Log in
Statistics
We have 484 registered usersThe newest registered user is mark5
Our users have posted a total of 48862 messages in 7215 subjects
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
CLICK ON ANY OF THESE LINKS TO FIND OUR EXTREME ENTERTAINMENT
UPDATED :
71 WGT TUTORIALS & 32 YOUNG46 TUTORIALS
CLICK HERE TO SEE OVER 100 YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIALS . FROM WGTers , WGT & YOUNG46 FORUM UPDATE
TO THE MANY WELCOME GUESTS . THIS FORUM IS NO LONGER A COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE FOR A WGT COUNTRY CLUB . PLEASE FEEL FREE TO READ THE FORUMS.
THERE ARE MANY TOPICS OF INTEREST . OR NOT . THIS WEBSITE IS AN INFORMATION AND ENTERTAINMENT WEBSITE ONLY .
MUCH OF THE CONTENT IS ARCHIVES OF PURPOSES PAST .
THERE ARE SOME MORE CURRENT TOPICS .
REGISTRATION IS NOT NECESSARY TO READ THROUGHOUT .
REGISTRATION IS EASY AND FREE . THIS IS AN AD FREE WEBSITE . NOTHING IS EVER REQUESTED FROM REGISTERED MEMBERS .
REGISTRATION ENABLES COMMENTING ON TOPICS . POSTING NEW TOPICS . FULL ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE IMAGE HOST . WHICH IS A VERY COMPLETE AND CONVENIENT TOOL .
PLEASE ENJOY .
TIER & AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS
BASIC LEVEL AND AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS , AND SATURATION
WHILE YOUR HERE
WHILE YOUR HERE :
CHECK OUT THE INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY IN
MY SERIES
THIS USED TO BE THE HOME OF OUR WORLD CLOCK . WHICH CAN NOW BE FOUND IN ITS OWN FORUM ON THE MAIN PAGE ..
THERE ARE MORE WORLD CLOCKS INSIDE HERE .
WORLD CLOCK
FB Like
HISTORY FACTS * What country used to be called New Holland? *
Page 1 of 1
HISTORY FACTS * What country used to be called New Holland? *
In 1606, toward the end of Europe’s age of exploration, Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, believing he was on the shores of New Guinea, which is separated from mainland Australia by the Torres Strait. He mapped 186 miles of coastline before departing later that year. Other Dutch navigators followed suit, charting the northern, western, and southern coasts of the landmass. Despite the fact that the Dutch never never colonized Australia, by the late 17th century the continent was known as New Holland (Nieuw-Holland in Dutch) — but the name didn’t last.
In 1768, British explorer James Cook made the first of his three voyages to Australia. Two years later, he claimed the eastern half for Britain and renamed it New South Wales. A secret goal of Cook’s first voyage was to discover what was listed on ancient maps as Terra Australis Incognita (Latin for Unknown South Land), a hypothetical vast landmass that the Greek philosophers theorized must exist in the Southern Hemisphere to counterbalance Asia. By the end of Captain Cook’s third voyage, he had seen portions of Antarctica and mapped enough of New Zealand (also named by Dutch explorers) to disprove that Australia was part of the fabled Terra Australis; rather, a separate southern continent was located in the icy polar region.
In 1803, British navigator Matthew Flinders became the first person to circumnavigate the coast of Australia, charting unknown parts of the coastline and proving that Australia is a single continent. In his journals and maps of the expedition, he harkened back to Terra Australis when naming the continent, but shortened it to Australia. This time, the name stuck. As Flinders wrote in A Voyage to Terra Australis (1814), the new, abridged moniker was “more agreeable to the ear.”
