Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Belgium

2007-06-20T18:29:05Z

Excalibre:

[[Image:Belgiumflag.gif‎ |thumb|240px|Belgium's flag]]
'''Belgium''' is a country in north-west [[Europe]] bordered by [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]], and the [[Netherlands]]. It is a constitutional monarchy with a population (1997) of 10.1 million, and occupies 11,783 square miles (30,528 square kilometres) The capital is [[Brussels]] (Dutch: ''Brussel''; French: ''Bruxelles''). The national languages are [[Dutch]] and [[French]]; a small German-speaking minority lives along the eastern border with Germany.

The country has since 1977 been divided into three semi-autonomous regions: [[Flanders]] (the Dutch speaking area), [[Wallonia]] (the French speaking area) and Brussels, a bilingual 'island' within Flanders.

=== History of Belgium ===

The territory known as Belgium has had many rulers over the centuries: Burgundian, Spanish, Austrian, French. In the post-Napoleonic settlement of 1815 it became part of the Kingdom of the [[Netherlands]] but rebelled in 1830 and in 1839 was recognized as an independent kingdom, its neutrality guaranteed by the Great Powers. This neutrality was violated on 1 August 1914 when [[German]] troops invaded Belgium as part of the [[Schlieffen Plan]] to defeat France (the Belgian government had refused a German demand to allow their troops to cross Belgium). This action caused the United Kingdom to enter the war on the side of Belgium and France, part of the widening circle of conflict that turned a Balkan dispute into the [[First World War]]. Most of Belgium was occupied by the Germans in the autumn of 1914, but a small area around [[Ypres]] (Dutch: ''Ieper'') remained in Belgian hands. Three major battles were fought between British and German forces in the Ypres Salient between 1914 and 1917.

Under the Treaty of Versailles Belgium acquired the districts of Eupen and Malmedy from Germany in 1919. Belgian troops also participated in the (French-led) occupation of the [[Ruhr]] in 1923.

1n 1940 Belgium was again occupied by German forces, and was liberated by British, Canadian and American forces in 1944. The hilly and heavily wooded Ardennes region was the scene of two major offensives by German armored forces. The first was in 1940, when German armor passed through the supposedly impenetrable Ardennes to go round the side of the [[Maginot Line]], on which the French had pinned their hopes of resistance. In December 1944 an offensive was mounted by German forces against Allied troops in an attempt to recapture the port of [[Antwerp]] and halt Allied forces in the west. This had the power of surprise and achieved initial gains, but stubborn American resistance at the strategic road junction of [[Bastogne]], a change in weather allowing Allied aircraft to attack German tanks, and an overall shortage of fuel, spares and ammunition doomed the German offensive to failure.

Belgium was one of the original six members of the European Common Market (now the [[European Union]]) in 1957.

=== Economy ===
Medieval and early modern Flanders was one of the most advanced and urbanised regions in Europe, specialising in the cloth trade and many other craft industries. Belgium is considered to be the second country to have embarked on large scale modern industrialisation, after the [[United Kingdom]], due in no small measure to its large coal resources; these are now largely exhausted. The modern Belgian economy is dominated by service industries (helped by the fact the Brussels is the ''de facto'' capital of the EU); it also has significant iron and steel and petrochemical industries; the country is also known for armaments manufacture. Food and drink is an important, if specialised sector: Belgian chocolate and the immense variety of craft beers are world-renowned.

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:NATO members]]

Belgium

2007-06-20T18:28:46Z

Excalibre:

[[Image:Belgiumflag.gif‎ |thumb|240px|Belgium's flag]]
'''Belgium''' is a country in north-west [[Europe]] bordered by [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]], and the [[Netherlands]]. It is a constitutional monarchy with a population (1997) of 10.1 million, and occupies 11,783 square miles (30,528 square kilometres) The capital is [[Brussels]] (Dutch: ''Brussel''; French: ''Bruxelles''). The national languages are [[Dutch]] and [[French]]; a small German-speaking minority lives along the eastern border with Germany.

