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Pandora is a moon of the gas giant Polyphemus, (both are figures in Greek mythology) which orbits Alpha Centauri A.
Discovered by the first interstellar expedition twenty-five years ago in 2129, Pandora has been the single most interesting thing to happen to the human race in hundreds of years. The news services love to run clips of the wild scenery on Pandora, and its bizarre flora and fauna.
To the cultures of Earth, which has lost all contact with the natural world, Pandora is mysterious, primal and terrifying. Pandora's atmosphere is a poisonous (to humans) brew of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, xenon, ammonia, methane, and hydrogen cyanide. Even from orbit the scope of florae present on the surface indicates a planet brimming with life. One of the creatures on Pandora is the Direhorse, a grey-skinned, hexapodal horse-like animal with bioluminescent qualities that the Na'vi use to hunt with.
The Na'vi also use the Mountain Banshee to hunt from the air, but a hunter can become prey in the presence of the Great Leonopteryx. In the canopy below, other deadly yet exotic animals roam. Vicious packs of Viperwolves, thick skinned Hammerhead Titanotheres, and the Thanator, the most fearsome of all. Other than the color, the trees resemble those of Earth. They have the familiar trunks and branches and leaves, though, due to the difference in planetary gravity, many of the shapes are strange and the proportions are greater due to the lower gravity. The trees and all plant life of Pandora have formed electrochemical connections between the roots and effectively act as neurons, creating a planet-wide "brain" that has achieved sentience.
Pandora, despite being almost the same size as Earth, is only a moon of the gas giant Polyphemus, which has thirteen other moons. However, due to its smaller size, its gravity is lower than Earth's. Due to Pandora's low gravity, most creatures on Pandora are hexapods, six-legged. Creatures roam the air and forest canopy below, similar to Earth's animals, but on the scale several times larger. Pandora's wildlife also have bioluminescent qualities. Depending on the position of the various moons, Pandora can have two or even three moons in its sky at once. Pandora and the other moons cast large black shadows on Polyphemus.
1. Luxembourg (Europe)
Bridge to city centre of Luxemburg city. [ Photo by Daveness_98 / CC BY 2.0 ]
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi). Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; German, French and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic. During World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of neutrality, when it joined the Allies in fighting Nazi Germany.
2. Qatar (Middle East)
pearl qatar [ Photo by AGImOmOTO 255 / CC BY 2.0 ]
Qatar, also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is an Arab country, known officially as an emirate, in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise, the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of Bahrain. Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves, and the first or second highest GDP per capita in the world. An absolute monarchy, Qatar has been ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s and has since transformed itself from a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. In Standard Arabic the name is, while in the local dialect it is.
3. United Arab Emirates (Middle East)
Dubai Marina by night [ Photo by David Pin http://www.ddpn.net / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Arabic: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة, Dawlat al-Imārāt al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah, short name: The Emirates, local short name: Al Emarat الامارات) is a federation situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, (because they are ruled by Emirs) which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi.
4. Norway (Europe)
The village of Reine in Lofoten, Norway. [ Photo by Sveter / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Norwayor Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.[note 1] Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 4.8 million. It is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; and Denmark lies south of its southern tip across the Skagerrak Strait. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
5. Singapore (Asia)
The Singapore Skyline [ Photo by Someformofhuman / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre and a cosmopolitan world city, playing a key role in international trade and finance. The port of Singapore is also amongst the top five busiest ports in the world. Among his more notable decisions is the plan to open casinos to attract tourism. Elections were held on 30 May 1959 with the People's Action Party winning a landslide victory.
6. Brunei (Asia)
Dusk at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in Brunei [ Photo by tylerdurden1 / CC BY 2.0 ]
Brunei, officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: بروني دارالسلام), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. It is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Stated plans for the future include upgrading the labour force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourism sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base.
7. USA (North America)
Looking south from Top of the Rock, New York City [ Photo by Daniel Schwen / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]
The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont.
8. Kuwait (Middle East)
The State of Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت, Dawlat al-Kuwayt) is a sovereign Arab emirate situated in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, and Iraq to the north. It lies on the northwestern shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the Arabic "akwat", the plural of "kout", meaning fortress built near water. The emirate covers an area of 17,820 square kilometres (6,880 sq mi) and has a population of about 2.7 million. The government is keen on decreasing Kuwait's dependence on oil to fuel its economy by transforming it into a regional trading and tourism hub. The planned US$77 billion City of Silk is the largest real estate development project in the Middle East.
