Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Select all Deselect all Add selection to lightbox
Large Small
Thumbnails per page
Viñales, a valley hidden away in the Sierra de los Organos in Western Cuba ranks among the loveliest regions of the country.<br/><br/> The entire northern horizon is dotted with limestone outcrops known locally as mogotes. Geologists explain that during the Cretaceous period around 100 million years ago underground rivers eroded the high land near present-day Viñales, creating great caves which eventually collapsed leaving the spectacular outcrops visible today.<br/><br/> Viñales is really just a small village, with a population of around 5,000 and a single main street. The centre of the town is Iglesia Viñales, a fine colonial church dating from around 1880.
La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) was declared a National Monument in 1977, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It is the most significant centre of Spain’s colonial heritage in all the Americas.
South Vietnam refers to a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the 'State of Vietnam' (1949–55) and later as the 'Republic of Vietnam' (1955–75). Its capital was Saigon. The terms 'South Vietnam' and 'North Vietnam' became common usage in 1954 at the time of the Geneva Conference, which partitioned Vietnam into communist and non-communist zones at the 17th parallel.<br/><br/> South Vietnam's origins can be traced to the French colony of Cochinchina, a subdivision of French Indochina, which consisted of the southern third of Vietnam. After World War II, the Việt Minh, led by Hồ Chí Minh, proclaimed Vietnamese independence in Hanoi. In 1949, non-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955, who proclaimed himself president after a fraudulent referendum. After Diệm was deposed in a military coup in 1963, there was a series of short-lived military governments.<br/><br/> General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu led the country from 1967 until 1975. The Vietnam War began in 1959 with an uprising by Việt Cộng forces supplied by North Vietnam. Fighting climaxed during the Tết Offensive of 1968, when there were over 1.5 million South Vietnamese soldiers and 500,000 U.S. soldiers in South Vietnam. Despite a peace treaty concluded in January 1973, fighting continued until the North Vietnamese army overran Saigon on April 30, 1975.
The Druk (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་) is the 'Thunder Dragon' of Bhutanese mythology and a Bhutanese national symbol. A druk appears on the Bhutanese Flag, holding jewels to represent wealth.<br/><br/> In the Dzongkha language, Bhutan is called Druk Yul, or Land of Druk, and Bhutanese leaders are called Druk Gyalpo, Dragon Kings. The national anthem of Bhutan, Druk tsendhen, translates into English as 'The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon'.
The flag of Afghanistan was adopted by the transitional government of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in 2002–2004. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973. The difference is the addition of the shahadah (Islamic Confession of Faith) at the top of the coat of arms (seen in gold/yellow) in the center. The new flag was adopted January 4, 2004. The flag consists of three stripes of the colors black, red, and green. This has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last twenty years. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca.
In Thailand, white elephants (chang phueak) are sacred and a symbol of royal power; all those discovered are presented to the king (usually this is ceremonial — they are not taken into captivity) and the more white elephants the king has, the greater his standing. The current monarch (2011), King Bhumibol Adulyadej, owns ten — considered a sign of great attainment and prestige.<br/><br/> A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily albino, although it must have pale skin. Candidate animals are assessed according to a series of physical and behavioural criteria (including eye colour, the shape of the tail and ears, and intelligence). Those that pass the tests are then assigned to one of four categories, and are offered to the king, though the lower grades are sometimes refused.<br/><br/> In the past, lower grade white elephants were given as gifts to the king's friends and allies. The animals needed a lot of care and, being sacred, could not be put to work, so were a great financial burden on the recipient - and only the monarch and the very rich could afford them.
Bhumibol Adulyadej (Phumiphon Adunyadet; born 5 December 1927) is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX (and within the Thai royal family and to close associates simply as Lek. Having reigned since 9 June 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.
Bhumibol Adulyadej (Phumiphon Adunyadet; born 5 December 1927) is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX (and within the Thai royal family and to close associates simply as Lek. Having reigned since 9 June 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.
In Thailand, white elephants (chang phueak) are sacred and a symbol of royal power; all those discovered are presented to the king (usually this is ceremonial — they are not taken into captivity) and the more white elephants the king has, the greater his standing. The current monarch (2011), King Bhumibol Adulyadej, owns ten — considered a sign of great attainment and prestige.<br/><br/> A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily albino, although it must have pale skin. Candidate animals are assessed according to a series of physical and behavioural criteria (including eye colour, the shape of the tail and ears, and intelligence). Those that pass the tests are then assigned to one of four categories, and are offered to the king, though the lower grades are sometimes refused.<br/><br/> In the past, lower grade white elephants were given as gifts to the king's friends and allies. The animals needed a lot of care and, being sacred, could not be put to work, so were a great financial burden on the recipient - and only the monarch and the very rich could afford them.