The country has since 1977 been divided into three semi-autonomous regions: [[Flanders]] (the Dutch speaking area), [[Wallonia]] (the French speaking area) and Brussels, a bilingual 'island' within Flanders.

=== History of Belgium ===

The territory known as Belgium has had many rulers over the centuries: Burgundian, Spanish, Austrian, French. In the post-Napoleonic settlement of 1815 it became part of the Kingdom of the [[Netherlands]] but rebelled in 1830 and in 1839 was recognized as an independent kingdom, its neutrality guaranteed by the Great Powers. This neutrality was violated on 1 August 1914 when [[German]] troops invaded Belgium as part of the [[Schlieffen Plan]] to defeat France (the Belgian government had refused a German demand to allow their troops to cross Belgium). This action caused the United Kingdom to enter the war on the side of Belgium and France, part of the widening circle of conflict that turned a Balkan dispute into the [[First World War]]. Most of Belgium was occupied by the Germans in the autumn of 1914, but a small area around [[Ypres]] (Dutch: ''Ieper'') remained in Belgian hands. Three major battles were fought between British and German forces in the Ypres Salient between 1914 and 1917.

Under the Treaty of Versailles Belgium acquired the districts of Eupen and Malmedy from Germany in 1919. Belgian troops also participated in the (French-led) occupation of the [[Ruhr]] in 1923.

1n 1940 Belgium was again occupied by German forces, and was liberated by British, Canadian and American forces in 1944. The hilly and heavily wooded Ardennes region was the scene of two major offensives by German armored forces. The first was in 1940, when German armor passed through the supposedly impenetrable Ardennes to go round the side of the [[Maginot Line]], on which the French had pinned their hopes of resistance. In December 1944 an offensive was mounted by German forces against Allied troops in an attempt to recapture the port of [[Antwerp]] and halt Allied forces in the west. This had the power of surprise and achieved initial gains, but stubborn American resistance at the strategic road junction of [[Bastogne]], a change in weather allowing Allied aircraft to attack German tanks, and an overall shortage of fuel, spares and ammunition doomed the German offensive to failure.

Belgium was one of the original six members of the European Common Market (now the [[European Union]]) in 1957.

=== Economy ===
Medieval and early modern Flanders was one of the most advanced and urbanised regions in Europe, specialising in the cloth trade and many other craft industries. Belgium is considered to be the second country to have embarked on large scale modern industrialisation, after the [[United Kingdom]], due in no small measure to its large coal resources; these are now largely exhausted. The modern Belgian economy is dominated by service industries (helped by the fact the Brussels is the ''de facto'' capital of the EU); it also has significant iron and steel and petrochemical industries; the country is also known for armaments manufacture. Food and drink is an important, if specialised sector: Belgian chocolate and the immense variety of craft beers are world-renowned.

[[Image:Belgium.gif]]

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:NATO members]]

Shark

2007-04-15T14:26:33Z

Excalibre: revert vandalism

Sharks (suborder Odontoceti) are a large group of predatory cartilaginous fishes, including the largest fish species in the world, the [[Whale shark]]. As well as the familiar fierce sorts of shark, the family also includes various [[dogfish]] and the bottom-living [[wobbegong]].

A shark's most notable characteristics include a prominent dorsal fin, fully replaceable teeth (with the exception of the whale and basking sharks) and a cartilaginous skeleton.

=== Species of shark ===

*[[Whale shark]].
*[[Basking shark]].
*[[Great white shark]].
*[[Mako]].
*[[Porbeagle]].
*[[Tope]].
*[[Whitetip reef shark]].
*[[Oceanic whitetip]].
*[[Blue shark]].
*[[Tiger shark]].
*[[Greenland shark]].
*[[Megamouth shark]].
*[[Nurse shark]].
*[[Hammerhead shark]].
*[[Bull shark]].
*[[Ganges shark]].
*[[Leopard shark]].
*[[Wobbegong]].
*[[Port Jackson shark]].
*[[Cookie-cutter shark]].
*[[Goblin shark]].
*[[Dogfish]].
and many others. 

