Happy Birthday to Panama!

Serbia is the world’s second largest producer of raspberries. *Photo from Wikipedia February 15 is Serbia’s Statehood Day. It is a holiday to commemorate the outbreak of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, it evolved into a Serbian Revolution against Ottoman rule. The revolution ultimately resulted in the recognition of Serbia’s statehood by Ottoman Empire. Slavs settled the Balkans in the 9th century. In 1345 the Serbian Empire was established: it spanned a large part of the Balkans. In 1540 the Ottoman Empire annexed Serbia. The Serbian realms disappeared by the mid-16th century, torn by domestic feuds and overcome by

A street market in Senegal. *Photo from Wikipedia April 4 is the Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Senegal from France. Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country in West Africa. The name “Senegal” comes from the Wolof “Sunuu Gaal”, which means “Our Boat”. On April 4, 1959 Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent on June 20, 1960, as a result of the independence and the transfer of power agreement signed with France on April 4, 1960. In commemoration of the day, we introduce you to a great percussionist

Frederik de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, two of the driving forces in ending apartheid. *Photo from Wikipedia April 27 is the Freedom Day, which celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994. The elections were the first non-racial national elections where everyone of voting age of over 18 from any race group, including foreign citizens permanently resident in South Africa, were allowed to vote. Previously, under the apartheid regime, non-whites had only limited rights to vote. On the first commemoration of the holiday, President Nelson Mandela addressed Parliament: “As dawn ushered in this day,