Geography: Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for 26 kilometres (16 miles) of Adriatic Sea coastline, centred on the town of Neum .
The country's name comes from the two regions Bosnia and Herzegovina , which have a very vaguely defined border between them. Bosnia occupies the northern areas which are roughly four fifths of the entire country, while Herzegovina occupies the rest in the south part of the country.
According to an estimation of the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020. Bosnia has become an increasingly popular skiing and Ecotourism destination.
The architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is largely influenced by four major periods where political and social changes influenced the creation of distinct cultural and architectural habits of the population. Each period made its influence felt and contributed to a greater diversity of cultures and architectural language in the region.
Some of the tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina include Banja Luka, the "Green City" with various cultural sites like Kastel fortress, Sarajevo "Olympic City", Doboj and its 13th century fortress and Jajce, city of the foundation of Yugoslavia and its famous waterfalls.
Did you know that Banja Luka hosted the May 2009 World Rafting Championships on rivers Tara in Banja Luka and Vrbas in Foča? The championship was attended by people from 46 countries and had over 600 competitors. This was considered to be one of the region's biggest sports competitions since the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo.
Cultural and Artistic Association ”Kolovit”
Cultural and Artistic Association “Kolovit” from Gradiska was founded in 1992. as a voluntary social organization with the goal to fulfil common needs and interests of the citizens, especially of the children and the youth in the area of cultural and artistic work.
The basic activity of “Kolovit” is nourishing and preserving cultural entail and the traditional forms of national culture, fulfilling citizen's needs and the development of the amateurism.
“Kolovit” has approximately 400 members separated in seven program units, four section, four singing groups and national orchestra.
Since 2003, “Kolovit” has been organizing International Festival of National Songs and Dances with capacity of 12 ensembles from country and abroad, which take place in Gradiska in September as the part of “Gradiska's fall”. So far, participants were various ensembles from Croatia , Macedonia , Netherland , Slovenia , Slovakia , Romania , Hungary , Sweden , Switzerland , Montenegro and Serbia as also ensembles from Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina .
“Kolovit” participated in various festivals in Serbia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia , Netherland , Greece , Slovenia , Romania , Hungary , Sweden and Macedonia .
Geography : Croatia borders Slovenia to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast.
The country of a thousand islands. A p aradise for those who want to enjoy the real natural beauty. The largest islands in Croatia are Cres and Krk which are located in the Adriatic Sea .
T he main protected areas of Croatia are the eight national parks, the ten nature parks and two strict reserves.
The total area of all national parks in the country is 994 km2, of which 235 km2 is sea surface. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the most beautiful natural wonder in Croatia . The Plitvice Lakes N ational P ark is heavily forested, mainly with beech, spruce, and fir trees, and features a mixture of Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation. It has a notably wide variety of plant communities, due to its range of microclimates, differing soils and varying levels of altitude.
The area is also home to an extremely wide variety of animal and bird species
Croatia is known as a producer of wine, ham, cheese, olive oil, seafood, asparagus and truffles, and an excellent destination for every gourmand.
Did you know that t he necktie was invented in Croatia ? During the European Thirty Year War Croatian soldiers were sent to fight in various regions of Europe . At that time, the traditional Croatian military dress included a picturesque scarf tied around the neck in a manner which is very similar to the style in which the necktie is worn today.
FOLKLORE GROUP “SVETA ANA” , ZAGREB
Folklore group “Sveta Ana” was founded in 2002 with the aim of preserving cultural heritage and folk customs of Odranski Obrez.
The group has 105 active members and the group 's pride is its 70 members -children and young people aged 5 - 25 years. Since its establishment in 2002 the Folklore group “Sveta Ana” strives to stage in an authentic manner Croatian folk customs, songs and dances.
In the last three years the Group has put on stage several choreographies from all over Croatia (regions of Međimurje, Turopolje, Posavina, Slavonia, Posedarje, Prigorje, Zagorje ...) and its performances have placed it at the very top among amateur folk groups in Zagreb .
The Group has a large number of performances per year and each year the group members are trying to perform internationally as they did in 2009 having guest performances in the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mostar).
Geography: Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia to the south; Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro to the west.
Serbia has connected West with East for centuries – a land in which civilisations, cultures, faiths, climates and landscapes meet and mingle.
Serbia's capital Belgrade is a modern metropolis with a population of over two million. Belgrade's position at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers have made it a strategic stopover at the crossroads of eastern and western civilizations since ancient times. Today, Belgrade is home to Serbia's most important state, cultural and educational institutions. The city boasts a robust industry and good infrastructure. Moreover, Belgrade has become an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Any visit to Belgrade should start with Kalemegdan Fortress, the city's most historic sight. The fortress, which rests on the white rocks at the confluence (Usće) of the Danube and Sava rivers, has been conquered 77 times, destroyed and rebuilt in its 7,000-year history. The name Kalemegdan derives from two Turkish words, kale (fortress) and meydan (battleground) (literally, "battlefield fortress").
