The Races

Morocco-trekearth

Morocco-trekearth

The Races

I am subscribed to the 'Reasons To Believe' Newsletter. A publication and ministry dedicated to assisting those interested in faith and science.

Fazale Rana writes an interesting article: 'Where Did The Races Come From?'

He states that the Bible doesn't explain how racial diversity arose, although it is implied that humanity was scattered after the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11: 1-9. 11. September/October (2013:1)

New American Standard Bible/NASB

Now the whole earth [a]used the same language and [b]the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and [c]settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [d]the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be [e]impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their [f]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [g]speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called [h]Babel, because there the Lord confused the [i]language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

The newsletter notes that the Biblical account may not seem to square with the commonly held scientific concept by anthropologists of 'regional differences' explaining human racial diversity. September/October (2013:1).

It is explained that the many more years of the evolutionary model (as in Darwinian Evolution) assumed human regional differences occurred approximately two million years ago. September/October (2013:1). A model of 'multiregionalism' being assumed, the idea that a primitive type of human being migrated from Africa into Eurasia and then independently evolved. September/October (2013:1).

The regional differences assumed to occur because persons on different continents had 'separate evolutionary trajectories' which would require a vast amount of time to take place. September/October (2013:1).

However, recent 'genetic variability studies' have demonstrated that multiregionalism is incorrect. September/October (2013:1).

Instead data indicates humanity likely originated earlier as in approximately 100, 000 years ago and dispersed 50, 000 years ago. Therefore tens of thousands of years as opposed to millions. September/October (2013:1).

The newsletter explains that within a microevolutionary (not macroevolutionary model) migrating humanity can be explained through 'natural selection', 'sexual selection', and 'genetic drift'. September/October (2013:1).

Very interestingly with the data it indicates that original humanity likely appeared very much in appearance like African people groups today. September/October (2013:1). The idea being that as human beings moved to northern latitudes this caused 'lightening of the skin pigmentation' and this allowed for increased and productive Vitamin D synthesis which would require exposure to UV radiation from the sun. September/October (2013:1).

Changes in body type, from the original African type, would assist with heat retention in colder Northern climates. A change from a broader to narrower nose would assist in moving warm air before reaching the lungs. September/October (2013:1).

The view based on the data is that the regional differences can occur quite rapidly. September/October (2013:1). By this I reason in comparison to a Darwinian Evolutionary model.

Academically there is crossover when dealing with Biblical concepts of origins and scientific date and theory.

In regard to human existence beginning being potentially approximately 50, 000 to 100, 000 years ago.
From my PhD research I found that it appeared that most conservative scholars reasoned in agreement with Fretheim (1994: 153), that the Genesis text is filled with metaphorical, symbolic language in certain sections. This in no way requires a view that Genesis 1-3, for example, contains mythology, but rather contains religious history. Figurative literal language can be used to describe non-mythological actual religious history. And of course much of Scripture is plain literal, for example the Gospel ministry of Christ and the Apostles.

This understanding does allow for intellectual flexibility in regard to estimated dates in regard to origin of finite creation, the physical universe, and finite humanity.

From a philosophical perspective in light of the apparent need for microevolution (again not Darwinian Evolution) to explain humanity developing from Adam and Eve into diverse ethnic and racial groups, 50, 000 to 100, 000 years allows for much more development time and changes by the planet and also within humanity than would be as reasonable, for example, in an estimated 6, 000 years.

In light of racism, I find it fascinating that perhaps based on data mentioned, and I have read and heard similar, that original humanity may have been darker skinned as in African types and therefore Caucasians would have evolved, via microevolution from Africans.

FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1985)(2005) ‘The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective’, in Theology Today, Volume 1, Number 1, Bookreview17. Princeton, Princeton Theological Seminary. http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1985/v42-1-bookreview17.htm

FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1994) ‘Is Genesis 3 a Fall Story?’, in Word and World, Luther Seminary, pp. 144-153. Saint Paul, Luther Seminary.

Reasons To Believe Newsletter, September/October 2013, Glendora, California.

