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BREXIT - Britain leaving the European Union

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BREXIT - Britain leaving the European Union

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Brexit is a big change that happened in Europe when the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union (EU). It had a big impact on the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world.

One of the biggest impacts of Brexit is that it changed the way the UK trades with other countries. It used to trade with the EU, which is a group of countries that agreed to work together on things like trade and laws. Now that the UK has left the EU, it has to make new trade agreements with other countries. This can be good because it gives the UK more control over its own rules, but it can also be bad because it might make trading harder with some countries.

Brexit also affected the way people travel between the UK and other countries. Before, people from the UK could travel to other EU countries without needing a visa or special permission. Now, they might need to get a visa or go through more security checks.

Brexit also had a big impact on people's lives in the UK and in other countries. Some people were happy that the UK left the EU because they thought it would give the UK more independence. Other people were upset because they thought it would be bad for the UK's economy and for people's jobs.

Overall, Brexit is a big change that is still affecting people today. It will take time to see all the ways it will impact the world, but we can learn from it and use what we learn to make the world a better place.

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Introduction
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami began at one minute before 8:00 am on sunny and beautiful morning on December 26. The megathrust earthquake lifted the seabed and moved it sideways along a 1,600 km (1000 mile) crack in the Earth's surface. The Indian Plate slipped beneath the Burma Plate during the 8.3 to 10 minutes that it took for the rocks to fracture along this length of the seabed.

Tsunami damage in Sri Lanka 2000 miles away
from the earthquake's epicenter NOAA

Megathrust earthquake
Trillions of tons of rock was moved during the event as well as huge quantities of water was displaced as the seabed shifted. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami waves were created by the energy of the event that swept outward along entire length of the rupture. The maximum slippage was near Banda Aceh where the land slipped about 15 meters during this megathrust earthquake.

How the tsunami waves move
The waves traveling at about the speed of a jet airplane swept across the Indian Ocean to eleven low lying countries where they brought death and destruction. As the waves reached shallow water they slowed up and the water piled up creating waves that were 15 meters (50 feet) high as they swept ashore. The waves swept inland in places over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) inland.

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Water receded exposing the seabed
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami waves that came ashore in distant lands were sometimes preceded by the ocean water receding. The receding water exposed the seafloor allowing many people to wander around taking pictures of the exposed land before the wave hit. Many children fascinated with the receding water ran out to look at stranded fish and boats on the sand. Receding water prior to a tsunami coming ashore often gives people 5 minutes to run to for higher ground.

Two people who knew the warning signs
One British student vacationing in Thailand knew the warning signs from a geography lesson. She warned her family and other people in the area where they were able to get to higher land before the waves came ashore. Another India man had watched a National Geographic show on tsunamis saw the water receding. He warned his village of the danger and saved his entire village.

How tsunamis are generated
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami waves were generated by lifting or lowering of the seafloor over a large area of the ocean floor. Tsunamis are generally by powerful megathrust earthquakes where one tectonic plate slips beneath another plate.

Landslides that crash into bays can create some of the largest tsunami waves in a local area. A landslide in Lituya Bay, Alaska on July 9, 1958 occurred when an 8.3 earthquake triggered a landslide that crashed into Lituya Bay. The height of the wave was 516 meters (1,720 feet) high. It was the highest megatsunami ever recorded. The largest earthquake-generated tsunami in recorded history was 33 meters (108 ft.) tall.

Moment magnitude scale measurement
Scientists use the moment magnitude scale (Mw) to measure very large earthquakes. They use this scale because it takes in the size as well as the magnitude of the earthquake. Various experts have determined the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami waves were generated by an earthquake that measured between 9.0 and 9.3 on the moment magnitude scale.

The USGS uses the number 9.1 Mw and recent research by a Cal Tech scientist believes it should be 9.2 Mw. It was the third largest earthquake ever recorded. It released more energy that all the bombs in WWII including the two atomic bombs dropped in Japan.

More information about the oceans

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Check out Myrna Martin's award winning textbooks, e-books, videos and rock sets. The Kids Fun Science Bookstore covers a wide range of earth science topics. Click here to browse.

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Introduction The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami began at one minute before 8:00 am on sunny and beautiful morning on December 26. The megathrust earthquake lifted the seabed and moved it sideways along a 1,600 km (1000 mile) crack in the Earth's surface.

