VOLUMES
1- 4
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of
World Cities
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of
World Cities VOLUME
1
Atlanta, Georgia to Denver, Colorado
Edited by Jill Copolla and Susan Bevan Gall
J U N I O R WO R L D M A R K E N C Y C L O P E D I A O F W O R L D C I T I E S
U•X•L Staff Allison McNeill, U•X•L Senior Editor Carol DeKane Nagel, U•X•L Managing Editor Thomas L. Romig, U•X•L Publisher Dorothy Maki, Manufacturing Manager Evi Seoud, Assistant Production Manager Rita Wimberley, Senior Buyer Pamela A.E. Galbreath, Art Director This publication is a creative work copyrighted by U•X•L and fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. The authors and editors of this work have added value to the underlying factual material herein through one or more of the following: unique and original selection, coordination, expression, arrangement, and classification of the information. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Copyright © 2000 U•X•L An imprint of the Gale Group All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Printed in United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cover photos (top to bottom): Paris, France: Louvre (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp) Monrovia, Liberia: Redemption Day Celebration (EPD/Homer Sykes; Woodfin Camp) Tokyo, Japan: Kids with skateboards (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp) Lima, Peru: Market (EPD/Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp) Washington, DC: Lincoln Memorial (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp)
Susan Bevan Gall and Jill Marie Coppola, Editors Timothy L. Gall, Executive Editor Mary Francis Sugar, Eleftherios E. Netos, Jennifer Wallace, James C. Woodring, Associate Editors Bridgette M. Nadzam, Graphics and Page Layout Gregory M. Hurst, Editorial Assistant Magellan Geographix, Cartographers
Contributors Olufemi A. Akinola, Ph.D. W.E.B. DuBois Institute, Harvard University Cynthia Andrews. Researcher/Writer, Suttons Bay, Michigan Mike Cikraji. Researcher/Writer, Bay Village, Ohio Patricia Hale. Researcher/Writer, West Hartford, Connecticut Bruce Heilman. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Jim Henry. Researcher/Writer, Chicago, Illinois William Hodgson. Researcher/Writer, Vancouver, British Columbia Dave Hribar. Researcher/Writer, Avon Lake, Ohio Ignacio Lobos. Journalist, Honolulu, Hawaii Deryck O. Lodrick, Ph.D. Visiting Scholar, Center for South Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley Lupa Ramadhani. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gail Rosewater. Researcher/Writer, Cleveland, Ohio Carmen Urdaneta, M.A. Researcher/Writer, Boston, Massachusetts Jeffrey Vance. Researcher/Writer, Brighton, Massachusetts Rosalie Wieder. Researcher/Writer, Cleveland, Ohio Steven Wolinetz, Ph.D. Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland
CONTENTS C I T Y F I N D E R TA B L E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii R E A D E R ’S G U I D E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix ATLANTA, GEORGIA ................................................................ 1 B A N G K O K , T H A I L A N D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 B E I J I N G , C H I N A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 B E R L I N , G E R M A N Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 B O S T O N , M A S S A C H U S E T T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 B R U S S E L S , B E L G I U M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 B U E N O S A I R E S , A R G E N T I N A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 C A I R O , E G Y P T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 C A R A C A S , V E N E Z U E L A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 C H I C A G O , I L L I N O I S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 C L E V E L A N D , O H I O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 D A L L A S , T E X A S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 D E N V E R, C O L O R A D O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 G L O S S A R Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
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C I T Y F I N D E R TA B L E Volume number appears in brackets []
Toronto, Ontario .......................[4]151 Vancouver, British Columbia......[4]169
Africa
Mexico
Cairo, Egypt .............................[1]115 Johannesburg, South Africa ......[2]123 Lagos, Nigeria ...........................[2]139 Monrovia, Liberia........................[3]69 Nairobi, Kenya ..........................[3]115
Mexico City, Mexico....................[3]19
United States Atlanta, Georgia ...........................[1]1 Boston, Massachusetts .................[1]65 Chicago, Illinois ........................[1]145 Cleveland, Ohio ........................[1]161 Dallas, Texas .............................[1]177 Denver, Colorado.......................[1]191 Detroit, Michigan ..........................[2]1 Honolulu, Hawaii ........................[2]39 Houston, Texas ............................[2]57 Indianapolis, Indiana ..................[2]77 Los Angeles, California ..............[2]189 Miami, Florida.............................[3]37 Minneapolis, Minnesota .............[3]53 Nashville, Tennessee ..................[3]137 New Orleans, Louisiana.............[3]153 New York, New York ................[3]173 Phoenix, Arizona .........................[4]19 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .............[4]1 San Francisco, California .............[4]85 Seattle, Washington....................[4]101 Washington, D.C..........................[4]18
Asia Bangkok, Thailand ......................[1]17 Beijing, China ..............................[1]33 Hong Kong, China.......................[2]21 Istanbul, Turkey ..........................[2]93 Jerusalem, Israel.........................[2]107 Manila, Philippines .......................[3]1 Mumbai (Bombay), India.............[3]99 Sydney, Australia .......................[4]117 Tokyo, Japan ............................[4]133
Europe Berlin, Germany...........................[1]49 Brussels, Belgium ........................[1]83 Istanbul, Turkey...........................[2]93 London, United Kingdom .........[2]169 Madrid, Spain ...........................[2]205 Paris, France ..............................[3]195 Prague, Czech Republic ...............[4]35 Rome, Italy ..................................[4]63
South America Buenos Aires, Argentina...............[1]97 Caracas, Venezuela ...................[1]131 Lima, Peru ................................[2]155 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ..................[4]49
North America Canada Montréal, Québec .......................[3]83
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R E A D E R ’S G U I D E this Reader’s Guide, all of whom offered substantive insights that were instrumental to the creation of this work. The editors are extremely grateful for the time and effort these distinguished reviewers devoted to improving the quality of this work. Sixteen researchers, many of whom live in the city they profiled, are listed on the staff page. Their well-researched profiles give users of Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities an opportunity to compare the history and contemporary life in 50 of the world’s greatest cities—from the ancient cities of Cairo, Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey, to the fast-growing modern metropolitan communities of Lagos, Nigeria; Sydney, Australia; and Seattle, Washington.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities presents profiles of 50 major cities from around the world, arranged alphabetically in four volumes. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities is a new reference work organized under the Worldmark design. The Worldmark design assembles facts and data about each city in a common structure. Every profile contains a map, showing the city and its location. The challenging task of selecting the cities to be profiled in this first edition of Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities was accomplished with input from librarian advisors. From a list of over 100 candidate cities, 50 were selected to represent the continents and cultures of the world, with an emphasis on cities of the United States. Twenty-five cities from North America (including 21 U.S. cities) are profiled, 9 cities from Asia, 7 cities from Europe, 5 cities from Africa, and 4 from South America fill the four volumes. Profiles present text and graphical elements, including photographs, with the needs and interests of student researchers in mind. Recognition must be given to the many tourist bureaus, convention centers, city government press offices, and graphic agencies that contributed the data and photographs that comprise this encyclopedia. This edition also benefits from the work of the reviewers listed at the end of
Sources Due to the broad scope of this encyclopedia many sources were consulted in compiling the information and statistics presented in these volumes. Of primary importance were the official web sites posted by many of the cities’ government offices and tourist/convention bureaus on the World Wide Web. Also instrumental in the development of this publication was the web site of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, available at http://www.census.gov/. Finally, many fact sheets, booklets, and statistical abstracts were used to update
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READER’S GUIDE data not collected by federal or city governments. Profile Features The structure of the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities entries—22 numbered headings—allows students to compare two or more cities in a variety of ways. Each city profile begins with the city name, state or province (where applicable), country, and continent. A city fact box provides information including dates founded and incorporated, city location, official city motto and flower, time zone, ethnic composition, city elevation, latitude and longitude, coastline (where applicable), climate information, annual mean temperature, seasonal average snowfall (where applicable), average annual precipitation, form of government, system of weights and measures used, monetary units, telephone area codes, and city postal codes. Where available, a picture of both the city seal and the city flag, with description, appear. With regard to the time zone, the standard time is given by time zone in relation to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The world is divided into 24 time zones, each one hour apart. The Greenwich meridian, which is 0 degrees, passes through Greenwich, England, a suburb of London. Greenwich is at the center of the initial time zone, known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). All times given are converted from noon in this zone. The time reported for the city is the official time zone. Also provided in each article is a Population Profile box comparing the city proper with its greater metropolitan
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area, including suburbs (where available), and lists facts such as population, racial breakdown, and nicknames. Profiles also include a City Fact Comparison box, comparing daily costs of visiting the city with costs for visiting representative cities elsewhere in the world (Cairo, Egypt; Rome, Italy; and Beijing, China). City maps, locator maps, and photos complement the entries. The body of each city’s profile is arranged in 22 numbered headings as follows: 1
INTRODUCTION. The city’s location
is described. City features are outlined, sometimes citing key facts from city history and major attractions. 2
GETTING THERE. Information is pro-
vided on major highways offering access into and around the city, as well as information on bus and railroad service, airports, and shipping. 3
GETTING AROUND. Information is
outlined on means of transportation within a city, including bus and commuter rail service; some entries include transportation modes that will be less familiar to many student researchers, such as the three-wheeled tuk-tuk of Bangkok, Thailand. Both commuter and sightseeing transportation methods are included. 4
PEOPLE. A population count is pro-
vided for the city proper and its metropolitan area, along with an ethnic/racial breakdown of the populace. For many cities, population growth patterns, languages, and religions are also discussed 5 NEIGHBORHOODS. Location, characteristics, and attractions of city historic
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
READER’S GUIDE and ethnic neighborhoods, and business and cultural districts are described. 6 HISTORY. City history is detailed from its founding to the present. 7
GOVERNMENT. Style of government
is described, and elected offices are listed, along with a description of each office and length of an elected term. 8 PUBLIC SAFETY. Police, fire, and ambulatory services are outlined, as well as any special city safety projects. Crime rate statistics are also listed. 9 ECONOMY. This section presents the key elements of the economy. Major industries and employment figures are also summarized.
Topography, climate, and flora and fauna are described, as well as any environmental concerns, programs, or clean-up efforts. 10
ENVIRONMENT.
11 SHOPPING. Popular shopping districts and venues are described, as well as any specialty items for which the city is renowned. 12 EDUCATION. Information about public education and key universities and technical institutes is detailed. 13 HEALTH CARE. Hospitals and other health services are described. Alternative or non-Western health care practices are described in some city profiles. 14
MEDIA. City newspapers, magazines,
television, and radio stations are listed. Where applicable, government influence on media is discussed.
15 SPORTS. Professional and amateur sports—from auto racing and rodeo to cricket and baseball—sports venues, and championships held are listed. Annual sporting events, major international tournaments, and popular recreational sports are also described. 16 PARKS AND RECREATION. Popular recreational activities and city pastimes, from strolling in a city park to playing polo, and the venues where they can be enjoyed, are detailed. 17 PERFORMING ARTS. Performing arts offered in the city are described, as well as the theaters and performing arts halls where they are offered. Notable annual events are listed. 18 LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. Notable libraries and descriptions of their holdings are described. Major museums, with information about their collections, are listed. 19
TOURISM. The importance of tourism
to the city is summarized, along with factors affecting the tourism industry. Key tourist attractions are listed. 20
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS. Annu-
ally celebrated holidays and events are listed. 21
F A M O U S C I T I Z E N S . Famous peo-
ple who were born or lived in the city are listed, along with birth and death dates and short biographical descriptions. Bibliographic listings are provided at the end of each profile as a guide for accessing further information. Included are Web sites, 22
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
FOR
FURTHER
STUDY.
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READER’S GUIDE government offices, tourist and convention bureaus, major city publications, and books about the city and its history. Because some terms used in this encyclopedia will be new to students, each volume includes a glossary. A keyword index to all four volumes appears in Volume 4. Acknowledgments The editors are indebted to the following reviewers, without whom Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities would not have been possible. The individuals listed below were consulted on the content and structure of this encyclopedia. Their insights, opinions, and suggestions led to many enhancements and improvements in the presentation of the material. Ken Cornwell, Library Media Specialist, Northeast High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
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Cindy Doll, Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, Ohio Marilyn Eanes, School Library Media Specialist, Hopewell Middle School, Round Rock, Texas Jane Thomas, Library Manager, McNeil High School, Austin, Texas Glenda Willnerd, School Librarian, Lincoln High School, Lincoln, Nebraska Comments and Suggestions We welcome your comments on the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities, as well as your suggestions for cities to be included in future editions. Please write: Editors, Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities, U•X•L, 27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331– 3535; call toll-free: 1-800-877-4253; or send e-mail via www.galegroup.com.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, North America Founded: 1837; Incorporated: 1847 Location: Northwestern Georgia, United States, North America Motto: “Wisdom, justice, and moderation” (state motto) Flag: City seal in yellow on blue field. Flower: Cherokee rose (state flower) Time Zone: 7 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 30%, Black 67.1%, Other 2.9% Elevation: 320 m (1,050 ft) Latitude and Longitude: 33º74'N, 84º38'W Coastline: None Climate: Moderate temperatures, with highly changeable weather patterns; natural barriers protect the city from very severe cold; snowfall is infrequent. Annual Mean Temperature: 17.9ºC (64.2ºF); January 5.8ºC (42.4ºF); July 25.5ºC (78.0ºF) Seasonal Average Snowfall: 5 cm (2 in); Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 123.4 cm (48.6 in) Government: Mayor-council Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Units: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 404, 678, 770 Postal Codes: 30301–94, 31101–56
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Introduction
Originating as a rail terminus in the nineteenth century and becoming an airline hub in the twentieth, Atlanta is a “city on the move” in more ways than one. Located in northwestern Georgia, Atlanta combines the local color of its Southern heritage with the progressive spirit that enabled it to rebuild from the fires of war, triumph over racial intolerance, and become a thriving, cosmopolitan business and cultural center. The city’s attractions were spotlighted when it won the coveted honor of hosting the 1996 Olympic Games, which provided yet another opportunity for Atlanta to display its
energy and its courage in overcoming adversity, when the Games were completed as planned in spite of the bombings in Centennial Olympic Park. 2
Getting There
Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and its largest city, as well as the seat of Fulton County. It is located south of the Appalachian Mountains in northwestern Georgia. Highways North-south highways providing access to Atlanta include I-85, which connects the city to Greenville, South
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Atlanta
Atlanta Population Profile City Proper Population: 396,000 Area: 341.4 sq km (131.8 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 30% white; 67.1% black; 2.9% other Nicknames: City of Trees, Capital of the New South
Metropolitan Area Population: 2,689,000 Area: 15,866 sq km (6,126 sq mi) World population rank1: 113 Percentage of total US population2: 1% Average yearly growth rate: 0.7% Ethnic composition: 71.4% white; 25.8% black; and 2.6% Asian/Pacific Islander ——— 1. The Atlanta metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total population of the United States living in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Montgomery, Alabama; and I-75, which extends northward to Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee, and south to Florida. The major east-west expressway is I-20 (the West Expressway), which leads to Birmingham, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and westward to Texas and beyond. All of the preceding interstate highways intersect with I-285, known locally as “the Perimeter,” which rings the city. Bus and Railroad Service Greyhound offers bus service to Atlanta. While slower than other modes of travel, it provides a unique way to experience the local color of the South.
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The Amtrak-operated Crescent, running north-south, connects Atlanta with points along the eastern seaboard. Airports As one of the nation’s major airline hubs, Hartsfield International Airport, located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) outside downtown Atlanta, is one of the world’s busiest airports, carrying 68 million passengers per year and providing nonstop service to 186 cities in the United States. The airport is home to Delta Airlines, which offers more than 500 flights a day from Hartsfield. A new concourse—the nation’s largest— opened in 1994 for international travel, and further major improvements were made the following year, including a new central atrium linking the major terminals. Shipping Although it is an inland city, Atlanta is a thriving shipping center, with Hartsfield International Airport accounting for the largest volume of goods shipped. A Foreign Trade Zone near the airport makes Atlanta an especially attractive destination for international shippers. The city is also served by the CSX and Norfolk Southern rail lines, as well as hundreds of motor freight carriers. 3
Getting Around
Rather than a grid pattern, Atlanta was originally laid out with its streets converging on a central downtown area (Five Points). The city’s growth has
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Atlanta
complicated this pattern with the addition of new streets—several dozen of which include the name “Peachtree”— and interstate highways cutting through the city. For visitors (and even, at times, natives), navigating the city’s streets can be a challenge.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Bus and commuter rail service Atlanta boasts one of the nation’s cutting-edge rapid transit systems, known as MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). The system operates 240 electric rail cars
3
Atlanta
Atlanta skyline. (Timothy Eagan: Woodfin Camp)
over 62.7 kilometers (39 miles) of track. Lines running north-south and eastwest converge at the Five Points Station in the heart of the city. Bus service is coordinated with the rapid-transit schedule; some 150 bus routes cover a total of 2,413 kilometers (1,500 miles). Sightseeing Guided sightseeing tours are offered by several tour lines. A variety of specialty tours are offered as well, including a walking tour sponsored by the Atlanta Preservation Center, a tour of the Fox Theatre District, the Historic Downtown Tour focusing on architecture, the Sweet Auburn/MLK District
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Tour focusing on black history, and a tour of the neighborhood that served as the setting for the play and film Driving Miss Daisy. 4
People
In 1990, the population of Atlanta was 394,000, with the following racial composition: 30 percent white and 67.1 percent black, with other groups each accounting for percentages of less than one percent. Hispanics (an ethnic rather than a racial designation) accounted for 1.9 percent of the population. The 1994 population estimate was 396,000. The population of the Atlanta Primary Metropolitan Statistical
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Atlanta Area was estimated at 3,627,184 as of 1997. The region’s racial composition was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1996 as 71.4 percent white; 25.8 percent black; and 2.6 percent Asian/ Pacific Islander. Hispanics accounted for three percent of the metropolitan area population. 5
Neighborhoods
Downtown Atlanta is the city’s business and financial center. Its landmarks include the Peachtree Center hotel, convention, and office complex; the Underground Atlanta shopping facility; Georgia State University; Centennial Olympic Park (developed for the 1996 Olympics); the Georgia World Congress Center; and the Georgia Dome athletic facility. The traditionally black neighborhood of Sweet Auburn, home of Martin Luther King, Jr., draws large numbers of visitors every year. The National Park Service has accorded park status to the district in honor of Dr. King, whose boyhood home and church are located here. The Midtown area, north of downtown, is home to some of Atlanta’s bestknown cultural institutions, including the renowned Fox Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, where the Atlanta Symphony performs, the Hugh Museum of Art, and the Alliance Theatre. Also located here are Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Buckhead is an upscale district located about ten kilometers (six miles)
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
north of downtown Atlanta, home to elegant mansions, exclusive shops and boutiques, and fine restaurants. The Atlanta History Center is located here. The Virginia-Highland neighborhood is Atlanta’s Greenwich Village, featuring a colorful mix of bookstores, sidewalk cafes, art galleries, bistros, ethnic restaurants, and eclectic shops that draw the culturally sophisticated to this part of town. Against a gracious setting that includes a number of Victorian homes, Little Five Points serves as a center for youthful Generation X- and Y-ers to display the latest in offbeat youth culture trends. The suburb of Decatur, founded in 1823, is known for its many festivals and other annual events, as well as the impressive Farmers Market. 6
History
Atlanta’s origin as a railroad settlement was evident in its original name— Terminus—when founded as a village in 1837. It was to this spot that the Western & Atlantic railroad was to run southward from the Tennessee state line, and from here that it would connect with other parts of the state. Reinforcing the white settlers’ hold on the area was an edict forcing 17,000 Cherokee and Creek Indians hundreds of miles westward, on the route that became known as the “Trail of Tears.” The town was renamed Marthasville in 1843, Atlanta two years later, and incorporated in 1848. By the start of the
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Atlanta cal center during the conflict, a fact that also made it an attractive target for Union forces. In the summer of 1864 Confederate forces under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman laid siege to the city, which was first occupied and then virtually burned to the ground by Union troops. Military occupation by Union soldiers continued until 1876, but the city began energetically rebuilding. The railroads were repaired, and new homes, businesses, and cultural and educational institutions sprang up. In 1877 Atlanta became the permanent capital of Georgia; in 1888 it adopted as its official symbol a phoenix rising from the ashes, as the city itself had done. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the city’s population more than doubled, to 90,000.
The Phoenix was adopted as the symbol of Atlanta after the Civil War. (Al Stephenson: Woodfin Camp)
Civil War (1861–65), Atlanta was a bustling commercial center. In 1861, after vigorous public debate, Atlanta decided to become one of the 11 states seceding from the Union over the issue of slavery, even making a bid to become the capital of the Confederacy—an honor that ultimately went to Richmond, Virginia. The rail links that had allowed the city to rise to prominence before the war made it a vital supply depot and medi-
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The city continued its rapid growth in the early twentieth century, its population reaching 155,000 by 1910 and continuing to rise in spite of a second catastrophic fire in 1917. The city’s black population grew rapidly, and the early years of the century were marred by the racial intolerance common throughout the South. In 1900 Atlanta professor W. E. B. du Bois founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), still the nation’s leading advocacy institution for blacks. Following race riots in the early 1900s, the black business community formed its own successful enclave on Auburn Street, where it thrived. Eventually, Atlanta became a center of black higher education, characterized by long-time mayor William
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Atlanta
City Fact Comparison Atlanta (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
2,689,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1837
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$93
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$36
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$22
$14
$15
$16
$131
$173
$246
$207
1
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
Atlanta Journal- Akhbar El Yom/ Constitution Al Akhbar 303,698
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1868
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
Hartsfield as a city “too busy to hate.” With the rise to prominence of Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta became a hub of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Atlanta, begun as a rail terminus, continued its tradition of transportation leadership with the completion of its first airport in 1929 and its rapid rise to become one of the nation’s major air transport centers. Improved facilities followed in rapid succession in 1961, 1977, and 1980, the year the new Hartsfield International Airport opened. “Whether you’re going to heaven or
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
hell,” it has been said, “you’ll have to change planes in Atlanta.” In the post-war decades Atlanta has become an increasingly cosmopolitan city, drawing a growing number of international travelers with such facilities as a 4,500-seat civic center, a 16,000-seat coliseum, and a 232,250square-meter (two-and-a-half-millionsquare-foot) convention center. The city acquired three major-league sports teams in the 1960s. In 1988, Atlanta gained international attention when it hosted the Democratic National Convention. The global spotlight shone even more brightly on the city in the
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Atlanta 1990s, as it prepared for the 1996 Olympics, transforming its landscape with the construction of the Olympic Village. The Games drew 11,000 athletes from 197 different countries—a record for the modern Olympics. They were marred by a bombing in Centennial Olympic Park that killed two people and injured more than 100, but the Games went on as scheduled. Crowds soon flocked back to the park, and the focus returned to the athletes themselves, whose triumphs ultimately provided the main drama of the Games and left the city with indelible positive images of the long-planned event. 7
Government
Atlanta’s municipal government vests executive power in its mayor; the legislative function is carried out by an 18-member council, whose members are elected both by individual districts and citywide. Atlanta is also the capital of Georgia and home to its 56-member state senate and 180-member house of representatives and its governor. 8
Public Safety
With more than 2,300 employees, the Atlanta Police Department is Georgia’s largest law enforcement agency. It has declared as its major public safety priorities youth-related crime, domestic violence, and the perception of crime in Atlanta. In 1995, violent crimes reported to police (per 100,000 population) totaled 3,646 and included 45 murders, 109 rapes, 1,300 robberies, and 2,191 aggra-
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vated assaults. Property crimes totaled 13,421 and included 2,892 burglaries, 8,463 cases of larceny/theft, and 2,065 motor vehicle thefts. 9
Economy
Atlanta has a thriving economy and is known for its pro-business climate, the result of a combination of factors, including its excellent infrastructure and status as an airline hub, and the welcoming attitude of the city and its residents toward outsiders. Major corporations headquartered in Atlanta include BellSouth Corporation, Coca-Cola, the United Parcel System, Delta Air Lines, Pacific Corporation, and Home Depot. In addition, several hundred of the nation’s top companies have branch offices in Atlanta. Atlanta’s most famous businessman is broadcasting mogul Ted Turner, founder of the Cable News Network (CNN) and owner of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks sports teams. 10
Environment
For a major urban area, Atlanta has an unusual degree of tree cover, and the city works hard to keep it that way. A government permit is required to cut down a tree, and all trees that are removed must be replaced by a variety of shade trees. Trees Atlanta, a nonprofit organization dedicated to tree conservation, planted more than 12,000 trees in the 1990s.
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Atlanta antique stores (for which Bennett Street is known), and galleries, as well as two major shopping malls, both located at the intersection of Peachtree and Lenox roads. Attracting 14 million visitors annually, Lenox Square is Atlanta’s oldest and largest shopping mall. It is anchored by major retailers, including Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, and Atlantabased Rich’s, and boasts some 200 specialty stores of all kinds. Nearby is the upscale Phipps Plaza, home to Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as such famous brand name stores as Tiffany and Gucci. Other popular malls in the Atlanta area include Perimeter and the Galleria. Stone Mountain Village, just outside Stone Mountain Park, features antiques, crafts, and collectibles in an old-time village setting with historic buildings. 12 Stairway descending to Underground Atlanta, one of the city’s most famous shopping centers. (S. Moore: Woodfin Camp)
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Shopping
Atlanta is considered the shopping capital of the southeastern United States, famed both for the number and variety of retailers in the region. In the heart of the city is Underground Atlanta, with both underground and above-ground shopping thoroughfares. The wealthy Buckhead neighborhood is considered a “must” for shoppers, with a variety of specialty stores, boutiques,
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Education
Atlanta’s public school system enrolled 60,064 students in a total of 99 schools in the fall of 1996 and employed 3,605 classroom teachers, with a student/teacher ratio of 16.7 to one. During the 1995–96 school year, 2,054 students graduated from high schools in the city. In the 1994–95 school year, revenues from state, local, and federal sources totaled $499,845,000, and expenditures totaled $416,105, or $6,986 per pupil. In the 1990s public education in Atlanta received a boost with the inauguration of the Georgia Lottery for Education. Among the activities it has helped fund are a prekindergarten pro-
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Atlanta gram, the HOPE scholarship program, and new educational technology, as well as centers to train school personnel in using it. Atlanta’s public school system has been widely praised for its Magnet School Program, which offers concentrated courses of study to students interested in particular career areas, including communications, performing arts, information processing, and the hospitality industry. Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia State University is the state’s second-largest institution of higher learning. The university enrolls more than 20,000 students, who take courses offered by 50 academic departments. Emory University is a noted private university situated on a 255-hectare (631acre) campus in Atlanta. It underwent major physical improvement and expansion in the 1990s thanks to a $105 million gift from the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Fund. A unique academic presence in Atlanta is Atlanta University Center, a consortium of six traditionally black colleges in the area. The six colleges, which share some facilities, but remain independent entities, are Clark Atlanta University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College. Other colleges and universities in the Atlanta area include the Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta Metropolitan College, DeKalb College, the DeVry Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Oglethorpe University.
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Health Care
Home to many first-rate health care professionals and facilities, Atlanta offers its residents the highest quality of care. Both Emory University and the Morehouse School of Medicine train future doctors, and the Emory University Health Care System—comprising Emory University Hospital, Crawford Long Hospital, the Emory Clinic, and other affiliates—is the city’s largest healthcare institution. In 1998, Emory University Hospital had 513 staffed beds, employed 1,220 personnel, and recorded 20,336 admissions and 72,898 outpatient visits. Egleston Children’s Health Care System is a major referral center for the Southeast, treating more than 100,000 children every year. In 1995 the Atlanta metropolitan area had 43 community hospitals, with a total of 9,706 beds and 5,755 officebased physicians. 14
Media
As home to the Turner Broadcasting System, the Weather Channel, 11 television stations, and both a morning and afternoon major daily newspaper, Atlanta is a major media outlet. Turner Broadcasting operates CNN, the first round-the-clock all-news network, begun in 1980 by media magnate Ted Turner, as well as other networks and a number of subsidiaries. The company also owns the rights to thousands of film and TV titles, including Gone with the Wind, the classic film written by Atlantan Margaret Mitchell. In addition to 11 major local television stations,
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Atlanta Atlanta has dozens of AM and FM radio stations running the gamut from National Public Radio (NPR) to countryand-western. Atlanta’s major newspaper is a daily that appears weekday mornings as The Atlanta Constitution and afternoons as the Atlanta Journal. Combined editions of the two papers appear over the weekend. In 1998 daily circulation was reported as 353,770 mornings, 123,220 evenings, and 677,019 for the combined paper on Sundays. Other Atlanta dailies are the African-American newspaper the Atlanta Daily World, the Daily Report, a paper for the business and legal communities, and the Marietta Daily Journal, which focuses on local coverage of Cobb County. General-interest periodicals published in Atlanta include the monthly Atlanta Magazine, the bi-monthly Atlanta Now, published by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Atlanta Tribune, a newsmagazine that focuses on African Americans, and the monthly Guide to Georgia, which lists upcoming events in Atlanta and elsewhere in the state. Special-interest periodicals include the quarterly Popcorn, focusing on glamour and entertainment; Poets, Artists, and Madmen, which covers the arts; and Art Papers, a bimonthly that is the most influential art publication in the Southeast. 15
Sports
Atlanta fields major-league teams in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. The Atlanta Braves baseball
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franchise, owned by Ted Turner, was dubbed the “team of the ‘90s,” competing in the World Series four times in the decade and winning the championship in 1995. Turner Field, the Braves’ home since 1997, was modified from a structure originally built for the 1996 Olympic Games. The Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team, also owned by Turner, moved to a new home downtown in Philips Arena in the fall of 1999. The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons play home games in the Georgia Dome. A new NHL hockey team, the Atlanta Thrashers, began play in Philips Arena in the fall of 1999. Auto racing can be seen at Road Atlanta, a 45-minute drive north from downtown and one of the region’s best auto-racing venues. 16
Parks and Recreation
At 75 hectares (185 acres), Piedmont Park is Atlanta’s largest park. The tree-filled park is a favorite with walkers, who can enjoy a six-kilometer (four-mile) loop trail over its somewhat hilly terrain. There is also a paved fivekilometer (three-mile) jogging path and trails for cycling and skating, as well as ball fields frequently used for baseball and football. Home to the annual Arts Festival of Atlanta and many other fairs and festivals, Piedmont Park is also the location of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and a regular venue for summertime Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts. Other Atlanta parks include Chastain Park and Grant Park.
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Atlanta The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area extends along the Chattahoochee River shoreline. It is graced with scenic views and abundant plant and animal life and also offers 113 kilometers (70 miles) of trails. The Chattahoochee Nature Center offers both woodland and wetland trails. Other parks in the Greater Atlanta area include Panola Mountain State Conservation Park, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, and Sweetwater Creek State Park. Atlanta has a number of municipal golf courses, and several privately owned courses are also open to the public. The Atlanta area also offers facilities for horseback riding, field hockey, ice skating, racquetball, tennis, and other popular recreational activities. 17
Performing Arts
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which rose to prominence under the direction of famed American choral and orchestral conductor Robert Shaw, performs in Woodruff Arts Center under the direction of its current music director, Yoel Levi. Also performing a regular season of classical music are the Atlanta Chamber Players, whose repertoire ranges from the classics to contemporary pieces specially commissioned by the ensemble. The Atlanta Opera, directed by William Fred Scott, stages four productions annually at the Fox Theatre, attracting top guest soloists from across the country. In 1998, the Opera had 6,822 seasonal subscribers and a budget of $4.96 million. The
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company’s educational and outreach division, the Atlanta Opera Studio, performs throughout the state, staging comic and one-act operas. Atlanta’s main theater group—and the major theatrical group in the Southeast—is the Alliance Theatre Company, which performs at the Woodruff Arts Center, staging approximately ten plays per year. Special performances for children are staged by the Alliance Children’s Theatre. Other Atlanta theater companies include Actor’s Express, Horizon Theatre Company, Neighborhood Playhouse, Theatrical Outfit, Theatre Gael, and Theatre in the Square. First founded in 1929 as the Dorothy Alexander Dance Concert Group, the Atlanta Ballet is the oldest continuously performing ballet troupe in the nation. In addition to a six-productions annual series, the company offers a performance of The Nutcracker every year. In addition to the Woodruff Arts Center and the Fox Theatre, other venues for local and touring performers include the Atlanta Civic Center and Variety Playhouse. Outdoor theaters include Chastain Park Amphitheatre and the Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheatre. 18
Libraries and Museums
Founded in 1901, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System serves 780,694 people, with an annual circulation of 3,102,081. Its book holdings total approximately 426,248 volumes.
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Atlanta The library system also operates 32 neighborhood branches. The areas in which it holds special collections include African American Culture & History, Genealogy, and Margaret Mitchell. Atlanta’s High Museum of Art is housed in a modern award-winning building designed by architect Richard Meier and completed in 1983. The building features a series of ramps that curve along the building’s front wall and an elevator that goes to the very top. The museum maintains some 10,000 artworks in its permanent collection, ranging from primitive to classical to contemporary, and regularly features traveling exhibitions. A separate collection, housed in the GeorgiaPacific Center, features folk art and photography.
MARCH
Atlanta Home Show St. Patrick’s Day Celebration APRIL
Atlanta Dogwood Festival Atlanta Steeplechase Fat Tuesday Jazz & Heritage Crawfish Festival Inman Park Spring Festival & Tour of Homes PGA BellSouth Classic APRIL-MAY
Atlanta Renaissance Festival MAY
Atlanta Caribbean Folk Festival Atlanta Jazz Festival Springfest Festival Taste of the South Festival LATE MAY-EARLY JUNE
Spring Boat Show JUNE
Atlanta Film & Video Festival Stone Mountain Village Arts & Crafts Festival JUNE-AUGUST
Georgia Shakespeare Festival JULY
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To u r i s m
Atlanta’s cosmopolitan reputation and thriving business activity bring many visitors to the city, and tourism received a major boost from the 1996 Olympics. In 1995 approximately 495,000 foreign travelers visited the city, ranking it twelfth nationally in this category. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY
Atlanta Boat Show Atlanta Garden & Patio Show National King Week Peach Bowl
National Black Arts Festival Thunder Over Atlanta Fireworks LATE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
Montreux Atlanta International Music Festival SEPTEMBER
Arts Festival of Atlanta Atlanta Greek Festival Roswell Arts Festival Yellow Daisy Festival OCTOBER
Scottish Festival & Highland Games Tour of Southern Ghosts Fright Fest NOVEMBER
Atlanta Christmas Show Peachtree International Film Festival NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
Art of the Season Holiday Celebration
FEBRUARY
DECEMBER
Southeastern Flower Show
CNN Center Tuba Christmas
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Atlanta
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site includes his tomb as well as his birthplace and church. (S. Moore: Woodfin Camp)
Festival of Trees First Night Atlanta New Year’s Eve Peach Drop
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Famous Citizens
Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron (b. 1934), black baseball great who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974. Henry W. Grady (1850–89), editor of the Atlanta Constitution during the post-Civil War period who worked to reconstruct Atlanta as a modern metropolis.
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Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908), author famous for his children’s tales of B’rer Rabbit. Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones (1902–71), golfer who founded the Masters Tournament and compiled a golfing record unsurpassed in the history of the game. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968), civil rights leader and Nobel Prizewinning champion of social progress through nonviolent resistance.
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Atlanta Margaret Mitchell (1900–49), onetime reporter famous as the author of Gone with the Wind.
Atlanta Planning and Development Dept. 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 1450 Atlanta, GA 30335 (404) 330-6070
John C. Portman (b. 1924), architect who pioneered the atrium-lobby in hotel design and designed many major Atlanta buildings in the 1960s.
Mayor’s Office 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 2400 Atlanta, GA 30335 (404) 330-6100
Robert Edward “Ted” Turner (b. 1938), media and entertainment mogul who founded the Cable News Network (CNN) and owns the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks. Alfred Uhry (b. 1936), prize-winning playwright and author of numerous award-winning dramas, including Driving Miss Daisy. Robert W. Woodruff (1889–1985), CocaCola Company president known for his outstanding civic leadership. 22
For Further Study
Websites Atlanta.TheLinks.com [Online] Available http:// www.atlanta.thelinks.com/ (accessed October 15, 1999). DigitalCity WebGuide Atlanta. [Online] Available http://www.webguide.digitalcity.com/ atlanta (accessed October 15, 1999). Excite Travel, Inc. [Online] Available http:// www.city.net/countries/united_states/ georgia/atlanta (accessed October 15, 1999). Info Atlanta. [Online] Available http:// www.travel.to/atlanta (accessed October 15, 1999).
Government Offices Atlanta City Hall 55 Trinity Ave. SW Atlanta, GA 30335 (404) 330-6000
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Tourist and Convention Bureaus Atlanta Convention and Visitors’ Bureau 233 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 521-6600
Publications Atlanta Constitution/Journal P.O. Box 4689 Atlanta, GA 30302 Atlanta Magazine 1330 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 450 Atlanta, GA 30309
Books Allen, Frederick. Atlanta Rising: The Invention of an International City, 1946–1996. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press, 1996. Clayton, Sarah Conley. Requiem for a Lost City: A Memoir of Civil War Atlanta and the Old South. Ed. Robert Scott Davis, Jr. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1999. David, Harold E. Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, A Brave and Beautiful City. University of Alabama Press, 1990. Davis, Ren, and Helen Davis. Atlanta Walks: A Guide to Walking, Running, and Bicycling Historic and Scenic Atlanta. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 1993. Garrison, Webb B. Atlanta and the War. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1995. Gournay, Isabelle. AIA Guide to the Architecture of Atlanta. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1993. Knorr, Rosanne. Kidding Around Atlanta. J. Muir, 1997. Kuhn, Clifford M. Living Atlanta, An Oral History of the City, 1914–1948. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1990. McCarley, J. Britt. The Atlanta Campaign: A Civil War Driving Tour of Atlanta Area Battlefields. Atlanta: Cherokee Publishing Co., 1984. Mitchell, Margaret. Gone With the Wind. New
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Atlanta York: Macmillan, 1936. [Fiction] Pomerantz, Gary. Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: The Saga of Two Families and the Making of Atlanta. New York: Scribner, 1996. Shavin, Norman, and Bruce Galphin. Atlanta:
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Triumph of a People. Atlanta: Capricorn Corp., 1985. Thompson, Joseph F., and Robert Isbell. Atlanta: A City of Neighborhoods. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1994.
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Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Founded: c. 1769 Location: Located in the Chao Phraya River basin, Thailand, in a region often called the “Rice Bowl of Asia” Time Zone: 7 p.m. = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: Thai, 90%; Chinese, 9%; other, 1% Latitude and Longitude: 13°45’N, 100°30’E Coastline: Gulf of Thailand Climate: Subtropical. Bangkok is hot all year, with temperatures ranging from an average of 25°C (77°F) in December to 30°C (86°F) in April. Bangkok has three distinct seasons: the hot season (March through May), the rainy season (June through October), and the cool season (November through February). Annual Mean Temperature: 28°C (82°F) Average Annual Rainfall: 150 cm (59 in) Government: Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. The city of Bangkok is designated as a province and governed by an elected governor. Weights and Measures: Metric Monetary Units: The baht is Thailand’s basic unit of currency. In 1999, the exchange rate was approximately 40 Thai baht to one U.S. dollar. Telephone Area Code: 02; 66 (Thailand country code)
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Introduction
Bangkok has been Thailand’s dominant city since the eighteenth century. Established as the capital in 1767 after the fall of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Bangkok is located on one of southeastern Asia’s most important rivers, the Chao Phraya. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bangkok underwent rapid modernization, growing to approximately ten million people, making this the only major city in a country of villages and small towns. Bangkok’s ancient palaces and Buddhist temples contrast with high rises and traffic jams. Dense air pollution blankets the city. In fact, police
directing traffic are required to wear masks. Still, despite modern problems, Bangkok is a major tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors each year. 2
Getting There
Bangkok is located in central Thailand along the Chao Phraya River. Most visitors to Thailand travel by air though travelers in neighboring countries can reach Bangkok by bus, rail, or boat. Bus and Railroad Service Traveling by bus into Thailand is not common for foreigners, though
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Bangkok
Bangkok Population Profile Population: 7,221,000 Area: More than 2,300 sq km (900 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 90% Thai; 9% Chinese; 1% other World population rank1: 28 Percentage of Thailand population2: 12% Average yearly growth rate: 2.0% Nicknames: Venice of Asia, City of Angels, Divine City ——— 1. Bangkok’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Thailand’s total population living in the Bangkok metropolitan area.
buses do enter the country from Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia. Due to past conflicts, much of Thailand’s border with Myanmar (formerly Burma) is mined and unsafe for travelers. The Hualamphong Railway Station on Rama IV Road is the city’s main rail station, serving most long-distance routes. The Bangkok Noi, across the river from the Grand Palace, is used for shorter trips outside of the city. Airports Bangkok International Airport is the major gateway to all of Thailand. Located about 24 kilometers (15 miles) north of Bangkok, the airport is served by more than 35 airlines. Northwest Airlines is the U.S. carrier with the most frequent flights while Thailand’s major airline is Thai Airways International, with flights to many international cities. Since the airport is located outside of the city, visitors traveling to Bangkok
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must arrange transportation into Bangkok. Buses, taxis, hotel minibuses, and a riverboat shuttle all connect the airport with downtown. Flight times from some major U.S. cities include New York, 22 hours; Chicago, 20 hours; and San Francisco, 17 hours. Shipping Bangkok is Thailand’s major port, handling nearly all of the country’s exports and receiving over 70 percent of its imports. The Chao Phraya River connects the city to the Gulf of Thailand, 27 kilometers (17 miles) downstream. 3
Getting Around
Originally, Bangkok’s transportation system was based on the Chao Phraya River and a series of canals. With the advent of the automobile, however, many of the canals have been filled in to make way for roads, and water travel is most common on the Chao Phraya. Finding your way around Bangkok is a challenge. Bangkok is not a planned city, and its growth has often been chaotic. The city sprawls alongside the Chao Phraya River, with roads and alleys spiraling off in every direction. Rama I Road goes through the center of town. Further along, Rama I turns into Sukhumvit Road, an area with many hotels, restaurants, and bars. Most visitors to the city travel by taxi, river taxi, or tuk-tuk (cheap open-air, threewheeled taxis).
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Bangkok
Bus and Commuter Rail Service Buses in Bangkok are cheap and convenient, with many routes and frequent stops. For a fare of less than 20 baht (less than 50 cents), riders can take an air-conditioned bus to popular desti-
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nations. For less than 20 cents, riders can take the more frequent, non-airconditioned buses to just about anywhere in the city, though these buses tend to be crowded and very hot. Buses operate from 5:00 AM until 11:00 PM, and though the routes are confusing,
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Bangkok maps are available from most street-side book vendors. An elevated rail system was projected to begin operation in early 2000. A subway system is also underway, though its construction is progressing slowly. Boats Water travel was once the main means of transportation in this city of rivers and canals. River taxis and ferries are still one of Bangkok’s most popular means of travel although they are losing out to automobiles. Commuter boats run several routes along and across the Chao Phraya. The main jetty stops are located at the Oriental Hotel, the Royal Orchid Sheraton, the River City Shopping Center, and the Grand Palace. The fare is reasonable at about 15 baht (25 cents), depending on distance. For more leisurely sightseeing trips, long-tailed boats can be rented by the hour for about 400 baht (ten dollars). Taxis and Tuk-tuks In 1993 meters were installed in all city taxis, although most drivers refuse to use them. Drivers almost always charge much higher fares than the meters would tally, but taxis are relatively cheap by Western standards. A tuk-tuk is a colorful threewheeled vehicle. Passengers ride in an open-air compartment that offers little protection in an accident. Tuk-tuks are the cheapest—and most dangerous— way to travel within the city. Tuk-tuk
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drivers weave in and out of dense traffic. Despite the hazards, a ride in a tuktuk may be the most convenient way to travel for a short trip or during rush hour. 4
People
Thailand is one of the most racially homogenous countries in Asia, with more than 80 percent of its population being native Thai. The major minority group is Chinese, comprising ten to 14 percent, while all other ethnic groups combined, including Malays, Indians, Burmese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Europeans, account for approximately five percent. In Bangkok these numbers are even more extreme, with native Thais making up as much as 90 percent of the population. The Chinese are again the largest minority group, at about nine percent, and they are the most integrated of the non-Thai populations. Intermarriage between Chinese and Thai is common and accepted, and the Chinese population has a long and historic presence in Bangkok. Because of restrictive foreign immigration quotas adopted after World War II (1939–45), Bangkok’s population is becoming less, not more, diverse. Bangkok is a rapidly expanding city, with the population growing from approximately five million in the early 1990s to more than ten million at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The population is overwhelmingly young, with as many as half of
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Bangkok
City Fact Comparison Indicator
Bangkok (Thailand)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
7,221,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
c. 1769
753 BC
723 BC
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$125
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$59
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$15
$14
$15
$16
$199
$173
$246
$207
37
13
20
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Thai Rath
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
700,000
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1958
1944
1976
1948
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established 1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
Bangkok’s residents under the age of 20. Females slightly outnumber males. The main language of Thailand is Thai (or Tai). In Bangkok and the southern regions of the country, a dialect of Thai is spoken that is faster and more abbreviated than other Thai dialects. English is the secondary language of the country’s educated and elite, and English is spoken much more commonly in Bangkok than other regions of the country. Buddhism is considered the country’s official religion, and Bangkok is Thailand’s Buddhist center, home to many of the country’s most famous
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temples, called wats. Buddhism is also the city’s largest religion, with close to 95 percent of all citizens being Buddhist. Four percent of Bangkok’s population is Muslim while Christians, Hindus, Confucians, and Sikhs account for less than one percent. 5
Neighborhoods
While Bangkok as a whole is confusing—sprawling for over 2,331 square kilometers (900 square miles)—the city can be broken down into several major and distinct neighborhoods. Old Bangkok, on the west side of the Chao Phraya River, is the original site of the
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Bangkok
City of Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River. (Robert Frerck: Woodfin Camp)
capital. Old Royal City is on the east side of the river and contains the major tourist attractions, including the Grand Palace, the Wat Pho Temple, and the National Museum. Southeast of Old Royal City is Sam Peng. Sam Peng has a large foreign population, including many Chinese merchants. Further east, Chinatown is another district with a large Chinese population. Chinatown offers many small shops and ethnic restaurants, as well as hotels catering to Chinese businessmen. South of Chinatown is Silom. Silom is the center of the city’s financial district, and many of Bangkok’s most expensive hotels are
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located there. Sukhumvit, which used to be considered the outskirts of the city, is northeast of Silom. Sukhumvit is a major tourist area, with many hotels, restaurants, and bars. Sukhumvit is also noted as having the city’s best nightlife. Houses consist mostly of one- or two-story wooden structures built closely together. Most of these homes are overcrowded, and the shortage of housing gets worse every year. Government housing programs barely address this shortage. Some government-sponsored concrete high-rises have been constructed, but the demand for hous-
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Bangkok ing continues to grow faster than new housing can be built. To make matters worse, real estate developers focus only on providing homes for middle- and upper-income residents. Squatters occupy unused public land, a practice permitted by the government. 6
History
Since the late 1700s, Bangkok has been Thailand’s largest and most important city. In 1767, after the Burmese sacked and burned Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam (now named Thailand), the capital was moved down the Chao Phraya River to Thon Buri or Old Bangkok, on the west bank of the river. In 1782 King Rama I (1737–1809; r. 1782–1809), upon ascending to the throne, moved the capital to a village across the river. This move was strategic, putting the wide Chao Phraya River between the capital and the ofteninvading Burmese. The village across the river was then composed mostly of Chinese traders and was known as Bangkok, which translates as "Village of Wild Plums." Rama I wanted his new capital to equal the splendor of Ayutthaya, which had served as the country’s capital for more than 400 years. By the end of his reign, Bangkok was a thriving city, and King Rama I had established a walled palace complex, the Grand Palace, and a major Buddhist temple, the Wat Phra Kaeo. To fortify the new capital, Rama I ordered the construction of a sevenkilometer-long (four-and-a-half-milelong), three-meter-high (ten-foot-high)
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wall along the river, which further protected the city from invasion. During the reigns of King Rama II (1768–1824; r. 1809–1824) and Rama III (r. 1824–1851), many of the city’s Buddhist monasteries (called wats) were constructed. In addition to their religious functions, the wats served as centers of learning, medicine, and recreation. Major temples included the Wat Arun, the Wat Yan Nawa, and the Wat Pho. During this period, however, the rest of the city was neglected. The kings built few other major public buildings and almost no paved roads. Average citizens relied on a series of interconnected canals (khlongs) for transportation. Until the reign of Rama V (1853– 1910; r. 1868–1910) public works were not a priority. The king foresaw the importance of the automobile and established a system of roadways and bridges. In addition, Rama V instituted a post and telegraph service, an electric tram service, and the State Railway. Much of Thailand’s history has been a battle for sovereignty, and while the country has suffered through many invasions, Thailand boasts that it is one of the few countries in Asia never conquered and colonized. This point is debatable. During World War II (1939– 45), though Thailand was technically allied with the Japanese, troops from Japan controlled much of Thailand and were concentrated in Bangkok. In the past 20 years, Bangkok has expanded rapidly. During the Vietnam War era, American soldiers used the city
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Bangkok
During the reign of King Rama II (1768–1824; r. 1809–1824) and Rama III (r. 1824–1851), many citizens relied on canals for transportation due to a lack of roads in the city. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
as a rest-and-relaxation destination. The city then had a population of 1.5 million, a population that has since ballooned to approximately ten million. The increase in population means congestion and pollution in the city. Air pollution in Bangkok is perhaps the worst in the world, and the overcrowding and lack of planning have impacted everything from transportation to drinking water to housing. In the 1990s, Bangkok had close to one million registered motor vehicles, along with an ever-expanding superhighway system. Most of Bangkok’s canals were filled in and paved over to make new roads. This replacement caused parts of the city to sink, and annual flooding has become a problem.
