Friday, November 22, 2013

National Flowers - Facts And Interesting Information


National Flowers are symbols representing a country. Some national flowers have cultural or religious roots that go back hundreds or even thousands of years and may or may not have been officially adopted.
For detailed information and pictures of each country's national flower, click on the country name. You can also find the symbolism or the meaning of flowers. Lily, Tulips and Iris serve as National Flowers of various countries.
Did you know? The Rose is the national flower of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Maldives. It is also the official flower of several states and the province of Alberta. The rose once served as Honduras' national flower as well.
List Of National Flowers by Country
Country
National Flower
Interesting Information
Antigua & Barbuda
Dagger's Log (Agave Karatto Miller)
The yellow colored flowers rise from the large rosette of the Agave plant.
Argentina
Ceibo (Erythrina Crista-galli)
The flower was adopted on December 2, 1942.
Armenia
No National Flower
Armenia is the second most densely populated of the former Soviet Republics.
Australia
Golden Wattle (Acacia Pycnantha)
September 1 is National Wattle Day (Each of Australia's territories is also represented by an official flower).
Austria
Edelweiss (Leontopodium Alpinum)
The star-like flowers are short living perennials.
Azerbaijan
Not Chosen any Flower.
Azerbaijan was one of the first to declare independence of the country.
Bahamas
Yellow Elder or Yellow Cedar (Tecoma Stans)
The flowers bloom in late summer/early fall.
Bahrain
No National Flower
Bahrain is considered part of eastern Arabia.
Balearic Islands
Carnation (Dianthus Caryophyllus)
Carnations can be easily grown from cuttings.
Bangladesh
Water Lily (Nymehaea Nouchali)
Bangladesh adopted the flower in 1971.
Barbados
Pride of Barbados, also known as Dwarf Poinciana & Flower Fence (Poinciana Pulcherrima)
More common varieties of the flower are those with a fiery red and yellow "sunset color".
Belarus
Flax (Linum Usitatissimum)
The flowers last only until the heat of the mid-day sun hits them.
Belgium
Red Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas)
The flower is one of the easiest wildflowers to grow.
Belize
Black Orchid (Trichoglottis Brachiata)
Black Orchids acquired the name by virtue of their very dark intense color, which tends to be dark brown and maroon.
Bermuda
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium Montanum)
The Blue-eyed Grass is a member of the iris family.
Bhutan
Blue poppy (Meconopsis Betonicifolia)
The flower is native to the rocky mountain slopes of Tibet.
Bohemia
Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)
The pale pink flowers bloom at the tips of the stems in summer.
Bolivia
Kantuta (Cantua Buxifolia)
The tubular flowers come in wild form, magenta, bicolor and subtile (slightly bicolored) varieties.
Brazil
Cattleya Orchid (Cattleya Labiata)
Cattleya orchids are commonly called "corsage orchids" as the blooms are frequently used in corsages due to their exceptional beauty and fragrance.
British Columbia
Dogwood Tree Flower (Cornus Nuttalli)
The four-petaled white flowers bloom in spring.
Bulgaria
Rose (Rosa)
Roses are more fragrant on a sunny day.
Canada
Maple Leaf (Acer)
Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees.
Cayman Islands
Wild Banana Orchid (Schomburgkia Thomsoniana)
This orchid specie is found only in the Cayman Islands.
Chile
Copihue/Chilean Bellflower (Lapageria Rosea)
The Chilean Bellflower is best grown on a partially shady and sheltered wall.
China
Plum Blossom (Prunus Mei)
Plum Blossoms are the earliest blooms of the year, indicating the start of spring.
Colombia
Christmas orchid (Cattleya Trianae)
The Christmas orchid has a fetid smell.
Costa Rica
Guaria Morada (Purple Orchid) (Cattleya Skinneri)
The flower was adopted on June 15, 1939.
Croatia
Iris Croatica (Hrvatska Perunika)
It grows only in the northern and northwestern Croatia.
Cuba
Butterfly Jasmine (Mariposa)
The white Butterfly Jasmine is an endemic Jasmine specie.
Cyprus
Rose (Rosa)
The more fragrant the rose, the shorter it's vase life.
Czech Republic
Rose (Rosa)
Miniature roses were first developed in China.
Denmark
Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum Frutescens)
Marguerites produce large, single, daisy-like flowers most of the summer.




