The “dannebrog,” the flag of Denmark, is the oldest state flag in the world still in use.
The flag of Nepal is the only
Non-rectangular or square
flag in the world.
The most popular colour used in flags is red, appearing in 75% of flags.
There are roughly 275 national flags!
The Swiss flag and the Vatican flag are the only square national flags.
The flags of Indonesia and Monaco
are exactly the same apart from size.
The national flag of
Mozambique features an AK-47.
America have a national holiday
On June 14th to celebrate the adoption
of their flag. It’s known as “flag day.”
The flag of the United Kingdom consists of the St. Andrew’s Cross, the St. George’s Cross and the St. Patrick’s Cross, representing the union between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Our national flag is known as “The Irish Tricolour.” It’s consists of three vertical stripes. Green to represent the gaelic tradition, orange to represent the unionist tradition and white to symbolise the aspiration for peace between the two. It was presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women who were sympathetic to the Irish cause. It was not until the Easter Rising of 1916 when it was raised above the GPO that it came to be regarded as the national flag of Ireland.
- Andrea Walsh
The South-East Asia Tsunami
A tsunami is an effect of an earthquake. When the epicentre of an earthquake is underwater this generates large ocean waves, these waves are called tsunamis. An example of a tsunami is the South East Asia tsunami. It occurred when the Indian plate was subducted under the Eurasian plate. This caused an earthquake off the north coast of Sumatra. The earthquake was 9.1 on the Richter Scale and lasted 40 seconds. This earthquake resulted in a tsunami which hit Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and India. The tsunami happened on the 26th of December 2004. The waves were racing at 60km/h as they went through the sea but they began to slow down as they reached the shore. This meant that the waves were joining together to form 12 meter high breakers. The only warning that the countries had was the sight of the tsunami coming towards them. The waves hit the coastal plains and continued inland for several hundred meters. The tsunami left over 220,000 people dead and over 1 million people homeless. Epidemics were of special concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. Both government and voluntary agencies attempted to provide fresh drinking water and sanitation facilities to contain the spread of diseases. Over €7 billion worth of aid was sent to the countries to help them. The effects of this tsunami were disastrous. It caused deaths, homelessness, widespread diseases and had massive economic impacts on the region. Fishing is a major economic activity in this region and because of the tsunami fishing communities lost their boats and equipment. This region took years to re-build even with the large amount of help that they received.
-Emma Burrows
What are Volcanoes?
A volcano is an opening in a planet’s surface or crust because of the opening it allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from below the surface.
How are Volcanoes formed?
Most volcanoes are formed when two tectonic plates meet. When two tectonic plates separate or diverge, they create a gap and hot molten rock rises up through the gap. This type of volcano is mainly found on the ocean floor and is mostly invisible.
What are the 3 types of Volcanoes?
The 3 types of Volcanoes are:
Active: Erupt regularly, e.g Mount Etna
Dormant: Are volcanoes that don’t currently erupting but there is a high possibility that they will erupt again in the future. E.g Mount Vesuvius, Italy.
Extinct (Dead): Are volcanoes that have erupted a few times but properly won’t erupt again because they haven’t erupted for a long time so therefore their cones may now have disappeared. E.g Cambay, Co. Dublin.
Name the two type of Lava that can be found in a Volcano
The two types of Lave that can be found in a Volcano are:
Basic Lava: Low in silica content, very hot over 1,000 degrees and very runny. It takes a long time to cool and solidify, it can travel for a long distance therefore it produce gentle sloping landforms.
Acid Lava: High in silica content but less hots then the basic lava. It is only 800 degrees and pasty. It cools and solidifies quicker than the basic lava and can only travel for a short distance of time. It produces a steep sided slope.
-Kim Nguyen
Facts about Limestone
Limestone is the most common Sedimentary rock in Ireland. It is formed from dead matter, the remains of animals, plants and fish on the sea floor. Over time, these remains were compressed and cemented together by the weight of the water, and laid down in layers called strata. Because of its components, fossils are commonly found in Limestone rock.
Limestone is a very soluble rock, which means that water can pass through it easily and dissolve it. The weak carbonic acid found in rain can gradually dissolve this permeable rock, resulting in karst landscapes. Limestone bedrock is where caves are found. Inside these caves, features such as Stalagmites and Stalagtites can be found.
Limestone has many uses, it can be used as a building material – The GPO is Made of Limestone – as aggregate material for the base of roads, or even as white pigment filler in products like toothpaste or paint.