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In 2004, a huge wave called a tsunami hit several countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake in the ocean, and it was very powerful.

The impact of the tsunami was very devastating. Many people lost their homes, and thousands of people died. It was a very sad time for the people who lived in those countries, and for people all around the world who saw the news.

After the tsunami, people from all over the world came together to help the people who were affected. They sent food, water, and other supplies to the areas that were hit the hardest. Many people also donated money to organizations that were helping the victims.

The 2004 tsunami had a big impact on the world back then. It caused a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people. But today, many years later, the world has worked hard to rebuild the places that were affected by the tsunami.

The disaster also made people more aware of how important it is to be prepared for natural disasters. Many countries now have plans in place to help keep people safe during earthquakes and tsunamis. Scientists are also studying how these kinds of events happen so they can try to predict them better in the future.

Another positive impact of the 2004 tsunami is that it brought people from all over the world together to help each other. People donated money and supplies to help the people who were affected, and this kindness and generosity is still remembered today.

While the 2004 tsunami was a tragedy, we can learn from it and use what we've learned to help make the world a safer and better place.

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https://online.kidsdiscover.com/unit/earthquakes/topic/indian-ocean-earthquake-and-tsunami-2004

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2004 Indian Ocean

earthquake and tsunami

UTC time

2004-12-26 00:58:53

ISC event

7453151

USGS-ANSS

ComCat

Local date

26 December 2004

Local time

Magnitude

9.1-9.3 Mw

Depth

30 km (19 mi)

Epicentre

3°18′58″N 95°51′14″E ﻿ / ﻿ 3.316°N 95.854°E

Type
Megathrust

Areas affected

Indian Ocean coastline areas

Max. intensity
IX (Violent)

Tsunami

Casualties

227,898 dead

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, also called the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was a great underwater earthquake. It happened at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004.

The epicenter of the earthquake was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. At first, the earthquake was measured as a 9.0 on the Richter scale. Later, scientists said it was as high as a 9.3. In modern times, only the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 has been more powerful. The Indian Ocean earthquake was the longest ever recorded. It lasted between 500 (8.3 minutes) and 600 (10 minutes) seconds. It was so powerful that it caused the entire Earth to vibrate. It started other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

The Asian tsunami

The large movement of earth under the water caused a very large and powerful tsunami. The tsunami was called the Asian tsunami, or the Boxing Day tsunami in Australia, Canada, England, and South Africa because it happened on Boxing Day. It spread all over the Indian Ocean. The tsunami caused heavy damage to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It also devastated the eastern coast of India, such as the states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Waves as high as 30 m (100 ft) killed many people and damaged or destroyed a lot of buildings and other property.

Over 227,898 people died or were not found after the tsunami. The wave did damage in East Africa as far away as South Africa (8000 km/ 5000 mi) where as many as 8 people died because of high water caused by the wave. Because of how much damage was caused and the number of people the earthquake affected, over $7 billion ( USD) was donated to help rebuild the areas damaged.

Environmental impact

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact that will affect the region for many years to come. It has been reported that severe damage has been inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater. Also, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threaten the environment even further, in untold ways. The environmental impact will take a long time and significant resources to assess.

According to specialists, the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and of the soil by saltwater infiltration and a deposit of a salt layer over arable land. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango, and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover.

Economic impact

The level of damage to the economy resulting from the tsunami depends on the scale examined. While the overall impact on the national economies was minor, local economies were devastated. The two main occupations affected by the tsunami were fishing and tourism.

Images for kids

Initial earthquake and aftershocks measuring greater than 4.0 M w from 26 December 2004 to 10 January 2005

The tsunami's propagation took 5 hours to reach Western Australia, 7 hours to reach the Arabian Peninsula, and did not reach the South African coast until nearly 11 hours after the earthquake

Apung 1, a 2,600-ton vessel, was flung some 2 km (1.2 mi) to 3 km (1.9 mi) inland. In the years following the disaster, it became a local tourist attraction and has remained where it came to rest.

Baiturrahim Mosque survived the tsunami in Ulee Lheue, banda Aceh

In Spanish: Terremoto del océano Índico de 2004 para niños

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2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami Facts for Kids

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Learn 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami facts for kids

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The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a major financial crisis, the worst of its kind since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

In September 2008 many large financial firms in the United States collapsed, merged, or went under conservatorship (a person is assigned to manage a company when it cannot manage itself). The factors that led to the crisis were reported in business journals many months before September 2008.

