My_Beehives

Auckland is the largest city and a leading port of New Zealand. It is the largest of New Zealand's four urban areas, and is located on North Island at the base of North Auckland Peninsula, on a low neck of land between Hauraki Gulf on the northeast and Manukau Harbor on the southwest. The main port facilities are on Waitemata harbor, which opens into Hauraki Gulf, Manukau Haorbor lies about 5 miles (8 km) to the south and provides access to the Tasman Sea.

Auckland has a cool, humid, marine type of climate with temperatures in July, the coldest month, averaging 11°C (51°F) and in February, the warmest month, averaging 19°C (67°F).

Auckland's favorable position and its excellent transportation facilities have been prime factors in its development as a port and manufacturing city. There are ship and plane connections with the rest of New Zealand and with overseas points, and there are rail and road connections with other cities of North Island The city's industries include shipbuilding, sugar refining, lumber milling, food processing, glass making,construction, and manufacture of steel products, pottery, plastics, textiles and clothing.

With one third of New Zealand's population living within a 100-mile (160 km) radius of Auckland, the city's facilities have been expanded to include harbor enlargements, a motor expressway network and an international airport.

The city overlooks the harbor, one of New Zealand's finest. In and around the city are a number of recreational areas, racetracks, swimming and yachting facilities, many parks.

Auckland was founded in 1840 by Governor William Hobson and was New Zealand's capital until the government moved to Wellington in 1865. Auckland population reaches 149,046 by 1989.Maori people are first thought to have settled in the Auckland region approximately 650 years ago. Auckland would seem to have been a highly sought after area due to its rich and fertile land. The name given by the early Maori for the area, 'Tamaki', meaning 'battle', would seem to confirm this. The volcanic cones that are dotted all over Auckland became natural sites for pas, or fortified Maori settlements. Several of the best known lookout areas in Auckland, such as Mount Eden and One Tree Hill, bear the traces of these pas.

Fierce inter-tribal conflict in the 1820s led to there being little organized Maori resistance to European settlement, and by 1840 the British had either beaten or bought out (generally for a few trinkets) the 'Ngati Whatua' tribe.

The onset of systematic European settlement can be traced to 1840. New Zealand's first governor, Captain William Hobson, chose Auckland as the capital. Hobson decided upon the name Auckland, in honour of his patron and former commander, Lord Auckland (at that time, the viceroy of India). Many of the other place names in Auckland bear the influence of Hobson's patron. Lord Auckland's family name was Eden, and a great many parts of the city bear this name.

Mount Eden and One Tree Hill

     The two best views of the city can be had from Mount Eden and One Tree Hill. Both are volcanic cones that were once the site of Maori pas, or fortified villages (evidence of the pas can still be seen at both places).
     Mount Eden is a 200 meter high volcanic structure that is the highest point in Auckland, and which easily affords the best view of the city. From its summit you can get a full, panoramic, 360 degree view of the city's bays, islands, hills and cityscape. It is also right next to Eden Gardens, a very attractive park with some nice rose and flower gardens planted in the rich volcanic earth.
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The Auckland Harbour Bridge

This is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. A 4-lane highway built in 1959, it soon became congested with traffic. Luckily, a firm of Japanese engineers came to the rescue and figured out a way of adding extra lanes to the bridge. Locals call the extension the 'Nippon Clip-on', in a tone of humorous appreciation.

City of Sails

It has been widely claimed that the population of Auckland own more boats per head of population than in any other city in the world. The harbor is certainly covered with them.

Nuclear Free

New Zealand is nuclear free, and has had a history of protesting against nuclear testing, even going so far as to use its navy (such as it is) to bother those in the Pacific Ocean conducting tests of nuclear bombs for the French government. It is perhaps unsurprising then, that we find a Greenpeace vessel moored at Auckland.

Demographics

Auckland is the largest urban center in New Zealand. It has a population of over 1 million people living in an area of 580 sq kms. Auckland is a multicultural city, comprising:
European Descent 74%
New Zealand Maori 8%
Pacific Island Polynesian 10%
Asian Descent 4%
European Maori 3%
European Pacific Island 1%

But first of all some general information about the town and about its history. Chernigiv is the administrative, economic and cultural center of Chernigiv region, northeast of Ukraine. The city is situated in the north of the Ukraine, about 85 miles (157 km) northeast of Kiev, on the right bank of navigable Desna River. It boast unique examples of Old Russ and Ukrainian architecture created over a number of historical and architectural monuments located here.
The history of the city goes back to the time of Old Russ, a period when monumental architecture, literature, crafts and trades flourished. The first record of Chernigiv dates back to 907 A. D. However, numerous archeological finds indicates that ancient Slavs settled here earlier - in the 8th-9th centuries A. D.


