Switzerland Map

The snow-covered Alps are the perfect backdrop for a magical, white Christmas.  Switzerland is a fairy tale wonderland with soaring castles and quaint cobble-stoned villages.  Enjoy traditional Christmas celebrations in the city of Zürich, home to the country’s largest Christmas market and the largest Christmas tree.  The tree in Zürich sits near the railway station and is adorned with over 5000 Swarovski crystal decorations.

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Norway is as close as you can get to Santa’s North Pole.  The magical landscape of Norway, which extends across the Arctic Circle, delivers an unforgettable winter experience for all ages.  Mountains, lakes, woodlands, and waterfalls abound in this unspoiled country.  And a visit to Norway wouldn’t be complete without a view of the most spectacular Christmas light show in the world: the Northern Lights.

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Snow-capped peaks and white dusted pine trees set the Christmastime scene in Canada.  The raw beauty of the Canadian Rockies and the expansive Canadian wilderness make this northern country one of the most magical places to visit in the winter.  Experience the majesty of Canadian wildlife, including Humpback Whales, Orcas, Sea Otters, and Northern Fur Seals.

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About 70% of Japan’s land area is mountainous, making this country a beautiful sight to behold during Christmastime.  Looking at snow-capped peaks is only part of the fun; Japan offers wonderful skiing in its snow-covered valleys.  You’ll realize the magic of this country when you visit Matsumoto Castle, see Nagano’s famous Zenkoji Temple and see the snow monkeys at Jigokudani hot springs.

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1664 Antique World Map

The 7^th century scholar, Isidore of Seville, described the Earth in his Etymologiae as “a wheel,” with “the Ocean flowing around it.  The only regions known to scholars at the time were Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Using Isidore’s description, early medieval cartographers created the T and O map, a map that divides Earth into three continents with a surrounding ocean.

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Many early maps were T and O maps, while others depicted Biblical history, momentous journeys, and significant battles.  Usually, no more than a few cities and rivers were labeled on medieval maps, but the four sacred rivers of the Holy Land were always present.  As time progressed, cartographers learned more about the landscape of the Earth and created more detailed maps.  Take a look at these ornate, ancient maps, all created earlier than the 1400s.

Images via retronaut.com

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1963 Scandinavia Map

Today, the Norway-Sweden border is a 1,010 mile-long land border that mostly follows the drainage divide in the Scandinavian Mountains.  Although Norway and Sweden share a common history, geography, and language, their peaceful relationship has not always been a reality.

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Viking Kingdoms

During the Viking era, the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden were united under a single ruler, King Magnus VII.  The Kalmar Union of 1397 brought together the three Nordic countries—Sweden, Norway, and Denmark—but Sweden broke out of this union in 1521.

During the mid-1500s, Norway essentially became a tributary of Denmark.  The rise of Protestantism cut off Norway’s steady stream of pilgrims, isolating it from cultural and economic life in the rest of Europe.  The Norwegians also began losing territories to Sweden leading to several wars.

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Independence and War

Norway declared its independence from the Danish crown in 1814, but entered into war with Sweden after an attempt by the Swedish king to link the two countries.  The countries were successfully linked until 1905 when Norway replaced its monarchy government with an elected parliament.

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During WWII, Sweden remained neutral, but allowed Norwegian refugees to cross the border from Nazi-occupied Norway.  Its humanitarian efforts saved thousands of Europeans from the destruction of WWII.

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New York City Wall Map

Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, recently looked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps.  After examining the maps, Bloomberg and his staff found that two-thirds of the homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy fell outside New York City’s flood zone.  Either Hurricane Sandy was one heck of a storm, or FEMA’s flood maps were out of date (or both)

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What Bloomberg eventually discovered was that FEMA’s flood maps for the city were almost 100 years old!  Upon this discovery, Bloomberg held a press conference assuring New Yorkers that new flood maps were on their way and that they would better prepare the city for future disasters:

“The yardstick has changed – and so must we.  FEMA is currently in the process of updating their maps – and those maps will guide us in setting new construction requirements.”

