Amani Sunbird is a rare inborn bird of a very small and fragmanted forest range of Kenya and Tanzania. Amani Sunbird is scientifically known as Anthreptes pallidigaster and its original habitat is the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest in Kenya and in the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. The male Amani Sunbird has iridescent upperparts and head with belly, flanks and vent contrasting white. When agitated, shows red pectoral tufts. The female Amani Sunbird has overall greyish plumage.
Amani Sunbird – A rare inborn of Kenya & Tanzania – image by Steve Garvie
Amani Sunbird, the rare inborn of Kenya and Tanzania is endangered species which has permanent threats to its remaining population due to the quick loss of its natural habitat. There is expeditive clearance of the forest reserves for the cultivation, excessive pole-cutting, and pit-sawing that are resulting into the accelerated habitat destruction of the Amani Sunbird.
A beautiful view of Lake Malawi – Image by whl.travelers
1- Lake Malawi is also known as Lake Nyasa or Lago Niassa which is the third largest and the second deepest lake of Africa. Another magnificent fact about Lake Malawi is that it is also the ninth largest lake of the lovely planet. According to the scientists, Lake Malawi was formed 1-2 million years ago and it is located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Lake Malawi bears many qualities of a sea except the salty water and for much of the year it is placid and welcoming, while at other times strong winds and storms can produce surfable waves.
Lake Malawi at Dusk – Image by al-green
2- Lake Malawi is between 560 kilometres (350 mi) and 580 kilometres (360 mi) long, and about 75 kilometres (47 mi) wide at its widest point. The total surface area of lake Malawi is about 29,600 square kilometres (11,400 sq mi). The lake has shorelines on western Mozambique, eastern Malawi, and southern Tanzania. The largest river flowing into it is the Ruhuhu River, and there is an outlet at its southern end, the Shire River, a tributary that flows into the very large Zambezi River in Mozambique.
A fantastic shore of Lake Malawi . Image by whl.travel
3- Lake Malawi is noted for being the site of evolutionary radiations among several groups of animals, most notably Cichild fish. Several hundred endemic species are found in the lake, many of which have become popular among aquariums owners due to their bright colors. Among these popular Cichlids are the Mbuna and the Haps. World Wildlife Fund researchers have identified over 500 species of cichlids to date that are not found anywhere else in the world. That is more than all of the freshwater species found in all the waters of both Europe and North America.
Cichild Fish of Lake Malawi – Image by Omega Man
4- Lake Malawi is one of the main attractions in Malawi for local and international tourists because of its beaches and islands. Many Malawians go to the lake for Christmas vacations and other holidays for recreational purposes. International tourists visiting Malawi also go to the lake for recreation.Some of Malawi’s best resorts are on Lake Malawi.Resorts offer a wide range of activities like snorkeling, diving, boat riding, sailing, water skiing, camping, trips to the islands located along the lake, beach football and other water activities.
Lake Malawi is a magnificent freshwater lake – Image by Colleen Maier
5- Lake Malawi has always attracted more than its share of reminiscent travelers. From the time of the Victorian missionaries and traders, whose little steamers used to plough its waters in the cause of Christianity and hard cash, the accounts of visitors to the Lake are distinguished by an attempt to pin down an essential mysteriousness, part of its unchanging quality, which has always managed to elude final definition.
Women of the Lovely Planet have played the integral part in every sphere of the life of the humans around the globe. Specially in the modern era, they’ve come out strongly from the oppression and discrimination. They have proved themselves as the influential segment of their respective societies through their wisdom, dignity and grace. Today, the women are very actively performing many jobs that were beyond imagination in the past. This is the final part of the women of the lovely planet series and we’ve tried to pay tribute to them by giving them due honor and adoration.
