Paris is the capital of France and the country’s largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (also known as the “Paris Region”; French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,167,994 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of over 11 million, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.
An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world’s leading business and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major global cities. According to 2005 estimates, the Paris urban area is Europe’s biggest city economy, and is fifth in the world’s list of cities by GDP.
Paris and the Paris Region, with €533.6 billion (US$731.3 billion) in 2007, produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France. The Paris Region hosts 38 of the Fortune Global 500 companies in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe. Paris also hosts many international organizations such as UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the informal Paris Club.
Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with 45 million tourists every year in the Paris Region, 60% of whom are foreign visitors. There are numerous iconic landmarks among its many attractions, along with world-famous institutions and popular parks. National Hard Money Association
Madrid, Spain’s capital, is a cosmopolitan city. Its position as a centre for economics, finance, administration and services combines the most modern infrastructure with an important cultural and artistic heritage, the legacy of centuries of fascinating history.
Madrid is strategically located at the geographical centre of the Iberian peninsula, 646 meters above sea level. Its old town is exemplary among major European cities, and blends harmoniously with the most modern and convenient of urban infrastructure. Madrid offers a broad range of accommodation and services along with the most advanced audiovisual and communication technology. All this, combined with the momentum of a society that is dynamic and open, and at the same time warm and welcoming, has turned this metropolis into one of the western world’s great capitals.
The Madrid area has been settled since the Lower Paleolithic age, but it was not until 1561 that King Philip II made it the capital of his mighty empire. The historic old town, also known as “Madrid de los Austrias” (referring to the Hapsburg empire) is a living example of the city’s 16th and 17th century heyday, as is its impressive Plaza Mayor (square), which was opened in 1620 and remains one of Spain’s most popular and typical spots. Hard Money Association
According to the ancient legend, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was founded by three brothers, Kyi, Schek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybed, at the end of the 5th-beginning of the 6th centuries. The city was named after the eldest brother Kyi. Kyiv means the city of Kyi. Kyiv is a Ukrainian spelling and Kiev is Russian, more known worldwide since the Soviet times.
Many ancient tribes gathered around Kiev, and at the end of the 9th century the city became the political center of the Eastern Slavs. In the year 988 Christianity, introduced by Great Prince Vladimir, became the official religion of the Kievan Rus. This helped to establish political and cultural relations with such states as the Byzantium Empire and Bulgaria. At that time almost 50,000 people lived in the city; there were about 400 churches and 8 markets. When Vladimir Monomakh died in the year 1152, the mighty Kievan Rus began to decay. In 1240 Kiev was demolished by Baty-khan. Only in the 14th century Kiev began to revive. But in 1362 Great Duke of Lithuania captured the city. For more than one hundred years it was under the command of Lithuanian and Polish dukes. People’s liberation war of 1648-1654 against the Lithuanian-Polish Yoke led to liberation. But Cossack armies, headed by Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, couldn’t manage to conquer the enemy without help from Russia. As a result, Ukraine plunged under a long period of domination by the Russian Empire. Since that time the history of Ukraine and Kiev was closely connected with Russian history.
Archeological excavations show evidence of the first settlements on the territory of Kiev 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The early settlers of Kiev built their citadel on the steep right bank of the Dnepr River to protect themselves from Nomadic tribes. Later, Kiev’s Grand Dukes built their palaces and churches on Starokievskiy Hill, while artisans and merchants settled next to the wharf on the Dnepr. By the end of the 9th century, when the Grand Dukes of Kiev united scattered Slavic tribes, Kiev became the political center of the Eastern Slavs. The city maintained wide foreign and commercial trade links due to its favorable position in the middle of trade routes between the Vikings and the Greeks (strict way from Northern Europe and the Baltics to the Mediterranean). Kiev`s development accelerated during the reign of Grand Duke Vladimir the Great (980-1015). In 988 Vladimir established Orthodox Christianity as the official religion of the realm in order to strengthen the power of Kiev on the broader international arena. During that time the first stone temple in Russia, Desyatinnaya church, was constructed. National Hard Money Association Conference
Budapest is richly endowed with natural springs of thermal waters possessing various medicinal properties, and it is these that supply the city’s many thermal baths. Not for nothing is it known as the City of Spas. Among its most precious treasures are its sixteenth century Turkish baths, as well as the Szécheny.
Aquincum Museum and Roman Ruins: (III. Szentendrei út 139): These two-thousand-year old ruins are remains of the Roman town of Aquincum, and include an impressive ruin of the amphitheatre. The contents of the museum include murals, mosaic floors, a reconstructed water organ and a diorama showing what and how the Roman nobility ate.
The success of modern Budapest was significantly due to the diligence and organizational skills of Jewish industrialists. There are still many memories of the period. The Jewish Museum reminds of the religious traditions, while the Holocaust Centre, which was opened in 2004, reminds of the terror.
The Buda castle is one of the most famous and most visited sights of Budapest , It is a Unesco World Heritage location, offering many interesting attractions, museums, evocative streets, squares, restaurants and shops. NHMA
Antananarivo is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial name Tananarive or the shorthand form Tana.
The larger urban area surrounding the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra (”Antananarivo-Capital”), is the capital of the Analamanga region and of the Antananarivo autonomous province.
The city was captured by the French in 1895 and incorporated into their Madagascar protectorate. After the French conquest of Madagascar when the city had a population of some 100,000, it was extensively remodelled as the population grew to 175,000 by 1950. Roads were constructed throughout the city, broad flights of steps connecting places too steep for the formation of carriage roads, and the central space, called Andohalo, was enhanced with walks, terraces, flower-beds and trees. Water, previously obtained from springs at the foot of the hill, was brought from the Ikopa River, which skirts the capital to the south and west.