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Despite modern problems, however, the city retains much of its ancient charm. Bangkok’s colorful markets, historic buildings, and ornate temples attract millions of tourists each year. 7
Government
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (b. 1946) formally rules over a highly centralized government, but real decisionmaking power in governmental affairs rests with the prime minister. The king signed a new constitution on October 11, 1997. The city of Bangkok has provincial status, meaning it is run by an elected governor instead of a mayor. Up until
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Bangkok 1985, Bangkok's governor and assemblymen were appointed by the central government. However, starting in November 1985, elections were instituted for the first time. 8
Public Safety
Bangkok is one of the world’s most populated and crowded cities, and like most major cities, Bangkok has problems with crime. As Bangkok’s population grew in the latter half of the twentieth century, so too did its crime rate. The number of murders, assaults, thefts, and armed robberies all increased. Smuggling is widespread in Bangkok, with drugs, endangered animal products, and stolen antiques all passing through the city. International pressure has been exerted to urge Thailand to deal with two major criminal problems: child prostitution and the opium drug trade. With prostitution having a semi-legal status in Thailand, advocacy groups have been formed to address childhood prostitution and pornography. As for opium, rural Thailand is one of the world’s major growers of poppies, used to make opium, and many nations have been pressuring Thailand to more aggressively combat the drug trade. The Bangkok Metropolitan Police are responsible for providing law enforcement services for the city and its suburbs. The urban police force is operated by an appointed commissioner.
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Economy
Bangkok is the center of Thailand’s economy and the country’s principal port. Bangkok is the country’s financial center, home to over one-third of Thailand’s banks, as well as the Bangkok Stock Exchange. Thailand’s basic unit of currency is the baht, with the exchange rate at approximately 40 baht per U.S.$1. Most of the factories in Bangkok are small, many of them family-owned. Food processing, textiles, and the production of building materials are the chief manufacturing enterprises. Other industries include cement, electronics, petroleum refining, and tourism. Bangkok is a major regional city, but it has begun seeking foreign investment in an effort to increase its importance internationally. Recent events, however, have undermined this effort. Bangkok’s crime rate remains high, with foreigners often the targets of violence, and widespread corruption continues to plague many business ventures. To make matters worse, the country is suffering through a severe and lingering recession. In the mid1990s, the Thai economy virtually collapsed, with exports drying up and many banks hurt by bad loans and uncollected debt. Thailand’s collapse helped trigger a financial crisis that engulfed nearly all of Asia. In August 1997, the Thai government applied for and received IMF loans. (The IMF, International Monetary Fund, is an organization that promotes worldwide economic stability.) In return for $14
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Bangkok billion of assistance, the country agreed to a series of banking and market reforms. 10
Environment
Being an urban area, Bangkok has few natural resources, with most of its land devoted to development. The Kingdom of Thailand, however, has many natural resources. Its major resources are tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, and fluorite. Elephants receive considerable attention in Bangkok. Although it is technically illegal to bring elephants into the city, more are showing up on Bangkok’s city streets. Because the elephants’ natural habitat is being destroyed by development, handlers bring their animals into Bangkok to beg for food. Elephants are popular with tourists but unpopular with city drivers. Many elephants are involved in traffic accidents on Bangkok’s overcrowded streets. 11
Shopping
Bangkok has many colorful and crowded markets. Booths sell everything from fake Rolex watches to designer clothing. Bangkok's most popular exports are silks, jewelry, celadon pottery, lacquerware, masks, carvings, and antiques—all of which are relatively cheap by Western standards. Bangkok’s largest market is the open-air Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park. The Weekend Market is an
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authentic Asian-style bazaar. Silom Road has both booths and shops and is crowded almost every night. Throughout Bangkok there are many malls and chain stores. Haggling is common in the traditional Thai markets. 12
Education
Because of its large school-age population, Bangkok’s schools are grossly overcrowded. With too few teachers and schools, education in the city varies greatly, with the standard of education often depending on a student’s social class. Children of upper-class parents usually attend private schools, many of which focus on English-language instruction. Poorer students often attend schools associated with Buddhist temples. Education is compulsory for children from the ages of seven to 14. Bangkok is home to the majority of Thailand’s universities. However, in Thailand a Western education is highly prized, and students who can afford to study abroad usually do. The overall literacy rate of the country approaches 95 percent. 13
Health Care
Public health in Thailand improved greatly in the second half of the twentieth century. In the late 1990s the life expectancy for men was 65 years; for women it was 73 years. In 1960 the life expectancy for both men and women had been only 51 years. Much of this increase was due to a successful struggle against malaria, which had once been the number one cause of
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Bangkok
Damonen Saduak floating market. (A. Ramey: Woodfin Camp)
illness and death. Citizens in Bangkok receive the best health care of anyone in Thailand. This is simply due to the fact that a disproportionate number of health care facilities are concentrated in the Bangkok area. Of major concern to health officials is the issue of drinking water. Bangkok has the highest access to safe drinking water of any region in the country, but fully 40 percent of Bangkok’s residents have little access to uncontaminated public water, forcing many of the city’s poor to drink from rainwater pooled in shallow wells or
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collected from roof drainage. Others resort to drinking from the polluted rivers and canals. Reported cases of AIDS were on the rise at the end of the twentieth century. Much of this rise was blamed on the fact that prostitution is accepted and widespread in Bangkok. 14
Media
Thailand’s constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and most outside observers agree that the Thai press enjoys a reasonable amount of freedom.
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Bangkok Nevertheless, writers and reporters exercise a degree of self-censorship, due to unwritten but very real government constraints. Criticism of the monarchy is especially frowned upon. The majority of Thailand’s newspapers are based in Bangkok; most of these are independent and privately owned. The Thai Rath and the Daily News have the largest readerships. Government agencies, including the Thai News Agency, issue many of their own reports. The Office of the Prime Minister controls radio and television broadcasting. Hours, content, and programs all must be approved by government officials. The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) is the official government broadcasting station, focusing on local and international news. By the 1980s television had become Bangkok’s dominant news medium, with nine out of ten households owning at least one television set. Computer and internet use are still mostly confined to the upper classes. 15
Sports
Thailand’s national sport is Thai Boxing. Thai boxing combines traditional boxing with martial arts. Matches in Bangkok draw huge crowds, and betting is common in the stands. Besides boxing, Bangkok offers horseracing enthusiasts two tracks with races every Sunday. Soccer is growing in popularity, and Bangkok’s National Stadium is host to many important matches.
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Parks and Recreation
Lumphini Park Lumphini Park is Bangkok’s most popular and oldest park. Lumphini is one of the few green spaces in this congested city. Restaurants and bars line the north side of the park, and, although not legal within city limits, elephant trainers often bring their elephants into the park and offer tourists rides for a modest fee. King Rama IX Royal Park This park opened in 1987 to commemorate the King Rama IX’s sixtieth birthday. The park contains a public park, a water park, and botanical gardens. Samphran Elephant Grounds & Zoo Located on the outskirts of Bangkok, this is the best place in Thailand to see elephants. Shows reenact eighteenth-century Thai battles, with the elephants clad in armor. Elephants also perform in a circus and in polo matches. Massage Massage is one of Bangkok’s most popular pastimes. In Thailand, and much of Asia, massage is considered a component of good health. Massage schools and businesses can be found all over the city.
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Bangkok 17
Performing Arts
Classical Thai dance is Bangkok’s performing art of note. Traditional dance blends a series of controlled gestures and movements with drama. The dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks, and performances are accompanied by woodwind and percussion instruments. 18
Libraries and Museums
The National Museum The National Museum is considered to be Southeast Asia’s largest and most comprehensive museum. Founded in 1782, the museum’s several buildings house artifacts representing more than 10,000 years of history. The museum gives visitors a thorough overview of Thai history and culture. The Grand Palace The Grand Palace was founded in 1782 when Bangkok was made the nation’s capital. It is still surrounded by high white walls that were originally used for protection. This is Thailand’s most frequented tourist site. The Palace consists of more than 100 elaborately decorated buildings. Within the Palace grounds is the Wat Phra Kaeo temple, considered one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand. The Wat Pho The Wat Pho is one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples. It is located just south of the Grand Palace. The
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temple houses the gigantic 35-meterlong (115-foot-long) gold Reclining Buddha. The Wat Pho also served as Thailand’s first university. The Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute is also known as The Snake Farm. The Red Cross runs this farm as a center for snake venom collection. Handlers milk poison from cobras, black mambas, pit vipers, and other dangerous snakes, and then the venom is used to make an antidote for people bitten by poisonous snakes. National Theatre Thailand's National Theatre is located on Na Phra Lan Road next to the National Museum. Thai Classical dramas and other types of international arts are periodically staged here. Current programs can be checked at the theatre on weekdays between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Special exhibition shows of Thai classical dancing and music are held on the last Friday and Saturday of each month. Royal Ceremonial Barges The King’s royal ceremonial barges are housed in a shed on the west side of the Chao Phraya River, across from the Grand Palace compound. Dating from the early part of the twentieth century, the barges were carved to look like mythical creatures. They are considered a national treasure.
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Bangkok
Elephant sculptures flanking a shrine at the base of a large, gilded Phra Si Ranta Chedi, one of the most prominent buildings in the Wat Phra Kaeo complex. (Lindsay Hebberd; Woodfin Camp)
National Art Gallery This gallery exhibits both modern and traditional Thai art, and it also schedules rotating and traveling exhibitions. 19
To u r i s m
Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s major tourist destinations, and almost all visitors to Thailand pass through Bangkok. In the 1990s, an estimated six to seven million tourists visited Bangkok each year. While Bangkok is famous for its food and wild nightlife, it is probably best known for its history.
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Historic buildings and temples are scattered throughout the city. The Grand Palace is considered one of Thailand’s most important tourist sites. The Grand Palace dates back to 1782, established when King Rama I moved the capital to Bangkok. Bangkok’s famous temples include the Wat Pho and the Wat Traimitr. The Wat Pho temple is home to the 35-meter-long (151-foot-long) Reclining Buddha, and the Wat Traimitr temple houses the world’s largest solidgold Buddha, weighing five metric tons (five-and-a-half tons) and standing three meters (ten feet) high. The Royal Ceremonial Barges are another popular
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Bangkok history, respected for his skills as a musician and composer, also well known as a painter, sculpture, and photographer.
attraction. These elaborately decorated, intricately carved longboats take the form of mythical creatures and are only used by the king on special occasions. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY-FEBRUARY Chinese New Year (a two-day holiday based on a lunar calendar)
FEBRUARY Magha Puja (a Buddhist Holiday commemorating the day when 1,250 Buddhist disciples spontaneously heard Buddha preach the cardinal doctrine)
APRIL Songkran (the Thai New Year, celebrated by setting birds and fish free)
MAY Coronation Day
JULY-AUGUST Visakha Puja (celebrated on the full moon of the sixth lunar month, commemorating Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. Monk’s lead candlelight processions around temples.)
AUGUST
Queen Sirikit (b. 1932), wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, activist for rural women, the conservation of natural resources, and protection of forestlands and endangered animals. Jim Thompson (b. 1906), an American who moved to Bangkok after World War II, credited with reviving Thailand’s silk industry, mysteriously disappeared into the Malaysian jungles in 1967. Mai Charoenpura (b. 1969), model and actress, as well as one of Thailand’s most popular singers. Venerable P. A. Payutto, Thailand's foremost Buddhist scholar and author, most famous for his book Buddhadhamma (1995).
Queen’s Birthday (August 12)
NOVEMBER Loi Krathong (a time of atonement, celebrated to honor water spirits. After sunset people make their way to a body of water and float candles on small lotus-shaped boats.)
DECEMBER King’s Birthday (December 5; Thailand’s Royal Elite Guards lead a colorful procession.) Constitution Day
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Famous Citizens
Bhumibol Adulyadej (b. 1927), highly respected King of Thailand (r. 1946–), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, considered the embodiment of religion, culture, and
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For Further Study
Websites Bangkok.com. [Online] Available http:// www.bangkok.com (accessed October 12, 1999). Bangkok, Thailand. [Online] Available http:// bangkok.thailandtoday.com/index.shtml (accessed April 14, 2000). CIA, the World Factbook 1999, Thailand. [Online] Available http://www.odci.gov/cia/ publications/factbook/th.html (accessed October 12, 1999). Thailand the Big Picture. [Online] Available http://www.nectec.or.th/ (accessed October 12, 1999). Thailand Travel Information Center. [Online] Available http://www.thaiinfo.com/ (accessed October 12, 1999).
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Bangkok Government Offices Tourist Police Unico House Ploenchit Soi Lang Suan Bangkok Phone: (02) 221–6209 United States Embassy 95 Wireless Road Bangkok Phone: (02) 252–5040 Tourist Authority of Thailand 372 Bamrung Muang Rd. Pom Prap, 10100 Bangkok Phone: (02) 226–0060
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Tourism Authority of Thailand offices in the United States: East Coast: 5 World Trade Center, Suite 3443 New York, NY 10048 Phone: (212) 432–0433 Midwest: 303 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 400 Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: (312) 819-3990 West: 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100
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Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone: (213) 382–2353
Publications Bangkok’s two major English-language daily newspapers are both available online: The Bangkok Post. [Online] Available http:// www.bangkokpost.com.net/ (accessed October 12, 1999). The Nation. [Online] Available http:// www.nationmultimedia.com/ (accessed October 12, 1999).
Books Bailey, Donna. Thailand. Austin, TX: SteckVaughn, 1992. Buckley, Michael. Bangkok Handbook. 2nd ed. Chico, CA: Moon Publications, 1995. Cooper, Robert and Nanthapa Cooper. Culture Shock!: Thailand & How to Survive It. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 1991. Hoskin, John. Bangkok. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books, 1991. McNair, Sylvia. Bangkok. New York: Children's Press, 1999. Ringis, Rita. Elephants of Thailand in Myth, Art, and Reality. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1996. Segaller, Denis, Thai Ways. Bangkok: Bangkok Post Books, 1998. Wyatt, David, Thailand: A Short History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986.
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Beijing Beijing, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China, Asia Founded: c. 723 B.C.; First Known as Beijing: 1421 Location: North China Plain Time Zone: 8 PM Chinese time=noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: Han, 96.2% Elevation: 30–40 m (100–130 ft) Latitude and Longitude: 39º55'N, 166º25'E Coastline: None Climate: Continental monsoon climate in a temperate zone, with long winters and hot, rainy summers Annual Mean Temperature: 12ºC (53ºF); January –4ºC (24ºF); July 26ºC (79ºF) Average Annual Precipitation: 635 mm (25 in) Government: Centrally administered by the national government Weights and Measures: Metric system, with some use of traditional Chinese units Monetary Units: Yuan (also called kuai); Monetary system called Renminbi (“people’s currency”) (abbreviation: Rmb) Telephone Area Codes: 10 (Beijing area code); 86 (China country code)
1
Introduction
Located on the North China Plain in the north-central part of the country, Beijing (also known as Peking) is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and its second-largest city. As the political and cultural center of one of the world’s largest and oldest countries almost continuously for nearly 800 years, Beijing has had a colorful and fascinating history, from its days as the aristocratic imperial “center of the world” to revolution, foreign occupation, and civil war in the twentieth century. During the last two decades of the twentieth century, Beijing was transformed yet again, as the economic liberalization and modernization of the post-Mao Zedong era turned the for-
merly austere Communist capital into a bustling commercial metropolis and tourist center and home to a thriving consumer economy. (Mao Zedong, 1893–1976, was the founder of the People’s Republic of China and ruled from 1949 to 1959, but he remained chairman of the politburo until his death.) 2
Getting There
Beijing is situated in the southern part of the North China Plain, with the Taihang and Yanshan mountains to the north and west and a flat plain to the southeast, leading to the Bohai Sea, where the five rivers that run through the city come together and empty out. About two-thirds of the city’s total land area is hilly.
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Beijing
Beijing Population Profile City Proper Population: 6–8 million Area: 750 sq km (290 sq mi) Nicknames: The Celestial City, The Northern Capital, The Center of the World
Metropolitan Area Population: 12,033,000 Description: Beijing Administrative Zone, which includes the city and its outskirt Area: 16,800 sq km (6,486 sq mi) World population rank1: 12 Percentage of national population2: 0.9% Average yearly growth rate: 1.3% Ethnic composition: 96.2% Han; 3.8% Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, and 52 other groups ——— 1. The Beijing metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of China’s total population living in the Beijing metropolitan area.
Highways Highways radiate outward in all directions from Beijing: northeast to Chengdo; eastward to Tangshan; southeast to Tanggu and Tianjin; southward to Hengshui, Baoding, and Shijiazhuang; southwest to Laiyuan; and northwest to Zhangliahou. Bus and Railroad Service Trains are the most commonly used mode of passenger transportation in China, and Beijing is the nation’s rail hub, serving as the terminus for many rail lines. Service is provided between Beijing and all Chinese provinces
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except Tibet. Beijing has four main train stations, of which the largest is the recently built West station in the southwest part of the city. Nearly every city in China, as well as many towns, can be reached from Beijing by train. Long-distance bus service is used primarily to travel between Beijing and its suburbs, or to nearby cities. However, some bus lines travel as far as Shanghai or Qungdao. Airports Beijing Capital Airport, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the central city, is China’s major international airport. Its domestic and international terminals are located in the same building, with a new international terminal under construction. Scheduled flights connect Beijing with Shanghai, Canton, and all other major Chinese cities and tourist sites. There are direct flights to many international capitals, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Berlin. Nanyuan Airport, south of Beijing, is used for domestic flights. 3
Getting Around
Beijing’s central city retains its carefully planned historic layout, arranged around a central north-south axis seven-and-a-half kilometers (five miles) long that passes through the city’s entire central core, from the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the north, through the Forbidden City at the center, to the site of the former Yung-ting Gate in the south. This central core is
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Beijing
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Beijing actually the remnant of two adjoining walled cities, whose outlines are retained although their walls are long gone—a roughly square-shaped “inner” city to the north and a rectangular “outer” city to the south. Bus and Commuter Rail Service Buses are the most popular means of transportation in Beijing. The city has over 200 bus and trolley routes, and the buses are always packed. They run every five to ten minutes, from 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. Tickets, which are inexpensive, are purchased after the passenger has boarded the bus, and the fare varies according to the distance traveled. Minibuses are also available, primarily for traveling to tourist attractions or railway stations. Beijing has two subway lines, the east-west First Line, which runs from the western suburb of Xidan to the center of the city (and is slated to be extended to the eastern suburbs), and the Circle Line, which follows a circular route that corresponds to the former location of Beijing’s original city walls. The subway is faster and less crowded than the bus lines but does not travel to all spots in the city. Taxicabs have become increasingly popular in the past decade, and it is now easy to hail one of the many cabs that cruise the city streets and offer a convenient but relatively inexpensive alternative to the bus or subway.
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Sightseeing Organized tours are offered by China’s tourism agencies, of which the two major ones are the China International Travel Service (CITS) and the China Travel Service (CTS). CITS offers a variety of “Dragon Tours,” which include such attractions as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Beijing Zoo, and rickshaw rides. 4
People
Beijing grew rapidly in the twentieth century, especially after the Communist revolution of 1949. Today the Beijing metropolitan area has a population of more than 12 million people. Between six and eight million live in the city proper, and the rest in the surrounding area. The population of the central city has also been expanded by the presence of more than three million transient workers from other areas. Officially, 56 different ethnic groups are recognized in Beijing; however, an overwhelming majority of the population (96.2 percent) belongs to the Han ethnic group. The remainder are divided among the 55 other ethnicities, of which the most populous are the Manchus, Hui, and Mongolians. Several ethnic groups live in their own neighborhoods, with special facilities for observing their traditional cultural practices.
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Beijing
City Fact Comparison Beijing (China)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
New York (United States)
Population of urban area1
12,033,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
16,626,000
Date the city was founded
723 BC
753 BC
1613
Indicator
AD
969
2
Daily costs to visit the city Hotel (single occupancy)
$129
$193
$172
$198
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$62
$56
$59
$44
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$16
$14
$15
$26
$207
$173
$246
$244
11
13
20
10
Renmin Ribao
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
The Wall Street Journal
3,000,000
1,159,339
754,930
1,740,450
1948
1944
1976
1889
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established 1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
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Neighborhoods
Greater Beijing is a vast metropolitan area of 16,800 square kilometers (6,486 square miles), first carved out under an imperial government centuries ago. Its unity has been preserved by the People’s Republic, and today it is divided into ten districts (ch’u) and eight counties (hsien), which can be delineated into three concentric areas. The central one is the Old City, encompassing four of the ch’u; this is the area originally enclosed by the city walls. It is further divided into the Inner and Outer Cities, two adjacent areas with the Outer City to the south. At the
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heart of the Inner City lies the Forbidden City, a historic district that is the former home of China’s emperors. The Outer City consists mostly of residential and commercial areas and parks. Encircling the central city is the zone of inner suburbs that accounts for five of the remaining ch’u. It is home to government buildings, schools, factories, and workers’ residences, and its outer belt is cultivated to provide the city with a local supply of fresh produce. The Beijing and Qinghua universities lie in the northwest suburbs of this region.
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Beijing
Tiananmen Square. (Timothy Eagan; Woodfin Camp)
Beijing’s outermost, or far suburban, zone is made up of the one remaining ch’u and the eight hsien, or rural counties. This district consists largely of farmland and supplies the city with agricultural products, as well as coal, lumber, water, and other basic necessities. Its residential areas are primarily country towns. 6
History
The Beijing area is known to have been inhabited by prehistoric humans (Homo erectus pekinensis, or Beijing man) approximately 500,000 years ago. The
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earliest recorded settlement, in what is now southwest Beijing, dates back to around 1045 B.C. By 453–221 B.C. (the “Warring States” period), the site was home to a city called Ji, which was the capital of the Yan Kingdom. In 1215, the city at the site of present-day Beijing was torched by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan (1162–1227), who built a new city called Dadu (“Great Capital”), or Khanbaliq. Later in the thirteenth century, under the rule of Kublai Khan (1215– 1294), it became the capital of a vast empire, and it has been China’s
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Beijing national capital almost continuously ever since. It was renamed Beiping (“Northern Peace”) at the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). In 1421, the third Ming emperor, Yongle, made the city his capital, and it assumed its present name of Beijing (“Northern Capital”). It was during this period that the present grid pattern of the central city was established, arranged around a north-south axis centering on the Imperial Palace. The city’s design followed the traditional architectural principles of feng shui, a system of using space in a way intended to achieve maximum harmony between the human and natural worlds. In 1553 walls went up around the “outer city” to the south, enclosing suburbs that had grown up adjacent to the original city. Under the Qing dynasty of the Manchus (1644–1911), Beijing underwent substantial renovation and expansion although the basic character of the city during the Ming period was largely preserved. The last century of Manchu rule was a period of foreign encroachment from without and political instability within. The city of Beijing was captured by French and British forces during the second Opium War (1858– 60), and the Summer Palaces were burned down. Foreign forces attacked the city during the Boxer Rebellion (1898–1900) at the turn of the twentieth century, destroying many of its artistic and historical treasures. Beijing remained at the center of Chinese history following the 1911 revolution that ended Chinese imperial rule and placed
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the nationalist Kuomintang in power. At the conclusion of World War I (1914–18), it was the site of a historic demonstration in Tiananmen Square, opposing Chinese capitulation to the terms of the Versailles Treaty (signed in 1919, the Versailles Treaty officially ended World War I). Military and political developments in the second quarter of the twentieth century affected the status of Beijing. Fighting to regain control of the country from the warlords who had seized power shortly after the revolution of 1911, the Kuomintang (the Chinese Nationalist Party), under Chiang Kaishek, moved its capital to Nanjing in 1928 and renamed Beijing, calling it Beiping (“Northern Peace” instead of “Northern Capital”). In 1937 the Japanese seized control of the city when they invaded China, and it remained under occupation until the end of World War II (1939–45), with Chungking serving as the temporary Nationalist capital during the bitter warfare of that period. Beijing was retaken and held by the Kuomintang during the ensuing civil war, but the city finally fell to the Communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong (1893–1976) in January, 1949, and became the capital of the People’s Republic of China the following October, regaining its former name and its position as the nation’s political, cultural, and financial hub. Under Mao’s leadership, the city underwent modernization, as streets were widened, vestiges of imperial rule were demolished, and technical advisers from the Union of Soviet Socialist
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Beijing
The Summer Palace, featuring traditional Chinese gardening, was burned down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in the second Opium War (1858–60). (Mike Yamashita; Woodfin Camp)
Republics (U.S.S.R.) introduced examples of Soviet-style architecture. From 1966 to the late 1970s, life in Beijing, as elsewhere in China, was dramatically affected by the Cultural Revolution. Beijing’s Tiananmen Square was the site of the 1976 demonstration, honoring deceased political leader Zhou Enlai, that marked the beginning of the end for this disastrous campaign of political repression. For the final time in the twentieth century, Beijing’s Tiananmen Square became the stage for a major political
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event, as the student-led pro-democracy movement was crushed there in the spring of 1989, accentuating the disparity between the country’s economic reforms and its continuing level of political repression. Although China’s human rights record continues to draw criticism from abroad and dissent at home, the economic liberalization of the past two decades has changed the face of its capital, with the construction of skyscrapers, the proliferation of the services and conveniences that characterize a modern consumer economy, and the exponential growth of tourism.
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Beijing 7
Government
Although it has its own elected and appointed government officials, Beijing is one of three municipalities in China (the other two are Tientsin and Shanghai) that are ultimately under the control of the national government rather than the surrounding province (in the case of Beijing, this is Hebei Province). For administrative purposes, the urban and suburban parts of Beijing are divided into ten districts (ch’n; four urban and six suburban), and the surrounding rural areas of the municipality are divided into eight counties (hsien). The major governing body at the municipal level is the People’s Congress of Beijing Municipality, which has budget, taxation, and administrative responsibilities. Its members also elect the officials of the executive branch. Known as the Beijing People’s Government, it consists of a mayor, several vice mayors, and the heads of various bureaus. Each district has its own mayor, and within each district some civic duties are assumed at the neighborhood level as well. As China’s national capital, Beijing is also home to almost all major government institutions, including the National People’s Congress and the State Council. 8
Public Safety
Violent crime is relatively rare in Beijing, but petty theft is common. Pickpockets like to target crowds, espe-
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cially crowds of tourists, and grab bags and wallets, or use knives or razors to slit open bags and steal their contents. Most crimes are handled by the Public Security Bureau, which apprehends, prosecutes, and sentences criminals. Beijing’s districts have their own police jurisdictions, with a number of substations, or precincts, to each district. Crimes involving illegal drugs are prosecuted harshly. 9
Economy
Since the Communist revolution of 1949, Beijing has become one of the nation’s industrial centers. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Chinese government funded major development of heavy industry in the city, led by the modernization of the Shih-ching-shan Iron and Steel Works, which is now one of the country’s major steel-producing facilities. Today Beijing ranks second only to Shanghai in industrialization, with highly developed machinery, textile, and petrochemical sectors. Agriculture also plays a significant role in Beijing’s economy, with a large farming belt on the city’s periphery serving to reduce its dependence on food supplies shipped in from the Yangtze Valley. Beijing has a rapidly growing service sector, consisting mostly of government agencies. The People’s Bank of China, the major institution in China’s centralized banking system, has its head office in central Beijing, which is also home to a variety of specialized banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the
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Beijing Agricultural Bank of China. Other financial institutions in the city include major insurance companies, credit cooperatives, securities firms, and investment companies. Wholesale and retail commerce and tourism also play a major role in the city’s economy. The free-market economic reforms of the 1990s created an economic boom for Beijing with the influx of foreign capital and technology. 10
Environment
Like other cities throughout the world, Beijing has paid an environmental price for its twentieth-century economic and technological progress. The heavy industrialization introduced in the 1950s brought with it air pollution, which the government has addressed by relocating factories to the outskirts of the municipality and using natural gas instead of coal as a heating fuel. However, the growing number of motor vehicles in the city has created a new threat to Beijing’s air quality. In response, the government has undertaken highway improvement programs in an effort to relieve traffic congestion, but the new roads have quickly become crowded as cars and taxis replace bicycles and buses. Growing consumer affluence and the corresponding increase in the use of modern appliances and other conveniences have led to increased energy use, as well as waste from disposable packaging.
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Shopping
Beijing’s main shopping thoroughfare, Wangfujing Market Street, attracts some 100,000 customers every day. Anchored by the Beijing Department Store, its mostly state-operated retailers include other department stores, bookshops and other specialty stores, as well as the Dong’an Mall. Major additions and renovations are slated for completion around 2000. Although renovated in the 1980s, Liulichang Street still has the appearance of a market street from the Qing Dynasty. Its shops are known for their selection of antiques, rare books, calligraphy, and arts and crafts. In the Qianmen district south of Tiananmen Square, street vendors sell foods, traditional Chinese medicine, and a colorful variety of consumer goods, from bamboo streamers to suitcases. Traditional markets, such as the Hongqiao Market and the Guanyuan Market, offer an eclectic selection of goods, ranging from food to furniture to songbirds. Another traditional shopping venue is the temple fair. Traditionally these fairs, featuring vendors and entertainment, were held at Beijing’s temples during various religious festivals. The custom has been revived, but only during the Spring Festival. Among the most popular items sought by visitors to China are antiques, carpets, silk products, furniture, jewelry, paintings, calligraphy, and porcelain.
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Beijing 12
Education
The educational system in Beijing, as elsewhere in China, consists of six years of universal primary education and six years of secondary education. In addition, both the government and a number of private groups operate nurseries and kindergartens for younger children to make it easier for their mothers to work. The early years of primary education emphasize reading, writing, and arithmetic, with history, geography, and science added in the later years. There are three types of secondary schools: general middle schools, which offer college-preparatory courses; normal schools, which prepare students to attend teacher training colleges; and vocational and technical schools. As home to both Beijing University and Qinghua University, Beijing is an important center for higher education in China. Beijing University, founded in 1898, was relocated from its original site in the central city to a new campus that has been significantly expanded to accommodate one of China’s largest universities. With six schools, 31 departments, and 44 research centers, Qinghua University is China’s premier technical institute and one of the country’s major centers for scientific and technical research and development. The northwestern edge of the city, home to both Beijing University and Qinghua University, has become a major educational and research district that is also home to the People’s University of China, the Central Institute of Nationalities, the Beijing Normal
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College, the Beijing Medical College, and the Central Conservatory of Music, as well as institutes specializing in aeronautics, petroleum production, forestry, agriculture, and other fields. 13
Health Care
Medical education and practice in China combines Western medicine with traditional Chinese practices, notably the use of herbal medicine and acupuncture. Beijing’s largest hospital is Capital Hospital, founded in 1921 as Beijing Union Hospital. Today it combines a general hospital with pediatric and gynecological clinics. Many hospitals have been built in Beijing since 1949; a large number are affiliated with medical schools as clinical teaching institutions. The city’s major pediatric facility is the new Beijing Children’s Hospital, located near the site of the Fuhsing Gate. Beijing has a number of specialty hospitals, including facilities devoted to orthopedic, chest, plastic, and traumarelated surgery. 14
Media
Two daily national newspapers are published in Beijing: Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily), the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, which had a 1998 circulation of approximately three million, and Gongren Ribao (Worker’s Daily), which had a 1998 circulation of approximately 2.5 million. Other major daily papers published in the capital (with 1998 circulation figures) are Nongmin Ribao (Peasant’s Daily;
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Beijing one million); Zhongguo Qingnian Bao (China Youth News; one million); Beijing Ribao (Beijing Daily; 700,000); Beijing Wanbao (Beijing Evening News; 800,000); and Guangming Ribao (Guangming Daily; 950,000). China Daily is an English-language newspaper published by the Chinese government (1998 circulation 150,000), and the Economic Daily is a daily business paper. Radio broadcasts are under the control of the Central People’s Broadcasting Station (CPBS). Programs are aired in the official Chinese dialect of putonghua, as well as local dialects and minority ethnic languages. Two television stations (CCTV 1 and 2) are operated by Chinese Central Television, and three more are operated by Beijing Television (BTV). 15
Sports
Located in the eastern part of the city, the Beijing Workers’ Stadium is China’s largest sports facility, seating 80,000 for soccer (the country’s most popular sport) and track and field events. Facilities for table tennis and other indoor games are available at the capital Gymnasium in western Beijing, which also accommodates an indoor ice rink for hockey and figure skating. The indoor sport of basketball has become quite popular among the Chinese in the winter months, and the country now has two professional basketball leagues. Martial arts retain their traditional popularity, with demonstrations provided at the Asian Games Village. Beijing also has a golf course and a race-
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track, where spectators can place bets although other types of gambling are illegal in China. 16
Parks and Recreation
Beijing’s history as a gracious imperial city can be seen in its parks and outdoor recreational areas, which are more numerous than those in most other Chinese cities. The most centrally located is Chung-shan Park, adjacent to the west wall of Tiananmen Square. With pavilions, kiosks, and other structures scattered amid pools, flower gardens, willow trees, and bamboo, the park constitutes a characteristic Chinese garden landscape that includes a pavilion built over a lotus pond. This park is also the site of an ancient altar and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (formerly a religious shrine), which is over 500 years old—Beijing’s oldest wooden building. Ching-shan Park, also called Meishan (or Coal Hill) Park, extends over an artificial hill north of the Forbidden City. The park, which affords a dramatic view of the city, is also home to the educational and recreational facilities of the Beijing Children’s Palace, located at its northern end. Half of Pei Hai Park’s 71 hectares (176 acres) consist of water, making this park a favorite with rowers in summer and ice skaters in winter. A number of cultural and educational facilities, including the Beijing Library, are located within its boundaries. The Summer Palace is the largest park on the outskirts of the city. K’unming Lake occupies four-fifths of the
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Beijing
A giant panda bear naps in the Beijing Zoological Gardens, China’s largest zoo. (Israel Talby; Woodfin Camp)
park’s 324 hectares (800 acres), with the rest consisting of artificial landscaping. There are more than 100 buildings in the park, as well as elaborate covered promenades connecting its lakefront sites. The Beijing Zoological Gardens at the western edge of the city is China’s largest zoo and is home to animals from all over China and the world. The zoo is especially famous for its giant panda bears. Popular outdoor activities in Beijing include tennis, golf, miniature golf, badminton, squash, horseback riding, kite flying, martial arts, swim-
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ming, and the contemporary sport of paintball. 17
Performing Arts
Beijing has traditionally been the cultural and educational capital of China, a legacy that dates back to the Ming dynasty. The political upheavals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries led to a decline in the traditional Chinese arts, which reached a low point during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Since the late 1970s, however, government support for the arts has revived, and Beijing has
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Beijing become an active venue for both traditional Chinese and Western performing arts. Classical concerts by both Chinese and foreign artists can be heard at the Beijing Concert Hall, and the capital has its own symphony orchestra. The Central Ballet of China performs both foreign and Chinese works on several different stages. Chinese folk dance is performed by the Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble. The traditional Beijing Opera was revived in the 1990s although it has been popular primarily among China’s older residents. There are more than 25 theaters in Beijing, and theatrical presentations range from the works of British playwright William Shakespeare (1564– 1616) to American dramatist Arthur Miller (b. 1915) to contemporary avant garde Chinese works. The major theatrical venues are the Capital Theater and the Central Academy of Drama Experimental Theatre. The traditional performing arts of puppetry and acrobatics remain very popular. 18
Libraries and Museums
The Beijing Library, located within Pei Hai Park, is home to the history collections of China’s National Library, including material from imperial libraries dating back to the Sung, Ming, and Ch’ing dynasties. The collections include ancient books and manuscripts, maps, and rubbings from historic inscriptions. Since the late 1980s, the library’s modern holdings have been
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housed in a new building at the western edge of the city. Beijing’s largest collection of artistic treasures—including stone and ivory carvings, enamel work, metal work, embroidery, and porcelain—is housed in the Palace Museum, located within the Imperial Palace. The original decor of many of the rooms has been preserved, constituting an additional artistic and historic attraction. The artifacts in the Museum of Chinese History, located adjacent to Tiananmen Square, chart the progress of Chinese history over the past 4,000 years, from its ancient civilizations through its dynastic periods. Its collection includes thousands of artworks, relics, and scientific inventions. Located in one of its wings is the Museum of the Chinese Revolution, which traces the history of the Chinese Communist Party from its origins through the revolutionary and civil war periods leading up to 1949. The China National Art Gallery displays traditional calligraphy and watercolors, as well as temporary exhibits of works by contemporary Chinese artists. Beijing also has museums devoted to military history, imperial archives, and natural history, as well as the China’s first planetarium, with an adjacent observatory and meteorological station. The former residence of acclaimed author Lu Xun (1881–1936) has been turned into a museum, displaying photographs and documents related to his life.
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Beijing
To u r i s m
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In recent decades, Beijing’s tourist industry has grown rapidly to become an important sector of the city’s economy, thanks to the historical and cultural attractions of the central city itself and those found in outlying areas, such as the Great Wall, the tombs containing the remains of 13 of the 16 Ming emperors, and the sites where Beijing man and other prehistoric human remains have been found. The influx of visitors has spurred new hotel construction and the renovation of existing facilities. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY–FEBRUARY Spring Festival (celebrated in many Asian nations as Lunar New Year, and known in the United States as Chinese New Year)
MARCH International Working Women’s Day
APRIL
The Great Wall is one of China’s greatest tourist attractions. (Mike Yamashita; Woodfin Camp)
Qingming
MAY
OCTOBER
International Labor Day Youth Day
National Day
JUNE
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International Children’s Day
JULY Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese Communist Party
JULY-AUGUST Dragon Boat Festival
AUGUST Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Mid-Autumn Festival
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Famous Citizens
Cao Zhan (1715–1763), author of China’s most famous novel, Dream of the Red Chamber. Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997), political leader. Ding Ling (1904–1986), short story writer. Lao She (1899–1966), satirical novelist.
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Beijing Li Dazhou (1888–1927), co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party. Lu Xun (1881–1936), author. Mao Zedong (1893–1976), Chinese Communist leader. Zhang Tianyi (b. 1907), short story writer and novelist. Zhang Yimou (b. 1950), film director. Zhou Enlai (1898–1976), Chinese premier. Zhou Zuoren (1885–1996), essayist and scholar. 22
For Further Study
Websites Beijing Centre for Planning, “”Beijing Window.” [Online] Available http://www.china.org.cn/ AcrossCountry/Beijing_w/beijing/ indexe.htm (accessed April 14, 2000). China Travel System [Online] Available http:// www.beijing.chinats.com (accessed December 30, 1999). Excite Travel, “Destination: China.” [Online] Available http://www.excite.cm/travel/ countries/china/beijing (accessed December 30, 1999).
Government Offices Ministry of Supervision 4 Zaojunmiao Haidian Qu Beijing 100081 State Development and Planning Commission 38 Yuetannan Jie Xicheng Qu Beijing 100824
Tourist and Convention Bureaus China International Travel Service (CITS) 103 Fu Xing Men Nei Dajie Beijing 100800
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China Travel Service (CTS) Beijing Tourist Building 28 Jianguomenwai Dajie, 100022 State Bureau of Tourism Jie 3 Jian Guo Men Nei Dajie Beijing 100740
Publications China Daily 15 Huixin Dongjie Chaoyang District, 100029 Gongren Ribao Liupukeng Andingmen Wai Nongmin Ribao 61 Guxing Lu Renmin Ribao 2 Jin Tai Xi Lu
Books Baldwin, Robert F. Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Beijing. Illustrations by Ray Webb. Minneapolis: Runestone Press, 1999. Cohn, Don, and Zhang Jingqing Beijingwalks. New York: H. Holt, 1992. Elder, Chris, ed. Old Peking: City of the Ruler of the World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Lin, Yutang. Imperial Peking. New York: Crown Publishers, 1961. Lindesay, William, and Wu Qi. Beijing. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books, 1997. Meyer, Jeffrey F. The Dragons of Tiananmen: Beijing as a Sacred City. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1991. Salisbury, Harrison Evans. Tiananmen Diary: Thirteen Days in June. Boston: Little, Brown, 1989. Shi, Tianjian. Political Participation in Beijing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997. Sit, Victor F.S. Beijing: The Nature and Planning of a Chinese Capital City. New York: Wiley, 1995. Strand, David. Rickshaw Beijing: City People and Politics in the 1920s. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989.
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Berlin Berlin, Germany, Europe Founded: October 28, 1237 Location: Europe, northeastern Germany, on the River Spree Flag: A white field with a red stripe on top and bottom; the Berlin bear rests in the center. Time Zone: 1 PM = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: 23% of the foreign residents in Germany live in Hamburg and Berlin, including a large population of Turkish immigrants. Elevation: 34 meters above sea level. Berlin lies on a huge plain in the northeast corner of Germany, comprising 833 square kilometers. Latitude and Longitude: 52°31’ N, 13°25’ E Coastline: None Climate: Mild summers and wet winters. Annual Mean Temperature: 47°F (8°C); in January: 31°F (-1°C); in July: 66°F (19°C). It either rains or snows in Berlin during 91 days of the year. Its placement on the European continent, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Baltic Sea above, make the city subject to the prevailing winds from across the water, carrying moisture to the land. Average Annual Precipitation: 23 inches Government: A parliament, senate and mayor Weights and Measures: Metric Monetary Units: 1 deutsch mark = 100 pfennige Telephone Area Code: Germany country code: 49; Berlin code: 30 Postal Codes: 10000–12527, 12531–14199
1
Introduction
The political home of Germany’s Federal Government and the educational center of Germany, Berlin is the nation’s capital and busiest city. Although major reconstruction projects have helped make Berlin an attractive, modern city, the shadows of World War II (1939–45) and the Berlin Wall still darken its recent history. This is the seat of German power, where Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) gained control in 1933 by marching through the Brandenburg Gate and taking over parliament in the
Reichtags building. After World War II, Berlin turned into a Cold War battleground, separated into a Soviet-influenced East and an American-influenced West by the Berlin Wall in 1966. But, there are startling contrasts to war in Berlin, such as the intellectual and scientific blossoming of the Enlightenment during the 1700s and “golden” 1920s of the twentieth century. Always a cultural center, Berlin has continued this tradition with many museums and theaters, while Berlin’s trade associations employ the majority of the work-
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Berlin where transportation lines lead directly into all sections of the continent.
Berlin Population Profile Population: 3,337,000 Area: 883 sq km (340 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 95.1% German; 2.3% Turkish; 0.7% Italian; 0.4% Greek; 0.4Polish; 1.1% other Area: Area within city limits, including the western Kurfürstendamm and the eastern Alexanderplatz, plus Spandau, Marzahn, Hellersdorf, Grunewald, Frohnau, and Westend World population rank1: 85 Percentage of total country population2: 4.0% Average yearly growth rate: 0.1% Nicknames: Divided City; Venice of the North; the name Berlin means “bog” in Slavic, so called because of the swamps surrounding the city. ——— 1. The Berlin metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Germany’s total population living in the Berlin metropolitan area.
force with apprenticeships permanent jobs. 2
and
Getting There
Berlin is located in the northeastern corner of Germany on the banks of the river Spree. On the South Bank, along the Strasse des 17 Juni, monuments like the Berlin Zoo, Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and Schloss Bellevue draw tourists. Numerous transportation projects are currently under way, modernizing and extending the existing system, and connecting the former East and West Berlin into one community. The city is also seen as something of a gateway between Eastern and Western Europe,
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Highways Berlin’s urban motorway is the A100, while the six-lane A113 travels along the Teltow Canal. Bus and Railroad Service High speed trains, such as the Inter City Express (ICE) and the Euro City (EC) operate to and from Berlin, but in 2005 the Transrapid magnetic levitation train will make travel even faster between Hamburg and Berlin (the two largest cities in Germany). There have been some problems finding funds to install the Transrapid, which have delayed the opening. Lehrter Bahnhof is the major train station in Berlin, which is located in the government precinct, right next to the Chancellery. From this train station, a passenger will be able travel directly to any location on the continent. Airports The Tegel airport is the main international airport in western Berlin, closely followed by Shonefeld in the east. These airports will soon be complemented by the new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI), slated for completion in 2007. Major airlines, such as Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, and Pan Am, operate in Berlin.
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Berlin
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Berlin 3
Getting Around
The city of Greater Berlin was laid out in its present form in 1920, divided down the middle into North and South banks by the river Spree, and into Eastern and Western sections by the former Berlin wall. Some major roads that run through the city are the Strasse des 17 Juni, Kurfurstendamm, Potsdamer, Friedrich, and Unter den Linden. These roads are lined with historical buildings and cultural venues that are easily accessible by the underground railways. Bus and Commuter Rail Service The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG—Berlin Public Transportation) in Berlin has attempted to lessen noise, pollution, and traffic by strengthening the public transportation service. Bus service is less convenient than using the trams (which run mostly in eastern Berlin) and quick underground railways. The suburban railway network, “Sbahn” and “U-bahn,” consists of 300 kilometers (186 miles) of track which runs around in circles under the city. The U5 travels from east to west while the U6 travels north to south.
River. Potsdamer Platz, in the center of the city, holds the State Library, National Gallery, and Philharmonic Concert Hall. Tour boats travel on the many lakes and canals around the city. 4
The population of Berlin in 1999 amounted to more than 4.3 million, but this figure has been declining since the 1970s, in part because the birthrate is one of the lowest in the world. Only ten-and-a-half births occur per 1,000 inhabitants during a given year. However, an increasing number of foreigners have been settling in Berlin due to recently loosened immigration laws and easier citizenship requirements. Nearly 500,000 foreigners live in what has been called the most international city in Germany, including Turks, Russians, Poles, and others. Despite the mixture of cultures the official language of the people is High German, which came into common usage after Martin Luther’s translation of the bible in the sixteenth century. There is also a residual split between East Germans, or “Ossis,” and West Germans, who are called “Wessis.”