These are the remaining images of the women from different countries of the world ;
131- A working woman from Qatar
A working woman from Qatar
132- A beautiful Romanian woman – Romania
A beautiful Romanian woman (Image: Hilde Bakering-Pilkington)
133- A pretty Russian woman from Moscow – Russia
A pretty Russian woman from Moscow (Image: Ricardo Nuno)
134- A smiling girl from Rwanda
A smiling girl from Rwanda (Image: Alex Motrenko)
135- A native girl of Saint Lucia
A native girl of Saint Lucia (Image: Alan Shipley)
136- A Samoan woman from Samoa
A Samoan woman from Samoa (Photo: Raphael Bick)
137- A graceful lady from San Marino
A graceful lady from San Marino (Image by Bootsman40)
138- A smiling woman of São Tomé and Príncipe
A smiling woman of São Tomé and Príncipe (Image: Andre Pipa)
139- A working woman from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
A working woman from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
140- A local girl of Swaziland
A local girl of Sawaziland - By: Alan Shipley
141- A Scottish woman in her traditional costume – Scotland
A Scottish woman in her traditional costume (Image: Martin)
142- A smiling girl from Senegal
A smiling girl from Senegal (Image : Boudewijn Olthof )
143- A woman from Seychelles
A woman from Seychelles (Image: maapu)
144- A native girl of Sierra Leone
A native girl of Sierra Leone (Image by Lindsay Stark)
145- A woman from Singapore wearing hat
A woman from Singapore wearing hat (Image: Sean Lowcay)
146- The Slovak lady from Slovakia
The Slovak lady from Slovakia
147- A woman from Solomon Island
A woman from Solomon Island (Image: Tom Perry)
148- A Somali girl in her traditional dress from Somalia
A Somali girl in traditional dress from Somalia_(Image courtesy: whotalking.com)
149- The typical South African woman – South Africa
The typical South African woman (Image by Stephen Bess)
150- An elegant lady from South Korea
An elegant lady from South Korea (Image: John Arbouw)
151- A woman of South Sudan
A woman of South Sudan (Image by Lindsay Stark)
152- An exotic image of a Spanish girl – Spain
An exotic image of a Spanish girl - Spain (Image: Latina Power)
153- A Serb woman from Serbia
A Serbian Woman ( Image: williewonker )
154- A smiling girl of Sri Lanka
A smiling girl of Sri Lanka (Image by Hana Hettiaratchi Sklenarova)
155- A Sudanese woman – Sudan
A Sudanese woman - Sudan (Image: Marwa Rustam)
156- An indigenous woman of Suriname
An indigenous woman of Suriname (Image: Henk Nijssen)
157- A Swedish girl – Sweden
A Swedish girl - Sweden (Image courtesy:juliana-photography)
158- A Swiss girl from Switzerland
A Swiss girl from Switzerland (Image courtesy: fastfoodforthought)
159- A Syrian woman in her colorful dress – Syria
A Syrian woman in her colorful dress (Image: Alan Shipley)
160- A girl from Taiwan
A girl from Taiwan (Photo: Yueh-Hua Lee)
161- A fabulous girl of Tajikistan
A fabulous girl of Tajikistan (Image by Marusia)
162- A Tanzanian woman from Tanzania
A TANZANIAN GIRL FROM TANZANIA (Image: Eric Lafforgue )
163- A girl of Thailand
A girl of Thailand ( Image : King Of Nor )
164- A local girl from Tonga
A local girl from Tonga ( A U Jay's Image )
165- A Tunisian woman in her traditional attire – Tunisia
A Tunisian woman in her traditional attire (Image by ramiszaki)
166- A beautiful Turkish girl from Turkey
A beautiful Turkish girl from Turkey (Image: Garry Knight)
167- A girl in her traditional costume from Turkmenistan
A girl in her traditional costume from Turkmenistan (Image: dolek flickr)
168- A dancing woman of Tuvalu
A dancing woman of Tuvalu ( A U Jay's Image )
169- A woman from Uganda
A woman from Uganda ( Image: gisela gerson lohman-braun )
170- A woman with all her grace from Ukraine
A woman with all her grace from Ukraine ( Image: dbmmedia )
171- A woman of Uruguay
A woman of Uruguay (Image by Jimmy-Baikovicius )
172- A graceful girl from the USA
A graceful girl from the USA (Image : Sandy Leidholdt)
173- An Uzbek girl from Uzbekistan
An Uzbek girl from Uzbekistan (Image by Alex)
174- A girl of Venezuela in her colorful costume
A girl of Venezuela in her colorful costume (Image : powerfocusfotografie)
175- A girl of Bulgaria
A girl of Bulgaria ( Photo by Vesela )
176- A Vietnamese girl – Vietnam
A Vietnamese girl - Vietnam (Image by Lon&Queta)
177- A girl from Yemen in a lovely dress
A girl from Yemen in a lovely dress (Image : Khalid Alkainaey)
178- A Woman from Yugoslavia in Croatian Costume
A Woman from Yugoslavia in Croatian Costume (Image: Dave G. Houser/Corbis)
Makonde people live in the dark forests of Tanzania and Mozambique and some of their population also exists in some parts of Kenya as well. This ethnic group of Africa is specially known for their Makonde art and their carvings of household goods.