After independence in 1960 the pace of growth increased rapidly. The city’s population reached 1.4 million by the end of the 20th century. Industries include food products, cigarettes, and textiles.
The city is guarded by two forts built on hills to the east. Including an Anglican and a Roman Catholic cathedral, there are more than 50 churches in the city and its suburbs, as well as a mosque. Antananarivo hosts a campus of the University of Madagascar and the Collège Rural d’Ambatobe. Ivato Airport serves the city with several regional routes and flights to and from Paris, Johannesburg and Nairobi among other cities.
Michele Ratsivalaka succeeded Andry Rajoelina as mayor, who replaced Marc Ravalomanana as president during the 2009 Malagasy political crisis. National Hard Money Association
Tourism in Sydney, Australia forms an important part of the city’s economy. The city received 7.6 million domestic visitors and 2.7 million international visitors in year ending March 2008. The most well known attractions include the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include Royal Botanical Gardens, Luna Park, the beaches and Sydney Tower.
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, with parkland to its south and close to the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic Australian image. It was included in the Olympic Torch route in 2000 to the Olympic stadium. It was the backdrop of some events for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, including the triathlon—which began at the Opera House—and the yachting events on Sydney Harbour. The dramatic exteriors have not been matched with technically superior interiors, and the Opera House’s reputation as a music venue has suffered as a result.
The shores of Sydney Harbour are home to a number of historic batteries, bunkers and forts, many of which are now heritage listed. Some of these forts date back to 1871 and were part of Sydney Harbours defence system that was designed to withstand a seaborn attack. There are four historical fortifications located between Bradleys Head and Middle Head on the north side of the harbour; the Middle Head Fortifications, the Georges Head Battery, the Lower Georges Heights Commanding Position and a small fort located on Bradleys Head. The forts were constructed from mostly large sandstone blocks and consist of many tunnels, catacombs and underground rooms. Hard Money Association
Few Caribbean islands can offer up the diversity of our island country —where there’s so much more than “rum, sun & reggae”—especially in the often overlooked capital city of Kingston, the heartbeat of Jamaica and the second largest English-speaking city south of Miami, Florida. Kingston overlooks what is the seventh largest natural harbour in the world. Like a fan, the city spreads north from the harbor as far as the foothills of the famous Blue Mountains—impressive peaks that form a glorious backdrop to the whole.
What better way to combine business with leisure than to take in all that Kingston has to offer? With an eye on satisfying the most demanding visitor, this cosmopolitan city extends excellence in upscale high-rise accommodations, fine international dining, pulsating nightlife, business and financial services, shopping and culture. Just like any major metropolitan city, we have our share of street vendors, beggars and unappealing, less desirable areas, but north of the harbor and uptown, New Kingston sparkles!
Most people think of Kingston as being divided into two parts. It’s not unlike a vibrant modern American city in that there’s a downtown sector—stretching north from the waterfront to the busy traffic junction at Cross Roads—and also an uptown sector, which extends to the smart suburbs located at the base of the mountains. It will probably take you at least half a day to check out the downtown sights —maybe a bit more to encompass all the must-dos in the uptown area. National Hard Money Association Conference
Managua, population 819,731 (1995), is the capital of Nicaragua. Situated on the southern shore of Lake Managua, the city was made the national capital in 1855; previously the capital had alternated between the cities of León and Granada.
Managua was damaged by earthquake and fire on March 31, 1931 and by fire again in 1936. On December 23, 1972, the city was very severely damaged in an earthquake that took more than 10,000 lives. In the aftermath, when international help came in to rebuild the town, the dictator Somoza and his troops allegedly took the donations and either hid them from the public or used the donations for themselves. As a result, the downtown area, devastated by the earthquake, was never rebuilt, and it remains half-empty even today. Those actions were a contributing factor to the Sandinistas’ takeover of Nicaragua in 1979.
In 1998 Managua was damaged by a hurricane.
The main international airport that serves Managua is Augusto C. Sandino International Airport.
Will someone please check to
Managua is also the birthplace of Nicaraguan Sign Language, where the Sandinistas gathered deaf children who never learned to speak, but who could communicate clumsily with parents and family members using gestures, and put them together in an effort at “socialistic” education. The children then proceeded to communicate among themselves, and, in doing so, invented one of the world’s newest languages. NHMA
Cairo is a sprawling, capital city that can be hard to understand and find your way around, but it sure is worth the effort. A huge city with many millions of inhabitants living alongside the banks of the River Nile and close to the breathtaking Pyramids of Giza, Cairo is home to some of the world’s most famous sights, including the much loved Sphinx and its well-known broken nose, and the treasures of Tutankhamun.
With so many of Egypt’s treasures all grouped in one city, tourism has long been booming in Cairo and visiting tourists soon get used to the rather hectic and frenetic lifestyle. Cairo’s backstreets still retain much of their medieval character and are worth exploring, while a stroll along the waterfront Corniche is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Once you have spent just a few days in Cairo you will find yourself being drawn away from the many stunning structures here, becoming almost more interested in the everyday rituals based around city life. NHMA
Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region. According to the United States Census Bureau the estimated population of the city is approximately 227,907; and of the metropolitan area, 2,045,322. It is the fifth largest city in Florida. It was incorporated on July 31, 1875, and became a city in 1885.
Originally the center of a major citrus-growing region, Orlando is now best known as the home of amusement attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort, the Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld. These destinations helped make Orlando the third most visited American city among travelers [6] in the year 2007. Since the establishment of destination tourism in the 1970s, the local economy has diversified, and today the region is the center of operations for companies servicing Central Florida. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities by student enrollment in the nation. National Hard Money Association Conference
