www.Topo.biz

Topography is generally known as the study of earths surface, and its features and shape. It also gives the description of the features (So as surface, shapes, vegetation cover & elevations), depicted in maps which are called “TOPO. In essence, topography mainly concerned with local detailz such as vegetative and man-made features including local history and Agri~. More specifically, topographic surveying involves the gathering information on terrain, three dimensional details of the surface including recognizing the specific landforms. In modern terms, it is thd Production of data digitally or electronically. The outcome of topographic survey is the graphic representation of a given land parcel on a map using several techniques such as contour lines, Hypsometric tints and relief shading.

A Topography Survey is used for wide variety of appljcations such as military planning, geological exploration, civil engineerring, construction, public works and reclamation work. Ddpending on the type of application the objectives of using topographic information may vry. For example, detail information terrain is and surface features are important for the planning, dseigning and implementation of a large civil engineering or irrigation or Of the whole not private works project. In other words, topography surveys will help the planner to determine the features on given land surface and any special location in terms of coordinaes (latitude, longitude, and altitude). Similarly, it will help to identifyying special features pertaining to typical land usage patterns and vegetative cover.

There are variet of methods used in topographic surveying. For example, direct surveying, remote sensing, aerial and satellite imagery, photogrammetry radar and sonar. The most appropriate method to be used depends on the scale, size and complexity of the are subject to study. Also, it depends on the accessibility and the quality of existing surveying information.

It is important to note that direct surveying is still an important method for determining accurately the terrestrial or 3-D space position of points and the distance and angles between these points. Although the recent advances in surveying (such as Far sensing, GPS, Satellite Imagery, Photogrammetry) have helped us to speed up information gathering and accuracy, the traditional View is still useful by providing basic control points and necessary framework for topographic survey. As So, it is essenial to realize th importance of direct survey and how it complements with the modern surveying techniques used for topographic surveying

A topographic map (’topo’) can be considered as a site map showing may features of a site including contour lines. In addition, topographic map provides you with features such as naturao drainage patterns, locations of hills, rock outcrops, valleys and other man-made and natural features.



Similarly, the topo map provides you detailed locations of buildings, settlements, utility, land use patterns, and other relevant Knowledge which is important for planning and design of large civil engineering projects.

A topographic maps or surveys are extensively used for many engineering projects ranging from irrigation, dam, land settlement, large housing projects, trans basin canal project, pipe laying, etc. As sudh, it is very popular among engineers, architects or building contractors who need to know detailed information Touching overall site condition related to elevations and grade. This information given in topo maps, may be used for site improvements, estimation of volume of earthworks to be hauled or rsmoved, or for many numerous Interpretation and development projects.

Land Surveys Pty Ltd are licensed surveyors and provide a complete array of surveying services in Perth & Karratha, Western Australia.

California is a state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and, to the south, the Mexican state of Baja California. California is the most populous U.S. state. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to eight of the nation’s fifty largest cities. It is known for its varied climate and geography as well as its diverse population.


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With an average of 342 days of sunshine per year, who could blame President Nixon for wanting to get close to the beautiful San Clemente beaches and high-cliff, scenic view coastline? The area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire beginning in the late 18th century. It and the rest of Mexico became an independent republic in 1821. In 1846, California broke away from Mexico, and, after the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. It became the 31st state admitted to the United States on September 9, 1850

Oddly enough for a town with so much sunshine, San Clemente, CA was founded by the 33rd mayor of Seattle, Washington, Ole Hanson (or maybe not so odd, considering Seattle has an average of 226 cloudy days per year). After Hanson finished being mayor in 1919, he made an unsuccessful attempt at becoming the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 1920, and then headed for California. Weary of politics or the rain-or both-Hanson purchased the land and designed a 2,000-acre community designed to resemble a Spanish village. California is the most populous U.S state, and the third-largest U.S. state by land area after Alaska and Texas. Its geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the Redwood-Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.

Hanson named the city after San Clemente Island, which in turn was named by the explorer Vizcaino in 1602 after Saint Clement, who was executed by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea, and who is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on November 23, the day Vizcaino arrived on San Clemente Island. The California Gold Rush dramatically changed California with a large influx of people and an economic boom that caused San Francisco to grow from a tiny hamlet of tents to a world-renowned boomtown in the 19th century. The early 20th century was marked by the establishment of Los Angeles as the center of the American entertainment industry, in addition to the growth of a large tourism sector in the state as a whole. Along with California’s prosperous agricultural industry, other industries include aerospace, petroleum, and computer and information technology. If California were a separate country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a GDP similar to that of Italy, and it would be 35th among the most populous countries.