Did you know that the first satellite broadcast in 1963 between Europe and North America sent a picture of White Angel fresco from the Mileševa monastery near Priboj, in first broadcasting frames to salute American people from Europeans. Later, the same signal was transmitted to space to meet eventual extraterrestrial life forms. It once again contained the White Angel, as it has been recognized world wide as a true and unique message of overall peace.
Folklore Ensemble „DUKAT“, Stara Pazova
The Folklore Ensemble „DUKAT“ was formed in the spring of 1993. on the initiative of a group of young boys and girls - excellent dancers with considerable dancing and stage experience, who were joined by love towards folk dances and songs.
In 1993 there were about twenty of them. Today, over one hundred young people: boys and girls, young men and women are dancing and singing in Performing, Preparing, Children ensemble, National orchestra and Singer group under the guidance of an experienced pedagogue and successful amateur creator, professor Svetlana Rudic, cherishing their national treasure and cultural heritage.
Without paying attention to difficulties and obstacles, the members of the Folklore Ensemble „DUKAT“ do with love what they like and like all young people of their age dream about journeys, applause and large stages all over the world. On those stages they would perform their international programme with songs from different parts of Serbia, but also Slovakia, Hungary ,Gipsy dances, dances from Montenegro, Herzegovina, Macedonia, regions round the river Sava...
Wherever they appeared they received many golden and silver medals, delighted the audience with wealth and color of their costumes, their enthusiasm and heartiness.
They received applause in their native country as well as in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Austria, Italy ,Qatar, Kuwait, France, Tunisia, Russia, South Korea, Romania, Algeria, Cyprus, Macedonia, China and Czech Republic.
On many festivals they won 1st places and got many awards.
Geography : T he Republic of Macedonia is bordered by Serbia to the nort h , Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west.
Macedonia is rich in cultural and historical monuments and often called "the pearl of the Balkans". Because of its natural beauty and cultural heritage, more than 1,000 churches and monasteries and over 4,200 archaeological sites it is a very attractive tourist destination. Tourism is an important part of the economy of the Republic of Macedonia. It receives about 700,000 tourists annually.
The town of Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has been referred to as a "Jerusalem". The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments, and tourism is predominant. It is located southwest of Skopje, west of Resen and Bitola, close to the border with Albania
Built mainly between the 7th and 19th centuries, it has the oldest Slav monastery (St Pantelejmon) and more than 800 Byzantine-style icons dating from the 11th to the end of the 14th century. After those of the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow, this is considered to be the most important collection of icons in the world
Did you know that, because of the many different ingredients, fruit salad in Spain, South America, France and Italy is called Macedonia or Macédoine?
ENSEMBLE “SKOPJE”, SKOPJE
Ensemble “Skopje” from Skopje was formed in 1995, and this year is celebrating 15th anniversary. It was form ed from young enthusiastic and ambitious people who were and still are in love with folk dances and songs. Today the ensemble is one of the leading folk danc es groups in Macedonia and Europe.
The ensemble has more than 500 people aged from 7 to 33 years divided in different groups. It has not only dancers but musicians to, making a beautiful whole that plays more than 15 different choreographies, from all parts of Macedonia. Some of them are: dances and songs from Pirin, dances and songs from Bitola, Povardarie, dances and songs from Prespa...
Lots of awards and diplomas witness the work and the achievements of the ensemble: 1st place in Pula, Republic of Croatia in 2007; 3rd place in Samsung, Turkey in 2009; 1st place in Rivno, Ukraine; 1st place in Adrigento, Italy; 1st place in Napoli, Italy and much more.
Ensemble Skopje has been competing in Bursa twice, 1998 and 2000.
REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY
Capital: Budapest
Population: 10 million
Geography : Hungary shares borders with Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croat ia and Slovenia.
Hungary has no sea, but it has Lake Balaton, the largest lake with warm water in Central Europe. The country is proud of its rich cultural heritage kept in more than 5,000 public libraries. The National Széchényi Library is one of the two Hungarian national libraries, the other being the University of Debrecen Library.
Hungary is especially proud of Franz Liszt, 19th century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher.
Liszt became renowned throughout Europe during the 19th century for his great skill as a performer. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time.
Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cheeses and honey. Recipes are based on centuries of old traditions around spicing and preparation methods.