Google Images-Almost looks like he ate his old tube monitor...Kind of like that guy that ate a bus.

Google Images-Supercat? Attention ploy @ lunch? Mine used to sit on the newspaper being read.

At Whim Of Wind-by Caron Smed

Church Attendance & Culture

Ravello-Italy-trekearth

Quiet for now. A casino is being built at the end of the road. Things should get busier...

Church Attendance & Culture

World Visits

United States Visits

Europe Visits

Glancing at my Visits maps, I reason I have visited some interesting regions, lived in two places on two different continents with similar very overcast and often rainy weather, and there are more places I would like to visit.

As far as where to live, that is largely dictated by citizenship and employment. Fortunately by my Father I have United Kingdom/European Union citizenship which I have already used to live in England as a British Citizen. Although I was still made to pay the academic foreign rate while at Universities because I had not lived there three years. That meant a student could for example attend in England from Germany and pay domestic rate because of the EU citizenship, but I had to pay the foreign rate. I was not pleased, but that was only one my several wonderful issues I had to deal with in Manchester...

See archives if interested:

In regard to employment, I am going to be shortly taking a government sanctioned course to provide me with a government sanctioned license. This type of work could be transferable to other jurisdictions I suppose, as it is wide ranging. My four degrees are always in use for potential work in academia, publishing and perhaps some type of media work.

In regard to ministry opportunities connected to potential work in my fields, I have noted I send out Curriculum Vitaes worldwide. Many of my friends and associates from church or formerly from church have worked in the United States, some in the supposed 'Bible Belts' in Christianized America. Some of these persons are Americans, some Canadians. An interesting philosophical discussion I have had, including with Mr. Matt, that has lived in both countries and in a Bible Belt, is the difference in working with ministry in areas that are very secular as in Greater Vancouver versus more Christianized areas where Christianity although still not held to by the majority of citizens in a serious manner, is still a major cultural influence.

I acknowledge in the Western World at least, the Christianized areas are still more so secularized. But for the sake of this article I make the distinction.

In Greater Vancouver/The Lower Mainland, I have heard it stated by local church leaders several times that on a Sunday only 5% of persons attend a church service. I am deducing that would be all churches, so those in Christian churches would be less than 5% if this statistic is anywhere near accurate.

The general ministry view I have understood in regard to the Greater Vancouver and areas like it in Europe, is that ministry is very difficult work. It is quite difficult to have new people attend church or to plant new churches and for new churches to succeed.

Having sent out many academic Curriculum Vitaes, I am also aware of where more or less the employment listings are in my academic fields. One can deduce which areas have more Christian churches.

From my friends and associates in ministry that have worked in this area and in Christianized America, they generally mention the opportunity to witness in an area such as Greater Vancouver that does not exist where Christianity is a stronger historical component of society.

A major reason being that the religious and philosophical pluralism and relative ignorance of Biblical Christianity (especially academic Christianity!) in a secularized culture allows for in some cases the opportunity for open dialogue.

In contrast in areas where there is a Christianized culture, persons outside of the Christian Church as far as regular attendance, often have a greater knowledge of the faith and worldview than persons living in more secularized regions. Some may reason they are Christian believers and tend to be closed to legitimate evangelism and witness.

I certainly found in my stays in Arizona and Florida that in general terms persons had a greater understanding of culturally Christianity, televangelists, and non-Biblically orthodox churches such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Jehovah's Witnesses. I found it much easier from what I was culturally used to in engaging persons in serious religious and philosophical discussion once they knew of my educational background.

But I did find they judged Christianity more on a cultural basis than a theological one.

I found similar theological and philosophical errors in reasoning that I would have found back home in very secularized Greater Vancouver.

My tentative conclusion as a non-evangelist, non-missionary, non-Reverend and non-church planter, but as an academic, is that both types of areas would be difficult ministry work.

Philosophically, it is reasonable and possible that per capita in a Christianized culture one in ministry is more likely to find Christians in a state of non-repentance (1 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 6, James 2, 2 Peter 3) and/or with legitimate complaints with the Church, that are potential church attenders greater in number than would be the non-religious candidates in a more secularized region.