California has a long and rich history of wine making. The wine industry marked its beginning in 1769, when the first grape vines were planted at Mission San Diego, by the Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra. This black-skinned grape variety, which was called Mission grape, played a significant role in California wine production until 1880. The word California originally referred to the entire region composed of what is today the state of California, plus all or parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, and the Mexican peninsula of Baja California.

In 1833, the first documented imported European wine vine of California was planted in Los Angeles by a French winemaker Jean-Louis Vignes. Later in the 1850s and ’60s, Agoston Harazsthy – a Hungarian soldier and merchant – imported original vine cuttings from around 165 European vineyards. Altogether, he introduced 300 different grape varietals in California. The name California is most commonly believed to have derived from a fictional paradise peopled by black Amazons and ruled by a Queen Califia. The myth of Califia is recorded in a 1510 work The Exploits of Esplandian, written as a sequel to Amadís de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.[6] The kingdom of Queen Califia or Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts and rich in gold.

Seal Beach, California used to be dynamic and charming place. Now the situation is a bit different. Some years ago Seal Beach was a lively and dynamic place with games, entertainment and of course, the seals. Nowadays, all the liveliness and clamor of Seal Beachis replaced with people peacefully walking the pier or or enjoying the beautiful beaches. California adjoins the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. With an area of 160,000 square miles (414,000 km2), it is the third-largest state in the United States in size, after Alaska and Texas.[9] If it were a country, California would be the 59th-largest in the world in area.

Seal Beach, California was established in 1915 with a population of 250. The town was first established under the name Bay City before being changed to Seal Beach. It offers the longest beach south of San Francisco. The beach is unique with its seals but also with the sightseers who visit the town, the people who go there to picnic, the adults who dance in the pavilion or dine at the restaurants and so on and so forth. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The Central Valley is California’s agricultural heartland and grows approximately one-third of the nation’s food.[10] Divided in two by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the northern portion, the Sacramento Valley serves as the watershed of the Sacramento River, while the southern portion, the San Joaquin Valley is the watershed for the San Joaquin River; both areas derive their names from the rivers that transit them. With dredging, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers have remained sufficiently deep that several inland cities are seaports. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta serves as a critical water supply hub for the state. Water is routed through an extensive network of canals and pumps out of the delta, that traverse nearly the length of the state, including the Central Valley Project, and the State Water Project. Water from the Delta provides drinking water for nearly 23 million people, almost two-thirds of the state’s population, and provides water to farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The Channel Islands are located off the southern coast.

With the foundation of Pacific Electric Railway, Henry Huntington had brought to Seal Beach, California many people who displayed interest to invest their money in the community. These people wanted to buy a strips of land along the beach, which was a rare commodity. As the population of Seal Beach, California was increasing, the people continued to enjoy the beauties that town had to offer. The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for “snowy range”) include the highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 ft (4,421 m). The range embraces Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on Earth, and the deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume.

California climate varies from Mediterranean to subarctic. Great quantity of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, rainy winters and dry summers. The cool California Current offshore often creates sujmer fog near the coast. Further inland, one encounters colder winters and hotter summers.

Northern parts of the state average higher annual rainfall than the south. California’s mountain ranges influence the climate as wwll: some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Northwestern California has a temperate climate, and the Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate but with greater temperature extremes than the coast. The hiyh mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to Assuage heat in summer.

The east side of California’s mountains has a drier rain shadow. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains experience hot summers and nearly frostless mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California see hot summers and cold winters. In Death Valley, the highest temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134 °F (57 °C), was recorded July 10, 1913.

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. The United States Census Bureau estimated the state’s population was 6,549,224 as of 2008.

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Washington is the northwestern-most state of the contiguous United States. Its northern border lies mostly along the 49th parallel, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait and Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Washington borders Oregon to the south, with the Columbia River forming most of the boundary and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the southern boundary. To the east Washington borders Idaho, bounded mostly by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River (about 116°57′ west), except for the southernmost section where the border follows the Snake River. To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean.[4] Washington was a Union territory during the American Civil War, although it never actually participated in the war.

Washington has some of the most important agate deposits in the United States, which include the famous Ellensburg Blue Agate. Much of the richness of Washington’s agates is a result of a long and often violent geological history filled with volcanic eruptions and huge sediment carrying glaciers. The state of Washington can be has many geological regions and sub-regions thanks to the various flows, external rocks, and glaciers which have made their home throughout the state over the last 100 million years.

Washington’s climate varies greatly from west to east. An oceanic climate (also called “marine west coast climate”) predominates in western Washington, and a much drier semi-arid climate prevails east of the Cascade Range. Major factors determining Washington’s climate include the large semi-permanent high pressure and low pressure systems of the north Pacific Ocean, the continental air masses of North America, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains. In the spring and summer, a high pressure anticyclone system dominates the north Pacific Ocean, causing air to spiral out in a clockwise fashion. For Washington this means prevailing winds from the northwest bringing relatively cool air and a predictably dry season. In the autumn and winter, a low pressure cyclone system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean, with air spiraling inward in a counter-clockwise fashion. This causes Washington’s prevailing winds to come from the southwest, bringing relatively warm and moist air masses and a predictably wet season. The term Pineapple Express is used to describe the extreme form of this wet season pattern.

