FACTS

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Spotted Lake is a saline alkali lake located in British Columbia, Canada.

Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, revealing colourful mineral deposits. Large "spots" on the lake appear and are coloured according to the mineral composition and seasonal amount of precipitation. Magnesium sulfate, which crystallizes in the summer, is a major contributor to spot colour. In the summer, remaining minerals in the lake harden to form natural "walkways" around and between the spots.

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The Giant's Causeway is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption, and is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides.

According to legend, the Giant’s Causeway dates back to the time of Fionn MacCumhaill, a giant tasked with defending his land from the fearsome Benandonner. The story goes that Fionn decided to take the challenge head on, and built this causeway as a way to approach his foe. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. Another common telling of the story has Fionn hide from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he is. Fionn's wife, Sadhbh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the "baby", he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn would be unable to chase him down.

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Some scholars believe that rampant lead poisoning may have contributed to Ancient Rome’s decline. Roman winemakers used lead pots to boil crushed grapes, the empire’s aqueducts carried water through lead pipes and many Roman foods were sweetened with lead acetate. Since lead is toxic, some historians have claimed that its use may have resulted in widespread cases of gout, low birth rates, anemia and aggressive and erratic behavior among the Roman citizenry.

Ancient Roman lead water-valve

BTW:

The word “plumbing’ referring to working on pipes is derived from Latin word ‘Plumbum’, which in Latin means Lead

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John Dillinger and his gang robbed at least a dozen banks and netted total loot of around $500,000 (roughly $7 million in modern day currency), but his take paled in comparison to the amount of money the FBI spent trying to catch him. According to the Associated Press, the new government agency racked up a tab of some $2 million on the manhunt, which included the bill for several agents dedicated solely to Dillinger. Historians have since credited the hunt for John Dillinger—and his eventual death at FBI hands—with helping legitimise the Bureau and establish it as the nation’s most famous crime unit.

Dillinger courted publicity. The media printed exaggerated accounts of his bravado and colorful personality, and described him as a Robin Hood-type figure. In response, J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), used Dillinger as justification to evolve the BOI into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), developing more sophisticated investigative techniques as weapons against organized crime.

Dillinger

BTW:

From September 1933 until July 1934, he and his violent gang terrorised the Midwest, killing 10 men, wounding 7 others, robbing banks and police arsenals, and staging 3 jail breaks, killing a sheriff during one and wounding two guards in another.

Dillinger was wounded in a gunfight and went to his father's home to recover. He returned to Chicago in July 1934 and sought refuge in a brothel owned by Ana Cumpănaș, who later informed authorities of his whereabouts. On July 22, 1934, local and federal law-enforcement officers closed in on the Biograph Theatre. When BOI agents moved to arrest Dillinger as he left the theatre, he attempted to flee but was fatally shot; the lethal use of force by the agents would eventually be ruled justifiable homicide.

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Lake Baikal is a lake situated in southern Siberia, Russia.

It:

- is the deepest lake in the world, with a maximum depth of 1,642 metres (5,387 feet);

- is, at 31,722 km2 (12,248 sq mi)—slightly larger than Belgium— the world's seventh-largest lake by surface area;

- is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume;

- contains 22–23% of the world's fresh surface water;

- is the world's oldest lake at 25–30 million years.

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The national flag with the most colors in it is Belize (1981), with 12.

The centre of the flag, enlarged

The flag was adopted on 21 September 1981, the day Belize became independent. It consists of the coat of arms of Belize on a blue field with red stripes at the top and bottom.

The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the centre containing the national coat of arms held by a mestizo and a man of African descent.

The motto of the Belize flag is “Sub Umbra Floreo,” a Latin phrase that translates to “Under the Shade I Flourish.”

The motto carries several layers of meaning:

- It is a direct reference to Belize’s establishment as a colony under British protection. The “shade” in the motto represents the protection and shelter afforded by British rule. This was not always a positive association given the colonial context, but it highlights a specific period of the nation’s development. Belize, known then as British Honduras, existed under the protective umbrella of Great Britain.

- The “shade” can also be seen as symbolic of the abundant forests that are central to Belize’s identity and ecosystem. The country’s lush rainforests and mahogany trees provide shade for a diverse range of life, creating a thriving environment. Thus, the phrase encapsulates the resilience of life flourishing even within what may appear to be limiting conditions.

- The motto speaks to the enduring spirit of the Belizean people. Despite the challenges of colonial rule and the subsequent quest for independence, the Belizean population has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to prosper.

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