Sightseeing Many of Berlin’s sights are within walking distance of the public transportation system, including the boulevard Unter den Linden which starts at Brandenburg Gate, continuing to the river, with the Tiergarten nearby. Museum Island is a popular place to view the extensive art collections of Berlin, which is actually located in the Spree
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People
5
Neighborhoods
The center of Berlin is marked by the Reichstag, or Deutscher BundestagPlenarbereich Reichstagsgebäude (German Federal Assembly-Plenary Area, Imperial Assembly Building), which was renamed to symbolize a break with the city’s Nazi history. The Brandenburg Tor, or Gate, is the doorway from West
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Berlin
City Fact Comparison Berlin (Germany)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
3,337,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
28 October 1237
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$118
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$66
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$16
$14
$15
$16
$200
$173
$246
$207
8
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
Akhbar El Yom/ Berliner Zeitung Al Akhbar 370,000
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1877
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
to East, where the Berlin Wall crossed the city center before it was destroyed in November 1989. The eastern and western portions of the city differ greatly, with the western Kurfürstendamm, or Ku’damm, commercial center sporting all of the nicest shops and cafés while the eastern Alexanderplatz has been described as “depressing.” This should change soon because the greatest building activity in Germany is taking place in Berlin, improving the infrastructure that will link both sides of the city together again. Much of the population lives in the suburbs. Spandau, in the west of Berlin, is home to one of Berlin’s largest residential devel-
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opments, Wasserstadt Oberhavel on the banks of the Havel. Biesdorf-Süd, between Marzahn and Hellersdorf, houses 500,000 residents on the edge of the former East Berlin. The nicer neighborhoods lie around the lakes in the west, including the Grunewald, Frohnau, and Westend communities. The majority of Berliners rent housing and enjoy the idea of a local community, or the Kiez. Although Berlin has always been a popular place to live, more people are emigrating to nearby towns and cities than are moving into the capital city. The government has embarked upon a complete restructuring of surrounding communities
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Berlin century or more of separation, the administrations of these two towns merged in 1307 to fight against robber barons. These “noblemen” acted more like pirates, demanding huge tributes and terrorizing the populace, but without an army the citizens of Berlin could not fight back. By the year 1411, the town had asked the Holy Roman Emperor for protection, bringing in Fredrich von Hohenzollern, Burggraf of Nuremberg and his army. The Hohenzollerns ruled Berlin and most of Germany for centuries, conquering Prussia in 1640 and founding the German Reich in 1871. Traditionally the capital city and royal residence of the Hohenzollerns, Friedrich Wilhelm chose Berlin as his seat of power in the newly founded Prussia. Eight Friedrich Wilhelms followed his example, building the military and economic strength of Germany from Berlin. The changing skyline of Berlin. The reunification of Communist Germany has prompted rapid modernization. (Bernard Boutrit; Woodfin Camp)
designed to help draw back residents; it is expected to show results by the year 2010. 6
History
In 1237, the fishing community of Colln was first registered as a town located on the south bank of the Spree River. After 1244, opposite this settlement on the north bank, lay the larger merchant town of Berlin. Following a
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The Industrial Revolution (c. 1750) brought new factories and an influx of settlers to the city from the surrounding countryside. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city’s population reached more than four million, attracting both industry and culture. By 1871, Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) and Wilhelm I (1797– 1888) succeeded where others had failed by bringing together Denmark, Austria, France, Prussia, and the German states into one empire, with Berlin as the capital. This was the first time that the German states were truly unified, but the German empire, which extended across Europe and into the
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Berlin
German cathedral, opera house, and French cathedral, the centerpiece of Frederick the Great. (Bernard Boutrit; Woodfin Camp)
colonies, still posed a military challenge. The shock of losing World War I (1914–18) caused riots in Berlin against the traditional imperial system, which was replaced by a democratic constitution in Weimar, in 1919. This political instability was accentuated by the economic problems, or Great Depression, of the “golden” 1920s, but Berlin seemed to flower under pressure. Ironically, the city bloomed into the most popular gathering place for avant-garde artists, like Fritz Lang, Klaus Mann, and
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Bertolt Brecht. In 1933, Hitler ended the party by marching thousands of troops into Berlin and imposing military rule. The 1936 Olympic games in Berlin were sadly overshadowed by war preparations. When Hitler annexed Austria and part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, he also ordered the destruction of Jewish buildings in Berlin called Reichskristallnacht, or the night of the broken glass. The Nazis systematically killed approximately 50,000 Jews in concentration camps until World War II ended in 1945. Only two-and-a-half million of
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Berlin Berlin’s four million inhabitants were left after the fighting ended. Berlin was divided into four parts at first, with the Soviet Union, United States, Britain, and France overseeing the reconstruction. By 1948, the United States had claimed West Germany, and the Soviet Union had assumed control of East Germany, but Berlin’s location in the east caused problems. The democracies wanted to keep some hold on Berlin (the traditional power seat), so they proceeded to airlift food into the starved Soviet city. In 1961, the Soviets built a wall dividing the city in half, which remained until 1989. At this point, the western capital moved to Bonn while the Soviet occupiers stayed in Berlin. This artificial separation made reunification a happy occasion, but difficult economically and socially. In 1994, the last foreign troops left Berlin, signaling the end to 50 years of occupation and allowing the German government’s homecoming to Berlin in 1999. 7
Government
The city-state of Berlin’s political system consists of the mayor, the House of Representatives, or city Parliament, which is elected for four-year terms with a minimum of 150 representatives and public meetings, and the Senate. There are ten ministerial portfolios. The constitution written in 1950 for western Berlin has applied to eastern Berlin as well since 1991. The city is also the Federal Capital of Germany, with all major governmental offices located on the banks of the river Spree.
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8
Public Safety
The police force in Berlin consists of the general police for petty crimes, criminal police for serious crimes, alert forces for large-scale problems, and the river police. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which deals with criminals that operate across state boundaries, has one of its bases in Berlin and is also the national center for Interpol. The border patrol also operates along the Polish border, which lies only 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Berlin. 9
Economy
Berlin began as a fishing and trading community, selling primarily rye and timber. This role in trade grew larger through the centuries as a disciplined military force protected foreign tradesmen and helped collect customs tariffs. The 1830s brought the Industrial Revolution to Berlin, which hastily built factories to produce machine tools, dyes, medicines, and electrical goods. AEG and Siemens had an early start in Berlin, fueling participation in both World Wars. The Great Depression brought economic chaos, but success in the arts, especially in film production. Although Berlin was devastated by the time World War II was over, major reconstruction projects funded by the victors helped to keep the economy going. Berlin continues to deal with ongoing reintegration of the West with the East, as well as an economy that is shifting from the processing to the service sector. Many companies relocated from
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Berlin
The Brandenburg Gate is the doorway from West to East, and signifies the difference between the western commercial center sporting all of the nicest shops and cafés and the eastern side described as “depressing.” (Bernard Boutrit; Woodfin Camp)
Berlin during the uncertain years after the war, but now Daimler-Benz, Sony, IBM-Germany, and German Rail have headquarters along the Spree. Berlin is one of Germany’s largest banking centers, the world’s leading conference center, the seat of Federal Government, and the largest university city in Germany (147,000 students) with three major universities. Half of the 1.6 million workers are in the service sector, and about 13 percent of the workforce is unemployed, but recent restructuring aims to lower this figure. Also, projects
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with the rest of the European Union, including monetary unification, have played an important role in stabilizing the Berlin economy. 10
Environment
The Social Democrat-Green Party coalition in Germany’s federal government gave environmentalists a strong say in policymaking at the end of the twentieth century. As the twenty-first century begins, the Federal Environmental Agency in Berlin hopes to pro-
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Berlin mote the efficient use of energy, to close substance cycles, and reverse land depletion trends, but the biggest problem comes from eastern industry. Lignite was the main source of energy in the former GDR, satisfying 70 percent of the east’s requirement, leading to massive pollution throughout Germany. Lignite is still the principal domestic source of energy, with reserves reaching 43 billion tons in the Rhineland. The alternative, nuclear power, has gained ridicule from environmentalists who see nuclear power plants as more of a danger than a viable resource. A number of rivers and lakes flow in and around Berlin, which are as polluted as the streets of the city. The administration’s energy policy hopes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent between 1990 and 2010, in part by building new, energy-efficient flats and limiting industrial pollutants. By 1995, carbon dioxide levels were down by ten percent. The Berlin Solar Campaign also hopes to bring solar energy, which can be used without creating harmful emissions, into widespread use. In recent years, flooding in Germany resulting from alternating El Niño and La Nina weather patterns and stimulated by global warming has washed away topsoil and endangered lives. It is hoped that with replanting and other soil conservation measures the land and forests will remain an important resource for generations to come. 11
Shopping
At the trendy Prenzlauer Berg, art galleries, cafés, and restaurants line the
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street. A large, new shopping mall has been built at Potsdamer Platz, a startling contrast to the eastern Alexanderplatz, which has barely been renovated since Soviet occupation. The Kurfürstendamm, or Ku’damm, is a threeand-a-half-kilometer (two-mile) strip of shops, movie theaters, bars, and cafés, including 6,500 pubs and restaurants. Ku’damm and Tauentzienstrasse in the West are the main shopping centers, along with Friedrichstrasse in the East. Shop hours are normally 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday. Most shops are closed on Sunday, but more and more stores are opening their doors to customers all week long. Business is booming in the newly renovated capital of Germany, drawing customers and holiday travelers from around the world. A visitor can get a three-day pass on the underground in order to visit all the shopping centers without missing a store. 12
Education
Compulsory schooling begins for Berlin students at age seven and lasts for nine or ten years. Most children are tested at age ten for aptitude and then placed in a Hauptshule or Realshule for vocational trades, a Gymnasium for academics, or a comprehensive Gesamtschule, which teaches all trades. Those from the Gymnasium finish school with their abitur exams while children from the Realschule continue on to technical school, or Fachobershule, and polytechnic university, or Fachhochschule. Education through post-graduate work is free
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Berlin for all, including foreigners. There are three major universities in Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin with 61,000 students, Technische Universität Berlin with 38,000 students, and Humbolt Universität zu Berlin with 19,000 students. There are numerous other colleges that cater to more particular professions and trades. The guild system, which began during the middle ages in Germany, continues to some extent through the educational system which is geared towards satisfying the business community’s needs with apprenticeship and internship requirements in many fields. Berlin is also home to a large number of foreign students that come to the international city to learn the German language, as well as about the clash between western and eastern culture and the two world wars that took place largely on German and French soil. 13
Health Care
Everyone in Germany is entitled to health care, with benefits programs divided into two categories. Statutory insurance provides virtually free choice of doctors (on a quarterly basis), unlimited visits and checkups, prescription drug coverage with a co-payment, comprehensive dental visits, vision and hearing aids, mental health visits, monthly home allowances for the chronically ill, liberal maternity benefits, and disability pay. The government receives funds to pay for health care from employee taxes and public and private donations, but much of the money comes from government coffers. Partly as a result of comprehensive
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health care and the social welfare system, the German government’s debt has risen substantially. 14
Media
Die Welt is the only national German daily to move its headquarters from Bonn to Berlin and to add expanded coverage of the city. There are nearly 1,200 accredited correspondents in Bonn and Berlin, working for the following newspapers and magazines. The B.Z. has the largest circulation of the city with 298,500; the Berliner Zeitung comes next with 216,600; and the Berliner Morgenpost, Tagesspiegel, and Tages Zeitung also have extensive circulations. Magazines such as Der Spiegel and Focus are popular, but American and other European magazines can be found on most store shelves as well. 15
Sports
The Berlin New Year Run brings athletes out of doors for one of the largest sports events in the city. The Berliner SV 1892 rugby club, the Berlin Cricket Club—the Refugees—and ALBA Berlin basketball team—Albatros—comprise the major sports clubs. 16
Parks and Recreation
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Prussian Kings and German Emperors of the House of Hohenzollern transformed the Havel landscape into a series of parks, beginning a great tradition of German respect for nature. The
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Berlin
The National Theater is located in Academy Square in East Berlin, the music capital of Germany. (Sepp Seitz; Woodfin Camp)
center of these public works was in Potsdam, but this extended towards the Berlin royal palace and winter residence that were both destroyed during World War II. On King’s Road to Berlin, Glienicke Palace’s gardens contain a landscaped park, and Babelsberg Palace’s gothic buildings are surrounded by manicured land. In the center of Berlin, Unter den Linden is a nice boulevard to promenade, leading to the Zoologischer Garten and Tiergarten, which is a protected woodland. On Museum Island, a number of gardens also surround the museum district, making the island an
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attractive place to visit. The lakes and rivers throughout the city lend the opportunity to sightsee by boat and to enjoy nature and the great outdoors. 17
Performing Arts
Berlin is the music capital of Germany, named so because of the many opera houses and orchestras. There are three opera houses and five other orchestras, including the top-rated Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden with international music director Daniel Barenboim and the Philhar-
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Berlin monic Hall, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Komische Oper. The Musical Theatre Berlin, Theater des Westens, Friei Volksbühne Berlin, and Theater am Kurfürstendamm put on plays and musicals. To get a taste of cabaret-style entertainment, a visitor can go to Bar Jeder Vernunft-Spiegelpalast, the Wintergarten, and Chamäleon Variete. The Berlin Festival, Film Festival, and Theater make the city a gathering place for young artists in the progressive cultural scene. The nightlife is scattered with small club gatherings that feature live music, electronic music, and theatrical productions. On just about every street corner in the arts districts, street performers can be seen juggling, dancing, singing, painting, or playing an instrument. 18
Libraries and Museums
The Berlin Central and Regional Library is a fusion of the American House Library and the Berlin State Library which took place in 1995. The new Bundestag Library supports governmental officials. For business reference, the Science and Technology Center Berlin Adlershof (WISTA) contains a wealth of products and services in information technology in an integrated technology park just southeast of Berlin. For tourists, the New National Gallery contains works by Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as twentieth-century German art, especially Berlin portraits and cityscapes by Geroge Grosz and Otto Dix. The Pergamonmuseum contains classical artifacts
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and antiquities, such as Islamic art, a Pergamon Altar (160 B.C.), and a Babylonian Throne Room, located on Museum Island in the middle of the river Spree with the Bodemuseum. Finally, the Bauhaus Archive Design Museum holds works from the Bauhaus period, which lasted from 1919 to 1933. A three-day pass to these museums and more can be purchased from the German tourism board. 19
To u r i s m
More than six million tourists visit Berlin every year, making it one of the most popular cities in Europe. Volker Hassemer, managing director of the city’s marketing agency, claims that “If you want to see the past, go to Rome. If you want to see the future, come to Berlin.” The city is undergoing massive reconstruction, with some of the most advanced architecture in the world. Hanover Expo 2000 set out to prove to the world that Germany has not only recovered from World War II but thrived on foreign investment and European protection. Nevertheless, many tourists still come to see historical monuments, including Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall memorial, the Fernsehturm (TV tower) which gives a spectacular view of the city, the Reichtags building, and Brandenburg Gate. A number of companies offer walking tours of the city, as well as boating excursions on the river Spree.
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Berlin 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Berlin New Year’s Run Unter den Linden
FEBRUARY Berlinale Annual International Film Festival
JULY Love Parade (techno and rave party with a procession through Berlin)
OCTOBER Jazz Festival Berlin Deutschland Festival (street procession Unter den Linden with presentations by German states)
NOVEMBER International Riding and Jumping Tournament in the Deutschlandhalle Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall “NovaEuropa—New Europe” Festival (European dance festival)
21
Famous Citizens
Otto Hahn (1879–1968), physical chemist, discovered the radioactive protactinium in Berlin with Lisa Meitner. Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), baron, naturalist, and traveler.
Party, first woman named as senior member of the Bundestag. Max Planck (1858–1947), theoretical physicist, formulator of the quantum theory. Rudolf Schoenheimer (1898–1941), biochemist. Louise Schroder (1887–1957), committed socialist, first woman to be called “Mother of Berlin” in the late 1940s. 22
For Further Study
Websites Berlin Central and Regional Library. [Online] Available http://www.zlb.de/ (accessed April 14, 2000). Berlin website with links. [Online] Available http://www.berlin.de/ (accessed November 30, 1999). Senate Department of Construction, Housing and Transport, Berlin, Germany. [Online] Available http://www.bau.berlin.de/verkehr/ berlinetwork (accessed April 14, 2000). The Week in Germany. [Online] Available http:// www.germany.info.org/ (accessed April 14, 2000).
Government Offices
Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767– 1835), statesman and philologist, founder of the Friedrich Wilhelm (now Humboldt) University of Berlin.
Senatskanzlei Berliner Rathaus 10173 Berlin Tel. (030)90260 Fax (030)90262013
Helen Lange (1848–1930), founder of the German Women’s Teacher’s Association in Berlin in 1889.
Tourist and Convention Bureaus
Marie-Elizabeth Luders (1888–1966), first woman named as honorary president of the Federal Democratic
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German National Tourist Office 122 East 42nd St. Chanin Building, 52nd Floor New York, NY 10168–0072 USA Tel. (212)661–7200 Fax (212)661–7174
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Berlin
The Berlin Wall crossed the city center before it was destroyed in November 1989. (Bernard Boutrit; Woodfin Camp)
Publications Berliner Morgenpost Axel-Springer-Str. 65 D-10888 Berlin Tel. (030) 25910 Fax (030) 2516071 [Online] Available http://www.berlinermorgenpost.de/ (Accessed April 14, 2000).
Books Gumbel, Andrew. Berlin. London: Cadogan Books, 1991. The Heads of Government of the 16 Constituent
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States in Germany. Bonn, Germany: Inter Nations Press, 1999. Koppler, Dr. Arno and Stefan Reichart, eds. Facts About Germany. Frankfurt am Main: German Societats Verlag, 1996. Larsson, Mans O., ed. Let’s Go Germany. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Merkl, Peter H. The Federal Republic of Germany at Fifty: The End of a Century of Turmoil. New York: NYU Press, 1999. Solsten, Eric, ed. Germany: A Country Study. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1995.
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Boston Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, North America Founded: 1630; Incorporated: 1822 Location: Eastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic coast; United States, North America Flag: Adopted in 1917, the flag features the city seal in white with a creamy beige border on a dark blue field. Time Zone: 7 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 63%; Black 26%; Hispanic origin (of any race) 11% (numbering 34,200 in 1990) Elevation: 6.1 m (20 ft) above sea level. Much of Boston’s once-hilly peninsula at the head of Massachusetts Bay was leveled to fill in the tidal flats of the Back Bay. Now the city lies mostly on gently rolling terrain. Latitude and Longitude: 42º35'N, 71º06'W Climate: Generally mild summers and cold, damp winters. The city’s climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which moderates winter cold, increases fog and humidity, and makes Boston one of the country’s windiest cities. With frequent spring and summer showers and regular snowfall in the winter, Boston is also one of the wettest cities in the country. Annual Mean Temperature: January –1ºC (30ºF); July 23ºC (74ºF). Seasonal Average Snowfall: Over 101.6 cm (40 in) Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 1,120 mm (44 in) Government: Mayor and nine-member city council Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Units: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 617, 781 Postal Codes: 02101–02125; 02127–28; 02133–63; 02199; 02201–22
1
Introduction
The historic city of Boston is located in New England, on the Atlantic coastline of Massachusetts. One of the first European settlements in North America, the city has been called the “Cradle of the American Revolution.” The home of Paul Revere, Boston was also the site of the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the nineteenth century, it became a major center for the abolitionist movement, as well as the focal point for an unprece-
dented flowering of American culture. For most of its history, Boston has been a major maritime and commercial center. The decades following World War II have seen the growth of the service and financial sectors and the tourist industry. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) head the long list of colleges and universities that have made Boston “the college capital of the United States.” By drawing an educated work force to the city, these schools helped make the Boston area one of the nation’s leading
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Boston centers for research-based high-technology industries. 2
Boston Population Profile
Getting There
Boston is located on an extension of Massachusetts Bay and runs along the Charles River, which divides it from Cambridge to the north, the location of the area’s two most prestigious institutions of higher learning—Harvard University and M.I.T. Major neighborhoods and other well-known parts of the city include the waterfront, the North End, the West End, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, the financial district, Downtown Crossing, Back Bay, the theater district, Chinatown, South Boston, and the South End. Highways
City Proper Population: 574,283 (1990 Census) Area: 125 sq km (48.4 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 63% white; 26% black
Metropolitan Area Population: 5,690,000 (1990 Census) Description: Five-city New England County Metropolitan Area (Boston-WorcesterLawrence-Lowell-Brockton), including all or part of seven counties in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire Area: 16,800 sq km (6,450 sq mi) World population rank1: 102 Percentage of total US population2: 1.1% Average yearly growth rate: 0.5% Ethnic composition: 91% 2hite; 6% black; 3% other ——— 1. The Boston metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Boston metropolitan area.
Three major interstate highways lead to and from Boston: I-95 runs northward along the Atlantic coastline in New Hampshire and Maine, and south to Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and beyond; the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) runs westward from Boston through Massachusetts and connects with the New York State Thruway; and I-93 extends northward (the Northeast Expressway) to Canada and southward (the Southeast Expressway) toward Cape Cod.
Atlantic Avenue. Travel times to Boston via Greyhound are four to five hours from New York; 11 hours from Washington, D.C.; and 24 to 27 hours from Chicago. Amtrak passenger trains arrive and depart from South Station and Back Bay Station. Express trains travel between New York and Boston in four hours.
Bus and Railroad Service
Airports
Buslines serving Boston include Greyhound, Bonanza, American Eagle, Concord Trailways, and Peter Pan. Boston’s main bus station is the South Station Transportation Center at 700
Major domestic airlines running flights to and from Boston’s Logan International Airport include American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, and TWA. Many international airlines also
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Boston
fly directly into Logan, which is five kilometers (three miles) northeast of downtown Boston. Shipping With 40 kilometers (25 miles) of
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docking area, Boston’s outstanding natural harbor is the largest port in New England, handling over 18 million metric tons (20 million tons) of freight annually. Port operations are managed by the Massachusetts Port Authority.
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Boston 3
Getting Around
Many of Boston’s major roads— including Beacon Street, Storrow Memorial Drive, Commonwealth Avenue, Marlborough Street, and Boylston Street—converge at the Boston Common, the famous park near the center of the city. The major arteries of Charles Street and Atlantic Avenue form a semicircle bordering the city’s wharves. Bus and Commuter Rail Service The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, known locally as “the T”) operates buses, subway trains, and trolleys throughout Greater Boston, as well as running two ferry systems. Boston’s subway system, the nation’s oldest, was completed in 1897. The subway lines are color-coded Red, Green, Blue, and Orange, and cars run from 5:15 AM until after midnight. A separate Purple Line, providing commuter rail service to the suburbs and beyond, extends as far as Providence, Rhode Island. The 85-cent fare is paid by purchasing a token. Trains are labeled “inbound” or “outbound,” referring to their direction in relation to the Part Street station. Buses operated by the MBTA provide service across the city and to the suburbs; fares are 60 cents. Sightseeing Walking tours to Boston’s compact historic sites are very popular. The bestknown route is the Freedom Trail, which connects 16 historic sites in a space of less than five kilometers (three
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miles). Several companies offer hourand-a-half to two-hour trolley tours. One-hour and hour-and a-half cruises of Boston’s harbor are offered by Boston Harbor Cruises, Massachusetts Bay Lines, and the Charles River Boat Company, and longer cruises in the surrounding waters are also available. 4
People
In 1996 Boston ranked twenty-second in population among cities in the United States, with a population of 558,394, down 2.8 percent since the 1990 census when its residents numbered 574,283 (48 percent male, 52 percent female). The 1997 population for Boston’s five-city New England County Metropolitan Area (NECMA), spanning both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, was 5.83 million, up from 5.69 million as of the 1990 census. Boston’s population is projected to pass 600,000 by 2010 when a population of 6.5 million is projected for the NECMA. Boston’s original settlers were mostly of English origin and formed the basis of the city’s old aristocracy, known as the “Boston Brahmins.” By the middle of the nineteenth century, the first waves of Irish immigration began, made up largely of peasants fleeing the potato famine in that country. The Irish eventually became one of the city’s major ethnic groups and gained a dominant position in its political life. The first Irish mayor of Boston was elected in 1885. In 1960 the scion of two prominent Boston Irish political families—John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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Boston
City Fact Comparison Boston (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
2,915,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1630
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$192
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$44
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$26
$14
$15
$16
$238
$173
$246
$207
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
3
13
20
11
The Boston Globe
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
470,825
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1872
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
(1917–1963)—was elected president of the United States. In spite of the city’s original Puritan roots, nineteenth-century waves of Irish, Italian, and FrenchCanadian immigration made Boston a strongly Catholic city. Today more than half the city’s population is Catholic— the third-largest percentage of any city in the United States. Escaped slaves arrived in Boston during the Civil War era via the Underground Railroad. In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Boston’s Hispanic and Asian American populations grew. Many immigrants are drawn to the region by
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its educational institutions and hightechnology jobs. Boston is also home to a sizable Jewish community, which accounts for the single largest distinct religious denomination after the Catholics. Two other religions have their headquarters in Boston: the Unitarian-Universalist Association and the First Church of Christ, Scientist, founded in the city in 1894 by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910). An imposing modern Christian Science complex, including a school, library, and worship facilities, was completed in the early 1970s.
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Boston
Boston skyline along the Charles River. (Nubar Alexanian; Woodfin Camp)
5
Neighborhoods
Housing in Boston is notoriously expensive, particularly in the wake of a real estate boom that began in the 1980s, the effects of which have been felt as far away as Providence, Rhode Island. More than 60 percent of the city’s residents live in apartments. As of the 1990 census, Boston had 250,000 housing units, with the lowest vacancy rate in the country (four-and-a-half percent). The median value of an owneroccupied home in 1990 was $161,400 (compared with the national average of roughly $100,000); median monthly rent was $546. Boston’s rich ethnic mix is reflected in the composition of several of its bestknown neighborhoods. Beacon Hill has traditionally been known as the home of the Boston Brahmin elite. The major
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Irish population centers are Charlestown and South Boston (“Southie”). The North End is heavily Italian, and primarily black neighborhoods include Roxbury, Mattapan, and Codman Square. In recent years, sizable Hispanic populations have grown up in Jamaica Plain and Dudley. The Boston Redevelopment Authority, established in 1957 by Mayor John B. Hynes, oversaw the development of the $150 million, 13hectare (31-acre) Prudential Plaza, a shopping, residential, and hotel complex crowned by Prudential Tower, the 52-story building that gave the city a new skyline and was its tallest building until the completion of the John Hancock Tower in the 1970s. In the 1960s, the rundown Scollay Square area was razed to make way for Government Center, a complex of federal and state
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Boston office buildings. Development of Boston’s waterfront since the 1970s has seen the conversion of existing buildings into apartments and the erection of new high-rises. 6
History
The city of Boston was founded in 1630 by the Puritans, three years after the landing at Plymouth Rock. It was named for the town in Lincolnshire, England, from which some of the first settlers had come. Within the first decade, it was already flourishing: the nation’s first school (1635) and first post office (1639) were founded, as well as Harvard University (1636), then called Harvard College and established for the training of future ministers. Within ten years, the population reached 16,000. With its excellent natural harbor, Boston became a center for shipping, shipbuilding, and other maritime occupations. In 1684 the British revoked the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (of which Boston was already the capital), and the city came under direct British rule. In the following decades and throughout the eighteenth century tensions between Bostonians and their rulers—like tensions elsewhere in the colonies—grew. Known as the “Birthplace of the American Revolution,” Boston was the site of the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), and the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775). In the first half of the nineteenth century, shipping declined in impor-
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tance as manufacturing grew. The first railroad connected Boston with inland areas of Massachusetts by the late 1830s. As home to William Lloyd Garrison’s antislavery newspaper, The Liberator, during the same period, Boston became known as a center of the abolitionist movement, as well as the site of a great intellectual flowering that came to include such eminent figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), and Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894). The city’s new industrial base was assured of a steady supply of labor as new immigrants began arriving from Ireland by mid-century. Nearly 243 hectares (600 acres) were added to Boston with the reclamation of the Back Bay’s lowlands between 1857 and 1894. In addition, Boston annexed the nearby towns of Roxbury, Dorchester, Charlestown, Brighton, and West Roxbury. Major cultural and scientific institutions founded in the following the Civil War included Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New England Conservatory of Music. The decline of Boston’s industrial base in the early twentieth century was hastened by the Great Depression of the 1930s, although wartime mobilization the following decade brought with it a temporary reprieve. After World War II (1939–45), however, New England’s traditional manufacturing
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Boston
Surviving the War of 1812, the USS Constitution, also known as “Old Ironsides,” rests in the Boston Harbor. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
industries—textiles, shoes, and glass— once again weakened, as did its shipping industry. However, its colleges and universities brought new life to the city as thousands of students enrolled on the G.I. Bill. (In its original version, signed into law in 1944, the G.I. Bill entitled anyone with 90 days of service in the U.S. military to one year of higher education. Each additional month of active duty earned a month of schooling, up to a maximum of 48 months.) In the post-war decades, Bos-
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ton grew into a major financial and commercial center. A construction boom beginning in the late 1950s changed the city’s skyline with the completion of the Prudential Center in 1959. In 1962 Scollay Square was torn down to make way for the new Government Center complex, and the restored Faneuil Hall Marketplace opened in 1976. Racial tensions erupted into violence in the mid-seventies with the advent of court-ordered busing to
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Boston desegregate the public schools, and whites organized a boycott of the schools. By the 1990s, “white flight” had given Boston a disproportionately large black population (25 percent) while many whites had moved to suburbs surrounding the city. In the 1980s and 1990s Boston became one of the country’s foremost centers for high technology, with research-based firms clustered in a band along Route 128, which encircles the city. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of businesses left Boston and relocated to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and other states, driven out by high taxes and lease rates and a general downturn in the region’s economy as the country slipped into recession and unemployment rose. However, the city effectively confronted its fiscal problems, and by 1993 a recovery was under way. In the same year, Thomas Menino became Boston’s first ItalianAmerican mayor. In 1988 a massive highway construction project was approved to relocate the city’s Central Artery (I-93) underground, reclaim the land above it, and link the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan International Airport. The expected completion date was 2004. 7
Government
Boston has a mayor-council form of government, with a nine-member council elected at large and a strong executive branch. The mayor is elected to a four-year term; council and school committee members are elected for two
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years. Municipal elections, held in November of odd-numbered years, are nonpartisan. Boston has traditionally been a strongly Democratic city. 8
Public Safety
Established in 1838, Boston has the oldest police department in the United States. The city comprises 11 police districts. Boston has a relatively high crime rate. In 1995, the FBI crime index figure for Boston was 9,492, with the following breakdown into specific categories (all figures are per 100,000 population): all violent crimes, 1,737; murder, 17.4; rape, 68.8; robbery, 182.3; aggravated assault, 998.2; all property crimes, 7,755; burglary, 1,211; larceny, 4,721; and motor vehicle theft, 1,822. In 1997 the police department moved into a new state-of-the-art headquarters at One Schroeder Plaza. 9
Economy
After its founding in 1630, Boston’s economy was initially based on shipping and shipbuilding, which retained their central position until the nineteenth century when they were eclipsed by manufacturing, which was fueled by technological advances, the development of railroads, and a steady supply of immigrant labor. Boston’s traditional industries started to decline in the twentieth century, especially during the Great Depression of the 1930s. However, there was an upsurge in industrial demand during World War II.
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Boston Since then new industries have helped keep Boston’s economy strong, as well as spur growth in the service sector. The area circling the city along Route 128 has seen a proliferation of new research-based firms, becoming one of the nation’s leading high-technology centers, with the nation’s second-highest number of biotechnology firms. Boston has also grown into one of the country’s leading banking, insurance, and investment centers. The largest employment sectors are service industries (especially health care), government (Boston’s local government had a work force of 22,000 in 1995), and the financial sector. In 1996 Boston’s labor force numbered 288,267, and unemployment stood at four-anda-half percent. The Boston area is considered a leading manufacturing center, especially in electronics and computers. Other manufacturing industries in the region include machinery, motor vehicles and other transport equipment, ships, apparel, cameras, printing and publishing, chemicals, shoes, books, and textiles. Since the 1980s Boston has become known for its research-based high-tech industries, although these are largely located outside city limits along Route 128, which circles the city. Major companies headquartered in the Boston area include Raytheon, Gillette, Fidelity Investments, and Digital Equipment Corporation.
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10
Environment
Located on the Shawmut Peninsula, at the mouths of the Charles and Mystic Rivers, Boston has an excellent natural harbor that has played a decisive role in its history as a shipping and shipbuilding center, and its access to the Atlantic Coast has contributed to the cosmopolitan character of the city. Once the maritime capital of the nation, Boston today remains its leading fishing port, with more than 907,200 kilograms (two million pounds) of fish caught in the surrounding waters annually. At the time the city was founded, Boston’s hilly peninsula was almost entirely surrounded by water and connected to the mainland by only a narrow strip of land. The area today known as Back Bay was composed of marshes and mud flats that were covered by water during high tide. In the early nineteenth century a dam was constructed there to generate power for the new mills that were being built. By the 1830s, the portion of the Back Bay just west of the Boston Common was filled in to create the land for the 10-hectare (24-acre) Public Garden. In the latter part of the century, additional land from the peninsula was leveled to fill in and reclaim more of the marshlands, adding significantly to the original area of the city. In the 1880s a master plan for a network of city parks was laid out by esteemed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903). A large open park called the Fenway was created,
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Boston linking the Boston Common and Public Garden with Franklin Park. The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, affiliated with Harvard University, was part of the network as well. 11
Shopping
Boston’s traditional retail district is located in Downtown Crossing, in the heart of the city on the narrow thoroughfares of Washington, Summer, and Winter streets, which have been turned into a pedestrian mall. The most famous landmark here is the teeming and chaotic Filene’s Basement—literally the lower level(s) of Filene’s department store, where a wide variety of merchandise undergoes a series of markdowns the longer it remains on the shelves. Today the most popular shopping district is Back Bay, which combines high-quality national retail establishments like Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue with the trendy, upscale boutiques for which Newbury Street, in particular, is famous. Also found in this neighborhood are bookstores, coffee shops, galleries, and a variety of specialty stores, as well as numerous restaurants. Other distinctive shopping destinations are the restored Faneuil Hall marketplace and Harvard Square in Cambridge. 12
Education
Home of the nation’s first school and first university (both established in the 1630s), Boston is renowned as an educational mecca. There are more than a dozen four-year institutions of
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higher learning within the city proper and many more in the surrounding area. Colleges and universities within Boston itself include Boston University, Northeastern University, the New England Conservatory of Music, Simmons College, and a branch of the University of Massachusetts, and Harvard’s medical school. Across the Charles River in Cambridge are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and Harvard University. Other wellknown institutions of higher education in the region include Tufts University, Boston College, Brandeis University, and Wellesley College. Boston Latin School, opened in 1635, is the oldest public school in the United States. In 1998, the Boston School District was comprised of 129 elementary, middle, and high schools (72 elementary schools, 20 middle schools, seven K–8 schools, and 18 high schools), with a pupil/staff ratio of approximately 13 to 1. As of fiscal year 1999, public school enrollment was 63,000; the racial and ethnic breakdown was 49 percent black, 26 percent Hispanic, 15 percent white, and 9 percent Asian. Private and parochial schools enrolled 15,400 students. Boston was the first major city to provide Internet access to all public school students. The public school system employed 4,534 teachers, 536 administrators, and 450 support personnel. The Boston school system’s NetYear project was launched in 1996, with the goal of providing one computer for every four students by 2001.
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Boston patient-care physicians in 1995 was 18,449. Well-known medical facilities include Massachusetts General Hospital, New England Medical Center, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and New England Deaconess Hospital. In 1997 Massachusetts General Hospital had 819 beds. It recorded 34,908 admissions and 657,777 outpatient visits, and employed a work force of 10,902. Hospital expenditures for the year totaled $705 million. The health-care industry is one of the city’s top employers. 14
Harvard University is one of the many colleges that make Boston the “College Capital of the World.” (Susan Lapides; Woodfin Camp)
Boston has two major daily newspapers: the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. The Christian Science Monitor, a national newspaper that appears daily on weekdays, is also published in Boston. Well-known magazines published in Boston include Boston Magazine and The Atlantic. The city has nine television stations, including affiliates of the four major commercial networks and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). PBS station WGBH is recognized nationally as a leading outlet for educational and cultural programming. 15
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Health Care
With world-class research institutions and more than a dozen teaching hospitals in the region, Boston is known for pioneering medical advances and quality health care. The number of
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Media
Sports
Boston has professional major league baseball (the Red Sox, American League), football (the New England Patriots), basketball (the Celtics), and hockey (the Bruins). The Red Sox won their only World Series in 1918. Between 1918 and 1986, they played in four more World Series contests, losing all of them in the seventh game.
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Boston
Opening day at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. (Paula Lerner; Woodfin Camp)
Boston’s major sports venues are Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, and Fleet Center, site of the Celtics’ and the Bruins’ games. The Patriots play at Foxboro Stadium. Horse racing takes place at Suffolk Downs. Greyhound racing at Wonderland Park is also a popular sport. Boston is also famous as the site of the Boston Marathon, held annually on the third Monday in April. 16
Parks and Recreation
Boston’s best-known park is the 19hectare (48-acre) Boston Common, located in the heart of the city, along
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with the 10-hectare (24-acre) Public Garden. The land for the Common was purchased by the city in 1634 from a property owner for $150. Today’s visitors to the Common jog, skate, or play frisbee on a historic site that has, in its time, served as a pasture, execution and drill ground, and football field. Also within the city limits, located in the Back Bay, are the Back Bay Fens, which extend from Beacon Street to Brookline Avenue, and the Esplanade along the Charles River, site of the summer Boston Pops concerts, which take place in the Hatch Shell. Other notable parks in the Boston area include Harvard’s 90hectare (223-acre) Arnold Arboretum
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Boston and Franklin Park and Zoological Garden, covering 213 hectares (527 acres). 17
Performing Arts
In addition to its historic attractions, Boston boasts numerous cultural attractions. The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), founded in 1881, is considered one of the country’s top orchestras. During the regular season, it performs in Symphony Hall. In the summer the BSO is in residence at the Tanglewood Festival in the Berkshires, a popular destination for Bostonians, who can also hear concerts by the Boston Pops at the Hatch Shell on the banks of the Charles River in Back Bay. Boston is also a thriving concert venue for recitals and chamber music concerts by top-notch local performers and major touring artists, and is noted for its active early-music scene. The New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, noted for its exceptional acoustics—and completely renovated in the early 1990s—is the scene of numerous student and faculty concerts and recitals, as well as performances by other artists. Boston is also home to three opera companies and the Boston Ballet, the fourth-largest ballet company in the nation. In addition, the city has several professional theater troupes, including the American Repertory Theater, the Huntington Theater Company, and the Boston Shakespeare Company.
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18
Libraries and Museums
The reference and research collections at the Boston Public Library are ranked third in the country, following only those of the New York and Los Angeles public libraries. The library, founded in 1852, employs a staff of 489 and circulates some 2.4 million items annually. Its book collection includes 6.7 million volumes. The library’s main building in Copley Square is an architectural landmark. Built in Italian Renaissance style in 1895, it boasts murals by John Singer Sargent (1856– 1925) and other beautiful works of art, as well as a picturesque courtyard. A modern atrium-centered addition, the McKim building, was completed in 1972 and provides a dramatic contrast to the original building. The John F. Kennedy Library holds the presidential papers of the late president. The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the finest in the country; many rank it second only to New York’s Metropolitan Museum. Built in 1909, it added the new West Wing, designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei (b. 1917), in 1981. The museum is especially noted for its Asian and Old Kingdom Egyptian collections, but there are many masterpieces by European and American painters as well, including a 1796 portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828). Boston’s other museums include the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum, and the Science Museum.
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Boston 19
To u r i s m
Boston has a combination of attractions that make it one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations. More than ten million people visit the city annually. In 1995 Boston attracted 970,000 foreign visitors, ranking tenth among the nation’s cities in this category. Boston’s most famous tourist attractions are its historic sites, many of which can be found on the Freedom Trail, covering some four kilometers (two-and-a-half miles) of downtown Boston. It begins at the Boston Common, a large park in the heart of the city, which also offers the legendary Swan Boat rides on an artificial pond. Among the historic sites included on the trail are the State House, the Park Street Church, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, Paul Revere’s house, the Old North Church, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The Black Heritage Trail, another popular walking tour, celebrates Boston’s history as a center of the abolitionist movement and includes stops on the Underground Railroad and abolitionist meeting places. Other popular Boston tourist sites include the restored Faneuil Hall marketplace; the redeveloped waterfront; the 226-meter-high (740foot-high) observation deck of the John Hancock Building, Boston’s tallest structure; and Harvard Square in Cambridge. Convention facilities in Boston include the John B. Hynes Veterans Convention Center, the World Trade Center, and the Bayside Exposition Center.
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20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Chinese New Year celebration featuring parade and fireworks (Chinatown) Boston Wine Festival
FEBRUARY Black History Month Beanpot Hockey Tournament
FEBRUARY-MARCH International Cultural Festival
MARCH New England Spring Flower Show St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
APRIL Boston Marathon Red Sox opening day Patriots Day
APRIL-OCTOBER Boston Pops Concerts in the Hatch Shell
MAY Boston Kite Festival Lilac Sunday (Arnold Arboretum) Street Performers Festival (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)
JUNE Art Newbury Street Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival
JULY Boston Harborfest Central Square World’s Fair
AUGUST Heritage Days Italian-American Feasts
SEPTEMBER Boston Film Festival Cambridge River Festival
OCTOBER Columbus Day Parade Head of the Charles Regatta Harvard Square Oktoberfest
NOVEMBER Christmas Crafts Show
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Boston DECEMBER Boston Common Tree Lighting Boston Tea Party Reenactment First Night Boston
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Famous Citizens
Samuel Adams (1722–1803), Revolutionary War leader. Larry Bird (b. 1956), star player for the Boston Celtics. Louis D. Brandeis (1856–1942), first Jew appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Charles Bulfinch (1763–1844), architect of numerous Boston landmarks. William Ellery Channing (1780–1842), founder of American Unitarian Association. Julia Child (b. 1912), culinary expert and television personality. John Singleton Copley (1738–1815), first great North American portrait painter. Dorothea Dix (1802–1887), tenacious investigative reporter. Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), founder of the Christian Science church. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), writer, philosopher, and leading Transcendentalist. Arthur Fiedler (1894–1979), Boston Pops conductor and organizer of the Esplanade concerts. William Lloyd Garrison (1805–1879), abolitionist writer and editor.
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Paul Revere, Revolutionary War hero, rode from Boston to Lexington to warn the countryside that the British were on the march. (Susan Lapides, Woodfin Camp)
John Hancock (1737–1793), first signer of the Declaration of Independence. John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), president of the United States (1960–1963). Malcolm X (1925–1965), Black Muslim leader. Cotton Mather (1663–1728), Congregational clergyman known for sermons.
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Boston Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903), landscape architect who planned Boston’s park network. Paul Revere (1735–1818), Revolutionary War era patriot. Ted Williams (b. 1918), Red Sox baseball hero. 22
For Further Study
Websites Excite Travel. About Boston. [Online] Available http://www.city.net/countries/ united_states/massachusetts/boston. (accessed October 14, 1999). Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Welcome to Boston USA. [Online] Available http://www.bostonusa.com. (accessed October 14, 1999). Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Massachusetts: Take a Real Vacation. [Online] Available http://www.mass-vacation.com. (accessed October 14, 1999). Massachusetts Port Authority. Mass port. [Online] Available http://www.massport.com. (accessed October 14, 1999
Government Offices Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston City Hall, Ninth Floor Boston, MA 02201 (617) 722-4300 Mayor’s Office City of Boston One City Hall Square Boston, MA 02108 (617) 725-3914
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 990468 Prudential Tower, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02199 (617) 536-4100; (888) SEE-BOSTON Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism 100 Cambridge St., 13th Floor Boston, MA 02202
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(800) 227-6277; (617) 727-6525
Other Resources The Bostonian Society 200 Washington St. Old State House Boston, MA 02110 (617) 242-5610 Boston Public Library 666 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02117 (617) 536-5400 Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 125 High St. Boston, MA 02110 (617) 426-1250
Publications Boston Business Journal 200 High St. Boston, MA 02110 The Boston Globe P.O. Box 2378 Boston, MA 02110 Boston Herald P.O. Box 2096 Boston, MA 02106 Boston Magazine 300 Massachusetts Avenue Horticulture Hall Boston, MA 02115
Books Appleberg, Marilyn J. I Love Boston Guide. Illustrations by Albert Pfeiffer. 3rd ed. New York: Collier Books, 1993. Campbell, Robert. Cityscapes of Boston: An American City Through Time. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1992. Formisano, Ronald P. Boston Against Busing: Race, Class, and Ethnicity in the 1960s and 1970s. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991. Frost, Jack. Boston's Freedom Trail: A Souvenir Guide. 2nd ed. Chester, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1986. Harris, Patricia, and David Lyon. Boston. 2nd ed. Oakland, CA: Compass American Guides, 1999. Hitzemann, Marietta, and Ed Golden. New-
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Boston comer's Handbook for Boston. 2nd ed. Chicago: First Books, 1998. Kennedy, Lawrence W. Planning the City Upon a Hill: Boston Since 1630. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992. Lukas, J. Anthony. Common Ground. 1st ed. New York: Knopf, 1985. Meerwood, Anne. Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to Boston. New York: Macmillan, 1999. Moore, Barbara W. and Gail Weesner. Back Bay: A Living Portrait. Boston : Century Hill Press, 1995. Morris, Jerry. The Boston Globe Guide to Boston. 4th ed. Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1999. O'Connor, Thomas H. Boston Catholics: A History
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of the Church and its People. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998. O'Connor, Thomas H. South Boston, My Home Town: The History of an Ethnic Neighborhood. Boston: Quinlan Press, c. 1988. Waldstein, Mark. Mr. Cheap's Boston. Holbrook: Adams Pub., 1995. Wilson, Susan. Boston Sites and Insights. Boston: Beacon Press, 1994.
Videorecordings Boston: The Way It Was. Produced and written by Lorie Conway. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, 1995.
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Brussels Brussels, Belgium, Europe Founded: 979 Location: Europe, central Belgium, around the river Senne Motto: “L’Union fait la force–Eendracht maakt macht.” (Unity is powerful.) Flag: Yellow marsh iris on a field of blue. Flower: Yellow (or golden) marsh iris (Iris pseudocorus) Time Zone: 1 PM = noon GMT Ethnic Composition: 55% Flemish (Dutch), 33% French (Walloons), 12% Germans and others Elevation: Sea level Latitude and Longitude: 50° 50’ N, 4° 00’ E Coastline: None Climate: Moderate temperatures year-round with little snow in the winters, predictable rainfall and mild summers Annual Mean Temperature: 10° C (50° F), ranging from 3° C (37° F) in January to 18° C (64° F) in July. Average Annual Precipitation: 70 cm (28 in) Government: Mayor, congress, and district representatives under a constitutional monarchy Weights and Measures: Metric Monetary Units: Belgian franc (BFr) Telephone Area Codes: 02 Postal Codes: B-1000, B-1020
1
Introduction
Brussels lies in the center of Belgium, with the Senne, a small stream splitting neatly in two around the city center. A popular convention and tourist center, the city is world-renowned for its fine beer, divine chocolate, and Belgian lace. Known as the “Capital of Europe,” Brussels hosts the European Union Commission, as well as NATO headquarters, and is regarded as the international meeting hub of the twenty-first century.
