Grass Roofs in Norway

Not all environment solutions involve modern technology or new ideas. Grass roofs on houses in Norway are one such case. Translated literally, torvtak is "turf roof." For hundreds of years turf roofs have been popular in Norway.  More images after the break...

No two turf roofs are the same. Some are bright green and almost velvety. Others are golden and look like they're growing wheat or oats. A number of turf roofs have flowers mixed in with the grass, and a few have small trees.

The advantages of turf roofs are many. They are very heavy, so they help to stabilize the house; they provide good insulation; and they are long-lasting. Special skills and materials are required to prepare the roof for the turf topping.

Turf roofs in Norway are a tradition and you will see them everywhere. This is not some new architectural trend in London or New York!

Here is a link to some photos of the more recent, trendy green roofs. Meanwhile, in the UK the government would like to see more people go for grass roofs and suggest such a move could cut their tax bill.

Iguazu Falls — South America's Mightiest Waterfall

Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River starts at the city of Curitiba and runs for the most part of the course in Brazil and at the end at the border of Brazil and Argentina. More images after the break...

Their name comes from the Guarani or Tupi words y (water) and ûasú [waˈsu] (big). Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541, after whom one of the falls in the Argentine side is named. The falls were rediscovered by Bosellz at the end of the nineteenth century, and one of the Argentine falls is named after him. Iguazu Falls was short-listed as a candidate to be one of the New7Wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation. As of February 2009 it was ranking fifth in Group F, the category for lake, rivers, and waterfalls. Via Link

The Forbidden City of China — Zijin Cheng

The Chinese name of the Forbidden City is Zijin Cheng. From the Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty the "Forbidden City" was the Chinese imperial palace. It is situated in the centre of Beijing. It was served as the home of emperors and their households for almost five hundred years. It was also the political centre of Chinese government. More images after the break...

The Forbidden City is the largest palace which covers 72 ha and it is a rectangle 753 metres from east to west and 961 metres from north to south. It was designed to be the middle of the ancient, city of Beijing. The Forbidden City consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 rooms. In 1987, it was declared a world heritage site. This post features a collection of  some incredible photographs of Zijin Cheng city.

Top 10 countries where average age is too High

Some fictions says age of a person depends on area of the person where he is born, and on the other hand some myths from science says it depends on the genetics of the person, the breed from where the person is born, but there are some realistic people, who believe that age depends on the physical fitness and the stamina of the person and not on any of the factors mentioned before.

The reality is that every specific area on the Planet Earth has its own average age of living, that differs a long run with other areas, we have collected the list of top 10 countries where the average age of a common man is way high. So, which country made into the list, see below!

10 - Guernsey

 

Photo Link

Average age: 80.42 Years

The island of Guernsey, located in the English Channel, is a British Crown dependency, but it's not part of the U.K. The reason for its high life expectancy is simple: It's extremely wealthy. Very low taxes make Guernsey a popular destination for tax exiles who can afford the very best in nutrition and medical care. More than half of the island's income comes from financial services — which means well-paid desk jobs — with very few people working in heavy industry. Read more after the break...

9 - Australia

Photo Link

Average age: 80.50 Years

All the usual factors relating to prosperity apply here, but the life expectancy of indigenous Australians is about 20 years less than that of white Aussies, due to higher rates of just about every factor that shortens life, including smoking, obesity and poverty. Incidentally, research suggests that Australia's life expectancy may start falling as obesity reaches epidemic proportions in the land down under.

8 - Switzerland

 Photo Link

Average age: 80.51 (tied)

Aside from a stable economy with all of the usual factors that increase longevity, such as a healthful diet and high standard of health care,Switzerland's much-vaunted neutrality means that its inhabitants are highly unlikely to die in an armed conflict.


7 - Sweden

 Photo Link

Average age: 80.51 Years (tied)

Although an economic downturn in the late 1990s did some damage to Sweden's world-renowned welfare and public health systems, they are still among the best in the world. Also, Sweden has the lowest rate of smokers in the developed world — about 17 percent — so tobacco-related deaths are half the European average.

6.9 - Canada (updated)

Photo Link

Average age: 80.96488

6 - Japan

 Photo Link

Average age: 81.25 Years

Japan has one of the lowest adult obesity rates in the industrialized world, at only 3 percent. As in Hong Kong, this is mainly due to a healthful diet based around vegetables, fish, rice and noodles. Many Japanese people also stop eating when they feel about 80 percent full, rather than continuing until they can't manage another mouthful. The Japanese are also much less reliant on cars than people in Western countries, preferring to walk whenever possible, and therefore get plenty of exercise.

5 - Hong Kong

 Photo Link

Average age: 81.59 Years

People in Hong Kong generally eat a healthful and balanced diet, based around rice, vegetables and tofu, with only small amounts of meat. This means that obesity rates are low, as are the rates for most dietary-based cancers and heart disease.

4 - Singapore

 Photo Link

Average age: 81.71 Years (tied)

Aside from prosperity, one factor in Singapore's long average life expectancy is that in the early 1980s, the government recognized that it had an aging population, with the average age of its citizens increasing steadily. The government planned accordingly, and nowSingapore has excellent health care facilities for the elderly.

3 - San Marino

 Photo Link

Average age: 81.71 Years (tied)

This enclave in central Italy is the third smallest state in Europe (after Vatican City and Monaco), as well as the world's oldest republic. Here, the long life expectancy is due to prosperity and the fact that the majority of the population is involved in office-based work rather than heavy industry and labor, which shorten life spans.

2 - Macau

 Photo Link

Average age: 82.19 Years

This island in the South China Sea is reaping the rewards of a booming economy. The money has come from visitors, particularly from the Chinese mainland, coming to take advantage of a recently liberalized gaming industry. Gambling profits now provide about 70 percent of the country's income, and the government uses the money to invest heavily in public health care.


1- Andorra