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In this penultimate eleventh episode of The Amazing Race Season 38 (U.S. Edition), the four teams flew on the same flight from Milan, ITALY 🇮🇹 to Paris, FRANCE 🇫🇷. They visited the famous Moulin Rouge (“Red Mill”) and performed a fast-paced choreography to the tune of Orphée aux enfers with the Moulin Rouge ladies. Teams then visited the world-renown Notre Dame Cathedral ✝️ which suffered an unfortunate fire in 2019. The twelfth century French Gothic architectural masterpiece dedicated to Virgin Mary was majestically restored in December 2024. The next stop 🛑 on teams’ itinerary was the National Institute for Blind Youth (Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles) — the first school for the blind in France and among all Western countries.
Teams encountered a Roadblock 🚧 challenge known as “Who Thinks They Know Their Type?”. Teams used a Braille typewriter to decode and type out a famous phrase from the Statue of Liberty 🗽 which includes “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. Most teams typed away for quite a while because they would be so close to getting the paper correct but sometimes had just one spelling mistake — and had to type the whole poem again. The next task of the day sent teams on a scavenger hunt throughout Paris to look for three Statue of Liberty replicas. At each of the three locations, teams received a plastic 3D “puzzle piece” 🧩 of the French tricolor flag; they put the three pieces together to reveal an engraving and name of the Pit Stop. For this challenge, teams went near the Pont de Grenelle bridge 🌉, to the Jardin du Luxembourg garden ⛲ (colloquial name: le Luco), and to the Musée des Arts et Métiers (Museum of Arts and Crafts) 🖼️.
The particularly picturesque Pit Stop of this episode occurred at the Place du Trocadéro which is an ideal vantage point to view the Eiffel Tower 🗼. Teams encountered host Phil Keoghan as always but were also met with silence… a mime was there! Jag and Jas arrived first at the Pit Stop as usual; they won an exciting trip to FIJI 🇫🇯. Kyland and Taylor arrived second, but the show did not reveal whether Adam and Joseph or Izzy and Paige arrived next and who therefore stayed in the competition. However, I will do that now. There is definitely a spoiler alert below! If (at this time) you don’t want to know who made it to the finale episode, please skip the bottom of this post.
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Adam and Joseph arrived to the Pit Stop in third place and therefore made it to the finale episode! Izzy and Paige arrived in fourth and were therefore eliminated from the The Amazing Race. They expressed gratitude for having a wonderful journey to the various places they visited and the memories they made.
In this third episode of The Amazing Race, teams started in the 🇨🇿 CZECH REPUBLIC’s national capital (Prague) and went eastward to Kutná Hora. Teams quickly encountered the Driver’s Seat; Natalie and Stephanie was the first team to arrive. Therefore, they decided which teams would be assigned one crate (Hannah/Simone and Izzy/Paige), two crates (Alex/Kat, Kristine/Rubina, Kyland/Taylor, Matt/Megan, and themselves), or three crates (Adam/Joseph, Chelsie/Jack, Eric/Tucker, and Jag/Jas). Teams visited an over 450-year-old Kutná Hora Municipal Brewery to complete the “Tapped Out” task. Teams first had to fill pilsner lager beer bottles — but making sure to let bubbles subside so there would be plenty of liquid in each bottle. After filling, teams placed about a dozen or so bottles in each crate. Rubina sprayed beer onto herself multiple times since the nozzle was tricky to operate. She was able to “laugh it off” despite being kind of drenched! To receive their next clue, teams visited the historic Church of Saint Anne in the village of Nové Dvory northeast of Kutná Hora.
Teams then plowed a field with a ruchadlo for their next clue. The ruchadlo is a traditional Czech plow that was usually pulled by an especially strong animal such as a horse, mule, or ox but this is The Amazing Race, so one team member was in front to pull while the other steered. After being outside on a rather pleasant and sunny day, teams went indoors to a hockey stadium in or near Kutná Hora. A member of each team had to score a goal in hockey. The puck had to be chucked far away from the goal area — and within several small holes in a cardboard cutout covering the whole goal space. Thankfully they were able to play without a vicious hockey team barreling at them, although some hockey players were in the goal area for blocking. Like with the ski bowling in episode 1 (↗), some teams completed this task rather quickly while one team took a lot of tries (24) before scoring.
