“I Didn’t Know That”
Block 6 – Yukon Territory / Appalachia
Few places in the world today have been so unchanged over the course of
time as has the Yukon. Aboriginal people, have survived for thousands of
years, hunting and trapping as they always have. The Klondike Gold Rush of
1898 was the Yukon's high point of population.
The name “Yukon” originated from the Locheux
native word "Yuk-un-ah," meaning "Great River,"
referring to the Yukon River that flows across the
territory into Alaska
Yukon’s dry, continental climate results in a wide
variety of weather year-round. Humidity is very low, so summers can be hot and dry while the winter coldness is
less harsh than in damper climates.
At 483,450 square kilometres (186,661 square miles), the Yukon is larger than California and covers more area than
Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands combined. It represents 4.8% of Canada's total land area
Canada’s five tallest mountains are in the Yukon, which includes Mount Logan the
highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest in North America.
Canoe expeditions down the Yukon River are epic. You'll
appreciate the people; join the vibe of Dawson City and the bustle of Whitehorse.
Whitehorse is Yukon’s capital and a major northern hub. It enjoys facilities, services and
businesses far beyond the expectation of a city of 30,000. It's a big little city surrounded
by wilderness with the amenities of a much larger destination paired with the friendly
demeanour of a close-knit community.
The Alaska Moose that ranges from Alaska to western Yukon is the largest subspecies
of moose. Alaska moose inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests
throughout most of Alaska and most of Western Yukon. Like all moose species, the
Alaska moose is usually solitary but sometimes will form small herds. Typically, they
only come into contact with other moose for mating or competition for mates.
During rutting season, in autumn and winter, male Alaska moose become very
aggressive and prone to attacking when startled.
The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with
charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere. Variations in colour are due
to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral color, a pale
yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the
earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to
200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora.
www.cantikbatiks.com
“I Didn’t Know That”
Block 6 – Yukon Territory / Appalachia
Appalachia is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York to
Georgia.While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in Alabama, the
cultural region of Appalachia
typically refers only to the central
and southern portions of the range.
As of the2010 Census the region was
home to approximately 25 million
people, containing the major cities
of Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Birmingham
Asheville and Chattanooga.
Appalachian Mountains were first named by Spanish explorers in the 16th
Century. Some believe that it may have been Hernando DeSoto himself, among
the first to explore the southern Appalachians, who took the name of the Indian village or tribe of Apalachee in
northern Florida and applied it to what we now know as the Appalachian Mountains.
Appalachia is home to Great Smokey Mountains National Park which is the centre point of the Appalachia Trail.
Why are they called Smokey Mountains… Evergreens emit a variety of natural
hydrocarbons which are a result of the trees metabolism. These compounds,
when suspended in the mist, bend the shorter light rays, those towards the
red end of the spectrum, more than the blue rays, so the result is a bluish
tint to the vapor.
There is confusion as to how Appalachia is pronounced. In general Southerners
tend to say it like, 'I'll throw an apple AT ya,' whereas Northerns say it the other
way, with a long 'a.'
Appalachian frontiersmen have long been romanticized for their ruggedness and
self-sufficiency. A typical depiction of an Appalachian pioneer involves a hunter
wearing a coonskin cap and buckskin clothing, and sporting a long rifle and
shoulder-strapped powder horn. Appalachian pioneers moved into areas largely
separated from "civilization" by high mountain ridges, and had to fend for
themselves against the elements. As many of these early settlers were living on
Native American lands, attacks from Native American tribes were a continuous threat until the 19th century.
White Tail Deer give birth in late June. Newborn fawns have no defense
beyond camouflage. Many are lost to predation during their first few days.
By their second spring, males begin to grow antlers. They fully develop in
August, and in September, the bucks fight for mating rights. Mating occurs
in November. The antlers fall off by mid-winter.
www.cantikbatiks.com