During the second world war saw many women working in wartime heavy industries in many countries including Australia, here in Newcastle hundreds of women were recruited to replace the men off fighting.
Around 500 men from Lysaght’s workshops alone were gone off fighting, the new spinner shop opened by Lysaght’s to make protective streamlined cowlings for aircraft propeller hubs, they were made of aluminum and had to be manufactured to extremely fine tolerances. This was a brand-new enterprise for Newcastle, those working there were taught by having to recondition 60 English made spinners for De Havilland Mosquito bombers, this work continued as a combination of local made and imported parts and by the time the plant finally wound up, they had made 900 spinners for the Mosquitoes, Beauforts and Lincoln aircraft.
The girls had to learn every job so that absences didn’t slow things down, they also had to wear scarves to keep their hair out of the machines, although there were accidents and if someone’s hair got caught in something like a drill chuck, the machine would have to be shut down and they would be lucky if they weren’t scalped.
In fact, women many countries worked in a variety of roles, including in the Australian Women’s Army Services (AWAS) and the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). They performed essential duties that were previously considered to be men’s work.
They operated anti-aircraft batteries, searchlights they also worked with range-finders. Women also worked in intelligence roles and defensive roles. They drove transports and plotted coordinates
Women’s contributions to the war effort helped to advance employment opportunities for women after the war, also their work during the war led to the establishment of the Women’s Employment Board in 1943.
Women’s work during the war led to women receiving 75% of the male wage for the same job.
The swift fox is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It also lives in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, where it was previously extirpated.
It has pale yellow fur with brownish ears and a fluffy tail with a black spot at the base of its tail and at the tip. Swift Foxes are characteristically nocturnal animals, although they are sometimes active during the daytime as well. The leave their dens at night to hunt and rarely move far from their dens.
They are solitary hunters, and their activity varies by season. They are nocturnal in the winter and become more diel in the summer.
Like other foxes they are monogamous and likely pair for life, unless a mate dies.
Swift foxes are charismatic with their alert, intelligent personalities and incredible physical abilities. The species earned its common name from early Western settlers impressed by its speed and agility—the swift fox has been clocked at nearly 40 mph.
They typically live 3-6 years but have been known to live up to 14 years.
The pups are born blind their eyes remain closed for up to 15 days they are dependent on their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives. They are weaned at about 6 to 7 weeks old and stay with their parents for about 6 months.
The gestation period is about 50 to 60 days with the average litter size is 4 to 5 pups. Young males become reproductively mature at one year of age and young females usually start breeding when they are two years old.
They are omnivores and eat a variety of foods, including insects, grass, reptiles, and carrion.
Ok after a bit of thought I am kicking of countries in the middle east with Israel.
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the Southern Levant of the Middle East, and shares borders with Lebanon and Syria to the north, the West Bank and Jordan to the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
The capital is Jerusalem, the population was 9.7 million in 2023. The official language is Hebrew.
It was called British Palestine in 1920 because that portion of the Ottoman Empire was given to the British to manage after World War I.
Both Jews and Arabs have claimed it as theirs alone. From a purely historical perspective, “Israel” predates “Palestine” by more than a millennium. But, with the Jewish people then dispersed from their homeland, “Palestine” became home to a substantial Arab population, again for more than a millennium
It is the homeland of the Jewish people, it is also the birthplace of Christianity, it also contains Islam’s third holiest site – the Dome of the Rock, and the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa.
Did you know voicemail technology was developed in Israel, or that there are more than 135 beaches.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place in the Gaza Strip and Israel since 7 October 2023.
This is the fifth war since 2008 in the Gaza–Israel conflict, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
If like me, you don’t what or who HAMAS is well here is the answer. The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas, is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist political organisation with a military wing known as the Al-Qassam Brigades. It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007.
The Israeli flag is white with a blue Star of David in the middle and two horizontal blue stripes. The flag was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after Israel declared independence. The meaning goes beyond its visual elements. The Star of David at its center is a symbol of Jewish unity and connection to faith. The blue stripes represent the rivers of Babylon, evoking the longing for the Jewish homeland as described in the Bible.