The referee gave teams a souvenir token depicting a building (↗) known as Zàmek Kačina (Kačina Castle) which is home to a National Agricultural Museum (Národní Zemědělské Muzeum). Natalie and Stephanie arrived at the Kačina Castle Pit Stop second after Jag and Jas, but the brother team graciously gave the first place to Natalie and Stephanie! Natalie was celebrating her birthday the next day, so she and Stephanie won a nice prize to celebrate: $2,500 each. Matt and Megan were the last team to arrive — they ran out of time to complete all challenges — and ended their journey on The Amazing Race with very positive attitudes and completely in love. The next episode will be Wednesday, October 15th (tomorrow) at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS and soon streaming on Paramount+.
“No Room For Error” / “In The Hands Of The Amazing Race Gods” Episode Description: After traveling to seven countries and 17 cities, one team will be crowned the winner.
Episode Airdate: Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 on CBS
This concise yet still enjoyable season of The Amazing Race has come to a close. In Episode 10, teams journeyed from GREECE to PORTUGAL and then to the UNITED STATES in hopes of arriving first at the finale Pit Stop to win $1 million. Teams travelled westward about 1700 miles (over 2730 kilometers) from Thessaloníki, Greece to Lisbon, the national capital of Portugal. Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has a “little brother” replica in Lisbon named Cristo Rei, the location of this episode’s first clue box.
● Guided by the clue found near the Cristo Rei statue, teams knew to visit a fortress known as the Fortaleza de São Filipe in the city of Setúbal, a small to medium sized city with a residential population of over 120,000. The clue mentioned that there are two Roadblocks in Part 1 of this episode and that teams should “choose wisely” regarding which teammate will complete which roadblock. The clue also said to “take in the view; look for your next destination.” From the top of the Fortaleza, teams peered out to the seaside to find a vertical-striped flag flying near the port. The tricolor flag features yellow outer stripes and a red center stripe — somewhat resembling the appearance of an archetypal clue envelope of this show. Teams hustled down to the flag and found their first…
● Roadblock (“Who Wants to Go Exploring?”): one team member was tasked with finding a rowboat emblazoned on the back with the name of a Portuguese explorer. If the boat finder chose a correct example and rowed the boat to the marina’s other side, he or she received a clue. Incorrect boats had the names of national celebrities, so the Roadblock participant had row back until he or she found an explorer boat. Kim correctly completed this Roadblock first.
● Teams then made their way to Mercearia Confiança de Troino, a grocery store established in 1926. In this “Paint the Town” Route Info task, teams chose a colorful sardine can and brought out their inner artistic abilities (or lack thereof) to enlarge the can-label design into a colorfully painted outdoor mural. Teams then drove to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Cape Espichel (Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel) where they encountered the second…
● Roadblock (“Who’s Down for the Count?”): in Season 33’s final Roadblock, one team member counted the columns on both sides of the church’s courtyard and had to recite the correct number of columns (106). Cayla was the first in this Roadblock to figure it out, which benefited her and teammate Raquel since they arrived first at a Pit Stop for the first time in this season of The Amazing Race. While the Part 1 Pit Stop at the Farol do Cabo Espichel lighthouse did not award Cayla and Raquel with $1 million, they won a likely enjoyable and invaluable vacation to SAINT LUCIA. Kim and Penn arrived second, followed by Dusty and Ryan in third. Since Arun and Natalia was the last team to arrive, they were eliminated from the competition and did not score a spot in the top three.
● In Part 2 of the finale episode, teams left Portugal and flew to Los Angeles. The City of Angels is the largest metropolis by population in California, the United States’ second most populated city, and will welcome athletes from around the world to the 2028 Summer Olympics — the 44th anniversary of the city’s 1984 Olympics. You might know that the LA Rams won the Super Bowl last month. Anyways, the two Roadblocks in Part 1 gave way to the Route Infos (no Detours or Roadblocks) in Part 2.
● Once arriving in Los Angeles, teams found their way to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel which has four towers with a locked clue box atop each tower. While going up and down the outdoor elevator, teams had to look out the window to spot the wall with a number, hinting of the lock combination that unlocked the clue box.
● Teams visited the historical monument known as El Pueblo de Los Ángeles, “the birthplace of Los Angeles.” They found three portions of the next clue by smashing an assortment of piñatas. One team member was blindfolded and of course did the piñata hitting, while the other teammate directed him or her on where to hit. In addition to the colorfully wrapped pieces of candy falling from the piñatas, teams were treated with three pieces of the Route Info clue and combined them to reveal the next assignment.
● The “Become a Foley Artist” Route Info brought teams to S.I.R. Hollywood where they learned how to perfect their Foley-style sound effect abilities by recreating classic scenes from The Amazing Race. Teams used a variety of materials to recreate audible sounds from the following scenes:
● The squeakiness of running bull inflatables.