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Bloomberg also pledged to redraw New York’s evacuation maps.  The city’s existing evacuation maps helped many escape the storm, but were inadequate in preparing those who lived beyond the maps’ evacuation zones.

Maintaining up-to-date maps is essential to keeping citizens, governments, and businesses well informed—informed not only of storms and evacuations, but of changes in streets, highways, congressional districts, and demographics.

Antique New York Wall Map

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France & Corsica Wall Map

Can you say that you’ve trekked an entire island?  You can if you’ve walked the GR 20.  Located on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, GR 20 is a roughly 111-mile long footpath that runs from north to south.  The usual time for finishing the trail is about 15 days.

Outdoor writer Paddy Dillon calls GR 20 one of the “top trails in the world.”  Looking at a map of Corsica, you can see the trail span the entire island, from the city of Calenzana in the north to Conza in the south.  GR 20 is an advanced trail, so do not attempt it if you’re still learning which foot goes in front of the other.

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Along the trail there are mountain huts described as “refuges” or gîtes.  The standard and price of accommodations and food varies from refuge to refuge.  You can sleep in a tent near the refuge, but it is not permitted to pitch tents along the trail.

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Though the hot summer weather and harsh terrain can make GR 20 a hard trail to manage, the view and natural beauty make it all worthwhile.  To commemorate a difficult past journey, or to plan for a journey yet to come, try a map.  Maps make great mementos.  Mark your hiking path on a wall map and see just how grand your accomplishment truly is.

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California Wall Map

Silicon Valley, California

Silicon Valley originally got its name from its large number of silicon chip manufacturers.  Now, the term refers to the computer technology corporations that reside in the valley.  Silicon Valley is known worldwide for its ability to create and develop entrepreneurial talent.  Roughly a third of startup founders in Singapore and Canada have spent considerable time in Silicon Valley

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Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv is the economic and cultural center of Israel.  It is referred to as the “city that never sleeps” because of its active nightlife, and it is the fifth most-visited city in the Middle East and Africa.  Tel Aviv is home to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Israel’s only stock exchange, which has reached record heights since the 1990s.  Many international venture-capital firms, scientific research institutes and high-tech companies are headquartered in the city.

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London, UK

London generates approximately 20% of the UK’s GDP.  London is one of the pre-eminent financial centers of the world and vies with New York City as the most important location for international finance.  But aside from its bustling financial industry, London is a popular center for tourism, as well as the arts.

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Toronto, Canada

Located just across Lake Ontario from Western New York is the lively city of Toronto.  Toronto is the finance capital of Canada.  The five largest financial institutions of Canada, collectively known as the Big Five, all have national offices located in Toronto.  Home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, Toronto is also a wholesale and distribution point for Canada’s industrial sector.

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New Hampshire is known for its excellent skiing, but even the most optimistic will tell you how bad the winter seasons have been the last few years.  Yet, there is hope.  “The last three winters that we’ve had sub-par snow fall and low business levels we’ve bounced back with absolute monster years,” says Karl Stone of SkiNH.

On New Hampshire’s CannonMountain, employees have fired up the snow guns to make the best of November’s lackluster snowfall.  Many of its routes are now open, as are the routes on LoonMountain.

Image via google.com

But does the man-made snow compare to the real stuff?  According to many skiers, it’s not even close.  “I didn’t want to spend the money to ski on man-made snow last year,” says Alan Spadafora, who is ready to use the season pass his parents gave him as an early Christmas gift.  This year he’s “hoping for some real snow.”

Image via onthesnow.com

According to weather forecasts, Alan Spadafora may be getting exactly what he had hoped for.  Heavy snowfall should be moving into the mountainous regions of New Hampshire this week.  Break out the skis and hit the slopes!

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What is a Carrier Route?

A Carrier Route is a group of addresses to which the USPS assigns a specific 9-digit code to aid in mail delivery.  A mail delivery person’s route will usually be confined to a single Carrier Route.

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What’s the Difference Between a ZIP Code, a ZIP+4, and a Carrier Route?

