Currency - Oman - 100 Baisa - Year 2007

Item Code: 162/om-1

Year	2007
Obverse	Sultan Qaboos; Irrigation canal
Reverse	Eagle, Oryx; other animals and birds
Size	121 x 64 mm

Obverse description

Qaboos bin Said Al Said

Qaboos bin Said Al Said (Arabic: قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد; born 18 November 1940) is the Sultan of Oman. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Said bin Taimur, in a palace coup in 1970. He is the 14th-generation descendant of the founder of the Al Bu Sa'idi dynasty. He is the longest serving Arab leader having held the office since 1970.

Early life:  Qaboos was born in Salalah in Dhofar on 18 November 1940. He is the only son of Sultan Said bin Taimur and Sheikha Mazoon al-Mashani.

He received his primary and secondary education at Salalah and Pune, India where he was the student of Shankar Dayal Sharma, the former President of India and was sent to a private educational establishment in England at age 16. At 20, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After graduating from Sandhurst in September 1962, he joined the British Army and was posted to the 1st Battalion the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), serving with them in Germany for one year. He also held a staff appointment with the British Army.

After his military service, Qaboos studied local government subjects in England and then completed his education with a world tour chaperoned by Leslie Chauncy. Upon his return in 1966, he was placed under virtual house arrest in the Sultan's palace in Salalah by his father. Here he was kept isolated from government affairs, except for occasional briefings by his father's personal advisers. Qaboos studied Islam and the history of his country. His personal relationships were limited to a handpicked group of palace officials who were sons of his father's advisors and a few expatriate friends such as Tim Landon. Sultan Said that he would not allow his son to be involved with the developing planning process, and Qaboos began to make known his desire for change — which was quietly supported by his expatriate visitors.

Rise to power: Qaboos acceded to the throne on 23 July 1970 following a successful coup against his father, with the aim of ending the country's isolation and using its oil revenue for modernization and development. He declared that the country would no longer be known as Muscat and Oman, but would change its name to "the Sultanate of Oman" in order to better reflect its political unity.

Reign as Sultan: There were few rudiments of a modern state when Qaboos took power in July 1970.^[5] The political system which Qaboos established is that of an absolute monarchy. The Sultan's birthday, 18 November, is celebrated as Oman's national holiday. The first day of his reign, 23 July, is celebrated as Renaissance Day.

Foreign policy: Qaboos officially keeps Oman neutral, having contacts and normal relations with Iran while being an ally of western states like the United Kingdom and the United States. Oman has more normal relations with Iran than Arab States of the Persian Gulf, and is careful to appear neutral and maintain a balance between the West and Iran. As a result, Oman has often acted as an intermediary between the United States and Iran.

Ideology: Qaboos is a Muslim of the Ibadi denomination, which has traditionally ruled Oman. He has financed the construction or maintenance of a number of mosques, notably the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, as well as the holy places of other religions.

Reverse description

Oryx

The Oryx (also called the sabre antelope) is a fast-running hoofed mammal that lives in dry regions of Africa and Asia (including the Arabian Peninsula). They inhabit steppes (sparse grasslands), semi-deserts, and deserts.

These antelopes congregate in herds of 8 to 60 oryx. Newborn calves can run with the herd within minutes of their birth. Oryxes have a life span of about 20 years. Some people think that the unicorn of legend was based upon the oryx. Many types of oryxes (including the Arabian oryx and the scimitar-horned oryx) are endangered species, mostly because of overhunting and disease.

Arabian oryx: The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx, Arabic: المها), the smallest species, became extinct in the wild in 1972 from the Arabian Peninsula. It was reintroduced in 1982 in Oman, but poaching has reduced their numbers there. One of the largest populations of Arabian oryx exists on Sir Bani Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates. Additional populations have been reintroduced in Qatar, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. As of 2011, the total wild population is over 1000, and 6000–7000 are being held in captivity. In 2011, the IUCN downgraded its threat category from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable, the first species to have changed back this way.

