Palanga ( pronunciation ; Samogitian : Palonga ) is a resort city in western Lithuania , on the shore of the Baltic Sea .
72-457: Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 1000 ft wide) and sand dunes . Officially Palanga has the status of a city municipality and includes Šventoji , Nemirseta , Būtingė , Palanga International Airport and other settlements, which are considered as part of the city of Palanga. The name of
144-434: A diameter of between 0.074 and 4.75 millimeters. By another definition, in terms of particle size as used by geologists , sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1 ⁄ 16 mm) a volume of approximately 0.00012 cubic millimetres, to 2 mm, a volume of approximately 4.2 cubic millimetres, the difference in volumes being 34,688 measures difference. Any particle falling within this range of sizes
216-434: A documentary called " Sand Wars " about the impact of the lack of construction sand. It shows the ecological and economic effects of both legal and illegal trade in construction sand. To retrieve the sand, the method of hydraulic dredging is used. This works by pumping the top few meters of sand out of the water and filling it into a boat, which is then transported back to land for processing. All marine life mixed in with
288-542: A full-fledged member of the 75 year old Western / Central European and North America democratic and military alliance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ). The regiment forms training organizations that train the various battalions of the army and home guard. The Swedish Armed Forces recently underwent a transformation from conscription -based recruitment to a professional defence organisation increasing to an all-volunteer force. This
360-603: A high olivine content. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe , have iron impurities within the quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones . Rocks erode or weather over a long period of time, mainly by water and wind, and their sediments are transported downstream. These sediments continue to break apart into smaller pieces until they become fine grains of sand. The type of rock
432-595: A large park around the palace, between 1897 and 1907. The palace became a favourite gathering place for concert performances. Amongst the good friends and associates of Feliks Tyszkiewicz was the notary, Jonas Kentra . Following the Lithuanian press ban of 1864, Palanga became an important location for the smuggling of Lithuanian publications from the west. The Rev. Marcijonas Jurgaitis , physician Liudas Vaineikis , and notary Jonas Kentra , played significant roles in this activity. After Kentra obtained official permission,
504-405: A lavish wedding..." Kęstutis was later murdered and Birutė returned to Palanga and resumed serving at the shrine until her death. The legend claimed that she was buried in the hill which is now named after her. Not far from Šventoji , archaeologists discovered an encampment which indicates that the area was inhabited some 5,000 years ago. Between the 10th and 13th centuries Palanga had been one of
576-509: A month in the synagogue, and then executed. The Tiškevičiai Palace 's park was converted into a botanical garden in 1960. Today it contains two hundred different types of trees and shrubs, including an oak tree planted by President Antanas Smetona . The palace, now the Palanga Amber Museum , has an extensive collection of amber jewellery and other artifacts. Symphonic concerts as well as other musical festivals and events take place in
648-482: A pier and engaged ships to transport passengers and bricks to nearby Liepāja . Palanga began to develop as a resort in the early 19th century. The pier has been a favourite spot for taking a stroll and other recreation since 1892. Józef Tyszkiewiczs's son, Feliks Tyszkiewicz , commissioned the construction of the neo-Renaissance Tiškevičiai Palace , built by the famous German architect Franz Schwechten in 1897. The French landscape architect Édouard André designed
720-819: A public performance featuring the comedy, America in the Bathhouse ( Amerika pirtyje ), was performed in the Lithuanian language. This had previously not been permitted. However, later the Tsarist authorities deported Vaineikis and twenty-five other people to Siberia in 1901. In 1919, after the breakup of the Russian Empire, Palanga temporarily became a part of Latvia , like the rest of the Courland Governorate . In 1921, after Lithuanian exchange of its Aknysta town, Brunava Parish and some other villages with Latvia, Palanga
792-489: A result. People sometimes dig holes in the sand at beaches for recreational purposes, but if too deep they can result in serious injury or death in the event of a collapse. Manufactured sand (M sand) is sand made from rock by artificial processes, usually for construction purposes in cement or concrete. It differs from river sand by being more angular, and has somewhat different properties. In Dubai , United Arab Emirates , sand needed to construct infrastructure and create
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#1732843983365864-483: A significant dredging industry, raising environmental concerns over fish depletion, landslides, and flooding. Countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia ban sand exports, citing these issues as a major factor. It is estimated that the annual consumption of sand and gravel is 40 billion tons and sand is a US$ 70 billion global industry. With increasing use, more is expected to come from recycling and alternatives to sand. The global demand for sand in 2017