9. Switzerland (Europe)
An aerial photo of Bern. [ Photo by Benutzer:Amstuzmarco / public domain ]
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz,[note 3] French: la Suisse, Italian: la Svizzera, Romansh: la Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Confœderatio Helvetica in Latin, hence its ISO country codes CH and CHE), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe[note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Chemicals, health and pharmaceutical, measuring instruments, musical instruments, real estate, banking and insurance, tourism, and international organisations are important industries in Switzerland. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%).
10. Hong Kong (Asia)
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC); the other is Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95% ethnic Chinese and 5% from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province. The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant harbour" in English.
11. Netherlands (Europe)
Panorama von Maastricht. Aufgenommen vom Sint Janskerk-Turm, Netherlands [ Photo by Euku / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in North-West Europe. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and water borders with Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time stock exchange.
12. Ireland (Europe)
Panorama photograph of Dublin [ Photo by Garret Flynn / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the northwest of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland is Great Britain, separated from it by the Irish Sea. The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remainder and is located in the northeast of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.2 million people. Just under 4.5 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.
13. Australia (Pacific & Antarctica)
The Sydney Opera House viewed from the water with the city skyline behind [ Photo by Mfield http://www.photography.mattfield.com / CC BY 2.5 ]
Australia ( or, or ), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a highly developed country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest), the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the northeast and New Zealand to the southeast. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, accounts for 69% of GDP. Although agriculture and natural resources account for only 3% and 5% of GDP respectively, they contribute substantially to export performance. Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.
14. Austria (Europe)
Danube river within the town boundaries of Vienna, the background showing the new quarter Donau City with a here rather unusual concentration of high-rises – emerging around UNO-City [ Photo by Omnidoom 999 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Austria or (German: Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,872 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,797 metres (12,457 ft). The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
15. Canada (North America)
View of Ottawa, capital city of Canada, Province of Ontario / left to right above the Ottawa River 1) Alexandra Bridge 2) Samuel de Champlain Statue 3) glass section of the National Gallery of Canada 4) pale building with turrets [ Photo by Wikicanadia / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Canada ( ) is a country in North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area. Canada's common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world. From the early 17th century onwards, that part of New France that lay along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes was known as Canada. The area was later split into two British colonies, Upper Canada and Lower Canada. They were re-unified as the Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted as the legal name for the new country, and Dominion (a term from Psalm 72:8) was conferred as the country's title. Combined, the term Dominion of Canada was in common usage until the 1950s.
16. Iceland (Europe)
Central Reykjavík seen from Hallgrímskirkja [ Photo by Yelkrokoyade / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Iceland[note 1] () (Icelandic: Ísland (names of Iceland); IPA: ) is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (39,769 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to some two-thirds of the national population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.)
17. Sweden (Europe)
Kulturhuset, in Sergel's Square [ Photo by Micha221 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and water borders with Denmark, Germany, and Poland to the south, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia to the east. Sweden is also connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund. The modern name Sweden is derived through back-formation from Old English Swēoþēod, which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones).
18. Denmark (Europe)
Copenhagen cityscape [ Photo by Trabert / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
Denmark, archaic: ), officially the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark ) together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland (Jylland) and many islands, most notably Zealand (Sjælland), Funen (Fyn), Vendsyssel-Thy (commonly considered a part of Jutland), Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has long controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea; before the digging of the Kiel Canal, water passage to the Baltic Sea was possible only through the three channels known as the "Danish straits".
19. United Kingdom (Europe)
Tower Bridge as viewed from the North-East near St Katherine Dock. [ Photo by DAVID ILIFF / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a country and sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island nation, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border[note 8] with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Great Britain is linked to continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel.
20. Germany (Europe)
Old Town towards the Church of Our Lady of the Old Peter [ Photo by David Kostner / CC BY-SA 2.0 DE ]
Germany), is a country in Western Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357.021 km2 and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state of the European Union, and home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide. Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans to define a territory running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains), and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity.
