Though Iran is known today as a stronghold of the Shi'a Muslim faith, it did not become so until much later, around the 15th century. The Safavid dynasty made Shi'a Islam the official state religion in the early sixteenth century and aggressively proselytized on its behalf. It is also believed that by the mid-seventeenth century most people in Iran had become Shi'as, an affiliation that has continued. Over the following centuries, with the state-fostered rise of a Persian-based Shi'ite clergy, a synthesis was formed between Persian culture and Shi'ite Islam that marked each indelibly with the tincture of the other.
Nowadays Islam is the religion of 98% of Iranians, approximately 90% of Iranians are Shi'a and 8% are Sunni, mostly Turkomen, a minority of Arabs (mainly in Hormozgan Province), Baluchs, and Kurds living in the south, southeast, northeast and northwest. Almost all of Iranian Shi'as are Twelvers.
Jaú National Park
The Jaú National Park ('Parque Nacional do Jaú') is in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in the Amazonas state of Brazil.
It is the largest forest reserve in South America, covering an area over 6 million acres (23,000 km²). Entry into the park is restricted; express permission from the Brazilian government is required to enter the reserve.
The park is a good example of tropical rainforest conservation in the Amazon. Its forests, lakes and channels are a "constantly evolving aquatic mosaic that is home to the largest array of electric fish in the world". The site protects key threatened species, including giant arapaima fish, the Amazonian manatee, the black caiman and two species of river dolphin and the jaguar. There are many other species of animals and plants.
The park is in the lower reaches of the Rio Negro branch of the Amazon. This branch is black with the organic matter picked up by the river. It has white-sand beaches during the dry season and flooded forest during the wet season. The streams turn into a 'ria' lake in the wet season, flooding huge areas of land, typical of all large rivers in the Amazon region. The site contains the nine-tier waterfall of the Carabinani River.
The Rio Negro flows through the eastern edge of Brazil’s Jau National Park. The river is the big strip of blue running from left to right across the image, and the other blue ribbons are tributaries. It starts at the border of Venezuela and Brazil, and meets up with the Amazon in central Brazil. Half-submerged islands can be seen in the center of the river. Between November and April when the river is at its peak, many of these islands disappear.
There is a high diversity of vertebrates in the park, with 120 species of mammals, 411 birds, 15 reptiles and 320 fishes. The site is home to relics of past human occupation of the Amazon region.
List of World Heritage Sites in Ecuador
The List of World Heritage Sites in Ecuador is a group of places chosen by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNESCO was created for the "conservation and protection of the world’s inheritance of books, works of art and monuments of history and science". The constitution of UNESCO was ratified in 1946 by 26 countries, not including Ecuador.
Ecuador agreed to take part in the World Heritage Convention on June 16, 1975.
The World Heritage Site (WHS) list has developed over time. It is part of a process; and the list continues to grow.
As of 2012, there are 4 places in Ecuador which are on the World Heritage List.
There are 7 sites which are on a tentative list.
The Tentative List consists of sites which have been nominated. The evaluation process is not yet completed.
Batna Province
Batna is a province of Algeria. The capital is Batna. Other important towns are Barika, Merouana and Timgad. Belezma National Park is there.
Batna Province has 22 districts. There are also 61 Communes.
The districts are:
Béjaïa Province
Béjaïa is a province of Algeria. The capital city is Béjaïa. Gouraya National Park is there. The endangered primate, Barbary Macaque is found in the province's Gouraya National Park.
The province has 19 districts. There are 52 "communes" or municipalities.
Biskra Province
Biskra is a province of Algeria. The capital city is Biskra.
The province has 12 districts. There are 33 "communes" or municipalities.
Béchar Province
Béchar is a province in Algeria. It is named after its capital Béchar. A large part of the province has sand dune fields that no one can live in.
The province has 12 districts. There are 21 municipalities.
The districts are:
Blida Province
Blida is a province in Algeria. The capital is Blida. The Chréa National Park is here.
The provinces has 10 districts. There are also 25 municipalities.
The districts are:
Bouïra Province
Bouïra is a province in Algeria. The capital is also Bouïra.
The province has 12 districts. There are also 45 "communes" or municipalities.
Tamanghasset Province
Tamanrasset or Tamanghasset is the largest province in Algeria. It was named after its capital Tamanrasset. The Province has two National parks: Tassili n'Ajjer National Park and Ahaggar National Park. The province makes up almost a quarter of the country's area.
The province has 7 districts. There are also 10 "communes" or municipalities.
Tébessa Province
Tébessa is a province of Algeria. Tébessa is also the name of the capital. Another important city is El Ouenza. Tebessa is only 20 kilometers west from Tunisia border.
The province has 12 districts. There are also 28 "communes" or municipalities.
Tlemcen Province
Tlemcen is a province in northwestern Algeria. The Tlemcen National Park is there.
The province has 20 districts. There are also 53 "communes" or municipalities.
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She was very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Austin has had many hits on several music charts. Some sources mention Austin as being born in 1948 while others say that either 1949 or 1950 is her actual birth year.
Tiaret Province
Tiaret is a province of Algeria. The capital is Tiaret.
The province has 14 districts. There are also 42 "communes" or municipalities.
Tizi Ouzou Province
Tizi Ouzou is a province in Algeria. It is named after its capital.
The province has 21 districts. There are also 67 communes or municipalities.
Algiers Province
Algiers is a province in Algeria. It is named after the capital, Algiers, which is also the national capital. There are about 3 million people.
Algiers province has 13 districts and 57 "communes" or municipalities.
The districts, listed according to official numbering (from west to east), are:
Djelfa Province
Djelfa is a province of Algeria. The capital is Djelfa. There are over 1.2 million people. Important towns are Tadmit, El Khemis, and Selmana.
The province has 12 districts. There are also 36 "communes" or municipalities.
Jijel Province
Jijel is a province in Algeria. It is on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The capital is Jijel. Taza National Park is there.
The province has 11 districts and 28 "communes" or municipalities.
Lactarius torminosus
Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a mushroom in the genus "Lactarius". It is a common and widely distributed fungus, found in North Africa, northern Asia, Northern Europe, and North America. "L. torminosus" associates with various trees, most commonly birch, and the mushrooms grow on the ground singly or in groups in mixed forests. Although it is valued for its peppery flavor and eaten after suitable preparation in Russia and Finland, it is highly irritating to the digestive system when eaten raw. The toxins responsible for the acrid taste are destroyed by cooking.