This may mean that there is greater witnessing and church growth opportunities in a Christianized area as opposed to a secularized one.

Having more established Biblical Christian churches in a Christianized area would be an advantage in the Christianized area. This would provide for infrastructure and organization for which to bring new people into that would not exist in a situation where there are fewer churches.

The philosophical idea of greater opportunity for witness and evangelism in a secular area in comparison to a more Christianized one seems hypothetical.

A concept being greater ignorance means greater interest.

I am not convinced by this premise.

However, I do admit it is a reasonable possibility that greater witnessing and evangelism may exist within this climate.

I reason situations will vary from culture to culture. I make no dogmatic conclusions.

Christian Adherents In US States 2010-Huffington Post

From Wikipedia

Church Attendance by State 2006 Gallop Poll Rank State Percent — National average 42%

1 Alabama 58%
1 Louisiana 58%
1 South Carolina 58%
4 Mississippi 57%
5 Arkansas 55%
5 Utah 55%
7 Nebraska 53%
7 North Carolina 53%
9 Georgia 52%
9 Tennessee 52%
11 Oklahoma 50%
12 Texas 49%
13 Kentucky 48%
14 Kansas 47%
15 Indiana 46%
15 Iowa 46%
15 Missouri 46%
15 West Virginia 46%
19 South Dakota 45%
20 Minnesota 44%
20 Virginia 44%
22 Delaware 43%
22 Idaho 43%
22 North Dakota 43%
22 Ohio 43%
22 Pennsylvania 43%
22 Wisconsin 43%
28 Illinois 42%
28 Michigan 42%
30 Maryland 41%
30 New Mexico 41%
32 Florida 39%
33 Connecticut 37%
34 Wyoming 36%
35 Arizona 35%
35 Colorado 35%
37 Montana 34%
37 New Jersey 34%
39 District of Columbia 33%
39 New York 33%
41 California 32%
41 Oregon 32%
41 Washington 32%
44 Maine 31%
44 Massachusetts 31%
46 Rhode Island 28%
47 Nevada 27%
48 New Hampshire 24%
48 Vermont 24%

From Wikipedia

The 2001 Census results for Canada asked respondents in regard to religious affiliation.

The question (s) were not in regard to church attendance it appears. Therefore, for example British Columbia was listed as 54.92% Christian and 35.88% non-religious. This I reason is not church attendance but cultural affiliation.

From

Outreach Canada-John H. Redekop Ph.D. Trinity Western University

March 18, 2012

Cited

'Stats Canada reports that from 1981 to 1991 the United Church lost more than 650,000 members.

The Anglican Church’s Quebec City Bishopric, counted 25,000 members 50 years ago;in December, 2011 the total was about 3,000.

Between 1988 and 1998 church attendance for Canadians 75 and older declined 7%; for those between 15 and 34 years of age it dropped 24%.

Between 1931 and 2009 religious identification in Canada changed for the various groups; the 1931 percentage is given first and the 2009 second: 

Catholic: 41% to 40.1%

No Religion: 1% to 24%

Evangelical: 8% to 11%

United Church: 20% to 7%

Anglican: 16% to 6%

Presbyterian: 8% to 2%

Lutheran: 4% to 2%

Other faiths: 3% to 8%'

Reverendfun.com-Does not look like my type of Reformed theology...

Google Images-I suppose there is good and bad with that approach.. Limited agenda, and little to offer.

Google Images-Some truth to it, but overstated.

Bizarre: El Colacho-Baby Jumping Ritual

Majorca, Spain-trekearth

Farjestaden, Sweden-trekearth

I have previously presented the post:

Ridiculous And Bizarre Baby Tossing

Examining the Blogger pageview statistics the article has above average pageview numbers. That is by my modest standards.

Therefore, with the philosophical 'tension' between potentially pleasing readers and writing what I am led to write, I hope the following is reasonable.

First some crucial commentary on the previous post as in live in the flesh from an actual human being. 