● The shuffling of hay in search of a literal needle in a haystack.
● The catapulting “whoosh” of a watermelon slingshot.
● The throwing of a pie in the face.
● The sloshing in the mud of the infamous “My ox is broken” moment.
● In the final Route Info and challenge of Season 33, teams visited the 8,000-seat tennis stadium of Dignity Health Sports Park, a multi-sports complex prominently known as the home of the LA Galaxy soccer team. As with most of the final tasks in previous seasons, this task involves memorization of happenings throughout the season. The task involved tennis rackets with imagery from previous legs in the competition in addition to tennis balls labeled with corresponding riddles. Teams matched a scene/racket with the applicable quote/ball and were able to proceed to the finish line once every combo was correct. As an example, a tennis ball notes that “He joined you throughout the leg” while the corresponding racket depicted a “selfie” of the Travelocity Roaming Gnome. While Cayla and Raquel arrived first at the Part 1 Pit Stop, that was not the case with the final Pit Stop. Instead, the team (Kim and Penn) who won four previous legs reclaimed their spot and won 1 million dollars!
● Pit Stop: LA Galaxy’s 27,000-seat soccer stadium
Season 33, Episode 10 Finale Results
1st — Kim and Penn, winners
1st place prize — $1 million!
2nd — Cayla and Raquel
3rd — Dusty and Ryan
4th — Arun and Natalia
“Souvlaki” Episode Description: Teams travel to Halkidiki, Greece, where they are tested on their spelling and memory skills.
Episode Airdate: Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 on CBS
After experiencing two episodes worth of various picturesque locations in Corsica, FRANCE, teams flew eastward to another picturesque destination: northeastern GREECE. Episode 8 of the The Amazing Race mostly centered around the Halkidikí (Chalkidikí) Peninsula. Once they arrived at Peraía Beach in the town of Peraía near the city of Thessaloníki…
● Teams drove to the Konstantinos Olive Grove in the village of Néa Gonía and were tasked with finding a clue high up in an olive tree. Cayla and Raquel made use of the shoulder-stepping method — which displayed their dependable teamwork — to reach the clue. Unfortunately, they did not have to resort to the clever but shoulder-hurting maneuver because The Amazing Race showed a ladder close by! Teams traveled to Marianna’s Vineyard and encountered the episode’s first…
● Roadblock (“Who Likes to Wrap?”): Marianna’s Vineyard typically grows grapes to harvest the fruit’s leaves and not necessarily to make wine. One member on each team combined a mixture of rice, vegetables, and spices and filled grape leaves to make 60 dolmades, which are essentially “leaf burritos” as Dusty said. Kim successfully prepared her wraps first, maintaining Team Kim and Penn’s longstanding lead in the competition. Meanwhile, Raquel had difficulty in wrapping the dolmades to the satisfaction of the vineyard’s proprietor but finally found success after some trial and error.
● Teams visited Mamo’s Kantina Stand near Heraklia Beach about 13.4 miles and 21.6 kilometers east of Mount Olympus (Olympos). They asked the food cart vendor about the Dish of the Day and were instructed to spell the name of this cuisine: souvlaki. Teams then had to make a decision that would make some vegan and vegetarian viewers cringe or change the channel: choosing whether to eat a chicken souvlaki or a pork souvlaki. While clues for the next stop are typically found in an iconic black-and-yellow envelope, this clue was simply a place name (Saint George Church) printed on the souvlaki’s wrapper. Many teams did not notice the clue at first, including Lala and Lulu who ate several souvlaki servings and were puzzled about not receiving a traditional clue envelope in hand.
● Roadblock (“Who Wants to be Iconic?”): Néa Irákleia’s Saint George Orthodox Church is a circular and three-tiered structure featuring an octagonal bell tower. Outside in the church’s plaza, one member on each team took about ten minutes to listen to a priest as he taught them about Saint Anastasia (of Sirmium), Saint Christopher, Saint David (the Dendrite), Saint George, Saint Irene, Saint John the Apostle, Saint John the Theologian, Saint Mercurius, Saint Nicholas (of Myra), and several other saints. He or she had to correctly identify the illustrations of five saints — St. Anastasia, St. Christopher, St. David, St. Irene, and St. Mercurius — based on a vendor’s variety of quiz questions. Penn successfully completed this task first.
● Pit Stop: Néa Kallikráteia — a fishing port overlooking the Thermaic Gulf (Thermaïkós Kólpos) which is a component of the Aegean Sea
● An extra GeoFact: the Aegean Sea is home to over 1,400 islands.
