Thursday, 6 December 2007
This is a DiliSydney heading for testing - mippstory heading
Hambdusseldorf
Hamburg (German language pronunciation: [ˈhambʊɐk]; Low German: Hamborg, ['hambɔːx]) is the second largest city in Germany and along with Hamburg Harbour, its principal port, Hamburg is also the second largest port city in Europe, ninth largest port in the world, and the largest city in the European Union which is not a national capital.
The official name Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (German: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; Low German: Free un Hansestadt Hamborg) refers to Hamburg's membership in the medieval Hanseatic League and the fact that Hamburg is a City State and one of the sixteen Federal States of Germany.
Hamburg is on the southern tip of the Jutland Peninsula, centered between Continental Europe to the south, Scandinavia to the north, the North Sea to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the east. The city of Hamburg lies at the junction of the River Elbe with the rivers Alster and Bille. The city center is set around two lakes, the Binnenalster ("Inner Alster") and the Außenalster ("Outer Alster").
An international trade city, Hamburg is the commercial and cultural centre of Northern Germany. Its citizens are known as Hamburger.
Düsseldorf (IPA: [ˈdʏsəldɔʁf]) is the capital city of the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the economic and cultural centres of Germany and western Europe. Düsseldorf is located on the River Rhine and in the densely populated Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, with more than 10 million inhabitants. The city is famous for its carnival and events, also for fashion and trade fairs, like the Boot Messe (world leader in boats and watersports) and Igedo (world leader in fashion). Every July more than 4.5 million people visit the Große Düsseldorfer Kirmes fair.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain.Residents are called Madrileños (madrilenians).
The city is located on the river Manzanares in the center of the country, between the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial center of the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies (Telefónica,Repsol-YPF, Endesa). As the capital city of Spain,seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political center of Spain. The current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, of the conservative Partido Popular.
As the capital of Spain, Madrid is a city of great cultural and political importance. While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the imposing 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; an archaeological museum of international reputation; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which hosts one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.
The population of the city was 3.2 million (December 2005), while the estimated urban area population was 5.1 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.84 million. The city spans a total of 607 km² (234 sq mi).
Following the restoration of democracy in 1975 and Spain's integration into the European Union, Madrid has played an increasing role in European finances, marking the city as one of the most important European metropolises. Yet each district still preserves its own feel.
Sydney
Sydney (pronounced /ˈsɪdniː/) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.12 million.[1] Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales, and is the site of the first European colony in Australia, established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, leader of the First Fleet from Britain.[2] A resident of the city is referred to as a Sydneysider.
Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast. The city is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city's nickname, "the Harbour City". It is Australia's largest financial centre and is home to the Australian Securities Exchange. Sydney's leading economic sectors include property and business services, manufacturing, tourism, media, health and community services.
Sydney is a major international tourist destination notable for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets. It has been recognised as a beta world city by the Loughborough University group's 1999 inventory.[3] The city has played host to numerous international sporting, political and cultural events, including the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In September 2007, the city hosted the leaders of the 21 APEC economies for APEC Australia 2007, and in July 2008 will host World Youth Day 2008.
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world which reflects its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia.[4] According to the Mercer cost of living survey, Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city, and the 21st most expensive in the world.[5]
Cologne
Cologne (German: , IPA: [kœln]; local dialect: Kölle [ˈkœɫə]) is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC. Cologne was granted the status of a Roman "city" in the year 50 AD.
Cologne lies on the Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.
Cologne is a major cultural centre of the Rhineland and has a vibrant art scene. Cologne counts over 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archaeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The city's Trade Fair Grounds are host to a number of trade shows such as the Art Cologne Fair, the International Furniture Fair (IMM) and the Photokina. Cologne is also well known for its celebration of Cologne Carnival and the LGBT festival Christopher Street Day (CSD).
Within Germany, Cologne is known as an important media centre. Several radio and television stations, including Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) and RTL, are based in the city. The city also hosts the Cologne Comedy Festival, which is considered to be the largest comedy festival in Mainland Europe.[1]
In 2005 Cologne hosted the 20th Roman Catholic World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI. It was one of the largest ever meetings, with over a million participants.
Budapest
Budapest (pronounced /ˈbuːdəpest/ (AE), also /ˈbju-/ (BE) or /ˈbʊ-/; Hungarian IPA: ['budɒpɛʃt]) is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation centre. The official language spoken is Hungarian. Budapest had 1,696,128 [1] inhabitants in 2007 (with official agglomeration 2,421,831 [2]), down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda (Ofen in German) and Óbuda (Old Buda or Alt-Ofen) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.
Dubbed as "The City of Baths"[3], Budapest is considered an essential Central European hub[4], especially since the 1989 downfall of the Communist government in Hungary. The Buda Castle Hill, a collection of palaces, churches and monuments has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites[5], along with Andrássy Avenue and the Millennium Underground railway[6]. Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year[7][8], making it one of the top destinations in Europe. It is now also the third most popular destination in the world for luxury weekend getaways[9], and its Gellért Spa was named the third best thermal bath in the world[10]. Both the Central European University and the CEU Business School are based in Budapest.
The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (Great Synagogue), the largest medicinal bath in Europe[11] (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath) and the third largest Parliament building in Europe[12], once the largest in the world[13]. The third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő) are in the vicinity.