ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testes or a female loses the functions of the ovaries. It is also a type of anaphrodisiac. Castration in veterinary practice. Castration is commonly performed on domestic animals not intended for breeding.  Domestic animals are usually castrated in order to avoid unwanted or uncontrolled reproduction; to reduce or prevent other ways of sexual behaviour such as territorial behaviour or aggression (like fighting between groups of uncastrated males of a species); or to reduce other consequences of sexual behaviour that may make animal husbandry more difficult, such as fence destruction when animals try to get to nearby females of the species. Male horses are usually castrated, because stallions are rather aggressive. The same applies to male mules, although they are sterile. Male cattle are castrated to improve docility for use as oxen. A specialized vocabulary has arisen for neutered animals of given species: Castration in humans. The practice of castration has its roots before recorded human history. Castration was frequently used in certain cultures of Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and China, for political, religious or social reasons. After battles in some cases, victors castrated their captives or the corpses of the defeated to symbolise their victory and 'seize' their power. Castrated men — eunuchs — were often admitted to special social classes and were used particularly to staff bureaucracies and palace households: in particular, the harem. Castration also figured in a number of religious castration cults. Other religions, for example Judaism and Islam, were strongly opposed to the practice. The "Leviticus Holiness code", for example, specifically excludes eunuchs or any males with defective genitals from the priesthood, just as castrated animals are excluded from sacrifice. In China, to become a servant of the emperor, men had to be castrated. This would prevent them from having sons or having affairs with royal concubines. Eunuchs in China have been known to usurp power in many eras of Chinese history, most notably in
Bureaucracy is a concept. It is the structure and rules which control the activities of people that work for large organizations and government.  It has standardized procedure (rule-following), formal division of responsibility, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships. However, in practice, the interpretation and execution of policy can lead to informal influence. Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science. Four things are central to any definition of bureaucracy: a well-defined division of work between persons and offices, consistent patterns of recruitment, and stable careers. There is a hierarchy among offices, such that the authority and status are distributed between actors. Formal and informal networks connect people to one another, through flows of information and patterns of cooperation.  Examples of everyday bureaucracies include governments, armed forces, corporations, hospitals, courts, ministries and schools.
Anzère is a small village in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is north of Sion. It is a popular ski resort, with several ski schools.  Skiing. The ski slopes in Anzère cover about 40 kilometers, with 1 cablecar, 2 chair lifts, and 8 T-bars. There are several cafes in the area, and the entire area is known as Télé-Anzère.  Town Centre. Facilities in and around Anzère's 'Place du Village' include both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, two supermarkets, many hotels, bars and nightclubs, as well as many restaurants and clothing shops. The 'Place du Village' is a person area right in the heart of the village, housing most of Anzère's cafes and restaurants. There is also an internet cafe, a crèperie and a children's play area.
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. In 2002, it had a population of 27,700. Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Geography. As of 31 December 2005, 28,013 people lived in Sion. It is in the center of the Rhône valley. Sion is the economic and commercial hub of the region and canton. The older area of the city still stays and is well preserved. As well as the two Château's, a number of other important buildings are there, such as the "Château de la Majorie", the "Hôtel de Ville" and the "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Sion". History. Sion started to develop during the time of the Celts. It takes its name from the Latin word "Sedunum". It housed the Romans with the rest of the surrounding area in the first century BCE. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion is the oldest bishopric in Switzerland. It is one of the oldest north of the Alps. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Salins merged into the municipality of Sion. In 2017, Les Agettes became part of the municipality. Economy. The tertiary sector is the main economic sector in Sion. Tourism is also an important sector due to its historic "château's" and museums. Sion is the third largest wine making region in Switzerland, however, the valuable agricultural land and vineyards are undergoing constant regression due to the process of urbanisation. Sion has also become an important medical site. The Sion-Region hospital is here next to the central institute of Valaisan hospitals and the "Romande" clinic for physical rehabilitation (SUVA). Finally, the commune has a waste incinerator which disposes of the waste from 44 surrounding communes. This incinerator has a catalytic converter, something that reduces harmful gases to acceptable levels. The heat created from the burning is converted into electrical energy that is then provided to local communes. Airshows. Public airshows have been held at the airfield of Sion. Participating aerobatic teams have included the Frecce Tricolori from Italy was well as the Patrouille de France. Transport. Sion is on the main railway line and the motorway. It also has an airport (Sion Airport).