● Before arriving at the souvlaki task(s) mentioned above and consuming way more souvlaki then they would’ve liked, Lala and Lulu somehow found the Pit Stop and show host Phil Keoghan before finding the souvlaki stand! While having the “advantage” of knowing the Pit Stop location ahead of time, this sneak peek ultimately did not help them since they ended up in last place and were eliminated from the competition. In this season, the twin duo occasionally argued with each other but quickly became one of my favorite teams as they tried to make the most out of their traveling mishaps — especially when they attempted to eat not-so-yummy meals! Their Amazing Race journey seems relatable; for me, traveling is not 100% enjoyable but I try to make positive memories nevertheless!
● On the next episode of The Amazing Race and even closer to the $1 million finale, “Teams leave no stone unturned”…
Season 33, Episode 8 Results
1st — Kim and Penn [same as previous episode]
1st place prize — $7,500 each
2nd — Cayla and Raquel [same as previous episode]
3rd — Dusty and Ryan [same as previous episode]
4th — Arun and Natalia
5th — Lala and Lulu
Eliminated from the competition
There is a city in Southeast Asia featuring multiple Buddhist temples along or not straying very far from the Chao Phraya river. These temples include Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn, which contains over one million colorful ceramic tiles), Wat Khrua Wan Worawihan, Wat Molilokkayaram Ratchaworawihan, Wat Nak Klang, Wat Phitchaya Yatikaram Worawihan, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Wat Phraya Tham, and Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan. What in the World is the city containing these magnificent sites? Choose an option and find out below!
A — Yangon, MYANMAR
B — Bangkok, THAILAND
C — Kolkata, INDIA
Answer:
B . . . . . Bangkok, Thailand
Situated in the middle of its namesake city in western NICARAGUA, the 18th-or-19th-century Léon Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de Léon) marks a transition from Baroque to Neoclassical architecture and was designed by Diego José de Porres Esquivel of Guatemala. Visitors might note the abundance of natural light radiating inside the rather subduedly decorated interior. For visitors who enjoy vibrant interior design, the sanctuary's vault and altar are thankfully decorated with ornate yet elegant Baroque elements. As the Google Earth 3D image above shows, Léon Cathedral features several towers and at least 20 cupolas (mini towers). Máximo Jerez. Nicaraguans would know that earthquakes are always possible threats, but at least the Léon Cathedral is constructed with thick walls and horizontal-oriented layout to withstand earthly tremors. Located immediately east of the Máximo Jerez Monument, this cathedral is protected by UNESCO and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.
GeoFact of the Day Exclusive Document
Citing this Work (MLA Formatting)
"Black Madonna of Czestochowa: One of the World’s Artistic Gems." GeoFact of the Day Blog. Wonderful World Blog Publishing, 2 July 2016. Web. http://geofactoftheday.blogspot.com/2016/07/black-madonna.html
Housed in the stately Jasna Gora (“Bright Mountain”) Monastery of Czestochowa (southern Poland), a bold gold frame above the altar borders a dark, dim, fifteenth-century painting: the Black Madonna (Our Lady) of Czestochowa (1434). It is an oil painting on wood and features a stunning accessory: an interchangeable “robe” frame covering encrusted with jewels. Attracting hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims annually for over six centuries (Karafilly 1998, H1), Poland’s famous Black Madonna has been replicated several times. One copy is found at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, another is found in Switzerland’s Hospice of the Great St. Bernard Pass (Duricy 2013), and others are found in various churches of England. Art historians and analysts have debated the significance and purpose of Black Madonna portraits. While Black Madonna portraits at Jasna Gora and other places worldwide might embody the resilient and generous spirit of Virgin Mary, these images have a wide variety of other meanings and symbolism as well.
Subject Matter and History
The Black Madonna of Czestochowa features Virgin Mary (Madonna) and her miraculous son, Jesus Christ. Her right hand gestures towards Jesus, and Jesus’ left index finger points upward towards his mother. Like with many examples of Roman Catholic artwork, the subjects’ heads are surrounded by golden haloes – to presumably denote their important status within Christianity. Meanwhile, the bejeweled frame covering includes crowns atop the heads of Madonna and Jesus. Jesus is holding an ornately designed, thick book – this may or may not be the Bible. Just like the Bible, the history of this artwork is not exactly well-documented or properly dated in time. This artwork was legendarily created or inspired by St. Luke the Evangelist (DICI 2012; Duricy 2013; Karafilly H1), while it may really be painted in the fifteenth century. St. Helena – Constantine’s Queen Mother – allegedly found the portrait when she visited the Holy Land (fourth century), and then she brought it to the city of Constantinople. It could have eventually arrived in Poland, when St. Ladislaus obtained this masterpiece in the 1400s (Duricy 2013). Four famous examples of these bejeweled picture frame (“robe”) coverings existed over the years, being named after the dominant material adorning the surface: diamonds, rubies, pearls, and chain. The current robe overwhelmingly sparkles with diamonds (Rozanow 2010). There are at least seven total robes, and only two are on public display (Karafilly H2).
