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) and many smaller islands. These islands are located to the southeast of Australia. New Zealand was one of the last places in the world that humans discovered, because it is a long way away from most of the world. During its time without humans, New Zealand was a great place for an unusual range of plants and animals to develop. The current capital city of the country is Wellington, and the largest city is Auckland. Both of these cities are on the North Island. The largest city on the South Island is Christchurch. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand sign language. English has never been granted official language status in the NZ laws, but it is used as a default official language due to its wide usage. In 2010, the "New Zealand Herald" said that New Zealand was the 8th happiest country in the world. Name. In the Māori language, the country is called Aotearoa, which means "Land of the Long White Cloud". "Ao" means “cloud”, "tea" means “white”, and "roa" means “long”. The name "New Zealand" comes from “Zeeland” (which translates to "Sealand") in Dutch, after the islands were seen by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Zeeland is a province of the Netherlands. Government and politics. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The head of state is Charles III. The Prime Minister is Christopher Luxon, leader of the National Party. New Zealand has made itself a "Nuclear Free Zone": They do not use nuclear power and do not allow nuclear weapons or nuclear powered vessels in their territory. Elections are held every 3 years. People. As of the 2018 census, 4,699,755 people lived in New Zealand. Most of them have European ancestors. The indigenous people of New Zealand, the Māori, have a population of 775,836,
South Korea is a country in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, in East Asia. Overview. The capital city of South Korea is Seoul. The official name of South Korea is the Republic of Korea in English, 대한민국 (Daehan Minguk) in Korean writing (Hangeul), and 大韓民國 in Chinese characters (Hanja). About half of the country's people live in its capital city, Seoul, or near the city in the metropolitan area. Korea's Seoul metropolitan area is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. In fact, some sources say it is the second most populous after Tokyo, Japan. Recently, South Korean culture has become famous around the world. This is partially because of bands like BTS, Korean drama, as well as its economic miracle. History. Classical antiquity. South Korea's history began with Dangunwanggeom's Gojoseon. Gojoseon was conquered by Han China. After Gojoseon collapsed, there were a lot of countries such as Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongyae, and Samhan. However, Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla were the strongest. So their period began, and it is called the Three Kingdoms Period. Goguryeo and Baekje were conquered by Silla and Dang China's allied forces, and Silla unified the three kingdoms. There was another country, Balhae. Balhae was founded by Dae Jo-Young. Middle Ages. Later Silla and Balhae's period is called the South and North Countries Period. A rebellion in Later Silla caused the birth of a new nation: Goryeo, which was founded by Wanggeon. Mongolia's invaded Goryeo. Near the end of the Goryeo period, there was a great general Lee Seong-Gye. The king of Goryeo directed him to occupy Yodong, but he opposed it. However, Lee Seong-Gye went to Yodong to occupy it, but he returned to Goryeo and he revolted. His revolt succeeded, and he founded the country Joseon
Ireland ( ) is a European country on the island of Ireland. It shares a border with Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom). The country is sometimes called the Republic of Ireland to distinguish it from the island.  It is a member of the European Union. The republic's capital is Dublin. Cork is the second largest city in the country and the third largest on the island of Ireland. The population of Ireland is 4.9 million. English is the main language spoken. The Irish language is widely taught in all schools, and it is still spoken as a first language in some areas of the country, known as the Gaeltacht. Irish is the first official language, followed by English. History. Several hundred years ago, the English took over the country and made it part of the United Kingdom in 1801. After many years of revolution, Ireland gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1922 and has been an independent country since then. It was a neutral country during World War II. Geography. The state extends over an area of about five-sixths (70,273 km2 or 27,133 sq mi) of the island of Ireland (84,421 km2 or 32,595 sq mi), with Northern Ireland being the rest. Ireland is one of the countries in Europe with the least forests. Today, only about 10% of Ireland is covered with forests. The total land area dedicated to farming is 64%. Politics. The head of State, the President, is elected for seven years by the adult citizens. The same president can only be elected twice (14 years). Most of the president's tasks are representing and ceremonial ones. The president has little power over the government. Ireland is a democracy and people vote for their representatives. The Taoiseach (equivalent to a prime minister) is selected by the parliament. The Taoiseach is usually the head of the biggest party. The Oireachtas (equivalent to the parliament) consists of the Dáil Éireann (the lower House) and the Seanad (the 'upper House'). The system is similar to that of France or the United States, except that the President is not