Monthey is the capital of the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. As of 2004, Monthey had a population is of 15,118 people ("Montheysans"). Monthey is located on the west side of the Rhône valley, south to Lake Geneva. Monthey is important to Swiss industry, with many important companies including chemical companies. The city is close to the famous winter sports region, the Portes du Soleil.
Sierre is the capital of the Sierre district in the Valais canton in Switzerland. It has a population of 14,355. It is at the language border of the German-speaking upper part of the ""Wallis" and the French-speaking "Valais"". This city counts as one of the three official bilingual towns in Switzerland. Sierre is starting point for the tourist sites of the Val d'Anniviers including the villages of Vercorin, Chandolin, St-Luc Vissoie, St-Jean Chandolin, Grimentz, Zinal and Ayer. Sierre is connected with Crans-Montana by a cable car. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sierre became economically important as very early aluminium smelting was possible because of its access to hydroelectricity.
Brig is the capital of the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History. The historic town of 5,000 people is part of the Brig-Glis municipality. The name 'Brig' comes from "Briva", or "bridge." Its medieval name was "Briga dives". It is a small town in the Swiss canton of the Valais, at the foot of the northern slope of the Simplon Pass, on the right bank of the Saltine stream, and a little above its junction with the Rhone. Its older houses look very Italian. Its buildings were built during the 17th century, because of a single member of the local Stockalper family. Location. Brig is close to the Swiss-Italian borders. The language used when talking between one another is a unique German dialect, used only in this canton. Brig is popular among winter sport athletes, since it is surrounded by many Alp summits. The town itself is close to Rhone river. Due to the height, the temperatures in winter often remain below zero, resulting in frost. During the summer season, heat can be intense. The place of meeting in the town is the train station, which links it to other Swiss cities. Economy. The wealth of Brig is because of the Simplon Pass. The opening of the carriage road across the Simplon (1807) and of the tunnel beneath the pass (1906), as well as the fact that above Brig is the steeper and less fertile portion of the Upper Valais (then much frequented by tourists), greatly increased the importance and size of the town.
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are in Switzerland (Valais) and Italy (Piedmont and the Aosta Valley). They include the following peaks:
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name notes that they are in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, some of the Bernese Alps are found in the cantons of Vaud, Fribourg, Valais, Lucerne, Uri, and Nidwalden. List of peaks. The main peaks of the Bernese Alps are:
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian American advocacy organization in the United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the country and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. Beyond the Central offices of ANCA are in Washington DC, Boston and Los Angeles, ANCA has more than fifty local chapters and thousands of activists, it is cooperating with a large web of regional Armenian National Committees (or "Armenian Cause/Hay Tad" Offices) in Armenia, Russia, France, the Middle East, Canada and Australia. The executive director of ANCA is Aram Hamparian.
Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the south-western part of the country. It is near the valley of the Rhone River from its springs to Lake Geneva, that separates Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhone valley. It is also one of most well-watered parts, having large amounts of snow and rain up on the highest peaks in Switzerland. It is perhaps best known worldwide for the Matterhorn. Geography. The canton of Valais is in the south of Switzerland. To its south is Italy, to the southwest France. To the north the canton there are the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Bern; the cantons of Uri and Ticino lie to its east. The wide, icy Rhone valley dominates the area. There are many side valleys off the main valley. At the head of the Mattertal valley is Zermatt, a pretty tourist village dominated by views of the Matterhorn (4,478 m). Fifty of the mountains are more than 4,000m high, with the highest, Monte Rosa, that reaches to 4,638m (15,217 ft), and there are many glaciers. The Rhône drains the main valley from east to west up to Martigny, Switzerland, then in a right angle north to its mouth in the Lake Geneva. After the small town of Saint-Maurice, the northern banks of the river belong to the canton of Vaud. The main valley is between the Bernese Alps in the north and the Pennine Alps in the south. Only about half of the total area is considered productive. History. The Romans called the area "Vallis Poenina" ("Upper Rhône Valley"). In 888, Valais became a part of the kingdom of Jurane Burgundy. King Rudolph III of Burgundy gave the area to the Bishop of Sion in 999, and made him Count of the Valais. The count-bishops had to defend their area against the dukes of Savoy. in 1474 was the Battle of Planta, a place near the capit
Martigny is the capital city of the French-speaking district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is 495 meters high. It has a population of about 15,000 people. Martigny is at the joining of Italy, France and Switzerland, one road linking this town over the Great St. Bernard Pass to Aosta (Italy), and the other one, over the col de la Forclaz to Chamonix (France). In winter, Martigny is appreciated for its nearby ski resorts like Verbier. History. In the first century BCE, present-day Martigny was an oppidum or vicus of a Celtic tribe, the Veragri. It was then called Octodurus or Octodurum. When Julius Caesar was in Gaul (57-56 BCE), he sent Servius Galba with the twelfth legion and some cavalry into the country of the Nantuates, Veragri, and Seduni. His purpose in sending this force was to open the pass over the Alps, the pass of the Great St. Bernard, by which road the "mercatores" had been used to travel at great risk, and with the payment of great tolls. ("B. G." iii. 1.) The people of the Alps allowed the Italian merchants to pass, because if they plundered them the merchants would not come; but they got as much out of them as they could. Galba, after taking many strong places, and receiving the submission of the people, sent off two cohorts into the country of the Nantuates, and with the remaining cohorts determined to winter in Octodurus, which was in a valley with no great extent of level ground near it, confined on all sides by very lofty mountains. There is some level ground at Martigny, and the valley of the Rhone at this part is not very narrow. Caesar says that the town of Octodurus was divided into parts by a river, but he does not mention the river's name. It is the Dranse. Galba gave one part of the town to the Galli to winter in, and assigned the other to his troops. He