The new Israeli shekel is Israel’s official currency. The value of one new shekel is equal to one hundred agorot. Since the year 1986, the Israeli Shekel has served as the country’s primary unit of currency.
The official religion is Orthodox Judaism, as I am sure most people would know, however, Israel’s laws protect the freedom of religion for all people, or so they say, how true that is I do not know.
The country’s basic laws define it as a Jewish democratic state.
Judaism has been influential in Israel since the country’s founding. It plays a major role in the country’s political and state institutions.
Each city and area of government has a religious council that regulates Jewish practices.
Israel has religious courts that regulate personal status matters.
Naturally everyone knows how dangerous it is to visit this country right now.
Ok I am moving away from Africa and venturing into the Middle East, this is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western European nations in the early 20th century as a replacement of the term Near East.
The Middle East is considered to include countries like Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and others, totalling around 17 countries. Although the exact number depends on the definition used. Some sources include the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, and parts of North Africa within the Middle East.
Egypt is traditionally considered to be part of the Middle East. It is a regional power in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Muslim world. I included it in the North African Countries.
However, when you consider that the official language of Egypt is Arabic. And the official religion of Egypt is Islam. As well as the fact that some say the majority of Egyptians today identify as Arabs linguistically, while others say that there is a growing minority reject this.
Roughly 60% of the population in the Middle East is under 25 years old. The term “Arab” generally refers to people who speak Arabic as their first language. The majority of Arabs are Muslims, but the majority of Muslims are not Arabs. The words Islam and Muslim are derived from the Arabic word salam, which means peace.
The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is, therefore, a region of great diversity. While Arabs compose the majority of the Middle East’s population, the region is also home to Berbers, Kurds, Jews, Persians, Turks, and a vast array of other ethnic and religious minorities.
The Middle East is about 3.82 million square miles or 9.9 million square kilometres It makes up about 6.2% of the Earth’s land.
The largest country is Saudi Arabia, which is about 800,000 square miles or 2.1 million square kilometres and the smallest country is Bahrain, which is about 295 square miles or 765 square kilometres.
The Middle East is known for its vast deserts, including the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula’s “Empty Quarter.
The highest point is Mount Damavand in Iran, which is 18,406 feet or 5,610 meters tall and the lowest point is the Dead Sea, which is 1,388 feet or 423 meters below sea level.
Next week we will start looking at different counties.
This week we are looking at the national anthem of Eritrea, but I wasn’t able to find much information about it.
The national anthem is called, “Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea”, it was written by poet Solomon Tsehaye Beraki and composed by organist Isaac Abraham Meharezghi. This was back in 1986 and was updated in 1993 after Eritrea gained independence.
The anthem represents the common national consciousness that developed among the people of Eritrea during their nearly three-decade war of independence.
These are the lyrics.
The English translation is this.
Ertra, Ertra, Ertra, The barbarian enemy humiliatingly defeated And martyrdom has paid for freedom
Decades of devotion for purpose Your name became challenger, miraculous Ertra, comfort for the oppressed Proved that truth can win after all
Ertra, Ertra A sovereign state on earth after all
Dedication that led to liberation Will build up and make her green We shall honour her with progress We have a word to her to embellish
This week we are still in Africa, and this is a country I only recently heard of while watching something on YouTube about modern day slavery.
So, we are looking at the country of Eritrea.
Eritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast. It shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. The capital city, Asmara, is known for its Italian colonial buildings, like St. Joseph’s Cathedral, as well as art deco structures. Italian, Egyptian and Turkish architecture in Massawa reflect the port city’s colourful history. Notable buildings here include St. Mariam Cathedral and the Imperial Palace.
It has a population of 3.7 million and has no official language, as it is a multilingual country, and as the Constitution establishes the “equality of all Eritrean languages”. Tigrinya, Arabic, and English serve as de facto working languages, with English used in university education and many technical fields.
The flag of Eritrea is made up of a red triangle, a green triangle, and a blue triangle, with a yellow olive branch and wreath in the centre. The first Eritrean flag was adopted in 1952, but was replaced by Ethiopia in 1958, The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) adopted a flag in 1977, the current flag was adopted on December 5, 1995.