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Getting There
Getting to Brussels is fairly easy due to the advanced state of the city’s transportation systems and city planning. Access to the Brussels Capital Region, the Grand Place center of town, and the many museums and shops in the Sablon district is provided by numerous routes that are vital to commerce and tourism. Highways The total area of Brussels highway system covers 430 kilometers (267
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Brussels
Brussels Population Profile City Proper Population: 951,580 Ethnic composition: 55% Flemish (Dutch); 33% French (Walloons); 12% German and other Nicknames: City of Beer, Capital of Europe, Company Town (for the European government)
Metropolitan Area Population: 1,122,000 World population rank1: 330 Percentage of national population2: 11.0% Average yearly growth rate: less than 0.1% ——— 1. The Brussels metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Belgium’s total population living in the Brussels metropolitan area.
miles) of paved roads. Brussels Ring Road leads to Brussels International Airport, surrounding the Inner Brussels Ring Road which links to the three major train stations. From Brussels, the E40 leads east to Liège and Köln, and west to London. The E19 takes vehicles north to Antwerp and Amsterdam, south to Mons and Paris, while the E411 goes south to Namur and Luxembourg. Brussels roads are known for their foggy conditions, resulting from their proximity to the English Channel and North Sea. Bus and Railroad Service There are three main train stations that carry passengers into the city, the North, Central, and Midi (South) sta-
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tions. The southern station receives the Thalys train from Paris and the Eurostar from London. Belgian Railways (SNCB/ NMBS) services trains to and from Brugge, Ghent, Antwerp, Liège, Amsterdam, and Cologne, among other cities. Charter buses and coaches from tour operators also carry passengers into Brussels, such as “De Lijn” buses and “TEC.” An airport express runs to and from Antwerp every hour. Airports Brussels National Airport is actually located in Zaventem, a close suburb of Brussels. Belgavia and Sabena are the main flight operators, but Air Canada, British Airways, Delta, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Finnair, Quantas, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Varig also fly into Brussels. 3
Getting Around
The streets of Brussels have grown out of the haphazard planning of the middle ages, making navigation in the city somewhat like traveling a maze. Tourists will need to find a street map in order to successfully get around in Brussels on their own, or find a reliable tour guide. Bus and Commuter Rail Service Trains, buses, and the Metro can all be accessed with one ticket at 55 BFr for one hour. The city also provides day cards, ten-drive or five-drive tickets at a reasonable price. The metro is considered very safe and efficient with 58 stations. Five-hundred buses traverse the city, as do 15 tramlines.
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Brussels
Taxis In order to get a taxi, tourists must go to a taxi stand instead of attempting
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to flag one down. Taxis come in all different colors and brands, but a lighted sign on top says “Brussels Gewest-TaxiRégion de Bruxelles,” and there should
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Brussels be a yellow and blue license emblem. A taxi from the airport to the city center is 1,000 BFr (about $30).
lecht, St.-Gilles, Ixelles, Etterbeek, Woluwe-St.-Lambert, Woluwe-St.-Pierre, Andeghem, Watermael-Boitsfort, Veele, and Forest.
Sightseeing The Tourist Information Office is located in the right wing of Town Hall, a fifteenth-century structure which towers over the Grand Place town square. Many tours and excursions depart nearby, including De Boeck tours, which have a combined walking/ luxury coach tour of the capital. 4
People
The population of Brussels numbers 951,580, most of whom speak French. While the southern Walloons are French speakers, the northern Flemish peoples speak Dutch. A small German enclave also exists in Liège. About one-third of the Brussels populace is made up of foreigners, many of whom work at the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters. The majority of Brussels inhabitants are Roman Catholic; however, there is also an active Jewish community, and Turkish migratory workers, who are Muslim, have a sizable community as well. Tensions between the more affluent Flemish and the poorer Walloons have existed for centuries. 5
Neighborhoods
The Brussels Capital Region is made up of 19 communes: Bruxelles, Jette, Ganshoren, Berchem-St.-Agathe, Koekelberg, Schaerbeek, Evere, St.-JosseTen-Noode, Molenbeek-St. Jean, Ander-
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The “petit ring” of the city is divided between the Upper and Lower sections, the more expensive areas being higher up, except for the Grand Place, which lies for the most part in the Lower town. The Gare du Midi area houses mostly immigrants and is more economically depressed than the Gare du Nord area that is still somewhat troubled. Once in the heart of the city, the scenery completely changes, with most of the government buildings and nice shops. The main town square in the historical city center is called Grand Place, featuring city hall, Hotel de Ville, most administrative offices, and some shops. The Cinquantenaire district, on the edge of the city center, showcases the Triumphal Arch, museums and art nouveau houses, and the European Union Commission, Parliament, and Council of Ministers. To the east of city center, Royal Square houses the royal residency and Parliament, with a number of gardens and pleasant vistas. The Anderlecht area, west of the center, is well known for its soccer team but is otherwise seen as an industrial, drab neighborhood. The Heysel district and Sablon district to the south contain antique dealers and markets, and the fashionable neighborhood of Grand Sablon Square lies in the heart of the Sablon district.
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Brussels
City Fact Comparison Indicator
Brussels (Belgium)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
1,122,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
979
753 BC
723 BC
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$123
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$59
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$15
$14
$15
$16
$197
$173
$246
$207
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
8
13
20
11
De Nieuwe Gazet
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
307,512
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1897
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
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History
At the end of the sixth century, the Preacher Saint Gorik built a chapel on a small island formed by the two arms of the river Senne, creating the first building known to have been built in Brussels. Later, in A.D. 977, the first written record of Brussels declared Charles of France to be the legal owner of LowLorraine, including the island of SaintGorik, on which he built a fortress. But Brussels was not officially founded until 979, after Lambert of Leuven inherited the land from Charles. During the next three centuries, the city grew as a trading post and popular resting spot on
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the way to the channel ports, and the marshland surrounding the city slowly dried, opening up more land for habitation. The increased population put stress on the social system of guilds and noblemen, resulting in peasant uprisings that were quickly stifled during the thirteenth century. In 1402, construction on Grand Place began after 50 years of recession, and in 1430 Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy became the Duke of Brabant through marriage to Margaret, an heiress of the former ruler of Brussels, Duchess Joan. This period of relative calm was marked by a flowering of the arts and commerce in Brussels. The period of calm was shattered,
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Brussels city. Alva triumphed, only to be replaced by Isabella and Archduke Albert of Austria. Another plague outbreak, with losses comparable to the first, occurred in 1578, before Albert came into power in 1596. In 1695, Brussels was attacked by French King Louis XIV and his army, led by field marshal Villeroi, which destroyed more than 4,000 houses and Grand Place through fire and looting. The Royal Palace was burned down in 1731, and the French captured Brussels in 1746. This occupation lasted for about a century, until the Belgian revolution freed 138,000 Brussels citizens in 1830. On July 21, 1831, Leopold I became Belgium’s first King, and the country rebuilt.
The Grand Place with the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) expresses traditional Flemish architectural design in the heart of Brussels. (Christophe Gruner; Woodfin Camp)
however, when a plague killed about half of the city’s 60,000 inhabitants in 1489. In 1507, Margaret of Austria was appointed General Governor of the Netherlands, and growth resumed in Brussels for a good 50 years. The intrigues of Emporer Charles V and his successor Philip II brought revolution back to Brussels, as those sympathetic to William of Orange, supervisor of Holland (and champion of Charles V), fought against those who followed the Duke of Alva (favorite of William of Orange) in a battle for power over the
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During World War I (1914–18), Brussels was an occupied city, but German troops did not incur much damage. The Germans returned during World War II (1939–45), resulting in Belgium’s split into two semi-independent regions, the Flanders and Walloon Provinces, while the Brussels district had its own government. The Universal Exhibition took place in Brussels in 1958, and in 1970 construction of the Berlaymont building, house of the European government, began. The European Union and NATO moved their headquarters to Brussels, turning the city into quite an international meeting place for the twenty-first century. 7
Government
Brussels, the capital of Belgium, has an independent congress, mayor, and
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Brussels administration, all of which are elected by the people. On June 18, 1989, the citizens of Brussels elected their regional representatives directly for the first time because the Region of Brussels Capital is considered an autonomous region from the rest of the country of Belgium, which is a constitutional monarchy. On July 14, 1993, the Belgian parliament approved the creation of a federal state of Belgium, which amended the Constitution and Devolution Acts to give the regions (including Brussels) more political power. 8
Public Safety
The Brussels Fire Brigade employs 925 professional firemen, serving in more than nine fire stations. A fleet of 150 units is available to help with road accidents, and there are at least 40 ambulances, five with intensive care surgeons. The emergency number is 100; the police can be reached at 101. Each year the city responds to more than 30,000 calls. 9
Economy
Brussels has a well-developed infrastructure that is supported by about 2,000 foreign companies, including 1,400 U.S. companies and more than 1,000 international associations. The Belgian capital sports the world’s second-largest congressional center, where numerous conferences for business are held each year. About 60 foreign banks operate in Brussels, making the city the seventh-largest financial market in the world. Despite the international links,
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the Brussels economy is actually based on small, private enterprises that service the European Community. About three-quarters of trade occurs with other European Union countries, and there is a large public debt due to social welfare programs. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita stands at $23,400 annually for Brussels citizens, which is mostly service-based, but about onequarter of wages are for industrial labor. Unemployment has held steady at around 14 percent, along with most of the rest of Europe, but the administration has launched extensive workincentive programs. As the capital of Europe, Brussels also experiences special treatment at the hands of European bureaucrats in the allocation of funding, since most fonctionnaires (officials) live in and around the city. In January 1999, the Euro came into common usage in non-cash transactions, and in 2002 the coins and bills will start circulating, replacing the Belgian franc and furthering the transition to a truly European economy. 10
Environment
The Meuse River provides drinking water to Brussels, as does the Scheldt River, but these two principal rivers have been polluted by steel production wastes that need to be filtered before consumption. Other rivers and tributaries are polluted by animal wastes and fertilizers from agricultural activity. Industry in the Brussels environs has caused acid rain to fall throughout the city and to drift over Europe, killing trees and plants and damaging monu-
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Brussels
Although the king reigns but does not govern, Brussels, the capital of Europe, is comparable to Washington D.C. in that it is the center of political decisions and global weight. (Homer Sykes; Woodfin Camp)
ments and other buildings. Flooding is a threat to reclaimed forestland, but a series of dikes that hold back the ocean protect the land from the majority of flood damage. As one of the Low Countries, much of the land is at or below sea level, causing the need for reclamation projects. Natural resources include coal and natural gas, which are the source of much of the country’s pollution problems. Alternative sources of energy are being tested, including solar power and nuclear energy. The Center for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment, located in Brussels, was
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created in 1972 by the United Nations to conduct research on sustainable development and to compile an environmental metadatabase to take a holistic approach to environmental troubleshooting. While the research that the center does has global ramifications, local applications of new environmental policies are common. The Exporec 2000, European Recycling Exhibition, was held in Brussels, April 21–28, 2000, and showcased the many ways that products from industrial production and general use may be reused
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Brussels instead of merely thrown away to damage the environment. 11
Shopping
There are three main shopping districts: Blvd. Adolf Max & Rue Nuve; Place Stephanie & Ave. Louise; and around Grand Sablon. Some of the popular souvenirs to bring home from Brussels are the famous fruit beers that often come with a matching glass, Sablon lace, Godiva chocolate, and comic strips like Tintin. Most supermarkets are on the outskirts of the city and in the suburbs, but there are two supermarkets near the Stock Exchange Building. Sunday is traditionally market day when Grand Place holds a bird market, and Sablon Square holds an antiques market (Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM). Every day of the week there is a flea market at the “Place du Jeu de balles” near the Palace of Justice. Near Place Bara and Slaughterhouse in the suburb of Anderlecht there are food markets. Chocolates can be found in shops by the name of Godiva, Wittamer, Neuhaus and Corne. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert was Europe’s first shopping mall, built in 1847, located on the Rue d’Arenberg. The famous Sablon lace comes from the Maison Antoine Old Brussels Lace Shop in Grand Place. 12
Education
The Brussels school system teaches approximately 35,000 students who live in the Brussels Capital Region. Schooling is compulsory from six to 15
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years of age, while nearly all children start with nursery and kindergarten. This system is fairly successful, considering the virtually nonexistent illiteracy rate among Brussels adults, which is practically unheard of, even in other advanced societies. Classes are taught in French, Dutch, and German, and some schools teach a combination of these languages in order to prepare students for the international European business scene. Both public “official” schools and private “free” schools (Catholic) are financed by the Brussels government, which has come under scrutiny from those who advocate the separation of church and state, religious and secular lives. The government has recently started an Internet system called BRUNETTE (Brussels Network for Telematics in Education), connecting all schools to the Internet with advanced technology. Brussels has been a major center of learning since the Middle Ages and hosts eight major universities and numerous technical and vocational colleges. The Free University of Brussels was originally created to alleviate the Catholic rule over education in the country. It is separated into two almost completely different institutions, one French-speaking and the other Dutchspeaking. The constitution guarantees the freedom of choice of education, which draws foreign students seeking refuge from educational, political, and religious persecution in their own homelands.
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Brussels 13
Health Care
The IRIS network of Brussels (Interhospitalière Régionale des Infrastructures de Soins) offers nine public hospitals, basic medical care, and specialists who are available to all citizens. University hospitals also provide a number of services while teaching new doctors and nurses the trade. Modern medical, psychological, and geriatric care is available from state-run hospitals, clinics, and private doctors. About 95 percent of the Brussels population are covered by the state health plan. The twentieth International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine was held in Brussels March 21–24, 2000, helping to update the techniques used by Brussels practitioners in emergency situations. 14
Media
The Brussels media is composed of three major French newspapers: Le Soir, La Libre Belgique, and La Derniere Heure; three major Dutch newspapers: De Standaard, De Morgen, and Het Laatste Nieuws; and one English weekly: The Bulletin. Most Brussels citizens get cable, which provides 40 channels: six of which are French (France), five Belgian Flemish, five Belgian French, three Dutch (Holland), two local Brussels (Dutch/French), two German, BBCI and BBC2, CNN, NBC Superchannel, Euronews, and a channel each from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and Turkey, among others.
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The Palais des Boux-Arts hosts many dance and musical concerts and recitals by world-renowned performers and conductors throughout the year. (Christophe Gruner; Woodfin Camp)
15
Sports
Brussels holds an annual 20-kilometer (12-mile) half-marathon every year on the streets of the city. The most popular sports are bicycling and soccer (also called football, but very different from American football). The Red Devils are Belgium’s national soccer team, run by the Royal Belgium Football Association.
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Brussels 16
Parks and Recreation
Along the Bois de la Cambre, a visitor can stroll along the banks of the river, row on the river, bicycle, go horseback riding, roller-skating, or play miniature golf. The Park of Brussels also is a pleasant place to visit. On the Arcades of Cinquantenaire, Jabel Park was built to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Belgium Kingdom. La MiniEurope lies in the Laeken district, complete with a miniature Eiffel Tower, leaning Tower of Pisa, and other well-known monuments, in a theme park perfect for family vacations. In the same district is the Atomium, a large structure simulating the make-up of an atom, built for the 1958 World’s Fair held in Brussels. In Tervuren, there are acres of green land in the Forêt de Soignes and the Parc de Tervuren, making this the most popular destination for outdoors recreation. About 15 percent of Brussels is given over to parks and wildlife, which is a large amount considering the dense population of the city and suburbs. 17
Performing Arts
The Théatre Royal de la Monnaie, open since 1700 and supported by the Belgian government and Brussels City government, houses the Opera of Brussels and the Royal Ballet Company, putting on numerous shows every year. Other theaters include the Kaaitheater, the Royal Flemish Theater, and the Theater Factory Europe. The Palais des
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Beaux-Arts holds a wide range of dance and musical concerts and recitals by world-renowned performers yearround, and the Brussels Chamber Music Ensemble Oxalays performs classical music. One specialty of Brussels is the Toone Theater, or Theatre Toone VII, which is held in a pub built in 1696 near Grand Place. On the first floor, marionettes perform classical operas and Brussels folk stories in French, Dutch, and English; the second floor houses the actual pub. Every summer, the Festival of Flanders features concerts, theater, and dance performances in Brussels and other Belgian cities. Brussels has also hosted the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition since 1951, offering support to young pianists, violinists, and composers. 18
Libraries and Museums
Brussels has a wealth of museums that cover topics ranging from antiquities to comic strips. The Cinquantenaire Museum of Classical Art and History, founded in 1835 and moved to Cinquantenaire Park in 1889, contains artwork from all over the world, from prehistoric times to the present. Brussels City Museum, located in the King’s House on the Market Place of Brussels, opened in 1884. It showcases artwork specifically about the city of Brussels, featuring wall tapestries and the 600costume wardrobe of Manneken Pis. The Museum of Modern Art and Natural Sciences Museum also have
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Brussels
The collection of the Museum of Modern Art displays pieces of many Brussels-inspired artists. (Christophe Gruner; Woodfin Camp)
extensive collections. Victor Horta House focuses on one of the founders of the art nouveau style, and the Belgian Comic Strip Centre houses the largest collection of comic strips in the world, including Belgium’s Tintin. The Royal Library, or Bibliotheque Royal Albert I, located near the central train station, provides citizens with reading and reference material. The library holds nearly everything published in Belgium and much of what is printed in Europe. 19
To u r i s m
Whether shopping and sightseeing in Grand Place, Sablon Square, or the Heysel district, tourists get a grand taste of the good life in Brussels. The city’s cuisine is one of the finest in the world, and the numerous chocolate shops
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make divine desserts. Known for its beer, Brussels is also a fine place to socialize in the pubs and take in a marionette play. Tourists from all over Europe come to Brussels because of its international ranking as a convention center and the capital of Europe. The museums and parks are top-notch and deserve as much time as possible from curious tourists. The comic strip museum, beer museum, and city museum offer rare glimpses into the private lives of Belgians and promise to entertain visitors. Although the weather is not always sunny, it is usually mild, allowing for comfortable sightseeing throughout the year. With the welldeveloped transportation, there is no reason that a traveler should pass up the opportunity to visit Brussels. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Brussels Annual International Motor Show
FEBRUARY Brussels Cartoon and Animated Film Festival (from the end of February until the middle of March)
MARCH International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
APRIL The Music and Light Show at Grand Place (from April through September)
MAY The 20km Annual Marathon Brussels Art Festival
JUNE Ommegang (Thousands parade on the streets in colorful costumes to commemorate the welcome of Charles V to the city.)
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Brussels JULY The Festival of Flanders
AUGUST The Ivo Van Damme Memorial
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Famous Citizens
Albert II (b. 1934), King of Belgium (r. 1993–present), brother of King Baudouin I.
Tel.: (02)504–02–76 Fax: (02)513–07–50 Centre Administratif (CA) 6 Boulevard Anspach 1000 Bruxelles Ville de Bruxelles City Hall (Hôtel de Ville, HV) Grand Place 1000 Bruxelles Tel.: (02)512–75–54
Baudouin I (1930–1993), King of Belgium (r. 1951–1993).
Mayor—Mr. François-Xavier de Donnea Tel.: (02)279–50–10 Fax: (02)279–50–21
Victor Horta (1861–1947), architect.
Tourist and Convention Bureaus
Georges Rémi (1907–1983), creator of Tintin. Antoine Joseph Sax (known as Adolphe Sax, 1814–1894), inventor of the saxophone. Jean-Claude Van Damme (b. 1960), movie star and karate expert, nicknamed “the muscles from Brussels.” 22
For Further Study
Websites Brussels Online. [Online] Available http:// www.brussels-online.be/ (accessed December 20, 1999). City of Brussels. [Online] Available http:// www.brussels.be/ (accessed December 20, 1999). Irisnet. [Online] Available http:// bruxelles.irisnet.be/index.html (accessed December 20, 1999). Timeout.com. [Online] Available http:// www.timeout.com/brussels/ (accessed December 20, 1999).
Atomium Blvd. Du Centenaire B-1020 Bruxelles Tel.: (02)477–09–77 Fax: (02)477–83–98 e-mail:
[email protected] Brussels Exhibition Center Place de Belgique B-1020 Bruxelles Tel.: (02)474–82–77 Fax: (02)474–83–90 e-mail:
[email protected] Tourist Office (Tourist Information Brussels) Hôtel de Ville Grand Place B-1000 Bruxelles Tel.: (02)513–89–40 Fax: (02)514–45–38 e-mail:
[email protected]
Publications Le Soir Rue Royale 120-1000 Bruxelles Belgique Tel.: (32)2–225–54–32 e-mail:
[email protected] La Libre Belgique. [Online] Available http:// www.lalibrebelgique.com (accessed December 20, 1999).
Government Offices Brussels Congress Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes 61 1000 Brussels
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Books Deprez, Kas and Louis Vos, eds. Nationalism in Belgium: Shifting Identities, 1780–1995. New
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Brussels York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1998. Ephrem et. al. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium: A Guide to the Collections of Ancient Art and Modern Art. Brussels: Alice Editions, 1996.
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Roberts-Jones, Philippe, ed. Brussels: Fin de Siècle. Köln: Taschen, 1999. Swimberghe, Piet and Jan Verlinde, eds. Brussels: The Art of Living. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabor and Chang, 1998.
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Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America Founded: 1536 Location: On the western bank of the Río de la Plata estuary across from Uruguay, 150 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, Argentina, South America. Flag: A black eagle with a red beak, wearing a crown and holding a red cross, on a white field. Time Zone: 9 AM = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: 75% Spanish or Italian descent. Latitude and Longitude: 34º36’S, 58º28’W Coastline: 20 kilometers (12 mi)along the Río de La Plata. Climate: Hot, humid summers. The winter months of June to August are mild but humid. Frosts occur from May to September, but snow is extremely rare. Annual Mean Temperature: Overall 60ºF (16ºC); summer (December–February) 83ºF (28ºC); winter (June–Aug) 52ºF (11ºC). Average Annual Precipitation: 43.2 inches (1,096 mm) Government: Elected mayor and legislature, but Federal government makes major decisions affecting the capital city. Weights And Measures: Metric Monetary Units: The peso (on par with the U.S. dollar). U.S. dollar is widely accepted. Telephone Area Codes: Argentina country code: (54); Buenos Aires: (1). Postal Codes: The Correo Argentino, the privatized postal service, created a 4-letter, 4-number code.
1
Introduction
Early in the twentieth century, Buenos Aires, the city of fair winds, became one of the world’s great cities. By the tens of thousands, European immigrants sailed across the Atlantic to the “Paris of Latin America” looking for a better life. Money seemed no object in those days. Fueled by the great agricultural wealth that came from the heartland of the nation, great new buildings and monuments were the order of the day. In 1908, a grand opera house opened its doors to world acclaim and became a symbol of Buenos Aires'
wealth and sophistication. By 1913, the city had Latin America's first underground metro system in operation. The city continued growing through two world wars and a global economic crisis in the 1930s. The city's residents, known as Porteños, or people of the port, were confident and brash. To the people of neighboring countries, the Porteños were arrogant and aloof. The dapper Carlos Gardel epitomized the Porteño during the height of his musical and acting career early in the century. Supremely confident, always well
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Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Population Profile City Proper Population: 3,040,000 Area: 200 sq km (77 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 75% Spanish or Italian ancestry; 25% other, including Russian Jews, English, French, German, Lebanese, and Syrian Nicknames: Inhabitants are known as Porteños (port dwellers or people of the port)
Metropolitan Area Population: 12,431,000 Description: Greater Buenos Aires Metropolitan area (city and 22 suburbs) Area: 3,680 sq km (1,420 sq mi) World population rank1: 10 Percentage of national population2: 34% Average yearly growth rate: 1.0% ——— 1. The Buenos Aires metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Argentina’s total population living in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
dressed and neatly groomed, Gardel was an ambassador to the Tango, a melancholic music that grew out of the fringes of Buenos Aires. By the end of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires had managed to retain if not its confidence at least its arrogance as it literally fell apart. In the 1990s, the Porteño media were busy reporting stories about decaying buildings that dropped balconies onto the street like rotten apples falling off trees, the heavy pollution that tainted the city's buenos aires, corruption and police brutality, the proliferation of rats and
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feral cats, and countless other problems. Economists and historians are still trying to figure out what went wrong in Argentina. Once the seventh-wealthiest country in the world, it quickly dropped to seventy-seventh by the 1960s. The blame is often placed on the economic policies of former President Juan Domingo Perón, who created the nation's most powerful political movement in the 1950s and attempted to industrialize the nation at the cost of agriculture. Just as devastating to the nation was the brutal military dictatorship of 1976–83, which ruled with an iron fist from the capital city of Buenos Aires. Thousands of Argentineans were killed, and thousands who were arrested were never seen again. In the capital's main Plaza de Mayo, a square in front of the government palace, each Thursday a group of mothers remind the nation of sons and daughters not yet found. Yet, despite all its problems, Buenos Aires retains much of its old charm. Some of its neighborhoods have not changed at all in the past 100 years and remain a living example of the city's golden age. Millions of people visit Buenos Aires each year. They come to experience the tango, eat at renowned and expensive restaurants, shop at sophisticated boutiques, and visit dozens of museums. Slowly, the city is transforming itself, starting with its longneglected waterfront. More people are riding the improved subway, which saw declining numbers for decades. Porteños go on, sipping thick espressos
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Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires and mate, a national drink made from a herb. During long sobremesas, the customary after-meal conversations, they continue to discuss politics and other issues of importance. 2
Getting There
Buenos Aires is located on the west bank of the Río de la Plata, at the northeastern edge of the Pampa, a flat plain of rich soil that is to Argentina what the Midwest is to the United States. The Río de la Plata is an estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers that come together to form a broad, shallow, and muddy marine inlet between Uruguay and Argentina. Highways The national highway system is centered in the city, radiating from there to all of Argentina and neighboring countries. All distances on the national highway system are measured from a 0-kilometer marker located in a small square across from the National Congress building. From there, national highways 1, 2, and 3 (which runs to Tierra del Fuego) serve the southern part of the country. Highways 5 and 7 serve the western part of the country, and highways 8 and 9 serve the north. Bus, Railroad, and River Service Three major bus terminals offer daily national and international travel, with departures to dozens of Argentinean cities, and the neighboring countries of Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay. Unlike the United
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States, dozens of bus companies compete for business in Argentina. At bus terminals in Buenos Aires, each company has a desk like an airline ticket counter. Buses have replaced inter-city trains and only the Roca line within Buenos Aires province maintains service. Three companies provide boat and ferry service to the Uruguayan cities of Colonia and Montevideo across the Río de la Plata. Aliscafos has fast hydrofoils. Ferrylineas has hydrofoils and ferries. Buquebus offers a ferry-bus combination to Colonia and Montevideo. Airports Ezeiza International Airport, 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of downtown Buenos Aires, has national and international service, with direct flights to selected cities in the United States. Aerolineas Argentinas, with 150 international and 350 domestic flights per week, is the largest carrier at Ezeiza. Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, five minutes north of the downtown area, serves as a regional airport, with some international departures. Shipping The Port of Buenos Aires is the largest in South America and the economic engine of the country. It handles 96 percent of the nation's container traffic and 40 percent of all international transactions measured in U.S. dollars. In 1998, it handled nearly eight million metric tons (nine million tons) of cargo. Sixty maritime companies work out of five terminals handling more than 70 vessels per week. The port has a
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Buenos Aires
City Fact Comparison Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
12,431,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1536
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$235
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$72
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$18
$14
$15
$16
$325
$173
$246
$207
28
13
20
11
Clarin
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
700,000
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1945
1944
1976
1948
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established 1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
grain terminal that can handle 170,000 metric tons (187,340 tons). A narrow channel that leads from the port to the mouth of the Atlantic is constantly being dredged to keep the heavy traffic flowing. The port is old, and most of its decaying facilities have not been replaced. Thousands of trucks coming in and out of the port each week contribute to Buenos Aires' critical traffic problem. Five railroad lines serve the port. 3
Getting Around
Central Buenos Aires is built on a grid parallel to the Río de la Plata. The Plaza de Mayo is a large open square
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near the waterfront. From here, Buenos Aires grew outward in a semicircle. Rivadavia Avenue, which begins at Plaza de Mayo, continues westward for about 40 kilometers (25 miles). Bus and Commuter Rail Service Private companies operate the bus system. The fleet serves 299 lines covering 24,135 kilometers (15,000 miles) of roads. The private Subterraneos de Buenos Aires, a subway in operation since 1913, has five underground lines and 63 stations, covering 36.5 kilometers (23 miles) of the city. A light rail line travels 7.4 kilometers (five miles) with 13 stops. Six commuter trains covering
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Buenos Aires 965 kilometers (600 miles) serve Buenos Aires and its suburbs. According to 1988 figures, 73.3 percent of passengers rode buses and trolleys, 16.6 percent rode the metropolitan rail, and ten percent rode the subway. At the same time, nearly one million passenger vehicles crowded the streets. Sightseeing Many companies offer sightseeing tours in Buenos Aires and the surrounding areas. A train that caters to tourists departs from the Retiro station in Buenos Aires to the northern suburb of Tigre. There are daily departures to the Uruguayan cities of Colonia and Montevideo. 4
People
According to Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Census, the population of Buenos Aires stood at 3.04 million people (1.65 million women and 1.38 million men) in 1998. The greater metropolitan area had 13.9 million people, making it one of the largest urban concentrations in the world. The densely populated city has 15,201 inhabitants per square kilometer. Nearly 11 percent of the city's residents are foreigners. In the year 2000, 16.8 percent of residents were over the age of 65, and 17.5 percent were under the age of 14. Most Porteños are the descendants of immigrants from Spain and Italy who came to Argentina in large numbers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, long after the con-
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quering Spaniards pushed off the indigenous people from the area. Many other Europeans have settled in Buenos Aires, including Germans, British, and Jews from central and Eastern Europe. More than 400,000 Jews live in the city, one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. In the 1990s, Buenos Aires was the focus of anti-Semitism. An explosion killed 29 people at the Israeli Embassy in 1992, and another bomb destroyed a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, killing 87 people. Non-European immigration historically was not welcomed, but there are many people from the Middle East, including Syria and Lebanon. They are collectively known as turcos (Turks). The term sometimes is used in a derogatory manner. Despite their small numbers, some have risen to national prominence, including President Carlos Menem, who is of Syrian ancestry. In the 1930s, large numbers of poor immigrants from Northern Argentina moved to Buenos Aires looking for work. The newcomers were mostly Mestizo (mixed Indian and European). Today, Mestizos make up about onethird of the population of the city, and many of them remain in poverty. Some live in the villas miserias (villages of misery), shantytowns in the outskirts of the city, and in crowded conditions near the heart of the city. In more recent years, many Bolivians, Peruvians, Paraguayans, and Uruguayans have moved to Buenos Aires. The national language is Spanish, but many other languages are spoken in
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Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires skyline. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
the city, including Italian, German, and English. One of the oldest English-language newspapers in the Americas, The Buenos Aires Herald, has been in circulation since 1876. A colorful slang known as Lunfardo is spoken in the city's slums and waterfront neighborhoods. Argentineans and neighboring Chileans often refer to the Spanish language as Castellano (Castilian). 5
Neighborhoods
The capital city is divided into 48 barrios, or neighborhoods. Most are working-class barrios, while others resemble the rich enclaves of Los Ange-
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les and New York City. Buenos Aires developed outward from the Plaza de Mayo, the historic square that is surrounded by the presidential palace known as the Casa Rosada (pink house), the colonial Town Hall (cabildo), and the Metropolitan Cathedral. As the city grew, it turned its back on its working waterfront, physically and metaphorically. The Casa Rosada looked toward the Pampas, not the Río de la Plata. By the 1990s, city officials shifted gears and developed a plan to revive the waterfront. Millions of dollars were pumped into the new waterfront neighborhood of Puerto Madero.
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Buenos Aires A marina was built, and expensive restaurants and shops opened in the old brick warehouses. The latest census showed a few hundred people lived in the neighborhood. West of Puerto Madero, in an area generally known as the centro (downtown), buildings date to the nineteenth century. To the south, in the barrio San Telmo, visitors can still see many buildings from the colonial era. The barrio was once a fashionable address, where the wealthier Porteños settled in large homes. In the nineteenth century, the elite abandoned San Telmo to escape yellow fever and moved further inland and north of the centro. They settled in barrios known as Palermo, Recoleta, and Retiro, today home to middle and upper-class Porteños. San Telmo declined for many decades, and many homes became conventillos, cramped and unkempt living quarters for poor immigrants. Today, San Telmo is considered an artist's quarter, with low rents, and many antique stores and restaurants. Some areas have been restored and gentrified. South of San Telmo is the famous and colorful barrio of La Boca (mouth), a mostly working class neighborhood that got its start at the mouth of the Riachuelo River. Originally, Italian immigrants settled in La Boca. They worked in the neighborhood's meat salting plants, which brought prosperity to Buenos Aires in the nineteenth century. Tourists flock to Caminito, a pedestrian walkway named after a famous tango, an Argentinean form of
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ballroom dancing that got its start on the fringes of Buenos Aires in the late 1880s. Caminito is flanked by modest homes brightly painted in an array of colors. During the day, artists sell their work, and couples show their tango steps to tourists. North of Plaza de Mayo, the city opens up into large avenues, pedestrian walkways, and large parks. The cultural and business center of the nation is here. Avenida Santa Fe, lined by expensive restaurants and boutiques, is typical of the Barrio Norte, which includes the neighborhoods of Recoleta, Palermo, and Retiro, among others. Recoleta has remained a chic address, even for the dead. Some of the wealthiest and most famous Argentineans, including the cultural icon Eva Perón, are buried at the Cementerio de la Recoleta in the heart of the neighborhood. Detached single-family homes are quite rare in Buenos Aires. Traditionally, families lived in row houses with interior patios or gardens. As the population grew more rapidly, two- and threestory buildings separated by a common wall were built. These buildings were known as petit hotels. In the twentieth century, detached high-rise apartment buildings began to dominate the landscape. In the Barrio Norte, these buildings stretch for many blocks. Some of them take up a whole block. According to government figures, about five percent of the population lives in substandard housing. In metropolitan Buenos Aires, the typical living unit in the villas miserias is a corrugated metal shack.
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Buenos Aires 6
History
In 1536, the Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza—under orders by the Spanish kingdom to establish a settlement—and 1,600 of his men camped on a bluff overlooking the Río de la Plata. To the west, and stretching as far as the eye could see, lay the Pampa, a flat plain of rich soil. Relations with the Querandí (an indigenous people who populated this part of the continent) quickly deteriorated, and the Spaniards were forced to leave five years later. More than four decades would pass before the Spaniards attempted to settle the area again. In 1580, Juan de Garay (c. 1528– 1583) and 300 people settled at the mouth of the Río Riachuelo and reestablished the city of Buenos Aires. They discovered that cattle and horses brought by Mendoza’s men had multiplied and spread across the Pampa, easing their attempts to settle the area. In time, the domestication of wild horses and cattle and life in the vast Pampa would have a profound impact on the culture of Argentina and Buenos Aires' rise to power. For 200 years, Buenos Aires remained a sleepy, isolated town, governed by the Viceroyalty of Peru. (A viceroyalty is a province ruled by a governor in the name of the Spanish King.) Buenos Aires' growth was hampered by Spain's rigid trade regulations, which allowed only certain ports to handle goods destined for Spain. Any goods from Argentina traveled over vast distances by land to the Peruvian port of Callao, where they were shipped to
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Panama and then transferred to ships going to Spain. The great distance between Lima and Buenos Aires helped Porteños establish their own distinct identity. The isolation and vastness of the Pampa gave rise to a unique culture as well. The Pampa became synonymous with the Gaucho, the celebrated Argentinean cowboy whose image was resurrected as a symbol of national identity. By the early eighteenth century, the fertile and well-irrigated land west and north of Buenos Aires was producing thousands of tons of cereal and dried beef and thousands of cattle hides. Financed by British capital, smugglers exported the goods through the Port of Buenos Aires to markets in Brazil and the Caribbean Islands, much to the consternation of Spain, which could not stop the illegal trade. In 1776, the Spanish kingdom named Buenos Aires the capital of the new Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Many factors led to that decision. Chief among them was the growing economic importance of Buenos Aires and the entire region. Spain also sought to deflate British influence and collect more taxes from the growing commerce. The British, of course, would not give up so easily on Buenos Aires. British troops attempted to invade the city in 1806 and 1807 but were soundly defeated by local forces. Already infused with a strong sense of self-identity, the victories over the British boosted Argentine nationalism among Porteños. By 1808, when French commander Napo-
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Buenos Aires leon Bonaparte’s forces invaded Spain, the citizens of Buenos Aires began to question their allegiance to the Spanish kingdom. Two years later, in May of 1810, Buenos Aires severed its ties with Spain. But the surrounding provinces did not follow suit until 1816, when they declared their independence and named Buenos Aires the new capital of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata. By then, Buenos Aires had become a dominant force in the region, and neighboring provinces attempted to curve its power. Following a long period of unrest and a power struggle, Buenos Aires emerged even stronger and was named the federal capital of Argentina in 1880. Heavy British investment had sustained growth in the region during this time, and by the late 1880s, Buenos Aires was becoming one of the wealthiest and most important cities in the world. Porteños began to call their city the Paris of South America and embarked on an ambitious construction program. Beautiful mansions and buildings, wide avenues, expensive hotels, and restaurants became permanent fixtures in the city's landscape. The Teatro Colón, an architectural jewel used for ballet, opera, and classical music, opened in 1908 to world acclaim. With massive immigration from Spain and Italy to keep the factories and farms spinning around the clock, the city's population grew from about 90,000 people in 1851 to 1.3 million people by 1910. By the beginning of World War I (1914–18), Argentina had become one of the world's top exporters
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of agricultural products, with most of it channeled through the Port of Buenos Aires. Yet, few benefited from the wealth. Large numbers of newcomers were forced into substandard housing. Workers could barely feed their families on low wages. Social unrest in the city reached a boiling point in 1919, when the army attacked metalworkers on strike. The suppression of the workers came to be known as La Semana Trágica (The Tragic Week). Buenos Aires kept on growing rapidly. By the 1930s, the city embarked on a modernization project, tearing down colonial neighborhoods and narrow streets and replacing them with modern buildings and wide avenues. Suburban communities and Buenos Aires grew closer to each other, becoming a massive metropolis after World War II (1939–45). The mid-twentieth century also marked a dramatic shift in migration. By 1930, international immigration came to a halt. The new migrants were mostly mestizos from northern Argentina. They poured into the city by the thousands. Unable to find suitable housing, they settled in the villas miserias around the city. The centralization of jobs, goods, and services in Buenos Aires brought prosperity to the city at the cost of other cities, where growth simply stopped. In time, it also hurt Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires today is a tired but proud city. It is obsessed with trying to fix its decaying infrastructure, to alleviate its heavy pollution, and to deal with massive poverty and chronic unem-
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Buenos Aires D.C., Buenos Aires has a voting member in Congress. Until 1996, the president appointed the mayor of Buenos Aires, and the elected city council had negligible power. By law, the president and congress controlled any legislation that affected the city. But constitutional reforms allowed Fernando de la Rúa to become the city's first elected mayor in 1996. In 1999, he was considered a top contender for the presidency. The city council was replaced with an elected 60-member Poder Legislativo (legislative power). The members are elected by proportional representation to four-year terms. City officials, including the mayor, are allowed to run for two consecutive terms but must sit out for a full term before running for office again. The design of the Palacio Del Congresso is similar to the U.S. capitol but unlike Washington, D.C. it has a voting member in Congress. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
ployment. Argentine officials have attempted to decentralize government by moving the federal city to other regions of Argentina; however, their attempts have not been successful. 7
Government
Like Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires is a federal district. It is home to the President of the Republic and National Congress. Unlike Washington,
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8
Public Safety
Statistics from the Buenos Aires government show a sharp increase in crime between 1991 and 1996. Crimes reported to police increased from 42,796 in 1991 to 126,920 in 1996. Homicides rose from 19 to 177 during the same period. Of great concern to the Buenos Aires population are crimes committed by police. In 1998, the United Nations Committee Against Torture reported its concerns over growing police brutality in Buenos Aires and the rest of the nation. Amnesty International, a London-based human rights organization, also noted police obstruction to prevent investigations of police brutality, the atrocious treatment of
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Buenos Aires prisoners, media.
and
attacks
against
the
Between 1976 and 1983, Argentina was ruled from Buenos Aires by a brutal dictatorship responsible for the murder of thousands of Argentineans, many of them in the capital city, where the police and military acted as a repressive force. As many as 9,000 Argentineans are among the "disappeared," people whose bodies have not been found. In recent years, Buenos Aires' new government has attempted to curb police abuses such as bribery and brutality by decriminalizing some activities, including prostitution and public drunkenness. 9
Economy
Throughout its history, the city has depended on its port, the largest in South America, for much of its economic activity. Argentina is heavily dependent on the export of its agricultural products, and most of it is processed and shipped from Buenos Aires. The intense trade helped Buenos Aires develop a diversified economy, and by the twentieth century the city was the nation's center of banking and finance. The city itself was unable to absorb the massive growth in trade-related and new industries during the twentieth century. Most of those jobs went to the suburbs, where about half of the nation's manufacturing jobs are located. Avellaneda, just south of the Federal District, is an important industrial center.
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While most workers are engaged in food processing, including grains, meat, and fish, others assemble cars, refine oil, or work in other factories. In the city, the workforce numbers about 1.4 million people, with about 36 percent involved in services, 18 percent in trade, 17 percent in manufacturing, and about 12 percent in finance, insurance, and real estate. As part of its economic plan, Argentina privatized many public assets during the 1990s, including many enterprises that affect the city. Some of the most important former public services that been sold or licensed to private companies include the phone company ENTel, the national airline Aerolineas Argentinas, the petroleum enterprise YPF, the mail system, and public transportation, including the underground metro service and regional commuter rail service. 10
Environment
The Riachuelo River is the most visible example of Buenos Aires' environmental problems. The river is littered with rusted ships, many of them barely floating on water that is heavily saturated with oil. The sediments are even a worse problem, with untold concentrations of heavy metals and chemical pollutants. The Río de la Plata also is heavily contaminated. Cleaning the waterways remains one of the city's most pressing problems. With hundreds of thousands of cars, buses, and trucks on the roads, the air is heavily polluted.
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Buenos Aires
Tren de la Costa shopping mall and amusement park. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
The city also has reported serious problems with feral (wild) cats and mice. 11
Shopping
Buenos Aires is famous for its leather and woolen goods. Leather jackets, saddles, boots, and many other items are sold at many expensive shops in the northern barrios of the city. Some downtown streets lined by shops have been closed to automobiles and turned into pedestrian malls. Buenos Aires is a well-read city, and hundreds of bookstores offer books in many languages. Expensive shops and malls similar to those in the United States are
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found throughout the city and the metropolitan area. 12
Education
Porteños are among the best-educated people in the world, with high literacy rates and school completion rates. The world-renowned University of Buenos Aires (1821) had more than 180,000 students enrolled in 1997. Its faculty members have earned Nobel Prizes in science and medical fields. In the Spanish-speaking world, Buenos Aires is a publishing powerhouse and home to important literary figures. In 1997, 664,273 students attended primary and secondary school. Most pri-
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Buenos Aires 13
Health Care
In 1995, Buenos Aires had more than 1,000 medical facilities, including 181 hospitals. More than 23,000 hospital beds are available at private and public hospitals. Many Argentineans come to Buenos Aires for special care not available in other parts of the country. The city has seven physicians per 1,000 residents. 14
Cleaning up the rivers is one environmental issue that Buenos Aires is trying to address. Here, an old ship sits in the renovated river front of the Puerto Madero area. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
mary and secondary schools are public, including special national high schools that function as college preparatory schools. The Roman Catholic Church also operates many private institutions, including two universities: Salvador University and Roman Catholic University. Other important institutions of higher learning are the private University of Belgrano, the National Conservatory of Music, and the National School of Fine Arts.
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Media
Buenos Aires is Argentina's media capital, with 49 book publishers, 29 periodicals, 14 daily newspapers, 12 foreign press offices, six television stations, and three news agencies. Newspapers in Buenos Aires have clearly defined political leanings, with some of them claiming a centrist position. The tabloid Clarín, with a daily circulation of 600,000 and more than one million on Sundays, is the world's largest Spanishlanguage newspaper. La Nación (1870) is one of the oldest and most respected newspapers in Latin America. The English-language Buenos Aires Herald has been publishing daily since 1876. Pagina 12 is a left-leaning newspaper known for its investigative pieces. 15
Sports
Buenos Aires and the greater metropolitan area are home to some of the most celebrated professional soccer teams in the world. Many of the top clubs got their start in Buenos Aires before moving to the suburbs. Eight of the 20 first-division teams are in the capital city, while five are in the sub-
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Buenos Aires urbs. Among the best-known teams are Boca Juniors, which plays at the famous La Bombonera stadium, and its archrival River Plate, which plays in the wealthy northern barrio of Nuñez. Independiente's home is just south of La Boca in the suburb of Avellaneda. Other well-known teams include Racing Club and San Lorenzo. The national team won the World Cup in Greater Buenos Aires in 1978 when the country hosted the event. Porteños are not limited to soccer. The country's long history and attachment to horses continue to fuel great interest in polo, horse racing and pato (duck), a game similar to polo that owes its root to Gaucho culture. Pato was once a violent game played with a real duck encased in a leather bag. Serious injuries were common. But the game has mellowed, and pato players now use a ball with handles instead of a real duck. Many other sports are popular in the city, including tennis, boxing, and basketball. 16
Parks and Recreation
The city has many parks and plazas, and they are quite busy on weekends when Porteños traditionally go out for a stroll. One of the city's largest parks is in Palermo. Within its grounds are a horse racing arena, polo fields, tennis courts, and bicycle and pedestrian paths. Nearby Plaza Alemania is a favorite hangout for young skateboarders. During the dictatorship years of 1976 to 1983, the military filled a large
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area in the Río de la Plata just east of the port as part of a plan to create a satellite city. The city never materialized, but birds and other wildlife took over the area. Today, it is known as Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, an ecological reserve popular with birdwatchers. 17
Performing Arts
The Teatro Colón is a beautiful building and symbolic of the importance given to the performing arts. The theater is home to the country's national ballet and national symphony. In recent years, Porteños have revived and firmly embraced the tango as a symbol of Porteño life. The old tango and the modern, sometimes experimental, tango are performed throughout the city, in important venues, seedy cafes, and often on the streets. Much like New York City, Buenos Aires has a lively theater culture, especially during the winter season when dozens of new plays open to the public. One of the main venues is the San Martin Municipal Theater, which has three main auditoriums and several smaller ones. Porteños are fond of peñas, a performance where folk songs and dances are accompanied by a hearty Argentinean meal. 18
Libraries and Museums
Buenos Aires is home to the National Library and dozens of public and private museums, some operated
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Buenos Aires
The Colón Theater Opera House is the home to Argentina’s national ballet and symphony. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
by the municipal government. Several museums are devoted to the history of the city and its residents. They include the Mitre Museum, dedicated to one of Argentina's earliest presidents, Bartolomé Mitre (president 1862–68); Museo de la Ciudad (the City Museum), and a museum dedicated to the economic history of the city and province of Buenos Aires. The Museo del Cine (the Cinema Museum) focuses on the long, and sometimes glorious, history of Argentine cinema. The National Historical Museum offers a portrait of the country, and the National Museum of Theater
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traces the history of Argentine theater. The National Museum of Fine Arts has the works of many of the world's greatest masters. The collection includes works by Argentinean painters and sculptors. 19
To u r i s m
Buenos Aires is a popular tourist destination, with more than ten million visitors annually. Most visitors are from Argentina and neighboring countries, but large numbers of visitors come from the United States and Europe. Tourism
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Buenos Aires is important to the city’s economy. During the summer of 1997–98 (December through March), two-and-a-half million visitors spent more than $900 million. The city has a wide variety of accommodations, from luxury hotels to simple rooms in private homes. In 1997, there were a total of 1,228 places to stay, with more than 84,000 beds. The city has much to offer visitors, from fine dining to sports and cultural activities. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day, January 1)
MARCH-APRIL Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
MAY Día del Trabajador (Labor Day, May 1) Revolucíon de Mayo (May Revolution, May 25)
Luis Maria Drago (1859–1921), statesman who became a respected member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands, best known for the international law called the Drago Doctrine (1907). Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (1916–83), twentieth-century composer of opera known for combining nationalistic musical idioms with twentieth-century techniques. While the following notable citizens may not have been born in Buenos Aires, they are closely identified with the city: Former President Juan Domingo Perón (1895–1974), and his first wife, Eva Perón (1919–1952), both considered to be political and cultural icons of the nation.