Mattertal is a valley in the Alps of Switzerland which begins on the side of the Matterhorn. The "Matterhorn" is one of the most famous mountains in the world because of its beauty, and because it is hard to climb.  The "Mattertal" is a valley that was made by a glacier (a slowly-moving river of ice) moving down from the mountain. This can be seen from the deep U shape of the valley. (Valleys made by a fast-running stream are V-shaped). Because the sides of the valley are very steep, there are often landslides. One can be seen in the photo taken near Randa village. Many houses in the villages are called chalets. These can be seen in the picture of Täsch village. In the Mattertal are villages which include Zermatt, Täsch, Randa, Grächen, and St. Niklaus. Many tourists like to stay in the villages to see the view, to go walking, skiing or mountain climbing. The traditional work of the people is dairy farming, but many people work in the tourist industry.
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is found to the north of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking and mostly Roman Catholic section of the canton, near the Italian border. Zermatt has a local population of 5,500 people, but the actual population changes through the seasons as tourists come and go. Tourism. Zermatt is a famed ski resort and is a tourist destination. Until the mid-1800s, it was mostly a farming community; its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows, or "matten", in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow." The town was "discovered" mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous worldwide. Zermatt is a closed village, which means that non-Swiss nationals are not permitted to buy property within the area. May is the worst time to visit this city, as most of the streets are muddy. Hiking. Zermatt is a good place to start many hikes into the surrounding mountains, such as the Haute Route that ultimately leads to Chamonix in France. A complex of cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn, a small outcropping on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers cool views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via the Cervinia cable car station. Transportation. Any automobile that uses an engine is not allowed in Zermatt because of concerns for air pollution. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerces. The Cantonal police allow some people to park in the northern section of this city. Some emergency vehicles (firetrucks, ambulance..) are also allowed to use combustion engines. Most people reach Zermatt by train or cable car. Trains also leave for Zermatt from Visp and Brig. Skiing. Zermatt is well known throughout
Post-nominal letters are letters after a person's name. They are used most in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms to show that the person has a certain: Academic degrees (qualifications from a university) can also be shown as postnominal letters, as can military awards (medals and decorations)
The Corvidae are the crow family. They are all passerines, but unusually they do not have musical voices. They are intelligent.  There are over 120 species in the family. The word 'crow' is also used to describe birds in the genus "Corvus". This genus includes the crows, jackdaws and ravens. Crows are found on every continent except for the southern area of South America and Antarctica. Most crows are found in South America, Central America, Europe and Asia. There are 10 species each in Africa, Australia and North America. A group of crows is called a "murder" and, indeed, they are distinctly carnivorous. Description. Most members of the crow family are black, such as crows, rooks, choughs, ravens and jackdaws. However, not all crows are black. Magpies and treepies can be black and white, or blue and green, or brown. Jays are often blue and white. Crows are some of the most intelligent birds in the world. Crows and rooks are good at using tools, for example sticks or twigs. Magpies can see themselves in a mirror and they understand that it is a reflection. Many crows live near to humans in towns and cities. Some crows (such as treepies) live in forests. They are more shy than the crows that live in cities. Some crows in North America, Europe and northern Asia migrate. This means they travel to different places in summer or winter. Most crows are resident birds. This means they live in the same place all year round. Many crows live in large groups. For example, many rooks nest together in large groups at the top of trees. This is called a rookery. Crows in big groups are often noisy. However, when it is the breeding season (this means when birds nest and have babies), crows can become angry and will scare off other crows. Crows eat a variety of food. They will eat fledglings (baby birds) and eggs from nests, small animals (mice and rats), carrion (dead animals
Visp is the capital city of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 7,000 people. The two valleys are Mattertal and Saastal. It borders Brig-Glis. Most of the people speak German. Economy. It has a chemical business named LONZA AG. There are also several smaller businesses. Transportation. In 2007, Visp will become a junction of the Neue Eisenbahn-Alpentransversale or NEAT, connecting with many other rail-lines. The bus and the train station of Visp and Brig is the starting point for many outdoor activities, trips, and tours in the surrounding mountain resorts of Zermatt and Saas-Fee.