The country’s official religions are Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Christianity, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Evangelical Protestantism. However, the government restricts the activities of these religions and persecutes members of unregistered religious groups.
What does this mean? Well, the government’s constitution and laws prohibit discrimination based on religion. However, the government restricts the activities of the officially recognized religions. The government intimidates and prosecutes people who practice unregistered religions, it also prevents unregistered religions from building houses of worship or practicing their religion. Also, the government detains people for their religious beliefs, including minors.
The currency is the nakfa and was introduced on 15 November 1997 to replace the Ethiopian birr at par. It takes it name from then place of Nakfa were the first victory in their war of independence took place.
Like many other African countries, it is not a safe place to visit.
The country’s education system includes basic, secondary, and tertiary education. The government has been working to improve the quality of education and increase access to schools. Due to the country’s geography which include remote areas education is difficult.
Other problems are the amount of poverty, and many children living in nomadic areas also children with disabilities have difficulty accessing education.
In fact, many children are unable to read and understand what they are reading, and it is not unusual for as much as 48% of primary school-aged children to not attend school.
Eritrea has been involved in several wars and conflicts, including the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, the Djiboutian–Eritrean conflict, and the Tigray War.
Eritrean–Ethiopian War lasted from 1998 to 2000 and was between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The war resulted in the Algiers Agreement, tens of thousands lost their lives on both sides. The war resulted in minor changes to the border between the two countries.
Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict this was a violent standoff and proxy conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia that lasted from 1998 to 2018. In 2018, Ethiopia agreed to cede Badme to Eritrea.
Eritrean War of Independence as armed conflict that lasted from 1961 to 1991 this war ended in 1991 with the fall of the Derg regime.
Djiboutian–Eritrean conflict occurred in 2008 between Eritrea and Djibouti it lasted only three days of indecisive fighting.
Lastly there was the Tigray War a conflict that occurred from 2020 to 2022 between Ethiopia and Eritrea it ended with the Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement.
Since a couple of you asked about Murdering Gully and because I am also interested in how it got that name, I have none some research and this is what I found out. Nothing I could find stuff about a place call Murdering Gully in Victoria but the only site that information about Murdering Gully in my area was the Newcastle Herald site and they wanted me to sign up for a paid subscription which I did not want to do. So, I do not know why it was called that.
Moving on today is Friday and that means it is time for a national anthem and since I wrote about Angola on Monday, I will share their anthem today.
“Angola Avante” was composed by Ruy Mingas. The lyrics to the song were penned by Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro, an author who studied in Huambo and is affiliated with both the country’s Writer Union and Union of Artists and Composers.
The song was officially designated as the country’s national anthem in 1975, when the country gained independence on 11 November that year. It is enshrined under Article 164 of Angola’s constitution.
Its lyrics refer to several key events in the history of the MPLA. However, this has been rendered “obsolete” since the end of the one-party state in 1992. As a result, there have been efforts to modify the national anthem, along with other national symbols. However, none of these have come to fruition, and the anthem remains unchanged as of 2014.
Portuguese
O Pátria, nunca mais esqueceremos Os heróis do quatro de Fevereio. O Pátria, nós saudamos os teus filhos Tombados pela nossa Independência. Honramos o passado e a nossa História, Construindo no Trabalho o Homem novo, Honramos o passado e a nossa História, Construindo no Trabalho o Homem novo.
CHORUS: Angola, avante! Revolução, pelo Poder Popular! Pátria Unida, Liberdade, Um só povo, uma só Nação! Angola, avante! Revolução, pelo Poder Popular! Pátria Unida, Liberdade, Um só povo, uma só Nação!
Levantemos nossas vozes libertadas Para glóriados povos africanos. Marchemos, combatentes angolanos, Solidários com os povos oprimidos. Orgulhosos lutaremos Pela Paz Com as forças progressistas do mundo. Orgulhosos lutaremos Pela Paz Com as forças progressistas do mundo.
English Translation
O Fatherland, we shall never forget The heroes of the Fourth of February. O Fatherland, we salute your sons Who died for our Independence. We honour the past and our history As by our work we build the New Man. We honour the past and our history As by our work we build the New Man.