Background and causes

There are many reasons why the crisis happened. Most economists believe that it started in the United States.

From 1997 until 2006, people bought expensive houses, even though they did not have enough money for it. Since the money had come from other countries, it was easy to have good credit. People used this credit for expensive loans, causing the price of homes to rise. This created an economic bubble. Because they had a lot of money, the loaning companies made it easier to get a loan, even if the borrower didn't have a good credit history. These loans are known as subprime loans.

During this time, many home owners refinanced their homes. This caused their mortgage to change, giving them lower interest. After they refinanced, homeowners could take out another mortgage, for spending money. The loaning companies changed their loans so that they would have low interest at first and then increase later. This is known as an adjustable-rate mortgage. The companies often used these to convince more people to take loans. Many people with subprime loans also took these adjustable-rate mortgages, hoping that the good price of housing would help them refinance later.

While the housing prices were still high, many American and European companies, including banks, invested in subprime loans. These investments gave more money to the loaning companies, who used it to give out more subprime loans. These investments would make a lot of money as long as the price of housing was high.

However, the housing companies built too many houses. This caused the price of housing to decrease beginning in the summer of 2006. The value of many homes dropped below the value of the remaining mortgage debt, so the owners were unable to sell and move away. This is called negative equity.

About 8.8 million homeowners in the U.S. had zero or negative equity by March 2008. This caused the number of foreclosures on homes to increase, meaning that many people lost their homes. During 2007, almost 1.3 million U.S. homes began foreclosure proceedings. The number of houses for sale continued to increase, which made the prices decrease. The homeowners with subprime loans left their houses with less value than they had when they were bought, which meant that the loans were worth more money than the house. The loaning companies were not able to make money from these houses.

The collapse of the housing bubble caused the value of investments to fall. The companies that had invested in subprime loans lost a total of about $512 billion. Citigroup and Merrill Lynch were two companies that lost the most money. More than half of the money lost, $260 billion, was lost by American firms.

Total financial losses from lost economic activity and stock market declines have been estimated at $15 trillion.

Images for kids

A protester on Wall Street in the wake of the AIG bonus payments controversy is interviewed by news media.

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Financial crisis of 2007-2008 Facts for Kids

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The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a major financial crisis, the worst of its kind since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In September 2008 many large financial firms in the United States collapsed, merged, or went under conservatorship (a person is assigned to manage a company when it cannot manage itself).

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In 2008, there was a big financial crisis around the world. This caused a lot of countries to have less money, and their economies got worse. In fact, half of all the countries in the world saw their economies decline after the crisis. Many countries still haven't fully recovered from this and their output (how much they produce) is still lower than it would have been if the crisis didn't happen.

The crisis had different effects on different countries, and some countries were hit harder than others. Countries with better financial regulations and banks that were supervised better did better than others. The crisis also had long-term effects on some countries, such as causing fewer babies to be born, which might mean fewer workers in the future. It also caused less immigration to some countries.

Some countries are still trying to recover from the crisis, but it's been a hard road for many.

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A hero is born

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929. At the time in that part of the country, segregation-or the separation of races in places like schools, buses, and restaurants-was the law. He experienced racial predjudice from the time he was very young, which inspired him to dedicate his life to achieving equality and justice for Americans of all colors. King believed that peaceful refusal to obey unjust law was the best way to bring about social change.

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Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., never backed down in his stand against racism. Learn more about the life of this courageous hero who inspired millions of people to right a historical wrong.

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On July 20, 1969, millions of people gathered around their televisions to watch two U.S. astronauts do something no one had ever done before. Wearing bulky space suits and backpacks of oxygen to breathe, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first human beings to walk on the moon.

After the two stepped onto the lunar surface, Armstrong proclaimed these famous words: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

SPACE RACE

Humans were only able to make that small step after several other space firsts happened. In 1957 the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into space by Russia. The United States launched several satellites of their own afterward. Both countries hoped to be the first to send a human into space.

It wasn't until 1961 that a person went to space: On April 12, Russia's Yuri Gagarin became the first. Less than a month later the United States' Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Following these milestones, President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to put a human on the moon in 10 years or less.