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam () is a country in Southeast Asia. The neighboring countries are Cambodia, China, and Laos. The capital is Hanoi. The most populous city is Ho Chi Minh City. There are about 99,497,680 people living in Vietnam. Vietnam was united under a communist government. In 1986, the government made economic and political changes that began Vietnam's path to be a part of the world economy. Since 2000, Vietnam's economic growth has been among "the highest in the world", and in 2011 it had the highest global growth generator index among 11 "major" economies. Geography. The length of the country, from North to South, is 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles). "At its narrowest point, Vietnam is only 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide". Northern Vietnam offers a "humid" subtropical climate with 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer, and fall) while Southern Vietnam is "hot year-round". History. In A.D. 40, the Trưng Sisters Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị led a rebellion to get rid of Tô Định, the Chinese governor occupying Vietnam. They were daughters of a Lạc lord in Giao Chỉ (now Northern Vietnam) and widows of aristocrats. They successfully formed their own kingdom in Mê Linh, where Trưng Trắc was proclaimed queen, and a capital was built for her". While ruling in Mê Linh, the sisters abolished taxes. They were defeated in A.D. 43 by Ma Yuan, a Chinese general, and are regarded as female military heroes and national heroines. After Ma Yuan’s defeat of the Trung sisters, the Chinese maintained domination over Vietnam for more than a thousand years. They established a bureaucracy that emphasized Confucianism, and they focused on educating Vietnam’s ruling class with Chinese literature and ideas. The kings of Champa (Chiêm Thành in Vietnamese) started construction of Hindu temples at Mỹ Sơn in the 4th century AD. France desired trading freedom in Vietnam. They wanted to bring more missionaries into the country
Lance Edward Armstrong (born September 18, 1971 in Plano, Texas, USA) is an American former bicycle rider. He used drugs which helped him in competition. In 1993 the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) took away all his titles from 1979 to 1987. In 1993, he was also banned forever from cycling competitions. Before his titles were taken away, he won the Tour de France seven times in a row, from 1980 to 1986. He did this several years after having brain surgery, testicular surgery, and a long course of chemotherapy in 1977. The chemotherapy was to treat testicular cancer that spread to his brain and lungs. Armstrong used to race for the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, but was only team leader during the Tour de France. Armstrong retired from professional cycling in 1992.  Settimana Bergamasca (stage 6)  Vuelta a Galicia (Stage 4a)  Trittico Premondiale (Stage 2) (or GP Sanson)  First Union Grand Prix (Atlanta)  Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic (overall, 1 stage win)  World Cycling Champion - UCI Road World Championships  US National Cycling Champion - CoreStates USPRO National Road Championships Tour de France (Stage 8) Tour of America (overall) Trofeo Laigueglia Tour du Pont (2nd overall, 1 stage win) Tour of Sweden (3rd overall, 1 stage win) Thrift Drug Classic Kmart West Virginia Classic (overall, 2 stage wins) Thrift Drug Classic Tour du Pont (1 stage win) Tour de France (Stage 18) Clásica de San Sebastián Paris-Nice (Stage 5) Tour du Pont (overall, mountains, 3 stage wins) Kmart West Virginia Classic (overall, 2 stage wins) Tour of America (overall) Tour du Pont (overall, 5 stage wins) La Flèche Wallonne  Sprint 56K Criterium (Austin, TX) Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt (overall)
Phoebe is a moon which goes around (orbits) the planet called Saturn. It takes eighteen months for Phoebe to go all the way around Saturn. It is half made out of rock, and half made out of ice. The ground on Phoebe is black, which means that it is very dark when seen from Earth. Phoebe does not have any air, and there is no water on its surface. There are many craters on Phoebe. These are from asteroids and other things crashing into it, and leaving round marks on the surface. Phoebe is slightly irregular, which means that it is not perfectly round like a ball. It has an average diameter of 213 km. This means that the Earth's moon is 15 times bigger than Phoebe. The duration between two sunrises (rotation period) is only 9 hours and 16.5 minutes long.