Hungarian food is often spicy, due to the common use of hot paprika. Sweet (mild) paprika is also common. Additionally, the combination of paprika, lard and red onions is typical of Hungarian cuisine.
T he most famous Hungarian dish is a stew. V ia Vienna, it became famous throughout the world. Did you knowthat v itamin C was discovered by H ungarian scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi in 1928?
THE SZÖKOS FOLK DANCE GROUP , SZOMBATHELY
The Szökos Folk Dance Group started its artistic activity in Koszeg in 1988. They worked in Szombathely from 1993, where the company achieved its professional success performing dance folklore of Hungary and of the Carpathian Basin in an authentic way. Since the merger of Berzsenyi Dániel College and the University of West Hungary they have continued their operation as the folk dance group of the university.
They have kept the authentic characteristics of style, but they have also built complex dance theatre forms into their performances. They are regular performers at university ceremonies, and they also accept invitations from the city or the county. Since 1994 they have organised the “Vasi Dödölle” folk days. They take an active part in the dance pedagogy training of the university.
At present the group leader is Gábor Gaspari and the artistic assistants are Ágnes Piszker and Gábor Gergácz. Since 1996 the group has been awarded several prizes at festivals and at national competitions.
GREECE
Capital: Athens
Population: 11, 3 million
Geography: Greece has land borders with Albania, the FYR of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
Greece is the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The Panathenian stadium in Athens hosted the Olympic Games in 1896. It had also hosted Olympic Games in 1870, 1875. ans in 1906, and was used to host events at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Greek mythology has exerted an extensive influence on the culture, the arts, and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in these mythological themes.
Greek cuisine is as an example of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Greek cuisine incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, stifado, Greek Salad and the world famous Souvlaki. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece. Olive oil is added to almost every dish.
FOLK DANCE GROUP « MAKEDONES » OF CHURCH OF SAINT ATHANASIOS PALAIOKASTRO
The folk dance group « Makedones » was created in 2006 . It has 230 dancers of all ages. The group performs dances from all Greek regions (Greek Macedonia, Thraki, Ipirus, Thessalia and of course the famous Greek syrtaki)
The group has participated in many festivals and events in Greece and also abroad ( Serbia 2006, Croatia 2007 and 2009, Austria 2008, Hungary 2009, Czech Republic 2010).
The association organizes events in January, May, July and children festival in June.
The main aim of the group is the maintenance of the Greek tradition.
Geography: Lithuania shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad to the southwest.
Lithuania has 758 rivers, more than 2,800 lakes and 99 kilometers of coastline along the Baltic Sea. The country is sparsely populated, and more than 18% of the population lives in two cities, Vilnius and Kaunas.
Trakai Island Castle is the most famous Lithuanian tourist attraction. Vilnius Old Town is included in the UNESCO World heritage List.
In the 15th and early 16th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe and included present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia. Two centuries after the disappearance of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1795.), the legacy of the Gothic and Baroque periods is clearly visible in the two largest cities in the country - Vilnius and Kaunas.
On the other hand, Gothic and Baroque Orthodox churches are also typical for the cultural heritage of Lithuania. The most famous Lithuanian export culinary specialty is a cold beetroot soup.
Did you know that the method of gravity showed that the geographic center of Europe is in Lithuania, near the village of Punuškes, 26 km north of Vilnius?
SONG AND DANCE ENSEMBLE „SIAUDELE“, VILNIUS
The Song and dance ensemble "Siaudele" is the stage folklore company of Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania . It was founded in 1995 by its leader Birute Sakaliene. Children and young people aged 6-18 play, sing and dance Lithuanian folk music and dance compositions adapted to stage performance.
"Siaudele" ensemble unites a choreographic group, a vocal group and a small but interesting Lithuanian folk (national) instrument orchestra.
"Siaudele" gives many concerts in Lithuania and often popularizes the Lithuanian folklore abroad. The audiences in Finland , the Ukraine , France , Romania , Germany , Italy , Turkey , Hungary , Latvia , Poland and Switzerland applauded to the ensemble.
"Siaudele" perfomed and became prize winner at the international folklore festivals - competitions - in the Ukraine ( Kharkov ) in 1998 (II prize), Romania (Tulcea) in 1999.
Geography: Latvia has land borders with Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia and Belarus to the east. In the west, Latvia shares a maritime border with Sweden.
The capital of Latvia, Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states and a major cultural, educational, political, financial, commercial and industrial center of the Baltics. Riga's historical centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world.
The atmosphere is lively especially on spring and summer evenings when local musicians entertain visitors in the open air.
The Latvian capital features an impressive selection of shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment.