JUNE Día de las Malvinas (Day of the Falkland Islands, June 10) Día de la Bandera (Flag Day, June 20)
Tango singer and actor Carlos Gardel (1890–1935).
JULY Independence Day (July 9)
AUGUST Día de San Martín (commemoration of San Martín’s death)
OCTOBER Día de la Raza (Columbus Day, Oct. 12)
21
Famous Citizens
Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986), one of the most important writers in Latin American and world literature. Manuel Puig (1932–90), novelist, internationally known for his novel Kiss of the Spider Woman (1976).
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22
For Further Study
Websites Buenos Aires Herald (English-language). [Online] Availablehttp://www.bueonosairesherald.com (accessed April 17, 2000). Columbus World Travel Guide. “Buenos Aires.” [Online] Available http://www.travelguides.com/data/arg/arg140.asp (accessed April 17, 2000).
Government Offices Argentinean Embassy 1600 New Hampshire Ave. Washington D.C. 20009 Phone: 202 238–6460
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Buenos Aires U.S. Consulates: 5550 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 210 Los Angeles. CA 90036 Phone: 213 954–9155 205 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 4209 Chicago, IL. 60601 Phone: 312 819–2610
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Direccion General de Turismo de la Municipalidad de Buenos Aires (tourism offices for the city of Buenos Aires) Centro Cultural San Martin Sarmiento 1551 Montserrat, Buenos Aires Phone: 54–1–4476–3612 Direccion Nacional de Turismo (National Tourism Office) Ave. Santa Fe 883 Retiro, Buenos Aires Phone: 54–1–4312–2232
Books Adelman, Jeremy. Republic of Capital: Buenos Aires and the Legal Transformation of the
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Atlantic World. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999. APA Publications. Inside Guides: Buenos Aires. Singapore: Hoyer Press, 1998. Baily, Samuel L.and Franco Ramella (eds.). One Family, Two Worlds: An Italian Family's Correspondence Across the Atlantic: 1901–22. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1988. Bernhardson, Wayne. Buenos Aires, From Worldclass Opera to Tango Lessons. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet, 1999. France, Miranda. Bad Times in Buenos Aires: A Writer's Adventures in Argentina. New Jersey: Ecco Press, 1999. Reid, George Andrews. The Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires: 1800–1900. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1980. Ross, Stanley R.and Thomas F. McGann (eds.) Buenos Aires: 400 Years. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1982. Scobie, James R. Buenos Aires: Plaza to Suburb, 1870–1910. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974. Sofer, Eugene F. From Pale to Pampa. A Social History of the Jews of Buenos Aires. New York: Holmes & Meier, 1982. Shumway, Nicolas. The Invention of Argentina. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991.
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Cairo Cairo, Egypt, Africa Founded: A.D. 969 Location: Near the head of the Nile River delta, Egypt; northeastern Africa Time Zone: 2 PM Cairo time = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Elevation: 194 m (636 ft) Latitude and Longitude: 43º40'N, 79º22'W Coastline: (Greater Cairo) approximately 27 km (17 mi) Climate: Desert climate, with hot summers and mild winters; rain is rare, and hamsin dust storms can occur in the spring. Annual Mean Temperature: January -4ºC (24ºF); July 21.7ºC (71ºF) Seasonal Average Snowfall: 141 cm (55.5 in) Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 81.3 cm (32 in) Government: governor-council Weights and Measures: Metric Monetary Units: Egyptian pounds Telephone Area Codes: 20 (Egypt), 02 (Cairo)
1
Introduction
Located on the banks of the Nile River, Cairo is Africa’s largest city, as well as the largest city in the Arab world. In the course of its thousandyear history it has been the capital of the great Egyptian dynasties of the Middle Ages, a British colonial enclave, and a modern industrialized city. Today it is a teeming, vibrant national capital with one of the world’s highest population densities per square mile. Even as the city struggles with the social and environmental effects of overcrowding, it dominates Egypt politically, economically, and culturally and remains a prime tourist destination in spite of a campaign of terrorist activity by Islamic
extremists seeking to destabilize the country’s government. 2
Getting There
Cairo, the largest city in Africa, is located on the Nile River, 160 kilometers (100 miles) inland from the Mediterranean Sea and 135 kilometers (80 miles) west of the Red Sea. Highways Cairo is connected by highway with all other major cities in Egypt. The Desert Road links Cairo and Alexandria; there are main roads connecting Cairo with Ismailiyyah and Luxor. In addition, there is the Red Sea Highway, completed in the early 1990s. Roads connect Cairo with Libya to the west
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Cairo
Cairo Population Profile
Alexandria, and buses run between Cairo and all major towns. Airports
City Proper Population: 9,690,000 Area: 20 sq km (7.7 sq mi) Nicknames: Mother of the World, The WellGuarded
Metropolitan Area Population: 12,000,000 Description: Central Cairo, Giza, Shubra alKhaymah, and parts of Giza and Qalyubiyah provinces Area: 215 sq km (83 sq mi) World population rank1: 17 Percentage of national population2: 16% Average yearly growth rate: 2.1% ——— 1. The Cairo metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Egypt’s total population living in the Cairo metropolitan area.
and Israel to the east (however, special permission must be obtained to enter Egypt from Israel in a private vehicle). Bus and Railroad Service Rail service is available between Cairo and all areas of the Nile River Valley. An air-conditioned nonstop express train, the turbino, makes three trips daily between Cairo and Alexandria. Cairo’s main railway station is located at Maydan Ramsis. Several bus companies offer inter-city bus service between Cairo and Alexandria, the Nile Valley, the Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, the Suez Canal, and other destinations. There is nonstop bus service between Cairo and
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Cairo International Airport, an important connecting point between Europe, Asia, and Africa, offers regular service by most major airlines. EgyptAir offers both domestic flights to Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada and international service. Shipping Although it is located on the Nile River, Cairo is not one of Egypt’s major shipping cities, all of which have ports on the Mediterranean (Alexandria, Suez, and Port Said). 3
Getting Around
Greater Cairo is spread out over both banks of the Nile River, which runs north-south through the center of the city. The neighborhoods of Gizah, Aguza, Mohandisin are on the west bank, the districts of Gazirah and Geziret Al-Rawdah on islands in the river, and the major urban center on the east bank, together with a number of suburbs. Downtown Cairo’s streets and avenues are laid out around a series of traffic circles—Maydan Talaat Harb, Maydan Orabi, Maydan Mustafa Kamel, and, at the heart of the city, Maydan Tahrir. Bus and Commuter Rail Service Packed buses offer local service in Cairo, stopping at the Maydan Tahrir, the Maydan Ataba and Opera Square, the Pyramids Road, Ramses Station, and
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Cairo
the Citadel. Minibuses offer more reliable and somewhat more expensive service. Also available are privately owned and operated 12-seat taxis. Cairo’s commuter rail service, the Metro, runs both above- and underground. The trains are clean; service is efficient; and fares are reasonable. Sightseeing Organized tours to Cairo’s major tourist attractions, such as the Giza and
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Saqqara pyramids and the Sphinx, are offered by hotels, private guides, and travel agencies. 4
People
More than one-quarter of all Egyptians live in Cairo. The population of the city proper stood at 9,690,000 in 1998 while the population of the greater metropolitan area has been variously estimated between 12 and 18 mil-
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Cairo lion. The city’s population is more homogenous today than during the colonial period when large numbers of Europeans lived in Cairo. Today about 95 percent of the city’s residents were born in Egypt, and 90 percent are Muslims. Cairo’s population also includes significant numbers of people from other African countries, especially Sudan (Sudanese are thought to number about 400,000). About 20,000 African Muslims from other countries are students at Al-Azhar University. Even more are refugees who fled their homelands. 5
Neighborhoods
Downtown Cairo, whose center is the plaza of Maydan Tahrir, is a bustling district of shops, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments, as well as museums, gardens, and art galleries. It also affords a scenic view of the Nile River. To the east of central Cairo is the walled medieval section of the city known as Islamic Cairo, which includes poorer residential districts, historic architecture dating back over a thousand years, and the bustling Khan Khalili marketplace. Its main street, Shar’a Mu’iz, is lined with buildings from several eras of Egyptian history, including those of the early dynasties before the Ottoman Era. Garden City, south of Maydan Tahrir, is an upscale district with expensive homes and numerous embassies. To the east is the area dominated by the Citadel, a medieval fortress that was
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home to Egypt’s rulers for some 700 years. In the vicinity are three mosques and several museums. Northeast of Cairo’s central and historic districts is the wealthy residential suburb of Heliopolis, home to Egypt’s former president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Although named for an ancient Egyptian city, Heliopolis was actually planned and laid out with reference to European models and is more spacious than other parts of Cairo. (Egyptians generally call the suburb Masr alGedida, or New Cairo). Many members of the professional classes live in the neighborhood, which has a large Christian minority. The exclusive residential suburb of Zamalek—Cairo’s wealthiest neighborhood—is located on the island of Gazirah, occupying the northern twothirds of the island; the remainder is the site of private sports clubs and parks. The newer suburbs of Duqqi, Mohandisin, Aguza, Gizah, and Imbabah are located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the older part of the city. 6
History
The first settlement in the region of present-day Cairo was al-Fustat, founded in A.D. 641 as a military encampment by the Arabic commander 'Amr ibn al-'As. Under the dynasties that ruled Egypt over the following centuries, the town grew into a major port city. In A.D. 969 Jawhar, the leader of an Islamic sect called the Fatimids,
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Cairo
City Fact Comparison Cairo (Egypt)
New York (United States)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
10,772,000
16,626,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
AD 969
1613
753 BC
723 BC
$193
$198
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$56
$44
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$14
$26
$15
$16
$173
$244
$246
$207
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
13
10
20
11
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
The Wall Street Journal
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
1,159,339
1,740,450
754,930
3,000,000
1944
1889
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
founded a new city near al-Fustat, initially naming it al-Mansuriyah (its name was later changed to al-Qahirah, or Cairo). When the Fatimids became the rulers of Egypt, founding a dynasty that lasted for two centuries, Cairo became their capital. When Saladin, a Sunni Muslim, defeated the Crusaders and founded the Ayyubid dynasty in the twelfth century, he retained Cairo as his capital, and it became the center of a vast empire. (AlFustat, however, was burned down as part of the “scorched earth” strategy that defeated the Crusaders.) In the thirteenth century, the Ayyubids were
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eclipsed by Turkish military conquerors known as the Mamluks, who ruled Egypt from A.D. 1260 to 1516. During the first hundred years of Mamluk rule, Cairo experienced its most illustrious period. Al-Azhar University, which had been founded in the tenth century, became the foremost center of learning in the Islamic world, and Cairo played a key role in the east-west spice trade. Most of its greatest buildings were constructed during this period. Starting in the second half of the fourteenth century, Cairo experienced a decline, beginning with the scourge of the Black Death (1348) and other epi-
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Cairo
Cairo skyline along the Nile River. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
demics. By the end of the fifteenth century, new trade routes had broken the city’s monopoly on the spice trade, and in 1517 the Ottoman sultan Selim I (r. 1512–20) conquered Egypt, defeating the Mamluk forces at Ar Raydaniyah, outside Cairo, and the city came under Turkish rule. Under the Ottomans, Cairo was reduced to a provincial capital, and by the end of the eighteenth century, its population had declined to under 300,000. The city was occupied by Napoleon’s troops between 1798 and 1801 but then returned to Turkish rule. The modernization of Egypt and its capital began under Mehemet ’Ali (c.
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1769–1849), often called the “father of modern Egypt,” who ruled the country for nearly half a century beginning in 1805, modernizing and strengthening it, and expanding its borders. Modernization of Cairo began in 1830, but the period of greatest progress occurred during the reign of Ismail Pasha (r. 1863-79). Pasha undertook a major modernization of the city modeled on the renovation of Paris under Napoleon III (1808–1873). To the west of the older, medieval part of Cairo (now called Islamic Cairo), a newer section of the city boasted wide avenues laid out around circular plazas in the style of a
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Cairo European city. The development of this area was also influenced by the growth of French and British colonial power in Egypt. The advent of the twentieth century saw advances in bridge building and flood control, which encouraged riverfront development. By 1927, Cairo’s population had reached one million. In the first half of the century, Cairo was dominated by foreign influences. During World War I (1914–18), it became the center for British military operations in the region, and British troops were headquartered in the city. The British military presence in Egypt was curtailed in the 1920s, but the country was reoccupied by British forces during World War II (1939– 1945). With the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, the colonial presence in Cairo— and throughout the country—came to an end. Since then, large numbers of Egyptians from other parts of the country have migrated to the capital, and the government has worked to accommodate a rapidly growing urban population by creating new, planned suburbs, including Nasr City, Muqattam City, and Engineers’ City. In recent decades, Cairo has become the nation’s industrial, commercial, and cultural center, as well as the seat of its government. 7
Government
Cairo has only had a municipal government since 1950, and Egypt’s
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central government plays a large role in administering the capital, controlling its budget and spending programs. The city’s municipal government consists of a governor, who is appointed by the president of Egypt, and a council called the Popular Assembly, which includes both appointed and elected members. Only the elected members can vote. 8
Public Safety
Although Cairo is notorious for government corruption, it is known as a safe city with a much lower incidence of violent crime than most major Western cities. Petty theft—especially pickpocketing—is known to occur, and in recent years there have been some reports of armed robbery and sales of hard drugs. However, the major form of violence to which Cairo has been subjected is terrorism. In 1992 Islamic extremists began a campaign of terrorism aimed at overthrowing the secular government of President Hosni Mubarak. Within the first four years, 920 people had died, including 25 foreign visitors. Terrorism persisted in the latter part of the 1990s in spite of a government crackdown on extremist groups. 9
Economy
Cairo is the economic center of Egypt, with two-thirds of the country’s gross national product generated in the greater metropolitan area. Industrialization, which began in the nineteenth
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Cairo century, grew rapidly following the 1952 revolution and revolved primarily around textiles (based on Egypt’s traditional economic mainstay, long-staple cotton) and food processing. Other industries include iron and steel production and consumer goods. Today the majority of Cairo’s work force is employed in service sector jobs, especially in government, financial services, and commerce. The tourism industry is a major source of revenue for the country, along with weapons sales, petroleum, and Suez Canal tariffs (following nationalization of the canal on July 26, 1956). Foreign aid from other countries is also an important source of income. Although government agricultural subsidies, cheap public transportation, and low-cost medical care help keep Cairo’s cost of living relatively low, the average Cairene still struggle to make ends meet, often holding down two or more jobs, or going overseas to find work and send money home. The poorest are forced to send their children to work as early as eight or nine years of age, often in “sweatshops” producing manufactured goods. 10
Environment
Industrial and vehicular emissions combine to give Cairo a serious air pollution problem. Thousands of old vehicles crowd the city streets without government regulation of emission levels, and the city’s factories create additional environmental hazards. Levels of both lead and particulate emissions far exceed internationally acceptable stan-
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dards. In the 1990s the Egyptian government began a serious effort to improve the city’s air quality, with legislation requiring air filters in factories as well as an air-quality-improvement project, the Cairo Air Improvement Project (CAIP), designed to reduce pollution from lead and particulates. CAIP’s goals included development of a vehicle emission testing and certification program; increasing the use of compressed natural gas a fuel in municipal buses; the upgrading and relocation of secondary lead smelters; and air quality monitoring and analysis. 11
Shopping
Cairo’s most famous shopping venue is the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, a large open-air market located amid medieval ruins. Featured among its wares is the handiwork of local craftsmen working in gold, silver, copper, brass, ivory, and leather, as well as such items as carpets and perfumes. The Tentmakers’ Bazaar (Khiyamiyyah) in the old part of the city is known for its appliqué. In both the Khan al-Khalili and the myriad of other bazaars in the city, bargaining is a universal practice, for both tourists and locals alike. Other items available in the city’s bazaars and boutiques include handwoven rugs, ceramics, glassware, inlaid boxes, handwoven goods made from rattan and palm fiber, antiques, and a variety of clothing. A number of artisans sell high-quality crafts at their own shops or galleries.
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Cairo
The Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo’s most famous shopping venue, features handiwork, carpets, perfumes, fruits and grains. (Adam Woolfitt; Woodfin Camp)
12
Education
Primary education is free and compulsory in Cairo, as elsewhere in Egypt, and university tuition has been free since 1962. In the 1990s, Egypt’s first lady, Suzanne Mubarak, spearheaded a program to improve literacy that included the creation of new public libraries; the “Reading for All” program to make inexpensive juvenile books
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available to children throughout the country; and a series of international book fairs. The Children’s Cultural Center was officially opened by Mrs. Mubarak in Heliopolis in 1997. Founded in the tenth century, AlAzhar University, the premier center of religious instruction in the Islamic world, is said to be the oldest continuously operating university in the world.
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Cairo
Al-Azhar University is said to be the world’s oldest operating university. Post-secondary education has been free in Egypt since 1962. (Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp)
Cairo University, founded in 1908, produces the country’s largest number of college graduates and college-educated professionals. It has about 155,000 students and 3,158 faculty members, operates some 100 research institutes and offers programs in agriculture, medicine, nursing, economics, political science, the arts, and other fields. Most facilities of the university’s main campus are located to the southeast of downtown Cairo, and it operates branches in Al Fayyum and Bani Suwayf, as well as Khartoum (Sudan).
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Cairo’s third major institution of higher learning is Ain Shams University. Located in the heart of the city, it enrolls approximately 100,000 undergraduates and 30,000 graduate students and has a faculty of 3,700. 13
Health Care
Cairo is Egypt’s major center for health care. It has the greatest concentration of medical facilities in the country, including government hospitals, such as Qasr al-Ayni and Dimardash; smaller private hospitals, such as the
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Cairo Anglo-American Hospital; and facilities affiliated with university medical programs. There are also hospitals and clinics for the treatment of specific types of problems, including several that specialize in eye disorders. 14
Media
Cairo is the only city in Egypt with daily newspapers, of which it has four (all distributed nationally). The oldest and best known is Al-Ahram, founded in 1876 in Alexandria. Others include Al-Alam al-Yom, a newer and livelier paper with a strong business focus, and a local edition of the Arabic world daily, Al-Hayat. Daily newspapers are also published in English (The Egyptian Gazette) and French (Le Progrès Egyptien and Le Journal d’Égypte). Two Englishlanguage weeklies also appear: AlAhram Weekly and Middle East Times. A monthly magazine, Egypt Today, features general-interest articles and events listings and is affiliated with two other monthlies, Sports & Fitness and Business Today. Three government-operated television stations broadcast in Arabic and are supplemented by at least a halfdozen private stations, and satellite and cable TV are also available at some locations. Both AM and FM radio stations are in operation throughout the week. 15
Sports
Soccer is Cairo’s (and Egypt’s) most popular sport, boasting players of international stature. Matches are played every weekend to sell-out crowds, and
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the city’s residents eagerly follow games by its two leading teams, Zamalek and Ahli. The soccer season runs from September to May, and matches are held in Cairo Stadium. Horse racing can be seen at the Heliopolis Hippodrome. Every year the city hosts the Cairo Classic, a running and cycling event. 16
Parks and Recreation
The Zoological Garden (Hadiiqat al-Hayawaan), located in the southern suburb of Giza, is over 100 years old. When it was founded in 1891, it contained the private menagerie of Egyptian ruler Khedive Ismail, and for years it was one of the world’s premier zoos. Although the zoological garden no longer serves as a noteworthy botanical or zoological attraction, it remains a popular recreation area for local residents, who use it for sports, picnics, and other activities. There are several parks, as well as sporting clubs, located in the southern part of the island of Gazirah, whose northern section is occupied by the suburb of Zamalek. With their warm climate, Cairo residents enjoy spending their leisure time in outdoor activities, from strolling and window shopping to swimming and picnicking in open areas surrounding the city. The best venues for participant sports are the city’s exclusive sports clubs, made up of middle- and upperclass Cairenes. The most prestigious is the Gazirah Sporting club, which offers facilities for basketball, squash, and ten-
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Cairo nis, as well as a golf course, two swimming pools, a running track, and a croquet lawn. Skeet shooting is offered at the neighboring Shooting Club in Dokki. Cairo also has a rugby club, yacht clubs, and a diving club. 17
Performing Arts
The new Cairo Opera House (National Cultural Centre), rebuilt in the 1980s after the nineteenth-century original was destroyed by fire in 1971, is the city’s principal performing-arts venue. The Cairo Opera House presents touring theater and ballet troupes and musical groups, as well as local performers, including the Cairo Opera Ballet Company and the Cairo Orchestra. Located in the parklike setting of the Gazirah Exhibition Grounds on the island of Gazirah, the opera house complex includes an open-air theater and amphitheater, as well as two indoor halls (a main one and a smaller one). A newer facility, the 2,500-seat Cairo International Conference Centre in the suburb of Madinat Nasr, was a gift from the Chinese in 1991. It opened the following year with a performance by the Grigorovich Ballet of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre. Popular performance sites in Islamic Cairo, especially during the holiday period of Ramadan, are the House of Zeinab Khatoun and the Al-Ghouri complex. Plays and recitals are also presented at the Ewart Hall and Wallace Theater on the campus of American University in Cairo.
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Cairo is a center of legitimate Arabic theater, although performances are subject to government censorship. Both ballet and modern dance are exceptionally popular in Cairo, whose ballet company (the Cairo Ballet) was founded in 1960 with help from the Soviet Union, which sent its own dance teachers to help train the members of the company. However with the expulsion of Soviet advisers from Egypt in 1972, the Russian presence at the ballet ended. The quality of the troupe is subsequently said to have declined, and in 1991 it was bolstered by the addition of dancers from Russia and Italy. Cairo is the film capital of the Arabic world, although its film industry has declined since its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, thanks to strict censorship and economic factors. However, Cairo’s residents are avid filmgoers and flock to both Egyptian and foreign movies. The Cairo Puppet Theater performs at the Ezbekiyya Gardens north of Ataba from October through May. 18
Libraries and Museums
The Greater Cairo Library, housed in a restored villa in Zamalek, is over 100 years old. Its holdings include books in Arabic, German, French, and English. A research library, its collection contains only non-circulating items, but its operating hours are extensive. It has good collections in the areas of art and science, as well as international periodicals. Included in its map collec-
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Cairo grams for children and has a high-tech multimedia auditorium. The newer El Mustaqbal Library has only non-circulating materials. English-language books are available in libraries at the British Council and the American Cultural Centre. Cairo University has a central library, additional libraries for various disciplines, and some 100 scientific research centers.
Tutankhamun’s (d. c. 1340 B.C.) death mask, along with his tomb and other artifacts are on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (GN/Mairani; Woodfin Camp)
tion are hand-drawn maps of Cairo dating back to 1480. The Mubarak Library is located in Giza. Opened in 1995, it provides a popular library of circulating materials, with a large collection of books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, cassettes, and videos. Special services include story hours and puppet shows for preschoolers. There are also two libraries in the suburb of Heliopolis. The older Heliopolis Public Library offers organized pro-
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Cairo’s cultural legacy is evident in its rich and varied museum collections. The Egyptian Museum at Maydan Tahrir houses the city’s premier collection of over 100,000 artifacts from nearly every period of Egyptian history. The museum’s neoclassical building, which dates from 1902, has received updated security and lighting following a daring 1996 robbery attempt, and there has long been talk of building a new facility that can more adequately house the museum’s voluminous holdings. Among these holdings are the treasures of Tutankhamun (d. c. 1340 B.C.), a royal mummy room, artifacts from the Old and Middle kingdoms, jewelry rooms, and animal mummies. The Coptic Museum, located in Misr al-Qadimah, displays items from the pre-Islamic period, including textiles, stones, and religious icons. A church on the museum grounds, popularly known as the Hanging Church, is said to date back to the fourth century A.D. and is thought to be the earliest place of Christian worship in Cairo. The renovated Museum of Islamic Art, in Bab Zuweyla, houses brass, wood, glass, inlaid items, textiles, carpets, and fountains from the Mamluk and Ottoman
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Cairo tral to the local economy. Roughly onethird of Egypt’s hotels (including three Hilton hotels) are located in the city, and souvenir shops and restaurants cater to travelers and locals alike. In the 1990s, Egypt’s $4.1 billion dollar per year tourist industry was threatened by terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists seeking to overthrow the secular government of Hosni Mubarak. In 1996 terrorists killed 18 members of a Greek tour group as they left a hotel on the outskirts of the city, bound for the Pyramids. The following year, nine German tourists were killed in an assault on a tour bus in front of the Egyptian Museum. In 1996, visitors to Egypt numbered 3,895,942. Tourists can find the Giza Pyramids grazing the skyline in the outskirts of the city. (Barry Iverson; Woodfin Camp)
eras, as well as Mamluk Korans and illuminated manuscripts. Other museums in Cairo include the War Museum, the Egyptian National Railways Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and National Military Museum, as well as a post office Museum, an agricultural museum, and a carriage museum. 19
To u r i s m
Popular for its warm climate and famous as the home of King Tutankhamun's treasures, Cairo is Egypt’s most popular tourist city, and tourism is cen-
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20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY New Year’s Day Cairo Book Fair
APRIL Sinai Liberation Day Images Festival of Independent Film and Video
MAY May Day
JULY Revolution Day
SEPTEMBER Experimental Theatre Festival
OCTOBER National Day Pharaohs’ Rally
NOVEMBER Arabic Music Festival
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Cairo DECEMBER Cairo International Film Festival
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Famous Citizens
Auguste Mariette (1821–1881), Frenchborn archaeologist. Saad Zaghlul (1857–1927), early nationalist leader. Taha Husayn (1889–1973), controversial historian. Naguib Mahfouz (b. 1911), Nobel Prizewinning novelist.
Embassy of the United States of America 5 Latin America Street Garden City Cairo, Egypt
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Egyptian Ministry of Tourism Misr Travel Tower Abbassia Square Cairo, Egypt Tourist Friends Association 33 Qasr el-Nil, 9th Floor Cairo, Egypt
Publications
Abbas al-Aqqad (1889–1964), poet.
Al Ahram Sharia al-Galaa Post No.11511 Cairo, Egypt
Tawfiq al-Hakim (1898–1987), playwright and leading figure in modern Egyptian literature.
Al Hayat 1 Latin America St. Garden City Cairo, Egypt
Yusuf Idris (1927–1991), groundbreaking playwright and short-story writer.
Egyptian Gazette 24-26 Sharia Zakaria Ahmed St. Al Tahir Cairo, Egypt
King Faruk (1920–1965), Egypt’s last ruling monarch.
Books
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For Further Study
Websites Egypt World Wide Web Index. [Online] Available http://www.pharos.bu.edu/Egypt/ Home.html (accessed October 7, 1999). Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. [Online] Available http://interoz.com/Egypt (accessed October 7, 1999). Middle East Times. [Online] Available http:// www.metimes.com (accessed October 7, 1999).
Government Offices Cairo Chamber of Commerce 4 Maydan Falaki Bab al-Luq Cairo, Egypt
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Abu Lughod, Janet. Cairo: 1001 Years of the City Victorious. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1971. Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P. The Beauty of Cairo: A Historical Guide to the Chief Islamic and Coptic Monuments. London: East-West Publications, 1981. Gaston, Wiet. Cairo: City of Art and Commerce. Trans. Seymour Feiler. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. Ghosh, Amitav. In an Antique Land. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. Raafat, Samir. Maadi 1904–1962: Society and History in a Cairo Suburb. Cairo: Palm Press, 1994. Roberts, Paul William. River in the Desert: Modern Travels in Ancient Egypt. New York: Random House, 1993. Rodenbeck, Max. Cairo: The City Victorious. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. Stewart, Desmond. Cairo: 5500 Years. New York: Crowell, 1968.
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Cairo Wikan, Unni. Tomorrow, God-willing: Self-made Destinies in Cairo. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Williams, Caroline. Islamic Monuments in Cairo: A Practical Guide. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 1993.
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Videorecordings Egypt 1 [videorecording] : Cairo & the Pyramids. Derry, NH: Chip Taylor Communications, 1991. 1 videocassette (16 min.): sd., col.; 1/2 in. “Exploring the World” series. Travel magazine.
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Caracas Caracas, Venezuela, South America Founded: July 25, 1567 Location: North-central Venezuela, South America Flag: Coat of arms on a deep red field. Time Zone: 8 AM = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: 80% mestizos (of mixed European, Indian and African ancestry), 20% white, 8% black, and 2% Indian Latitude and Longitude: 10° 30’N, 66° 56’W Coastline: On the coast, approximately 25 km from the port of La Guaira Climate: Subtropical Annual Mean Temperature: From 10° to 25° C (50° to 70° F) Government: Federal Republic. Caracas is ruled as a federal district; it is the center of all government in Venezuela and hosts the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government. Weights and Measures: Metric system Monetary Units: The bolivar, a paper currency of 100 centimos Telephone Area Codes: 58 (Venezuela country code); 02 (Caracas city code) Postal Codes: None
1
Introduction
Located in the central north region of Venezuela, Caracas is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city with a fast-growing population. The words of Simón Bolívar, liberator of the country, after the 1812 earthquake, appropriately describe the plight of this Venezuelan capital: “If nature opposes us, we will fight against it and force it to obey.” When Diego de Losada founded the city, he believed he had found the ideal location—a city in a valley with agricultural potential, warm days, cool nights, and proximity to a port. He could not have imagined the incredible growth the city has experienced in the last few decades. Modern-day Caracas is indeed a city in a
valley, but one that is surrounded by shantytowns covering the hillsides in every direction. It is a city continually fighting pollution, traffic, and crime spurred by urbanization and mismanagement. Despite its problems, Caracas’s traditional charm, coupled with its reputation as one of Latin America’s most modern capitals, has for years drawn visitors from all over the world to its wonderful restaurants, museums, and nightlife. 2
Getting There
Most people entering Venezuela do so via Caracas.
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Caracas
Caracas Population Profile Population: 3,153,000 Area: 1,930 sq km (740 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 80% mestizos (of mixed European, Indian and African ancestry); 20% white, 8% black, and 2% Indian World population rank1: 92 Percentage of national population2: 13.1% Average yearly growth rate: 1.0% Nicknames: The City of Eternal Spring ——— 1. The Caracas metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of Venezuela’s total population living in the Caracas metropolitan area.
Bus Few foreigners arrive in Caracas by bus, but buses run daily from most Venezuelan cities and cover the entire country. The inexpensive buses arrive at the noisy, dirty and dangerous terminal of Nuevo Circo, located in the Caracas city center. Airports The Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía is located near the port of La Guiara on the Caribbean coast, approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Caracas city center. A highway connects the airport with the city. The airport has two terminals: one for national flights (daily to Maracaibo, Mérida, and other major Venezuelan cities), and another for international flights. There are daily flights from Miami (approximately a two-and-a-
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half-hour flight) and New York (approximately a six-and-a-half-hour flight) and many major European cities. The most common U.S. airline with the most routes to Caracas is American Airlines, and the Venezuelan national airlines of Avensa and Aeropostal also offer direct service from Miami. The Maiquetía airport also offers service to most Latin American capitals. There is a frequent bus service from the airport to the city center; travelers may also take taxis or arrange for hotel pick-ups. Shipping The port of La Guiara is one of the busiest ports in the country, but passenger service is not available. However, several Caribbean cruise lines do make common one-day stops in the Caracas area. 3
Getting Around
Bus and Commuter Rail Service The French-built Caracas metro, completed in 1983, is clean, efficient, and safe. It is by far the best way to get around the city and is organized into two lines. Line 1 travels east-west, and Line 2 travels from the city center southwest toward the zoo and the suburb of Caricuao. A Metrobus is also available for the suburbs not covered by the metro lines. The metro is open from 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM, and fare is typically a maximum of 50 cents (in US currency). For routes not covered by the metro, the Caracas bus network is
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Caracas
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Caracas extensive in the city and surrounding areas. Most buses in the city are smaller buses, known as carritos. Inexpensive though they may be, the buses are often a difficult way to travel as they are overcrowded and frequently get caught in daily traffic jams, making them a slow means of transport. Sightseeing The city offers a variety of good museums, excellent restaurants, and a lively night life. Sightseers may begin their tour of the city at Plaza Bolivar, the heart of the city center. The Catedral, Palacio de Gobierno and Palacio Municipal are located on the sides of the plaza. In the city center is the Capitolio Nacional and the Casa Natal de Bolívar, where the famous liberator Simón Bolívar was born. 4
People
Caracas is a city of migrants and immigrants from all over the world; its people are mestizos, coupled with immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and many Latin American countries. The breakdown of the Venezuelan population is approximately 80 percent mestizos (of mixed European, Indian and African ancestry), 20 percent white, eight percent black, and two percent Indian. Caraqueños (the people of Caracas) reflect the same breakdown and are proud of their modern, cosmopolitan city. They too reflect the sophistication and modernity for which their city is known. Since Caracas is the business and political capital of the country, people generally dress up more than in
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the smaller cities. The people of Caracas also present contrasting images—while on one hand the city is full of many (often wealthy) professionals, it is a also a city surrounded by slums and a poverty-stricken, struggling lower class. Many rural people emigrate here for work, and the class differences of rich and poor are clear to most visitors upon looking up the hillsides at the slums that occupy them. 5
Neighborhoods
Caracas covers 20 kilometers (12 miles) along the valley in an east-west direction. The city center is made up of skyscrapers from the neighborhoods of El Silencio to Chacao, areas crammed with banks, offices, shops, restaurants, and public buildings. The historic quarter is west of the city center, and to the east the district Los Caobos is known for its museums. The Sabana Grande neighborhood is a pedestrian mall, filled with shops and restaurants. To the east of the city center are the commercial districts of Chacao and Chacaíto. South of these areas lie El Rosal and Las Mercedes with many well-known restaurants. The wealthy residential neighborhoods are the Caracas Country Club and Altamira, located to the north. The Parque Nacional El Ávila to the north is uninhabited. Because it did not have the riches or sophisticated native populations of other Latin American countries, Caraqueños did not have strong ties to the old colonial buildings and way of life. They actually embraced modernity,
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Caracas
City Fact Comparison Caracas (Venezuela)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
3,153,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
25 July 1567
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$164
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$71
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$18
$14
$15
$16
$253
$173
$246
$207
16
13
20
11
Meridiano
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
300,000
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1969
1944
1976
1948
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established 1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
much more so than their counterparts across the continent. Therefore, colonial Caracas exists only in a small area of town around the deteriorating La Pastora neighborhood and Plaza Bolivar, downtown in the city center. 6
History
Discovered by Francisco Fajardo from the nearby Margarita Island in 1560, the valley that is now Caracas was originally inhabited by the fierce Toromaima Indian tribe. Fajardo founded the first settlement, named San Francisco, and began his subsequent attempts to drive out the indige-
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nous population. The native peoples prevailed; however, in 1561 the founder of the Venezuelan city of Mérida, Juan Rodríguez Suárez, revived the city, after the indigenous tribes had destroyed it, and named it Villa de San Francisco. In 1567, the governor of the province of Venezuela ordered a complete conquest of the valley, and Captain Diego de Losada finally defeated the tribe and re-established the settlement on July 25 of the same year under the name Santiago de León de Caracas. In 1577, the governor Juan de Pimentel nominated the town to become the administrative center of the Province of
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Caracas
Caracas is nestled in a valley of the foothills of the Andes Mountains. (Gary Braasch; Woodfin Camp)
Venezuela; thus, Caracas became the third and final capital of Venezuela. In 1578, 60 families lived in the 25-block city. Caracas was never a popular city— it lacked the gold and riches of other cities in Peru and Mexico and was well known for pirate attacks, plagues, and other catastrophes. In 1595, the first pirate attack burned the city to the ground, and after persistent reconstruction, it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1641 that claimed the lives of approximately 500 citizens. Things improved in the eighteenth century: the Universidad Real y Pontificia de Caracas (now called the Univer-
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sidad Central de Venezuela) was founded in 1725. In 1728, the trading company Real Compañía Guipuzcoana, made up of 700 captains and merchants from the Basque region of Spain, was established. The trading company dominated trade between Spain and the colony and made significant economic contributions to Caracas, though many of its citizens complained of corruption. It was no surprise then when, in 1749, Juan Francisco de León began a riot against the company that would become known as the first open protest to lead into the independence movement. Francisco de
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Caracas Miranda (b. 1750) is largely credited for paving the way to the independence movement, and Simón Bolívar (1783– 1830) for actually achieving it. However, the independence struggle was not easy. In 1810, a group of Caraqueños formed a coup to take over the government, denouncing the Spanish governor’s authority. The clash continued until July 5, 1811, when Venezuela finally declared its independence from Spain. Although independence was won, struggles of a different sort continued. In 1812, an earthquake struck and killed 10,000 people—destroying much of the city. The church took the opportunity to claim the disaster as a punishment from God for rebelling against the Spanish Crown. Simón Bolívar’s victory at the Battle of Carabobo in 1821 again established the independence of Venezuela, though Spain did not recognize it as a country until 1845. In the first part of the twenieth century, Caracas grew modestly and was not known for much. It was not until oil was discovered in the Maracaibo basin in 1914, and the oil boom of the 1970s hit, that the population of Caracas exploded—going from 350,000 in 1950 to five or six million today. Thanks to the oil money, Caracas became a modern, booming capital. Though remnants of the old colonial town are difficult to imagine (most colonial buildings were destroyed during modernization), its architecture is well known on the continent, and skyscrapers abound.
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Venezuela has one of the oldest democracies in South America. Here, school children march on the National Capital during “a week of our own rights.” (Gary Braasch; Woodfin Camp)
7
Government
Venezuela has one of the longestrunning democracies in Latin America. It is a federal republic with a National Congress. It recently passed a new Constitution that dissolved the traditional two-house Congress into one and made provisions to allow two consecutive
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Caracas terms for the president. Venezuela’s government has survived numerous coup attempts, including the 1992 golpe de estado led by now-President Hugo Chávez. Chávez is the first president of late who is not of one of the traditional Venezuelan parties: Acción Democrática and the Social Christian COPEI. During the coup attempt in 1992, more than 20 lives were lost in Caracas. The federal district of Caracas is the center of all government and houses the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government. It is ruled as a federal district. 8
Public Safety
Caracas is an increasingly dangerous city, largely because of the incredible growth of its poor neighborhoods and the many citizens who live below the poverty level. The unstable economy and political situation are blamed for the growing disparity between rich and poor. Though most violent crimes occur in the poor neighborhoods, they have also spread to the wealthier areas. The historic quarter is dangerous after dark, and visitors and citizens alike are advised not to carry expensive jewelry, watches, or cameras. Armed robberies do occur. People who drive cars are continually advised to lock their car doors as car-jackings are fairly common occurrences. 9
Economy
Venezuela’s economy is almost exclusively based on oil. Discovered in 1914, oil turned Venezuela into one of
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Latin America’s richest countries, and it still accounts for more than 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The big oil boom came during the 1970s, transforming the country virtually overnight. Though the main oil deposits are located in the Maracaibo basin, Caracas has benefited tremendously from the revenue generated from oil; its modern architecture and its status as the center of political, scientific, and cultural Venezuela is due largely to oil revenue. Caracas is the main business center in the country, as well as the center of all business sectors—agriculture, oil, electricity—even though most of the resources come from different parts of the country. The recent transfer of power in the country’s largest oil company has added to the economic uncertainty of the oilproducing nation, and economists are watching the markets, business sector, and political situation in Caracas closely. 10
Environment
Venezuela offers a variety of natural habitats: from the Amazon Rain Forest to the plains of Coro (los llanos), from the idyllic beaches on the islands to the Andes mountains, and from Angel Falls to the cities. Caracas has been blessed with an ideal location in a valley, warm days and cool nights, and proximity to the beaches. The Guiare River flows through the city (though difficult to see through the skyscrapers). Though its lush surroundings, good climate, and palm trees make it beautiful, Caracas suffers from severe environ-
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Caracas
Caracas’s modern architecture and it’s status as the center of political, scientific, and cultural Venezuela is due largely to oil revenue. (Mireille Vautier; Woodfin Camp)
mental problems that are worsening because of rapid urbanization. The city in the valley is surrounded by hillsides that are covered in rachos, makeshift housing and slums where poverty, crime, and desperation prevail. Caraqueños’ reputation for loving their cars is also catching up with them. Traffic and pollution are at all-time highs, and government plans to help quell them have thus far been unsuccessful. Caraqueños and other Venezuelans are feeling the pain of environmental
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degradation more than ever. In December 1999, excessive rains caused devastating flooding across the northern coast of Venezuela. The area around Caracas was devastated, and between 30,000 and 50,000 people perished; the exact figure is still unknown. Many environmental experts are particularly concerned because the rapid deforestation of the mountains around the Caracas valley resulted in the earth being incapable of absorbing the rainwater. Further, much of the makeshift housing that was unregulated by the government simply could not withstand the
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Caracas rains. Looking to the future, the government will likely have to develop more successful measures of protecting the environment of Caracas, as well as its citizens. 11
Shopping
Shoppers will be delighted in Caracas only if they are not expecting the large, inexpensive Indian markets typical of many Latin American cities. The well-known Sabana Grande, a one-mile boulevard where no cars are allowed, extends beyond Plaza Venezuela. It is known for its upscale boutiques, shoe stores, perfume shops, and bookstores. The many outdoor cafes also give Sabana Grande a European feel. This is not a typical Latin American market place with inexpensive handicrafts; it is the typical Caracas-sophisticated and trendy shopping experience. The Artesanía Venezolana store is well known for its excellent selection of local handicrafts. The Central Comercial Ciudad Tamanaco (CCCT) is the continent’s largest shopping mall and has one of Caracas’s best collections of boutiques. This mall also includes bistros and movie theaters. The older shopping mall of Paseo Las Mercedes, located in the wealthy Las Mercedes neighborhood, has a variety of stores and an excellent bookstore. For those desiring the more traditional markets, Caracas is not the best city, but there are still several. The Mercado Coche, near the Nuevo Circo bus terminal is the most centrally located.
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The Mercado Guiacaipuro is more colorful and located on Avenida Andrés Bello. The flea market of Mercado de la Pulgas is open weekends in the parking lot of the Universidad Central de Venezuela’s baseball stadium. Finally, the Mercado Chino is a unique market that attracts Chinese who come to buy and sell Chinese vegetables and other food not available elsewhere. It is located near the metro stop Chacaíto. 12
Education
The Venezuelan educational system improved with the oil boom of the 1970s. Today there is a compulsory (required) six-year primary education, and the literacy rate is 91 percent. This high rate is due to the economic prosperity provided by the oil industry. However, since the more difficult economic situation of the 1980s and 1990s, cuts in education have affected many schools. In Caracas, like other Venezuelan cities, children may go to private primary (compulsory), secondary, and professional schools. Public schools in Caracas tend to be less well kept and supplied than the private, tuition based schools. In order to continue after bachiller, or high school, students must achieve certain scores on collegeentrance exams. Once passing, they may attend any of the public or private institutions across the country. Caracas hosts the country’s largest and oldest university. The Universidad Central de Caracas was founded in 1785 and has approximately 70,000 students. It offers
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Caracas a variety of disciplines, including medicine, law, journalism, and engineering. Another large university located in Caracas is the private Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, named after the famous educator of liberator Simón Bolívar. 13
Health Care
Caracas has the typical private and public health care system of the rest of the country. There are many farmacias (pharmacies) across the city, and in most neighborhoods there is one that is de turno, or open late into the night. Most medicines are available over the counter. There are several private clinics and hospitals available to visitors in Caracas and though sanitary conditions are better than many Latin American countries, they are not what many Westerners are used to in the United States or Europe. It is generally safe to drink the water out of the faucet in Caracas, but it is not recommended to eat at the many outside food stands, and it is recommended to avoid salads and uncooked meats. 14
Media
Caracas has two of the best and largest newspapers in Venezuela. El Universal and El Nacional are both sold countrywide and cover national and international topics, business and economics, culture, and sports. The Daily Journal is an English-language newspaper published in Caracas that also covers national and international affairs and society and culture. Most of the almost 20 radio stations in the city
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cover imported pop and rock music, but several also cover classical and jazz, the best of which is La Emisora Cultural on 97.7 FM. There are three private television stations (Radio Caracas la Televisión, Venevisión, and Televén) and one public station (Venezolana de Televisión) that are run out of Caracas and broadcast countrywide. They all feature the general film, music, sports, and cultural programming. Telenovelas, or soap operas, dominate prime-time programming; Venezuela is famous for its telenovelas, which are popular all over Latin America. 15
Sports
Locally called béisbol, baseball is the sport of choice for Venezuelans, including the Caraqueños. Two of the national teams are from Caracas: the Leones and Tiburones. Visitors to the city from mid-October to January will find it easy to get tickets to see one of the local teams play. Many Caraqueños also enjoy spending a day at the local horse track of La Rinconada. The track was once considered one of the best in Latin America, and though cutbacks have decreased its notoriety, it is a good, large track with stables for 2,000 horses and seats for 48,000 fans. 16
Parks and Recreation
Parque del Este (at Parque del Este metro stop) is the largest city park, and its cactus garden is a good place for walks. One of the city’s two zoos, the Parque Zoológico El Pinar is located in
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Caracas the southwestern part of the city. Also located in the southwestern part of the city, the bigger and better Parque Zoológico de Caricuao is more recommended and has hundreds of animals in their native habitats. East of Parque Central (located in the heart of the city), visitors may find the Parque Los Caobos, named so because of its many mahogany trees. This is where bicyclers, mimes and puppeteers, and families gather throughout the week. The Jardín Botánico is a nice relaxing place to rest amidst tropical trees and flowers, though its proximity to the highway can make it a bit noisy. Finally, the Avila National Park is located on top of Mount Avila on the city’s north side, but it can be difficult to reach. 17
Performing Arts
Caracas has its share of good theaters; most are open Wednesday through Sunday though some only offer performances on weekends. The Ateneo theater is known to have interesting performances and houses Rajatabla, one of the country’s well-known theater groups. Every April, Caracas hosts an International Theater Festival, which is an excellent choice for visitors wishing to see some of Latin America’s best theater. The Complejo Cultural Teresa Carreño hosts many concerts and ballets and attracts foreign performers as well as locals. The Aula Magna in the Universidad Central de Venezuela is a recommended performing arts hall with excellent acoustics. This is where the Symphony Orchestra of Caracas performs (usually on Sundays) and
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where many cultural activities are also performed. For filmgoers, Caracas also has more than 50 cinema theaters, but productions tend to be the imports from the United States. 18
Libraries and Museums
Caracas has the best museums in Venezuela, several of which are well known on the continent. The Galería de Arte Nacional is located opposite Museum de Ciencias Naturales (natural science) and displays 400 works of art from four centuries of Venezuela’s disciplines. The Museo de Bellas Artes is located next to it and features temporary exhibitions. A well-known Venezuelan architect, Carlos Raúl Villanueva, designed both. The Museo Criollo is on the ground floor of the Palacio Municipal (across from Plaza Bolivar in the city center) and houses items related to the city’s history and works of local artist Raúl Santana. The Museo Bolivariano, just south of Plaza Bolívar, is located in a colonial house, and it hosts independence documents, weapons, and several portraits of liberator Bolivar. The Museo Fundación John Boulton is in the same area in Torre El Chorro on the eleventh floor. This museum has a collection of historic objects collected by the Bolivar family, including colonial furniture and Bolivar memorabilia. In the suburb of San Bernardino in the colonial mansion of Quinta de Anauco, visitors will find well-recommended Museo de Arte Colonial, which
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Caracas has a variety of works of art and furniture and offers tours in English. The lovely environment is a restored coffee hacienda and contains slave quarters now dedicated to a library on colonial art and history. In the modern heart of the city, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo is located in Parque Central. This museum of contemporary art is the best of its kind in the country and also said by many to be the best on the continent. In its 16 halls, famous Venezuelan artists, such as Armando Reverón, Francisco Narváez, Jacobo Borges, and Alejandro Otero, display their works. International artists on display include Chagall, Picasso, Leger, and Miró. The museum also features a collection of approximately 100 engravings by Picasso. Finally, the Museo de los Niños (Children’s Museum) is also located in Parque Central and provides interesting visits for kids and adults alike. 19
To u r i s m
Caracas is no stranger to tourism. As the gateway to the continent, the capital city draws tourists heading to Venezuela’s idyllic beaches, to the forests and waterfalls of Parque Nacional de Canaima, as well as many business travelers. There are several tourist offices available throughout the city. The city offers tourists a variety of good museums, excellent restaurants, and a lively night life. Visitors may begin the tour of the city at Plaza Bolivar, the heart of the city center. The Catedral, Palacio de Gobierno and Palacio Municipal are
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Visitors may start their tour of Caracas in Plaza Bolivar, the heart of the city center. (Gary Braasch; Woodfin Camp)
located on the sides of the plaza. In the city center, one may also find the Capitolio Nacional and the Casa Natal de Bolívar, where the famous liberator Simón Bolívar was born. (See also Libraries and Museums above). 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY New Year’s Day
FEBRUARY-MARCH Carnaval (the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
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Caracas MARCH-APRIL
Government Offices
Semana Santa Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
United States Embassy in Venezuela Avenida Francisco de Miranda, La Floresta Caracas (58 02) 285–2222
APRIL Declaration of Independence Festival Internacional de Teatro (even years)
MAY Labor Day Vélorio de Cruz de Mayo
Tourist and Convention Bureaus
JUNE Battle of Carabobo
JULY Independence Day Bolivar’s birthday
OCTOBER Discovery of America
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Embassy of Venezuela-United States 1099 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 342–2214
Famous Citizens
Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), Caracas’s most famous citizen, known as “El Libertador,” the liberator of what is today Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Francisco Miranda (b. 1750), largely credited for paving the way to the independence movement, the mentor under whom Simón Bolívar began his military career.