Top Ten Largest Cities




Top Ten Largest Cities


Rank order
Country
Urban agglomeration
Note
Population (millions)
1
Japan
Tokyo
(16)
37.22
2
India
Delhi
(12)
22.65
3
Mexico
Mexico City
(17)
20.45
4
United States of America
New York-Newark
(25)
20.35
5
China
Shanghai
(7)
20.21
6
Brazil
São Paulo
(3)
19.92
7
India
Mumbai

19.74
8
China
Beijing
(5)
15.59
9
Bangladesh
Dhaka
(2)
15.39
10
India
Kolkata

14.40



Famous Cities of the World



Amsterdam
The largest city and national capital of the Netherlands (Holland).

Ankara
Formerly known as Angora, second largest city and the national capital of Turkey.

Athens (Athína)
Named after the Greek goddess Athena, the municipality of Athens is the national capital of Greece.

 Atlantic City
Gaming Mecca of the East Coast, home of the Miss America Pageant, site of the world famous Boardwalk in the State of New Jersey.

Baltimore
Largest city in Maryland, USA.

 Bangkok (Krung Thep)
Thailand's national capital, its largest city and the country's main cultural centre.

 Beijing (Peking)
The national capital and second largest city of China.

 Berlin
The largest city and national capital of Germany (Deutschland).

 Berne (Bern)
The national capital city of Switzerland with an UNESCO recognized mediaeval city centre.

Brussels (Stad Brussel, Bruxelles, Brüssel)
The national capital of Belgium, sometimes called the European capital because the city houses main institutions of the European Union and is also the political seat of the NATO.

Budapest
Hungary's capital city, comprises of the hilly Buda on the west and the flat Pest on the east bank of the river Danube.

 Buenos Aires (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, city of "Good Airs" in Spanish)
The former (1536) Ciudad del Espíritu Santo y Puerto Santa María del Buen Ayre is the largest city and the national capital of Argentina.

 Cairo
Located on the banks and islands of the Nile River in northeast Egypt, Cairo is the largest city in both Africa and the Middle East, the national capital of Egypt and a cultural centre of the Arab world.

Canberra
Australia's planned capital city, founded in 1908, some years after the federation of Australian states into the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

 Cannes
Famous city at the French Riviera, the Côte d'Azur in France, tourist attraction and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival.

 Cape Town (Sasekapa, Kaapstad)
Since some years the city is a popular tourist destination in South Africa; Cape Town is the legislative centre of the country and capital city of the Western Cape Province.

 Chicago
The City of Chicago is the third largest city in the United States located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Illinois.

 Cologne (Stadt Köln)
Cologne is the oldest cities in Germany. The name Cologne stems from Agrippina, the Cologne-born wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius, who proclaimed the city "Colonia" in the year 50 AD.

 Copenhagen (København)
The capital city of Denmark, the city houses the national parliament, the government, and the Danish monarchy.

  Damascus
Visit Damascus one of the oldest city in the world and the national capital of Syria.

 Delhi
The North Indian city is together with New Delhi the "National Capital Territory", second largest city and capital city of India.

 Dubai City
Main city of the emirate Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the city will host the first Dubai International Film Festival in December 2004.

 Dublin
Bhaile Átha Cliath is the capital and largest city of Ireland

 Florence (Italian: Firenze)
Historical city and capital city of the region Tuscany (Toscana) in Italy.

 Genève (Genf, Genève, Geneva), Switzerland
Cosmopolitan Swiss city at the Lake Geneva, today home to around 190 international organisations, both governmental and non-governmental.

Hague, The (Den Haag)
Netherlands seat of the Dutch government and as one of the capitals of the United Nations it hosts, beside other institutions of the UN, the International Court of Justice.