== Behavior ==

Many species of sharks give birth to a few dozen live young, others lay a similarly small number of eggs; these are often washed ashore and are known as [[mermaid]]'s purses.

Sharks are reputed to be able to detect minute amounts of blood in water, and to be able to follow blood trails for miles. In fact, although sharks can detect blood at concentrations of as little as a few parts per billion, a very considerable quantity must be spilt before it is detectable amongst billions of gallons of seawater. Sharks actually use sounds and vibrations to locate most of their prey.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Fish]]

Franks

2007-04-15T14:19:27Z

Excalibre: sorry, previous edit was accidently marked as minor

The Franks were a [[Germanic]] people group who, starting from the 4th century AD, settled in the present-day [[Belgium]] and [[Netherlands]], then still part of the [[Roman Empire]], as [[feoderati]]. They eventually conquered all of present-day [[France]], [[Benelux]], and parts of West [[Germany]]. One of their most important kings was [[Clovis|Clovis I]], who conquered Gaul and converted to [[Catholicism]].

Franks

2007-04-15T14:18:11Z

Excalibre:

The Franks were a [[Germanic]] people group who, starting from the 4th century AD, settled in the present-day [[Belgium]] and [[Netherlands]], then still part of the [[Roman Empire]], as [[feoderati]]. They eventually conquered all of present-day [[France]], [[Benelux]], and parts of West [[Germany]]. One of their most important kings was [[Clovis]] I, who conquered Gaul and converted to [[Catholicism]].

Luxembourg

2007-04-15T14:08:23Z

Excalibre:

{{stub}}

'''Luxembourg''' is one of the smallest countries in [[Europe]]. It is bordered by [[Germany]], [[France]] and [[Belgium]].

The official languages of Luxembourg are [[French]], [[German]], and [[Luxembourgish]].

[[Image:Luxembourg.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

European Union

2007-04-15T14:05:56Z

Excalibre: /* Criticism */

[[Image:567rugyhj.png|right|thumb|300px|Flag of the European Union.]]
The '''European Union (EU)''' is a legal and economic union of 27 European nations. It was formed in 1993 with the ratification of the [[Maastricht Treaty]], though its predecessor, the European Economic Community, was founded in 1957.

As an institution, the EU has more powers over its member states and their citizens than is the case with most international bodies; 13 of its member states also use a common [[currency]], the [[Euro]]. It is not, however, generally regarded as a federation or state in its own right. Rather, it stands somewhere between these two points.

The policies of the EU tend to be [[liberal]] or even [[socialism|socialist]] by American standards, in keeping with the generally liberal political culture of European countries.

==Structure==

The EU, technically speaking, consists of three separate "pillars" - the '''European Communities''', the '''Common Foreign and Security Policy''', and '''Police and Judicial Co-Operation in Criminal Matters'''. The most important of these "pillars" is the European Communities, and the term "European Union" is often used as a synonym for the European Communities.

The EU is governed primarily by three institutions: the '''Council''', the '''European Commission''' and the '''European Parliament'''.

The Council consists of representatives of each member state. These representatives change depending on what the purpose of the Council's meeting is and what is being discussed (for example, the ministers of finance of each country may attend a meeting on fiscal policy).

The Commission functions roughly as the EU's executive branch. It consists of 27 Commissioners, one nominated by each member state, though on taking office the Commissioners are required to put aside their allegiance to their own countries and to act in the interests of the EU as a whole. The President of the Commission acts to some extent as a figurehead for the EU, and is the nearest thing there is to a "President of Europe". The current Commission President is [[José Manuel Barroso]], a conservative and a former Prime Minister of Portugal. Perhaps the best known Commission President was [[Jacques Delors]] (1985-1995), a French socialist who passionately favoured European integration. A personal enemy of Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], he was famously attacked by the conservative British tabloid newspaper ''The Sun'' with the slogan "Up yours, Delors".