Corporación de Turismo (Corporturismo) Torre Oeste, Parque Central Piso 37 Caracas (58 02) 507–8815/507–8829 Fairmont International Plaza Venezuela, Sabana Grande Caracas (58 02) 782–8433/781–7091 South American Explorers Club 126 Indian Creek Road Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 277–0488 Venezuelan Tourist Association (VTA) PO Box 3010 Sausalito, VA 94966 (415) 332–2720
Publications El Universal (newspaper) El Nacional (newspaper) The Daily Journal (English-language newspaper)
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For Further Study
Websites CIA World Factbook. [Online] Available http:// www.cia.gov/publications/factbook/ country.html (Accessed January 10, 2000.) Library of Congress Country Study-Venezuela. [Online] Available http://www.llcweb2.gov (Accessed January 10, 2000.) Lonely Planet Guides. [Online] Available http:// www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/sam/ven.htm (Accessed January 10, 2000.)
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Dempsey, Mary; and Ann Kelosh. Insight Guides Venezuela. APA Publications, 1995. Fisher, Wenzel, and Willy Haas. Impressions of Venezuela. Caracas, Venezuela: Distribuidora Santiage C.A., 1992. Grayson, Richard. I Survived Caracas Traffic: Stories from the Me Decades. Avisson Press, Inc., 1996. Lombardi, John. Venezuela: the Search for Order, the Dream of Progress. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. Marquez, Patricia. The Street is My Home. Stanford University Press, 1999.
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Chicago Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, North America Founded: 1830; Incorporated: 1837 Location: Northeast Illinois, Lake Michigan coast, United States, North America Motto: “I will” in Latin Flag: Two blue stripes representing Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, and four sixpointed red stars representing events in Chicago history, all on a white field. Flower: Violet (state flower) Time Zone: 6 AM Central Standard Time (CST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 56.9%; Black 39.1% Elevation: 181 m (595 ft) Latitude and Longitude: 41º88'N, 87º65'W Coastline: 40 km (25 mi) Climate: Continental climate; cold winters, with heavy snowfall from cold fronts off Lake Michigan, and hot summers Annual Mean Temperature: 9.5ºC (49.2ºF); January -4.3ºC (24.3ºF); July 23.7ºC (74.7ºF) Seasonal Average Snowfall: 102 cm (40 in) Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 86 cm (34 in). Government: Mayor-council Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Units: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 312, 630, 708, 773, 847 Postal Codes: 60601-64
1
Introduction
Long the United States’s secondlargest city (now its third-largest), Chicago is the only Midwestern metropolis to rank with the great cities of the nation’s east and west coasts. Its nickname, “the Windy City,” though thought by many to refer to a climate influenced by the city’s location on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan, actually has its origin in the civic pride that has inspired its citizens to boastfulness for generations. The “City of Big Shoulders” and “Hog Butcher to the World”—in the words of poet Carl
Sandburg, one of its most famous sons—Chicago has undergone important changes in the latter half of the twentieth century, most notably its population shrinkage in the face of growing suburbanization. Nevertheless, the legendary city of skyscrapers— still home to the world’s tallest building—remains a vital commercial, intellectual, and cultural center. 2
Getting There
Chicago, the seat of Cook County, is located in northeastern Illinois, on the southeastern shore of Lake Michi-
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Chicago gan and at the junction of the lake and the Chicago River.
Chicago Population Profile
Highways Chicago is accessible by several interstate highways. The city is approached from the northwest by I-94, which merges with the John F. Kennedy Expressway and the Dan Ryan Expressway, traversing the city north-south before turning into the Calumet Expressway heading south out of (or into) the city. To the west, I-294 rings much of the Greater Chicago area, turning into the Tri-State Tollway further south and intersecting I-290, which runs east-west, becoming the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway into the heart of the city. I-55 leads to Chicago from the southwest, turning into the Adlai E. Stevenson Expressway.
City Proper Population: 2,732,000 Area: 591 sq km (228 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 56.9% white, 39.1% black, 3.7% Asian/Pacific Islander Nicknames: The Windy City, The Second City, The City of Broad Shoulders
Metropolitan Area Population: 6,945,000 Area: 13,118 sq km (5,065 sq mi) World population rank1: 29 Percentage of national population2: 2.5% Average yearly growth rate: 0.3% Ethnic composition: 76% white; 19.5% black; and 4.3% Asian/Pacific Islander ——— 1. The Chicago metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Bus and Railroad Service Chicago is an Amtrak hub, servicing travelers from the renovated Union Station. The Greyhound station, on West Harrison Street, is slightly to the southwest of downtown. Airports More than 66 million passengers a year arrive at and depart from O’Hare International Airport, on more than 880,000 flights annually. Located 27 kilometers (17 miles) outside downtown Chicago, O’Hare is said to be the busiest airport in the world. As a hub for both American and United Airlines, it offers nonstop service to most major destinations in the United States, and
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many foreign cities as well. Also servicing the Windy City is Midway Airport. Shipping Its central location and Great Lakes coastline have always made Chicago an important shipping center, especially since the 1959 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Some 750 motor freight carriers ship over 45 million metric tons (50 million tons) of ground freight to and from the city every year; another 36 million metric tons (40 million tons) are handled by rail. More than one million metric tons
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Chicago
(1.1 million tons) per year are shipped through Chicago’s airports. 3
Getting Around
Downtown Chicago is laid out in a grid pattern, with State Street (north-
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south) and Madison (east-west) as the main points of reference. Lake Shore Drive borders the Lake Michigan shoreline, and Grant Park extends along much of the coast. The Chicago River, running east-west, divides the North Side from the central Loop section, and
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Chicago the north and south branches of the river run northwest to south, further demarcating parts of the city. Bus and Commuter Rail Service The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) runs the city’s bus and rail service, offering access to both Chicago and its suburbs. The CTA operates over 1,000 rapid transit, or El, cars over five rail lines whose routes are designated by different colors. The CTA also operates numerous bus routes, with most buses running at intervals of every five to 20 minutes daily and many running at night. Sightseeing Several walking tours of downtown Chicago landmarks are available, including a taped, self-guided tour put together by the Chicago Office of Tourism. The Friends of the Chicago River offers walking tours along the river and boat cruises along the shoreline as well. Sightseeing tours of the downtown area are also offered on both regular and double-decker buses and open-air trolleys. In addition, a variety of tours and cruises on Lake Michigan are available. 4
People
Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, surpassed only by New York and Los Angeles. In 1990, the population of Chicago was 2,784,000, with the following racial composition: 56.9 percent white, 39.1 percent black, 3.7 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.3 percent American Indian.
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Hispanics (an ethnic rather than a racial designation) accounted for 19.6 percent of the population. The 1994 population estimate for Chicago was 2,732,000. The population of Chicago’s Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area was estimated at 7,773,896 as of 1997. The region’s racial composition was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1996 as 76 percent white; 19.5 percent black; and 4.3 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. 5
Neighborhoods
The heart of Chicago is the rectangular downtown section known as the Loop, extending southward from the Chicago River and east from its south branch, and encircled by the elevated train route with the same name. Although most of the retailers have departed from legendary State Street, the Loop is still a bustling commercial center filled with corporate and government offices. Its La Salle Street has been called “the Wall Street of the Midwest.” The South Side, the area south of the Loop, has seen considerable redevelopment. Today it is home to a number of communities, including Hyde Park, Morgan Park, and Beverly. The area to the west of the Loop has traditionally been an industrial district, although many of its businesses have relocated in recent times. It is also home to an Italian community and the site of the historic Hull House, where Nobel Prize winner Jane Addams ministered to the needs of the city’s workingclass poor at the turn of the century. The West Side Medical Center, with
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Chicago
City Fact Comparison Chicago (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
6,945,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1830
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$130
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$44
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$26
$14
$15
$16
$176
$173
$246
$207
5
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
Akhbar El Yom/ Chicago Tribune Al Akhbar 673,508
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1847
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
seven hospitals and two medical schools, is the largest medical complex in the world.
North Michigan Avenue, also known as the Magnificent Mile, home to pricey retailers, hotels, and restaurants.
Chicago’s North Side, to the north and northwest of the Chicago River, is a mostly residential area. The part nearest to the Loop has undergone a renaissance since the 1980s, as artists and other city trendsetters set up lofts in a former industrial and warehouse district that has drawn comparisons to New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Today known as River North, it has become an increasingly upscale locale of galleries, studios, and clubs. Another successfully redeveloped area north of the Loop is
A less heartening part of Chicago’s North Side is the Cabrini-Green public housing project to the northwest of the River North district. Further to the north of the city, beginning with the Mid-North Side to the west of shorefront Lincoln Park, are upscale residential neighborhoods, including Edgebrook and Sauganash. To the southeast is an industrial area traversed by the Chicago skyway. To the southwest are Bridgeport and Chinatown.
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Chicago Chicago is the center of an eightcounty metropolitan area extending about 65 kilometers (40 or so miles) from the city, to the north, west, and south. Its suburbs include such wealthy communities as Oak Park, Evanston, Skokie, and Lake Forest. Some nearby towns in Indiana, including Gary and Hammond, have also become de facto suburbs of Chicago. 6
History
The first Europeans to arrive at the site of present-day Chicago were French explorer Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette in 1673. Over a century later, in 1783, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable became the first permanent resident of European descent in the area when he established a fur-trading post there. Early in its history, the settlement endured the massacre of 53 Americans when 500 Potawatomi warriors stormed Fort Dearborn, which had been built to protect the settlers, during the War of 1812. (The fort was rebuilt by 1816.) The first major spur to the growth of the town was the building of the Illinois & Michigan Canal linking the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River basin. Planned in 1830, the canal wasn’t completed until 1848, although a speculative land boom was already underway in the 1830s, and the population surged upward. The city was incorporated and held its first mayoral election in 1837. By 1848, when the canal was completed, the first railroad arrived in the city, and Chicago became the rail hub
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of the growing nation and a marketing center for farm produce and livestock, as well as the center of the meatpacking industry and home to the country’s first financial exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade. By mid-century, the arrival of Irish, German, and Scandinavian immigrants was providing a labor force to spur the growth in industry, and the Irish established one of the city’s first ethnic communities in Bridgeport. The city’s population grew from 4,470 in 1840 to 28,000 in 1850, and then to 110,000 by the following decade. By 1890 it passed the one-million mark to become the nation’s second-largest metropolis after New York. In 1860 Chicago hosted the Republican Convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency, and the city played a vital role in the Civil War by serving as the primary supplier of beef to the Union soldiers. In the postwar era, Chicago became the country’s major lumber market as well as its grain-handling capital, as well as a manufacturing center for farm machinery. While the city’s upper classes enjoyed unprecedented wealth, its thousands of working-class residents suffered the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions common to the urban poor of the industrial age. Jane Addams’s Hull House became famous for its efforts to improve conditions for immigrant tenement dwellers on the city’s West Side. Eventually sanitary conditions became so lethal that the course of the Chicago River was reversed at the turn of the century to keep its sewageand industrial waste-laden waters from
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Chicago further polluting Lake Michigan and to end recurring outbreaks of waterborne infectious diseases. Although the Great Fire of October 8, 1871, devastated the city, killing between 250 and 300 people and destroying more than 17,000 buildings, Chicago’s economic base—its stockyards, freight yards, and industrial area—were spared, enabling the city to rebuild rapidly. Much of the city was restored within a year, and Chicago continued to grow. In 1893, in the face of a nationwide economic depression, the city hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, which attracted some 21 million visitors. The 1890s was also the decade when Chicago became famous as the home of a new form of architecture that was to transform America’s urban landscape—the skyscraper. During this period, the city’s wealth also financed the creation of major cultural institutions such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Art Institute. By the late nineteenth century, Chicago was already notorious for its political corruption, and reform efforts were implemented by the 1890s. However, the city reputation as the vice capital of the nation was renewed with the rise of mobsters Al Capone, John Dillinger, and their cohorts in the 1920s and 1930s. Chicagoans suffered keenly from the Great Depression but, like other areas of the country, recovered during World War II (1939–1945), becoming one of the nation’s top centers for defense-related production, as well as the site of its first controlled nuclear reaction, overseen by Enrico
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Fermi at the University of Chicago in 1942. A major development of the postwar era has been the suburbanization of the city, whose population, which accounted for roughly two-thirds of the metropolitan area in 1950, shrank to only one-third by 1990, and Los Angeles replaced Chicago as the nation’s second most populous city. Chicago’s racial balance has also changed during this period, with blacks becoming the major ethnic group in an increasingly segregated city, and suburban sprawl has replaced formerly populated areas in the heart of the city with teeming expressways. The first postwar decades were the Daley era (1955–1976), when Mayor Richard J. Daley oversaw a period of robust expansion and modernization that included the construction of O’Hare International Airport and the world’s tallest building, the Sears Tower. However, it was also during the Daley years that the disturbances at the 1968 Democratic convention etched themselves indelibly on the consciousness of the nation. Since then Chicago has had a woman mayor (Jane Byrne, 1979– 1983) and its first black mayor (Harold Washington, 1983–1987), as well as its first female black senator (Carol Moseley-Braun, 1992–). The Daley name regained its prominence in city politics in the 1990s with the election of Richard M. Daley to the post of mayor.
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Chicago 7
Government
Chicago’s municipal government operates under a 1971 charter, providing for a mayor-council form of government. The city’s mayor and the 50 alderman who make up the council are all elected for four-year terms. 8
Public Safety
The Chicago Police Department is the second-largest municipal police force in the United States. In 1997 the department employed 13,466 sworn officers, 2,060 civilian employees, as well as 1,000 crossing guards. In 1995, violent crimes reported to police (per 100,000 population) included 30 murders, 1,094 robberies, and 1,426 aggravated assaults. Property crimes totaled 7,198 and included 1,463 burglaries, 4,418 cases of larceny/theft, and 1,316 motor vehicle thefts. 9
Economy
Chicago has long been one of the country’s major manufacturing and distribution centers. Important manufacturing industries include steel, telecommunications equipment, automobile accessories, agricultural equipment, scientific instruments, diesel engines, consumer electronics, paint, and food products. The city’s central location, inland port, and rail accessibility made it a major market for Midwest farmers by the nineteenth century, and it remains a significant transport center today. Retailing is another dominant sector in the economy of Chicago, which is home to thousands of whole-
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salers and retailers, including such retail giants as Sears, Marshall Field, and Montgomery Ward. Home to the Midwest Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade (the nation’s oldest financial exchange), and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago is one of the top financial centers in the United States. Its LaSalle Street is considered the Wall Street of the Midwest. The city is also a publishing powerhouse, ranked second only to New York, and a leader in industrial research and biotechnology. Chicago’s largest employers include Jewel Food Stores, Motorola, Advocate Health Care, Ameritech, and First Chicago Corporation. 10
Environment
Two bodies of water have been central to the history and development of the city of Chicago—the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, the third largest of the Great Lakes and the only one completely within the United States. The southwestern shore borders an urban area that includes not only Chicago, but also Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Gary, Indiana. The concentration of industrialization has led to growing pollution problems. The Chicago River formerly flowed into Lake Michigan, but its course was reversed, because of pollution, in 1900. In the waning years of the twentieth century, significant efforts were made to clean up the river, which had suffered from the effects of unhampered industrialization since the nineteenth
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Chicago century. The Chicago River became a repository of refuse from the slaughterhouse industry and other forms of industrial pollution. By 1999, over 50 species of fish—including salmon, carp, and perch—returned to the river’s waters, and the Friends of the Chicago River began to lead walking tours along the riverfront. Encircling the city along its northern, western and southern boundaries, the Cook County Forest Preserves cover 66,746 acres, providing woodlands, open spaces, and recreational facilities. About five percent of the preserves belong to the Illinois Nature Preserve system, which protects the natural habitats of endangered species and other animals. 11
Shopping
Although many of the major retailers have left Chicago’s central Loop district, the city still offers abundant and varied shopping outlets. Today its premier shopping area is the “Magnificent Mile” on North Michigan Avenue, stretching north of the Chicago River to Oak Street. Its multi-story shopping complexes boast such top-notch department stores as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus, Lord & Taylor, and Marshall Field’s, as well as upscale retailers including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Cartier, Brooks Brothers, and Gucci. Further north is the ArmitageHalsted-Webster shopping area. In contrast to the exclusive shops found in these shopping districts, Chicago is also the home of the world’s largest whole-
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Chicago’s shopping districts range from exclusive fashion boutiques to stores such as Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest wholesale store. (Peter J. Schulz; City of Chicago)
sale store, Merchandise Mart on North Orleans Street. The waterfront North Pier Mall offers a shopping complex in a renovated warehouse. Another interesting shopping district is the Andersonville area on the North Side, whose specialty stores include a feminist bookstore (Women and Children First), an apothecary shop stocked with fragrances and other personal-care products, a store featuring American-made crafts, a Swedish bakery, and a canine deli bakery (Fido’s Food Fair).
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Chicago 12
Education
As of 1995, 84 percent of Chicago metropolitan area residents had completed high school; 31 percent of males and 26 percent of females had completed a bachelor’s degree. The Chicago Public Schools District, the state’s largest, operated 567 schools in the fall of 1996 when it enrolled 408,201 students. Close to 90 percent were minority students, mostly black (54 percent) and Hispanic (32 percent). The system employed 23,433 teachers, with a pupil/teacher ratio of 20 to one; support staff totaled 27,827. The school district has won national attention for its Stephen Decatur Classical School, an elementary school for gifted students, and also operates the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, which is located on a farm within the city boundaries. Chicago also has over 200 parochial schools and more than 100 secular private schools. The University of Chicago, founded in 1891 and endowed by John D. Rockefeller, has a national reputation for excellence, in both the sciences and the humanities. Its research facilities include the Enrico Fermi Institute and the Argonne National Laboratory. The University of Illinois at Chicago offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees to some 25,000 students. Chicago is also home to three Catholic universities: DePaul, Loyola, and Saint Xavier. The city has a variety of other institutions of higher learning, including Chicago City-Wide Colleges, Roosevelt University, the Illinois Insti-
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tute of Technology, the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, Vandercook College of Music, and the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. 13
Health Care
Chicago—the site of prime-time television’s most famous medical drama of the 1990s, ER—is also a top healthcare center in real life. The city has a total of more than 60 hospitals. Its University of Chicago Hospitals are renowned both for their treatment and research facilities. Among these facilities are Wyler Children’s Hospital, Chicago Lying-in Hospital, and Bernard Mitchell Hospital. In 1998 the hospital system logged 23,470 admissions and 428,396 outpatient visits and employed 1,593 people. Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center is affiliated with Rush Medical College and Rush School Nursing. The Chicago area’s major public health facility is Cook County Hospital. Other hospitals include Chicago Memorial Hospital, Edgewater Hospital, Grant Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Roseland Community Hospital, South Chicago Community hospital, and Weiss Memorial Hospital. 14
Media
Chicago has two major daily newspapers, both published in the morning—the Chicago Tribune (daily circulation 584,097, Sundays 1,019,458) and the Chicago Sun-Times (daily circulation 332,047, Sundays 411,334). The Chicago Daily Defender is
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Chicago a well-known daily newspaper serving the black community, and there are many more newspapers published for the city’s various racial and ethnic populations. Crain’s Chicago Business is produced by the Crain media chain; The Reader is an alternative weekly that circulates primarily on the North Side, and Streetwise is published for the benefit of Chicago’s homeless. Chicago Monthly magazine contains feature articles and dining and entertainment information, and the bimonthly Chicago Life also covers the metropolitan area. In addition to local publications, Chicago—as one of the country’s major publishing centers—is the source of hundreds of nationally distributed newspapers and magazines, including Ebony, American Libraries, and Jet, as well as a number of scholarly journals published at the University of Chicago. All the major television networks have affiliated stations in Chicago, which has a total of about 20 commercial, public television, and cable stations, as well as some 60 AM and FM radio stations. A major regional broadcast center, Chicago is also home to the Oprah Winfrey show and to Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions. 15
Sports
Chicago’s long history as an avid sports town had its nadir in baseball’s infamous “Black Sox” scandal of 1919, when members of the White Sox baseball team were bribed to lose the World
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Series championship, and its crowning glory in the 1990s, when superstar Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in eight years under the stewardship of coach Phil Jackson. Chicago is also home to two major-league baseball teams—the National League’s Chicago Cubs, who play at Wrigley Field, and the American League’s White Sox, whose home games take place at Comiskey Park. The Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) play at Soldier Field, and Chicago is also home to the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Horse racing takes place at Arlington International Racecourse, Balmoral Park Racetrack, Hawthorne Downs Racetrack, Maywood Park Racetrack, and other venues, and auto racing can be seen at the Santa Fe Speedway. 16
Parks and Recreation
Chicago has 2,954 hectares (7,300 acres) of parkland. Its largest and bestknown park is Grant Park, extending along Lake Michigan at the city’s eastern edge, and encompassing within its boundaries Soldier Field, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Field Museum of Natural History. The second-largest park is the 242-hectare (598-acre) lakefront Burnham Park. Of Chicago’s inland parks, the largest is Washington Park. Lincoln Park, on the North Side, extends from Lake Michigan to Clark Street.
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Chicago
Comiskey Park is the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League. (Javet M. Kimble; City of Chicago)
In addition to parks located within city limits, Chicagoans also enjoy the Cook County Forest Preserves that ring the city, offering open space, as well as 13 golf courses and driving ranges, swimming pools, bicycle paths, picnic areas, and over 30 fishing lakes and ponds. The Shedd Aquarium’s 170,000square-foot Oceanarium is the world’s largest indoor marine mammal exhibit. One of the last free zoos in the United States, the privately managed Lincoln Park Zoo houses over 1,000 animals and receives support from the Chicago Park District.
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Chicago has over 24 kilometers (15 miles) of swimming beaches and 29 kilometers (18 miles) of lakefront bicycle paths. Other popular participant sports include canoeing, fishing, golf, tennis, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and toboganning. 17
Performing Arts
Chicago is renowned for its theater tradition. Stage performances draw around three million attendees annually. Among the two best-known theatrical organizations in the city are the Goodman Theater, its oldest resident troupe; Steppenwolf Theater Company,
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Chicago associated with playwright David Mamet; and the famed improvisational group Second City, training ground for many talented comic performers who have since gone on to achieve nationwide success in film and television. Other theater groups include the Court Theatre, the Pegasus Players, Victory Gardens, and Wisdom Bridge. Touring performances of Broadway productions can be seen at the Schubert Theatre. The Chicago Symphony, one of the best in the nation, performs from fall through spring at Orchestra Hall on Michigan Avenue and at the Ravinia Festival on the North Shore in the summer months. Chicago has two opera companies, Lyric Opera of Chicago, which performs operas in their original languages with supertitles displayed above the stage, and Chicago Opera Theater, which performs in English. Chicago’s resident ballet troupe is Ballet Chicago, founded in 1988. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago stages contemporary dance performances. Known as “the Blues Capital of the World,” Chicago has been a prime venue for blues clubs and performers since the 1930s, and this tradition is vibrantly renewed every spring at the lakefront Chicago Blues Festival, which draws crowds of as many as 400,000 during its three days. 18
Libraries and Museums
Founded in 1872, the Chicago Public Library serves over two-and-a-half million people, with an annual circula-
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tion of 8,305,158. Its book holdings total nearly six-and-a-half million volumes while its non-book holdings comprise some four-and-a-half million items. The library operates the central Harold Washington Library Center, 77 neighborhood branches, and two regional libraries. Special collections include the Chicago Theater Collection, the Chicago Blues Archives, an early American newspaper collection, and many others. Besides its public library, Chicago is also home to a number of university and government libraries, as well as private libraries run by historical and cultural societies, private corporations, medical facilities, and other groups. The main library of the University of Chicago, serving some 10,000 students and over 1,000 faculty members, maintains a collection of over six million books, more than 20,000 compact disks, and other materials. The university’s libraries house special collections in modern poetry, anatomical illustration, English Bibles, and numerous other areas. The university’s Newberry Library also houses a wellknown research collection. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the country’s premier art museums. It houses more than 300,000 artworks, cared for by ten curatorial departments. It has one of the world’s great collections of Impressionist art, as well as outstanding collections of twentiethcentury art and Japanese woodblock prints. Its print and drawing collections is also one of the nation’s finest. With a collection of over 16 million items, the Field Museum of Natural History ranks
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Chicago plays folk art from many countries; the Museum of Broadcast Communications; and the Museum of Science and Industry. Among the city’s many museums dedicated to the heritage of specific racial and ethnic groups are the Du Sable Museum of African American History, the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, the Spertus Museum of Judaica, the Swedish American Museum Center, and the Ukrainian National Museum.
To u r i s m
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Chicago is a popular tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. In 1995 approximately twoand-a-half million foreign travelers visited the city, ranking it ninth nationally in this category. In August 1999, the city expected to attract $192.7 million in convention business. The Navy Pier hosts “Pier Walk,” the world’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibition starting in the spring and running through the fall annually. (Willy Schmidt; City of Chicago)
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Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Chicago Boat, Sports, and RV Show
FEBRUARY
as one of the world’s great natural history museums. Chicago has over 40 other museums of all kinds, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Contemporary Photography; Chicago Academy of Sciences, featuring lively inter-active exhibits; the hands-on Chicago Children’s Museum; the Chicago Historical Society museum; the International Museum of Surgical Sciences; the May Weber Museum of Cultural Arts, which dis-
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Chicago Auto Show Chinese New Year Parade Navy Pier County Fair Winter Break 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament Azalea and Camellia Show
MARCH Chicago Flower and Garden Show Maple Syrup Festival St. Patrick’s Day Celebration & Fireworks South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade
APRIL Chicago Latino Festival
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Chicago MAY Wright Plus House Walk Printer’s Row Book Fair
JUNE Chicago Blues Festival Chicago Country Music Festival Chicago Gospel Festival 57th Street Air Fair Boulevard-Lakefront Bicycle Tour Andersonville Midsommarfest
MID-JUNE TO MID-AUGUST Grant Park Music Festival
LATE JUNE-EARLY JULY Taste of Chicago
JULY
Hillary Rodham Clinton (b. 1947), First Lady of the United States. Jesse Jackson (b. 1941), African-American civil rights leader. Walter Elias (Walt) Disney (1901–1966), animator and filmmaker. Jack Benny (1894–1974), comedian. Saul Bellow, Nobel Prize-winning author. John Dos Passos (1896–1970), author.
Fiesta de Hemingway Venetian Night Lakefront fireworks (July 3) Chicago to Mackinac Island Boat Race World’s Largest Block Party Newberry Library Book Fair
Jane Addams (1860–1935), founder of Hull House.
AUGUST
David Mamet (b. 1947), playwright.
Chicago Air & Water Show Latin Music Festival Chicago Triathlon
Benny Goodman (1909–1986), clarinetist.
Michael Jordan (b. 1963), basketball superstar.
LATE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER Chicago Jazz Festival
OCTOBER Berghoff Oktoberfest Chicago International Film Festival LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon
NOVEMBER Ski Snowmobile & Winter Sports Show Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
DECEMBER Chicago Park District Winter Festival Flower Show
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Famous Citizens
Famous citizens who were born in Chicago include: Mayor Richard J. Daley (1902–1976).
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22
For Further Study
Websites Chicago City Net. [Online] Available http:// www.city.net/countries/united_states/ illinois/chicago. (accessed October 11, 1999). Chicago City Page. [Online] Available http:// www.chicago.thelinks.com (accessed October 11, 1999). Chicago Home Page. [Online] Available http:// www.city-life.com/chicago. (accessed October 11, 1999). City Insights Chicago. [Online] Available http:// www.cityinsights.com/chicago.htm. (accessed October 11, 1999).
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Chicago Government Offices Chicago City Hall 121 N. La Salle St. Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 744-0000 Chicago Office of Tourism 78 E. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 744-2359 Mayor’s Office 121 N. La Salle St. Rm. 507 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 744-3300
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60616 (312) 567-8500
Publications Chicago Magazine 500 N. Dearborn Ave. Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60610 Chicago Sun-Times 401 N. Wabash Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 Chicago Tribune 435 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 Crain’s Chicago Business 740 N. Rush St. Chicago, IL 60611
Books Abrams, Isabel S. The Nature of Chicago: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Sites In and Around the City. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1997. Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull-House. New York: Macmillan, 1910. Bellow, Saul. Humboldt’s Gift. New York: Viking, 1975. [Fiction]
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Crimi, Carolyn. Kidding Around Chicago: What to Do, Where to Go, and How to Have Fun in Chicago. Santa Fe, N.M.: John Muir Publications, 1998 Dale, Alzina Stone. Mystery Reader's Walking Guide, Chicago. Lincolnwood, Ill.: Passport Books, 1995. Farber, David. Chicago ‘68. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988. Figliulo, Susan. Romantic Days and Nights in Chicago: Romantic Diversions in and Around the City. 2nd ed. Old Saybrook, Conn.: Globe Pequot Press, 1999. Granger, Bill, and Lori Granger. Fighting Jane: Mayor Jane Byrne and the Chicago Machine. New York: Dial Press, 1980. Hayner, Don, and Tom McNamee. Metro Chicago Almanac. Chicago: Chicago Sun-Times, 1991. Hayner, Don, and Tom McNamee. Streetwise Chicago, A History of Chicago Street Names. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1988. Liebling, A. J. Chicago: The Second City. Drawings by Steinberg. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952. Miller, Ross. American Apocolypse: The Great Fire and the Myth of Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Rowe, Mike. Chicago Blues: The City and the Music. New York: Da Capo Press, 1975. Royko, Mike. Boss: Richard J. Daley and His Era. Chicago: Dutton, 1971. Saliga, Pauline A., ed. The Sky's the Limit: A Century of Chicago Skyscrapers. New York: Rizzoli, 1990. Sandburg, Carl. Chicago Poems. New York: Holt, 1916. Terkel, Studs. Division Street: America. New York: Pantheon, 1967. Uhl, Michael. Frommer's Memorable Walks in Chicago. New York: Macmillan USA, 1998.
Videorecordings Chicago: One Magnificent City. San Ramon, CA: International Video Network, 1991.
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Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, North America Founded: 1796; Incorporated: 1836 Location: Northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, United States, North America Motto: Progress and Prosperity Flag: Red left panel, white center panel with emblem, and blue right panel. Flower: Carnation Time Zone: 7 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: City—49% white; 47% black; 5% Hispanic origin (of any race); 21.7% of Cleveland’s European Americans were of German ancestry; Irish, 12.5%; English, 9.1%; Italian, 7.1%; Polish, 6.1%; Slovak, 4.2%; French, 2.8%; Hungarian, 2.4%; Yugoslav, 1.6%; Scottish/Irish, 1.6%; Russian, 1.2%; Czech, 1.5%; and Dutch, 1.5%. Elevation: 201 meters (660 feet) above sea level. Most of the city is on a level plain 18–24 meters (60–80 feet) above Lake Erie; an abrupt ridge rises 150 meters (500 feet) above the shore on the eastern edge of the city along its border with the community of Cleveland Heights. Latitude and Longitude: 41º30’N, 81º70’W Coastline: 22 kilometers (14 miles) on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Climate: Hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The climate is influenced by Lake Erie, which moderates both summer heat and winter cold. Annual Mean Temperature: 10ºC (50ºF); January –3ºC (27ºF); July 23ºC (73ºF). Seasonal Average Snowfall: 52 inches (132 cm); western suburbs, 45 inches (112 cm); eastern suburbs, 90 inches per year (230 cm). Average Annual Precipitation (rainfall and melted snow): 32 inches (81 cm). Government: Mayor and 21-member City Council Weights and Measures: Standard US Monetary Units: Standard US Telephone Area Codes: 216 in the city; 440 and 330 in suburban areas Postal Codes: 44101–44115; 44117, 44119–44122; 44126–44129; 44134, 44135, 44144
1
Introduction
Once renowned for the 1972 Cuyahoga River fire and identified as part of the “Rust Belt,” Cleveland is no stranger to disaster and hardship. However, in the 1990s the city once called the “Mistake on the Lake” earned a welldeserved new nickname—the “Come-
back City.” As a result of a downtown rehabilitation program, Cleveland entered the twenty-first century as a proud host to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Gateway sports complex, comprised of Jacobs Field, home baseball park for the Cleveland Indians, and Gund Arena, home court for the
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Cleveland
Cleveland Population Profile
ufacturing sector suffered a downturn in the 1980s, The Flats area was redeveloped into an entertainment district with restaurants and nightclubs.
City Proper Population: 505,616 Area: 200 sq km (77 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 49% white; 47% black; 4% other Nicknames: Mistake on the Lake (1960s and 1970s), Comeback City (1980s and 1990s)
Metropolitan Area Population: 2,900,000 Description: Includes Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is located), neighboring Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage, Geauga, and Lake Counties; and outlying Ashtabula County Area: 9,360 sq km (3,613 sq mi) World population rank1: 192 Percentage of national population2: 0.6% Average yearly growth rate: 0.4% Ethnic composition: 72% white; 25% black; 3% other ——— 1. The Cleveland metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Cleveland metropolitan area.
men’s and women’s basketball teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Rockers, and a new home football stadium for the new Cleveland Browns team. 2
Getting There
Cleveland is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes. The Cuyahoga River divides the city into an east side and west side. The area along the Cuyahoga River is known as The Flats. The Flats area was once the site of steel mills and other factories; when Cleveland’s man-
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Highways Three major interstate highways intersect in the downtown area: I-71 and I-77 run north-south connecting Cleveland with the Ohio cities of Columbus and Akron, respectively. I-90 runs east-west, linking Cleveland to Erie, Pennsylvania to the east and Toledo, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, to the west. I-480 connects the eastern and western suburbs on a route south of the city; I-271 runs east of the city on a north-south route; and I-490 connects I-90, I-71, and I-77 away from their downtown merges. Bus and Railroad Service Greyhound Bus Lines provides daily service into downtown Cleveland, and to many cities in the Greater Cleveland area. Amtrak passenger rail service to points east and west is provided by the train called the Lakeshore Limited. The Capital Limited train travels to Washington, D.C. via Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Airports The largest airports serving the area are Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (served by 14 air carriers providing 11.5 million passenger arrivals/ departures in 1996), Burke Lakefront Airport (commuter air service provided 219,512 arrivals/departures in 1996), and the Cuyahoga County Airport (pro-
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Cleveland
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Cleveland viding business and general aviation services). Continental Airlines has the largest number of flights with over 300 daily departures. Shipping The Port of Cleveland, declared a foreign trade zone in 1990, is the largest overseas general cargo port on Lake Erie and is the third largest on the Great Lakes. Ships from the Atlantic Ocean enter the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence Seaway, which opened in 1959. The port handles about 13 million metric tons (14 million tons) of cargo annually. 3
Getting Around
Many of Cleveland’s major roads were laid out along the paths of dried out creek beds or trails used by displaced Native Americans. City streets branch out from Public Square. Cleveland’s tallest buildings surround Public Square. The streets that run west from Public Square all feature large bridges over the Cuyahoga River. There are 13 bridges in The Flats area, directly to the west of Public Square. West of the Cuyahoga River lies the neighborhood known as Ohio City, incorporated into the city of Cleveland in 1852.
downtown area. In 1988, Cleveland became the first city in the United States to have commuter rail service from downtown to the airport when RTA connected Public Square to Hopkins Airport. There is a loop bus route (fare is 50 cents) serving the downtown area from 6 AM to 6:30 PM. In 1996, commuter rail service was extended to the newly developed waterfront area. The RTA operates 102 bus lines, 72 of which reach downtown. Sightseeing The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad operates a 90-minute round trip through the Cuyahoga National Recreation Area to the south of the city of Cleveland. Sightseeing cruises on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie are operated during the summer months, and dozens of marinas serve pleasure boaters of the area. A fleet of trolley cars known as Lolly the Trolley provide sightseeing tours. 4
People
Bus and Commuter Rail Service
In 1990, the population of the city of Cleveland was 505,616 (47 percent male, 53 percent female). The total population of the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area is 2.9 million, making it the fourteenth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Within the area, Cleveland’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) serves 59 million passengers annually. Its rail line consists of 54 kilometers (34 miles) of track connecting the closest suburbs with Public Square in the center of the
Cleveland has a rich ethnic mix, with a population representing 60 ethnic groups from all continents. The city has the largest mix of Eastern Europeans of any city in the United States and has the largest concentrations of Slo-
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Cleveland
The Cleveland, Ohio skyline. (EPD Photos)
vaks (Slovakia), Slovenes (Slovenia), and Hungarians (Hungary). There are also large German, Irish, Polish, Italian, Czech, Croat, Russian, Puerto Rican, and Ukrainian communities. In recent years, Asians have also settled in the area, primarily Asian Indians, Filipinos, Koreans, and Chinese. More than 60 languages are spoken in Cleveland. In 1994, languages other than English spoken at home (by percentage of households) included Spanish or Spanish Creole (24.1 percent), German (11.7 percent), Italian (9.8 percent), Polish (7.9 percent), South Slavic (7.8 percent), other Slavic (seven percent), French or French Creole (6.4 percent), Hungarian (6.1 percent), Arabic
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(3.4 percent), Greek (2.7 percent), Chinese (2.3 percent), Indic (2.3 percent), Korean (1.2 percent), and Japanese (one percent). An estimated 40 percent of the metropolitan area’s regular worshippers attend Catholic churches. The following denominations have significant membership among Clevelanders: Catholic (Roman and Eastern Orthodox), 534,785 members; Southern Baptist, 117,282; American Baptist, 28,176; United Methodist, 33,607; United Church of Christ, 21,146; and Jewish, 50,500. There are also significant numbers of other Protestant denominations, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus.
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Cleveland 5
Neighborhoods
Little Italy, located on the city’s eastern border with Cleveland Heights, is a thriving Italian neighborhood that in recent years has become an arts center. On the near east side, just to the north of midtown, is a small Chinatown. On the northeast side is the Slavic Village, and to the east is Hough, a largely African American neighborhood that was the site of violent riots during the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The Van Sweringen brothers, real estate developers, purchased from a community of Shakers (the devout religious sect) a large tract of land about 16 kilometers (ten miles) east of Public Square. This land became the community of Shaker Heights, the first planned suburban community in the nation. To lure Cleveland’s new and growing middle and upper classes into their community, the Van Sweringens bought a rail line and converted it to a commuter rail connecting their land with a downtown station they built. In 1996, the city received grants and loans of $22.6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help build 400 new homes and renovate 65 homes in the Central neighborhood, a residential, industrial sector just east of the downtown. In 1994, the cost of housing in Cleveland was the second lowest among large cities in the country. In the greater Cleveland area, the average price for a single family home in 1994 was $104,400, compared to $161,600
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nationally. Among the 18 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, Cleveland residents also had the lowest average mortgage payments. In 1989, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless was established to provide housing for the estimated 12,000 homeless people in the greater Cleveland area. 6
History
In 1682, King Charles II of England ceded a large tract of land west of Pennsylvania to the colony of Connecticut that became known as the Western Reserve. In 1796, Moses Cleaveland, an executive with the Connecticut Land Company, was sent to survey the reserve with the possibility of developing it. Cleaveland arrived at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, where it empties into Lake Erie, and recognized that it would make an excellent site for a port. He laid out a plan for a small village, named the town after himself and returned to Connecticut, never again to set foot in the city that bore his name. (The “a” was dropped from the city name somewhere along the way. Popular stories hold that a newspaper writer either ran out of space or “a”s, thereby changing the name of the city permanently.) The area turned out to be inhospitable, mainly because the Cuyahoga River was a nesting ground for mosquitoes and frequently flooded. By 1800, only seven people lived in the town Cleaveland had laid out. In 1803, Ohio became a state, the first state that never
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Cleveland
City Fact Comparison Cleveland (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
1,724,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1796
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$86
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$40
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$24
$14
$15
$16
$128
$173
$246
$207
1
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
Akhbar El Yom/ The Plain Dealer Al Akhbar 382,933
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1842
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
had been a colony. Growth was slow until the digging of the first stages of the Erie Canal in 1827, which opened the tiny frontier town to commerce. By 1850, the city had grown to 30 times its 1820 population. By 1860, it had become a well-established haven for new immigrants, and half its population that year was foreign born. During and following the Civil War (1861–65), Cleveland became a prosperous industrial city due to the discovery of large iron ore deposits and the establishment of the Standard Oil Company by John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), soon to become the richest man in the world. Steel, shipping, and coal companies
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also flourished and created a class of rich merchants who built up the city with their wealth. The Great Depression of the 1930s devastated the Cleveland economy, but World War II (1939–45) revived industry, and Cleveland companies recruited new workers to fill its expanded industrial capacity from among southern blacks and white Appalachians. The middle class, however, began moving out of the city into suburbs, as was the pattern nationally, and the inner city of Cleveland began to decline. By the 1960s, much of the city had sunk into poverty, and in 1966 the primarily
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Cleveland
Cleveland’s “Rapid” links the downtown area with the airport, the eastside suburbs, and the westside suburbs. (EPD Photos)
black neighborhood of Hough erupted in riots that made national headlines. Three years later, the Cuyahoga River, saturated with a century of industrial pollutants, caught on fire. The image of a burning river, broadcast around the world, became an image that the city of Cleveland would find difficult to shake. Its reputation was further tarnished during the 1970s when it suffered a devastating fiscal crisis causing it to declare bankruptcy in 1976.
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Beginning in the 1979, with the election of George Voinovich as mayor, Cleveland’s business and civic leaders began revitalizing the downtown area, hoping to reverse the now decades-long population flight. In 1985 Standard Oil of Ohio built a new corporate headquarters building on Public Square. (The building is now known as the BP Building, after British Petroleum, the company that bought Standard Oil.). Other new buildings soon followed and The Flats area along the Cuyahoga River—the site of the river fire—was redeveloped as a district of restaurants and bars. When Michael R. White was elected mayor in 1989, the downtown rehabilitation continued. Notable is the construction of a downtown sports complex called Gateway, comprised of Jacobs Field, a baseball park for the Cleveland Indians, and Gund Arena, home court for the men’s women’s basketball teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Rockers. Development along the lakeshore included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum designed by I. M. Pei (1917–), the Great Lakes Science Center, and a new home football stadium for the new Cleveland Browns team in 1999. 7
Government
The city’s chief executive is the mayor, elected to four-year terms on a non-partisan ballot. Michael R. White (Democrat) was elected mayor in 1989, reelected in 1993 and again in 1997. The legislature is a City Council; its 21 members are also elected on a non-partisan ballot to four-year terms. (Until
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Cleveland 1980, the mayoral and council terms were two years.) 8
Public Safety
In 1996, Cleveland had six police districts with 1,791 sworn officers; 26 fire stations with 957 uniformed fire fighters; and 18 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ambulances with 224 uniformed employees. In 1994, there were 137 homicides; 751 rapes; 3,924 robberies; 2,947 aggravated assaults; 8,008 burglaries; 12,931 larcenies; 9,062 auto thefts; and 801 cases of arson. 9
Economy
Historically, Cleveland was a major industrial and manufacturing center. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, the local economy suffered, leaving Cleveland and many other midwestern cities, in an economic recession. During the 1980s, Cleveland lost 11.9 percent of its population when workers moved to take new jobs in the south and west. (During this period industrialized cities of the Midwest and Northeast were labeled the Rust Belt, and their counterparts in the South and Southwest, the Sun Belt.) Beginning in the late 1980s and continuing into the 1990s, however, Cleveland made the transition from an industrial economy to a services-based economy. In 1995, in fact, 28.8 percent of the workforce in the Cleveland metropolitan area was engaged in services, compared to 20.6 percent in manufacturing. Wholesale and retail trade employed 23.6 percent
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that year and 12.8 percent worked for local, state, and federal government. In 1995, Cleveland was home to 95 companies with revenues exceeding $100 million. Among the largest employers in the area (1994) were the U.S. government (18,500); Ford Motor Company (10,896 employees); Catholic Diocese of Cleveland (10,000); Cleveland Clinic Foundation (9,900); Cleveland Board of Education (9,673); Cuyahoga County Government (9,232); MetroHealth System (8,328); City of Cleveland (8,226); University Hospitals (7,640); State of Ohio (7,630); LTV Steel Company (7,500); Riser Foods (6,500); First National Supermarkets (6,451); Centerior Energy (6,200); Goodyear Tire and Rubber (5,937); and Ameritech (5,309). 10
Environment
Cleveland’s most vital natural resource is Lake Erie, the fourth-largest lake in the United States and the twelfth-largest lake in the world. It is 388 kilometers (241 miles) wide and contains 500 trillion liters (132 trillion gallons) of water. The cities that grew up around Lake Erie—Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Buffalo, New York—all spewed pollutants into Lake Erie from the early 1900s. In the late 1800s, vast deposits of salt were discovered beneath the lake, and the commercial enterprises continue to extract salt from mines about two-and-a-half kilometers (one-and-a-half miles) beneath the surface of Lake Erie. In 1970, pollution was so heavy that the governor of
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Cleveland Ohio suspended fishing on Lake Erie because of mercury contamination of fish. Since then, environmental laws and downturn in industrial activity along the river have resulted in improved health of the river and Lake Erie ecosystems. In the 1990s, fishing was a favorite pastime. Fishers on Lake Erie catch as many fish as fishers on the other four Great Lakes combined. The Cuyahoga River was one of the most polluted rivers in the country and actually burned in 1952, when a huge fire caused $1.5 million in damage, and again in 1969. The Cuyahoga River fire of June 22, 1969, elicited national headlines and created a national image of Cleveland as a polluted industrial wasteland. 11
Shopping
Clevelanders employed in retail and wholesale trade number 261,500. In the 1980s and 1990s, two major malls—Tower City Center and The Galleria at Erieview—opened in the business district, combining to contain approximately 160 popular specialty shops and restaurants. In total, there are over 625 retail outlets in the downtown section of Cleveland. Another downtown indoor shopping area is The Arcade, built in downtown Cleveland in 1890. It was the first indoor shopping mall in the United States. On the near west side of Cleveland, the Ohio City neighborhood is home to beautifully renovated Victorian houses, restaurants, coffee houses, and the historic West Side Market, an enclosed pro-
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duce, meat, and bakery market. It is the largest covered farmer’s market in the United States. Almost every suburban community in the Cleveland area has a shopping strip or indoor mall. 12
Education
In the 1993–94 school year, Cleveland Public Schools enrolled 73,633 students, with a per-pupil expenditure of $6,017. Fifty percent of the system’s students fail to graduate high school, but 51 percent of those who graduate go on to college. Students enrolled in suburban school systems demonstrate higher average graduation rates. Cuyahoga County has 33 public school systems and 22 private schools. Public/private partnerships in education include Project SMART (School of Manufacturing and Automotive Related Technologies), which helps students learn real-world skills for existing industrial jobs. It is administered by the Cleveland Public Schools, Cleveland State University, and the non-profit group Cleveland Education Partners. The 22 universities and colleges (five public, 17 private) in greater Cleveland include Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, and Oberlin College. Enrollment at colleges and universities in the metropolitan area is 143,000. 13
Health Care
Cleveland is home to some of the finest medical facilities in the country,
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Cleveland including the Cleveland Clinic (which pioneered open heart surgery and organ transplants), University Hospitals (affiliated with Case Western Reserve University), St. Vincent Charity Hospital (pioneered development of heart-lung machines), and Metropolitan General Hospital (specializing in burn treatment). The health care industry employs 125,000 workers (11 percent of the workforce) and generates $9 billion for the local economy. The Cleveland area has 9,000 physicians and 22,000 professional health care workers.
stations, including six college radio stations. The top ten radio stations reach an average adult audience of 344,197 daily. The Plain Dealer, Cleveland’s principal daily newspaper and Ohio’s largest daily newspaper, has a circulation of 1,002,892. Cleveland Magazine and Northern Ohio Live, regional arts and entertainment magazines, have a combined circulation of 241,000; a weekly newspaper reporting on the business community is Crain’s Cleveland Business.