NASA went to work. On July 16, 1969, the spacecraft Apollo 11 prepared to launch a crew of three astronauts into space ... and the history books.

MOON WALK

NASA officials selected Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins as the astronauts who would make the historic trip from Earth on Apollo 11. Just four days after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft neared the moon's surface.

Before touching down, the three men split up. Collins boarded Apollo 11's command module, the Columbia, where he would remain in orbit around the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin boarded Apollo 11's lunar module, the Eagle, and began to descend to the moon's surface.

The Eagle made a risky landing in a shallow moon crater named the Sea of Tranquility. (Most people watching the landing on TV didn't know that the Eagle had only 20 seconds of landing fuel left at this point.) Armstrong and Aldrin looked out the windows of the module at the lifeless and barren lunar landscape.

After six and a half hours pass, the pair inside the Eagle prepared to exit the module. As mission commander, Armstrong stepped out first ... and became the first person on the moon.

Twenty minutes later, Aldrin climbed down the ladder and joined his partner. After reading a plaque that said they "came in peace for all mankind," the two planted the United States' flag on the surface. President Richard Nixon called to congratulate the astronauts.

Armstrong and Aldrin went back to work collecting samples of moon rocks and dust. After over two hours, the astronauts brought 47 pounds back onto the lunar module and prepared to rejoin Collins. It was time to go home.

DOWN TO EARTH

The Apollo 11 crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Over the next several years, 10 astronauts would follow in Armstrong and Aldrin's footsteps. The last mission to the moon was in 1972.

Though humans haven't returned to the moon since, they have continued to explore space. They even built the International Space Station (ISS), a space research station, where they can conduct experiments and study space up close.

Today NASA is working on sending humans to another planet: Mars. Thanks to the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA is hopeful about its chances. The act of putting three people on the moon-and then safely bringing them back home-proved that successful human exploration in space is possible.

Text adapted from Ladders Earth Science: Exploring Above and Beyond by Stephanie Harvey and Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond byDavid A. Aguilar and Patricia Daniels

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The historic event captivated the world-and helped people look to the future.

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On the 16th July 1969, the spacecraft Apollo 11 was launched. Its mission? To land on the Moon! Read all about this historic event in our 'Moon Landing Facts for Kids' blog.
In America in 1962, President Kennedy made a bold and ambitious statement, "We choose to go to the Moon". For the next seven years, the US space agency, NASA, employed 400,000 people and spent $25 billion (£20 billion) on making this mission possible. On the 16th July, 1969, after years of planning and preparation, the Apollo 11 mission was about to begin...

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin

Commander Neil Armstrong and two other astronauts, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin,and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, woke up to a beautiful sunny day at Cape Kennedy in Florida. They had a breakfast of steak, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and orange juice before travelling to the launchpad.

They climbed into the spacecraft at 6:45am, and after numerous checks of the equipment, successfully launched just under 3 hours later, at 9:32 am. They entered an elliptical Earth orbit just 12 minutes later.

The Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle lifts off

The rest of the day went smoothly with no problems for the astronauts. They went to bed two hours earlier than planned, at 8:52pm. The spacecraft continued its programmed journey to the Sea of Tranquillity; their destination on the Moon. (The Sea of Tranquillity isn't actually a sea - there is no water on the Moon's surface. Early astronomers mistook the dark patches for large areas of water, and so named them 'seas'.)

Apollo 11 travelled around 240,000 miles in 76 hours before it finally entered a lunar orbit on 19th July. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin prepared to travel to the surface of the Moon in the lunar module, Eagle, whilst Michael Collins remained behind in the command module, circling the Moon.

The lunar module, Eagle

They landed on the Moon on 20th July, 1969 at 8:18pm. A five-hour rest period had been scheduled after the landing, but neither astronaut thought that they would be able to sleep, so they began preparations for leaving Eagle. After 6 hours, Neil Armstrong finally exited the lunar module and stepped onto the surface, making history as the first human being to walk on the Moon. As he stepped from Eagle, he uttered the following now famous words...

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Buzz Aldrin joined Neil Armstrong on the surface about 20 minutes later, and simply said...