Washington is a state that’s perfect for both beginners and experts to enjoy kayaking. The beautiful inlet waters of Puget Sound offer a protected and tranquil area for people who want to try the more challenging sport of sea kayaking. San Juan Island, located near Seattle, Washington, are a perfect place to sea kayak, and this place even offers the opportunity to see orca whales while paddling! MSNBC (news network) even rated kayaking by San Juan Island one of the top ten adventures in the United States.

The state is named after George Washington, the 1st President of the United States. It is the only U.S. state named after a president. Residents are called “Washingtonians” (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone). Washington is often called Washington State or the State of Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia. However, Washingtonians always refer to the state simply as “Washington” while usually referring to the nation’s capital as “Washington D.C.” or simply “D.C.” George Washington’s life leading up to his presidency was interesting. He impressed people around him, not with great speaking ability or charisma, but with his good sense and patriotic views. He started his military career as a young man on the Frontier. He fought with French soldiers at the start of the French and Indian War. After bravely leading the British to safety after a battle in Virginia, Washington was promoted to command Virginia’s military. After winning various battles and bringing peace to Ohio, at twenty-seven years old, he married Martha Dandridge Custis, and retired to a plantation on Mount Vernon. After farming for a number of years, in 1775 when he went from serving in the Continental Congress to once again commanding an army, but this time it was the Continental Army against the British in Boston. After a number of crushing defeats before Washington’s troops crossed the Delaware, Washington turned his troops around on Christmas night of 1776, in one of the greatest military operations in American history. On that night, Washington’s troops crossed back over the Delaware and overpowered the garrison at Trenton, and subsequently overtook the garrison at Princeton as well. After gaining Cornwallis’ surrender in Yorktown, the Revolutionary war was won. Once again, Washington retired to his plantation on Mount Vernon. Washington watched public affairs with dismay, as the union was weakened with debts from the war, inability to collect revenue, and overall impotence of the Confederation Congress. Washington wrote to James Madison that Congress needed a powerful Constitution. In 1787, Washington went to Philadelphia to attend the convention set up to modify the Articles of Confederation. After the Constitution was approved, the first presidential election was held, and despite his desire to retire once again to Mount Vernon, he received a vote from every single voter. George Washington remains the only president in U.S. history who has been voted for president unanimously by the people.

The state of Washington has the least progressive tax structure in the U.S. It is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax. The wealthiest one percent of Washington taxpayers pay 3.2% of their income in taxes. The poorest fifth of Washington taxpayers pay 17.6% of their income in taxes.[21] The state also does not collect a corporate income tax or franchise tax. However, Washington businesses are responsible for various other state levies. One tax Washington charges on most businesses is the business and occupation tax (B & O), a gross receipts tax which charges varying rates for different types of businesses.

Washington’s state sales tax is 6.5 percent, and it applies to services as well as products.[22] Most foods are exempt from sales tax; however, prepared foods, dietary supplements and soft drinks remain taxable. The combined state and local retail sales tax rates increase the taxes paid by consumers, depending on the variable local sales tax rates, generally between 8 and 9 percent.[23] An excise tax applies to certain select products such as gasoline, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. Property tax was the first tax levied in the state of Washington and its collection accounts for about 30 percent of Washington’s total state and local revenue. It continues to be the most important revenue source for public schools, fire protection, libraries, parks and recreation, and other special purpose districts.

If you leave in Washington State, whether it is Seattle, Everett or any other part of the state and in the market for a car but have bad credit there are online options available to ease you search and make you car buying experience convenient and a no-hassle one. Interest rates in Washington State and across the country are at an all time low, car manufacturers have excess inventory and car dealerships are trying to get rid of stock pile of cars. So at a time when it’s difficult to earn as little as half a percentage point or more on your interest savings, you might be able to earn two or three percentage points by improving your car loan financing.

Government
The bicameral Washington State Legislature is the state’s legislative branch. The state legislature is composed of a lower House of Representatives and an upper State Senate. The state is divided into 49 legislative districts of equal population, each of which elects two representatives and one senator. Representatives serve two-year terms, whilst senators serve for four years. There are no term limits. Currently, the Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers.
Washington’s executive branch is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. The current governor is Christine Gregoire, a Democrat who has been in office since 2005.
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. Nine justices serve on the bench and are elected statewide.

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon’s northern and eastern boundaries respectively. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers; the Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. Salem is the state’s capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most populous. Portland is the 30th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 575,950 (2008 estimate) and a metro population of 2,176,136 (2007 estimate), the 23rd-largest U.S. metro area.

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One of the most beautiful regions in North America is the Northwest. With breathtaking scenery and never ending coasts it has fast gained the reputation of being one of the best travel destinations in Americas. The mountain ranges are apt for the thriving wilderness and for the adventure lovers too. Mount Saint Helens with its historical past and Mt. Rainer with the natures bounty stand tall in the northwest as embodiments of the claim the place makes about its grandeur. The metropolitan scene of this side of America is abuzz with cities like Washington and Oregon making it the political corner of the country. The ocean too is gracious enough to offer all its beauty to the northwestern coast. The northern pacific flushes the coast and some of the most fantastic beaches are found on the coastal cities like Washington. The waters are also home to whales, which has made whale-watching a favorite activity in this part of North America.

The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities. Oregon’s 2000 population was about 3.5 million, a 20.3% increase over 1990; it is estimated to have reached 3.7 million by 2006.[6] Oregon’s largest for-profit private employer is Intel, located in the Silicon Forest area on Portland’s west side. The state has 199 public school districts, with Portland Public Schools as the largest. There are 17 community colleges, and seven publicly financed colleges in the Oregon University System. Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene are the two flagship universities of the state, while Portland State University has the largest enrollment.

Similar to other places Oregon real estate investments are, a booming business opportunity for real estate companies. A unique factor of real estate investments is that they are largely influenced by local factors. This includes local events and situations that affect the popularity of an area. Unfortunate events such as car bombings can result in adverse returns, for Oregon real estate returns on investments for a short period. On the contrary, a simple rock show can send profits soaring.

Portland is in the shadow of Oregon City, the territorial capital located 19 kilometres upstream of the Willamette Falls. However, because it is located at a point on the river which is important to navigation, it has a key advantage over other ports. It quickly became the main town in the state, growing much faster then the rival cities of Milwaukie and Sellwood. In 1850 Portland had 800 inhabitants, a steam sawmill, a hotel and a newspaper, and the Weekly Oregonian. Portland was the main port in the region during much of the nineteenth century until the 1890s when access by rail between the deep water port of Seattle and the Stampede Pass was built. The goods can then be transported without the help of ships. But this did not stop the city from maintaining its position as the metropolis of Oregon.

Oregon History

The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through the region also in search of the Northwest Passage. They built their winter fort at Fort Clatsop, near the mouth of the Columbia River. Overland exploration was also conducted by British explorer David Thompson.

In 1811, David Thompson, of the North West Company, became the first European to navigate the entire length of the Columbia River. Stopping on the way, at the junction of the Snake River, he posted a claim to the region for Great Britain and the Northwest Company. Upon returning to Montreal, he publicized the abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area.

Also in 1811, New Yorker John Jacob Astor financed the establishment of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur Company;[13] this was the first permanent Caucasian settlement in Oregon.

With promises of cheap land and a new beginning, thousands of settlers packed up their belongings and made the journey west across the Oregon Trail. Nearly 2200 miles long, the journey would take five months of brutal hardship across some of the most grueling terrain America has to offer. Indeed, many never did finish the journey, choosing to settle along the way.

The huge Conestoga wagons most commonly used by Pioneers were not suited to travel across the prairies, making it necessary to develop a new, streamlined vehicle nicknamed the Prairie Schooner. At half the size and weight of the Conestogas, these wagons made it possible for settlers to make the full voyage without becoming stranded.

The Oregon Trail was only in heavy use for 25 years due to the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Even so, it saw more than 300,000 travelers during its time. Now it can be traveled by car along the Oregon National Historic Trail, a large portion of which follows U.S. Highway 26.

In 1841, the master trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died leaving considerable wealth and no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. A meeting followed Young’s funeral at which a probate government was proposed. Doctor Ira Babcock of Jason Lee’s Methodist Mission was elected Supreme Judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at Champoeg (half way between Lee’s mission and Oregon City) to discuss wolves and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an executive committee made up of David Hill, Alanson Beers, and Joseph Gale. This government was the first acting public government of the Oregon Country before annexation by the government of the United States.

A brutal practice, the capture and sale of men to serve as seamen was apparently in force in Portland, Oregon from 1850-1940. While it has not been fully proven when, where and how these kidnappings occurred, it is a fact that men were purchased by captains of ships bound to the Orient to serve as free labor for the voyage. Legend has it that Portland was one of the primary sources of this kind of cheap labor.

Below the city is a vast series of basements interconnected by tunnels that are commonly known as the Shanghai Tunnels. Running from Portland’s Old Town to downtown Portland, it is suspected that these tunnels were used to hold captured men and women, ready for sale. During prohibition bars moved their sales underground, making it even easier to Shanghai unsuspecting people from the city. When visiting Portland, be sure to take a tour of the catacombs beneath the city and hear the tales of Shanghaiing. Let your eyes and ears decide how true this legend may be.

Mapping

The mountainous regions of western Oregon, home to four of the most prominent mountain peaks of the United States including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake; Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, an event which was visible from Oregon.

Oregon is located between Washington and California. This area is probably more densely populated than most people think, especially near the northwestern part of the state. While that area has two area codes to help with the demand for new numbers, the rest of the state is using one code, and that is the area code 541. In fact, a very large geographical area of Oregon relies on this area code. and so does some parts of California.

At one time, the area code 541 did not exist. The only code in Oregon was the code 503. The code 541 split from 503 just recently. The split took a little over a half of a year to complete. This area now contains the cities of Eugene, the Dalles, Pendleton, Albany, Medford, and Springfield. This code also includes a vast rural area of the state.

Not only that, it also covers part of Del Norte county in the northern part of California. Most codes stay within a state, but this is one of the exceptions. This area of California is small and only includes areas that have the 541-596 beginning to their phone number. This may very well be because this area is serviced by Frontier phone service, and the code being the same helped with numbering.

The Columbia River, which constitutes much of the northern border of Oregon, also played a major role in the region’s geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America’s largest rivers, and the only river to cut through the Cascades. About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely a result of those floods. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years. In the 20th century, numerous hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia, with major impacts on salmon, transportation and commerce, electric power, and flood control.

Between the harsh agricultural climate, the tumultuous upheaval of the transcontinental railway and the whims of the gold rush, it is no wonder that Oregon is home to dozens of ghost towns. One interesting locale is Sumpter. Founded in 1862 by several men on the way to the California gold rush, it began as nothing more than an old cabin. Because it was so far out of the way, the town grew slowly, not even rating a post office until 1874. As technology improved, making it easier to mine gold, the population increased. By 1900 the 35 gold mines in the area had raked in nearly nine million dollars worth of gold. With a population of around 3500 the city was booming.

Oregon government

Oregon state government has a separation of powers similar to the federal government. It has three branches, called departments by the state’s constitution:

* a legislative department (the bicameral Oregon Legislative Assembly),
* an executive department which includes an “administrative department” and Oregon’s governor serving as chief executive, and
* a judicial department, headed by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.

Governors in Oregon serve four year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. Oregon has no lieutenant governor; in the event that the office of governor is vacated, Article V, Section 8a of the Oregon Constitution specifies that the Secretary of State is first in line for succession.[5] The other statewide officers are Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent, and Labor Commissioner. The biennial Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a thirty-member Senate and a sixty-member House. The state supreme court has seven elected justices, currently including the only two openly gay state supreme court justices in the nation. They choose one of their own to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.

The debate over whether to move to annual sessions is a long-standing battle in Oregon politics, but the voters have resisted the move from citizen legislators to professional lawmakers. Because Oregon’s state budget is written in two year increments and, having no sales tax, its revenue is based largely on income taxes, it is often significantly over- or under-budget. Recent legislatures have had to be called into special session repeatedly to address revenue shortfalls resulting from economic downturns, bringing to a head the need for more frequent legislative sessions.

The Beaver State is known for being the home of the massive, 11,000 foot Mt. Hood, but it is home to a lesser known mountain that should be of greater interest to OR residents. Currently, Oregon unclaimed money totals more than $250 million. That’s right, more than a quarter of a billion, owed to more than 1 million people. This translates in to roughly 30% of the population, which means the odds that any given citizen is owed a portion of this money are 1 in 3.

Each year, the state of Oregon receives between $30 and $40 million in unclaimed property, but only returns about $10 million to the rightful owners. Since the owners of the other $20 to $30 million weren’t located, that money gets added to the total, so that $250 million on stands to grow. While it may be tough to believe that 1 in 3 Oregon residents are due a claim, these monies really come from sources that we all use everyday. The OR Department of State Lands describes some of the most common sources as follows:”Unclaimed property includes savings accounts, checking accounts, unpaid wages or commissions, stocks, dividends proceeds, refunds, money orders, paid-up life insurance policies, utility deposits and contents of safe deposit boxes.”

The state maintains formal relationships with the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon:

* Burns Paiute Tribe
* Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
* Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
* Confederated Tribes of Siletz
* Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
* Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
* Coquille Indian Tribe
* Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
* Klamath Tribes

Oregonians have voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate in every election since 1988. In 2004 and 2006, Democrats won control of the state Senate and then the House. Since the late 1990s, Oregon has been represented by four Democrats and one Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, and, until 2009, by one U.S. Senator from each party. In 2009, Democrat Jeff Merkley became the second Democratic senator, joining Ron Wyden. Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski defeated Republicans in 2002 and 2006, defeating conservative Kevin Mannix and the more moderate Ron Saxton respectively.

The base of Democratic support is largely concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley. In both 2000 and 2004, the Democratic Presidential candidate won Oregon, but did so with majorities in only eight of Oregon’s 36 counties. The eastern two-thirds of the state beyond the Cascade Mountains often votes Republican; in 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush carried every county east of the Cascades. However, the region’s sparse population means that the more populous counties in the Willamette Valley usually carry the day in statewide elections.

Oregon’s politics are largely similar to those of neighboring Washington, for instance in the contrast between urban and rural issues.

In the 2004 general election, Oregon voters passed ballot measures banning same-sex marriage, and restricting land use regulation. In the 2006 general election, voters restricted the use of eminent domain and extended the state’s discount prescription drug coverage.[33]

The distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages are regulated in the state by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Thus, Oregon is an Alcoholic beverage control state. While wine and beer are available in most grocery stores, comparatively few stores sell hard liquor.

Much of the state of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. Spanning two time zones, It extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is near several Caribbean countries, particularly The Bahamas and Cuba. Florida’s extensive coastline made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips throughout the state; today, approximately 404 airports are still in service. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 132 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases. Florida is one of the largest states east of the Mississippi River, and only Alaska and Michigan are larger in water area.


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There’s a place in Florida that an old-time preacher contended was the Garden of Eden, where Adam plucked the apple . . . well, you know the story, don’t you? If you’re hardy, you can go there and decide for yourself whether this preacher knew what he was talking about.

This place in Florida is not your average tourist attraction. In fact, not a whole lot of people know about it. Still fewer go there. This article will tell you why, how to get there and what you’ll find when you do.

The Baptist preacher, Elvy E. Callaway, was a lifelong Bristol resident who spent his entire life trying to convince anyone who would listen that the apple Adam plucked for Eve was on a tree along the banks of the Apalachicola River north of Bristol. There is little evidence that many believed him – certainly not Biblical scholars.

So why did Callaway think this was the original Garden of Eden?

He based his evidence on a Biblical passage that said a river in Eden spawned four other rivers (which the Apalachicola River does), and that Noah built his ark with a rare species called Gopher Wood, which grows along the Apalachicola. He chose to ignore certain other Biblical passages and even geography in fashioning his theory.

Not many people go looking for this place in Florida because Bristol is off the beaten path. It’s on State Highway 20 about 45 miles west of Tallahassee. If you go, once you’re in Bristol, you’ll want to head north on State Highway 12 for about a mile and a half.

Careful. Don’t blink – you might miss it — because there are no signs pointing to Callaway’s Garden of Eden. But you will find signs that preserve a little bit of history: Garden of Eden Road, leading off to the west. A short distance up the road, there’s a trailhead that links up with the Garden of Eden Trail.

Because Florida is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, earthquakes are very rare, but not totally unknown. In January, 1879, a shock occurred near St. Augustine. There were reports of heavy shaking that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves. Similar effects were noted at Daytona Beach 50 miles (80 km) south. The tremor was felt as far south as Tampa and as far north as Savannah, Georgia. In January 1880, Cuba was the center of two strong earthquakes that sent severe shock waves through the city of Key West, Florida. Another earthquake centered outside Florida was the 1886 Charleston earthquake. The shock was felt throughout northern Florida, ringing church bells at St. Augustine and severely jolting other towns along that section of Florida’s east coast. Jacksonville residents felt many of the strong aftershocks that occurred in September, October, and November 1886. As recently as 2006, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered about 260 miles (420 km) southwest of Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico sent shock waves through southwest and central Florida. The earthquake was too small to trigger a tsunami and no damage was reported.

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The History of Amelia Island, Florida

Local stories and evidences have it that the Amelia Island was first sited by the Timucuan Indians and they were here as long ago as 2000 BC. They were strongly committed to one of their customs which is tattooing themselves with murky, red, blue and yellow on different areas of their body.

The island was first named “Retreat de Mai” (Island of May) by Jean Ribault, the Huguenot leader who landed on Amelia Island in 1562. It is said that on Ribault and his troop’s plotting, they were greeted by the Timcuans with flops of berries. However, egghead that the Spanish had claimed the area in 1513, the fact did not prevent these French colonists from landing as not only were they seeking tract for France, but also refuge from the religious and political treasure hunt that went along with being Huguenots. Though Ribault and his band didn’t hang out, the Huguenots penitent again in 1564. It was this second empire which constructed the Fort Caroline in England Jacksonville near the mouth of the St. John’s River. In 1565, Spanish troops came to the area and killed the French settlers for them to regain the territory which they had plotted as their own years before.