936-544: A year of conscription, after which the unit the soldier trained with was put in reserve. Upon completion of conscript service with sufficient service marks, conscripts are eligible to apply for commissioned officer training, NCO/Warrant Officer or from 2007 stay in the Army as a professional private , mainly to be employed in the Nordic Battle Group . The army has employed soldiers for UN service on short time contracts since
1008-420: Is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO 2 ), usually in the form of quartz . Calcium carbonate is the second most common type of sand. One such example of this is aragonite , which has been created over the past 500 million years by various forms of life, such as coral and shellfish . It is the primary form of sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of years, as in
1080-508: Is called grus in geology or sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert sand is typically rounded. People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles . Organisms that thrive in sandy environments are psammophiles. Only some sands are suitable for
1152-427: Is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt . Sand can also refer to a textural class of soil or soil type; i.e., a soil containing more than 85 percent sand-sized particles by mass. The composition of sand varies, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non- tropical coastal settings
1224-512: Is open to the public, as are as the museum's extensive botanical gardens. Anaičiai Ethnographic Cemetery holds a collection of 19th- and early 20th-century graves. In the Sculpture Garden, one can find 28 contemporary statues by artists from Armenia , Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania and Ukraine . Also found in Palanga is one of the oldest operating pharmacies in Lithuania. It was established in
1296-861: Is part of a larger goal to abandon the mass army from the Cold War era and develop an army better suited to modern maneuver warfare and at the same time retain a higher readiness. Since 2014, the Swedish Army has had around 50,000 soldiers in either full-time or part-time duty, with eight mechanized infantry battalions instantly available at any time and the full force of 71 battalions ready to be deployed within one week. The regular army consists of 8 mechanised maneuver battalions, 19 support battalions of different kinds including artillery battalions, anti-aircraft battalions, combat engineer battalions, rangers , logistics battalions and 4 reserve heavy armoured battalions and 40 territorial defence battalions. The battalion
1368-608: Is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in Dalarna County , Gävleborg County , Södermanland County , Stockholm County , Uppsala County , and Västmanland County with training and administrative resources. The Southern Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in Blekinge County , Jönköping County , Kalmar County , Kronoberg County , Skåne County , and Östergötland County with training and administrative resources. The Western Military Region
1440-562: Is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in Halland County , Värmland County , Västra Götaland County , and Örebro County with training and administrative resources. The Home Guard battalion on the island of Gotland falls under the Gotland Regiment , which also commands the active 181st Armored Battalion. The army on active service during most of the 20th century only consisted of conscript receiving their basic training (at
1512-433: Is termed a sand grain . Sand grains are between gravel (with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm by the latter system, and from 4.75 mm up to 75 mm in the former) and silt (particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm). The size specification between sand and gravel has remained constant for more than a century, but particle diameters as small as 0.02 mm were considered sand under
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#17328439833651584-460: Is the core unit but all units are completely modular and can be arranged in combat teams from company to brigade level with different units depending on the task. There are a total of 6 permanent staffs under the central command capable of handling large battlegroups, 4 regional staffs, 3 brigade staffs and 1 divisional staff. Until 1937 the King was the formal Head of the Army, and until 1974 of
1656-474: Is the most common mineral resistant to weathering . The composition of mineral sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material, suggesting that sand formation depends on living organisms, too. The gypsum sand dunes of
1728-400: Is the only regiment that also trains Home Guard troops. The currently active regiments and their main peacetime subordinate units are: The Swedish Army distinguishes an administrative from an operational structure. The administrative structure includes the peacetime depot units ( depåförband ), which are responsible for the training, equipment and combat readiness of the forces. Depot units are
1800-705: The Albert Atterberg standard in use during the early 20th century. The grains of sand in Archimedes ' The Sand Reckoner written around 240 BCE, were 0.02 mm in diameter. A 1938 specification of the United States Department of Agriculture was 0.05 mm. A 1953 engineering standard published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials set the minimum sand size at 0.074 mm. Sand feels gritty when rubbed between
