Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air wing of the Russian Military. It is the world's second largest air force after the United States Air Force. It is also the only air force other than the United States Air Force who use modern strategic bombers. The Russian Navy also has its own Naval Aviation force.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Air Force (and Air Defense Force) were as big as the United States Air Force. However, after the collapse of Soviet Union, the Russian Air Force was made much smaller because Russia did not have enough money to keep everything. However, spending on the Russian Air Force increased in the early 21st century.
Ricardo Lorenzetti
Ricardo Luis Lorenzetti (born 19 September 1955) is a member of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina. He was elected President of the high court by his peers on November 7, 2006.
Lorenzetti was born in Rafaela, Santa Fe Province. He is the son of a primary school teacher and a travelling salesman. He went to school at the National University of the Littoral. He became a lawyer in 1978.
Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Manzoni (Milan 7 March 1785 – Milan 22 May 1873) was an Italian writer and poet. His most famous book is "The Betrothed", a novel that is a symbol of the Risorgimento, both for its patriotic message and because it was a fundamental milestone in the development of the modern Italian language.
Football in Argentina
Football (or soccer in the U.S) is the most popular sport in Argentina. According to FIFA there are 2,658,811 players total; with 3,377 clubs and 37,161 officials. It is played from childhood into old age. 90% of Argentines say they have a favorite Argentine football club.
Football started in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. It was started by the British immigrants in Buenos Aires. The first Argentine league began in 1891. This makes it the third oldest league (after Great Britain and the Netherlands). The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was formed in 1893. It is the eighth oldest in the world.
The Argentine national team has won the football World Cup. They won in 1978 and 1986. They were runner-up in 1930 and 1990. They have also won the top continental tournament, the Copa América, fourteen times. The Argentina Olympic football team has won two Gold Medals. At club level, Argentine teams have won the most Intercontinental Cups (9) and the most Copa Libertadores (22).
Women's football has a national league since 1991. It is named the Campeonato de Fútbol Feminino. The female national representative qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007.
In futsal, Argentina were FIFUSA/AMF Futsal World Cup champions in 1994. They also compete in the FIFA code of futsal, where they finished third in the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Cup. The team also won the FIFA Futsal Copa América in 2003. Argentina was world champion in futsal for the visually impaired in 1998.
Argentina also compete in the beach football World Cup. Their best finish was third in 2001.
Pato
Pato is a game played on horseback. It adds ideas from polo and basketball. It is the national sport of Argentina.
" is Spanish for "duck". The early games used a live duck inside a basket instead of a ball. Pato has been written about since 1610. The playing field would often go between neighboring ranches. The first team to reach its own ranch house with the duck was the winner.
Pato was banned several times during its history. This was due to the violence—not only to the duck; many gauchos were trampled underfoot. Some lost their lives in knife fights started in the heat of the game. In 1796, a Catholic priest said that pato players who died this way should not get Christian burial. Laws saying people could not play pato were common in the 19th century.
During the 1930s, pato had rules added by ranch owner Alberto del Castillo Posse. He made a set of rules based on modern polo. President Juan Perón made pato Argentina's national game in 1953.
In modern pato, two four-member teams ride on horses. They try to get a ball which has six handles. They score by throwing the ball through a ring that is vertical. The rings have a 100 cm (3.3 ft) diameter. They are on 240 cm (7.9 ft) high poles. A closed net, going up for 140 cm (4.6 ft), holds the ball after goals are scored.
The winner is the team with most goals scored after the time is done. Game time is six 8-minute "periods".
The field is: length 180 to 220 m (196.9 to 240.6 yd), width 80 to 90 m (87 to 98 yd). The ball is made of leather, with an inflated rubber chamber and six leather handles. Its diameter is 40 cm (15.7 in) handle-to-handle. The weight is 1050 to 1250 g (2.3 to 2.8 lbs).
The player that has control of the ' (i.e. holds the ball by a handle) must ride with his right arm outstretched. He offers the pato so rival players have a chance of tugging the pato and stealing it. Not holding his arm out while riding with the pato is an offense called ' (refusal).
During the tug itself, or ", both players must stand on the stirrups and not sit on the saddle. The hand not tugging must hold the reins. The tug is usually the most exciting part of the game.
Pato is similar to the game of horseball played in France, Portugal, and other countries.
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. It has two parts. There is a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies.
The Congress building is in Buenos Aires.
The Congress is in charge of setting taxes and customs. These must be the same across the country. It rules the Central Bank of Argentina, manages internal and external debt payment, and the value of national currency (currently the Argentine peso).
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England. This district includes New Plymouth City and a few smaller towns. The district has 1.7 percent of the country's people.
New Plymouth Airport is the 11th busiest airport in New Zealand, with regular flights to Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch.
In 1828, Richard Barrett set up a trading post at Ngamotu after he arrived on the ship "Adventure". Barrett dealt with the local Māori and bought land from them.
The British tried to occupy the area during the early 1840s. But when they arrived, they found an area with few Māori - remaining survivors of a number of inter-tribal wars. At first, land was easily bought but then as time went on, it became more difficult and Europeans wanted more and more of Maori farmland, as Maoris were returning to the area and did not want to sell the land. War finally started in 1860 and lasted for nearly 10 years, resulting in land confiscations by the British government.
The area is known for its dairy farms and its location. It is very close to both sea and mountain, with Mount Taranaki just south of the city. The volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki gives a view of the coastline. Taranaki, which is 2518 metres high, is one of the most climbed mountains in New Zealand. It is one of the places in New Zealand that attracts the most rainfall and the mountain has created a unique environment perfect for plants, alpine herb fields, and native and tropical forest. This attracts many bird species that can be observed in the National Park and surrounding areas.
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators. There are three for each province and three for Buenos Aires. There used to be 2 senators from each province. That was changed in 1994.