Kashmir's economy is centred around Agriculture, like that of Pakistan. Traditionally the staple crop of the valley was Rice, which formed the chief food of the people. In addition, corn, wheat, barley and oats were also grown. Given its temperate climate, it is suited for crops like Asparagus, Artichoke, seakale, broad beans, scarletrunners, beetroot, cauliflower and cabbage. Fruit trees are common in the valley, and the cultivated orchards yield pears, apples, peaches, and cherries. The chief trees are deodar (National tree of Pakistan), firs and Pines, chenar (State tree) or plane, Maple, birch and Walnut, apple, cherry.
Historically, Kashmir became known worldwide when Cashmere wool was exported to other regions and nations (exports have ceased due to decreased abundance of the cashmere goat and increased competition from Western China). Kashmiris are well adept at Knitting and making Pashmina Shawls, silk carpets, rugs, Kurtas, and Pottery. Saffron, too, is grown in Kashmir. Efforts are on to export the naturally grown fruits and vegetables as Organic foods mainly to the Greater Middle East region which it forms an integral part. Srinagar is known for its silver-work, Papier mache, wood-carving, and the weaving of silk.
The economy was badly damaged by the 2005 Pakistan earthquake which, as of 8 October 2005, resulted in over 70,000 deaths in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir and around 1,500 deaths in Indian controlled kashmir.
The Indian-held portion of Kashmir is believed to have potentially rich rocks containing hydrocarbon reserves.
The economy of the region is focused on agriculture. People grow rice there. In the Indian part they also grow corn, such as wheat and barley. Its climate is different from that of most of the Indian subcontinent: It is milder. Therefore, crops like artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage and certain kinds of beans are also grown.
Cashmere wool is well-known almost anywhere in the world. Cashmere wool is wool from Cashmere goats. Because of conflicts over the territory, however, most Cashmere wool no longer comes from Kashmir.
Kashmir is home to the finest saffron in the world.
Tourism has been important in Kashmir for many years. Many people call the region "Paradise on Earth". Tourists from all over the world visit Kashmir. In the last ten years, fewer people have visited Kashmir because of terrorism, but it still remains one of the most sought after tourist destinations.
78% of the people in Kashmir are Muslims and Islam is the majority religion of the territory.
Rural area
Rural areas are areas which are not towns or cities. They are often farming or agricultural areas. These areas are sometimes called "the country" or "countryside". People who live "in the country" often live in small villages, but they might also live somewhere where there are no other houses nearby.
Rural is the opposite of urban, which means places such as cities where buildings and places where people work and live are all close together.
Many people who live in cities like to go to the country to relax. They go there for recreation, often for their holidays, or to read.
In the U.S. and Angola the term "rural area" technically describes a place that has less than 500 inhabitants per square mile.
Stephen Crane
Stephen Townley Crane (November 1, 1871 - June 5, 1900) was an American writer. He was born on November 1, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey to Jonathan Townley Crane, a clergyman, and Mary Helen Peck Crane. He attended Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, but did not graduate. He moved to New York City in 1892 to write about the slum life of Manhattan. His major works include the novella "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" (1893), the war novel "The Red Badge of Courage" (1895), and the short story "The Open Boat" (1897). After the success of "Badge", his literary reputation declined. His health was poor. In May 1899, he entered a sanitarium in Badenweiler, Germany. On June 5, 1900, he died of tuberculosis. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey.
Lawrence's goldfinch
The Lawrence's goldfinch ("Carduelis lawrencei") is a small songbird of North America. Bigger than the Lesser Goldfinch, and smaller than the American Goldfinch, with less yellow markings than either.
It lives from central California and its southern coast in the United States, to Baja California in Mexico. Females have less yellow and do not have the black cap and chin of the males.
This bird is named after the American "ornithologist" (bird expert), George Newbold Lawrence.
George Newbold Lawrence
George Newbold Lawrence (October 20, 1806 - January 17, 1895) was an American businessperson and amateur ornithologist (bird expert).
Lawrence counted birds for Spencer Fullerton Baird and John Cassin, and the three men wrote "Birds of North America" in 1858.
Lawrence left his 8,000 bird skins to the American Museum of Natural History. The Lawrence's Goldfinch "Carduelis lawrencei" was named for him by Cassin.
Santa Claus
Santa Claus or Father Christmas, commonly associated with Christmas, is a historical person who is a big and cheerful white-bearded man wearing a red suit with white trim. He lives at the North Pole with his wife Mrs. Claus, elves who build his toys, and reindeer who pull his sleigh through the sky.
Father Christmas, the Nordic version, is said to reside in Lapland, Finland, but most think he is from the North Pole.
Santa is best known for bringing gifts to small, good children (and children-at-heart) worldwide on Christmas (usually) by sliding down fireplace chimneys (or opening doors with a special key) and reindeer pulling his sleigh.
Santa was most likely created from different traditions from European and Christian culture, such as St. Nicholas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, and others. There are many popular culture items about Santa. He is known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Kristingle, Christingle, Father Christmas, Santy, and many other names.
In the Nordic version, Santa is said to live in a small hill called Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland. There is a theme park in Rovaniemi, which is near Korvatunturi, called Santa Claus Village.
The saint who inspired the legend of Sinterklaas (and thus, Santa Claus) is Saint Nicholas, who lived in the 4th Century AD and had a reputation for secret gift-giving, especially to the poor and needy, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.
He is said to reside at the top of the world at the North Pole with his wife Mrs. Claus, elves, and reindeer.
As his home and workshop are historical, there is no definite geographical location as to where the home or workshop is located.
Over the years, there have been a number of websites created by various organizations that have purported to track Santa. Some, such as NORAD Tracks Santa, the Airservices Australia Tracks Santa Project, the Santa Update Project, and the MSNBC and Bing Maps Platform Tracks Santa Project have endured. Others, such as the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's Tracks Santa Project, the Santa Retro Radar – Lehigh Valley Project, and the NASA Tracks Santa Project, have fallen out of use.
The origins of the NORAD Tracks Santa program began in the United States in 1955, when a Sears Roebuck store in Colorado Springs, Colorado gave children a number to call a "Santa hotline." The number was mistyped, resulting in children calling the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) on Christmas Eve instead. Colonel Harry Shoup, the Director of Operations, received the first call for Santa and responded by telling children there were signs on the radar that Santa was indeed heading south from the North Pole. A tradition began which continued under the name NORAD Tracks Santa when in 1958, the United States and Canada jointly created the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). This tracking can now be done through the Internet and NORAD's website.