27.09.2012

Need for Speed

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Wikimaipia main goal is providing a free access for all our data. That makes our project a helpfull source. The number of tagged objects on Wikimapia increases every day, now there are 19,5 mln places already. We are happy to see, how our project broadens, though such a great amount of data effects the speed of loading badly.

To meet your demands and keep the speed of loading high we were working on this issue. Today we are happy to inform you that we’ve improved the data compression algorithm and the positive results didn't take long to appear.

Have you mentioned that the speed of loading went 1,5 times higher now?

21.09.2012

Most famous Museum Ships

As you know, we on Wikimapia do not tag vehicles, as they are movable objects. Though Wikimapia guidelines say that "planes and submarines, circuses and other movable objects may be added if they are unmovable at least for a week and staying still at the moment of adding". And that is what our today's article about. Let's take a look at most famous Museum Ships in the world. These legendary sea giants saw battles during many wars and rendered a good service for their nations. Today they are acting museums that attract thousands of tourist every year.


Portrait of HMS Victory by Cornelis de Vries



HMS Victory was built at Chatham Dockyard in 1759-65 as a first-rate ship for the British Navy. It fought in the battles such as Ushant and Cape St. Vincent, but was most famous when it was used as Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson won the battle but was killed during it. The ship was placed in this dry dock in 1922 and has stayed there since. Today the ship is a big tourist attraction at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, England and is the oldest commissioned warship.


Anton Otto Fischer (1882–1962),Chase of the Constitution, July 1812


USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat. Launched in 1797, Constitution was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. Built in Boston, Massachusetts, at Edmund Hartt's shipyard, her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
Constitution is most famous for her actions during the War of 1812 against Great Britain, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships. She continued to actively serve the nation as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons, and circled the world in the 1840s. During the American Civil War she served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy and carried artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878. Retired from active service in 1881, she served as a receiving ship until designated a museum ship in 1907 and in 1934 she completed a three-year, 90-port tour of the nation. Constitution sailed under her own power for her 200th birthday in 1997, and again in August 2012, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her victory over Guerriere.
The mission of Constitution is to promote understanding of the Navy’s role in war and peace through active participation in public events and education through outreach programs, public access, and historic demonstration. Her crew of 60 officers and enlisted participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping the ship open to visitors year-round and providing free tours. The crewmen are all active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, and the assignment is considered to be special duty. Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.


Aurora cruiser


Aurora is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. She battled the Japanese Navy in the Russo-Japanese War. One of the first incidents of the October Revolution in Russia took place on the cruiser Aurora. As a museum ship, the cruiser Aurora became one of the many tourist attractions of Saint Petersburg, and continued to be a symbol of the October Socialist Revolution and a prominent attribute of Russian history. In addition to the museum space, a part of the ship continued to house a naval crew whose duties included caring for the ship, providing security and participating in government and military ceremonies. The crew was considered to be on active duty and was subject to military training and laws.
Having long served as a museum ship, from 1984 to 1987 the cruiser was once again placed in her construction yard, the Admiralty Shipyard, for capital restoration. Aurora stands today as the oldest commissioned ship of the Russian Navy, still flying the naval ensign under which she was commissioned, but now under the care of the Central Naval Museum. She is still manned by an active service crew commanded by a Captain of the 1st Rank.
From 1956 to the present day 28 million people have visited the cruiser Aurora.


USS Missouri photo


USS Missouri (BB-63) first launched into the East River on January 29, 1944, and was the final battleship built by the United States and the second-to-last in the world. During World War II, Missouri saw action at the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa, and shelled the Japanese home islands of Hokkaido and Honshū several times. During all its life USS MIssouri took part in the Korean War, participated in several Midshipmen training cruises, in 1984 she was extensively modernized for active service in the modern US Navy, spent couple of years taking part in exercises and good will cruises, than Misspuri was called to action again as part of Operation Earnest Will in 1987. Only four years later, Missouri would return to the Persian Gulf, this time as part of the US-led coalition intent on repulsing the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991.
Missouri remained in commission for only a year after the Gulf War, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War she was deemed surplus to the needs of the Navy. USS Missouri was decommissioned for the final time on March 31, 1992. On May 4, 1998 she was donated to serve as a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, where her place in history as the site where the Second World War ended would be secure alongside the USS Arizona, where the Second World War began for the United States.