Makonde carvings of Tanzania and Mozambique
Makonde people also create exquisite masks and figures and these creations are like actual heads and portrait-like features. The Makonde people apply real human hair in shaved patterns and amazing facial scarification. These all creations have spiritual and mythical significance particularly related to the religious rites of the Makonde people. In the rituals, the male dancers wear the female masks and also move on the beats of drums.
Makonde mask
Makonde art of Tanzania also includes the fascinating wood carvings and sculpturing. During the last five decades, the Makonde art is tremendously developed. The Western artists’ have specially opted the traditional Makonde style in their art creations. This is a wonderful fact that the Makonde people have also carried on their traditional and animistic religious customs although Makonde of Tanzania have also embraced Islam. Similarly, the Makonde people of Mozambique are Catholic or Muslim. In the typical Makonde rituals, when a girl becomes a woman, Muidini (the best dancer of a group) performs the religious dance wearing a helmet mask and a female body mask. Similarly the stools art and game boards creations of the Makonde people also include expressionistic carvings
The Massai people having an estimated population of 900,000 dwelling in Kenya and the northern parts of Tanzania are considered to be the most well known ethnic group of Africa. They are so unique in their traditions, customs and dressings and known as Nilotic ethnic group. Despite of the numerous efforts of the governments of Kenya and Tanzania to change their perambulatory life styles, they are continuing their ancient customs. They are distinguished in the world for their horrific warrior characteristic and cattle desperados.
Dance of Massai Warriors
The Massai are monotheistic, and they worship Enkai or Engai. Acceding to their beliefs Engai is a single deity of twofold dispositions. Engai Narok (Black God) is beneficent, and Engai Nanyokie (Red God) is of retaliating nature. The “Mountain of God”, Ol Doinyo Lengai, is situated in northernmost Tanzania. The Massai are also prominent in all ethnic groups of the world for their byzantine jewelry. The clothing of Massai is also idiosyncratic and it is known as Matavuvale.
The most respectable Massai is considered due to his number of his children and cattle in his herd. This is also the basic source of their economy. They have the strong beliefs that God blessed them with all the cattle in the world and to rob the cattle from the other tribes is their invulnerable right. There is no typical burial tradition of a dead Massai and they keep the dead body open for vultures in an open space after covering it with the fat and blood of a slaughtered bull.
Another distinctive feature of Massai people is their music and traditional jumping dances. The whole show is displayed by vocalists singing together but the main melodies are sung by a song leader. The lyrics of such song carry typical theme and they also move their necks while singing and it is having a huge polyphonic impression.
The Massai also have the custom of modifying their bodies. Specially the piercing of earlobes is very common among them. To do this they use different tools including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters. The Massai women use chaplets and beaded necklaces in their pierced ears. The head shaving of Massai is also an inherent practice before entering into a marital relationship. Apart from warrior community of Massai who keep longer hair for their recognition the normal Massai keep very short hair.