Many legends and ballads are connected with the city. According to one of them, Chernigiv owes its name of the thick, dark forests ('chorny' means black in Ukrainian) surrounding it in old times. Another version has it that the city was named after its legendary founder, Prince Chorny and his daughter Cherne. Quite remarkably, the princes grave is preserved. This is Chorna Hill in the center of city, where numerous ancient artifacts like two famous gold-forged horns has been found.

In the 7th century some small settlements formed the town of Chernigiv. In 907 when Prince Oleg of Kiev made a successful raid on Byzantium and made the emperor pay tribute for the Russian cities. In the list of the cities Chernigiv was on the second place and this is an evidence of great importance of the town.


In 2 years prince of Kiev and Kiev decided to divide the country into 2 parts by the Dniepro River. Thus Chernigiv turned into the capital of a very big principality, the territory of which was as big as that of the modern France. Chernigiv that time was among the biggest cities of Europe with the population of 25 thousand. Arts and crafts developed, the chronicle was written.
But from the second half of the 11th century the Russian lands including the principality of Chernigiv started to split into small independent principalities.
Chernigiv became the seat of an independent principality in the 11th century, was destroyed by the Mongols in 1239, and passed to Lithuania in the 14th century. It came under Russian control early in the 16th century and, except for a period of Polish rule (1618-1667), remained under Russian sovereignty thereafter until disintegration of USSR and Independence of Ukraine.
Nevertheless the 11th and 12th centuries were the golden Age for Chernigiv. Many interesting buildings were built including some that have survived to the present.


The Cathedral of the Transition of the Saviour
Though the cathedral of St. Sophiain Kiev has been built a bit later, the cathedral of the Saviour was one meter higher. In the 11th century is not only dominated the whole town but was also seen from outside the city walls.
The outside of the cathedral looked very beautiful since it was decorated with brick patterns. Originally the walls were not stuccoed. Now they are stuccoed to protect them from moisture. The cathedral was reconstructed many times. In the 17th century were added the upper stories and the conical steeples to the towers. In Old Russian churches the volumes increased from the sides to the center. Now the steeples and baroque paves obscure the original view of the cathedral.


The Cathedral of Saints Boris and Gleb
Next to the cathedral of the Saviour stands the cathedral of Saints Boris and Gleb built in 1223. Boris and Gleb were sons of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, they were assassinated by order of Prince Sviatopolk. The cathedral of Saints Boris and Gleb is smaller than that of the Savior. Firstly because it was conceived as a personal church of Prince Sviatopolk. And secondly because Christianity in the 12th century was not so bellicose as it had been in the 11th century when it had fight for believers.
The cathedral of Boris and Gleb was rebuilt many times and was greatly damaged during the World War II.


The College
Near this cathedral you can see the building of the College. After the re-unification of the Ukraine with Russia their was a great need for staff for administrative bodies. Built in 1700-1702 this college was one of the first secular educational institutions in the Ukraine. Sons of rich Cossacks and of clergy studied there.
The college was built in the Ukrainian baroque style. It is decorated with numerous architectural details including two icons. Now their is an exposition of icons and of old materials


The Church of Saint Catherine
At the entrance of the Chernigiv gates from Kiev there is a high, well proportioned silhouette of the St. Katherine's Church. Built near the territory of the Val, it organically united with the architectural complex of ancient center of the town.The church was built in 1715 by descendants of Chernigiv's colonel Yakov Lizogub to commemorate the heroism of Chernigiv's Cossacks in the storm of the Turkish fortes of Azov in 1996.


Now You went to the foot of the Boldina hill . These small hills are the remains of barrows of the 9th, 10th, 11th centuries. Being pagans the Slavs burnt the dead. First they made a hill put the dead on top of it together with his wife and horse previously killed and together with his arms and other personal things, then burnt all that finally made the hill still higher . The more noble the man had been the higher the barrow was made. After adoption of Christianity in the 10th century the Slavs started to bury the dead without cremation.
This necropolis is a unique monument of the Kiev Russ' time in the Ukraine.Down the hill there is the church of St.Elyah, architectural monument of the 11th century. It was the unique single-domed church in the Dnieper river basin. The two other domes have been built up later also down the hill. there is the cave monastery founded by monk Anthony .
According to the chronicles it was founded in 1609 .Step by step the caves made by Anthony and his followers were widened and transformed into the compound multi - tiered complex. There are churches , chapels and cells. The underground Church of St. Feodosy is one of the largest structures of this kind on the territory of the former Kiev Russ. It is 16 meters long, from 4,3 to 5,6 meters wide and 8,4 meters high. The church is decorated with the semi-circular recesses, pilaster with capitals and profiled cornice. The church has galleries of its own.