After the 1400s, additional restorations took place. Art historian Ernst Scheyer conjectures that this painting was at least restored “in the nineteenth century and painted somewhat darker than previously.” The possible reasons why there is a “Black” Madonna – rather than white, as seen in many Western depictions of Madonna – are discussed in detail later below. Not everyone is pleased to venerate this Madonna image. In December 2012, she was vandalized with black paint (DICI 2012). This relatively recent case of vandalism is certainly not the first one; in 1430, Bohemian bandits stomped on and slashed the Madonna portrait; they also stole pilgrim’s votive gifts (Karafilly H1; Barham 2003, 330). A legend purports that these mischievous vandals ran away in horror when blood oozed out of the painting! Regardless of various cases of vandalism on her, the Black Madonna is said to have given miracles to the Polish people, who overcame invasive, dangerous groups such as the Swedes, Bolsheviks, and Nazis (Karafilly H1-2). Therefore, this gives hope to devout pilgrims that Madonna’s resiliency can help them overcome difficult times.
Style, Meanings, Symbolism, and Cultural Context
Anyone including art connoisseurs and first-time Jasna Gora visitors may instantly notice Madonna and Jesus wearing solemn and/or stoic facial expressions. This could signify that Christian worshippers should humbly and seriously respect them – as Jesus’ salvation of humans from sin is an important and serious task. Madonna also has two noticeable long scars and one shorter scar on her face. These scars – left alone by restorers to reveal the Bohemian vandals’ inexcusable action (Karafilly H1) – can represent the painful sorrows of her son’s crucifixion, and/or the adversity she might have faced in raising a son who constantly challenged authorities in power. She seems to hold Jesus on her arm and on the left part of her chest. However, the not-quite-perfect shadowing of Jesus and the ripples in Madonna’s clothing results in him levitating against her body – rather than being visibly anchored to her.
Compared to some subdued Christian paintings, colors are relatively vibrant. Madonna’s and Jesus’ bright, light-gold haloes are interconnected to each other – essentially signifying the unconditional love and interconnectedness of their mother-son relationship. I and some other art analysts would argue that Madonna’s purple robe symbolizes royalty and dignity, while her hood could signify that she is protective, humble, and respectable. Jesus’ red robe could represent the blood he unfortunately shed when being crucified and dying for humans’ sins. The artwork’s lighting is peculiar in that Madonna has a bright spot on her nose while Jesus does not. Also, there may be two relatively dim light sources coming from opposite directions. From our view, the left side of Madonna’s face is lit, while the opposite is true in regards to Jesus.
Visual-aid artwork in chapels, churches, synagogues, etc. helped illiterate worshippers understand main messages and tenets of the religion worshipped within these places. The diamond “robe” frame cover visually implies to Christians – even illiterate ones – that the subjects surrounded by jewels in this painting are meant to be revered for their immense importance in Christianity. A major component of Ancient to Medieval Art History is determining the styles and mannerisms of ancient societies’ artwork. According to Leonard Moss and other art historians and iconographers, the Madonna figure is “distinctly thirteenth-fourteenth century Byzantine in form” (Duricy 2013). Black Madonna of Czestochowa is a variety of Hodegetria iconography, in which Madonna is affirming – with her right hand – that her young boy is someone to respect and repent sins to. In an image caption contest, Madonna could be saying, “Look, everyone, my son right here is very important to Christianity.” Jesus might respond, “Yeah, but mom, you did the important task of giving birth to me and encouraging me to spread my message of salvation and love around the world!”
Theories of Why Madonna is Black
The skin of Madonna and Jesus in this painting is darker in color than their skin in many Western Christian artworks. Plenty of art historians, scholars, and iconographers have contributed their theories in regards to this. Joan Carroll Cruz suggests a possible link to the Song of Songs: “I am black but beautiful” (Duricy 2013). However, she also notes that accumulated residue from candles may have darkened the figures’ skin color. Similarly, Charles Broschart suggests that flames and smoke from a shrine fire darkened this image. If the Black Madonna was indeed Byzantine in style, maybe their skin color is similar to that of Byzantine people’s skin color (ibid.). Barham, Stephen Benko, and Gustafson all propose that black Madonnas resemble Earth and fertility goddesses, such as Artemis, Ceres (Demeter), Hecate, Kali, Isis, Medusa, and Rhea (Barham 326, 328; Duricy 2013; Gustafson 2009, 15). She might also represent the darkness of rich, fertile soil or serve to be “an icon of the mystery of life and death that defies definition and speaks to the deepest layers of the human soul” (Gustafson 18).
