Fun with Maps – Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

 The recent passing of Queen Elizabeth led to some confusion, even in media reports, about the difference between England, the UK, Great Britain and so on. Was she Queen of England?  Why was she in Scotland? What about the Prince of Wales?

In this episode of Fun with Maps host Dan Hanson looks at the island of Great Britain which consists of England, Scotland and Wales.  It is not the same as England or the United Kingdom. Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world.

So what’s the United Kingdom?  The United Kingdom is a sovereign country in Europe that comprises England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and many smaller islands within the British Isles.

This episode also covers the English Channel, the Chunnel, the Mull of Kintyre, the character of Britannia, the Firth of Forth, Treaty of Union, the patron saints and flags of the 3 countries, the vast range of the British Empire and more.  See more Fun with Maps episodes.  

Novak Djokovic bust unveiled in Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland

 

Serbian Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest tennis player in the world (21 Grand Slam events including the 2022 Wimbledon, etc.) He was unable to compete in the 2022 US Open because of US laws about people unvaccinated from Covid. 

On September 11, 2022 a bust of Novak Djokovic was unveiled in the Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland. Over 100 people attended including many clergy people from Texas, PA and even Belgrade, Serbia!  

Lots of pics and videos of tthe Djokovic bust unveiling 

Parade of Flags at 2022 One World Day in Cleveland

 Since 1946 the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) has hosted an annual One World Day where the dozens of diverse heritages represented in the community are shared.  A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where dozens of communities dress in their ethnic attire and carry flags of their heritage.  

Almost 60 units marched in the 2022 Parade of Flags many with dancing, drums and music but all with their flags and traditional costumes. 

 Magnificent Seven gold medal Olympic champion gymnast Dominique Moceanu was the Grand Marshal of the Parade. She compared the Parade of Flags to a mini-Olympics Opening Ceremony. Dominique she led off the Parade walking with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and CCGF Board Chair Dr. Wael Khoury. The first unit to march was the Ukrainian to show the support of the broader community for the people of Ukraine.  

Watch the video of the Parade of Flags

More from One World Day 2022

Syrian Artist Diana Al-Hadid in the Syrian Cultural Garden

 The Syrian Cultural Garden hosted a special event to showcase the art of Diana Al-Hadid in the Garden. About 150 attended despite the rainy weather. They socialized, viewed the art, ate Syrian food and listened to Dr. Wael Khoury and the artist talk about the Garden and the art.

Diana Al-Hadid and Dr. Wael Khoury

Diana Al-Hadid, who was raised in Ohio and is a Kent State University graduate, converted the fountain into a symbolic ancient water-clock whose design is based on several instructions left behind by the twelfth-century Islamic polymath Ismail Al-Jazari.

Photos and video from the Syrian Garden event

Greek Cultural Garden Signing Ceremony - The Gift of Greece to Civilization

 The mission of the Hellenic Preservation Society (HPS) is to present a unified voice of the Hellenes in Northeastern Ohio that will promote the Greek experience through programs, presentation and cultural collections.

HPS is commissioning an ambitious and exciting work for the Greek Cultural Garden, one of 35 (and growing) in a chain of Cultural Gardens in Cleveland Ohio. The Garden was dedicated in 1940 and has been sponsored by the Hellenic Preservation Society since 1992.

The Greek Garden is flanked by two Doric columns representative of the type of column one would see while viewing the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens Greece. The central court is a sunken garden and forms the lines of a Greek cross. Looking west from the main entrance is a pylon, the chief feature of the garden, symbolizing the wall of the Parthenon in Greece. Inscribed on the pylon are the names of 34 historic Greek figures representing the Greek spirit in philosophy, art, literature and science., e.g. Socrates, Homer, Plato, El Greco, Aristotle and Archimedes.

The Hellenic Preservation Society has commissioned Master Stone Carver Nicholas Fairplay to sculpt a 5 x 15' stone relief to be installed on the Parthenon Wall featuring dozens of Greek cultural figures.

Photos and video from the Greek Garden event

India Independence Day and Cultural Garden on One World Day

 The Cleveland Indian community demonstrated their proud heritage with a very large group of people at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 40,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2022.

Since One World Day was held just a few weeks after India Independence Day, the India Cultural Garden and Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) combined their Independence Day celebration with One World Day. The Indian community celebrated the 76th India Independence Day at One World Day participating in the Parade of Flags and then having cultural performances and Indian delicacies in the Garden. Attendees were encouraged to wear their regional/state dress so it was a colorful affair.

Photos and videos from the Indian Garden

George Voinovich Memorial Dedication in the Serbian Cultural Garden

George Voinovich served as Mayor of Cleveland and then Governor of Ohio and then US Senator from Ohio. He was of Serbian (father) and Slovenian (mother) heritage. He was very proud of his ethnic heritage and was a tremendous supporter of the ethnic diversity in Cleveland, Ohio and the United States.

On August 31, 2022 a memorial to the Senator was dedicated in the Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland.

Stories and memories were shared.

Photos and videos from the Voinovich Memorial