Nostalgia From United Kingdom 1999-2001

It is from church this morning and my good friend, Harald, from Germany, married to an American, living in Vancouver.

I shall paraphrase his comments:

Harald with huge smile sounding a bit like Arnold...

'Yaw I read your article...about your rental situation in England, and about Dave'. 'It was tricky'. 'But you must have got a cheap deal'. 'When I first came to Vancouver I ended up in a similar situation as I looked for a cheap place that sounded like a good deal'.

'I rented a place in Gastown and it ended up in a flat above a nightclub'.

'Boom boom boom'

Mail Online June 2-3, 2013

The header

Citations: 

'Pray he doesn't put a step wrong: Spanish 'devil' El Colacho takes leap of faith over one-year-old babies to 'cleanse their spirits''

'Tradition in Castrillo de Murcia - near Burgos, Spain - dates back to 1621' 'Colacho is 'devil who takes away evil from babies by jumping over them''

'It is the culmination of a four-day celebration after Corpus Christi feast'

End of header Quotes:

Citations:

'There can’t be many parents around the world who would allow their babies to take part in such an event - but some are clearly willing to take the risk.

A man representing the devil, called El Colacho, today jumped over the one-year-olds in the village of Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos in northern Spain, in an annual festival dating back to 1621.

The Colacho represents the devil who takes away the evil from the babies as he jumps over them in the medieval religious custom that takes place to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi.'

'Over the centuries there have been no reports of injuries among the babies, but the festival is still considered to be one of the riskiest in the world.

The previous pope, Benedict XVI, had asked Spanish priests to distance themselves from the event.'

Cakechooser.com

Wikipedia

Citations:

'Baby jumping (El Colacho) is a traditional Spanish holiday dating back to 1620 that takes place annually to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi in the village of Castrillo de Murcia near Burgos.[1][2][3] During the act, known as El Salto del Colacho (the devil's jump) or simply El Colacho, men dressed as the Devil (known as the Colacho) jump over babies born during the previous twelve months of the year who lie on mattresses in the street.

The Brotherhood of Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva organizes the week-long festivities which culminate on Sunday when the Colacho jumps over the babies on the mattresses placed on the procession route traversing the town. [4][5][6] The festival has been rated as one of the most dangerous in the world.[citation needed] The origins of the tradition are unknown but it is said to cleanse the babies of original sin, ensure them safe passage through life and guard against illness and evil spirits.[7][8][9]'

End citations

Although there have been no reported injuries with the ritual the risks are still apparent and in my mind there are no theological benefits.

Grenz, Guretzki and Nordling explain that original sin is the state of alienation from God in which all human beings are born. Grenz (1999: 86). The sin of Adam of Eve via fallen nature being imputed to the rest of humanity. Grenz (1999: 86).

Biblically this can only be reversed for human beings through the atoning and resurrection work of Christ applied to persons as in being chosen and predestined in Christ, Ephesians 1 by grace through faith unto good works, Ephesians 2.

It cannot be reversed by work, works or ritual.

A view only intensified through twelve years of MPhil and PhD work in the areas of free will and determinism.

This is not to state that I am opposed to efforts to bring children into Christian faith and even Christian philosophy at an early age.

Teaching children within a Christian worldview is essential and this should include Bible and Theology, and I would recommend at some point Philosophy to some degree.

And yes, I of course support a full range of education for a child.

I realize that other worldviews should also be understood.

Reformed Presbyterians, and I am member of a PCA Church practice infant baptism or paedobaptism.

According to John P. Sartelle:

'The Bible teaches that the sign of salvation is to be applied to the children of believing parents. In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign. The New Testament baptism is the sign'. Sartelle (1985: 22). It is a sign of a covenant between the parents and God to raise their children in the Lord, in Christ. 

To me this is a theological construct and not explicitly Biblical as would be Believer's Baptism (Matthew 28: 18-20) for which there is a stronger Biblical case, however, it is not heretical.

I would disagree with a Baptist or like that states it is.

One could as well based on the Reformed views on free will and determinism and compatibilism, be a Reformed Baptist, or like and commit one's child to the covenant of God in Christ without infant baptism or paedobaptism and maintain it reasonably Biblically, theologically and philosophically.