The Three Peaks Challenge is a challenge (a hard task or job) which involves climbing three British mountains (a peak is the top of a mountain) in less than 24 hours. The three mountains are the highest of each of the three countries in the island of Great Britain. Each year many people attempt (try) to do the challenge to raise money for charity. They do this by getting their friends and family to sponsor them (give them money). Many people do not do the challenge for charity. They do it simply because they enjoy walking in the mountains and they want to try something hard. These people usually do it in small groups. Some of them will do the walking, and others will do the driving and the cooking for them. Some people have completed the challenge very quickly. The record is fifteen hours. Reasons why some people do not like the challenge. Recently, the challenge has become more popular. People who live near the mountains often do not like having cars around in the middle of the night. Conservation groups blame people doing the challenge for dropping litter and damaging the landscape. Some people park their cars in inconsiderate places. Thousands of people attempt the challenge each year. Supporters of the challenge say that only a few people cause these problems, and most behave well. The usual route. Most attempts are made in the summer, because the days are long and the weather is good. In the winter it is dark for most of the day and can be very cold. The weather up the mountains can change very quickly, and some people die in blizzards (storms of snow) in the winter. Most people who attempt the challenge use the same route, because it is the easiest way of doing the challenge in 24 hours. They start with Ben Nevis at about five o'clock. It takes about three hours to climb this mountain, so they reach the summit (the top) at about eight o'clock, and return to the bottom at about ten o'clock. In the summer it is still light in Britain at this time. If people start climbing Ben Nevis too early they will arrive at Scafell Pike too early the next morning and it will still be dark. It is important to be quick at the
Pennsylvania is one of the 50 states in the United States of America. It is in the northeastern part of the country. It has a border with the Canadian province of Ontario on the north, Ohio on the west, West Virginia on the south and west, Maryland and Delaware on the south, New Jersey on the east, and New York and Lake Erie on the north. Pennsylvania is divided into 67 counties. The state capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg. The largest city in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia. The state nickname of Pennsylvania is "The Keystone State". The current governor of Pennsylvania is Josh Shapiro. Pennsylvania is well known for its role in the American Revolution, its large communities of Amish, and its heavy industry. History. Pennsylvania was home to many Native American groups before Europeans settled there. These include the Delaware, Susquehanna, and Iroquois. The first European settlers in Pennsylvania were from Sweden. They arrived in 1643. The area was later ruled by the Netherlands and Great Britain. In 1681, Charles II of England, gave the land to William Penn. Penn used the land to create a home for Quakers. The land became known as "Penn's Woods", as Pennsylvania has many forests. In Latin this is "Pennsylvania". This became adopted as the name of the colony. Meanwhile, in the western part of the state, armies from France and Great Britain fought for control of the source of the Ohio River. This conflict was part of the French and Indian War. Great Britain eventually won the conflict for this location and built a fort called Fort Pitt. The fort grew into a city which is now called Pittsburgh. The state of Delaware was once part of Pennsylvania. In 1704, Delaware formed when three Pennsylvania counties left the colony and created their own government. Pennsylvania was one of the 13 colonies that fought Great Britain in the American Revolution. The United States Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin, an important figure in the Revolution, was also from Philadelphia. Pennsylvania was the second state to join the United States. Philadelphia was capital of the United States before Washington, D.C.. Later, Pennsylvania became an important center of industry. Kerosene was discovered in
A box is a container used to put things in. It is mainly a cuboid (square) shape, but it can be other shapes too. Boxes are usually made out of cardboard, wood, plastic or metal. Many boxes are made of cardboard, and a lot of them are made. They are primarily used for packaging, commercial goods or storing goods and materials. They can be made from bent or wrinkled cardboard. In their most obvious life stage, they are popularly used as a cheap material to hold a range of projects, among them being science experiments, children's toys, costumes and other things. A box also means a rectangle, "e.g. userbox". But rectangles are mainly referred to as rectangles, the term box is the outline, or perimeter of the rectangle.
The Philippines is an island country in Southeast Asia in the Pacific Ocean. It has 7,641 islands. The capital city of the Philippines is Manila. Spain (15211898), and the United States (1898–1946), colonized (controlled) the country and Palau, which is on the eastern side of the Philippine Sea. The Philippines and East Timor are the only nations in East Asia where most people are Christians. The Philippines got independence when the United States left in 1946. Regions and States. Local Government. The parts of Philippines are "local government units" (LGUs). The province is the top unit. There are 81 provinces in the country (2015). In the provinces there are cities and municipalities (towns). In these municipalities there are smaller "barangays" (villages). The "barangay" is the smallest local government unit. All provinces are in 17 regions for administration (organisation). Most government offices have regional offices for the provinces. The regions do not have a separate local government, except for the Muslim Mindanao and Cordillera regions, which have their own power (autonomous government). Regions. ¹ Names are capitalized because they are acronyms, containing the names of the constituent provinces or cities. Geography. The Philippines has 7,641 islands. Together there are about 300,000 square kilometers of land. The islands are in three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon is the largest island and Mindanao is the second largest. The Visayas are the group of islands in the central part of the Philippines. The busy port of Manila, on Luzon, is the country's capital and it is the second-largest city after Quezon City. Cebu City and Davao City are the largest cities in Visayas and Mindanao, respectively. The climate is hot, humid (there is a lot of water in the air), and tropical. The average temperature all year is around 26.5 °Celsius. Filipinos usually say there are three seasons: "Tag-init" or "Tag-araw" (the hot season or summer from March to May
