Paris is the capital and largest city of France. It is also the capital of the Île-de-France région (also known as Paris Region) that, encompassing Paris and its suburbs, represents France’s most dynamic centre of economic activity. Paris is a leading global cultural, business and political center and is renowned for its defining neo-classical architecture as well as its role as a major international influence in fashion, gastronomy and the arts. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s major global cities. Dubbed “the City of Light” (la Ville Lumière) since the 19th century, Paris has a reputation as a “romantic” city.

Paris is situated on the banks of the river Seine in north-central France. The city hosts many museums and galleries, has an active nightlife, and is the most visited city in the world, with more than 30 million visitors per year. The most recognisable symbol of Paris is the 324 metre (1,063 ft) Eiffel Tower on the banks of the Seine.

The City of Paris had an estimated mid-2004 population of 2,144,700. The Paris urban area, extending well beyond the city boundaries, has today an estimated population of 9.9 million. The Paris metropolitan area (including satellite cities) stood at 11.5 million in 1999. Paris and the Île-de-France région produce more than a quarter of France’s wealth, with a GDP of nearly ?450 billion (US$506.7 billion) in 2003. With nearby La Défense, Europe’s largest business district, Paris also hosts the head offices of almost half of all French companies, as well as the offices of major international firms and the headquarters of many international organisations such as UNESCO, the OECD, or the ICC.

Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital of Italy and of its Latium region. It is located across the confluence of the Tiber and Aniene rivers. The Vatican City, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope. It was once the capital of the Roman Empire, the most powerful, largest, and longest lasting empire of classical antiquity.

Rome is the largest city and commune in Italy and it is also one of the largest among European capital cities, with an area of 1,290 square kilometers. The commune territory extends up to the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the district of Ostia, on the south-west, located on the shore. Within the city limits, the population is 2,669,873 (2005); almost 3.5 million live in the general area of Rome as represented by the province of Rome. The current mayor of Rome is Walter Veltroni.

With a gross domestic product of ?97 billion in the year 2005, the comune of Rome produced 6.7% of Italy’s total GDP, the highest rate among all of Italy’s cities.

The city’s history extends nearly 2,800 years, during which time it has been the seat of ancient Rome, and later the Papal States, Kingdom of Italy and Italian Republic (modern Italy). Rome is also called “la Città Eterna” (the Eternal City).

Events

• Roma Sana April: Mediterranean Trade Fair for Natural Products with exhibitions of biological products, conferences and tasting.
• Roman Summers, from June to September: Various events from music to theater, literary meetings and cinema. Events that take place in the most characteristic places in Rome that attract the participation of thousands of artists from all over the world.
• Roma Europa Festival, September: Annual appointment for modern art and theatre, music and dance, with artists from of all Europe.
• Festival Romics, October: Comics and Cartoon Festival: exhibitions, cartoon film showings of designers and publishing companies.
• Roma Jazz Festival, October: Festival of jazz music since of 1876. Italian and international artists.
• Republic day – June, 2: Military parade on Via dei Fori Imperiali, with “Frecce Tricolori”.

• Rome’s Good Friday Procession in April. On Good Friday, a procession moves from the Via Crucis, from the Colosseum and up Monte Palatino, re-enacting the 14 stations of the cross from the death of Jesus to placement of his body in the tomb.
• Literature Festival, from May to June: Readings of works of famous contemporary writers, accompanied by music, in the setting of Basilica di Massenzio.
• International Urban Theatre Festival: In September, the Festival Internazionale del Teatreo Urbano that transforms Rome into an urban theatrical stage.
• Rome Jazz Festival: In October, international artists gather at various venues for the eclectic Rome Jazz Festival.
• Roman Jewish holiday, the Mo’ed di Piombo, stems from 1793 (5553 in the Hebrew calendar). Rome’s Jewish Temple is illuminated at night as the rabbi explains the meaning underscoring the celebration.

Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades. China is a region with one of the longest histories and oldest civilizations in the world. It has a history of over five thousand years and has made impressive advancements in architecture, arts, cuisine and language.

China has over 56 nationalities all of which have their own culture, music and traditional customs. Traveling in the People’s Republic of China from north to south, from east to west, one can enjoy exploring in beautiful nature, seeing different people living different lifestyles, and hearing the different dialects. Destinations of interest are Beijing, Nanjing, Xian, and others for their rich heritage in such areas as architecture and language.

Even though English is becoming more and more popular in China, most Chinese people do not understand English. Those planning trips to China should educate themselves on some basic Chinese words, such as restaurant (can ting), toilet (ce suo), thank you (xie xie).

The international travel book company Lonely Planet has announced a deal with a Chinese publishing partner to start producing its guide-books in Chinese. It’s the latest sign of interest in Chinese tourism. Officials in Beijing say that 34 million Chinese people will travel abroad in 2006.

Geography and Climate

China is composed of a vast variety of highly different landscapes, with mostly plateaus and mountains in the west, and lower lands on the east. As a result, principal rivers flow from west to east, including the Yangtze (central), the Huang He (central-east), and the Amur (northeast), and sometimes toward the south (including the Pearl River, Mekong River, and Brahmaputra), with most Chinese rivers emptying into the Pacific.

Most of China’s arable lands lie along the two major rivers, the Yangtze and the Huang He, and each are the centers around which are founded China’s major ancient civilizations.

In the east, along the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are found extensive and densely populated alluvial plains; the shore of the South China Sea is more mountainous and southern China is dominated by hill country and lower mountain ranges.

To the west, the north has a great alluvial plain, and the south has a vast calcareous tableland traversed by hill ranges of moderate elevation, with the Himalayas, containing the highest point Mount Everest. The northwest also has high plateaus among more arid desert landscapes such as the Takla-Makan and the Gobi Desert, which has been expanding. Due to a prolonged drought and perhaps poor agricultural practices, dust storms have become usual in the spring in China. Dust blows all the way to southern China, Taiwan, and has even been measured on the West Coast of the United States.

During many dynasties, the southwestern border of China has been the high mountains and deep valleys of Yunnan, which separate modern China from Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

The climate of China varies greatly. The northern zone (within which lies Beijing) has a climate with winters of Arctic severity. The central zone (within which Shanghai is situated) has a generally temperate climate. The southern zone (within which lies Guangzhou and other southern provinces) has a generally subtropical climate.

Do you want to see a Video and Images from Mexico?

Situated in the southwestern part of mainland North America and roughly triangular in shape, Mexico stretches more than 3,000 kilometres (1,875 mi) from northwest to southeast. Its width is varied, from more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi) in the north and less than 220 kilometres (137 mi) at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the south.

Mexico is bordered by the United States to the North, and Belize and Guatemala to the Southeast. Baja California in the West is a 1,250 kilometre (775 mi) peninsula and forms the Gulf of California. In the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, which is formed by Mexico’s other peninsula, the Yucatán. The center of Mexico is a great, high plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains on the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands lying outside of them. Mexico is about one-fourth the size of the United States.

The terrain and climate vary from rocky deserts in the north to tropical rain forest in the south. Mexico’s major rivers include the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) on the northern border and the Usumacinta on its southern borders, respectively, together with the Grijalva, Balsas, Pánuco, and Yaqui in the interior. The Tropic of Cancer effectively divides the country into temperate and tropical zones. Land north of the twenty-fourth parallel experiences cooler temperatures during the winter months. South of the point, temperatures are fairly constant year round and vary solely as a function of elevation.

On September 19, 1985, an earthquake measuring approximately 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Michoacán and inflicted severe damage on Mexico City. Estimates of the number of dead range from 6,500 with 30,000 injured. The country also is fairly frequently struck by hurricanes, mainly on the south and east coasts and on the particularly exposed Yucatan Peninsula.