1872-732: The Armed Forces at large. In 1937, the Chief of the Army position and headquarters staff ( Swedish : Chefen för armén , CA ) was created to lead the Army in peacetime. Following a larger reorganisation of the Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, CA ceased to exist as an independent agency, and all of the Armed Forces was centralized under the Supreme Commander ( ÖB ). Instead, the post Chief of Army Staff ( Swedish : Chefen för arméledningen )
1944-743: The Caribbean . Somewhat more rarely, sand may be composed of calcium sulfate , such as gypsum and selenite , as is found in places such as White Sands National Park and Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Sand is a non-renewable resource over human timescales, and sand suitable for making concrete is in high demand. Desert sand, although plentiful, is not suitable for concrete. Fifty billion tons of beach sand and fossil sand are used each year for construction. The exact definition of sand varies. The scientific Unified Soil Classification System used in engineering and geology corresponds to US Standard Sieves, and defines sand as particles with
2016-680: The Dubai Islands exceeds local supplies, requiring sand from Australia . The artificial islands required more than 835 million tonnes of sand, at a cost greater than $ 26 billion USD. [REDACTED] Earth Sciences portal Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( Swedish : Svenska Armén ) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden in Northern Europe / Scandinavia . The army's history dates back to
2088-563: The Jämtland Ranger Regiment re-raised as a battalion of Västernorrland Regiment. From the 17th century until 1901, Swedish Army recruitment was based upon the allotment system . In 1812, conscription was introduced for all males between age 20 and 25 to serve in the armed forces twelve days a year, increased in 1858 to four weeks per two years. The allotment system was abolished in 1901 and replaced with universal conscription for all males. All personnel were drafted as conscripts for
2160-509: The Krumbein phi scale , where size is Φ = -log 2 D; D being the particle size in mm. On this scale, for sand the value of Φ varies from −1 to +4, with the divisions between sub-categories at whole numbers. The most common constituent of sand, in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings, is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO 2 ), usually in the form of quartz , which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness,
2232-522: The Latvian palas , meaning "marshy lake shore". These are ancient words with equivalents in other Indo-European languages, including Dacian pala , meaning "marsh, swamp, spit" and Latin palus , meaning "marsh". Therefore, the original meaning of the name Palanga may have been related to lowlands, marshes, flooded meadows, or similar terms. In other language Palanga is referred to as: German : Polangen ; Polish : Połąga . According to legend, there
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2304-750: The Swedish Army ravaged Palanga, destroyed the harbour at Šventoji, and blocked up the entrance with rocks in 1701. After the Third Partition of Poland and Lithuania in 1795 the town became a part of the Russian Empire . In 1819 Palanga was transferred from the Vilna Governorate to Grobin County (Latvian: Grobiņa) of the Courland Governorate . In 1824, the manor of Palanga was purchased by Count Michał Tyszkiewicz . His grandson Józef Tyszkiewicz built
2376-572: The Swedish War of Liberation in 1521. Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vasa in the Swedish War of Liberation against the Danish-dominated Union of Kalmar , thus making the present-day Life Guards one of the world's oldest regiments still on active duty. In 1901, Sweden introduced conscription . The conscription system
2448-740: The Teutonic Knights in the south and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the north. Their adversaries were unable to achieve their goal of capturing the Lithuanian sea-coast from Klaipėda to Šventoji . Grand Duke Vytautas the Great considered granting Palanga to the Teutonic Knights, however Supreme Duke Jogaila prevented it. Eventually in 1422 Palanga passed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under
2520-643: The Treaty of Melno . In 1427 Jogaila saw sea for the first time in Palanga. The first small wooden Catholic church in Palanga was built in ~1540 at the behest of Grand Duchess Anna Jagiellon . The harbour of Šventoji gradually developed into a trading centre. British merchants established enterprises in Šventoji in 1685. During the Great Northern War , in which the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth allied with Saxony, Denmark and Russia against Sweden,
2592-670: The White Sands National Park in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Arkose is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content, derived from weathering and erosion of a (usually nearby) granitic rock outcrop. Some sands contain magnetite , chlorite , glauconite , or gypsum . Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian . Chlorite - glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from basaltic lava with
2664-526: The "Inspector General of the Swedish Air Force " ( Swedish : Generalinspektören för flygvapnet ), later renamed to "Inspector of the Army" ( Swedish : Arméinspektören ). In 2014, the Chief of Army ( Swedish : Arméchefen , AC ) position was reinstated. Swedish Army regiments are tasked with training conscripts for the operational battalions of the army's rapid reaction organisation. The Gotland Regiment