Saint-Maurice is the capital of the district of Saint-Maurice in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Mex (VS) merged into the municipality of Saint-Maurice. It is the site of the Roman outpost of Agaunum and the old Abby of Saint-Maurice, which has become a famous high school in Switzerland ("Collège de Saint-Maurice"). It is not St. Moritz, a ski resort in the east part of Switzerland.
Entremont is a district in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has the following cities:
Santeri Palin (also known as Incánus) (born September 15, 1983, Nokia, Finland.) is a Finnish poet who writes poems in Finnish and English. His first book "Elämän kolmio kuoleman syklissä – ajatuksia reunalta" ("The Triangle of Life in the Cycle of Death – Thoughts from the Edge") came out in 2006. Palin is a fan of J. R. R. Tolkien and currently he is the president of "Kontu Internet Community" (or "Verkkoyhteisö Kontu ry" in Finnish) and the vice president of the "Finnish Tolkien Society", which are Finnish Tolkien related communities.
Sembrancher is the capital of the district of Entremont in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. A small scenic village of around 500 residents in the Bagnes Valley, it is close to the Verbier ski resort.
Microbiotheria are a small order of marsupial mammals with only one living species, the Monito del Monte (Spanish for 'little mountain monkey'). It is the only New World representative of the superorder Australidelphia; all other New World marsupials are part of the Ameridelphia. The species is nocturnal and arboreal, and lives in thickets of Chilean bamboo in the temperate rain forests of the southern Andes. It eats mainly insects and other small invertebrates, supplemented with fruit. At one time, they were placed in the order Didelphimorphia, the opossums, but due to many morphological differences, they were placed in another order. The skull's shape is strange, with many technical differences from the opossums. Phylogeny and biogeography. It has long been suspected that South American marsupials were ancestral to those of Australia. The two continents were connected via Antarctica in the early Cainozoic era. Australia’s earliest known marsupial is "Djarthia", a primitive mouse-like animal that lived about 55 million years ago. "Djarthia" had been identified as the earliest known australidelphian, and this research suggested that the Monito del Monte was the last of a clade which included "Djarthia". In 2010, analysis of retrotransposon insertion sites in the nuclear DNA of marsupials confirmed the placement of the Monito del Monte in Australidelphia. It also showed its position as the most basal of that superorder. The study also confirmed that the most basal of all marsupial orders are the other two South American lineages (Didelphimorphia and Paucituberculata, with the former probably branching first). This indicates that Australidelphia arose in South America (with the ancestors of all other living marsupials), and probably reached Australia in a single dispersal event after Microbiotheria split off (originated).
Dasyuromorphia are a fair-sized order of some of the more unusual carnivorous or insectivorous marsupials. They vary in appearance, from rodent-like to shrew-like to cat-like to dog-like. This order includes the ever-famous Tasmanian devil. In this order, most of the marsupials have a pouch on the belly. However, some of the broad-footed marsupial mice have only folds of skin instead of true pouches, and the numbat lacks a pouch entirely. There are 63 species in 3 families, although one of the families is probably extinct: