Branching Out In New Directions: Strengthening Our Roots!

International Cities in ASL

Dr. Adan R. Penilla, II NAD IV, CI/CT, NIC,SC:L, ASLTA Colorado State Univ.- Adjunct Professor aslworldmatters.com

April 12, 2014

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and most progressive cities in the world.

• Before oil was discovered in the UAE in 1971, it was one of the poorest nations in the sounding states.

• There are two oases in Abu Dhabi.

• Lack of fresh water was a problem in this city but desalination has been the resolution.

• From the seven sheikdoms that comprise the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is the largest in area.

Amsterdam, Netherlands• The name originates with

Amstelredamme which show the city’s founding, a dam in the river Amstel…Amsterdam.

• The Dutch people are the tallest people in the world on average.

• Amsterdam has the most museums than any other nation in the world.

• Amsterdam has the world’s oldest stock exchange.

• Amsterdam has 175 registered nationalities, the highest of any city in the world.

Athens, Greece• The origin of the name is uncertain.

Athens could be from Athena or Akte (shore, raised place). The Acropolis (high city) is an example.

• Draco—first legislator of ancient Athens– replaced oral law; this Code of Laws was the first to be recorded. They were very harsh and many were unforgiving. These laws are compiled and known as the Draconian Constitution. It is said that the Draconian Constitution was written in blood

• Today, Draconian is a term used for meaning severe and cruel.

Athens is known as the birthplace of civilization and the birthplace of Democracy.

Baghdad, Iraq

• The name Baghdad may not be Arabic; the origin of the name is uncertain.

• Before the establishment if Islam, Iraq’s historical records are unclear.

• At one time Baghdad was the center of trade and learning but it lost its prominence with the rise of Istanbul.

• Baghdad is situation with the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. It was a meeting place for caravans.

Bangkok, Thailand• The real name of Bangkok is the

longest in the world. “KrungThepMahaNakhonAmonRattanakosinMahintharaAyutthayaMahadilokPhopNoppharatRatchathaniBuriromUdomRatchaniwetMahasathanamonPhimanAwatanSathitSakkathattiyaWitsanuKamprasit.”

• This name to the Thai people, it known as Krung Thep.

• The Movie, The King and I is banned in Thailand and is illegal to own it

• The largest Chinatown in the world is in Bangkok.

Bangkok is considered the Venice of the East.

Berlin, Germany• The name Berlin may have its

origins with the Slavic word Berl, meaning swamp

• Berlin was the capital of the Weimer republic, The German Empire, Prussia, East Germany, and the Third Reich.

• In 1806 Napoleon took the Quadriga, the symbol of peace, off the Brandenburg Gate as a spoil of his victory and took it back to France.

The East side of Berlin Wall was called the Death Strip.

Cairo, Egypt• The Arabic translation is Al-

Qahirah (The Vanquisher/the Triumphant, The Victorious/The Subduer).

• Al-Azhar (The Noble Azhar University) is the oldest University in the world. It is known by Sunni Muslims as the primary educational facility of Islamic learning.

• Cairo is the largest city in Egypt, Africa, and the Arab world.

• Cairo is known as The City of a Thousand Minarets.

Helsinki, Finland

• Helsinki was founded by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden.

• Helsinki is one of the coldest cities in the world as it does not get sunlight for 51 days in winter.

• Helsinki is the northernmost continental European capital.

• Swedish and Finnish are the national languages.

• Helsinki is nicknamed Stad (Swedish for City) or Hesa (short for Helsinki).

Havana, Cuba

• Havana was established in 1514.

• Santiago de Cuba was the capital of Cuba at one time, Cuba’s second largest city.

• Havana does have a Chinese community; there is a Chinatown in Havana.

• The mysterious sinking of the USS Maine in Cuba led to the Spanish- American War in 1898.

• King Philip of Spain named the Havana port the Key to the New World and rampart of the West Indies.

Istanbul, Turkey

• Istanbul is a transcontinental city.

• It joins Europe to Asia by way of a bridge.

• Istanbul’s commercial and cultural center is in the European side of the country, a third of Turkey’s population lives in Asia.

• Istanbul has been the capital of four empires: The Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

Jakarta, Indonesia• Jakarta has the worlds largest

Islamic population.• The Gandhi Memorial

International School is in Jakarta. It is accredited by Cambridge University.

• Jakarta is old Javanese; it means Victorious Deed/Complete Victory

• To renege on a marriage proposal in Jakarta can bring up to four years in prison.

• The Monumen Nasional/Monas (National Monument) in Jakarta is 422 feet high.

• Jakarta is nicknamed Big Durian; this is equivalent to the Big Apple.

Jerusalem, Israel• Jerusalem is the holy city to

Arabs, Christians, and Jews.• Old City Jerusalem is divided into

four quarters: Muslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter, and Armenian Quarter.

• The Western All (Jewish term), the Wall of Wailing (Christian term) is the remains of the Jewish temple that was destroyed by the Romans. It is thought to be the place where God resides on Earth and praying there is to be in the presence of the Divine.

• During the Six Day War, East Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan and West Jerusalem, by Israel.

Johannesburg, South Africa• The Hillbrow Tower was the

largest building in the Southern Hemisphere until 1978.

• The Ponte City Apartment Building is the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa. It is in the Hillbrow District.

• The name Johannesburg as the city name is unclear. Johann is a common Dutch name. Gold prospectors came in droves and the name was never ceremoniously made.

• Johannesburg is known as Joburg, Egoli, and Gauteng—the latter two mean place of gold.

Katmandu, Nepal• Kathmandu is named after

Kasthmandap Kastha/wooden+ mandap covered-[wooden] shelter.

• Kasthmandap is a three story pagoda style temple to Goraknath, the protector of cows. The temple is one of the oldest wood structures in the world.

• The city’s history is about 2000 years old. Some temples are so old, no one knows exactly when they were built

• Motto: My legacy, my pride, my Kathmandu

• The three main religions in Kathmandu are Hindu (80%), Buddhism (11%) Islam (3.6%).

Mexico City, Mexico• The city is built on an ancient

Aztec ruin• Indigenous languages are

considered national languages and are protected by law.

• The floating gardens of Mexico city have been in existence since the Aztec Civilization. They are canals that can be traveled upon by boat so that one can experience the rich flora and fauna of this area.

• Mexico City is considered a global city due to its economy.

• Mexico City is the oldest city in North America.

Oslo, Norway• Oslo is nicknamed, Tiger City

Tigerstaden. However, tigers are not indigenous to this land.

• There is a statue of a tiger in the central station. Some speculate that it may refer to not getting eaten up by the big city.

• Conrad Hilton of the Hilton Hotel chain is from Southern Oslo; there are no Hilton Hotels in Norway.

• Oslo is the hosting city to the Nobel Peace Prize.

• Oslo is one of the smallest capitals in Europe.

Paris, France• The city is named after a

Gaulish tribe named Parisii.• The Seine river cuts through

Paris and divides it by North and South; the Northern part is referred to as the Right Bank and the Southern part is referred to as the Left Bank

• On the Arc de Triomphe there are thirty shields across the top, each commemorate a war victory of Napoleon Bonaparte.

• It is against the law to stare at the Mayor in Paris.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti• Port-au-Prince has a

population of approximately 2 million people. However, exact figures are difficult as many people live in squalor conditions.

• Museums in Port-au-Prince have artifacts from the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

• On Jan. 12, 2010, Haiti experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0.

• Toussaint L’Ouverture is known as the Black Napoleon. He led a slave revolt in 1791; this is also known as the Haitian revolution.

Reykjavik, Iceland

• The name Reykjavik is said to have originated from the smoke/steam coming from the hot springs. In a general translation, it means Smoke Cove or Bay of Smoke.

• Three fourths of the country is uninhabitable.

• Half of Iceland’s population lives in Reykjavik.

• It is the northernmost capital city in the world.

• Iceland is approximately the size of Ohio.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia• Riyadh means The Gardens.• It is the capital and the largest city

in Saudi Arabia.• Riyadh Women’s University is the

largest all women’s university in the world.

• The Kingdom Center or Kingdom Tower is the second largest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia—41 floors. The tallest tower is the Al Faisaliyah—44 floors.

• In 2002 the Tower won the Emporis Skyscraper Award for best design in the world.

• Riyadh is known as the Queen of the Desert.

Stockholm, Sweden

• It is also considered the Venice of the North.

• Stockholm is a combination of two words, stak (stake/pole) and holm, island. It became the capital in 1634.