2736-701: The Army's units of the Operational Organisation are: The following Armed Forces' establishments provide additional units for the Rapid Reaction Organisation: The Home Guard consists of 40 battalions with a total of 22,000 men. Many of the soldiers have served abroad with regular army units. The Northern Military Region is responsible for supporting Home Guard units in, Jämtland County , Norrbotten County , Västerbotten County , and Västernorrland County with training and administrative resources. The Central Military Region
2808-483: The Sahara is sand dunes, while 70% is bare rock. The wind is responsible for creating these different environments and shaping the sand to be round and smooth. These properties make desert sand unusable for construction. Beach sand is also formed by erosion. Over thousands of years, rocks are eroded near the shoreline from the constant motion of waves and the sediments build up. Weathering and river deposition also accelerate
2880-472: The Soviet Union from 1944. Before World War II, nearly half the population of the town was Jewish. The production of decorative objects and jewellery made from amber found on the seashore, for which Palanga is famous, was formerly a Jewish industry. Many Jews also earned their livelihood by providing various services for summer vacationers. Between the world wars Jews were active in local government, serving on
2952-625: The area. After the Klaipėda Region was ceded to Germany in March 1939, Nemirseta was the northernmost village of East Prussia ; conversely Palanga was a border checkpoint between Russian-occupied Lithuania and Germany. The municipality is accessed by roads from Klaipėda and Šiauliai . There is no railway in the municipality (the closest rail connection is in Kretinga , the capital of the Kretinga district municipality ). Palanga's International Airport ,
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3024-496: The army regiments, the air force flotillas, the naval flotillas or the armed forces centers. The depot units generate wartime units ( krigsförband ), which are transferred to their respective wartime formations, so normally the Swedish army regiments are composed of administrative and training companies during peacetime and their battalions are only formed for exercises and during wartime. The operational units in their entirety are known as
3096-678: The city council as mayor or deputy mayor. The deteriorating economy resulting from antisemitism caused many to immigrate to South Africa, the United States, and Palestine. Soon after the outbreak of the German-Soviet war on June 22, 1941, Palanga was occupied by the Germans and all the Jews were concentrated at the bus station. The males aged 13 and above were taken outside the town and murdered in pits they were forced to dig. The women and children were held for
3168-441: The construction industry, for example for making concrete . Grains of desert sand are rounded by being blown in the wind, and for this reason do not produce solid concrete, unlike the rough sand from the sea. Because of the growth of population and of cities and the consequent construction activity there is a huge demand for these special kinds of sand, and natural sources are running low. In 2012 French director Denis Delestrac made
3240-438: The extracted sand is killed and the ecosystem can continue to suffer for years after the mining is complete. Not only does this affect marine life, but also the local fishing industries because of the loss of life, and communities living close to the water's edge. When sand is taken out of the water it increases the risk of landslides, which can lead to loss of agricultural land and/or damage to dwellings. Sand's many uses require
3312-597: The fingers. Silt , by comparison, feels like flour . ISO 14688 grades sands as fine, medium, and coarse with ranges 0.063 mm to 0.2 mm to 0.63 mm to 2.0 mm. In the United States, sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on size: very fine sand ( 1 ⁄ 16 – 1 ⁄ 8 mm diameter), fine sand ( 1 ⁄ 8 mm – 1 ⁄ 4 mm), medium sand ( 1 ⁄ 4 mm – 1 ⁄ 2 mm), coarse sand ( 1 ⁄ 2 mm – 1 mm), and very coarse sand (1 mm – 2 mm). These sizes are based on
3384-478: The main settlements of Mēguva Land , inhabited by the Curonians . Situated upon the trail of the ancient Amber Road , it became a centre of trade and crafts. In historical documents the name of Palanga was first mentioned in 1161 when King Valdemar I of Denmark disembarked there with his army and captured the castle of the Curonians . Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the inhabitants of Palanga had to confront
3456-402: The maritime atmosphere. There is a carnival centred on Jonas Basanavičius Street, which is a pedestrian-only thoroughfare during the high season. There are dozens of restaurants, bars, rides, and other forms of entertainment. A new observation wheel opened in ~2021 scaling 40 meters. It is claimed its to be the tallest wheel in all of the baltic states. The aforementioned Palanga Amber Museum
3528-546: The mid-19th century. The city is also home to a regional radio station, FM Palanga. Of interest is Villa Anapilis built in 1898 and recently restoresd to its interwar state. Its name refers to the Anapilis mountain, allegedly ther lece of the afterlife in Lithuanian pagan mythology. Palanga is twinned with: The city was previously twinned with: Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but
