Pegunungan Himalaya

Himalaya adalah sebuah barisan pegunungan di Asia, yang memisahkan anak benua India dari Dataran Tibet.

Himalaya merupakan tempat gunung-gunung tertinggi di dunia, misalnya Gunung Everest dan Kanchenjunga. Secaraetimologi, Himalaya berarti "tempat kediaman salju" dalam bahasa Sanskerta (dari hima "salju", dan aalaya "tempat kediaman").

Himalaya memanjang sepanjang lima negara — Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan dan Nepal. Ia adalah sumber dua sistem sungai besar dunia — Sungai Indus dan Sungai Ganga-Brahmaputra. Sekitar 750 juta orang tinggal di daerah sekitar aliran air dari Himalaya, yang termasuk Bangladesh.

Barisan Himalaya mempunyai panjang sekitar 2400 km, dari Nanga Parbat di barat hingga Namche Barwa di timur. Lebarnya bervariasi antara 250-300 km. Himalaya terdiri dari tiga barisan paralel, diatur menurut ketinggian dan usia secara geologis..

Karena ukurannya yang besar dan luas, Himalaya telah menjadi sebuah rintangan alam yang besar bagi manusia sejak zaman dahulu. Terutama pencegahan hubungan antara orang dari sub-benua India dengan orang dari Cina dan Mongolia, menyebabkan bahasa yang sangat berbeda dan budaya dari wilayah tersebut.

Himalaya juga telah mencegah rute perdagangan dan ekspedisi militer melaluinya. Contohnya, Genghis Khan tidak dapat memperluas kekaisarannya ke selatan Himalaya menuju sub-benua India tersebut.

Venus - tumbuhan pemakan serangga

Tumbuhan Venus atau The Venus Flytrap adalah tumbuhan yang mendapatkan nutrisinya dengan menangkap serangga.

Seperti yang telah kita ketahui, tumbuhan memerlukan zat hara disamping air untuk proses fotosintesis sebagai media pembentukan energi. Lebih tepatnya tumbuhan memerlukan unsur-unsur seperti nitrogen, fosfor, dan karbon sebagai bahan baku proses fotosintesis. Pada umumnya beberapa tumbuhan mendapatkan bahan-bahan tersebut dari tanah tempat tumbuhan tersebut tumbuh menggunakan proses kapilarisasi di akarnya. Akan tetapi, tumbuhan Flytrap ini biasanya tumbuh di daerah yang tanahnya minim akan kandungan bahan anorganik dan mineral lainnya. Oleh karena itu tumbuhan Venus Flytrap beradaptasi guna memperoleh zat hara tersebut dengan cara yang berbeda yakni dengan memangsa serangga.

Dengan tampilan dan aroma yang khas, tumbuhan venus mampu mengecoh serangga untuk menghampirinya. Banyak serangga yang hinggap di tumbuhan venus tanpa ada rasa curiga sedikitpun meski diintai oleh Venus. Sistem elektrik rumit yang terdapat pada tumbuhan Venus memiliki peranan penting dalam menangkap mangsanya, dimana tumbuhan ini mampu menutup daun-daunnya dengan gerakan yang cepat ketika serangga hinggap diantara daun yang terbuka. Gerakan serangga yang ingin membebaskan diri dari dalam daun tersebut menjadikan daun semakin mengapit erat.

Ciri-ciri tumbuhan venus – Tumbuhan yang memiliki nama latin Dioneae muscipula ini mempunyai bentuk daun mirip dengan buku yang terbuka, bagian dalam dari tumbuhan venus memiliki warna merah yang menawan dan hal ini mampu menarik perhatian serangga yang ada disekitarnya. Selain itu pada bagian tengah daun venus mengeluarkan kelenjar/cairan dan bau sedap yang membuat serangga semakin penasaran untuk menghinggapinya.

5 Most Beautiful Places In The World

1. Shangrila, Pakistan

Shangrila Resort Skardu, also known as “Heaven on Earth”, is nestled amongst some of the world’s highest peaks. It encircles the heart shaped “Kachura Lake” and is surrounded by fruit laden orchards and flower filled gardens.