Ha Noi
The national capital of Viet Nam, a must see is the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the oldest continuously developed area of Viet Nam with its narrow streets of houses, still occupied by guilds of tradespeople, a legacy of Hanoi's ancient past, but the area is challenged by rapid changes since Viet Nam's policy of economic openness, so hurry.

 Havana (San Cristóbal de La Habana)
Once Great Britain has seized the city in 1762, and then exchanged it for Florida the following year. Habana is the capital of Cuba and the largest city in the Caribbean.

 Helsinki
Largest city and the capital city of Finland.

Hong Kong (Xianggang, Hsiang Kang, the Fragrant Harbour)
The city was a former British dependency that was returned to China in 1997, now it is formaly a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China situated at the South China Sea, by population the fourth largest metropolitan area of the PRC.

Honolulu (the place of shelter)
Most populous city, principal port and capital of Hawai'i, a state of the USA. The city is located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu.

Istanbul
Formerly Constantinople, the only city in the world that is located on two continents, largest city and seaport in  Turkey.

Jakarta
Formerly (until 1949) Batavia, (from 1949-72) Djakarta, located on the island of Java, is the largest city and the national capital of Indonesia.

Jerusalem
The capital city of the State of Israel, also claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of Palestine; the ancient Middle Eastern city is of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Kansas City
State of Missouri, often abbreviated KCMO, a trading post in 1821, today Kansas City is the centre of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and a centre for night life and music.

Kathmandu
Kathmandu Metropolitan City is the cultural and religious centre and the capital city of Nepal, famous for its Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces.

Kuala Lumpur
It is the largest city and the national capital of Malaysia well known by its landmark the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Lisbon
Largest city, cultural and educational centre and the national capital of Portugal located in the west of the country on the Atlantic coast.

London
Largest metropolitan area and the capital city of both, the United Kingdom and of England, a polycentric city with many core districts and no clear hierarchy among them, Londinium was founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD.

Los Angeles (LA)
The City of Los Angeles is a very large urban sprawl in south California, in the west of the USA, it's the second most populous city of the country and famous for its movie and television productions (Hollywood). By the way, nobody walks in LA.

 Luxembourg (Luxemburg, Lëtzebuerg)
Originated from a castle called Lucilinburhuc and its surrounding settlement, today the city is the national capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and one of the capitals of banking in Europe.

Madrid
Proclaimed official capital of the Kingdom of Spain in 1561, Spain's largest city and the national centre of arts and industry.

 Manila
The pre-Hispanic village called Maynila is today the Capital City of the Philippines.

Melbourne
Second largest city (by population) of Australia, a trendy metropolis with everything you expect from a big city.

 Mexico City
In ancient times the pre-Columbian city Tenochtitlán, today the national capital of Mexico, the oldest capital in the New World, founded in 1525 by the Spaniards.

 Milan (Milano, Mailand)
North Italian City, the capital of the Lombardy (Lombardia) region and so-called the economic capital of Italy, famous for fashion Italian style.

Montreal (Montréal)
Largest city in the province of Québec, in Canada, the world's second largest francophone city after Paris is a major centre of business, economy, culture, and world affairs.

Moscow (Moskvá)
The centre of power and the capital of the Russian Federation, well known are its landmarks the Kremlin, the Red Square and the Saint Basil's Cathedral, and famous for the Russian ballet and the performing arts.

Mumbai
Formerly known as Bombay, Mumbai is one of the most populous cities in the world, capital of the state of Maharashtra, India.

 Munich (München)
Third largest city of Germany and state capital of Bavaria, founded in 1158; the city is famous for its rural fashion, its beers and as the host of the annual Oktoberfest - the biggest public festival of the world; and in Munich is the headquarters of BMW.

 Nazareth
City of the Annunciation. The ancient town in Northern Israel is the capital of the northern region of the country, and the largest Arab city in Israel.

New York
New York City, the Big Apple, the most populous city of the USA, in the state of New York, the city is seat of the United Nations headquarters.

Nice (ital.: Nizza)
Birthplace of Yves Klein, a relatively small but famous city at the French Riviera, one of the tourist attractions of the Côte d'Azur in France.