3600-432: The most one year for privates), and conscripts called up for refreshers (at the most one month for privates) with intervals of at least 4–6 years. During WWII smaller or larger parts of the wartime establishment were also called up for periodical stand-by duty (up to 6 months). The figures for total strength below refer to the total force which could be mobilised. Between the introduction of universal conscription in 1902 until
3672-472: The operational organisation of the armed forces ( Försvarsmaktens Insatsorganisation ( FM IO or just IO , followed by the year it has been introduced in, as IO 2018 or just IO 18 for example) in Swedish). The operational organisation of the army plans for the training regiments to form two combat brigades (2nd and 3rd Brigades) and a number of independent combat battalions within a few days. This plan, however,
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#17328439833653744-437: The process of creating a beach, along with marine animals interacting with rocks, such as eating the algae off of them. Once there is a sufficient amount of sand, the beach acts as a barrier to keep the land from eroding any further. This sand is ideal for construction as it is angular and of various sizes. Marine sand (or ocean sand) comes from sediments transported into the ocean and the erosion of ocean rocks. The thickness of
3816-400: The ranks were raised, until it was the same period for all conscripts shortly before conscription was suspended in 2009. This combined with propaganda about conscription being a part of social duty and defending the Swedish principle of folkhemmet , led to an army a size of about 700,000 active duty soldiers that could be mobilised in late 1945. Since the late winter of 1945 the size of the army
3888-461: The rate the sand can replenish, making it a non-renewable resource. Sand dunes are a consequence of dry conditions or wind deposition. The Sahara Desert is very dry because of its geographic location and proximity to the equator . It is known for its vast sand dunes, which exist mainly due to a lack of vegetation and water. Over time, wind blows away fine particles, such as clay and dead organic matter, leaving only sand and larger rocks. Only 15% of
3960-460: The sand because they do not have as much time to dissolve away. The term for sand formed by weathering is "epiclastic." Sand from rivers are collected either from the river itself or its flood plain and accounts for the majority of the sand used in the construction industry. Because of this, many small rivers have been depleted, causing environmental concern and economic losses to adjacent land. The rate of sand mining in such areas greatly outweighs
4032-480: The sand layer varies, however it is common to have more sand closer to land; this type of sand is ideal for construction and is a very valuable commodity. Europe is the main miners of marine sand, which greatly hurts ecosystems and local fisheries. The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It
4104-411: The sediment originated from and the intensity of the environment give different compositions of sand. The most common rock to form sand is granite , where the feldspar minerals dissolve faster than the quartz , causing the rock to break apart into small pieces. In high energy environments rocks break apart much faster than in more calm settings. In granite rocks this results in more feldspar minerals in
4176-475: The size of the Swedish Army was down to 60,000 soldiers, and in 2013, three years after the end of conscription, the size was at an all-time low of just 16,000 soldiers, though the army plans to reach a level of 50,000 professional soldiers by 2020, mostly through a large media campaigns. A number of previously disbanded regiments will also be re-raised ( Dalarna Regiment , Västernorrland Regiment , Norrland Dragoon Regiment , and Bergslagen Artillery Regiment ) with
4248-592: The start of World War II, the army was usually maintained at a consistent strength of 100,000 men, with two-thirds of the force being conscripts for two years. From 1942 onwards, the Swedish government embarked upon a massive and ambitious militarisation program in which conscription was strictly enforced and compulsory service was extended. The basic training for privates was set at 12 months, for future conscript sergeants intended to become platoon leaders (mainly sixth form graduates) 18 months, and for future conscript officers 24 months. These periods were gradually reduced, and
4320-476: The start of the Cold War, led to a return to the militaristic policy by the Swedish government. From 1950 until around 1976 the size of the army was at an average of 250,000 soldiers with a peak of 400,000 mobilisable soldiers during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The rules were badly enforced, but dodging the draft was punishable with imprisonment. During the 1980s the size of the army was around 180,000 soldiers and
4392-689: The summer, usually in the evening. Palanga is a resort city through which the Šventoji and Rąžė ( Samogitian : Ronžē ) rivers flow into the Baltic Sea . Rąžė was formerly known as Alanga and gave Palanga its name: Palanga , which literally means on the Alanga River . The Palanga municipality extends 24 kilometres from Nemirseta in the south to the Latvian border in the north. Palanga is subdivided into Nemirseta , Vanagupė, Kunigiškiai, Manciškiai, and Šventoji – five neighbouring fishing villages which were united into one city following administrative changes to