ORP Blyskawica Painting, James Williamson


ORP Błyskawica is a historic Polish Grom-class destroyer serving in the Polish Navy during World War II, preserved as a museum in Gdynia. She is the only ship of the Polish Navy awarded with the Virtuti Militari medal, as well as the oldest preserved destroyer in the world. The name means Lightning. She was one of the two legendary Groms, the most heavily-armed and fastest destroyers on the seas of that times.

There is no special category on Wikimapia for museum ships yet, though we consider it might be very helpful. We encourage our users to pay attention to this fact. Let's improve Wikimapia together!

07.09.2012

200 anniversary of The Battle of Borodino

Today on 7th September is the 200 anniversary of The Battle of Borodino, the largest and bloodiest single-day battle of the Napoleonic Wars, that happened in 1812. The battle involved more than 250,000 soldiers and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties.
We on Wikimapia have the “French invasion of Russia in 1812” category, which helps to recall the main events of the Patriotic War of 1812, that changed the world geography and history and had a huge impact on arts.


Battle of Borodino, painting by Louis-François, Baron Lejeune, 1822


Battle of Borodino reconstructions take place every year. Thousands of people gather here in the beginning of September, dressed like Russian and French soldiers of that time, to recreate this huge event in details. It is indeed a breathtaking thing to see.



The Triumphal Arch in Moscow, 1909. Photo by Murray Howe


Triumphal Arch in Moscow commemorates Russian victory in the 1812 (Napoleonic) Patriotic war. It was originally erected near the current Belorussuan railway station - at the end of Tverskaya street, but demolished in 1936 during reconstruction of the square; later (1966—1968) it was demolished but reconstructed here (so this is actually a copy). Architect Joseph Bove (he is also famous as the architect of the Bolshoy theatre), sculptors Ivan Vitali and Ivan Timofeyev.

05.09.2012

Wikimapia August news

Summer is coming to the end, while the active life and improvement of Wikimapia continues as usual! Here are the latest news on Wikimapia for August.

Every day we pick out most amazing places from Wikimapia map and share them with our friends in Facebook and Twitter. We post the latest news here as well. Subscribe on Wikimapia pages and take part in discussions.


Translation of the official Wikimapia Documentation has started in July. We are glad to inform you that the first steps were made. Some parts of Docs in Russian and Portuguese have already appeared. But still there is a lot of work to do and we seek people, who'd like to help our Documentors. See how you can participate in the process at Wikimapia Docs translation forum thread.


New articles, dedicated to most amusing places on our map, appeared in Wikimapia blog. This month we were exploring volcanoes in North America, places of nuclear weapon tests, where to find the best cheese in the world and most magnificent tombs of all the times. We post all the latest news in Blog as well.


Wikimapia forum is the main ground for discussions of our community. One of the latest threads is dedicated to Wikimapia User level system improvement. If you have any ideas or suggestions on the topic, please share it on the forum.


We made About Wikimapia page. Here you can see general info about our project, philosophy and team.


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Wikimapia Community expanding every day! Here is some stats for the last month:

- 297674 new places were added on Wikimapia
- 26 292 new users joined Wikimapia community

22.08.2012

Explore volcanoes on Wikimapia Pt.3

We keep exploring volcanoes from around the world with Wikimapia and today we turn your attention to North America. Most volcanoes on the continent are located along the west coast, at the subduction of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. Alaska and Hawaii contain the biggest currently active volcanoes.


General view on North America


Lets start our review from the south of the continent and see the highest volcanoes in Mexico and than move north.