Conclusion
Throughout Europe, there is hardly a more populated pilgrimage site boasting a “mass of avid, hopeful humanity” (Karafilly H2) than the Jasna Gora monastery, featuring an artistic gem at the altar. Everyone is pointing fingers at each other: Jesus points up to his mother, Madonna hand gestures toward her son, and pilgrims arriving at Jasna Gora are fingering towards Jesus and the Virgin Mary in starstruck awe. With a rather gloomy yet brave facial expression, the Black Madonna hints at and displays her generosity, resiliency, and humility. While these characteristics are some that Christians easily attach to Virgin Mary, she represents a variety of other meanings, too – many of which orbit outside the Christian and religious realm.
Supplementing the debate of what Christian figures such as Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary looked like as humans thousands of years ago, there is plenty of debate as to why the Virgin Mary featured in the Czestochowa image has a relatively dark skin tone. Some theories are grounded in practicality: Madonna may resemble the physical appearance of Byzantine people (who lived in what is now the Middle East, Turkey, etc.), or maybe candle soot somehow contributed to the painting’s overall darkness. Other theories address spirituality: the Black Madonna is an Earth goddess, and/or she embodies the vitality that fertile soil gives to plants and consequently other life forms on Earth. Her importance is exemplified by the scintillatingly glamorous robe covering that she and a young Jesus may occasionally wear at Josna Gory monastery. Regardless of what the Black Madonna truly represents, Christian pilgrims come far and wide to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary in southern Poland.
Works Cited
Barham, Penny. “Black Madonnas.” Feminist Theology: The Journal of the Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology 11.3 (2003): 325. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Duricy, Michael P. “Black Madonnas — Our Lady of Czestochowa.” Black Madonnas. International Marian Research Institute, University of Dayton, 5 Feb. 2013. http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/olczest.html.
Gustafson, Fred. The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln. Einsiedeln: Daimon Verlag, 2009. Print.
Karafilly, Irena F. “Poland's National Icon: In times of trouble, Poles have often turned for help to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa - and today their faith and fervor are undiminished.” The Montreal Gazette: pgs. H 1-4. 1998.
“Poland: The Black Madonna of Czestochowa Vandalized.” Documentation Information Catholiques Internationales, 21 Dec. 2012. Web. http://www.dici.org/en/news/poland-the-black-madonna-of-czestochowa-vandalized/.
Rozanow, Zofia. "New Robes of Our Lady of Czestochowa." Sunday Catholic Weekly. Niedziela, 2010. Web. http://sunday.niedziela.pl/artykul.php?dz=polska&id_art=00164.
Today's Photo of the Day takes you to a serene cave setting with a Neo-Classical architectural surprise inside — the Temple of Valadier (Tempio del Valadier) church. This Christian "Refuge for Sinners" (church's nickname) essentially guards the entrance to the Grotte di Frasassi (Frasassi Caves) and is located in Ancona province of eastern ITALY. A brighter photo of this 19th-century building is National Geographic's Photo of the Day.
Located in the southern and western fringes of the Sahara Desert in southeastern MAURITANIA, the ancient oasis town and trading center of Oualâta (Oualata, or Walatah) is still considered a center of Islamic academic and intellectual enlightenment. Some stone buildings with red loam-covered walls feature ornate, symbolic designs and painted symbols. Oualata is part of the Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata UNESCO World Heritage Site, designating the ksars (ksours) of the Chinguetti, Ouadane, Oualata, and Tichitt communities as important cultural sites. As mentioned in my Aït Ben Haddou (Morocco) post, ksars or ksours are fortified medieval towns featuring castle-like buildings. The current population of Oualata is about 12,700. Residents live about 200 kilometers northwest of Mali and southeast of the Dhar Oualâta (Oualâta Escarpment).
Another European setting sets the scene for today's National Geographic Photo of the Day. October 14th's photo reflects a swan and historic church in Lake Bled, located the resort town of Bled in northwestern SLOVENIA. 17th-century Church of the Assumption is isolated on a small yet serene island. This Flickr photo from Ciaran Roarty shows the church's spectacular gilded altar.
