Did anyone find the names of “the British Isles”, “Great Britain”, “the United Kingdom”, “England”and “the British Commonwealth” which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others.

The British Isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map.Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands.But the word “Britain” is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK.

Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain.The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England.Finally, the British Commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire (帝国).This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today.

When you visit Kinderdijk, one of the most visited villages in the Netherlands, you step right into the middle of Dutch history.

Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, where the Lek and Noord rivers meet together. Much of the village is near or even below sea level. Although there are canals and dykes (堤坝), the lowlands of the village are still at risk of flooding (洪灾). Among the most deadly floods was Saint Elisabeth’s flood in 1421, which killed thousands after the dykes broke in several places. To deal with this kind of problem, the Kinderdijk windmills (风车) were built around 1740 to move water from the lower areas to higher ground and into the river.

Nineteen of the 20 Kinderdijk windmills remain and were named a UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) Site in 1997. Of the 19 windmills, 16 still have millers who live inside and control the huge sails (翼板) in the wind. These windmills continue to help manage the Netherlands ongoing fight to stay above water.

For tourists, boat tours are offered along the canals and walkways lead from the visitor center to the windmills. Two windmills serve as museums, filled with old millers’ items and photos. You can climb up inside to see how the windmills work. The windmills also are working, so be prepared to feel the whole building shake when the sails turn in the wind.

Each year, about 500,000 people visit the Kinderdijk windmills and the buildings have become a must-see on any trip to the Netherlands. There are some windmills north of Amsterdam that “were built for tourists, but we’re a historical site where tourists come, so it’s the other way around,” says Kinderdijk communications manager Peter Paul Klapwijk. “Tourism is a good way to support our site.”

Henderson Island is a coral island raised above the South Pacific Ocean. No people live on it. The island is 9.6 kilometers long and 5.1 kilometers wide. It has an area of 37.3 km². Henderson Island became a World Heritage Site in 1988 because of its bird life.

All the four kinds of special land birds (Henderson Crake, Henderson Fruit Dove, Henderson Lorikeet and Henderson Reed-warbler) can only be seen on Henderson Island. There are also fifteen non-local seabirds. Other local things include nine kinds of plants (of the sixty-three kinds on the island), four kinds of land snails (蜗牛) (of the sixteen kinds), and one butterfly (the only kind on the island).

Although no people live on Henderson Island, archaeological evidence suggests that a small Polynesian (波利尼西亚) group lived here between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries until it disappeared. The reasons for its disappearance are unknown, but are probably related to the similar disappearance of the Polynesians on Pitcairn Island. The Hendersonians would have depended on them for many of the basics of life.

On January 29, 1606, Henderson Island was discovered by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queiros, who named it San Joao Baptista. On January 17, 1819, the island was rediscovered by British Captain Henderson of the British Fast India Company, and named Henderson Island. On March 2, 1819, Captain Henry King, sailing on the Elizabeth, landed on the island to find the Union flag already flying. His crew scratched the name of their ship on a tree, and for some years the name of the island was Elizabeth or Henderson.

In the early 1980’s, American businessman Arthur M. Ratliff expressed interest in buying Hendersons Island, and establishing a small settlement with an airstrip, farm and large houses. But the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office refused it at last, after environmentalist groups persuaded them to protect the natural ecology and environment of the island.