The Pico de Orizaba is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises 5,636 meters above sea level. The volcano is currently dormant but not extinct with the last eruption taking place in the 19th century. The volcano is named for the city of Orizaba, but is also known by the Aztec name of Citlaltépetl (Star Mountain). The volcano has a rich cultural value. Its lower slopes host Aztec villages, pyramids, and temples. Its image adorns Aztec hieroglyphics and colonial and modern paintings, woodcuts, and lithographs.

Pico de Orizaba

Popocatepetl is located just outside of Mexico City. It is the second largest volcano in Mexico. The volcano is curently active with strong military protection preventing access. In Nahuatl, Popocatepetl means "smoky mountain.

Popocatepetl

When speaking about volcanoes in southern part of the US, you'll certainly think about state Hawaii. Though these islands are not the part of the continent, we still want to take a look at them. The islands are located on the Pacific tectonic plate and were formed by hotspot volcanism. Two currently active volcanoes are located on the Big Island, Kilauea, and Mauna Loa.

Mauna Loa (4 169 m) is an active shield volcano, one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii. It is Earth's largest mountain, with a volume estimated at approximately 75,000 km³, although its peak is about 36 m lower than that of its neighbor, Mauna Kea. In Hawaiian, mauna loa means "long mountain". Lava eruptions from Mauna Loa are very fluid, and the volcano has extremely shallow slopes as a result. Mauna Loa is the world's largest shield volcano in terms of area covered.

Mauna Loa

Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, offers scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' — views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. As Mauna Loa, Kilauea is situted on the territory of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which encompasses diverse environments that range from sea level to the summit of volcanoes. Over half of the park is designated wilderness and provides unusual hiking and camping opportunities. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been listed in International Biosphere Reserve and pronounced a World Heritage Site.

Kīlauea

Back to the continent part of the USA lets see the highests and most famous volcano peaks here.

Mount St. Helens is probably North America's most notorious volcano and is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows. Mount St. Helens most catastrophic eruption happened on May 18, 1980. It was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.
The mountain is part of the Cascade Volcanoes and the Cascade Range (major mountain range of western North America) and is included in the Pacific Ring of Fire with 160 other active volcanoes.

Mount St. Helens

Sunset Crater is in the eastern part of the San Francisco volcanic field. Sunset Crater, one of the youngest scoria cones in the contiguous United States, began erupting between the growing seasons of 1064 and 1065 A.D. Eruptions continued in the area for many decades. Sunset Crater is Part of the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

Sunset Crater

World-known Yellowstone caldera is very large - 72 x 55 km in diameter. The caldera overlies the Yellowstone Hotspot, which is a mantle plume and is responsible for what is probably Earth's largest concentration of hot springs and geysers that Yellowstone National Park is so famous for. The park is known for its wildlife and geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular areas in the park. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is dominant.

Yellowstone

Mount Bona is one of the major mountains of the Saint Elias Mountains in eastern Alaska, and is the fifth highest independent peak in the United States. It is also the largest ice-covered stratovolcano.

Mount Bona

Mount Blackburn is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska in the United States.The mountain is an old, eroded shield volcano. It is located in the heart of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the country. The mountain's massif is covered almost entirely by icefields and glaciers, and is the principal source of ice for the Kennicott Glacier, which flows southeast over 32 km. Mount Blackburn is a large, dramatic peak, with great local relief and independence from higher peaks.

Mount Blackburn

Volcanic activity in Alaska is concentrated in the Aleutian Islands, an arc which stretches from westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Alaskan eruption rate is about two eruptions per year. Alaska Volcano Observatory monitors activity in the Aleutian chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller ones. The islands, with their 57 volcanoes, are in the northern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Aleutian Islands

On Wikimapia almost 2 500 objects have ‘volcano’ category. Though it is a lot of data to explore, there are still many volcanoes left untagged or without a detailed description. We appreciate every contribution of our users and look forward to see more information as well. Have you ever saw a volcano yourself? Or maybe you have nice photos or any interesting information about them? Share your knowledge with Wikimapia Community, add new volcanoes on world map or improve their descriptions.