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

They took many photos of the Moon's surface, as well as collecting 21.5kg of soil and rock samples to take back to Earth. The astronauts planted a specially designed American flag on the surface of the Moon. A short time later, Neil Armstrong spoke to the American President, Richard Nixon, via a telephone-radio transmission. The president stated that for Americans, 'it was the proudest day of (their) lives' . Neil replied that it was an honour and privilege to represent 'men of peace of all nations' . A plaque was placed on the surface which said, 'Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for mankind.' It also had two drawings of Earth, and included the signatures of the three astronauts and President Nixon.

After being on the surface of the Moon for over 22 hours, the astronauts returned to Eagle for 7 hours rest, before rejoining Michael Collins onboard the command module. They re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 24th July, and deployed the command module's parachute, landing safely in the Pacific Ocean. From launch to the splash down in the ocean, the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon lasted exactly 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes and 35 seconds. (This was 36 minutes longer than planned!)

The astronauts splashdown in the Pacific Ocean

If you are looking for resources about the Moon landing or space exploration, check out our FREE Moon Landing Picture Cards or our Neil Armstrong Word Search . PlanBee also has some ready-to-teach lessons about Neil Armstrong , as well as a whole Space Topic !
10 Fascinating Facts about the Moon Landing:

The Moon is an average of 238,855 miles away from Earth (that's the equivalent of travelling from Land's End to John o' Groats 273 times!).

The Apollo 11 spacecraft was over 110 metres tall.

Today, most mobile phones are more powerful than the Apollo 11's computers.

The lunar module, Eagle, was so small that there was no room for seats - Armstrong and Aldrin had to stand.

Three new minerals were discovered on the Moon, one of which was called Armalcolite - named after Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins.

On the Moon, gravity is only one sixth as strong as it is on Earth - this means you can jump six times higher on the Moon than you can here!

Armstrong said that the Moon smelled like 'wet ashes in a fireplace'.

Black and white footage of the Moon landing was transmitted to Earth and watched by 600 million people (that was then a fifth of the world's population.)

After returning to Earth, the astronauts had to spend 21 days in quarantine.

Katherine Johnson, an African American mathematician, made the calculations that ensured the mission to the moon was possible. Her achievement paved the way for more women and ethnic minorities to make progress in this field, too.

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On the 16th July 1969, the spacecraft Apollo 11 was launched. Its mission? To land on the Moon! Read all about this historic event in our 'Moon Landing Facts for Kids' blog. In America in 1962, President Kennedy made a bold and ambitious statement, "We choose to go to the Moon".

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The moon landing had a big impact on the world because it showed us that humans can do amazing things when we work together. It took a lot of people from different countries to make the moon landing happen. Scientists, engineers, and astronauts all worked together to build the spaceship and make sure everything went smoothly.

The moon landing also had an impact on the future. It inspired people to think about what else we could do if we worked together. It showed us that we could explore new places and learn more about the universe.

Today, we are still learning new things from the moon landing. Scientists have studied the rocks and soil that were brought back from the moon, and they have learned more about the history of our solar system. The moon landing also helped us develop new technologies that we use in our everyday lives, like computers and cell phones.

The moon landing was a big step for humans, and it showed us that anything is possible if we work hard and work together. It inspired us to keep exploring and learning, and it gave us hope for a better future.

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The fall of the Berlin Wall was important because it meant that the two parts of Germany could come back together again. Before, people in East Germany were not free to do things like travel or say what they wanted. The wall separated families and friends from each other.

When the wall came down, it was a symbol of freedom and unity. People from all over the world were happy because it meant that the people in Germany could finally be together again. It also showed that people can make big changes happen when they work together.

The fall of the Berlin Wall also had an impact on other countries. It showed that people in other countries who were not free could also fight for their freedom. It gave people hope that they could make their own countries better.

Today, the Berlin Wall is a symbol of how people can overcome big challenges when they work together. It reminds us that we should always work for peace and freedom, and that we should never take our freedom for granted.

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MLK helped bring about the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Each of these bills helped African Americans access civil rights across the country. King's speeches and writings allow us to continue learning from his beliefs and practices today.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated every year on the third Monday of January to honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a day that celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America.

Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the rights and dignity of all people, and his legacy inspires people to continue working towards a more just and equal world.

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Kids learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s biography. A great civil rights leader.

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Kids learn about the history of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. This wall kept people from freely leaving East Berlin.