CHORUS: Forward, Angola! Revolution through the power of the People! A United Country, Freedom, One People, one Nation! Forward, Angola! Revolution through the power of the People! A United Country, Freedom, One People, one Nation!
2. Let us raise our liberated voices To the glory of the peoples of Africa. We shall march, Angolan fighters, In solidarity with oppressed peoples. We shall fight proudly for Peace Along with the progressive forces of the world. We shall fight proudly for Peace Along with the progressive forces of the world.
Well, it is time to return to my normal run of the mill posts, kicking off with the first country of the year and it is Angola.
The country is officially the Republic of Angola it is a country on the west-central coast of Southern Africa.
The country has a varied terrain which encompasses tropical Atlantic beaches, a labyrinthine system of rivers and Sub-Saharan desert that extends across the border into Namibia. The country’s colonial history is reflected in its Portuguese-influenced cuisine and its landmarks including Fortaleza de São Miguel, a fortress built by the Portuguese in 1576 to defend Luanda.
It is the second-largest Portuguese speaking country in both size and population, it has a population of 38.5 million, 10 million of which live in the capital of Luanda.
Which is a port city on the west coast of Southern Africa. A seafront promenade known as the Marginal runs alongside Luanda Bay. Nearby is the well-preserved 16th-century Fortress of São Miguel, which now contains the Museum of the Armed Forces. The fort has views of the harbor and the Ilha do Cabo, a long, thin peninsula in the bay that’s home to beaches, bars and restaurants.
It is the seventh largest country in Africa and is divided into 18 provinces.
Their flag came into use when the nation gained independence from Portugal on 11 November 1975. It is split horizontally into an upper red half and a lower black half with an emblem resting at the centre. It features a yellow half gear wheel crossed by a machete and crowned with a star.
As outlined in their constitution, the red half of the flag signifies bloodshed – during Angola’s colonial period, independence struggle, and in defence of the country. The black half symbolizes Africa. In the central emblem, the gear represents industrial workers and production, the machete represents peasantry, agricultural production and the armed struggle, and the red star, symbolizes international solidarity and progress. The yellow colour of the emblem symbolizes the country’s wealth.
The currency used is the kwanza there have been four different currencies using the name kwanza since 1977. The currency derives its name from the Kwanza River.
The prevalent religion is Christianity, followed by traditional faiths. Roman Catholics make up the largest portion of the population. There are other Christian denominations such as Protestants, such as the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the World, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Baptists.
Indigenous beliefs are still very important in Angolan culture and are often practiced in addition to Christianity.
Muslims, Jews, Baha’is, and other religious groups make up about 9% of the population.
The government has become more tolerant of religious organizations since the formal abandonment of Marxism. However, the government still uses administrative control, co-optation, and restrictions to manage religious organizations. For example, in 2019, the police conducted a campaign against illicit traders and non-recognized churches, which some say called into question religious freedom in Angola.
Angola’s National Institute for Religious Affairs (INAR) is responsible for the registration of religious groups and the oversight of religious activities. The law requires religious groups to submit documents defining their organizational structure, location, and other information. Religious doctrine must also conform to the principles and rights outlined in the constitution.
The current political regime in Angola is presidentialism, in which the President of the Republic is also head of state and government; it is advised by a Council of Ministers, which together with the President form the national executive power.
Like other African nations it is not a safe place to visit.
Hello everyone, this week see’s us visiting the country of Chad.
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is an independent state at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. The landlocked country is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. It is often called the “Dead Heart of Africa” due to its central and landlocked location.
It has a diverse landscape with an arid centre and a desert dominated north and a more fertile south. The country is divided into 23 regions.
The regions are represented in the country’s bicameral parliament, which includes a Senate that represents autonomous communities. The Senate’s members are indirectly elected by an electoral college of provincial and communal councillors.
Chad’s regions have different social structures and ethnic groups, and local or regional society is often more important to Chadians than national society:
The Sara, the country’s main ethnic group, live in the south. The Sara are sedentary people, and their essential social unit is the lineage.
It is often called the “Dead Heart of Africa” due to its central and landlocked location.
The north is inhabited by nomads, mostly Toubous.