The city of Cleveland’s Department of Public Health employs 320 people and has an operating budget of $24 million. In 1995, the department provided flu shots to 2,500 senior citizens, tested 5,000 adults for HIV/AIDS, screened 42,855 children for lead poisoning, and increased the number of patients served at health centers from 23,728 to 36,938. The infant mortality rate in inner-city neighborhoods served by the Department was 16.3 per 1,000 live births in 1993.
Cleveland has professional major league baseball (the Indians), men’s basketball (the Cavaliers), women’s basketball (the Rockers), hockey (the Lumberjacks), and indoor soccer (the Crunch) teams. Cleveland’s National Football League team, the Browns, was relocated in 1996 to Baltimore, Maryland, where the name was changed to the Ravens. Cleveland kept the rights to their NFL team name (Browns), and a new Browns team began playing in Cleveland in 1999.
14
Media
The Cleveland Designated Market Area (CDMA) comprises 1.47 million households, the fourteenth-largest media market in the U.S. (CDMA is defined as all counties in which Cleveland television stations receive a majority of total viewing hours.) Cleveland has network affiliate television broadcasters for ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. There are over 100 media companies in the area, and 25 AM and 34 FM radio
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15
Sports
The Indians won the World Series in 1920 and 1948. In 1995 and 1997, the Indians won the American League pennant, but lost in the World Series to the Atlanta Braves (1995) and the Florida Marlins (1997). Gund Arena, home to professional men’s and women’s basketball, professional hockey, and the site of numerous concerts and special events, opened in August 1994; it is one of the first buildings designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, with 200
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Cleveland seats for the disabled. There are 3,300 parking places at the arena, more than 10,000 parking spaces within a tenminute walk. About one hour west of Cleveland in Sandusky lies Cedar Point amusement park. To the southeast, in Aurora, Six Flags Ohio (formerly Geauga Lake) amusement park and Sea World of Ohio are popular summer attractions. 16
Parks and Recreation
The Cleveland Metroparks system, known as “The Emerald Necklace,” consists of 19,000 acres of parks that surround the city. The system includes 12 separate reservations and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, all within 15 minutes of downtown. Parks within the city of Cleveland itself have 163 tennis courts, 41 swimming pools, and 156 baseball diamonds. There are six separate park facilities on the shore of Lake Erie in the greater Cleveland area. In the city itself, the largest is Edgewater Park, which has 274 meters (900 feet) of beach. There are over 200 public and private golf courses and 35 bike trails in the area. The 32,000-acre Cuyahoga National Recreation Area covers 35 kilometers (22 miles) of the Cuyahoga River was established in 1974, and features hiking and nature programs. About 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of the city is The Holden Arboretum, one of the world’s largest museums of trees and shrubs.
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Performing Arts
Cleveland is host to a thriving music, theater, and film community. The Cleveland Orchestra (TCO), founded in 1918, is considered one of the finest orchestras in the world. TCO performs during the concert season at Severance Hall, which opened in 1931, and during the summer at Blossom Music Center. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, designed by I. M. Pei (1917–), opened on the lakeshore in downtown in 1994. The Polka Hall of Fame, located in Euclid, celebrates Polka Month (November) each year with an induction ceremony and a weekend-long program of concerts and events. The Cleveland Play House, the oldest repertory theater in the United States, operates three stages in a large theater complex. Karamu (Swahili for “a place of joyful gathering”) House is the oldest U.S. theater producing plays written by African Americans. In the downtown business district, the Playhouse Square area includes four theaters: the Ohio, home to the Great Lakes Theatre Festival; the State, home to Cleveland Opera and Cleveland Ballet; the Palace, home to large touring Broadway shows; and the Allen. There are 175 movie theaters in the greater Cleveland area. The Cleveland International Film Festival, held each spring, is nationally renowned. 18
Libraries and Museums
The Cleveland Public Library is the second largest municipal library in the
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Cleveland
Cleveland’s science museum (left) shares the lakefront with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (right) in downtown Cleveland. (EPD Photos)
United States. It was the first library in the country to allow users to take the books off the shelves themselves (without asking a librarian for help). In 1997, the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library opened the Louis Stokes Wing, a 48,865-square-meter (526,000square-foot) building.
Downtown Cleveland features the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Clinic Omnimax Theatre; the William G. Mather Museum, a 188-meter (618-foot) ore freighter; and the USS Cod, a World War II submarine.
The 29-branch Cuyahoga County Public Library has the seventh-highest circulation rate in the United States. The Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System (CAMLS) is a consortium of 77 public, academic, hospital, corporate, and school libraries.
University Circle is a 500-acre area on Cleveland’s east side, six kilometers (four miles) east of Public Square. A Loop Bus provides transportation between the points of interest in University Circle, including Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Children’s Museum, Cleveland Health
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Cleveland Museum, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Dittrick Museum of Medical History, the Temple Museum, Western Reserve Historical Society, and Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds one of the world’s finest collections, consisting of more than 30,000 works produced over 5,000 years of world history. Founded in 1916, the collection is housed in a beaux-arts building designed by the Cleveland architectural firm of Hubbell and Benes and is situated on a 15-acre public park designed by the renowned Olmsted Brothers firm. Highlights of the museum’s collection include Van Gogh’s Poplars at Saint-Remy, Picasso’s La Vie and Harlequin with Violin, Michaelangelo’s The Crucifixion of St. Anthony and Degas’ The Dancers. The Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art is housed in a former Sears & Roebuck store adjacent to the Cleveland Play House. South of Cleveland in Canton, Ohio, is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where memorabilia of professional football and its players is displayed. Between Cleveland and Akron, Hale Farm and Village depicts nineteenthcentury rural life in Northeast Ohio.
million domestic visitors. Five-hundred-thousand visitors toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, one of the city’s largest national and international draws since its opening in 1994. For conventions, the downtown offers the Cleveland Convention Center, the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, and the I-X Center. 20
Holidays and Festivals
MARCH St. Patrick’s Day Parade Buzzard Day, Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation, celebrating annual migration of the turkey vulture
APRIL Cleveland International Film Festival Tri-C Jazz Fest, Cuyahoga County Community College Revco-Cleveland Marathon and 10-K race
APRIL-MAY I-X Indoor Amusement Park with ten-story ferris wheel
JUNE Parade the Circle Celebration, University Circle, first Saturday in June Summer Art Walk, Little Italy
JULY Cleveland Orchestra Concert on Public Square
AUGUST Feast of the Assumption, Little Italy Twins Day Festival, Twinsburg, southwest of Cleveland
SEPTEMBER National Air Show, Burke Lakefront Airport
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To u r i s m
In 1995, Cleveland had 12,621 hotel rooms and attracted some seven
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OCTOBER Sweetest Day (October 10) was first celebrated in Cleveland Columbus Day Parade
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Cleveland election to become the first black mayor of a major U.S. city.
NOVEMBER Polka Festival Weekend (Thanksgiving Weekend) and Polka Hall of Fame induction
Famous citizens born in the Cleveland area include:
Toni Morrison (b. 1931), born in Cleveland-area community of Lorain, winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for literature and the 1993 Nobel Prize for literature.
Charles Brush (1849–1929), inventor of the arc light.
Famous citizens who resided in Cleveland include:
Hart Crane (1899–1932), modernist lyrical poet.
John D. Rockefeller (b. New York, 1839– 1937), founder of Standard Oil of Ohio, richest man in the world and philanthropist.
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Famous Citizens
Jesse Owens (1913–80), Olympic athlete, set a world record for the 100yard dash when he was a senior at East Tech High. Adella Prentiss Hughes (1869–1950), founder and first manager of the Cleveland Orchestra. Bob Hope (b. 1903), actor and vaudevillian. Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, creators of Superman, the comic book hero, while students at Glenville High in 1933. Dorothy Fuldheim (1893–1989), the first woman television news anchor, beginning in 1947. Alan Freed (1922–65), radio disc jockey who coined the term “rock and roll”. Paul Brown (1908–91), coach of Cleveland Browns football team. Carl B. Stokes (1927–96), grandson of a s l a v e w h o d e f e a t e d S e t h Taf t , grandson of President William H. Taft, in the November 13, 1967,
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George Szell (b. Hungary, 1897–1970), internationally renowned conductor and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. Elliot Ness (1903–57), famed crime fighter, stationed in Cleveland 1934–1942. 22
For Further Study
Websites City of Cleveland Home Page. [Online] Available http://www.cleveland.oh.us (accessed on January 15, 2000). Crain’s Cleveland Business. [Online] Available www.crainscleveland.com (accessed on January 15, 2000). Homepage maintained by local newspaper and television station. [Online] Available www.cleveland.com (accessed on January 15, 2000).
Government Offices City Hall 601 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 664–2000 Community Relations Board (216) 664–3290
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Cleveland Mayor’s Office 601 Lakeside Avenue Suite 202 Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 664–2220
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland 50 Public Square, Suite 3100 Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (800) 321–1001 (216) 621–4110 Greater Cleveland Growth Association 200 Tower City Center, 50 Public Square Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (216) 621–3300 The New Cleveland Campaign 1809 East Ninth Street, Suite 1020 Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (216) 574–8940
Publications Call and Post (African American newspaper) 1949 East 105th St. Cleveland, OH 44115
Books African American Heritage Trail of Cleveland Tour Guide. Cleveland: National Association of Black Journalists, Cleveland Chapter, 199?. Cameron, Patience. Cleveland on Foot: A Guide to Walking and Hiking in Cleveland and Vicinity. Cleveland: Gray & Co., 1995. Cleveland, A City Built on Strong Neighborhoods: A Comprehensive Guide to the City’s Thirty-six Neighborhoods. Cleveland: LIVE Pub., 1996. Cleveland Fact Book. Cleveland: Greater Cleveland Growth Association, 1997. A Galaxy of Cleveland’s Black Stars, 1796–1996: A Bicentennial Activity Book for Children, Ages 7– 12. Cleveland: New Day Press, 1996. Grabowski, John J. Sports in Cleveland: An Illustrated History. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992. Johnston, Christopher. ed. Best Things in Life: 236 Favorite Things about Cleveland (by Clevelanders). Cleveland: Gray & Co., 1994. Peacock, Nancy. Kidding Around Cleveland: A Funfilled, Fact-Packed Travel and Activity Book. Sante Fe, New Mexico: J. Muir Publications, 1997. Springstubb, Tricia. Cleveland for Kids. Cleveland: The Cleveland Arts Consortium, 1993.
Cleveland Magazine 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 730 Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Van Tassel, David D., and John J. Grabowski, ed. The Dictionary of Cleveland Biography. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996.
Crain’s Cleveland Business 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310 Cleveland, OH 44113–1230
Van Tassel, David D., and John J. Grabowski, ed. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 2nd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996.
Northern Ohio Live 11320 Juniper Road Cleveland, Ohio 44106 Nueves Horizontes magazine (serving the Hispanic community) 2012 West 25th Street, Suite 717 Cleveland, Ohio 44113 The Plain Dealer 1801 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114 (216) 999–5000
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Stoffel, Jennifer, and Stephen Phillips. Cleveland Discovery Guide: Greater Cleveland’s Best Family Recreation. Cleveland: Gray & Co., 1994. Wickham, Gertrude Van Rensselaer. The Pioneer Families of Cleveland 1796–1840. Salem, Massachusetts: Higginson Book Co., 1993.
Videorecordings Cleveland Neighborhood Development Corporation. Cleveland Neighborhoods: Weaving the Fabric of the City. Cleveland, OH: The Corporation, [199–?]. One 15-minute videocassette.
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Dallas Dallas, Texas, United States of America, North America Founded: 1841 Location: North-central Texas; southern United States, North America Slogan: “Dallas, the Texas Star” Flag: White star with yellow emblem centered over stripes of red, white, and blue (top to bottom). Flower: Bluebonnet (Texas state flower) Time Zone: 6 AM Central Standard Time (CST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 65%; Black 14%; Hispanic origin (of any race) 17%; other, including Native Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders, 21%. Elevation: 150–250 m (500–800 ft) above sea level Latitude and Longitude: 32º50'N, 96º50'W Climate: Hot, humid summers and mild winters. Annual Mean Temperature: January 1ºC (34ºF); July 37ºC (98ºF) Average Annual Precipitation: Snowfall is rare; precipitation is 750 mm (29.5 in). Government: Council-manager, with an 11-member council, 8 of whom are elected from single-member districts; the remaining 2 and the mayor are chosen by voters in a nonpartisan election. Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Units: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 214 and 972 Postal Codes: 75201–75398
1
Introduction
Dallas is located on the rolling prairies of northeast Texas, where the three branches of the Trinity River merge. It is the second-largest city in Texas and the eighth-largest city in the United States. Founded in 1841 by John Neely Bryan, who chose the site along the river for his trading post, Dallas grew slowly at first. However, significant expansion occurred during the Civil War years (1861–65), when Dallas was used as a supply depot for Confederate troops. In 1872 the Texas Central Railroad was routed through town, and a
year later the Texas Pacific Railroad arrived. The 1930 oil strike in east Texas caused a boom in the Dallas economy, with the city becoming a financial and freight center serving the oil wells. Dallas entered the twenty-first century a center for banking, oil, cotton, and high technology, as well as a rapidly expanding city, both in terms of population and economy. 2
Getting There
Highways Several major highways lead into Dallas. Interstate-20 runs east to west. I-
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Dallas
Dallas Population Profile City Proper Population: 1,068,880 Area: 980 sq km (378 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 65% white; 14% black; 17% Hispanic descent, any race; remainder Native American and Asian or Pacific Islander descent Nicknames: Big D
Metropolitan Area Population: 3,912,000 Description: Includes Dallas and suburbs (the area known as DFW Metroplex also includes Forth Worth, Arlington, and suburbs) Area: 16,800 sq km (6,490 sq mi) World population rank1: 62 Percentage of national population2: 1.4% Average yearly growth rate: 1.6% ——— 1. The Dallas metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Dallas metropolitan area.
30 runs from the northeast into the city. Running northeast to southwest is I-35, the major route from Dallas to Austin and San Antonio. I-45 runs from Dallas southeast to Houston. US 75 (North Central Expressway) comes into Dallas from the North. I-635 forms a loop around Dallas and the neighboring cities of Arlington and Fort Worth. Driving time to Houston is three hours and 40 minutes, while it takes four-anda-half hours to drive to San Antonio. Bus and Railroad Service Both buses and passenger trains serve Dallas. The Greyhound bus sta-
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tion is located downtown at 205 S. Lamar Street, and in addition to Greyhound, several other smaller bus lines run out of this location, including El Conejo and Euro-Coach. Trains arrive at Amtrak’s Union Station, 400 S. Houston Street. Airports Dallas has two airports: DallasForth Worth International Airport (DFW) and the smaller Love Field, which offers commuter transit. DFW is located 29 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of downtown. Transportation to and from the airport is available by bus, airport shuttle, rental car, or taxi. Most major domestic airlines fly into Dallas, including American, Continental, Delta, and TWA. Regional airlines include America West, Atlantic Southeast, Southwest, and Sun Country. Several international airlines also service Dallas, such as Aeromexico, British Airways, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air. Flight times from major U.S. cities are as follows: New York, four hours; Chicago, two-and-a-half hours; Los Angeles, three hours. 3
Getting Around
Major highways converge in the center of the city, just east of the Trinity River, forming a loose, lopsided rectangle. Due to rapid expansion in the latter half of the twentieth century, roads sprawl haphazardly in many directions, making it difficult to tell Dallas proper from surrounding suburbs and cities.
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Dallas
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Dallas
City Fact Comparison Dallas (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
3,912,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1841
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$89
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$44
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$26
$14
$15
$16
$135
$173
$246
$207
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper
1
13
20
11
The Dallas Morning News
Akhbar El Yom/ Al Akhbar
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
479,863
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1885
1944
1976
1948
Date largest newspaper was established 1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
Streets do not form a traditional grid, making travel confusing. The main roads downtown are Main Street, Elm Street, and Commerce Street. Buses and Commuter Rail Service Dallas Area Rapid Transit System (DART) offers bus and light rail transportation to the city and 12 surrounding suburban communities. DART provides 130 bus routes, while the light rail services major sites, with free parking at most rail terminals. A trolley line circulates downtown. Fares for DART range from 50 cents to two dollars.
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Walking Because of urban and suburban sprawl, Dallas is not a city well suited for pedestrians. However, tourists can and do take walking tours downtown and in the historic West End. In most other areas, people either drive or take public transportation. 4
People
Prior to the Civil War, Dallas’ peak population was only 430 people. However, by 1990 it was the second-largest city in Texas and the eighth-largest city in the United States. Estimates for 1999 put the population at 1,068,800, while
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Dallas the total population of the Dallas-Fort Worth region is estimated at just under five million. In 1997 whites were the ethnic majority at 65 percent. Those of Hispanic descent made up 17 percent of the population, while African Americans accounted for 14 percent. The remaining population is made up of Native Americans and a growing number of immigrants from Asia and Europe. 5
Neighborhoods
A sprawling megalopolis, Dallas is often lumped together with neighboring Fort Worth and Arlington, the entire area called the DFW Metroplex by residents. These three separate cities blend seamlessly together and, along with several suburbs, form one large metropolis. Each neighborhood in Dallas has its own flavor. The West End Historic District is a preservation area, with buildings from the early 1900s transformed into retail spaces. Another historic area is the Swiss Avenue District, where over 200 houses have been preserved, the houses representing Georgian, Prairie, and Spanish architectural styles. The Dallas downtown area combines historic buildings with a modern skyline. The downtown skyline is a cluster of buildings designed by some of the twentieth century’s most prominent architects, such as I. M. Pei (b. 1917) and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867– 1959). Architect William D. Cook came up with the layout plans for the upscale
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suburb of Highland Park, which is located just north of downtown. One of the most popular and upscale neighborhoods in Dallas is the newly renovated warehouse district of Deep Ellum, which was the center of the city’s African American population for much of the twentieth century. Only three blocks from downtown, this neighborhood represents a shift in Dallas’ city expansion, with suburban growth slowing and more people moving back into the central city. Dallas, along with its surrounding communities, is home to 45 colleges and universities. Neighborhoods catering to students surround Southern Methodist University, located directly north of Highland Park, and the University of Texas at Dallas, at the northernmost edge of the city. 6
History
In 1841 John Neely Bryan settled at a site where the Trinity River’s three branches merged. Bryan noticed that the river’s main branch was narrower at this point than at any other place for miles, making it an ideal place for a trading post. By 1842 a few more settlers arrived and Bryan’s encampment was called Peter’s Colony. In 1845 the name was changed to honor U.S. Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792–1864). Dallas was incorporated as a town in 1856 and as a city in 1871. The settlement grew slowly until the Civil War, when it served as a sup-
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Dallas
Dallas’s central business district is the heart of the city. (Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau)
ply depot for Confederate troops. In 1872 the Texas Central Railroad was lured to Dallas through bribes and land gifts. The following year, the Texas Pacific Railroad was routed into town, making Dallas the major distribution center of the southwest. Cotton, wheat, and wool all came into Dallas to be exported by rail. Between 1872 and 1886 the population expanded from 6,000 to 36,000. Cotton growing in north Texas made Dallas one of the world’s largest inland cotton markets, and by 1900 Dallas had become the regional financial center servicing Texas’ cotton farmers. The next boom for Dallas came in 1930 with the east Texas oil strike. The city’s financial institutions began ser-
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vicing the region’s oil magnates, and many of Dallas’ citizens became rich off of petroleum-related enterprises. The 1930s also made outlaw robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker an infamous part of Dallas’ history. Both lived in the city as children, and they were working in Dallas in January of 1930 when they met. After several of their escapades, Bonnie and Clyde were nearly captured in Dallas in 1933. They were ambushed by Dallas police but escaped with only minor injuries. A fire and flooding both influenced the city’s development. In 1860 a fire destroyed much of the downtown business district. By 1908 frequent flooding of the Trinity River forced city leaders to consider redesigning the city. Planning engineer George Kessler developed a
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Dallas city plan that included widening the Trinity River, moving railroad tracks outside of the city, and widening city streets. At the time, these plans were considered radical; however, Kessler’s ideas were slowly carried out over many years. Perhaps Dallas will always best be known for one dark moment in American history. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy (president 1961–63; 1917–1963) was assassinated as his motorcade passed by Dealy Plaza in downtown Dallas. Riding in an open limousine, President Kennedy was shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck. He was pronounced dead upon arriving at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Texas Governor Connally, riding with Kennedy, was also shot, though not fatally. After the shots, a reporter looked up at surrounding buildings and saw a rifle being drawn back into a sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository. Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of the killing. Oswald himself was shot only two days later in the basement of a Dallas police station by Jack Ruby. A presidential commission headed by Earl Warren, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, ruled that Oswald acted alone and was not part of a conspiracy, as many believed. Skeptics dispute the Warren Report, though conclusive evidence has yet to be uncovered implicating anyone other than Oswald. The controversy and mystique surrounding the Kennedy assassination draw many tourists to both Dealy Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository. Dedicated in June 1970, the
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John F. Kennedy Memorial, designed as a place for remembrance and meditation, is located at the corner of Main and Market Streets. Dallas’ image was tarnished by the Kennedy assassination, and the city worked hard to rebuild its reputation. In 1973 the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport opened, and in 1984 Dallas hosted the Republican National Convention. From 1980 to 1982 the television drama Dallas was the top-rated series in the United States. In 1998 the city suffered through a severe drought and heat wave. Temperatures of at least 56°C (100°F) held for 29 consecutive days, causing widespread crop damage and more than 100 deaths. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Dallas is still a center for traditional businesses, including the cotton and petroleum industries. It is also a center for women’s fashions, and it is a regional hub for financial and insurance institutions. High-tech industry has been growing in Dallas and is projected to be a major growth industry in coming years. 7
Government
In 1931 Dallas adopted a city council-city manager style of government. The city is run by a city manager who is appointed by an elected mayor and an elected city council. The city manager is not a politician and is charged with the responsibility of handling administrative matters for the city. The mayor is
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Dallas elected to a four-year term, while the ten city council members are elected for two-year terms. The mayor may serve two terms, and the council members may serve four terms. 8
Public Safety
As of 1997, the city of Dallas had 2,872 uniformed police officers working out of six full-service police stations. Fifty-five fire stations and 1,544 firefighters served the city as well. In 1998 the crime rate in Dallas was significantly above the national average. The property crime rate was 5,470 per 100,000 people, and the violent crime rate was 717.6 per 100,000. According to a 1999 Money magazine survey of 300 major cities, Dallas ranked at numbers 222 and 221 respectively in these two crime categories.
petroleum companies. Dallas is home to more petroleum company headquarters than any other city. Dallas is a major international cotton market, and the city has more than 250 insurance company headquarters. About 20 percent of Dallas area workers are employed in manufacturing industries. Twenty percent work in the service sector, while close to 30 percent work in retail. After World War II (1939–45), Dallas became one of the country’s largest manufacturers of aircraft and missile parts. In the 1950s, Texas Instruments, the company that created the integrated circuit computer chip and the hand-held calculator, pioneered Dallas’ high-tech movement, a trend that continues into the twenty-first century. 10
9
Economy
In 1999 the Dallas economy was especially strong, in keeping with a robust U.S. economy. The unemployment rate was a low three percent, and job growth from 1998 to 1999 stood at 3.8 percent, well above the national average. The Dallas economy is projected to grow nearly 20 percent by the year 2010. Dallas is a regional financial center, serving the American southwest. As such, it is home to the Eleventh District Federal Reserve Bank. Although the Texas oil boom slowed in the latter half of the twentieth century, The city continues to serve as a corporate center for
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Environment
Situated on the rolling prairies of northeast Texas, along the Trinity River, the altitude of Dallas ranges from 137 to 229 meters (450 to 750 feet) above sea level. Historically, the Dallas area has been plagued by floods and drought due to its location in a region between lush and rainy Louisiana and the desert of west Texas; wet and dry years often alternate. Though droughts have hit the city as recently as 1998, city officials combated the flood problem early in the twentieth century by straightening and widening the channel of the Trinity River. The Trinity River, as many highly trafficked bodies of waters, was polluted
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Dallas for much of the twentieth century, though clean-up efforts and a lessening of water-borne shipping have improved the river’s water quality. In 1998 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the Dallas watershed a high rating, well above the national average; however, the air quality was not as good, ranking below the national average. In September 1995, the EPA made Dallas a pilot city for its Brownfields National Partnership grant program. (Brownfields are abandoned and contaminated industrial sites.) The program allotted nearly $53 million towards the cleanup and redevelopment of blighted areas in Dallas. Dallas has a Sunbelt climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Average highs in July are close to 53°C (96°F), while average lows in January only dip to 19°C (34°F). It rarely snows in Dallas. Annual average rainfall is 81 centimeters (32 inches). Dallas’ Sunbelt climate offers an average of 237 sunny days per year. 11
Shopping
Dallas is said to have more per capita retail space that any other city in America, and its 630 shopping centers lend credence to this claim. The city’s most popular store is the downtown Neiman-Marcus on Main Street. The Dallas Galleria is a major shopping mall, with more than 160 stores and an ice skating rink. In the West End, a cracker factory has been converted into the West End
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The Texas Rangers brings exciting Major League Baseball to the ballpark in Arlington. (Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Marketplace, a collection of specialty shops. To the north of the West End is the Quadrangle, a cluster of upscale shops. Art galleries and antique shops are concentrated on Coit Road. The Farmers Market is located at 1010 South Pearl Street. The city is probably best known for its cotton products, especially women’s clothing. Cotton dresses can be purchased at bargain prices in area stores. Dallas is becoming a high-tech center,
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Dallas and the Infomart complex has offices and showrooms for many high-tech information companies. 12
Education
There are 40 public school districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and more than 250 private and parochial schools in the area. The Dallas Independent School District is the tenth-largest school district in the United States, with 220 schools and 157,000 students. The Dallas Independent School District has ten magnet high schools, two secondary special education schools, and five secondary alternative schools. Until the 1880s Dallas schools were private. In 1877 Dallas voters turned down a proposal to levy taxes to form a public school system. It wasn’t until 1881 that the tax levy was passed, and in 1884 the first Dallas public schools opened.
las County. These community colleges enroll nearly 100,000 students each semester. 13
Health Care
There are 37 general hospitals in Dallas, the major hospitals being Baylor University Medical Center, Methodist Medical Center, and St. Paul Medical Center. Other health services include the Dallas Homeless Outreach Medical Services, which offers mobile medical care to the underprivileged and homeless, and the Parkland Health and Hospital System, which provides a network of neighborhood-based health centers. LocalSource Dallas (www.localsource.com) offers free referrals to area doctors. Dallas residents interested in alternatives to Western medicine have access to acupuncturists, holistic healers, and message therapists.
Dallas and its nearby communities are home to 45 colleges and universities, which attract more than 250,000 students to the area each year. Public universities in the Dallas area include the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Texas Women’s University. Private colleges and universities include the Dallas Baptist College, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, and Texas Wesleyan University.
The Dallas Morning News is the city’s daily general newspaper. The Dallas Observer and the Dallas Times are weekly papers covering news, features, and entertainment. The Daily Commercial Record covers legal and business news, while the Dallas Business Journal provides business coverage.
Dallas has a large community college enrollment. The Dallas County Community College District consists of seven colleges located throughout Dal-
Television stations include the following: 4 (FOX), 5 (NBC), 8 (ABC), 11 (CBS), 13 (PBS), 21 (UPN), 27 and 39 (independent), and 68 (public access).
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14
Media
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Dallas
Historic Fair Park is the home of the annual Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic football game. (Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau)
A variety of commercial radio stations serve the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, broadcasting everything from rock to classical to sports to talk shows. Dallas’ public radio station is KERA 90.1 FM. 15
Sports
Dallas has six professional sports teams, including baseball’s Texas Rangers who play in Arlington. The city’s professional football team, the Cowboys, have won five Super Bowl titles. Dallas’ professional hockey team, the Stars, won the Stanley Cup in the 1998–
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1999 season. Also playing are the Mavericks, a professional basketball team, and two pro soccer teams, the Burn, an outdoor team, and the Sidekicks, an indoor team. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo has weekly competitions from April through September. Dallas hosts college football’s Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. 16
Parks and Recreation
Dallas has 336 parks, with parkland covering over 50,000 acres. Dallas resi-
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Dallas dents have access to 50 reservoirs and lakes for fishing, swimming, sailing, and boating. White Rock Lake is Dallas’ version of New York’s Central Park. White Rock, in the center of the city, is a favorite for jogging, biking, fishing, and sailing. Dallas has over 805 kilometers (500 miles) of bike trails in parks and bike lanes along city streets. Many city parks also have public golf courses. Other participant sports offered in the city include horseback riding, ice-skating, swimming, sailing, and tennis. Six Flags Over Texas is one of the country’s oldest and biggest amusement parks. Located just west of Dallas in Arlington, only a 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas, Six Flags has more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions and is home to Mr. Freeze, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Texas (as of 1999). 17
Performing Arts
Dallas is home to several performing arts organizations. Plays are staged at the Dallas Theater Center, housed in a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Two symphonies perform regularly, the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra and the celebrated Dallas Symphony Orchestra, which performs downtown in Mortin H. Meyerson Hall. Dallas also has a ballet, several summer musical festivals, an African-American dance theater, a Shakespeare festival, and several community theater groups. The Deep Ellum neighborhood, a renovated warehouse district just east of downtown, has long been Dallas’ unof-
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ficial music center. In the early 1900s, Deep Ellum was the center of the city’s African-American community, and in the 1920s and 1930s famous blues musicians often played in area clubs. Leadbelly and Blind Lemon Jefferson both performed in many of Deep Ellum’s clubs. In the 1990s, Deep Ellum attracted bands that performed a variety of musical styles, including rock, jazz, alternative, Latin, and country. 18
Libraries and Museums
Dallas has 23 city libraries housing over seven million volumes of books. The main branch of the library is the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library at 1515 Young Street. A good place to learn about Dallas’ history is the G. B. Dealy Library. Maintained by the Dallas Historical Society, the G. B. Dealy Library collects materials documenting Dallas’ past. The Dallas Museum of Art displays works ranging from pre-Columbian to contemporary. The Dallas Aquarium houses nearly 400 species of aquatic animals. The Dallas Zoo keeps its animals in areas meant to recreate natural habitats. The Sixth Floor Museum, the John F. Kennedy Memorial, and the Conspiracy Museum all explore the life of President John F. Kennedy and his eventual assassination in Dallas. The Sixth Floor Museum is in the former Texas School Book Depository, the site from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy.
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Dallas 19
To u r i s m
Hot, muggy summers and cool, rainy winters make spring and fall the best times to visit the city. Dallas has plenty of restaurants—four times more restaurants per capita than New York City. Local cuisines include southwestern, Tex-Mex, and Texas-style steakhouses. Dallas restaurants vary from cheap hole-in-the-wall diners to fourstar restaurants, of which Dallas has six. Popular dining locations are Restaurant Row, Uptown, and the West End. Dallas is also considered one of Texas’ premiere night spots. Each night, up to 110 musical acts perform around the city. Although the music ranges from jazz and blues to rock and alternative, tourists tend to favor the many country and western bars around the city. Many fine hotels service downtown Dallas, but when staying downtown, even the more run-of-the-mill motels tend to charge high prices. For more affordable lodging, it is necessary to stay outside of the city limits. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY New Year’s Day Cotton Bowl
MARCH Dallas Blooms, held in the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
MAY Memorial Day weekend’s Artfest
JULY AND AUGUST Shakespeare Festival in Samuel Grand Park
SEPTEMBER Dallas Airshow at Love Field
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Big Tex greets over 3 million visitors to the State Fair of Texas each year. (Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau)
OCTOBER Texas State Fair Cityfest
LATE OCTOBER—EARLY NOVEMBER Autumn at the Arboretum
DECEMBER Cotton Bowl pre-game parade and celebration
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Famous Citizens
John H. Holliday (d. 1887), better known as “Doc” Holliday, gun-
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Dallas fighter and gambler, a once-practicing dentist in Dallas. Blind Lemon Jefferson (1897–1929), blues musician who earned his fame playing in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, the bestselling black blues singer in the United States for three years in the 1920s. Clyde Barrow (1909–1934) and Bonnie Parker (1911–1934), outlaws. Harry Hines, millionaire who made his fortune in oil, served as Texas Highway Commission Chairman from 1935 to 1941. Annette Strauss, Dallas’ first woman mayor, elected in 1987. 22
For Further Study
Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 670–4607. Dallas Mayor’s Office 1500 Marilla, Room 5EN Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 670–4054 Dallas Parks and Recreation 1500 Marilla, Room 6FN Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 670–4071 Dallas Police Department 2014 Main Street Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 670–3698
Tourist and Convention Bureaus Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau 1201 Elm Street, Suite 2000 Dallas, TX 75270 (214) 571–1000 Dallas Visitor Information Center 100 Houston Street Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 571–1300
Websites
Publications
Areaguide Dallas. [Online] Available http:// www.dallas.areaguides.net (accessed January 15, 2000). City of Dallas official website.[Online] Available http:// www.ci.dallas.tx.us/ (accessed January 15, 2000). Dallas Chamber of Commerce. [Online] Available http://www.dallaschamber.org (accessed January 15, 2000). Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. [Online] Available http:// www.dallascvb.com (accessed January 15, 2000). LocalSource Dallas. [Online] Available http:// www.local-source.com (accessed January 15, 2000). Virtual Relocation: Dallas. [Online] Available http://www.virtualrelocation.com/usa/ Texas/Cities/Dallas/ (accessed January 15, 2000).
Daily Commercial Record 706 Main Street Dallas, Texas 75202 Phone: (214) 741–6366
Government Offices Dallas Fire Department 1500 Marilla, Room 7A South
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Dallas Business Journal 10670 North Central Expressway, Suite 710 Dallas, TX 75231 Phone: (214) 696–5959 Dallas Morning News 508 Young Street Dallas, TX 75202 Phone: (214) 977–8222 The Dallas Observer P.O. Box 190289 Dallas, TX 75219 Phone: (214) 757–9000 Dallas Times 200 W Jefferson Blvd. Dallas, TX 75208 Phone: (214) 943–7445
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Denver Denver, Colorado, United States of America, North America Founded: 1858; Incorporated: 1861 Location: North-central Colorado near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains Motto: Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence; state motto) Flower: Rocky Mountain columbine (state flower) Time Zone: 5 AM Mountain Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 83.6%, Black 12.8%, American Indian 1.2%, Asian/ Pacific Islander 2.4% Elevation: 1,609 meters (5,280 feet) above sea level Latitude and Longitude: 39º66'N, 104º83'W Coastline: None Climate: Mild, dry, arid climate; mild winters and comfortable summers with low humidity Annual Mean Temperature: 10ºC (50ºF); January –1ºC (30ºF); August 22ºC (72ºF) Seasonal Average Snowfall: 152 cm (60 in) Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 39.4 cm (15.5 in). Government: Mayor-council Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Units: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 303, 720 Postal Codes: 80201–14, 80216–25, 80227, 80229, 80231, 80233–95
1
Introduction
From a nineteenth-century gold and silver boomtown frequented by gamblers and gunmen, Denver, the capital of Colorado, has evolved into a major Western commercial and population center, the largest city in a 965kilometer (600-mile) radius. Today Denver is known as much for the cultural sophistication, business savvy, and new skyline of its flourishing downtown as for the majestic mountain backdrop that borders the city and provides a picturesque view and abundant recre-
ational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. 2
Getting There
Located 1.6 kilometers (one mile) above sea level, Denver is situated on the high rolling plains of north-central Colorado, at the junction of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek and near the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. Although generally regarded as a Western city, it is only 557 kilometers (346 miles) west of the exact center of the continental United States and is more
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Denver centrally located than any other major U.S. city except Kansas City, Missouri.
Denver Population Profile
Highways Denver is accessible by I-25 (State Route 87), running north-south, and I70, running east-west. Merging with I25 north of the city is I-76, which runs northeast to southwest to the east of the city; I-225 connects I-25 and I-70. Together with State Route 470, I-225 and I-70 form a loop around the city. Bus and Railroad Service Amtrak trains stop at Denver’s Union Station three times daily on its major east-west route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Greyhound provides all long-distance bus service to Denver. The city is a major inter-city busline hub, with more than 60 arrivals and departures daily.
City Proper Population: 510,000 Area: 397 sq km (153.3 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 83.6% white; 12.8% black; 1.2% Native American; 2.4% Asian/Pacific Islander Nicknames: The Mile High City, The Queen City of the Plains, The City of Silver and Gold
Metropolitan Area Population: 1,901,156 Description: Area within city limits, plus the suburbs of Arvada, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Aurora, Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Villages, Littleton, and Englewood Area: 9,741 sq km (3,761 sq mi) World population rank1: 199 Percentage of national population2: 0.6% Average yearly growth rate: 1.0% Ethnic composition: 90.1% white; 6.2% black; 2.9% Asian/Pacific Islander ——— 1. The Denver metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Denver metropolitan area.
Airports Denver International Airport, which opened in 1995, covers 137 square kilometers (53 square miles) and has five full-service runways. The airport, which served over 37 million passengers in 1999 and has a maximum capacity of 110 million passengers, is the second-largest hub nationwide for United Airlines. With “peaks” designed to represent the Rocky Mountains, the airport’s main terminal building has become one of Denver’s most prominent architectural landmarks.
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Shipping Thanks to its central location, Denver is a major commercial hub for ground transportation, serving four major rail carriers and more than 160 trucking companies, as well as air cargo carriers. It is estimated that more than 30 million people receive goods transported through Denver by air, rail, or truck every year. With its designation as a Free Trade Zone, the city is also a busy import and export center.
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Denver
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Denver 3
Getting Around
Downtown Denver is laid out in a grid pattern and bordered on the south by Colfax Avenue (the major east-west thoroughfare) and on the east by Broadway, running north-south. The downtown area is easy to negotiate. It is possible to walk from one end to the other in about a half-hour, and the mountains on the western horizon make it easy to get one’s bearings at all times. In the part of the city outside the immediate downtown area (which has its own grid pattern), avenues run from east to west while streets run northsouth. Bus and Commuter Rail Service Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) runs bus routes that carry passengers to every part of the urban area between the hours of 5:30 AM and 10:30 PM. The main bus station is located at Broadway and Colfax, next door to the Civic Center. The RTD also operates a light rail system along a limited route. The Cultural Connection Trolley (which is actually a bus) covers a downtown loop route that takes in many of the city’s major cultural attractions. Sightseeing Gray Line Tours operates out of the city’s main bus terminal at 19th Street and Arapahoe Street and offers sightseeing tours of Denver and the surrounding area. Half- and full-day scenic and historic tours are offered by Best Mountain Tours and Discover Colorado
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Tours. There is also a special tour available of the area’s brewpubs. 4
People
Denver is the nation’s twentieth most populous city. In 1990, the population of Denver was 468,000, of which 12.8 percent was black, 1.2 percent American Indian, and 2.4 percent Asian. Hispanics (both white and black) accounted for 23 percent of the population. As part of a larger statewide population boom, the city’s population has increased by 23 percent in the past decade; the current population is estimated at 510,000. The population of the Denver Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area was estimated at 1,901,156 in 1997. The region’s racial composition was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1996 as 90.1 percent white; 6.2 percent black; 2.9 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. The percentage of residents of Hispanic origin (an ethnic rather than a racial designation) was 14.2 percent. The median age of Denver’s residents is 32.9, slightly lower than the U.S. median age of 33.2. However, the age group that really stands out is the baby boomer generation: Denver has a greater percentage of boomers among its population than any other major U.S. city—32.8 percent (compared with 31.5 percent for its nearest competitor, Seattle).
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Denver
City Fact Comparison Denver (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
1,687,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1858
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$83
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$40
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$24
$14
$15
$16
$125
$173
$246
$207
2
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
Akhbar El Yom/ The Denver Post Al Akhbar 341,554
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1892
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
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Neighborhoods
Downtown Denver is divided into four main districts. To the south lies the Civic Center Park area. The park, which is the locale for Denver’s major annual festivities, is surrounded by museums and government buildings, and the state capitol building is located on a nearby hilltop. The heart of Denver’s business and theater districts is the 16th Street Mall, a mile-long pedestrian-only thoroughfare located a block away from Civic Center Park. A series of parks and shops line the mall, including Denver Pavilions, a recently completed entertain-
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ment complex whose attractions include a Hard Rock Cafe and 15 movie houses. The historic center of the city is the LoDo (short for Lower Downtown) district, a formerly run-down 26-block area where Victorian and late nineteenthcentury buildings have been restored and converted into retail and dining establishments, galleries, and lofts. This revitalization was spurred by the 1995 completion of Coors Field, the new home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, which brought crowds into the area and motivated entrepreneurs to develop it. Today the district is home to
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Denver
The majestic Rocky Mountains border Denver’s skyline. (Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau)
more than 40 art galleries, 80 sports bars, and numerous shops and restaurants. To the northwest lies South Platte Valley, located on land reclaimed from a floodplain. It is home to an amusement park, a world-class aquarium, a children’s museum, and the new Pepsi Center sports arena. In addition to the existing downtown districts, a new area called Commons Park is being planned northwest of Union Station, as well as further development in the Golden Triangle south of Civic Center Park.
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The metropolitan area spreads out in all directions from downtown Denver. To the north are the residential suburbs of Arvada, Northglenn, Westminster, and Thornton; Aurora is situated to the east; the western suburbs include Golden, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge; and the southern suburbs include Cherry Hills, Greenwood Villages, Littleton, and Englewood. 6
History
Permanent settlement of Denver began in 1858 when gold was discovered in small deposits along the South Platte River, near its junction with Cherry Creek. The area attracted pros-
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Denver pectors disappointed with the yields at Pike’s Peak, as well as gold-seekers newly arrived from the East. By 1867, Denver (named for an early territorial governor, James Denver) had been designated as a territorial capital. The city’s early years were marked by misfortunes that included two major fires, flooding, Indian attacks, and invasion by Confederate forces from Texas during the Civil War (1861–65). Denver also acquired a rather unsavory reputation as new gold discoveries drew a variety of colorful characters to the growing boomtown. However, by 1880, as gold discoveries were waning, gold was replaced by silver as the area’s primary source of wealth, and Denver’s growth accelerated. The city rebounded from a depression caused by a drop in silver prices in 1893 to become a bustling cosmopolitan center by the late nineteenth century, graced by parks, statues, mansions, and such landmarks as the Tabor Opera House, built by silver baron Horace Tabor. Approximately 30,000 trees were planted along the city’s boulevards, and 20,000 acres of land were acquired for its mountain park system. Denver’s rapid development and newfound sophistication led to the nickname “Queen City of the Plains.” In the early twentieth century, infrastructure improvements continued, and in 1928, with the opening of the Moffat Tunnel through the Rocky Mountains, the railroad provided a direct connection to the West Coast, spurring additional growth. (The transcontinental line of the Union Pacific
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Railroad had bypassed Colorado in the nineteenth century, but Denver built a rail line to meet the Union Pacific at Cheyenne, Wyoming.) With a direct link to the West, Denver became a hub for the nation’s rail lines and growing highway system. By World War II, the establishment of government agencies including the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Land Management helped spur a new surge in population, which continued through the 1950s, as the city’s climate and recreational opportunities sparked a building boom. Movement to the suburbs resulted in a drop in population in the 1960s, and the energy crisis of the 1970s also slowed the city’s growth. However, urban renewal and a new construction boom, beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1980s and 1990s, have changed the face of the city, giving it a modern, vibrant downtown with 16 skyscrapers constructed during the last decade alone. Denver’s downtown is now the nation’s tenth largest, and its population is double what it was in 1960. Major improvements continued in the 1990s with the construction of Coors Field, one of the country’s top baseball stadiums, and the large, modern Denver International Airport, both of which opened in 1995. The city continues to grow and modernize, with major development planned for the Commons Park area northwest of Union Station—including a series of pedestrian bridges over the South Platte River—and further development in the Golden Triangle district south of Civic Center Park. A major
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Denver enlargement of the city’s convention center is planned as well. 7
Government
Denver’s government administers both the city and county of Denver under a strong mayor, elected to a fouryear term, and a council whose 13 members are also elected for four years. 8
Public Safety
Denver is known for its clean, safe downtown area. The Denver Police Department, whose operations are organized into six districts, is the largest in the state of Colorado. In 1995, Denver police received reports of 861 violent crimes per 100,000 population, including 16 murders, 63 rapes, and 279 robberies. Property crimes reported numbered 6,012 and included 1,465 burglaries and 1,036 motor vehicle thefts. 9
Economy
After taking steps in the 1980s to reduce its dependence on the energy sector by diversification, Denver has thrived in the 1990s as a center for commerce and finance, a transportation hub, and a manufacturing center. It is home to major companies in fields including telecommunications and air transport as well as numerous government agencies and is also the major research center for alternative energy sources between the east and west coasts.
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The city has a well-educated work force and a low unemployment rate. Its standard of living is above the national average, and housing and health care costs are high (although utility costs and commercial lease rates are low compared to other parts of the country). The service sector employs the greatest number of people, followed by wholesale and retail trade, government, manufacturing, transportation and public utilities, and financial services. Goods manufactured in the Denver area include mining and farm machinery, fabricated metals, chemicals, scientific instruments, transportation equipment, rubber goods, feed and flour, luggage, and western clothing. 10
Environment
In spite of its association with the Rocky Mountains, Denver is actually built on a high plain and is one of the flattest cities in the United States. The two outstanding features of Denver’s environment are its proximity to the mountains and its altitude. The most prominent peak visible from the city is Mount Evans, at 4,346 meters (14,260 feet). On clear days, Pike’s Peak (97 kilometers/60 miles to the south) and Long’s Peak (80 kilometers/50 miles northwest) can also be seen. Denver’s altitude, which averages 1.6 kilometers (one mile) above sea level, ensures its residents a low level of air pollution and skies that appear bluer (also due to lower levels of water vapor). Water in Denver boils at 112°C (202°F) rather than the standard 118°C
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Denver (212°F), making a challenge out of cooking, or even brewing a good cup of coffee. On the other hand, the altitude lends itself to beer brewing, for which the city is famous.