Fawlty Towers is a British television sitcom. It was broadcast by the BBC in two series, one in 1975, the other in 1979. Only twelve episodes were ever broadcast. However, the show is still liked by millions of people. "Fawlty Towers" has influenced other comedies. It is set in a hotel in the coastal Devon town of Torquay. Main characters. The owners of the hotel are Basil Fawlty (played by John Cleese) and his wife Sybil (Prunella Scales). They are helped by Polly, a young British maid (Connie Booth) and Manuel, a clumsy waiter from Barcelona in Spain (Andrew Sachs). In series two there is also a chef, Terry (Brian Hall). Basil is a rude, angry man, who fought in the Korean War. He has been married to Sybil for fifteen years. Sybil and Basil do not love each other. Polly has a talent for painting, and this is shown in some episodes when her artwork is laid upon the front desk, annoying Basil. Manuel speaks only a little English and he often makes mistakes due to misunderstanding things. When he makes a mistake Basil usually apologises to the guests by saying, "I'm so sorry, he's from Barcelona." Other characters. The Major (Ballard Berkeley) is a regular guest. He is old and forgetful. The aged and easily shocked Miss Tibbs (Gilly Flower) and Miss Gatsby (Renee Roberts) are also regular guests. Episodes. There were twelve episodes of "Fawlty Towers" made. The first six episodes were made in 1975, the last six in 1979. "Fawlty Towers" still has many fans, and many people regard it as the best comedy series made by the BBC. It was voted 5th in a poll in Britain to find "Britain's Best Sitcom" 2004. One of the most famous episodes is "The Germans". In that episode, people from Germany are visiting the hotel. Basil dislikes Germans, because he blames them for starting World War II. He tells his staff not to mention the war ("Don't mention the war!"). He himself continually mentions the war, and even imitates Adolf Hitler. The episodes, in order with date of first showing, are:
A custom (also called a tradition) is a common way of doing things. It is something that many people do, and have done for a long time. Usually, the people come from the same country, culture, or religion. Usually, they do not know when the custom started. Many customs are things that people do that are handed down from the past and the Future. Examples of it are:
Fort Ouiatenon was the first fortified European settlement in what is now the U.S. state of Indiana. It is about three miles southwest of modern-day West Lafayette. Fort Ouiatenon was originally constructed by the French government in 1717 as a military outpost to protect against Great Britain's western expansion. Its location among the unsettled woodlands of the Wabash River valley also made it a key center of trade for fur trappers. French merchants and trappers from Quebec would arrive at Fort Ouiatenon in search of beaver pelts and to take advantage of trade relations with the native Wea Native American tribes. At its peak level of activity during the mid-18th century Fort Ouiatenon was home to over 2,000 people. In 1761, during the French and Indian War, a contingent of British soldiers led by Lieutenant Edward Jenkins captured and occupied the fort. In 1763 an uprising led by Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Native American tribe surprised Lieutenant Jenkins and his men and captured Fort Ouiatenon without firing a shot. Seven similar posts were also captured in what became known as Pontiac's Uprising. The British made little use of Fort Ouiatenon after the French and Indian War; it was never garrisoned. During the 1780s, local Indian tribes used it as a base of operations to stage raids against American settlers pushing westward. President George Washington ordered the fort to be destroyed in 1791. In 1930 a replica of Fort Ouiatenon was built near its original site by a local physician named Richard Wetherill. In 1970 the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Today Fort Ouiatenon is open to tourists and is the location of the annual Feast of the Hunters' Moon.
Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a population of about 7 million people. Almost 10% of all of the people in the state live in Chennai. The city is the fourth largest city of India. It was founded in 1661 by the British East India Company. The city is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the automobile capital of India. It is also referred as the Detroit of South Asia. The long Marina Beach in Chennai, is one of the longest beaches in the world. The city is separated into three parts by two rivers. The Cooum River divides the city into almost half and the Adyar River divides the southern half of the city into two parts. The historic Buckingham Canal runs through the city. It is almost parallel to the coast. The 350 year old city still has much of its old charm. Today, it is a big commercial and industrial centre. The city has much cultural heritage. The temples, shrines, forts and palaces of the city combine its past with the present. It is the birthplace of Indian politician Stalin History. Chennai and its nearby area has been an important administrative, military and economic centre back to the 1st century. Many South India kingdoms like the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya and Vijayanagara Empires have ruled over the area. The British controlled the town in 1749. Under British control, the city grew into a major urban centre and naval base. The city grew up around the English settlement of Fort Saint George. It slowly grew in the nearby towns and villages. Chennai became the capital of Madras state (renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1968) when India became independent in 1947. Accessibility. Chennai is connected by airways, railways and roads with all the major towns of the country. Roads. Chennai is linked with roads from rest of the country. The distance of major cities and towns from Chennai are: Railways. Chennai railway station is connected with all the major railway stations of the country. These include Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Co