ഓറിക്സ്

വളവില്ലാതെ നീണ്ടു കുത്തനെ നിൽക്കുന്ന കൊമ്പോടുകൂടിയ മാൻ വർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ പെടുന്ന ഒരു ജീവിയാണ്‌ ഓറിക്സ്. ഇതിലെ രണ്ടോ മുന്നോ വർഗ്ഗങ്ങൾ ആഫ്രിക്കയിൽ കാണപ്പെടുന്നതാണ്‌. അറേബ്യൻ ഉപദ്വീപിൽ കാണപ്പെടുന്ന നാലാമത്തെ ഒരിനവുമുണ്ട്. "സിമിറ്റർ ഓറിക്സ്" പോലുള്ള ഓറിക്സ് വിഭാഗങ്ങൾ കൂട്ടങ്ങളായി ടെക്സാസിലും ന്യൂ മെക്സിക്കോയിലും കുറഞ്ഞ അംഗസംഖ്യയോടെ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു.

അറബ്യൻ ഓറിക്സ്: അറേബ്യൻ ഉപദ്വീപിലെ വനസമാനമായ ഇടങ്ങളിൽ കാണപ്പെടുന്ന ഈ ചെറു ഓറിക്സ് വർഗം 1972 മുതൽ വംശനാശം നേരിട്ടുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. 1982 ൽ ഒമാനിൽ ഇതിന്റെ വംശവർദ്ധനവിനായി പ്രജനനശ്രമങ്ങൾ നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും അനുകൂലഫലമല്ല കിട്ടിയത്. തുടർന്ന് ഓറിക്സിന്റെ സംഖ്യ കുറവായ ഖത്തർ, ബഹ്റൈൻ,ഇസ്രയേൽ,ജോർദാൻ ,സൗദി അറേബ്യ എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിലും പ്രജനനശ്രമങ്ങൾ നടന്നു. ഇതിന്റെയെല്ലാം ഫലമായി 2003 ൽ ഇതിന്റെ മൊത്തം സംഖ്യ ഏകദേശം 886 ആണ്‌.

മരുഭൂമയിലോ അതിനോട് സമാനത പുലർത്തുന്ന ഭൂപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലോ ആണ്‌ ഓറിക്സുകളുടെ ആവാസം. വെള്ളമില്ലെങ്കിലും ദീർഘകാലം ഇവക്ക് ജീവിച്ചുപോകാനാവും. 600 വരെ അംഗങ്ങളുണ്ടാകാവുന്ന കൂട്ടങ്ങളായാണ്‌ ഇവ ജീവിക്കുക. ജനിച്ച ഉടനെ തന്നെ കുഞ്ഞു ഓറിക്സിന്‌ എഴുനേറ്റ് സ്വന്തം മാതൃസംഘത്തോടൊപ്പം ഓടി നീങ്ങാൻ കഴിയും. ആണിനും പെണ്ണിനും സ്ഥിരമായ കൊമ്പുകളുണ്ടാവും. വണ്ണം കുറഞ്ഞ വളവുകളില്ലാത്ത കൊമ്പുകളാണിവക്കുള്ളത്.പക്ഷേ സിമിറ്റർ ഓറിക്സിന്‌ പിന്നിലേക്ക് വളഞ്ഞ് നിൽക്കുന്ന തരത്തിലുള്ള കൊമ്പുകളാണുള്ളത്. സിംഹത്തെ പോലും കൊല്ലാൻ കഴിയും വിധത്തിലുള്ള മൂർച്ച ഇവക്കുണ്ടാകും. അതിനാൽ ഇവയെ ചിലപ്പോൾ വാൾ മാനുകൾ (sabre antelope) എന്നും വിളിക്കുന്നു. ദുരെ നിന്ന് നോക്കിയാൽ ഈ മൃഗത്തിന്റെ രണ്ട് കൊമ്പുകൾ ഒന്നായി തോന്നാമെന്നതിനാൽ ഇതിഹാസങ്ങളിൽ പറയുന്ന യൂണികോണിന്റെ ‍(നെറ്റിയിൽ വളർന്ന് നിൽക്കുന്ന ഒറ്റ കൊമ്പോടുകൂടിയ, വെള്ളക്കുതിരയെപ്പോലെയുള്ള ഒരു സാങ്കല്പിക ജീവി) സങ്കല്പനത്തിന്ന് അടിസ്ഥാനം ഓറിക്സാണെന്ന് വിശദീകരിക്കപ്പെടാറുണ്ട്.

