InnerSelf.Com

The InnerSelf.Com site is a a website with collection of articles on various topics including astrology, channeling, herbal medicine, and spiritual growth. It has regular columns, book reviews and reader contibuted articles. It is a website that helps us live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

"The World Factbook" (online) of the CIA

The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) of the U.S.A. (United States of America) has a very good online factbook on about almost all the countries in the world. It is called the "The World Factbook."

The informations and datas contained in CIA's "World Factbook" is very comprehensive and uptodate. You can find out tons of information you need about countries such as:

• Singapore
• Malaysia
• China
• Taiwan
• Japan
• South Korea
  
• India
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Canada
• United Kingdom (UK)
• United States (US)
• The European Union

And wait! How could we forget the World? So, how much do you really know about the world we are living in and its human population?

Ok, interesting facts time. According to the CIA's "World Factbook", as of July 2005:

It is estimated that there are 6.4 billion homosapiens living in about 510 million sq km (land: 149 million sq km & water: 361 million sq km ) ... yep, 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land. And out of these homosapiens, almost 50.5% is of the male species, and 49.5% female.

Of the 6,000,000,000 homosapiens, the percentage of religions are: Christians 32.84% (of which Roman Catholics 17.34%, Protestants 5.78%, Orthodox 3.44%, Anglicans 1.27%), Muslims 19.9%, Hindus 13.29%, Buddhists 5.92%, Sikhs 0.39%, Jews 0.23%, other religions 12.63%, non-religious 12.44%, atheists 2.36% (2003 est.)

And their "first-language" spoken languages are: Chinese Mandarin 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi 2.82%, Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese 1.99%, German, Standard 1.49%, Chinese Cantonese 1.21% (2004 est.)

Interesting isn't it? Well, Have a look at the CIA World Factbook yourself. Enjoy and be enlightened :)

http://CityHunterGatherer.BlogSpot.Com :)

Urband Legends & Hoaxes

There are so many "urband legends" and hoaxes out there, sometimes it is very difficult to tell the fact from the fiction.

Well, worry no more. Here's a great site to share with you some really eye-opening and enlightening updates on many hoaxes and urband legends from all over the world:

Snopes.Com : Rumor Has It

"Attempts to give accurate information about rumors and urban legends on a variety of topics, including war, business, events, toxins, science, military, etc."

"Urban legends are a specific type of folklore, and many of the items discussed on this site do not fall under the folkloric definition of "urban legend." We are following the more expansive popular (if inaccurate) use of "urban legend" as a term that embraces not only urban legends but also common fallacies, misinformation, old wives' tales, strange news stories, rumors, celebrity gossip, and similar items."
- Snopes.Com

A very informative site indeed. Btw, here are some of the most hot, popular and widely circulated 25 Urban Legends:

• ATM Camera : Photos document ATM rigged by scammers to house a duplicate card reader and wireless camera.
• Gas Trick Upset : E-mail claims service station customers are getting stuck by HIV-loaded syringes affixed to gas pump handles.
• World's Ugliest Dog : Photograph shows the winner of a "World's Ugliest Dog" contest.
• Credit Card Scams : E-mail list various ways scammers might obtain credit card numbers.
• Brown Recluse : Photographs of the effects of a brown recluse spider bite.
• Dust Off : E-mail details child's death from huffing cans of Dust-Off brand compressed gas.
• Mars Spectacular : E-mail announces the unusually close approach of the planet Mars to Earth.
• G. I. Joe : E-mail claims Starbucks refused to send free coffee to G.I.s serving in Iraq.
• Aspartame : E-mail warns about dangers of the artificial sweetener Aspartame.

And many more. Enjoy :)