Osaka
The business and industrial city, part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area, is located on the main island of Honshu, at the mouth of the Yodo River. Osaka used to be called the city of "eight hundred eight bridges", and it's one of the oldest cities in Japan.

 Ottawa
Considered as one of the world's most beautiful capitals, a cosmopolitan North American city with an European flair, located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario. Ottawa is the national capital of Canada.

 Oslo
Situated in the southern part of the country at the head of Oslo Fjord, surrounded by forested hills and mountains. Oslo is the cultural centre and the capital city of Norway

Paris
The city takes its name from the Parisii, Celtic Iron Age people who lived on the banks of the Seine river. Today the city is the cultural center, largest city and the national capital of a still more or less central orientated French Republic. Paris is situated at the center of the Île-de-France region on the Seine river. The city was held by the Romans for some times, who called it Lutetia and later by the Merovingians, a Salian Frankish dynasty. Paris has been, and still is, the center of power of France.

Philadelphia
The largest city in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest cities in the USA, Established as a Quaker colony by William Penn and others in 1681, it was the site in 1776 of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and in 1787 of the adoption of the Constitution of the U.S. and last but not least the birthplace of the Philly Sound, Philadelphia' soul music.

Phnom Penh
The national capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, situated in the south-west of the country at the confluence of the three rivers Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac. A city with many cultural and historical attractions like the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. The city takes its name from the present Wat Phnom or Hill Temple, by the way, an Elephant ride is available there.

Prague (Praha)
The citytakes its name from praga, which means "ford", in history many settlements gathered around such a it is todaythe capital city of Czech Republic.

Quito
The capital city of Ecuador.

Reykjavík
The capital city of Iceland. In the ninth century, the first Vikings settled in the area where the city would later rise. They named the place Reykjavík, it means "smoky bay" because of the hot steam rising from the abundant geothermal springs.

Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" in Portuguese)
Famous City in southeastern Brazil and former capital of the country from 1764 to 1960.

 San Francisco (Frisco)
One of the most cosmopolitan cities in the United States.

 Santa Fe
America's oldest capital city; New Mexico, USA. Founded in 1607 by Spanish explorers.

Santiago
The capital city of Chile. Founded 1541, by Pedro de Valdivia.

São Paulo
International Brazilian City, Brazil.

 Shanghai
Harbour city at the mouth of the Yangtze River and the largest city in China, traditionally always in rivalry with Beijing.

Singapore City
The capital city of the Republic of Singapore.

Stockholm
Largest city and the capital of Sweden.

 Saint-Petersburg 1703 - 2003
2003 marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of the Russian Federation.

Sydney
Most populous Australian City with an international air, Australia.

Taipei
The capital city and the political, economic, and educational centre of Taiwan.

Tokyo
The "Eastern Capital", formerly Edo (until 1868), the capital and largest city of Japan.

Toronto
largest city and the cultural and entertainment capital of Canada

Venice (Venezia)
The famous Italian lagoon city, the city of canals is the capital of the Veneto region of Italy.

Vienna (Wien)
The capital city of Austria
Vienna Online.

Washington
The capital city of the United States of America. Washington, DC was founded in 1791 as the worlds first planned capital city,