20.08.2012

Places of nuclear weapon tests on Wikimapia

Volcano explosions, tectonic plates splitting, climate changes, tsunami - all these nature forces are changing the face of our planet, they make some islands rise from the Ocean bottom and other disappear. In 20th century mankind has created nuclear weapon that can be compared in power to nature itself. As any other great discovery or invention, nuclear weapon has brought much prosperity to people (e.g., nuclear energy), as well as lot of tragedy. But the fact is undeniable: the beginning of Nuclear Era has made the contemporary World as it is now. As any other invention the nuclear bomb needed testing to give an idea of what the actual size and effects of an atomic explosion would be. When filtering places on Wikimapia through 'nuclear testing area' category, you can learn the history of nuclear weapon tests and see their huge tracks on the Earth.




The first nuclear weapon was detonated as a test by the United States at the Trinity site, 48 km southeast of Socorro on what is now White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. It was a test of an implosion-design plutonium bomb, the same type of weapon later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two events of nuclear weapons usage in war to date. The detonation was equivalent to the explosion of around 20 kilotons of TNT, and is usually credited as the beginning of the Atomic Age. The crater left from the explosion is approximately 900 m wide.

Trinity Test Site

Bikini Atoll is a coral island in the Micronesian Islands in Pacific Ocean. As part of the Pacific Proving Grounds it was the site of more than 20 nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958, including the first test of a practical dry fuel hydrogen bomb in 1952 and Castle Bravo detonation, the first test of a practical hydrogen bomb, in 1954, wich was the largest nuclear explosion ever set off by the United States. Castle Bravo appeared to be much more powerful than predicted, and created widespread radioactive contamination. Even today, in 2012, eating fruits grown here for a long period of time without having taken remedial measures, might result in radiation doses higher than internationally agreed safety levels.

Bikini Atoll

The Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) was the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons. The first Soviet bomb, Operation First Lightning (nicknamed Joe One by the Americans) was conducted in 1949 from a tower at the Semipalatinsk Test Site.

Explosion of Joe One

Tsar Bomba (Russian: Царь-бомба; "Emperor Bomb") is the nickname for the AN602 hydrogen bomb, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated in human history. This attempt was successful, as it was one of the cleanest (relative to its yield) atomic bombs ever detonated. Only one bomb of this type was ever built and it was tested on October 30, 1961, in Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

Explosion of Tsar Bomba

Operation Hurricane was the test of the first British atomic device on 3 October 1952. A plutonium implosion device was detonated in the lagoon between the Montebello Islands, Western Australia.

the Montebello Islands

There were 210 French nuclear tests from 1960 until 1996. 17 of them were done in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966, starting in the middle of the Algerian War. 193 were carried out in French Polynesia. Gerboise Bleue ("blue jerboa") was the name of the first French nuclear test. It was an atomic bomb detonated in the middle of the Algerian Sahara desert on 13 February 1960.

Algerian Sahara

Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base is where the first Chinese nuclear bomb test, codenamed "596", was tested in 1964. Until 1996, 45 nuclear tests were conducted here.

Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base

"Smiling Buddha" was the codename given to the Republic of India's first nuclear test explosion that took place at the long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran municipality, Rajasthan state on 18 May 1974. It was also the first confirmed nuclear test by a nation outside the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The Indian government, however, declared that it was not going to make nuclear weapons even though it had acquired the capacity to do so. It claimed that the Pokhran explosion was an effort to harness atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to make India self-reliant in nuclear technology, but subsequently, India conducted five more nuclear tests on 11 May and 13 May 1998

Pokhran Test Range

Chagai-I is the name given to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan on 28 May 1998. The tests were performed in a secret Chagai weapon-testing laboratories, located in the Chagai District of the Baluchistan Province of Pakistan.
The Chagai-I is considered a milestone in the history of Pakistan that was conducted in a direct response to India's second nuclear tests, Operation Shakti, on 11 and 13 May 1998. Nuclear weapon testings of both states resulted in a variety of economic sanctions on each other by number of major powers, particularly the United States and Japan. With the performance of the simultaneous atomic testing of the five nuclear devices, Pakistan, thus became the seventh nuclear power in the world to successfully develop and publicly test nuclear weapons, despite the international fury.