In the US, there are about 600,000 Carrier Routes and about 40,000 5-digit ZIP Codes.  This means there are roughly 15 Carrier Routes within each ZIP Code.  If you look on a postal map, Carrier Routes cover a more detailed area than ZIP Codes.  ZIP+4 codes, however, are even more detailed than Carrier Routes.  There about 40,000,000 ZIP+4’s in the US and each Carrier Route contains tens or hundreds of ZIP+4’s.

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How Can You Use Carrier Routes to Maximize Postal Discounts?

The post office offers a discounted postage rate to anyone who sends mail to 90% of residential addresses within a Carrier Route.  This is referred to as ‘saturation mailing’ and you can expect to receive a 50-60% discount on postage when you send saturation mail.  This discount benefits politicians, advertisers, local businesses, and many others.

Carrier Route maps are used for many purposes.  Businesses use them to focus marketing, create efficient delivery areas, and target direct mail.  Contact mapsales.com to find out how a Carrier Route wall map can benefit your business.

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Mevlâna Festival, Turkey

From December 10^th through the 17^th, Muslims throughout Turkey celebrate the festival of the whirling dervishes.  The festival commemorates Celaleddin Rumi’s death, or, as many describe it, the beloved Muslim poet’s “wedding night with Allah.”  After Rumi’s death, his followers formed the brotherhood called the Mevlevi, or whirling dervishes, with dance as one of its foremost worship ceremonies.  After reading a few passages from the Quran, the celebration really gets going with the elegant trance-like dance of the dervishes.

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L’escalade, Switzerland

The festival commemorates the defeat of an attack by the Duke of Savoy on the night of 11 December 1602, with one legend suggesting the assault was repelled by a housewife who tipped a pot of boiling soup over a trooper’s head and whacked him with her cauldron.  Today, chocolate-filled cauldrons are smashed and the sweet pieces are collected and eaten.  The celebration ends with a large bonfire during sunset.

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Hogmanay, Scotland

To the Scots, New Years has always been a more important celebration than Christmas.  Back in 1993, the Edinburgh city council decided to create an almost week-long New Years festival in the historic city, and to invite the rest of the world to celebrate along with them.  250,000 people regularly attend the festival.  Grab a torch for the parade, experience street art and live music, and join in on the giant street party in Edinburgh’s city center.

Image via a2zmacau.com

Dongzhi Festival, Hong Kong

This festival is considered the Chinese Thanksgiving.  Traditional foods include tangyuan (balls of glutinous rice) and dumpling soup.  People with the same surname are encouraged to gather at ancestral temples and worship together during the Dongzhi Festival.  The daylight hours increase after the winter solstice and Dongzhi celebrates the increase of positive energy in the world.

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Spain Political Map

Catalonia (or Catalunya) is a region in southern Spain that includes the bustling, historic city of Barcelona.  Catalonia is known for its multiculturalism—they even have their own form of Spanish called Catalan.  But why does Catalonia feel the need to break away from Spain?

Catalonia’s desire for independence is a centuries-old conflict that normally resurfaces in times of institutional instability.  When Spain regained its democracy after the dictator Francisco Franco’s death, all regional conflicts were put aside.  A time of harmony continued after a two-decade economic boom and European Union membership.  But with recent economic problems, Catalonia’s desire for independence has returned.

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In a recent election, politicians that support Catalonian independence won two-thirds of the parliamentary seats in the country’s capital city, Madrid.  With severe austerity cuts across Spain due to economic troubles, Catalonians feel they are paying disproportionately more to the central government than what they are getting in return.

But in a time of economic crisis, granting Catalonia independence would mean a large portion of Spain’s tax revenue is lost, making its economic future appear even more dismal.  For the time being, lawmakers will not allow talks of a succession or constitutional reform amid the crisis. 

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A Look At Catalonia

We said Catalonia was multicultural.  Just take a look at the varied influences in its cuisine, architecture, and culture.  Because of its geography, the region has always had close ties with France, Portugal, and many North African countries.  A stop over in Barcelona and you will get an idea of just how unique this region is.  A nice plate of paella, a popular national rice and seafood dish, is never far away.  And don’t forget to visit sites constructed by famous Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudi.

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