Samoa Independence Day

 

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.

World Reef Awareness Day

World Reef Awareness Day on June 1 promotes the importance of reef ecosystems around the world. The coral reef ecosystem is extremely diverse and provides habitat and natural resources for many different species including turtles, anemones, fish and crabs.

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

 

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.