Chagai weapon-testing laboratories

In 2006 North Korea announced its intention to conduct a test, and in doing so became the first nation to give warning of its first nuclear test. This test provoked International condemnation and aggravates conflict between North Korea goverment and United Nations Security Council. Nevertheless, three years later, on 25 May 2009 the second underground detonation of a nuclear device conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Though, there is no official information, where exactly the tests took place, they were confirmed by seismic measurements.

Places of North Korea tests

By marking such places, Wikimapia users make the map data more valuable not only for geogrphical purposes, but closely connected with history, politics and natural sciences. Though we all hope that there will be no more places on Earth like these anymore, we on Wikimapia are glad to know that our project can give coverage on such serious topics, thanks to users contributions. We appreciate their efforts a lot and encourage Wikimapia community members to pay more attention to the places of such a high significance for all mankind and participate in improving Wikimapia map.

09.08.2012

Cheese tourism with Wikimapia

The week is warm and summer wind calls up nice thoughts, so today we want to draw your attention to something really nice and beloved for most people - cheese! Does Wikimapia, a map, can have something in common with food, you may ask? And the answer is totally YES. Let’s have a cheese tour on Wikimapia around the world!
As you may know, there are some most famous and popular cheese types. They differ in taste, age and what not else. And they have their names after towns, where they were firstly produced. All best cheese is made in small mostly European villages, surrounded by green fields and lovely cows. When looking on these bucolic places you almost hear the sounds of a shepherd reed.

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The biggest exporter of cheese, by monetary value, is France. That’s a really cheese country - the motherland of famous Roquefort, Camembert, Brie.

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (Occitan: Ròcafòrt) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.
It is located on the Causse du Larzac and is famous for its ewe's milk Roquefort cheese. Much of the activity in the commune is centred around the production and distribution of the cheese. A visitor centre illustrates the process of making Roquefort cheese and offers guests a chance to sample and purchase the product.

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

Camembert is most famous as the place where camembert cheese originated. It has been called "The largest small village in France" because the area of the commune itself is out of proportion to the center of the village which consists of the Cheese Museum (in the shape of a Camembert cheese), the Town Hall (Mairie), the Church of St Anne, the Ferme Président (a museum), Beamoncel (the house where Marie Harel, the creator of camembert cheese lived) and 3 other small houses. The rest of the commune is scattered over 2500 acres.

Camembert

Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. The Brie forms a plateau with few eminences, varying in altitude between 300 and 650 feet. Its scenery is varied by forests. There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed varieties, double and triple Brie and versions of Brie made with other types of milk. Indeed, although Brie is a French cheese, it is possible to obtain Somerset and Wisconsin Brie. Despite the variety of Bries, the French government officially certifies only two types of cheese to be sold under that name: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.
Brie de Meaux, manufactured at the town of Meaux since the 8th century, it was originally known as the "King's Cheese", or, after the French Revolution, the "King of Cheeses," and was enjoyed by the peasantry and nobility alike. It was granted the protection of Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status in 1980, and it is produced primarily in the eastern part of the Parisian basin.

Meaux

Italy is another cheesy state. Cheese is an essential ingredient in famous Italian pizzas and pastas and other dishes. Italians have an eye for cheese, thats why their “formaggio” types soooo delicious!