6TH Kalmas of Islam


6TH Kalmas
 
Third

Sources of Islamic Law –



What are Islamic Sharia Laws? - Sources of Islamic Law – Islamic Jurisprudence
The root of the word 'Sharia' is Shara’a ; and some other names of it are Shar , Shari’ah, Shir’ah and Tashri . In Islam the total and unqualified submission to the will of Allah (God) is the fundamental tenet. Islamic Sharia laws and Islamic jurisprudence are therefore the expression of Allah’s command for Muslim society and in application, constitutes a system of duties that are must upon a Muslim by virtue of his religious belief. Known as the Shari’ah (literally, “the path leading to the watering place” ), the law constitutes a divinely ordained path of conduct that guides the Muslim toward a practically expression of his religious conviction in this world and the goal of divine favour in the world to come.This hub is aimed to illustrate the sources of this divinely Islamic law.
Sharia deals with many issues of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business, family, sexuality, hygiene etc.
Sources of Islamic Law
Islamic doctrine, law and thinking in general are based upon four sources or fundamental principles:
Quran:
The Quran is the fundamental source of Islamic law and teaching (literally, reading or Recitation) is the Word or Speech, of God delivered to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) by the angel Gabriel. Divided into 114 surahs (chapters) of unequal length, it is the fundamental source of Islamic teachings. The surahs revealed at Mecca during the earliest part of Prophet Muhammad’s career are concerned with ethical and spiritual teachings and are about the Day of Judgement. While the surahs revealed at Medina at a later period in the life of Prophet are concerned with social legislation and the political and moral principles for constituting and ordering the community.
Sunnah:
The second source is Sunnah. Many verses of the Holy Quran deal with questions of law but not all the injunctions of the Shari’ah are clearly stated in it. There are many statements which needed further explanations before they could become guides for human actions. This explanations and clarification was provided by the Holy Prophet (PBUH ) who himself participated in the formation of the Shari’ah.
When the Islamic commonwealth was founded in Madina in 622 A.D. , the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him ) was not only the spiritual leader but also the supreme judge of the Islamic community. A number of cases would be referred by his followers to the Prophet for his judgement. The underlying principle was that the word of Allah was in the Quran but if the Quran was silent, or needed interpretation, the Prophet as the messenger of Allah would be the authority for reaching a decision.
Ijma (“consensus” ):
Ijma is the third source of Islamic law. Literally, ijma means agreeing upon or uniting in opinion. It is the consensus of the Islamic community on some point of law. It can operate only where the Quran and the Hadith have not clarified a certain aspect of the law.
Qiyas (“individual thought” ):
Qiyas is the forth source of Islamic law which literally means “judging or comparing with a thing”. Qiyas means essentially to use human reasoning to compare an existing situation with one for which legislation already exists. If the Quran banned wine, it means that by reasoning, it has also banned all forms of alcoholic drinks, whose effect is like wine or something that causes intoxication.
Fiqh – The Islamic Jurisprudence
The meaning of the word fiqh is understanding, comprehension, knowledge and jurisprudence in islam. A jurist is called a faqih who is an expert in Islamic legal matters. A Faqih is to pass verdicts within the rules of the Islamic law namely Shari’ah. The most famous scholars of fiqh in the history of Muslims are the founders of the four schools of thought in Islam:
    Imam Malik
    Imam Ash-Shafi’i
    Imam Abu hanifah
    Imam Ahmad
Everything in Islam falls within the following five categories of Fiqh:

Fardh (Must): This category is a must for the Muslim to do such as the five daily prayers. Doing the Fardh counts is a good deed, and not doing it is considered a bad deed or a sin. It is also called Wajib except for Imam Abu Hanifah who makes Wajib a separate category between Fardh and the Mubah.
Mandub (Recommended): This category is recommended for the Muslim to do such as extra prayers after Zohar and Maghrib. Doing the Mandub counts is a good deed and not doing it does not counts as a bad deed or a sin.
Mubah (Allowed): This category is left undecided and left for the person, such as eating apples or oranges. Doing or not doing the Mubah does not count as a good or bad deed. Intention of the person can change Mubah to Fardh, Mandub, Makruh or Haram. Other things could also change the status of the Mubah. For example, any Mubah becomes Haram if it is proven harmful and any necessary thing to fulfil a Fardh is also a Fardh.
Makruh (Hated): This category is a detested and hated such as growing fingernails or sleeping on the stomach. Not doing the Makruh counts as a good deed but doing it does not counts as a bad deed.
Haram (Prohibited): This category is prohibited for the Muslim to do, such as stealing and lying. Doing the Haram counts as a bad deed and not doing it counts as a good deed.
Imam Abu Hanifah also puts another category between the Makruh and the Haram. It is called Karahah Tahrimiyyah which means hated almost to the level of Haram.
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