2. Lake Saiful Muluk, Pakistan

Lake Saiful Muluk is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near Naran. A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake. It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake. The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon.

3. The Grand Canyon, United States

A steep gorge by the Colorado River, Arizona in the United States, the Grand Canyon has some truly enjoyable scenery. It is 277 miles in length, 4 to 18 miles in width, and about a mile deep. Scientists believe that the canyon was created by the Colorado River over a six million year period. The first recorded visit to the Grand Canyon by the Europeans was in 1869. Although it is not the deepest canyon in the world, it is known for its extremely large size and beautifully intricate landscape. The Grand Canyon National Park is said to be one of the first national parks in the United States and it attracts more than five million visitors a year. Weather conditions in the Grand Canyon vary greatly between seasons as well as varying at different elevations. While winter snow is experienced by the higher forested rims, the inner gorge has a desert temperature because of the low elevation.

4. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef. It has the distinction of being placed in the World Heritage as well as the National Heritage lists. With more than 600 islands and coral cays, the reef covers more than 300,000 sq. km. Corals make up the reefs and cays and are responsible for a huge variety of sea life in the reef — green turtles, several varieties of whales and dolphins, the dugong, about 4000 types of mollusks, 1500 different species of fish, as well as beautifully colored bird life encompassing at least 200 species. The Great Reef Marine Park is a huge tourist attraction with millions of tourists visiting the area each year. Sporting activities include reef sailing, scuba diving, and snorkeling, amongst others.

5. The Iguazu Waterfalls, Argentina-Brazil Border

Heralded as the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, the Iguazu Waterfalls are a true wonder of nature. They are located at the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. While the Argentinean side allows visitors to walk right around the water or explore the National Park, the Brazilian side is known for its panoramic views and splendor. The area surrounding the falls provides ample opportunities for rock climbing as well as water sports. Iguazu has the distinction of having a greater annual flow than any other waterfall in the world.

Panda

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, meaning "black and white cat-foot") is a type of bear. It lives in bamboo forests in central China. The giant panda is an endangered animal. In November 2007, China had 239 giant pandas who lived in captivity. There are 27 giant pandas which live in zoos outside of China. The exact number of giant pandas in the wild is not known. Some sources say there are about 1,590, other sources give a number between 2,000 and 3,000. The number of giant pandas in the wild seems to be increasing.

Life

Giant pandas live alone. Females have a territory which they defend against other females. When female pandas are ready to mate, they give off a special scent and make a loud bleating noise to tell the males that they are ready. Giant pandas mate between the months of March and Maywhich is the Summer months in China. If there are several males, they fight each other. The one who wins – the strongest male, then mates with the female. In August or September, the female gives birth to one or two babies. If she has two babies, she will only raise one baby, and the other baby dies, no-one really knows how the female panda choose between the two. Giant panda babies are very small, and weigh only 90–130 grams, which is about 1/900 of its mother's weight. The baby drinks milk until it is 8–9 months old. Young pandas live with their mothers until they are 18–24 months old. They become mature when they are 5–7 years old. Unlike other bears, pandas do not hibernate.

Classification

There is another type of creature that shares the giant panda's habitat and has many similar traits. This is the red panda, which scientists thought must be related. But a giant panda is a bear, and a red panda is more closely related to a raccoon or a skunk. The red and giant pandas have many things in common. Both have a similar diet, eating mostly bamboo.They also have the same kind of enlarged bone, called a pseudothumb. This allows them to better grip the bamboo they eat. Red and giant pandas also live in the same habitat.

Currently there are two subspecies of giant panda:

• Ailuropoda melanoleuca melanoleuca – Most pandas belong to this subspecies. Most of these animals can be found in Sichuan, China. They have the typical dark black and white contrasting colors.

• Qinling panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis – This subspecies is only found in the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi, China. They live between 1,300 and 3,000 m of altitude. Instead of the typical dark black and white pattern of Sichuan pandas, Qinling pandas have a dark brown versus light brown pattern. Their skull is smaller than their relatives, and it has larger molars.