This based primarily on the concept and theology that can be found in Ephesians 1 and 2 that God chooses/elects by grace through faith unto good works, whom he causes/wills.

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.

SARTELL, JOHN P (1985) Infant Baptism, PR Publishing, Phillipsburg, New Jersey



Cheers

Nostalgia From The United Kingdom 1999-2001

London, Windsor walkway-trekearth

Manchester-trekearth

I have discussed the incident with Manchester University and the being bottled incident more than once on my blogs, and so I will not discuss these within this post.

Please note that the dates on the photos are incorrect.

When I arrived in Manchester the University did not have student housing available for me or an academic adviser and so I had to find my own accommodation and therefore I did some research with some assistance from someone at the University and I rented a flat from a fellow or bloke named 'Dave'.

First I rented in Crumpsall and then later in Gorton. This was for over a year of the almost two year stay. Less than half of my stay I house-sat for missionaries that are among my group of Christian friends that are life long friends I made in the United Kingdom. Most of whom have now moved out of the Greater Manchester area.

Here are some photos from the first 'flat' I rented from Dave in Crumpsall.

That is the oven in September 1999 after an attempted wipe down. That is how bad the grease was! 

And in the beginning the flat did not have any heat.

Crumpsall and the outside of the flat.

I was going through the political issues with Manchester University and not getting any work done and so I headed home for Christmas 1999 and also visited my friend and his family JB that at that time lived in Southern Ontario.

JB and I visited Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York with two trips.

From Southern Ontario I flew back to Greater Vancouver for Christmas. I then took a return flight back to Southern Ontario, visited with JB and family again and then boarded a flight back to Manchester. 

When I returned to Crumpsall my flat had been broken into and all of my electronic equipment stolen including my computer.

There was a note from Dave which stated, and I have the actual hand-written note glued to my photo album here: 

'Russell, your flat was broken into 25/12/99 I have refixed door. Janice (NO 6) has reported it to police. Dave.'

I emailed and phoned JB about the issue at the time and his Father is a retired police officer and his Father thought there was a good chance that Dave was responsible for the break in. Dave knew I was away and could have arranged to have an associate or associates break in.

At the time I reasoned that this was of course an intellectual, philosophical possibility but I thought with the high crime rate in the area it was just more likely a matter of the fact that persons reasoned that I had been away for a few weeks and took advantage of the situation.

There had been a prior incident, for example, when I took the third photo on this post presented of the outside of the flat where a young thug type slammed on his car breaks and jumped out his vehicle and with from my Canadian perspective, a whiny difficult to understand Manchester accent, as in not someone well-spoken, and was questioning why I was taking the photos. I simply stated 'private photos' sternly and he walked back toward his car and drove away.

This to me demonstrated among other things observed that Crumpsall was a high crime area. 

And so I asked Dave to find me a better area, and he found a better flat in the supposedly slightly safer area of Gorton, according to him.

When I moved back to Greater Vancouver for the Summer of 2000, it was nearly for good, perhaps it should have been. But I did move back again to Manchester for basically another year. This time I wised up and stored all my electronic equipment that I could remember with a Sikh computer technician and friend that built my new computer that was the replacement for the one that had been stolen.

When I returned to Gorton, once again I had been burgled, but I reason I only had lost a watch to theft that I had mistakenly left behind.

My electronic goods were all safely stored in my Sikh friend's basement in Trafford close to Manchester United...

Once again JB stated that his Father reasoned that Dave was behind these burglaries and this time although I had no solid evidence I decided to play it safe.

I accepted my missionary friend's offer to house-sit.

As far as Gorton being supposedly a slightly safer area, one of the neighbours in a nearby building had two people visit him, tie him to a chair, beat him to death, take nothing and leave the door open for the entire neighbourhood to view.

A local merchant told me he thought I had been the victim.

And I stated that I carried a night stick and I would probably be more difficult to take out by two thugs.

I also trained with that weapon.

