| Gheos Worldguide | MeteoWeather | World Events | World Destinations | Free web counters | 20 November 2008 | |
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 Burning of the Amazon jungle is changing weather patterns by raising temperatures and reducing rainfall, accelerating the rate at which the forest is disappearing and turning into grassland, scientists have said. Wide-scale burning by loggers and farmers of the Amazon has risen sharply over the past two decades, changing the region's cloud cover and reducing the amount of rain in some deforested areas that are turning into grassland or savanna. It is possible that 60 percent of the jungle will turn into savanna in the next 50 to 100 years. The most likely outlook is that 20 to 30 percent will turn into savanna, according to forecasting models. Destruction of the Amazon, home to up to 30 percent of the globe's animal and plant species, reached its second-highest level last year. An area of 5.9 million acres (2.38 million hectares) was destroyed as loggers and farmers hacked and burned the forest in 2003. About 85 percent of the Amazon is still standing. Learn more about: South America Exchange Rates Click here for CNN financial and business news. |
Welcome to Gheos.com, the largest travel portal on the Internet. The World Guide features detailed maps, flags, anthems, statistical information, weather reports, history and travel information and tips on all travel destinations in the world. No matter where you are planning to travel to, all the necessary information is freely available from Gheos.com Destination of the week On these pages a different destination will be highlighted every week. Sometimes it's a tourist trap like one of the Spanish resorts; sometimes we will bring you detailed information on some more exotic places. This week we will have a closer look at Thailand 
Thailand is home to one of the most important historical heritages in Southeast Asia. If you are interested in ruins, temples and deserted cities, Thailand should definitely be on your list. Those who just want fun and sun, can enjoy the beaches on Thailand's wonderful islands.The capital of Bangkok is a huge, chaotic metropolis, but it tends to charm visitors with its energy and cultural treasures in such a way that most of them are not bothered by the terrible steamy mixture of heat from the sun and exhaust-gasses from the dense traffic. Thailand is an easy country to travel in. It has an efficient transportation system, cheap accommodation and a delicious national cuisine. Thai people are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality to strangers. On the other hand they are also very strong-minded and have struggled for centuries to preserve their spirit of independence. The best time to visit Thailand is between November and February, when it doesn't rain too much and the temperatures are bearable. The south is best visited when the rest of Thailand is extremely hot (March to May), while the north is best from mid-November to early December and in February, when it starts warming up again. Weather-wise, Bangkok should be avoided in April, when it's extremely hot and October, when it rains continuously. The peak tourist months are December and August and the least crowded months are May, June and September. There are numerous interesting festivals and other events in Thailand. They are often linked to Buddhist or Brahman rituals and follow a lunar calendar. This means that they don't take place on the same dates every year. Some of the most important celebrations include New Year, or Songkran, in April, the start of the official rice-planting season in early May and the Loi Krathong Festival, which is usually in November. There are also countless local festivals.  Click on the images to learn more about this interesting destination. A map of Thailand will open full-screen. Just click on towns and places you want to know more about.Next week: Uganda
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Most Popular Today's twenty most popular destinations in Gheos Worldguide. We are continuously adding travel information on destinations all over the world. We are curently adding data for the Canada. Most destinations in the rest of the world have already been added and the database now includes more than 50,000 cities, towns and other places of interest from all over the world. (Enter the World Atlas and type the place you are looking for in the search box to see if it is already available). Recently Added + Images from Jinja + Images from Kampala + Statistical Info 2006 + Map of Montenegro Maps Click here to find out how to display one of our country maps on your homepage legally and for free. World Time Click here to get a world time map for your homepage. Gheos Worldguide Gheos World Guide will open fullscreen.Please read the instructions after opening carefully. Photo of the Month Every month we will select one photograph out of those sent to us. Global warming could doom hundreds of land plants and animals to extinction over the next 50 years by marooning them in harsh, changed surroundings, scientists warn. A sweeping new analysis enlisting scientists from 14 laboratories around the globe found that more than one-third of 1,103 native species they studied could vanish or plunge to near extinction by 2050 as climate change turns plains into deserts or alters forests. Among the already threatened species that could go extinct are Australia's Boyd's forest dragon, Europe's azure-winged magpie and Mexico's Jico deer mouse. The researchers concede there are many uncertainties in both climate forecasts and the computer models they used to forecast future extinctions. But they said their dire conclusions may well come to pass if industrial nations do not curtail emissions of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Learn more about: World |