The European Parliament consists of 785 members directly elected by the citizens of the member states. National parties sit in broad Europe-wide groupings: for example, most members of left-wing parties sit together as the "Party of European Socialists". No party grouping currently has an overall majority, but the main conservative grouping (the European People's Party) currently has the largest number of seats (277).

The EU has its own judicial apparatus, consisting most notably of the '''Court of First Instance''' and the '''European Court of Justice''', the latter being the supreme judicial authority of the Union. It should not be confused with the [[European Court of Human Rights]], which is entirely separate from the EU and its institutions.

==Criticism==

A significant number of Europeans on the political right of centre are opposed to the EU on the grounds that it undermines national sovereignty and identity. Such people are known in British English as "Eurosceptics", and they include such people as the former British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] (although, while in power, she committed Britain to the 1986 [[Single European Act]], a major integrationist measure) and the members of the [[UK Independence Party]]. They also, however, include less well-respected right-wing politicians belonging to far right or [[nationalism|nationalist]] parties, such as France's [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]]. There are also extreme left-wing opponents of the European Union, such as ''Die Linke'' in Germany, who regard it as consituting an anti-progressive "Fortress Europe", and claim that EU membership impedes countries from following socialist policies.

==Candidates for membership==

There are three official candidates being considered for membership, [[Turkey]], [[Croatia]] and [[The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]]. Typically a country that is considered will have to make some economic or social changes to bring it in line with other member states.

Here is a map of the European Union as of January 2007, including countries seeking to join: [[Image:European_Union.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Member states of the European Union.]]

Gateway to the European Union (EU official website [http://europa.eu/]

[[Category:Europe]]
[[category:politics]]

Gnosticism

2007-03-14T17:57:16Z

Excalibre:

Gnosticism (after gnôsis, the Greek word for "knowledge" or "insight") is the name given to a loosely organized religious and philosophical movement that flourished in the first and second centuries AD. The exact origin(s) of this school of thought cannot be traced, although it is possible to locate influences or sources as far back as the second and first centuries BC.

Dinosaur

2007-03-14T14:23:58Z

Excalibre:

The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>http://www.trueauthority.com/dinosaurs/about.htm</ref>, from the [[Latin]] for "terrible lizard" (fututor). Dinosaurs were a group of large [[reptiles]] that previously lived in abundance on Earth.

The majority opinion among mainstream scientists is that dinosaurs lived from 230 million until 65 million years ago and that they are all currently extinct (however [[birds]] are considered by scientists to be descended from early [[therapod]] dinosaurs). They claim the [[fossil]] evidence supports this theory. Many Creationists dispute this, claiming that the dating methods used to judge the age of the fossils are not always precise and that there are gaps within the fossil record itself. Furthermore, because the Earth was created 6000 years ago (according to [[James Ussher]]) it would be impossible for the fossils to be that old. Ken Ham states the very reasonable theory that Dinosaurs were killed during the great flood, buried in mud and then fossilized.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/08/1/l_081_04.html Ken Ham at PBS.com]</ref>

==Dinosaurs through Science==
What follow are the perspectives on dinosaurs accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community, through use of the [[scientific method]], and taught at the United States' major research universities. Following any of the references in this section will lead to scientific treatment of the issue discussed.

===Dinosaur Speciation===
Dinosaur species were immensely varied, from herbivores to carnivores. Although many have been found in the fossil record, paleontologists expect that they have barely scratched the surface of the vast genus that the dinosaurs encompassed.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060905-dinosaurs_2.html</ref>