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Currency - Nepal - 500 Rupees - Year 2007

Item Code: 161/np-7

Year	2007
Obverse	Mount Everest (Chomolungma); Devas Indra; Himalaya mountain peaks; Thyangboche (Tengboche) monastery; Coin.
Reverse	Himalayan Tigers; Coat of arms; Bank logo.
Size	161 x 70 mm

Obverse description

Tengboche Monastery

Tengboche Monastery

Tengboche Monastery (or Thyangboche Monastery), also known as Dawa Choling Gompa, in the Tengboche village in Khumjung in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sherpa community. Situated at 3,867 metres (12,687 ft), the monastery is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal. It was built in 1916 by Lama Gulu with strong links to its mother monastery known as the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt. In 1989, it was destroyed for a second time by a fire and then rebuilt with the help of volunteers and international assistance.

A statue at the entrance

Tengboche monastery is amidst the Sagarmatha National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value”), draped with a panoramic view of the Himalayan Mountains, including the well-known peaks of Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku.

Entrance to the monastery

Tengboche is the terminus site of the "Sacred Sites Trail Project" of the Sagarmatha National Park that attracts large number of tourists for trekking and mountaineering. It is a circular trail that covers 10 monasteries in a clockwise direction terminating in the Tengboche Monastery.

A restored painting in the monastery

Painting and mural inside the monastery

Reverse description

Bengal Tigers in Nepal

Bengal tigers number around 163–253 in Nepal. The tiger population in the Terai of Nepal is split into three isolated subpopulations that are separated by cultivation and densely settled habitat. The largest population lives in Chitwan National Park and in the adjacent Parsa Wildlife Reserve encompassing an area of 2,543 km2 (982 sq mi) of prime lowland forest. To the west, the Chitwan population is isolated from the one in Bardia National Park and adjacent unprotected habitat farther west, extending to within 15 km (9.3 mi) of the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, which harbours the smallest population. The bottleneck between the Chitwan-Parsa and Bardia-Sukla Phanta metapopulations is situated just north of the town of Butwal.

As of 2009, an estimated 121 breeding tigers lived in Nepal. By 2010, the number of adult tigers had reached 155. A survey conducted from December 2009 to March 2010 indicates that 125 adult tigers live in Chitwan National Park and its border areas covering 1,261 km2 (487 sq mi). From February to June 2013, a camera trapping survey was carried out in the Terai Arc Landscape, covering an area of 4,841 km2 (1,869 sq mi) in 14 districts. The country's tiger population was estimated at 163–235 breeding adults comprising 102–152 tigers in the Chitwan-Parsa protected areas, 48–62 in the Bardia-Banke National Parks and 13–21 in the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve.

Distribution of panthera tigris tigris

Poaching: The most significant immediate threat to the existence of wild tiger populations is the illegal trade in poached skins and body parts between India, Nepal and China. The governments of these countries have failed to implement adequate enforcement response, and wildlife crime remained a low priority in terms of political commitment and investment for years. There are well-organised gangs of professional poachers, who move from place to place and set up camp in vulnerable areas. Skins are rough-cured in the field and handed over to dealers, who send them for further treatment to Indian tanning centres. Buyers choose the skins from dealers or tanneries and smuggle them through a complex interlinking network to markets outside India, mainly in China. Other factors contributing to their loss are urbanization and revenge killing. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and shoot them. Their skins and body parts may however become a part of the illegal trade.

Human–tiger conflict: In Nepal, the incidence of man-eating tigers has been only sporadic. In Chitwan National Park no cases were recorded before 1980. In the following few years, 13 people have been killed and eaten in the park and its environs. In the majority of cases, man-eating appeared to have been related to an intra-specific competition among male tigers.