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Throughout the countries of Oceania, Christianity is the predominant religion with the most worshippers compared to other religions. However, not all countries share the same predominant Christian denomination. As shown below, some countries are Catholic: AUSTRALIA, KIRIBATI, the Federated States of MICRONESIA, and PALAU. Considering PAPUA NEW GUINEA has a myriad of languages, nations, and ethnic groups, it may be surprising that an "invasive" religion like Christianity is more popular than indigenous beliefs/religion! This unusual principle practically applies to every Oceanic country below because former colonizers from Europe brought the Christian religion and converted native people into Christians.
Below is a complete list of predominant Christian denominations in Australia and Oceania.
Australia --- Catholic
Fiji --- Methodist
Kiribati --- Catholic
Marshall Islands --- Protestant: especially the United Church of Christ (Congregational in the Marshall Islands) and Assemblies of God
Federated States of Micronesia --- Catholic
Nauru --- Nauru Congregational, followed by Catholic
New Zealand --- Anglican
Palau --- Catholic
Papua New Guinea --- Catholic
Samoa --- Congregationalist
Solomon Islands --- Church of Melanesia, followed by Catholic
Tonga --- Free Wesleyan Church
Tuvalu --- 97% Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist), followed by Seventh-Day Adventist
Vanuatu --- Presbyterian
The commonwealth of DOMINICA is an island country in the Caribbean Sea south of the Dominica Passage and Guadeloupe and north of the Martinique Passage and Martinique. The main religion that Dominicans worship is Christianity. More than 75% of the population is Roman Catholic, and Protestants make up most of the remaining population.
On the west side of the island Hispaniola, HAITI is a country of mostly Christian worshippers. A vast majority are Roman Catholics, and there are many Protestants as well. These two congregations alone make up almost 100% of the population! It is somewhat well known that some Haitians believe in voodoo, while there is a small population believing in other religions. There are also not many atheists.
Read my Haiti post for more information about this country!
The capital of JORDAN, a Middle East country located east of Israel, northwest of Saudi Arabia, and south of Syria, is Amman. Jordan's eastern panhandle is to the left of Iraq. The Jordan River and the salty Dead Sea are to the left of Jordan and right of Israel. The ancient city of Petra is a famous ancient city and archaeological site in Southern Jordan. Topographically, Jordan is mostly desert land, especially in the east. The official language is Arabic, while English is also spoken. Lastly, most Jordanians are Arabs and believe in Islam.
With a population larger than 5 million, SLOVAKIA is an Eastern European country of which the northern border is defined by the Carpathian Mountains. While there are some towns like Čadca and Skalica in valleys situated alongside the mountain range, almost all of the population lives in more southern parts of Slovakia. Likewise, the fertile Danube River Valley area in Southern Slovakia is a center of population. The capital, Bratislava, is located besides the western border with Austria near the Danube River.
Ethnicity, Languages, and Religion
Slovakia is mainly a homogeneous country, which means that a vast majority of people belong to the same ethnicity. According to the Statistics Section in the Hammond World Atlas (Sixth Edition), 86% of the population is of Slovakian ethnicity, followed by Hungarian at 11% and Roma at 2%. The remaining 1% of course belongs to ethnicities with very small populations in Slovakia. The official language is Slovak, while Hungarian is also spoken - mainly by Hungarians living in Slovakia, of course! Christianity is the dominant religion; around 60% are Roman Catholics, 8% are Protestants, and 4% worship the Orthodox tradition.
***Source for Percentages: Hammond World Atlas, Sixth Edition. Hammond World Atlas Corporation, 2010.
Today was a rainy day in VATICAN CITY, but that did not prevent thousands from around the world waiting patiently outside to meet the new pope, who was revealed at the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica overlooking Saint Peter's Square. Hailing from ARGENTINA, the South American country located east of Chile and west of the Atlantic Ocean, the new pope is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He now has the name Pope Francis I and is the successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who recently resigned. There are more than 30 million Roman Catholics in Argentina. It was neat to see flags of many different countries waving proudly on the television, and I could not imagine how magical the experience of actually being there is! The countries I saw represented in flags include Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chad, Czech Republic, East Timor, France, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Vatican City, Venezuela, and more. The first tweet on Pope Francis I's Twitter page (which formerly belonged to several tweets of Pope Benedict XVI) announced his election to the highest honor of the Catholic tradition.