===Extinction===

[[Image:800px-KT_boundary_054.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Badlands near [[Drumheller, Alberta]] where erosion has exposed the KT boundary.]]Close to 65 million years ago, at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period, and the beginning of what we call the [[Tertiary]] period, an event occurred which has come to be known as the [[K-T Event]]. This event obliterated most life on Earth, plunging the world into something that would now be likened to global nuclear winter, through which few extant species could survive. Although scientists dispute the nature of the K-T Event (selecting among any number of catastrophes that could have caused the significant global cooling that resulted), most find, based on strong geological evidence, that the K-T Event was caused by the collision of a massive asteroid with the Earth, the dust and debris from which shrouded the sky for thousands of years, cooling Earth considerably.<ref>Kevin O Pope, "Meteorite impact and the mass extinction of species at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/19/11028</ref> The dinosaurs did not survive this cataclysm.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0823_020823_asteroid.html</ref> Evidence of the dust that caused this long winter is still visible, though, as a line of metal of extraterrestrial origin is often visible in sediment worldwide, occurring as a result of the vaporization and then fall of dust from the meteorite's impact, and its compression within the subsequent geological record.<ref>''Ibid.''</ref> The crater is also visible.<ref>National Geographic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0307_030307_impactcrater.html</ref>

===Cambrian Life Explosion===
The extinction of the dinosaurs removed a major food competitor, and predator, of smaller animals. As a result of a new "vacancy" in the food chain, following the [[K-T Event]], vast speciation occurred, as the evolutionary pressure of a new cold age propelled animal species to adapt or die out. What we now know as [[mammals]] were some of the main beneficiaries of this explosion: their fur allowed them to adapt to the cold, and their small size allowed them to conserve energy relative to the huge dinosaurs of the previous age.<ref>Bennet, Shostak, Jakotsky, "Life in the Universe," viewable at http://www.amazon.com/Life-Universe-Jeffrey-Bennett/dp/0805385770</ref>

===Dinosaurs and Birds===

As a number of feathered dinosaur fossils have been discovered, and the similarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs, scientists contend that modern birds are a descendant of dinosaurs. This is cited as an example of [[macroevolution]].<ref>National Geographic, "New Dinosaur Discovered: T-Rex Cousin Had Feathers," http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_feathery_dino.html</ref>

==Dinosaurs and Creation==
What follow are religious perspectives on dinosaurs, offered by organizations such as "Answers in Genesis," or "Creation on the Web." Following any of the links associated with this section will lead to a treatment of the issue in line with Biblical literalism.

===Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting===

Some claim there are a number of lines of evidence that point to dinosaurs and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dinosaurs.asp</ref> <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3061/</ref> For example, explorers have reported seeing a live dinosaur.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today. <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp</ref> An expedition which included Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to portray dinosaurs and man coexisting.<ref>http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm</ref><ref> http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving</ref>. The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html</ref>

An alternate theory for the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is the existence of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by erosion were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaur and dragon fossils to be found in China.

===Dinosaurs and Creationism===

Some [[Christians]] reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the current science community consensus of the age of the earth. Of those Christians who reject evolution, the [[Creationism | Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], but also drawing on [[archeological]] and fossil evidence, that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day of the [[Creation Week]]<ref>''Genesis'', 1:25</ref> as a final addendum to the wonders God created, approximately 6,000 years ago; that they lived in the [[Garden of Eden]] in harmony with other animals, eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of various dinosaurs were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2001/dinos_on_ark.asp "Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?"], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>; that fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i1/dinosaurbones.asp "Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?"], ''Creation'' 21(1):54–55, December 1998</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i4/dinosaurs.asp "Are dinosaurs alive today?"], ''Creation'' 15(4):12–15, September 1993</ref>, even though none of the six billion people currently residing on the planet have seen them. It should be noted that none of these claims have been backed by any serious scientific research, and rely almost wholly either on the infallibility of the Bible, or on human speculations based to a greater or lesser degree upon the Biblical account.

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] obviously does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs,<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp "Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?"], ''TJ'' 15(2):42–45, August 2001</ref> <ref>http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm</ref>, although some reject this view, saying that behemoth was a hippopotamus and leviathan was a crocodile. There is a problem with this view, however, such as the fact that a hippo doesn't have a "tail like a cedar" and a crocodile does not accurately match the description of leviathan.

==References==
<references/>