Totem

The word totem comes from an Ojibwa word indicating a kinship group. Contrary to popular belief, the totem pole does not have a religious meaning -- it is used more as an illustration of a story or legend.

Picture copyright © Jigzone.com

Marie Antoinette

"Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l'ai pas fait exprès."
("Pardon me, sir. I did not do it on purpose.")
-- Last words of Marie Antoinette, who accidentally trod on the foot of the executioner as she went to the guillotine.

Illustration: painter unknown, oil paint on copper, ca. 1793, public domain

Pastoral Landscape

Go forth under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings.

Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant

Illustration: Pastoral Landscape, Asher Brown Durand, 1861, public domain

Honey Mushroom

Armillaria ostoyae, the "honey mushroom", is one of the most common mushrooms in the United States. A colony, much of it underground, located in the northeast area of the country is probably the world's largest: it is estimated at 2200 acres, 605 tons, and may be 2400 years old. If considered to be a single organism, it is the world's largest known living creature.

Photo: Václavka smrková, released into the public domain.

Tornado

The United States has more tornados than any other country, and about 4 times as many as all of Europe combined. This is partially due to our lack of any major east-west mountain range that would block air flow between the climate differences of the northern and southern parts of the country.

Photograph: U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Public Domain

Polar Bear

The polar bear's fur is so insulating, that the bear is rendered nearly invisible under infrared light, with only the mouth and eyes showing distinctive signs of heat.

Photograph: thermogram image of polar bear, created by Arno Vlooswijk & Coen Boonen, and released into the public domain.

Buenos Aires

With 12.4 million people living in the metropolitan area, Buenos Aires is the most highly populated city in Argentina.

Photograph: Buenos Aires by Night, photographer unknown, public domain.