In 1768, British explorer James Cook made the first of his three voyages to Australia. Two years later, he claimed the eastern half for Britain and renamed it New South Wales. A secret goal of Cook’s first voyage was to discover what was listed on ancient maps as Terra Australis Incognita (Latin for Unknown South Land), a hypothetical vast landmass that the Greek philosophers theorized must exist in the Southern Hemisphere to counterbalance Asia. By the end of Captain Cook’s third voyage, he had seen portions of Antarctica and mapped enough of New Zealand (also named by Dutch explorers) to disprove that Australia was part of the fabled Terra Australis; rather, a separate southern continent was located in the icy polar region.
In 1803, British navigator Matthew Flinders became the first person to circumnavigate the coast of Australia, charting unknown parts of the coastline and proving that Australia is a single continent. In his journals and maps of the expedition, he harkened back to Terra Australis when naming the continent, but shortened it to Australia. This time, the name stuck. As Flinders wrote in A Voyage to Terra Australis (1814), the new, abridged moniker was “more agreeable to the ear.”
By the Numbers
Active volcanoes in mainland Australia0
Percentage of Australians who live within 31 miles of the coast87%
Length (in miles) of Australia’s dingo fence~3,500
Years Aboriginal Australians lived in Australia before Europeans arrived65,000
DID YOU KNOW?
Australia was once a penal colony.
In 1787, 11 ships holding nearly 1,400 people left Portsmouth, England, for Botany Bay, Australia. This “First Fleet” carried new settlers, and more than 700 convicts. This is not as unusual as it may seem. The British had been sending convicts to work off their sentences in the colonies since 1615. After the American Revolution, British convicts were sent to New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land (modern-day Tasmania). Between 1788 and 1868, more than 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia. Some were exiled in lieu of the death penalty, while others were sent more than 9,000 miles from home to serve sentences for more trivial crimes, including petty theft and fraud. Once free, many ex-convicts remained in Australia and joined the ranks of the free settlers. Today, an estimated 20% of Australians are the descendants of convicts.
Similar topics
» HISTORY FACTS * Why is it called "Scotch" tape? *
» HISTORY FACTS * The best history movies from 2023 *
» HISTORY FACTS * The loudest sound in history *
» HISTORY FACTS * The funniest presidential campaign slogans in history *
» HISTORY FACTS * The most famous typos in history *
» HISTORY FACTS * The best history movies from 2023 *
» HISTORY FACTS * The loudest sound in history *
» HISTORY FACTS * The funniest presidential campaign slogans in history *
» HISTORY FACTS * The most famous typos in history *
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 11:51 pm by Paul
» *POPULAR CONTENTS* Valley of the SUN Official Newsletter
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 6:45 am by Paul
» Disneyland vacation
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 6:37 am by Paul
» WGT POETRY , QUOTES , MOMENTS , & MORE
Mon 18 Nov 2024, 9:48 am by Paul
» Word Genius Word of the day * Spindrift *
Mon 18 Nov 2024, 6:45 am by Paul
» Tales of Miurag #3 in Paperback Patreon Story in December!
Mon 18 Nov 2024, 5:33 am by Paul
» Download WhatsApp
Sun 10 Nov 2024, 5:39 am by mark5
» WORD DAILY Word of the Day: * Saponaceous *
Sat 09 Nov 2024, 8:57 am by Paul
» Word Genius Word of the day * Infracaninophile *
Thu 07 Nov 2024, 9:03 am by Paul
» THE TRUMP DUMP .....
Wed 06 Nov 2024, 4:30 am by Paul
» INTERESTING FACTS * How do astronauts vote from space? *
Tue 05 Nov 2024, 8:47 am by Paul
» WWE Crown Jewel is almost here! Don't miss the action LIVE today only on Peacock!
Sat 02 Nov 2024, 7:59 am by Paul
» NEW GUEST COUNTER
Fri 01 Nov 2024, 6:56 pm by Paul
» Merriam - Webster Word of the day * ‘Deadhead’ *
Fri 01 Nov 2024, 5:35 pm by Paul
» WWE Universe: Your Crown Jewel Broadcast Schedule has arrived!
Fri 01 Nov 2024, 1:38 pm by Paul