• Stockholm is situated on 14 islands and faces a lake.

• It is known as the world’s smallest big city.

• Stockholm is called City on the Water.

St. Petersburg, Russia• The city was named Petrograd—

Peter’s Town (1914), then it was changed to Leningrad (1924—Lenin’s death), then St. Petersburg (1991).

• It is known as the Window to the West as Peter the Great wanted to modernize Russia by emulating the West.

• “The City’s architects drew from the majesty of Europe's most breathtaking sites - the canals of Venice, the palaces of Versailles, the cathedrals of Rome, the streets of Amsterdam, and the aura of Vienna.”

St. Petersburg is named after Peter the Great. He was 6’7.

Sydney, Australia• Although Australia has no official

language, English is spoken by 80% of the population.

• Australian Sign Language is known as Auslan.

• A resident of Sydney is called a Sydneysider

• Sydney was a title not a name, Baron Sydney of Chislehurst.

• Sydney was named after the first Viscount Sydney Thomas Townshend. Baron Sydney Townshend recommended the settlement of Australia.

• Sidney Australia is nicked named “Sid”.

Tallinn, Estonia• Tallinn derives from Tan Linn,

Danish Fort/Castle as it was established by Danish King Vlademir II

• Tallinn is a top 10 digital city of the world along with likes of NY, NY; San Fran/Silicon Valley; Hong Kong and others.

• Tallinn is a key naval port.• 1980 Summer Olympics,

hosted by Moscow, held the sailing event in Northern Tallinn.

• Tallinn was once called Reval, this German name originated in the 13th century.

Taipei, Taiwan• Taipei means Northern

Taiwan.• In the 18th century, Chinese

began to settle in the Taipei basin. However, Japanese influence was evident.

• Taipei 101 is the tallest building in the world.

• Taipei was the headquarters of the Nationalist movement in 1949--they were defeated by the communist, lead by Chairman Mao.

• Formosa is the former name of Taiwan.

Tehran, Iran• Tehran is the capital city of

Iran and this is reflected in one city name sign.

• The city name sign works in conjunction with Islam.

• Persians are Shi’a Muslims; this is approximately 10-20% of the world’s Islamic population. In Tehran, there are no Sunni Muslim Mosques. They have been closed by radical conservative Shi’a leaders.

• The Grand Bazaar is credited to be thousands of years old as is considered a city within a city.

Ulan Baatar, Mongolia

• Ulaan Baatar means Red hero named for Damdin Sukhbaatar He was the Commander and Chief in their struggle for independence against China.

• The Trans Mongolian Railway connects to the Trans Siberian Railway. It travels through the Gobi Desert.

• For the Russian- Mongolian Railway to travel through China, the wheels need to be changed to double wheel track wheel (China) from a single wheel track (Russia-Mongolia).

Genghis Khan is highly revered with statues and his face on currency.

Vatican, Italy• The Vatican is the size of a golf

course.• It is guarded by the Swiss

Guard--- the oldest and smallest army in the world.

• Latin and Italian are the official languages of the Vatican; Latin is far from a dead language.

• It is the only economy in the world that is non commercial. It is sustained by contributions from Catholics from around the world—this is called Peter’s Pence.

• The Holy See means Sancta Sedes, the Holy Seat (Episcopal Jurisdiction).

Vilnius, Lithuania• The name derives from the

Vilija/Vilnia River—where it lies.

• The river is Lithuanian for wave—vilnis.

• Vilnius declared itself the capital of Lithuania in 1990 but it was not until 1991 when the Russians recognized it an independent country that it sovereignty was solidified.

• At one time Vilnius had a large Jewish population and was a learning center for Judaism.

• In the 13th century a Grand Duke had a dream of a wolf howling on a hilltop with the sound a 1000 wolves. This is the place where Vilnius is founded.

Warsaw, Poland• Warsaw is Polish for Warszawa; it

means belonging to Warsz. According to legend, he was fisherman who fell in love with Sawa, a mermaid, who became his wife. He rescued her from capture. She vowed to protect Warsz. She is commemorated with a sword and shield in Warsaw.

• Sawa is attributed to today’s country name sign for Poland and Warsaw.

• Poland is not in Eastern Europe, Warsaw is in central Europe.

• Warsaw is called The Phoenix City.