Gorgonzola is a comune in the province of Milan, part of Lombardy, northern Italy. Once a rural community, and famous for the cheese which bears its name. The well known Gorgonzola cheese made with goat's milk is firm and salty. It is claimed by the residents to have originated in Gorgonzola in 879, although other towns claim the origins too. Whatever the real town of Gorgonzola cheese is, it is certainly a 100% Italian product. Under Italian law, Gorgonzola enjoys Protected Geographical Status. Termed DOC in Italy, this means that it can only be produced in the provinces of Novara, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Pavia, Varese,Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli, as well as a number of comuni in the area of Casale Monferrato (province of Alessandria).

Gorgonzola

Parmigiano-Reggiano (also known in English as Parmesan), is a hard, granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna (all in Emilia-Romagna), and Mantova (in Lombardia), Italy. Under Italian law, only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled "Parmigiano-Reggiano", while European law classifies the name as a protected designation of origin.

Parma

Netherlands is country of tulips, painters, canals, weed legalization and CHEESE!

Gouda (population 71,797 in 2004) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, which is still traded on its cheese market, held each Thursday, smoking pipes and its 15th century city hall.
The town takes its name from the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family took its name.

Gouda cheese market

Edam is a city in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland. Edam is famous as the original source of the cheese with the same name.
The cheese market was the primarily boost of the economy of Edam in the 16th century. On the 16th of April in 1526 Emperor Charles V gave Edam the right to have a market every week. In 1594 this right was given for eternity by Prince Willem I as a sign of appreciation for the good collaboration during the siege of Alkmaar.
After the right to have a market Edam held commercial cheese markets till 1922. The cheese was brought to the market by local farmers with little boats. When the cheese was lifted out of the boat it was carried to the market by cheese carriers. At the market the cheese was shown to the merchants. After being tested for their quality the price was settled by haggling until there was an agreement about the price. After that the cheese was brought to a warehouse where it was kept until the quality was at its best.
Since 1989, the cheese market in Edam has been revived as a re-enactment for tourists. It is held each July and August on each Wednesday from 10:30 to 12:30.

Edam

Switzerland citizens make irreproachable clocks, secure bank accounts, best chocolate ever and just perfect cheese called Gruyères.

Gruyères is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz.
The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to the well-known cheese. In this town, a trackless train is the only vehicle allowed on its pedestrianised streets.
Gruyères has a population (as of December 2010) of 1,789. Formerly, the focus was on trading cheese and small and big animals. There were several mills and sawmills and since 18th century a gun powder factory. Until the beginning of the 20th century, straw-twisting was also rather important. Agriculture is still specialized in milk production and cattle-breeding. It delivers raw materials for the cheese production and meat treating. Most important is the famous Gruyère cheese.
Gruyère cheese is an important factor in supporting the tourist trade in the region. A major tourist attraction is the medieval town of Gruyères with its castle, containing a regional museum and an arts museum. There are cultural activities in the castle (concerts, theater). There is a cheese factory in Pringy which is open to visitors. Nearby is Mont Moléson, a mountain suitable for climbing, or for the less athletic there is a cablecar to the summit which was rebuilt in 1998. The resort town Moléson-Village caters for both summer and winter tourism. There are also H. R. Giger Museum and bar.

Gruyères

There is only one famous type of cheese from England, but what a taste it has!

Cheddar is a village in the district of Sedgemoor in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Mendip Hills 14.5 km northwest of Wells. Cheddar is noted for its nearby Gorge, the hymn Rock of Ages and its cheese. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and constant temperature for maturing the cheese. Cheddar cheese traditionally had to be made within 48 km of Wells Cathedral. Cheddar has been produced since at least the 12th century.

Cheddar

‘Cheese’ and ‘fromage’ categories on Wikimapia include 270 places today. Mostly they designate cheese shops or places where the cheese is produced, so every fromage connoisseur could find, where to buy the best cheese in his area. If you like cheese as much as we do or just know something that has no mark on Wikimapia yet - share you knowledge with others!