March 17th update: It was written on March 13, 2013, but has been deleted several days afterwards. It was as follows: HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM — Pontifex (@Pontifex). Below is the second Twitter message (written March 17th):
Out of all the countries in Southern Africa, the Kingdom of LESOTHO, MALAWI, and NAMIBIA have the highest percentage of Christians. Anywhere from 80 to 90% of the people in these countries are Christians, while many of the rest believe in indigenous beliefs. There is a small population of believers in other religions. Other Southern African countries with high percentages of Christians include ANGOLA, SOUTH AFRICA, SWAZILAND, and ZAMBIA. Christian missionaries from around the world played a pivotal role in introducing Christianity to Sub-Saharan Africa.
MACEDONIA is a circular country in Eastern Europe that has a population of over 2 million. Known more formally as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, this country was part of Yugoslavia until it began to break up into multiple countries in 1991. There are five bordering countries: Albania (to the west), Bulgaria (east), Greece (south), Kosovo (north/northwest), and Serbia (north). Over two-thirds of the population, 67%, is Macedonian, followed by Albanians at 23%. 4% are Turkish, 2% are of the Roma ethnic group, and 2% are Serbs. Two-thirds of the population are adherents of Macedonian Orthodox, while 30% are Muslims. The capital is Skopje, which has around 450,000 inhabitants and is located near Kosovo in northern Macedonia. The three largest lakes are Lake Ohrid (partly in Albania as well), Lake Prespa (partly in Albania and Greece as well), and Lake Tikveš (an artificial lake completely within Macedonia). Macedonia maintains several national parks, including Mavrovo NP, Galičica NP, and Pelister NP.
Communist ALBANIA, which existed from 1944 to 1991, was one of the officially atheistic countries that have existed. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union (1991), Albania has been an independent, non-atheist country.
Achieving independence on Saturday, July 9th, 2011 after 99% of southern Sudan people voted in a referendum to form a sovereign country of their own, the landlocked Republic of SOUTH SUDAN is currently the world’s newest country and is located at the confluence of East Africa and North Africa. The introduction of South Sudan to the world meant that Sudan is no longer Africa's largest country. South Sudan borders six countries: Central African Republic located to the west, Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo) to the south, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya to the southeast, Sudan to the north, and Uganda to the south. The currency of South Sudan is the South Sudanese Pound, and its ISO 4217 currency code is SSP. 100 Piasters equal one South Sudanese Pound. The Sudanese Pound (SDG) currency was used for several months after achieving independence from Sudan.
● ● ● ● ● People and Places ● ● ● ● ● Based on the GeoFact of the Day Blog’s 2016 estimate, South Sudan’s total population hovers around 11.15 million. The national capital is located at Juba, home to about 375,000 residents. Other cities and towns scattered throughout South Sudan include Ayod, Gumbiel, Kapoeta, Malakal (a once-thriving city destroyed by civil wars), Nyamllel, Paloich, Popiu, Raga, Tonga, and Waw. There are about 68 ethnic groups and native languages present in South Sudan. Major ethnicities and languages include Acholi, Anuak, Avokaya, Baka, Bari (600,000 people), Beli, Didinga, Dinka (1,370,000), Gbaya, Jur Modo (also known as Jur, or Modo), Kakwa, Lango, Lopit, Luwo, Mabaan, Mandari, Morokodo, Mündü, Murle, Ndogo, Nuer (800,000), Olu'bo, Otuho, Reel, Shilluk, Toposa, Uduk, and Zande (450,000). English is South Sudan's official language, while Sudanese Arabic and Sudanese Creole Arabic are other widely communicated languages. Over 80% of South Sudanese citizens adhere to native religions and traditions, while others are mostly Christian or Islamic.
● ● ● ● ● Land Features ● ● ● ● ● Especially compared to Sudan, South Sudan possesses thousands of forested acres and also gained access to oil resources – but currently lacks the infrastructure required to properly refine and distribute this money-making commodity. Several national parks attempt to protect forests from natural resource exploitation and animal poaching. These parks include Boma National Park, Nimule National Park, and Southern National Park. The mighty White Nile river flows north to south in eastern South Sudan, bypassing communities such as (from north to south) Geiger, Ar Rank, El Galhak, Paloich, Kodok, Malakal, Bor, Malek, Tombe, Terakeka, Lado, Juba, and Kajo-Kaji. The Qanat Junqoley (Qanāt Junqalī) canal provides a shortcut to shorten the winding river, signifying the importance of boat-based transportation in surrounding communities. South Sudan's highest point is Mount Kinyeti, standing at an elevation of 3,187 meters (over 10,455 feet) near Uganda. Kinyeti is the Imatong mountain range's prominent peak, and its located is west of the Didinga Hills and east of Juba.
This post was comprehensively updated on August 25th, 2016.
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