The second least populated country.

Tuvalu is the second least populated country in the world. It is measuring just 10 square miles in area. It is an island in the Pacific.

Image courtesy: zeusnews.it

It was formerly known as the Ellice Islands. Tulavu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji.

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people. The islands came under Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. Tuvalu became fully independent within The Commonwealth in 1978. Tuvalu Independence Day is celebrated on October 1st.

Tuvaluans are a Polynesian people who settled the islands around 3000 years ago coming from Tonga and Samoa. 8 of the 9 islands of Tuvalu were inhabited, thus, the name Tuvalu means "eight standing together" in the Tuvaluan language.

In 1943 during World War II, Tuvalu was selected as an operations base for Allied forces battling Japanese in the Pacific.

The Government of Tuvalu, is represented in London, United Kingdom, by a Hon. Consul, based at Tuvalu House, London.

The sun stands still!

Yes dear, the sun stands still on two days every year that we call as the longest day of the year.

When it happens Earth's axis tilts the most toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to be farthest north or south at noon. The name is derived from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstice, the Sun stands still in declination, that is, its movement north or south is minimal.

Summer solstice and winter solstice are the most common names.

Northern solstice and southern solstice indicate the direction of the sun's movement. The northern solstice is in June on Earth, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Southern solstice is in December, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. Some consider these terms to be the most neutral and unambiguous.

In Hinduism, the solstices are termed as Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The former occurs around January 14th of each year, while the latter occurs around June 21st each year. According to the Vedic Calendar, Uttarayana is termed as auspicious while Dakshinayana is inauspicious for deaths and births, while for festivals the reverse stands true. The offerings to ancestors and the dead occurs in Dakshinayana.

Yesterday, the 21st of June was celebrated as the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument site in England, 13 km north of Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire.








-------->Stonehenge

Courtesy: Wikipedia