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#17328439833654464-468: The third largest in Lithuania, offers connecting flights to Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Poland and to the biggest city in Baltic States - Riga, Latvia. The airport is located between Palanga and Šventoji, and it handles more flights in the summer due to the resort nature of the municipality. In the summer, many tourists come to visit and stay in Palanga, both for its beaches and to enjoy
4536-409: The town is likely of Curonian origin, as proposed by the linguist Kazimieras Būga . The primary argument is the suffix " -ng- ", which is particularly distinctive of Curonian toponyms ( Gandinga , Ablinga , Būtingė , etc.). The root pal- , furthermore, is also associated with the landscape of lowlands or marshes. This is exemplified by the Lithuanian palios , which translates to "large marsh", and
4608-493: The user to wear respiratory protection to avoid breathing the resulting fine silica dust . Safety data sheets for silica sand state that "excessive inhalation of crystalline silica is a serious health concern." In areas of high pore water pressure , sand and salt water can form quicksand , which is a colloid hydrogel that behaves like a liquid. Quicksand produces a considerable barrier to escape for creatures caught within, who often die from exposure (not from submersion) as
4680-621: Was 9.55 billion tons as part of a $ 99.5 billion industry. In April 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report stating that 50 billion tons of sand and gravel were being used every year. The report made 10 recommendations, including a ban on beach extraction, to avert a crisis, and move toward a circular economy for the two resources. While sand is generally non-toxic, sand-using activities such as sandblasting require precautions. Bags of silica sand used for sandblasting now carry labels warning
4752-607: Was a pagan shrine at the foot of a hill in Palanga where a beautiful priestess named Birutė used to tend the ceremonial fires. Having heard of Birutė's beauty, Kęstutis , the Grand Duke of Lithuania , came to make her his wife. The Lithuanian Bychowiec Chronicle records that Birutė "did not consent, and answered that she had promised the gods to remain a virgin as long as she lived. Kęstutis then resorted to take her by force, and with great pomp brought her back to his capital, Trakai , where he invited his kinsmen and celebrated with
4824-508: Was abolished in 2010 but reinstated in 2017. The peace-time organisation of the Swedish Army is divided into a number of regiments for the different branches. The number of active regiments has been reduced since the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s . However the Swedish Army has begun to expand once again, due to an increasing threat from the east with a resurgent Russian Federation and its attack on neighboring Ukraine in 2014 / 2022. Thus resulting in longtime neutral Sweden to become
4896-664: Was considered by the Supreme Commander to be impossible due to the economic situation at the time. In 2013, the Armed Forces issued a statement saying that the reorganisation would only suffice for a reasonable defence of Swedish territory for one week. The force was to include the following units: As of 2022 the 1st Division was reintroduced as an operational unit. The Division currently contains four brigades; The Norbotten Brigade ( Norbottensbrigaden NMekB 19 ), The South Scanian Brigade ( Södra Skånska Brigaden MekB 7 , The Life Guards Brigade ( Livgardesbrigaden IB 1 ) and The Skaraborg Brigade ( Skaraborgsbrigaden MekB 4 ) As of 2024
4968-507: Was created at the then newly instituted Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters ( HKV ). In 1998, the Swedish Armed Forces was yet again reorganized. Most of the duties of the Chief of Army Staff were transferred to the newly instituted post of " Inspector General of the Army" ( Swedish : Generalinspektören för armén ). The post is similar to that of the "Inspector General of the Swedish Navy " ( Swedish : Generalinspektören för marinen ) and
5040-463: Was peacefully transferred to Lithuania following a Lithuanian-Latvian treaty and giving Lithuania access to the sea. In 1926, there was still a significant Latvian minority. A popular among Lithuanians saying of the event at the time was “we exchanged our land with out land“. During World War II , the town was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1940, then by Nazi Germany from 1941, then again by
5112-460: Was slowly decreased as entire reserve battalions and brigades were gradually demobilised, and by late 1947 the size of the army was around 170,000 soldiers who could be mobilised and was planned to stabilise at such a quantity of personnel. However, due to the rise in tensions between the East and West over the political landscape of Europe, the threat from the Soviet Union in 1949 and 1950, coinciding with
5184-503: Was slowly increased as time progressed until around 1988. The end of the Cold War led to a massive restructuring of the Swedish Army. Every year after 1988, the Army discharged around 40,000 conscripts and recruited only 20,000, so that by 1995 the size was down to 80,000 soldiers. Around this time the compulsory service obligation was further reduced to 10 months, reserve service became more flexible, and changes made in enforcement so that forceful enforcement became withdrawn as policy. By 2004
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