United States, and the chain of multistory Gart Brothers sporting goods stores.
Denver also receives nearly 25 percent more ultraviolet radiation than cities at sea level, making it important for its residents to receive adequate protection from the sun.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Denver metropolitan area ranks first in the United States in terms of education, with the highest percentage of both high school and college graduates (92 percent and 35 percent respectively, compared to national averages of 82 percent and 23 percent).
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Shopping
Downtown Denver’s premier shopping venue is the 16th Street Mall, a lively and crowded mile-long pedestrian thoroughfare that is home to a wide variety of retail outlets. Most recently, it was expanded to include Denver Pavilions, a retail and entertainment complex that opened in the fall of 1998 and includes a Virgin Records Megastore, a Hard Rock Cafe, and a Barnes and Noble Superstore. The Tabor Center, at one end of the mall, is the locale for upscale retailers such as Brooks Brothers. Other downtown malls include Larimer Square, Writer Square, and Cherry Creek Mall, home to exclusive stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus, and Abercrombie and Fitch. The recently opened Park Meadows shopping complex, which includes Nordstrom, Dillard’s, and Foley’s, was designed to resemble a ski lodge and boasts a huge fireplace at the center of its main court. Notable Denver retailers include the three-story Tattered Cover Bookstore, which stakes a claim to be the largest independent bookstore in the
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
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Education
The Denver County School District operates 118 schools. In the fall of 1996, 66,331 students were enrolled in the system, which employed 3,198 classroom teachers and 7,117 staff personnel. The Denver metropolitan area is home to 14 four-year colleges, including the University of Denver, the University of Colorado at Denver, and Metropolitan State University. There are also eight two-year and community colleges and over 90 technical and vocational schools in the area, as well as the nontraditional Denver Free University. 13
Health Care
Denver’s fresh mountain air has long given it a reputation as a healthy place to live or spend time. The traditional association between mountains and the treatment of lung disorders provided the initial impetus for the founding of the National Jewish Hospital, today an internationally acclaimed center for research in and treatment of
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Denver respiratory diseases as well as allergic and immunological problems. In the 1990s Denver acquired a new claim to fame as a healthy place when a nationwide survey found that its residents are, on average, the thinnest in the United States, with fewer than 20 percent suffering from obesity, as compared with the national average of 50 percent. This finding has been attributed to the active lifestyle encouraged by the city’s weather and location. Considered the premier medical center of the Rocky Mountain region, Denver boasts over 20 major hospitals known for their research and treatment facilities, including Denver General Hospital, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, AMC Cancer Research Center, Rose Medical Center, Colorado Psychiatric Hospital, and Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center. 14
Media
Denver has two major daily newspapers, both published in the morning. Known for its in-depth reporting and quality columns, The Denver Post is widely regarded as Colorado’s top newspaper, as well as one of the best in the western part of the country. In the fall of 1998 it had a weekday circulation of 341,554 and a Sunday circulation of 484,657. The Denver Rocky Mountain News is older and more conservative than the Post. Founded in 1859, it is Colorado’s oldest newspaper. Its fall 1998 circulation was 331,978 weekdays and 432,931 on Sunday.
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Westword is Denver’s lively and sometimes controversial news and arts weekly. It is especially known for its comprehensive entertainment listings and its annual “Best of Denver” survey, published in June, which rates restaurants and a wide variety of other businesses and services. The Denver Business Journal is a business weekly, and numerous smaller neighborhood weeklies are published as well. Periodicals covering the Denver area include Colorado Country Life, Colorado Outdoors, Colorado Legionnaire, Colorado Rancher, and Farmer. The three major commercial networks and public television have affiliates in Denver, which has a total of nine major television stations as well as cable channels. Broadcasts by more than 45 AM and FM radio stations are received in the city and surrounding area. 15
Sports
Thanks to its pro sports facilities and opportunities for participant sports, Denver was named “Best Sports City” by The Sporting News in 1997. With major league teams in all professional sports, Denver has seen the approval and/or completion of three new major sports venues in the 1990s. Coors Field, the home of baseball’s National League Colorado Rockies (which began playing in Denver in 1993 in Mile High Stadium), opened in 1995 and hosted the all-star game in 1998. Acclaimed as one of the nation’s top new ball fields, it has also been the
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Denver
Coors Field, the new home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, was completed in 1995. (Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Parks and Recreation
centerpiece for the transformation of the LoDo (lower downtown) area.
16
The 20,000-seat Pepsi Center, which opened in the fall of 1999, is the new home of the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche, which won the 1996 Stanley Cup. A new $360 million football stadium to be built adjacent to the old Mile High Stadium is slated for completion in 2001 when it will become the home of Denver’s 1998 and 1999 Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos.
Public land open to all types of recreation accounts for roughly half the state of Colorado, which is home to two national parks, 11 national forests, 30 state parks, and three national recreation areas. Nearly 100 hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and ski trails operated by the Colorado State Trails Program pass through the Denver metropolitan area. The metro area also boasts over 200 parks with facilities for activities including picnicking, cycling, tennis, and swimming. Popular and accessible
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Denver ing. The high-profile ski resorts of Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge are easily accessible from the city, as well as lesser-known facilities that also offer world-class skiing, such as Arapahoe Basin. Between December and April, the Ski Train carries passengers from Union Station to Winter Park Ski Resort via the Moffat Tunnel through the mountains for a weekend of skiing. Bicycling is one of the most popular recreational activities in Denver, which has more than 724 kilometers (450 miles) of paved bicycle paths, including two that wind through the downtown area along the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Another major outdoor activity is golfing, and there are more than 70 golf courses in Denver, as well as over 143 public tennis courts. Punting (riding in a boat resembling a gondola) is available on Cherry Creek. Not only does Denver’s prime location near the Rockies provide unlimited recreational activity, but the city also boasts over 200 parks, including the popular Botanic Gardens. (Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau)
parks include City Park (also the location of the Denver Zoo and the Natural History Museum), Denver Botanic Gardens, Bear Creek Lake State Park, Cherry Creek Lake State Recreation Area, and Chatfield Lake State Recreation Area. Denver’s location near the Rocky Mountains makes skiing a prime recreational activity; numerous slopes can be reached in less than two hours of driv-
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Elitch Gardens and Amusement Park, which moved to a new site near Coors Field in 1995, offers 32 rides (including whitewater rafting), miniature golf, and other attractions. Lakeside Amusement Park is located just west of the city. 17
Performing Arts
With a total seating capacity of 10,800, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, home to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Ballet, and the Denver Theater Company, is the nation’s second-largest performing arts complex, surpassed only by Lincoln Center in New York City. The center’s
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Denver facilities, which occupy four city blocks, include the Auditorium Theatre, Boettcher Concert Hall (the nation’s first symphony-hall-in-the-round), and the Temple Buell Theater (a 2,800-seat venue for Broadway theater productions), as well as the world’s first laboratory for the study of the human voice. The Denver Center Theater Company, which is the leading repertory theater in the West, won the 1998 Tony award for best regional theater. The troupe produces 12 plays every season, on four different stages. The Changing Scene Theater supports up-and-coming talent by producing only world premieres. Since 1968, some 300 productions have been staged at the 76-seat facility, and some have gone on to successful runs in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. The theater has won grant support from such sources as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation. Besides the Performing Arts Complex, Denver has some 30 other theaters, as well as over 100 movie houses. The Lower Downtown area (LoDo) has become a thriving center for popular entertainment, including jazz, comedy, and dance. 18
Libraries and Museums
The Denver Public Library operates a central library downtown and 22 neighborhood branches. With a total of 1,882,487 book and government docu-
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
ment volumes and over five million items altogether, the library serves a population of over half a million and employs a staff of 453. Its special collections cover subject areas including Western history, fine printing, mountaineering, aeronautics, Napoleon, and folk music. The main library is housed in a new $64 million building completed in 1995. Its interior includes a three-story atrium, and the Western History Room has a rotunda that measures 24 meters (80 feet) in diameter and affords an outstanding view of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is home to a variety of museums, with collections in areas ranging from art to history to horticulture. The Denver Art Museum houses the world’s premier collection of American Indian art, including artworks from all tribes. The facility, which celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary in 1993, is the largest art museum between Kansas City and the West Coast. Many of its holdings are exhibited in a way that highlights connections between different cultures and societies. The Black American West Museum and Heritage Center explores the role African Americans played in settling the West. Other museums with Western themes are Buffalo Bill’s Grave and Museum, the Colorado History Museum, and the Museum of Western Art, which features works by artists including Georgia O’Keefe (1887–1986) and Frederic Remington(1861–1909). The Molly Brown House and Museum celebrates the life of this early feminist and heroine of the Titanic disaster. The museum is housed
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Denver in a restored Victorian mansion that Brown purchased with her husband in 1894. The Denver Museum of Natural History is the nation’s fourth-largest natural history museum and displays 80 dioramas portraying animals from all over the world. It also has a notable dinosaur collection, a planetarium, and an IMAX theater. The Children’s Museum of Denver is an interactive museum that offers a wide array of activities, including a computer lab and a grocery store. Denver’s other museums include the Museo de las Americas (which focuses on Latin American history and culture), the Forney Transportation Museum, and the Mizel Museum of Judaica. More than ten billion coins are struck at the U.S. Mint every year, and the basement has the second-largest storehouse of gold bullion in the nation after Fort Knox. The U.S. Mint has several public displays, including a real gold bar, and offers 30-minute tours that describe the coin-production process.
ballroom. Altogether, 29,000 hotel rooms.
Denver
has
In late 1999 Denver voters approved a construction project that will double the size of the Colorado Convention Center by 2003, adding new exhibit and meeting space, a new ballroom, a new 5,000-seat auditorium, and a parking garage. The expansion will make the convention center the sixth largest west of the Mississippi and the fifteenth largest in the country. Plans were also announced for major hotel expansion, with a 1,100room Marriott hotel to be built across the street from the convention center and a new 659-room Hilton hotel to go up at the site of the Denver Executive Tower Hotel. 20
Holidays and Festivals
JANUARY Denver Boat Show National Western Stock Show & Rodeo Blossoms of Lights Winterfest Weekends
FEBRUARY Denver Auto Show
19
To u r i s m
After an economic slowdown in the late 1980s, Denver had its highest hotel occupancy rate in eight years in 1997. The city has 5,200 hotel rooms within walking distance of the $125 million Colorado Convention Center. Opened in June 1990, the convention center has 9,300 square meters (100,000 square feet) of meeting space and a 3,255 square-meter (35,000 square-foot)
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FEBRUARY-MARCH Buffalo Bill’s Birthday Celebration
MARCH Denver March Pow Wow St. Patrick’s Day Parade
APRIL Rocky Mountain Children’s Book Festival
JUNE Bethesda Dutch Festival Capitol Hill People’s Fair Cherry Blossom Festival Greek Festival
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Denver International Buskerfest Juneteenth Festival
JUNE-AUGUST Renaissance Festival Summer Nights
JULY Cherry Creek Arts Festival Colorado Indian Market & Western Art Roundup Independence Day Celebration Winter Park Jazz Festival
JULY-AUGUST Theater in the Park
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
Bandleader Paul Whiteman (1890– 1967). Former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson (b. 1931). Actors Ward Bond (1903–1960), Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. (1883–1939), and Pat Hingle (b. 1923). Actress Barbara Rush (b. 1927). Comedian and actor Tim Allen (b. 1953).
Colorado State Fair
SEPTEMBER Festival of Mountain & Plain: A Taste of Colorado
22
OCTOBER
Websites
Boo at the Zoo Colorado Performing Arts Festival Denver International Film Festival Great American Beer Festival Oktoberfest Spirits of the Past
NOVEMBER Rocky Mountain Book Festival
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER Radio City Christmas Spectacular World’s Largest Christmas Lighting Display Winterfest Weekends
DECEMBER First Night Colorado Parade of Lights Wild Lights Blossoms of Lights
Famous Citizens
For Further Study
Denver City Net. [Online] Available http:// city.net/countries/united_states/colorado/ denver (accessed November 29, 1999). Denver City Pages. [Online] Available http:// denver.thelinks.com/ (accessed November 29, 1999). Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau site. [Online] Available http:// www.denver.rog/media/releases (accessed November 29, 1999). Denver Online. [Online] Available http:// www.denveronline.com (accessed November 29, 1999).
Government Offices Denver City Hall 1437 Bannock St. Denver, CO 80202 (303) 640–5555
Famous natives and residents of Denver include:
Denver County 1437Bannock St. Denver, CO 80202 (303) 640–2628
Feminist and Titanic heroine (“the unsinkable”) Molly Brown (1867– 1932).
Mayor’s Office 1437 Bannock St., Rm. 350 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 640–2721
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Denver Tourist and Convention Bureaus Colorado Convention Center 700 14th St. Denver, CO 80202 (303) 640–8799 Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau 1555 California St., Suite 300 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 892–1112
Publications Denver Business Journal 1700 Broadway Denver, CO 80290 Denver Post 1560 Broadway Denver, CO 80202 Rocky Mountain News 400 W. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80204
Books Alley, Jean, and Hartley Alley. Colorado Cycling Guide. Boulder: Pruett Publishing, 1990.
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Caruso, Laura, and Robert Ebisch. 1st ed. The Insiders' Guide to Denver. Boulder: Boulder Publishing Co. ,1997. Denver: A Picture Book to Remember Her By. New York: Crescent Books, 1987. Green, Stewart M. Walking Denver. Helena, MT: Falcon Pub., 1998. Halls, Kelly Milner. Kids Go! Denver: A FunPacked, Fact-Filled, Travel and Activity Book. Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1996. Hornby, William H. Voice of Empire : A Centennial Sketch of The Denver Post. Denver: Colorado Historical Society, 1992. Iversen, Kristen. Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth. Foreword by Muffet Brown. Boulder: Johnson Books, 1999. Leonard, Stephen, and Thomas J. Noel. Denver: Mining Camp to Metropolis. 1st ed. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1990. Ludmer, Larry. Colorado Guide. New York: Open Road Publishing, 1998. Mar, M. Elaine. Paper Daughter: A Memoir. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. Noel, Thomas J. Denver Landmarks and Historic District: A Pictorial Guide. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1996.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Glossary ABOLITIONIST: Person or organization that opposes slavery. When slavery was legal, abolitionists fought to have laws created to make keeping slaves illegal. ADMINISTRATION: Government officials and the policies by which they govern. AIR POLLUTION: Harmful chemicals discharged into the air, making it unclean and sometimes unsafe. ALLIES: Groups or persons who are united in a common purpose. Typically used to describe nations that have joined together to fight a common enemy in war. In World War I, the term Allies described the nations that fought against Germany and its allies. In World War II, Allies described the United Kingdom, United States, the USSR and their allies, who fought against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. AMALGAM: A mixture of different things. ANCHORAGE: Settling or staying in place by means of holding on to something. ANNEXATION: The act of adding on a smaller thing to a larger thing. ANNUAL MEAN TEMPERATURE: The temperature that falls at the middle of the range of high and low temperatures for the entire year. ANTI-SEMITISM: Fear or hatred of Jews. APARTHEID: The past governmental policy in the Republic of South Africa of separating the races in society. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS: Relics and artifacts left by past cultures. BOROUGH: District or large section of a city, especially New York, New York. BUDDHISM: A religious system common in India and eastern Asia. Founded by and based upon the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddhism asserts that suffering is an inescapable part of life. Deliverance can only be achieved through the practice of charity, temperance, justice, honesty, and truth. CABARET: A restaurant or nightclub with short musical performances with singing and dancing as entertainment. CADENCE: Any rhythmic flow of sound or measured movement to a rhythm or beat. CANTON: A territory or small division or state within a country. COMMUNISM: A form of government whose system requires common ownership of property for the use of all citizens. All profits are to be equally dis-
tributed and prices on goods and services are usually set by the state. Also, communism refers directly to the official doctrine of the former U.S.S.R. COSMOPOLITAN: Containing elements of all or many parts of the world. COUT D’ÉTAT OR COUP: A sudden, violent overthrow of a government or its leader. CULTURE: The ideas and typical habits of a group of people. DAILY CIRCULATION: Number of newspapers or other publications that are distributed each day. DIALECT: One of a number of regional or related modes of speech regarded as descending from a common origin. DIVERSITY: Variety; a mixture of different or dissimilar elements, items, or people. ENDEMIC: Anything that is peculiar to and characteristic of a locality or region. ENTREPRENEUR: Someone who starts and operates a small business. ETHNIC: Referring to a group of people with the same cultural heritage. FEDERAL: Pertaining to a union of states whose governments are subordinate to a central government. FEZ: A cone-shaped felt hat with no brim and a flat top, from which a long tassel hangs; the national headdress for men in Turkey. FUNICULAR: Hanging from or worked by pulling up and lowering of ropes or cables. GLOBAL ECONOMY: Relating to the economic situation (management of wealth and resources) of the whole world as a single community. GOLD RUSH: Describes people traveling in a hurry to a place where gold was discovered. GREENWICH MEAN TIME (GMT): Mean solar time of the meridian at Greenwich, England, used as the basis for standard time throughout most of the world. The world is divided into 24 time zones, and all are related to the prime, or Greenwich mean, zone. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP): A measure of the market value of all goods and services produced within the boundaries of a nation, regardless of asset ownership. Unlike gross national product, GDP excludes receipts from that nation’s business operations in foreign countries. GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (GNP): A measure of the market value of goods and services produced by the labor and property of a nation. Includes receipts from that nation’s business operation in foreign countries
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GLOSSARY HERESY: An opinion believed to contradict a basic
NATIONALIST: Person or government policy that
law of a religion. INDIGENOUS: People, plants, and animals that lived in a place from ancient times. Also called native people, plants, and animals. INHABITED: Lived in. INQUISITION: A general tribunal, or court, established in the thirteenth century for the discovery and suppression of heresy and the punishment of those who were guilty of heresy (called heretics). ISLAM: The religious system of Mohammed, practiced by Muslims and based on a belief in Allah as the supreme being and Muhammad as his prophet. The spelling variations, Moslim and Mohammed, are also used. Islam also refers to those nations in which it is the primary religion. LABYRINTHINE: Curving in an intricate or confusing pattern; curvy, like a snake. MAGNATE: Important person, or person with special influence. MELANESIAN: The native or original inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean south of the equator, including the Fiji Islands. METRO: Short form of metropolitan, usually used with a city name. For example, metro Detroit describes the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. METROPOLIS: Large city or center of population. METROPOLITAN: Term used to describe a city and its area of influence. For example, “metropolitan Detroit” refers to the city of Detroit and its surrounding area.
puts the needs and interests of the country first over the needs and interests of the other countries or international groups. PER CAPITA: Literally, per person; for each person counted. PHILANTHROPIST: Person who gives large sums of his or her own money to benefit community organizations or institutions. POLYNESIAN: The native or original inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, and New Zealand. PRE-COLUMBIAN: Refers to the time in the history of North and South America before the arrival of Europeans (before 1492). Named for the first European to reach the Western hemisphere, Christopher Columbus. PROGRESSIVE: Person or government that is open to new ideas and willing to move forward or change habits or practices. PROTESTANT: A member or an adherent of one of those Christian bodies which descended from the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Originally applied to those who opposed or protested the Roman Catholic Church. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: The designation of the church of which the pope or Bishop of Rome is the head, and that holds him as the successor of St. Peter and heir of his spiritual authority, privileges, and gifts. RURAL: Describes landscape of the countryside, with large areas of open space and few roads and buildings covering the land. SOUTHEAST ASIA: The region in Asia that consists of the Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. SUBURB: Community on the edge of a large city where people live. People who live in a suburb usually travel to the city to work. SULTAN: A king of a Muslim (Islamic) state. TREATY: A negotiated agreement between two governments. URBAN: City landscape, with streets and buildings covering most of the area. VISIONARY: Person who can imagine positive changes and can explain the possible results to others. XENOPHOBIA: Fear or intense dislike of people from other places. ZENITH: The high point.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA (MSA): Official term used by government agencies to define the city and its surrounding communities. The MSA describes the area included when gathering and reporting statistics. MILITARY COUP: A sudden, violent overthrow of a government by military forces. MILLENNIUM: 1,000 years. Also used to refer to the one-thousandth anniversary of an event. MISSIONARIES: People who travel to, and often live in, another area for the purpose of teaching the inhabitants there their religious beliefs. MOBILITY: The freedom and ability to move from one area or region to another. MOSQUE: An Islam place of worship and the organization with which it is connected. MUSLIM: Name used to describe people who observe the religious rules of Islam.
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Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of
World Cities
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of
World Cities VOLUME
2
Detroit, Michigan to Madrid, Spain
Edited by Jill Copolla and Susan Bevan Gall
J U N I O R WO R L D M A R K E N C Y C L O P E D I A O F W O R L D C I T I E S
U•X•L Staff Allison McNeill, U•X•L Senior Editor Carol DeKane Nagel, U•X•L Managing Editor Thomas L. Romig, U•X•L Publisher Dorothy Maki, Manufacturing Manager Evi Seoud, Assistant Production Manager Rita Wimberley, Senior Buyer Pamela A.E. Galbreath, Art Director This publication is a creative work copyrighted by U•X•L and fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. The authors and editors of this work have added value to the underlying factual material herein through one or more of the following: unique and original selection, coordination, expression, arrangement, and classification of the information. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Copyright © 2000 U•X•L An imprint of the Gale Group All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Printed in United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cover photos (top to bottom): Paris, France: Louvre (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp) Monrovia, Liberia: Redemption Day Celebration (EPD/Homer Sykes; Woodfin Camp) Tokyo, Japan: Kids with skateboards (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp) Lima, Peru: Market (EPD/Robert Frerck; Woodfin Camp) Washington, DC: Lincoln Memorial (EPD/Catherine Karnow; Woodfin Camp)
Susan Bevan Gall and Jill Marie Coppola, Editors Timothy L. Gall, Executive Editor Mary Francis Sugar, Eleftherios E. Netos, Jennifer Wallace, James C. Woodring, Associate Editors Bridgette M. Nadzam, Graphics and Page Layout Gregory M. Hurst, Editorial Assistant Magellan Geographix, Cartographers
Contributors Olufemi A. Akinola, Ph.D. W.E.B. DuBois Institute, Harvard University Cynthia Andrews. Researcher/Writer, Suttons Bay, Michigan Mike Cikraji. Researcher/Writer, Bay Village, Ohio Patricia Hale. Researcher/Writer, West Hartford, Connecticut Bruce Heilman. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Jim Henry. Researcher/Writer, Chicago, Illinois William Hodgson. Researcher/Writer, Vancouver, British Columbia Dave Hribar. Researcher/Writer, Avon Lake, Ohio Ignacio Lobos. Journalist, Honolulu, Hawaii Deryck O. Lodrick, Ph.D. Visiting Scholar, Center for South Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley Lupa Ramadhani. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gail Rosewater. Researcher/Writer, Cleveland, Ohio Carmen Urdaneta, M.A. Researcher/Writer, Boston, Massachusetts Jeffrey Vance. Researcher/Writer, Brighton, Massachusetts Rosalie Wieder. Researcher/Writer, Cleveland, Ohio Steven Wolinetz, Ph.D. Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland
CONTENTS C I T Y F I N D E R TA B L E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii R E A D E R ’S G U I D E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix DETROIT, MICHIGAN ............................................................... 1 H O N G K O N G , C H I N A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 H O N O L U L U , H A W A I I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 H O U S T O N , TE X A S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 I N D I A N A P O L I S , I N D I A N A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 I S T A N B U L , TU R K E Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 J E R U S A L E M , I S R A E L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 J O H A N N E S B U R G , S O U T H A F R I C A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 L A G O S , N I G E R I A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 L I M A , P E R U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 L O N D O N , E N G L A N D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 L O S A N G E L E S , C A L I F O R N I A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 M A D R I D , S P A I N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 G L O S S A R Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
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C I T Y F I N D E R TA B L E Volume number appears in brackets []
Toronto, Ontario .......................[4]151 Vancouver, British Columbia......[4]169
Africa
Mexico
Cairo, Egypt .............................[1]115 Johannesburg, South Africa ......[2]123 Lagos, Nigeria ...........................[2]139 Monrovia, Liberia........................[3]69 Nairobi, Kenya ..........................[3]115
Mexico City, Mexico....................[3]19
United States Atlanta, Georgia ...........................[1]1 Boston, Massachusetts .................[1]65 Chicago, Illinois ........................[1]145 Cleveland, Ohio ........................[1]161 Dallas, Texas .............................[1]177 Denver, Colorado.......................[1]191 Detroit, Michigan ..........................[2]1 Honolulu, Hawaii ........................[2]39 Houston, Texas ............................[2]57 Indianapolis, Indiana ..................[2]77 Los Angeles, California ..............[2]189 Miami, Florida.............................[3]37 Minneapolis, Minnesota .............[3]53 Nashville, Tennessee ..................[3]137 New Orleans, Louisiana.............[3]153 New York, New York ................[3]173 Phoenix, Arizona .........................[4]19 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .............[4]1 San Francisco, California .............[4]85 Seattle, Washington....................[4]101 Washington, D.C..........................[4]18
Asia Bangkok, Thailand ......................[1]17 Beijing, China ..............................[1]33 Hong Kong, China.......................[2]21 Istanbul, Turkey ..........................[2]93 Jerusalem, Israel.........................[2]107 Manila, Philippines .......................[3]1 Mumbai (Bombay), India.............[3]99 Sydney, Australia .......................[4]117 Tokyo, Japan ............................[4]133
Europe Berlin, Germany...........................[1]49 Brussels, Belgium ........................[1]83 Istanbul, Turkey...........................[2]93 London, United Kingdom .........[2]169 Madrid, Spain ...........................[2]205 Paris, France ..............................[3]195 Prague, Czech Republic ...............[4]35 Rome, Italy ..................................[4]63
South America Buenos Aires, Argentina...............[1]97 Caracas, Venezuela ...................[1]131 Lima, Peru ................................[2]155 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ..................[4]49
North America Canada Montréal, Québec .......................[3]83
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R E A D E R ’S G U I D E this Reader’s Guide, all of whom offered substantive insights that were instrumental to the creation of this work. The editors are extremely grateful for the time and effort these distinguished reviewers devoted to improving the quality of this work. Sixteen researchers, many of whom live in the city they profiled, are listed on the staff page. Their well-researched profiles give users of Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities an opportunity to compare the history and contemporary life in 50 of the world’s greatest cities—from the ancient cities of Cairo, Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey, to the fast-growing modern metropolitan communities of Lagos, Nigeria; Sydney, Australia; and Seattle, Washington.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities presents profiles of 50 major cities from around the world, arranged alphabetically in four volumes. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities is a new reference work organized under the Worldmark design. The Worldmark design assembles facts and data about each city in a common structure. Every profile contains a map, showing the city and its location. The challenging task of selecting the cities to be profiled in this first edition of Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities was accomplished with input from librarian advisors. From a list of over 100 candidate cities, 50 were selected to represent the continents and cultures of the world, with an emphasis on cities of the United States. Twenty-five cities from North America (including 21 U.S. cities) are profiled, 9 cities from Asia, 7 cities from Europe, 5 cities from Africa, and 4 from South America fill the four volumes. Profiles present text and graphical elements, including photographs, with the needs and interests of student researchers in mind. Recognition must be given to the many tourist bureaus, convention centers, city government press offices, and graphic agencies that contributed the data and photographs that comprise this encyclopedia. This edition also benefits from the work of the reviewers listed at the end of
Sources Due to the broad scope of this encyclopedia many sources were consulted in compiling the information and statistics presented in these volumes. Of primary importance were the official web sites posted by many of the cities’ government offices and tourist/convention bureaus on the World Wide Web. Also instrumental in the development of this publication was the web site of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, available at http://www.census.gov/. Finally, many fact sheets, booklets, and statistical abstracts were used to update
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READER’S GUIDE data not collected by federal or city governments. Profile Features The structure of the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities entries—22 numbered headings—allows students to compare two or more cities in a variety of ways. Each city profile begins with the city name, state or province (where applicable), country, and continent. A city fact box provides information including dates founded and incorporated, city location, official city motto and flower, time zone, ethnic composition, city elevation, latitude and longitude, coastline (where applicable), climate information, annual mean temperature, seasonal average snowfall (where applicable), average annual precipitation, form of government, system of weights and measures used, monetary units, telephone area codes, and city postal codes. Where available, a picture of both the city seal and the city flag, with description, appear. With regard to the time zone, the standard time is given by time zone in relation to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The world is divided into 24 time zones, each one hour apart. The Greenwich meridian, which is 0 degrees, passes through Greenwich, England, a suburb of London. Greenwich is at the center of the initial time zone, known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). All times given are converted from noon in this zone. The time reported for the city is the official time zone. Also provided in each article is a Population Profile box comparing the city proper with its greater metropolitan
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area, including suburbs (where available), and lists facts such as population, racial breakdown, and nicknames. Profiles also include a City Fact Comparison box, comparing daily costs of visiting the city with costs for visiting representative cities elsewhere in the world (Cairo, Egypt; Rome, Italy; and Beijing, China). City maps, locator maps, and photos complement the entries. The body of each city’s profile is arranged in 22 numbered headings as follows: 1
INTRODUCTION. The city’s location
is described. City features are outlined, sometimes citing key facts from city history and major attractions. 2
GETTING THERE. Information is pro-
vided on major highways offering access into and around the city, as well as information on bus and railroad service, airports, and shipping. 3
GETTING AROUND. Information is
outlined on means of transportation within a city, including bus and commuter rail service; some entries include transportation modes that will be less familiar to many student researchers, such as the three-wheeled tuk-tuk of Bangkok, Thailand. Both commuter and sightseeing transportation methods are included. 4
PEOPLE. A population count is pro-
vided for the city proper and its metropolitan area, along with an ethnic/racial breakdown of the populace. For many cities, population growth patterns, languages, and religions are also discussed 5 NEIGHBORHOODS. Location, characteristics, and attractions of city historic
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
READER’S GUIDE and ethnic neighborhoods, and business and cultural districts are described. 6 HISTORY. City history is detailed from its founding to the present. 7
GOVERNMENT. Style of government
is described, and elected offices are listed, along with a description of each office and length of an elected term. 8 PUBLIC SAFETY. Police, fire, and ambulatory services are outlined, as well as any special city safety projects. Crime rate statistics are also listed. 9 ECONOMY. This section presents the key elements of the economy. Major industries and employment figures are also summarized.
Topography, climate, and flora and fauna are described, as well as any environmental concerns, programs, or clean-up efforts. 10
ENVIRONMENT.
11 SHOPPING. Popular shopping districts and venues are described, as well as any specialty items for which the city is renowned. 12 EDUCATION. Information about public education and key universities and technical institutes is detailed. 13 HEALTH CARE. Hospitals and other health services are described. Alternative or non-Western health care practices are described in some city profiles. 14
MEDIA. City newspapers, magazines,
television, and radio stations are listed. Where applicable, government influence on media is discussed.
15 SPORTS. Professional and amateur sports—from auto racing and rodeo to cricket and baseball—sports venues, and championships held are listed. Annual sporting events, major international tournaments, and popular recreational sports are also described. 16 PARKS AND RECREATION. Popular recreational activities and city pastimes, from strolling in a city park to playing polo, and the venues where they can be enjoyed, are detailed. 17 PERFORMING ARTS. Performing arts offered in the city are described, as well as the theaters and performing arts halls where they are offered. Notable annual events are listed. 18 LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. Notable libraries and descriptions of their holdings are described. Major museums, with information about their collections, are listed. 19
TOURISM. The importance of tourism
to the city is summarized, along with factors affecting the tourism industry. Key tourist attractions are listed. 20
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS. Annu-
ally celebrated holidays and events are listed. 21
F A M O U S C I T I Z E N S . Famous peo-
ple who were born or lived in the city are listed, along with birth and death dates and short biographical descriptions. Bibliographic listings are provided at the end of each profile as a guide for accessing further information. Included are Web sites, 22
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
FOR
FURTHER
STUDY.
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READER’S GUIDE government offices, tourist and convention bureaus, major city publications, and books about the city and its history. Because some terms used in this encyclopedia will be new to students, each volume includes a glossary. A keyword index to all four volumes appears in Volume 4. Acknowledgments The editors are indebted to the following reviewers, without whom Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities would not have been possible. The individuals listed below were consulted on the content and structure of this encyclopedia. Their insights, opinions, and suggestions led to many enhancements and improvements in the presentation of the material. Ken Cornwell, Library Media Specialist, Northeast High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
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Cindy Doll, Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, Ohio Marilyn Eanes, School Library Media Specialist, Hopewell Middle School, Round Rock, Texas Jane Thomas, Library Manager, McNeil High School, Austin, Texas Glenda Willnerd, School Librarian, Lincoln High School, Lincoln, Nebraska Comments and Suggestions We welcome your comments on the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities, as well as your suggestions for cities to be included in future editions. Please write: Editors, Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities, U•X•L, 27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331– 3535; call toll-free: 1-800-877-4253; or send e-mail via www.galegroup.com.
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Detroit Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, North America Founded: 1701; Incorporated: 1802 (Village), 1815 (City) Location: Southeastern border of Michigan, where the Detroit River separates the United States and Canada. Because of a bend in the river, Detroit is directly north of Windsor, Ontario. Motto: “Resurget Cineribus” (It shall rise again from the ashes) and “Speramus Meliora” (We hope for better things) Flower: Apple Blossom (Pyrus coronaria) Time Zone: 7 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Ethnic Composition: White 21.6%, Black 75.7%, American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut 0.4%, Asian and Pacific Islander 0.8%, Other 1.5% (1990 Census) Elevation: 585 feet above sea level Coastline: Michigan has 3,288 miles of shoreline. Climate: Winters are cold; summers are hot and humid. Annual Mean Temperature: 48.6°F; January, 28.1°F; July 72.3°F Annual Precipitation: 30.97 in (787 mm) Government: Mayor-council Weights and Measures: Standard U.S. Monetary Unit: Standard U.S. Telephone Area Codes: 313, 810, 248, 734 Postal Codes: 48201–48240, 48242–48244
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Introduction
The metropolitan city of Detroit is a combination of old and new and often is associated with adjectives like dynamic, bustling, and progressive. A history peppered with ethnic richness grants Detroit an edge. It is a strong city, thriving with people, and a genuine delight for the senses. Art makes a statement—whether it is music from an area pub, aromas from street vendors, or vivid murals and architecture. Economically, Detroit has come a long way from the fur trapping days of French soldiers, traders, and missionaries. The vision of its founder, Antoine
de la Mothe Cadillac, was for this fort on the strait to grow into a thriving trade center. What he could not have known is that not only would the trading post succeed, but the settlement would eventually become the anchor of a tri-county area with more than four million culturally diverse people. 2
Getting There
Located in Southeastern Michigan, Detroit is the largest city in the state. It is a well-designed city. Transportation flows smoothly, like the spokes of the wheel it represents. The street signs are generally visible; entrance and exit ramps are clearly identified, and moni-
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Detroit Airports
Detroit Population Profile City Proper Population: 1,514,000 Area: 360.6 sq km (138.7 sq mi) Ethnic composition: 21.6% white;75.7% black; 0.4% American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut; 0.8%, Asian and Pacific Islander; 1.5% other Nicknames: Arsenal of Democracy, The Motor City, Motown
Metropolitan Area Population: 3,785,000 Description: City and suburbs in three-county area World population rank1: 66 Percentage of national population2: 1.4% Average yearly growth rate: 0.3% ——— 1. The Detroit metropolitan area’s rank among the world’s urban areas. 2. The percent of the total US population living in the Detroit metropolitan area.
tored parking is available. None of this should be a surprise in the automobile capital of the world. Highways Served by several interstate highways and a number of additional limited-access expressways, Detroit’s freeway system, designed in the 1950s, is one of the most efficient in the country. Networks of six-lane freeways weave across city boundaries. Drivers can access the city from either north or south on Interstate-75 or US-10; east and westbound expressways include Interstates 696, 96, and 94.
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Detroit is also home to two major airports: Wayne County Metropolitan Airport and City Airport. Wayne County Airport is a regional center for Northwest Airlines and is the world’s 14th busiest airport. Located 29 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of downtown, it is a major international business and leisure travel hub with 1,200 scheduled departures and landings per day. Geographically, Detroit is about a 90minute or less flight to over 60 percent of the United States. A $1.6 billion expansion project that began in 1996 includes new construction and improvements to the three existing terminals. The scheduled project completion year is 2001. All major domestic airline carriers and three international carriers offer service from this locale. Detroit City Airport is located about 16 kilometers (ten miles) from downtown and offers both private and commercial passenger service. 3
Getting Around
The early 1900s found the first mile of concrete pavement in the United States on Woodward Avenue, and the tide of transportation has moved forward ever since. The main arteries that frame and connect the city include the famous avenues of Woodward, Jefferson, Michigan, Grand River, and Gratiot. One of the better-known boulevards is named after Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist who settled in Detroit. With industrial-
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Detroit
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
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Detroit ization exploding, the late 1920s found tunnel and bridge access, commencing with the opening of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge. Easy mobility has always been a priority for the city’s visionaries. Public transportation by taxi, bus, train, and trolley is readily available. Bus and Commuter Rail Service The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) has distinctive green and yellow bus stations and runs a prompt schedule on a fixed route. Most routes operate during the day and evenings until 1 AM. The fare is $1.25; transfers are 25 cents. Tickets can be purchased at Comerica Bank branches. The Downtown Detroit Trolley operates authentic trolley cars, manufactured from 1895 through the 1920s, along Jefferson Avenue and Washington Boulevard, between the Renaissance Center and Grand Circus Park. Correct change is required for the 50cent fare. The People Mover is transportation by monorail on an elevated track that encompasses a three-mile radius. Another economic 50-cent fare allows a bird’s-eye view of the city. Normal business hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 AM–11 PM, Friday and Saturday until midnight, and Sunday until 8 PM. Token machines are at every station, but hours of operation may change. The buses for Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), located at 660 Woodward Avenue, run a flexible agenda and vari-
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ous routes between Detroit and its surrounding suburbs to accommodate the lifestyles of its passengers. Whether heading to the office, shopping malls, or major attractions, SMART transports for $1.50 fare. Customer Service is open from 6:30 AM until 6 PM. Sightseeing A vacation means sights, sounds, and flavors. Visitors can have it all by sightseeing on foot. Enjoy a coney dog, a walk through Hart Plaza, and a visit to “The Fist,” Robert Graham’s 7-meter (24-foot) sculpture commemorating Detroit boxer Joe Louis at Woodward and Jefferson Avenue. Take a city bus down Woodward to the Campus Martius area and view the figure of “Emancipation," modeled after Sojourner Truth, the nineteenth-century abolitionist and feminist who is rumored to have lived in the area at the time. The outdoor plazas and sidewalks invite bicycles and roller blades, and summer months find the streets filled with people and activity. 4
People
Detroit is defined by its people. A culturally diverse population, the city’s character has been defined and redefined by wave after wave of immigrants from all over the world, many of whom arrived with hope for a new and better life. The reality, however, is that some ethnic minority groups and illegal immigrants are among the city’s less privileged people, living in deprived inner-city neighborhoods.
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Detroit
City Fact Comparison Detroit (United States)
Cairo (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Beijing (China)
Population of urban area1
3,785,000
10,772,000
2,688,000
12,033,000
Date the city was founded
1701
753 BC
723 BC
Indicator
Daily costs to visit the
AD
969
city2
Hotel (single occupancy)
$109
$193
$172
$129
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
$44
$56
$59
$62
Incidentals (laundry, dry cleaning, etc.)
$26
$14
$15
$16
$155
$173
$246
$207
2
13
20
11
La Repubblica
Renmin Ribao
Total daily costs (hotel, meals, incidentals) Major Newspapers3 Number of newspapers serving the city Largest newspaper Circulation of largest newspaper Date largest newspaper was established
The Detroit Free Akhbar El Yom/ Press Al Akhbar 278,286
1,159,339
754,930
3,000,000
1831
1944
1976
1948
1 United
Nations population estimates for the year 2000. maximum amount the U.S. Government reimburses its employees for business travel. The lodging portion of the allowance is based on the cost for a single room at a moderately-priced hotel. The meal portion is based on the costs of an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner including taxes, service charges, and customary tips. Incidental travel expenses include such things as laundry and dry cleaning. 3 David Maddux, ed. Editor&Publisher International Year Book. New York: The Editor&Publisher Company, 1999. 2 The
The latest figures indicate Detroit’s current population is approximately one million. Included in that figure is a spectrum of personalities. In 1834, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Detroit Diocese arrived, Bishop Frederick Rese. A century later, the city’s first policewoman was appointed; Gar Wood won the international prize for unlimited powerboat racing; and in 1937, Joe Louis emerged as the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The early 1960s found newly elected Mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh changing Detroit’s image. A favorite of the national press and Democratic administration in Washington, D.C., Mayor Cavanaugh
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aided Detroit on the road to racial peace. Shrewd political moves brought an acknowledged and successful administration to its peak. In response, federal assistance, in the amount of $360 million, began pouring into the city. Civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., debuted his “I Have a Dream" speech on the streets of Detroit in 1963. Currently, the professionals who reside or work in Detroit demonstrate community ideals. At a grass roots level, many citizens are involved in civic affairs, local sports, or social activities. With culture, education, and growing
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Detroit
Detroit lies directly north of Windsor, Ontario, separated by the Detroit River. (Dale Fisher; Metropolitan Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau)
prosperity, employment is at an all time high. 5
Neighborhoods
Detroit neighborhoods are evolving. Mayor Albert Cobo began a slum clearance in the 1950s that led to private development of cleared lands. His administration had direct bearing upon future urban development. The 1960s endured public housing changes and a shocking crime wave that proved painful, indeed. But, Mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh brought economic growth and prosperity to a formerly distressed city. In the 1970s Coleman Young promoted the city as a model of social
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progress. Today, median housing value is $69,260, and owner-occupied (single family) housing is approximately 70 percent, one of the highest in the country. Still prospering, the locals and immigrants who continue to migrate into the Detroit area keep the economic structure developing. Greektown is admirably well known, and metro Detroit has a significant Polish influence. The enclave city of Hamtramck is known for authentic cuisine, as well as a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1987. To the west, Dearborn is home to the largest Arabic community in the
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Detroit world outside the Middle East. On the east side, small Italian neighborhood markets have evolved into major building and manufacturing companies. Not far from historic Tiger Stadium is Mexicantown, where a growing number of Hispanic communities are flourishing. Oakland County is home to a steadily expanding number of Russian Jewish immigrants, while the Metropolitan Airport area and southern Wayne County are attracting Japanese families. Further south, along the Detroit River from Wyandotte to Grosse Ile, are communities rich in Hungarian and Polish traditions. Suitably, the distinct mix of people make metro Detroit a cosmopolitan map of the world. 6
History
Historically, the Civic Center in downtown Detroit started as a fur trading post and grew into a frontier military station. Cadillac Square was formed with 1-meter (3-foot) flagstones before it was paved, and the marketplace sold produce and goods, much like the Eastern Market today.
the American Flag was raised over Fort Pontchartrain. A devastating fire swept Detroit in 1805 that destroyed each one of its 200 structures and left only a stone warehouse standing. Following the War of 1812, the development of the steamboat, and the opening of the Erie Canal, Detroit began to experience dramatic growth again and finally was incorporated as a city in 1815. By the time Michigan was admitted to the Union as the twenty-sixth state in 1837, Detroit had become a significant station on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret system that helped fugitive slaves reach freedom in the northern states and Canada. Eight years later, the city was honored to hold President Andrew Jackson’s funeral.
The city of Detroit was founded on July 24, 1701, by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. With a pledge of patriotism, he demonstrated community ideals and the courage to foster them.
With the dawning of the Industrial Age, new products surfaced, and the manufacture of stove and kitchen ranges became Detroit’s leading industry. Tastefully complimenting the ranges, additional consumable products emerged, like Vernors Ginger Ale, Stroh’s Beer, and the famous Sanders candy, cakes, and ice cream. Having all the goods, Detroit needed a place to promote their treats, and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau was born, the world’s first such organization.
In the middle 1700s, Detroit was turned over to the British as a spoil of the French and Indian War (1755– 1763), but by 1796, George Washington forced the British out of the city and
With the population rapidly multiplying, communities and businesses were prospering. Ford Motor Company was established, and the introduction of the assembly line revolutionized the
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Detroit auto industry. Detroit put America on wheels. The daily wage paid five dollars. The year was 1921, and the Detroit Times newspaper was purchased by William Randolph Hearst. Making headlines was nothing new to Detroit. The following decade brought with it the retirement of baseball’s great Ty Cobb, the grand opening of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the unveiling of the Ambassador Bridge. The bridge connected Detroit to Canada and was hailed as the longest international suspension span in the world. Complementing the bridge, travelers could also gain international entry to Canada via the new Windsor Tunnel. Business for Detroit merchants boomed until the Great Depression, which temporarily slowed the city’s progress. But in the world of sports, there was no depression. Detroit teams were still making headlines. In 1935, the Tigers captured the World Series; the Lions were National Football League champions; and the Red Wings won hockey’s Stanley Cup. Detroit was riding high, and the world was still watching. In 1937, Mr. Joe Louis Barrow (Joe Lewis), the Brown Bomber, won the world’s heavyweight boxing championship. On the eve of World War II (1939–1945), Joe Louis was a good guy to have on your side. During World War II, Detroit played a key role as the nation’s “Arsenal of Democracy.” Economic growth during the mid 1940s placed Detroit at the forefront of the nation’s industrial fields, including salt products, electric
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refrigeration, seeds, adding machines, stove manufacturing, and of course, automobiles. In turn, the city engineers designed a massive freeway system to transport the fruits of the automobile industry. However, for progress there was a price. Many public housing units were destroyed in order to accommodate the planned freeway expansion. Public housing residents were evicted and offered no plan for relocation. The city of Detroit did not comply with the Federal Housing Act 048, which required alternative housing for dislocated renters. In effect, the city created 17,000 refugees and wide distrust for local government. Thereafter, the city’s middleincome population began to shift to more suburban locales, and the nation’s first shopping mall opened in Southfield in 1954. Northland Mall was the harbinger of the new suburban lifestyle. The following decade, Detroit recovered under Mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh’s administration. The formerly distressed city became a model of social progress. In July 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led a massive civil rights movement in Detroit; still, Detroit was not an island unto itself. The riots in July 1967 shattered the city like a terrifying earthquake. The shock was to prove painful, indeed. On the heels of freedom and turmoil, Berry Gordy created the Motown Sound and taught the nation—and indeed the world—a new way to sing. By the year’s end, New Detroit was founded.
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities
Detroit
The Henry Ford Museum chronicles a changing Detroit. (Mark J. Arpin; Metropolitan Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Billed as the United States’ first “urban coalition,” New Detroit organized to improve education, employment, housing, and economic
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development. With strong leadership and community support, New Detroit set a new pace for the city. Soon afterwards, business leaders founded Detroit
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Detroit Renaissance to help formulate the city’s economic future. In 1971, Henry Ford II, head of Detroit Renaissance, Inc., announced plans for the construction of the largest privately financed project in the world—The Renaissance Center. Celebrated in rebirth, Detroit’s renaissance was an attempt to protect the value of existing investments and future profit opportunities in the downtown hub. The city’s first black mayor, Coleman Young, took office in 1974 to build Detroit’s assets. Mayor Young sought to improve racial equality in city government and increase solidarity among African-American residents. He served an unprecedented five terms. With the 1980s, the revival continued. Detroit hosted the thirty-second Republican National Convention at the new Joe Louis Arena. The Millender Center and Greektown’s Trappers Alley Marketplace opened. Complementing new business, the Detroit
