Love them or loathe them, snakes are
undoubtedly one of the most successful of animal groups, inhabiting a wide range
of habitats. And many species in Southeast Asia have simply stunning
colours and patterning.
The word Ya̧nomamö means 'human being' in their language.
The Ya̧nomamö depend on the forest; they use "slash-and-burn" horticulture, grow bananas, gather fruit, hunt animals and fish. Ya̧nomamö Indians frequently move to avoid areas that become overused — a practice known as shifting cultivation.
It should be noted that "Ya̧nomamö" is not what the Yanomamo call themselves, but is rather a word in their language meaning 'man', adopted by American anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon as a convenient way to refer to the culture and by extension the people.
"A
land mine
is a target (person or vehicle) triggered
explosive weapon
. Their non-explosive
predecessors (caltrops, stakes and spikes) have been used on the battlefield
since ancient times. Landmines were designed to be used to deter, channel, delay
and kill an enemy. They have been used in various formats, for centuries and
have featured in all major conflicts. Land mines are
force
multipliers
, meaning that they may increase the efficiency of a force
without requiring more personnel.
The name originates from the practice of
mining
, where tunnels were dug under enemy
fortifications
or forces. These tunnels
("mines") were first collapsed to destroy fortifications above, and later filled
with explosives and detonated. Land mines generally refer to devices
specifically manufactured for this purpose, as distinguished from
improvised explosive devices
("IEDs").
The use of land mines is controversial because they are indiscriminate
weapons, harming soldier and civilian alike. They remain dangerous after the
conflict in which they were deployed has ended, killing and injuring civilians
and rendering land impassable and unusable for decades. To make matters worse,
many factions have not kept accurate records (or any at all) of the exact
locations of their minefields, making removal efforts painstakingly slow. These
facts pose serious difficulties in many developing nations where the presence of
mines hampers resettlement, agriculture, and tourism. The
International Campaign to
Ban Landmines
campaigned successfully to prohibit their use, culminating in
the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and
Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, known informally as
the
Ottawa Treaty
. As of
2007, a total of 158 nations have agreed to the treaty. Thirty-seven countries
have not agreed to the ban, including
China
,
India
,
Israel
,
Pakistan