Martin Luther King Jr. Statue in Washington

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC will honor Dr. King’s national and international contributions and vision for all to enjoy a life of freedom, opportunity, and justice. Congress passed a Joint Resolution in 1996 authorizing the construction of the Memorial and a foundation was created to "Build the Dream", raising the estimated $120 million required for the project. One of the most prestigious sites remaining on the National Mall was selected for the memorial for Martin Luther King, Jr., adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. It is the first major memorial along the National Mall to be dedicated to an African-American, and to a non-president. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011.

And now, take a tour of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, United States - part of the World's Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats.

The highly anticipated memorial of Martin Luther King Junior was recently unveiled on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

It is a result of nearly two decades of construction and planning and cost $120 million dollars to complete.

Set amidst four magnificently landscaped acres, the beautifully constructed statue stands 30 feet tell and was sculpted by Lei Yixin, a prominent Chinese sculptor.

This is the first monument on National Mall that honors a man of color.

Depicting a determined looking Martin Luther King Junior, the site draws strong emotions of hope and strength from visitors.

After a long wait spanning many years, people from all over the country can now see this great leader standing tall in our nation's capital.

Far From Any Ocean, a Home for Dolphins

Each year, more than 2,000,000 people visit the Seven Seas exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The exhibit opened 50 years ago, and this is this week's report (subtitles in English!)

The city of London

This is London!!!!!

This is the River Thames. It is almost 346 kilometres long, and is the second longest river in Great Britain. It flows through London, and it’s this part of the river that most tourists see.

But there’s more to the Thames than a trip down the river.

The Romans built a settlement on the River Thames, and over the centuries it grew into the City of London, with a huge port. Ships from around the world brought food, goods and people to the capital.

But by the 1980’s, most of the docks had closed and the area became run-down.

A lot of money has been invested in this huge riverside area. And today it’s know as ‘Docklands’.

The old warehouses are now attractive apartments. There are new office buildings, shopping centres and leisure facilities, too. People enjoy living and working by the river.

People also enjoy living on the water! This is a houseboat on the Thames.

......

Nick: Hi Alistair.

Alistair: Hey Nick, welcome aboard.

Nick: Thank you. So why do you live on a houseboat?

Alistair: I love being close to the water. And it’s a brilliant place to invite friends over.

Nick: What’s it like to live on a boat?

Alistair: In the summer, it’s beautiful. And in the winter, it’s a bit cold.

Nick: Could you give me a tour?

Alistair: Please. Follow me. So this is the kitchen. The bedroom.

Nick: I like it. What’s the best thing about living on the river?

Alistair: For me, it’s being so close to nature. And it’s really cheap.

Nick: Is there anything you miss about living on dry land?

Alistair: I miss not being able to grow my own food and not having a garden.

Nick: Do you think you will ever move?

Alistair: Only if I have to leave London. It’s a really brilliant place to live in the city.

......

The Thames has seen a lot of changes over the years. But perhaps the biggest change is still to come.

This image is of the River Thames frozen over. It’s not a real photograph. It’s been created digitally. It shows the effect climate change may have on the river if temperatures drop significantly.

They were created by two illustrators: Didier Madoc-Jones and Robert Graves.

......

Nick: Didier, Tell us about this exhibition.

Didier: We wanted to create postcards from the future – well-known views of London – to show people how it might look with the effects of climate change.

Nick: Why does this one show the Thames frozen over?

Gareth: Well some scientists think we might experience a new mini ice age with very cold winters and in the summer we’d experience flooding due to melting ice sheets.

Nick: Do you think that could really happen?

Didier: Nobody really knows. The point of our exhibition was to get people thinking about climate change and the future of London.

......

The River Thames has changed over the centuries, and will continue to do so. But hopefully it will always be here for both local people and tourists to enjoy and explore.

How to ask someone where they got something

Man: Hey, nice shoes!
Woman: Thanks!
Man: Could do with a pair like that myself.
Woman: Oh really? They’re very comfortable.
Man: Yeah. Where did you get them?
Woman: Just that place on the high street.
Man: On yeah, I’ll have to go and take a look sometime.

(Pause)

Man: Hey!
Woman: What?
Man: I’ve been looking for that book for ages!
Woman: Really?
Man: Yeah...where did you get it?
Woman: I bought it online. I just did a search and found it, you know...
Man: Really?
Woman: Yes. It’s not that difficult.
Man: I’ll have to have a look.

(Pause)

Man: Hey!
Woman: What?
Man: That’s a tasty-looking sandwich!
Woman: It’s a tasty-tasting sandwich too...
Man: Where did you er...
Woman: Where did I get it?
Man: Yeah! That’s exactly what I was going to say....!
Woman: I made it myself.
Man: Oh.
Woman: Here – have it!

Banking in the UK

If you want to live in the UK, you will need a bank account.
Watch the video to find out more about banking and financial services in the UK.

If you are resident you will find it useful to open a bank account. All the large banks and most building societies have a network of branches across the country and all offer similar services.

A visit to any one of them will be a friendly experience, although to open an account, be prepared to prove your identity in a number of ways. You will find your passport useful, but the bank will also want to see some form of proof that you are living where you say you are. This can be proved by a housing rent book, a Council Tax, water or electricity bill for the property, as long as it’s in your name. In the bank, and elsewhere, you may hear the term ‘utility bill’ – this simply refers to bills relating to the provision of services to your property such as electricity, gas, water and telephone.

There are other local facilities such as credit unions where you can save your money and have access to affordable low cost loans. Where they exist in your local area, contact details can be obtained from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Geography and Climate in the UK

So, what is the United Kingdom?

To give it its full title it’s ‘The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’. You might hear it referred to as Britain, Great Britain or more often, simply as ‘The UK’.

Four countries make up the UK – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It consists of a group of islands - 2 large ones and several hundred smaller ones. By far the largest island is that which is divided into three countries - England, Wales and Scotland. This island is about 700 miles long and is 300 miles at its widest point. At its nearest point only the 22 miles of the English Channel separate it from the coast of France.

England’s capital London is also the capital city of the UK. Most of England consists of lowland with some mountainous terrain northwest of a line drawn between the Humber estuary in the East and the river Exe in the Southwest.
Wales, with its capital Cardiff, lies to the West having a coastline adjacent to the Irish Sea. It is more mountainous than England, particularly in North and Mid Wales.

To the North is Scotland which consists of two very distinct regions known as the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Highlands region is to the North and West of the country and is much more mountainous than its lowland sister. The rugged terrain of the highlands ensures the region is sparsely populated.
The Lowlands region is home to most of Scotland’s population. It’s here where Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh and the larger city of Glasgow will be found.

Crossing the Irish Sea takes us to Ireland of which only the north eastern corner (Northern Ireland) is part of the UK. The rest of this island is a separate country, the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, with its capital, Belfast, is a hilly region boasting the largest inland body of water in the UK, Lough Neagh, at 150 square miles.

The prevailing winds tend to come from the southwest, bringing with them frequent spells of mild but wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Overall though the climate is fairly temperate and similar to much of northern Europe.

Falkland man chooses Argentine citizenship

A British man, born on the Falkland Islands has become the first person from there to chose Argentine citizenship.

James Peck was handed his national identity card by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, during a ceremony to mark the 29th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War.

Peck's father fought for the British during the conflict.