Samoa,
officially the Independent State of Samoa and until 1997 known as Western Samoa
(Samoan: Samoa i Sisifo), is a country in the central South Pacific Ocean,
among the westernmost of the island countries of Polynesia.
On June 1,
Samoa celebrates its independence from New Zealand, becoming the
first Pacific island country to do so. The date was changed from January 1,
1962, to avoid the special celebration falling on New Year's Day.
Facts
1) World Reef Awareness Day is also known as World Reef Day.
2) World Reef Day was established by Brian Guadagno, the founder of
skincare brand Raw Elements USA. The day was first celebrated in 2019.
3) Coral reefs are structures made up of polyps that secrete a limestone
exoskeleton that gets attached to a rock or other dead skeletons of polyps.
4) Coral reefs take anywhere between 1,00,000 to 3,00,000 years to form
fully as their rate of growth is just 0.3 to 2 centimetres per year, for
massive corals. Branching corals may grow up to 10 centimetres per year.
5) Three types of reefs, namely, fringing, barrier and atoll, exist.
Fringing reefs are the most common and grow seaward from the shore. Barrier
reefs on the other hand are separated from the shore by a lagoon. Atolls grow
shaped like a ring around islands. It forms following the erosion of an old
volcano.
6) Roughly 25 percent of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs.
7) The estimated value of coral reefs is about $375 billion per year.
8) By 2050, there might be a 70-90 percent decrease in coral reefs if
global temperatures rise by more than 1.5°C.
9) Coral reefs have become contaminated with 11 billion plastic pieces,
a study in the Asia-Pacific region finds.
10) Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep
Islands and Malvan are the areas where coral reefs are found in India.
World Milk Day is celebrated every year on June 1. This day is celebrated to bring the importance of milk as a global food to the forefront and to promote dairy farming and the dairy industry. World Milk Day, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, has been observed across the world since its inception in 2001. Over time, the FAO has carried out various campaigns to raise awareness about the nutritional value and significance of milk in a balanced diet.
Significance
World Milk Day is marked to celebrate the contributions of the milk and
dairy sector to the human population around the globe. As per FOA, the day
provides a chance to draw attention to milk and to publicise milk-related
events and activities. The fact that several countries chose the same day adds
to the significance of specific national celebrations and demonstrates that
milk is a globally used food.
Moreover, on World Milk Day, the focus is on encouraging manufacturing
methods that reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as
promoting animal welfare and safe working conditions. The focus is also placed
on the larger economic impact of the dairy industry on the global economy. From
providing jobs to millions of people to giving rise to several sub-industries,
the impact of the dairy industry is not just appreciated but also studied on
the occasion of World Milk Day.