Actually, the first thing the downtown weapons Manchester store owner offered me when I asked for a self-defence weapon was a Samurai sword, but I stated I was not interested in beheading an intruder.

Proverbs 15:22 English Standard Version (ESV)

22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

I had limited support from my soon to be ex-University.

I did take some of Dave's advice as I was in a new country in a unfamiliar cultural situation, but realized that in light of his oven and heating issues, for example, with the first flat that there were some serious problems in regards to professionalism.

I did consider the wise councel of an intelligent and wise friend and his intelligent and wise Father that had worked as a police officer and would have experience with the issue of burglary.

However, without more evidence to this date, I have no firm conclusions in regard to whom would be responsible for either burglary.

But I am firm in my conclusions that I was wise to exit myself out from that rental situation.

Gorton

End

Country Road by Caron Smed: Caron was kind enough to share her fine art with my blogs once again. I have seen her work live as well and it is very impressive for depth, brilliant colour and detail. In line with this post this country road painting reminds me of the backroad off the tourist map trips I have taken with my family and friends over the years in the United Kingdom.

World Statistics Blogging & Otherwise

Moorea, French Polynesia-Facebook

Marseille-Facebook

Marseille-Facebook

Blogger & Revolver Statistics

Blogger statistics, which I would reason are likely the most accurate as my sites/blogs are both from Blogger, state the United States of America provides more audience, more readers than any other country, with Canada being second with both of my sites.

Revolver statistics are not in agreement with Blogger in regard to my other blog, Dr. Russell Norman Murray. Although Revolver does not provide the in-depth statistics that Stat Counter and Site Meter do in regard to pageviews, it does record temporarily many pageviews that the other services do not. Histats as well records some of the statistics that the other services do not, but none of the programs record all visits and pageviews and therefore by me using four free programs and Blogger statistics which are just data statistics as the prime source, I have an idea of the true state of my blogs statistically.

Revolver statistics in regard to audience/visits for this blog

1. United States 41.36%
2. Canada 25.26%
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Australia
6. Germany
7. France
8. Philippines
9. Brazil
10. Spain

With this blog and with the relative abundance of computers, and reasonable member numbers of Evangelical Christianity, Reformed Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America, it is not a surprise that more readers arrive to Satire And Theology from the United States of America than anywhere else.

I still have not figured out why my key readers/pageviewers may very well be quiet 90 year old grandmas from a couple or so States mainly...;)

Perhaps because I am temporarily homecaring?

1 Timothy 5:7-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

James 1:26-27 English Standard Version (ESV)

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Canada as my home country providing the second most visits/pageviews and audience members makes sense as my own pageviews are counted. I do not attempt to turn those off because for one, I am not the only person on the router network and others read my blog while on the network.

I have local friends that read my posts.

I also have friends in the United Kingdom that may read my posts at times.

Revolver statistics in regard to audience/visits for my Dr. Russell Norman Murray blog

1. Canada 41.76%
2. United States 33.34%
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. India
6. Brazil
7. Germany
8. Philippines
9. Netherlands
10. Indonesia

If the Revolver statistics are correct over the Blogger statistics with my other blog, which I certainly doubt, it raises the philosophical possibility which I completely deny up front, that I am stalking myself...

End

From the site 25 things you wouldnt believe about these countries-selections

Oldest sovereign State in the world Egypt-3100 BC, Beherira Desert-trekearth

Most educated people with 50% past post secondary-Canada-I think I did my part-Vancouver, BC-trekearth

Fastest Disappearing Nation-Ukraine-Quote: 'With a natural decrease in population of .8% annually, between now and 2050 Ukraine is expected to lose around 30% of its people.' Sad to read.-Krym Alumpa, Ukraine-trekearth

Most people behind bars-The United States at 2.2 million people with 5% of the world population but 25% of the world incarcerated population. Honda Bridge, Florida-trekearth

The land of no rivers-Saudi Arabia-Saudi Desert-trekearth

Most lakes in the world-Canada-No shock with all the rain here in the Lower Mainland, there could be many human made lakes. Firelake, BC-trekearth