Haro is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in northern Spain. It is known for its fine red wine and every year the Haro Wine Festival (Batalla de Vino) is held where locals hold a wine battle. read more…
Logroño is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as La Rioja Province. The population is at 152,000 while the metropolitan area included nearly 197,000 inhabitants. The city is a centre of the trade in Rioja wine, for which the area is noted, and also produces wood, metal, and textile products. The Camino de Santiago passes through the city. Logroño is the shopping and financial capital of La Rioja. Its economy is heavily reliant on wine. The new airport Logroño-Agoncillo connects the city with Madrid and Barcelona. The city lies 152 kilometres (94 mi) from Bilbao, 172 kilometres (107 mi) from Zaragoza, 336 kilometres (209 mi) from Madrid and 468 kilometres (291 mi) from Barcelona. read more…
Oʻahu, known as “The Gathering Place“, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands; however, it is the most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, and is the home of Honolulu International Airport. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oʻahu’s southeast coast. Including small close-in offshore islands such as Ford Island and the islands in Kaneohe Bay and off the eastern (windward) coast, it has a total land area of 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km2), making it the 20th largest island in the United States. The island is home to about 977,000 people (approximately 72% of the resident population of the state, with approximately 81% of those living on the “city” side of the island). read more…
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain. The name is derived from the Arabic word khayyān (‘crossroads of caravans’). It is the capital of the province of Jaén. The inhabitants of the city are known as Jiennenses. Its population is 117,000, about one-sixth of the population of the province. Recently Jaén has had a great increase in cultural tourism. The city is also known as the World Capital of Olive Oil, because it is the biggest producer of the oil, known by locals as liquid gold. read more…
Calahorra is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. The city is located on a hill at an altitude of 358 metres at the confluence of the Ebro and Cidacos rivers. Calahorra is the second-largest city in La Rioja in population and importance, after the capital, Logroño. Its population is at 24,000 inhabitants. read more…
Alfaro is a town and municipality on the Ebro and Alhama Rivers. Its population is at 9,700 inhabitants. It is known for the annual return and nesting of the ‘Storks of Alfaro.’ Alfaro has a spectacular colony of storks, the world’s largest nesting on one single building. More than 400 of these birds choose the San Miguel Collegiate Church for their nests. Watching this number of storks flying through the air is an unforgettable spectacle. The Storks Day is celebrated during the first weekend in February read more…
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). Proponents say the agreement would result in multilateral economic growth. The American government considers the TTIP a companion agreement to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. After a proposed draft was leaked in March 2014, the European Commission launched a public consultation on a limited set of clauses. The US and European Union together represent 60% of global GDP, 33% of world trade in goods and 42% of world trade in services. Negotiations are held in week-long cycles alternating between Brussels and Washington. The negotiators hope to conclude their work in 2015. The 28 governments will then have to approve or reject the negotiated agreement in the EU Council of Ministers, at which point the European Parliament will also be asked for its endorsement. The EU Parliament is empowered to approve or reject the agreement. The TTIP Agreement texts are being developed by 24 joint EU-US working groups, each considering a separate aspect of the agreement. read more…
