Spring Around the World
By: The Tiny Travelers Team
This year, spring has started earlier than usual.
It’s not spring all over the world though, only in the Northern Hemisphere!
What is a hemisphere anyway?
The Earth is divided in half by a line that is known as the Equator. One half of the Earth, on the side of the North Pole, is called the Northern Hemisphere, and the other half, on the side of the South Pole, is the Southern Hemisphere. Because the Earth is tilted, each hemisphere experiences the seasons during different months! For the Northern Hemisphere, the warm summer months are June through September, while in the Southern Hemisphere they are December through March (which is winter time in the Northern Hemisphere!).
So, as the Northern Hemisphere welcomes spring, let’s celebrate the season!
While many people know of the wildebeest migrations in southern Africa, there is another major animal migration in Northern Africa- that of the white-eared kob. These animals, which are a type of antelope, move in large numbers during the spring and early summer months. Starting at the Sudd floodplains in Sudan, all the way to the Gambella National Park in Ethiopia. As they migrate, they are often joined by other types of antelope, which travel with them in tight groups.
For only two weeks in spring, tens of thousands of fruit trees bloom by the fjords in the southwestern part of Norway. A fjord is a small water inlet that forms in between high mountains and cliffs. Because fjords reflect the sun, they create an unusual microclimate that is perfect for fruit trees to thrive. From apples to cherries, this is truly a springtime marvel.
In Japan, springtime is marked by the blooming of the cherry blossoms, or Sakura. These beautiful pink flowers have been celebrated for centuries, and the blooms last only two weeks, making them a time-honored tradition. The first blossoms begin in the tropical region of Okinawa, and end on the northernmost island of Hokkaido.
Every spring the quiet little island of Providencia becomes the site of an important event- the migration of the black crabs. While these crabs usually live on land, every spring thousands of them make their way to the ocean so the pregnant female crabs can lay their eggs. Because these black crabs are endangered, every spring the Colombian military comes to the island to protect them as they migrate!
During the spring months, Holland, Michigan blooms with millions of tulips of all colors! People come from all over to celebrate the beautiful flowers, not to mention the history of the town itself, which boasts a large castle said to be the inspiration of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum for the famous Yellow Brick Road.