Most of the population lives by agriculture; cotton is grown in the south, and cattle are raised in the central region. Chad joined the ranks of oil-producing countries in 2003, raising hopes that the revenues generated would improve the country’s economic situation.
It has a population around 18.5 million, the official languages are French and Arabic.
The currency is the Central African Franc.
N’Djamena is the capital and largest city in the country. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or arrondissements. The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad.
The country has an Executive President who is head of state and a Prime Minister as well as a council of minister
Branches: Executive–president (head of state), prime minister, Council of Ministers.
Chad’s Flag
The national flag of Chad is a vertical tricolour of indigo, yellow, and red. It was adopted on 6 November 1959, almost a year after the founding of the autonomous Republic of Chad. Since the 1990s, its similarity to the flag of Romania has caused international discussion.
Romania’s Flag
Like many African countries Chad is not considered a safe country to visit due to the high risk of violent crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest.
The main religions in Chad are Islam and Christianity, with Islam being practiced by the majority of the population.
Chad’s constitution establishes the country as secular and affirms the separation of religion and state. The government generally respects religious freedom and observes several religious holidays as national holidays. It’s common for Muslims and Christians to attend each other’s festivities.
Good morning all it is a much cooler day here in my part of the world, this week we are looking at another African country but this one you should all have heard of it is South Africa.
It is on the southernmost tip of the African continent, it is known for its great diversity in cultures, languages, religious beliefs and ethnic groups.
When we think of the capital most of us would say Cape Town but in fact, South Africa has three capitals as each branch of government has its own capital city. The administrative capital of South Africa is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein.
Why is this well in 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, there was a great dispute about the location of the new country’s capital city. A compromise was reached to spread a balance of power throughout the country, and this led to the three capitals of South Africa.
The population is around 63 million, with Black South Africans as the majority, with around 80% the rest is made up of coloured South Africans at around 8%, Indian or Asian South Africans at around 2.6% and White South Africans being around 8%.
The country has nine provinces:
The Eastern Cape
The Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
The Northern Cape
North West
The Western Cape
Each province has its own government, including a premier, legislature, and executive council. The provinces also have their own distinct landscapes, populations, economies, and climates.
South Africa’s provinces were increased from four to nine in the lead-up to the 1994 general election.
This was done by reintegrating the country’s former homelands, known as Bantustans, into the country.
The flag is a horizontal bicolour of red and blue with a green band in the middle that splits into a “Y” shape. The flag also features a black triangle on the hoist side, with narrow yellow or gold bands separating the triangle from the arms of the “Y”.
The flag was adopted in 1994 after the end of Apartheid to represent the country’s new democracy.
The country has a diverse religious population, with Christianity being the most widely practice with around 85% of the population being Christian. The largest group of Christian churches are the African Independent Churches, which include the Zion Christian Church and the Apostolic Church.
Around 7% of the population practices Indigenous beliefs. Many Indigenous people combine Christian and Indigenous religious practices.
It is believed that about 6% of the population is atheist or agnostic.
There is also Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism practiced in the country.
South Africa is a secular state with a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. The state’s relationship with religion is more moderate and tolerant, allowing for voluntary religious observances within state institutions.
Like many African countries South Africa isn’t considered a safe country to visit due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Violent crime is common and includes armed robbery, rape, carjacking, and mugging. There are also “smash-and-grab” attacks on vehicles. It is the 20th worst country in regards of safety and security.
Many would know of Apartheid which was in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 and was the racial segregation under the all-white government of South Africa which dictated that non-white South Africans (a majority of the population) were required to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities and contact between the two groups would be limited. The different racial group were physically separated according to their location, public facilities and social life.
In 1948, after the National Party won that year’s elections, Apartheid became a social project of the government based on a series of laws which made it legal.
There are at least thirty-five languages are spoken in the country with twelve of them being regarded as official languages, they are Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, English and South African Sign Language.
English is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though all official languages are equal in legal status.
The South African Rand is the currency of South Africa and is issued by the South African Reserve Bank. The South African rand has the symbol R. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The name is derived from the word ‘Witwatersrand’, which means ‘ridge of white waters’.
Jo-AnneRamplings 