Conservation efforts: An area of special interest lies in the Terai Arc Landscape in the Himalayan foothills of northern India and southern Nepal, where 11 protected areas composed of dry forest foothills and tall-grass savannas harbor tigers in a 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi) landscape. The goals are to manage tigers as a single metapopulation, the dispersal of which between core refuges can help maintain genetic, demographic, and ecological integrity, and to ensure that species and habitat conservation becomes mainstreamed into the rural development agenda. In Nepal a community-based tourism model has been developed with a strong emphasis on sharing benefits with local people and on the regeneration of degraded forests. The approach has been successful in reducing poaching, restoring habitats, and creating a local constituency for conservation. The government aims at doubling the country's tiger population by 2022, and in May 2010, decided to establish Banke National Park with a protected area of 550 square kilometres (210 sq mi), which bears good potential for tiger habitat. It is protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, etc.…

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Currency - Eritrea - 1 Nakfa - Year 1997

Item Code: 160/er-1

Year	1997
Obverse	Triptych portrait of three children of Eritrea's nine nationalities
Reverse	Pre liberation bush school in the shade of the trees
Size	140 x 70 mm

Obverse description

Ethno-Demographics of Eritrea

Eritrea's population comprises nine recognized ethnic groups.  According to SIL Ethnologue, the Tigrinya people make up about 50% of the population; the Tigre, who also speak an Ethiopic language, constitute around 30% of residents. Most of the rest of the population belong to other Afro-Asiatic-speaking communities of the Cushitic branch. Additionally, there are a number of Arabic, Nilo-Saharan and Italian-speaking ethnic minorities.

A majority of Eritrea's population adheres to Abrahamic religions. Estimates of the number Christians vary from 50% to 63%; they predominantly belong to the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Between 36% to 50% of the population is Muslim, mainly following the Sunni denomination.

Afro-Asiatic communities

·          Semitic speakers.

1.     Tigrinya

2.     Tigre

·          Cushitic speakers.

1.     Afar

2.     Saho

3.     Bilen

4.     Beja

Nilo-Saharan communities

1.     Kunama

2.     Nara

Other communities

1.     Rashaida

2.      Italians

Saho women in traditional attire.

A Tigrinya traditional dance.

Reverse description

Education in Eritrea

Education in Eritrea is officially compulsory between 7 and 16 years of age. Important goals of Eritrea's educational policy are to provide basic education in each of Eritrea's mother tongues as well as to produce a society that is equipped with the necessary skills to function with a culture of self-reliance in the modern economy. The education infrastructure is currently inadequate to meet these needs.

There are five levels of education in Eritrea, pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary and tertiary. There are nearly 238,000 students in the primary, middle, and secondary levels of education. There are approximately 824 schools in Eritrea and two universities, University of Asmara (UoA) and the Eritrea Institute of Technology (EIST), as well as several smaller colleges and technical schools. Current centers of tertiary education in Eritrea include, the College of Marine Biology, the College of Agriculture, the College of Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, the College of Nursing and Health Technology, as well as EIST and the UoA. There are some big primary and middle schools like Mai-tesfa, awet and model.

The education system in Eritrea is also designed to promote private sector schooling, equal access for all groups (i.e. prevent gender discrimination, prevent ethnic discrimination, prevent class discrimination, etc.) and promote continuing education through formal and informal systems.

Barriers to education in Eritrea include traditional taboos, school fees (for registration and materials), and the cost barriers of low-income households. Statistics suggest that between 39 and 57 percent of school-aged children attend primary school and 21 percent attend secondary school. Student-teacher ratios are high: 45 to 1 at the elementary level and 54 to 1 at the secondary level. There are an average 63 students per classroom at the elementary level and 97 per classroom at the secondary level. Learning hours at school are often less than four hours per day. Skill shortages are present at all levels of the education system, and funding for and access to education vary significantly by gender (with dropout rates much higher for girls) and location. The overall literacy rate in Eritrea is estimated to be about 67.8 percent, with young adults aged 15–24, 89 percent literate. "The Ministry [of Education] plans to establish a university in every region in the future."

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