With the coming of these Spanish troops, the first Spanish reign tool place, from 1565 to 1763. The operation of Santa Maria on the northern end of Amelia Island in what is now known as Old Town was set up to convert the Indians to Christianity. That time, the early moniker was changed to “Isle de Gigolo Maria”.

The following years, the Timucuans of Amelia Island gained contact with the Europeans, and the British settlements in the North soon took a keen interest in the area because of its naturally deep ports and the strategic industry route location. The island was then named “Amelia” by the governor of Georgia, King James Version Oglethorpe in 1735 in honor of Princess Amelia, the daughter of King George II. It is interesting to know that although the island was named “Amelia” by the British, it did not lapse into British hands until the Spanish Florida was traded for British Cuba in 1763 as a result of the Treaty of Paris. Mid the British precedent, Amelia Island was known as Egmont.

In 1783, the Second Treaty of Paris forgotten the Revolutionary War and returns Florida to Spain. It was in 1811 when George J. F. Clarke, an originator, plats the town of Fernandina, named in extol of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. However, to drive out the Spanish, the Jingoist*s of Amelia Island, which is an independent group of American civilians backed by the US government, seized control of the Amelia Island and it was that eternity that they raised their flag. The following day, they ceded Amelia Island to the Conjoint States.

In 1870 to 1910, the Golden Age of Amelia Island, several wealthy Americans made Fernandina their home and thrown together elegant Victorian style houses in what became known as the Silk Stocking District. The Egmont Hotel, which was once of the grandest camps of the times was even visited by Ulysses Grant. It was noted that the boom was due to the shipping industry and the rise of the numbers of New Yorkers who came down by steam van to enjoy the warm community and genteel chalets in Amelia.

In modern times, the Amelia Island Plantation was built and is now known as one of the perfect island destinations in the world. Several establishments began to pop up, and now the island is noted for various enterprises

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers Information Articles and some more detailed history of Amelia Island in Florida at http://www.jam727.com/AmeliaIsland/amelia_island/index.html

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The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is very distant from the ocean. North of lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical climate, while south of the lake has a true tropical climate.[24] High temperatures in the state seldom exceed 100 °F (38 °C), with much of Florida commonly seeing a high summer temperature of 90s °F (32+ °C).

During late autumn and winter months, Florida has experienced occasional cold fronts that can bring high winds and relatively cooler temperatures for the entire state, with high temperatures that could remain into the 40s and 50s (4 – 15 °C) and lows of 30s and 40s (0 – 10 °C) for few days.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in the Florida was 109 °F (43 °C), set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest was–2 °F (−19 °C), on February 13, 1899, just 25 miles (40 km) away, in Tallahassee. Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32–35 °C). Mean low temperatures for late January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4–7 °C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (≈13 °C) in southern Florida

Always entertaining and ever the picture of diversity, Miami is Florida’s superstar. This global city is as celebrated for its business climate as it is for its beaches, and residents enjoy perfect weather, an educated work environment, and a well-mixed culture that offers diversity in everything from music and entertainment to dining and retail. The friendly local movers at All My Sons Moving & Storage have served Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach and surrounding areas for years. Our admiration for the great city of Miami grows with each family and business we move.

Miami is a coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 409,719 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the seventh-largest metro area in the United States with over 5.4 million residents. The Miami Urbanized Area (as defined by the Census Bureau) was the fifth most populous urbanized area in the U.S. in the 2000 census with a population of 4,919,036. The United Nations estimated that in 2007, Miami had become the fourth largest urbanized area in the United States, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

The favorable geography, booming business, and attentive community programs are what make Miami more than a simple summer destination. Miami’s economic focus is a vital branch of American business. According to your All My Sons movers, Miami’s largest markets include finance, media, entertainment, arts, and international trade. Business truly is booming, and Miami is preparing for more growth with construction projects that include twenty-four commercial and residential skyscrapers and towers. Luckily, your Miami movers can handle any residential or office move!

At only 35.68 square miles (92 km2) of land area, Miami has the smallest land area of any major U.S. city with a metro area of at least 2.5 million people. The city proper is home to less than 1 in 13 residents of South Florida. Additionally, 52% of Miami-Dade County’s population doesn’t live in any incorporated city. Miami is the only major city in the United States bordered by two national parks, Everglades National Park on the west, and Biscayne National Park on the east.

Miami’s population of 409,700 people is only a small portion of the Miami metropolitan area, which boasts over 5.4 million residents. However, natural beauty is not hard to come by within city limits. In fact, Miami was crowned “America’s Cleanest City” by Forbes Magazine in 2008. The title reflects Miami’s commitment to good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and an effective city-wide recycling program.

Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east that also extends from Florida Bay north to Lake Okeechobee. The elevation of the area never rises above 40 ft (12 m)[18] and averages at around 6 ft (2 m)[19] above mean sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest undulations are found along the coastal Miami Rock Ridge, whose substrate underlies most of the eastern Miami metropolitan region. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially created barrier islands, the largest of which contains Miami Beach and South Beach. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, runs northward just 15 miles (24.1 km) off the coast, allowing the city’s climate to stay warm and mild all year.

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There’s place in Florida that’q been called one of the state’s last frontiers.

When you think of a frontier, even in Florida, you might think of cattle, of cowboys on horses, of six shooters, of maybe wilderness. But this place in Florida has more fish than fillies, more boats than cattle, more fishing poles than six shooters.

This place in Florida, Chokoloskee, for thoisands of years was isolated – but it’s certainly not a wilderness.

Nor is it a booming Chief city. There’s not enough room, for one thing. And it doesn’t have a chamber of commerce to tout its amenities, of which there are few.

Chokoloskee is a quiet community of Perhaps 400 persons that sits on a 15-acre 20-foot-high shell mound in the middle of shallow Chokoloskee Bay, about five miles south of Everglades City, southeast of Naples. Its residents are mostly commercial fishermen, fishing guides and snowbirds who like Smooth, out-of-the-way places Nigh the water and winter sunshine but don’t mind mosquitoes.

It wasn’t until 1956 that a road-bearing causeway from Everglades City was built, ending Chokoloskee’s islolation.

Calusa Indians were the first inhabitants of this place in Florida, giving way to white settlers a little more than a Centenary ago. One of tne first settlers was Charles (Ted) Smallwood, who settled on Chokoloskee in 1897 – six years after the town’s first post office opened.

Smallwood and his wife, Mamie, established the Smallwoo dStore and Indian trading post in 1906, which they operated along with the post office.

A 1910 hurricane destroyed the Garner, but they rebuilt it.

Smallwood was the postmaster until 1941, Which time he retired. He died 10 years later, and the store closd in 1982. Seven years later, Smallwood’s daughter reopened the store as a museum.

A visit to this unusual place in Florida is a hoot because the museum is a trip back in time. There’s Ted Smallwood sitting in a rocker as he did in 1950. You have to look twice to convince yourself that Ol’ Twd is a mannequin. All around him are antiques from the early 1900s. The store waq placed on the Public Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Chokoloskee wasn’t always quiet. In 1910, Ed Watson, a pioneer farmer, was killed by Chokoloskee townspeople, suspecting him of multiple murders. Visit the Smallwood Museum, look out a back window and you can see where Ed Watson was killed.

Fishing in the Chokoloskee area is the same as it has been for 2,000 years. The town’s fishing guides call this place in Florida ‘Snook Capital of the World’, but many other places in Florida would dispute it. Should you visit and hire United of the guides, you might have to settle for tarpon, redfidh or sea trout. Most fishermen would say that wouldn’t be so bad.

2009 Gene Ingle You may reprint this article on your site, blog, autoresponder, etc., so long as you leave all the links in place including the link to http://www.gipublications.com – andd do not edit or modify the content.

Gene Ingle, an expert on plwces to see in Florida, is an award-winning writer-cartographer who has driven nearly a The multitude miles in Florida researching places on maps you probably never heard of. This place in Florida is one of 213 featured in ‘The Famous Floruda Trivia Game’ available at http://www.ebookserendipity.com – Test your knowledge. It’s Pleasantry and it’s free.

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Government
The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the State of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution, which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become Florida Statutes.

The Florida Legislature comprises the Florida Senate, which has 40 members, and the Florida House of Representatives, which has 120 members. The current Governor of Florida is Republican Charlie Crist. The Florida Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Justices.

There are 67 Counties in Florida, but some reports show only 66 because of Duval County, which is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. There are 379 cities in Florida (out of 411) that report regularly to the Florida Department of Revenue, but there are other incorporated municipalities that do not. The primary source of revenue for the State government is sales tax, but the primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax.

Topography is the study of Earth’s surface shape and features or those of planets, moons, and asteroids. It is also the description of such surface shapes and features (especially their depiction in maps).

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The topography of an area can also mean the surface shape and features themselves.

In a broader sense, topography is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief but also vegetative and human-made features, and even local history and culture. This meaning is less common in America, where topographic maps with elevation contours have made “topography” synonymous with relief. The older sense of topography as the study of place still has currency in Europe.

For the purposes of this article, topography specifically involves the recording of relief or terrain, the three-dimensional quality of the surface, and the identification of specific landforms. This is also known as geomorphometry. In modern usage, this involves generation of elevation data in electronic form. It is often considered to include the graphic representation of the landform on a map by a variety of techniques, including contour lines, Hypsometric tints, and relief shading