In Riga, symphony concerts are not an elite taste; the National Symphony Orchestra's concerts are regularly sold out. Since tickets for classical music can be had for the same price as movie tickets, young Latvians often opt for the opera or the symphony on a Friday night. You don't have to be an expert to enjoy it.
Did you know that Latvia has one of the highest numbers of women in leading positions among all the European Union nation? While in the EU countries women make up only one third of managers, in Latvia 44% of the country's managers are women.
FOLK DANCE GROUP „RITMUS“
Folk Dance ensemble Ritums comes from Latvia , its Courland region, the city of Jelgava .
R itums was founded in 1980 to take part in Latvian Song and Dance festival, and exists already 30 years, bringing together dancers aged from 25 to 60 years.
Ritums has already experienced change of several generations of dancers, now there are more than 35 people in collective, with it's leader Laura Grinberga.
Ritums performs Latvian folk dances dressed in local folk costumes, most of dances are performed in couples. D ance choreography speaks about human relationship and everyday situations, sometimes with dose of humour.
Folk Dance ensemble Ritums always participates in Latvian National Song and Dance festival, a huge event once in four years, bringing together all the most successful singers and dancers of the country (after mutual contest).
Ritums has taken part in international festivals in Germany , Sweden , Norway , Lithuania , Estonia , Czech Republic , Denmark and Netherlands .
Ritums, it means to taste and experience the joy of life. It means to be together with people who are not obliged but just happy to dance. Dancing in Ritums is like a conversation in dance, like to be connected with our ancestors in dance.
In Banjaluka we will see two dances:
Kurpnieku polka is really life dance, dancing in passion, even unrestrained. Dancers have an opportunity to express his temperament, to show their talent and vigor.
A;kups, Latvian folk dance for a two-part stroke. Ačkups "is one of the most beautiful and noblest Latvian folk dances.
Geography: Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the United States by the Bering Strait.
Rich cultural heritage place Russia among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The country contains 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while many more are on UNESCO's tentative lists. Major tourist routes in Russia include a travel around the Golden Ring of ancient cities, cruises on the big rivers like Volga, and long journeys on the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. Diverse regions and ethnic cultures of Russia offer many different food and souvenirs, and show a great variety of traditions.
Most popular tourist destinations in Russia are Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the current and the former capitals of the country and great cultural centers, recognized as World Cities.
Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, shows a unique mix of Christian Russian and Muslim Tatar cultures. The city has rigistered a brand The Third Capital of Russia, though a number of other major Russian cities compete for this status, like Samara, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod, all being major cultural centers with rich history and prominent architecture.
Did you know that Russia is the largest country in the world, covering almost a ninth of the Earth's land area?
The State Folklore Ensemble Kryashen Bermyanchek
Ensemble "Bermyanchek" youngish, not only on time of its creation, but also on structure. Ensemble really young on age, but already enough known, both at itself in Republic and behind its limits. All participants of ensemble "Bermyanchek" are professional actors. In structure of ensemble young talented actors who think much of history and culture of the people are invited, keeping and embodying in songs and dances of tradition of the cultural heritage
Under the direction of known and skilled heads of ensemble, the choreographers, chorus mastera, conductors, young talented actors embody on a scene images, movement in dance, solo and choral singing inherent only to the people Kryashen. The repertoire of ensemble is created on the basis of meetings of songs and dances from all Republic Tatarstan and behind its limits.
Geography: Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; Bhutan, the People's Republic of China and Nepal to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east.
Country of adventure and mysticism. Country of contrasts and surprises. The world's second most populous country forms subcontinent with Pakistan. Over 250 different languages are spoken in India and Indian society (though not formally) remains sharply divided on the caste. There are many tourist destinations in this vast country, and to choose one is almost impossible. However, when we say India most of us think of the Taj Mahal mausoleum complex in Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Over 20 000 workers from India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire and Europe participated in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The complex consists of five sections - the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal (with four minarets), the main entrance to the complex and two mosques.
With a five-millennia long history, India has a story that people around the world would like to hear. Part of this story, through song and dance, the Indians will tell to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 4. International Folk Dances Festival "Dukatfest”.
Everyone knows t hat cow is a sacred animal in India but Did you know that in northern India, cows dinner together with family members? Their share of rice, vegetables and dessert they get served on a plate.
PERFORMING ART OF GLOBAL EXCHANGE & GUJARAT ART PLATFORM" (PAGE GAP)
The Indian cultural history of 5,000 years flows through generations as it reflects in immortal folk-dances and folklore.
The folk dances of India are generally quite spontaneous and are the creation of the people's imagination and desire for artistic and emotional expression.
The promoters of PAGE GAP have invested at least five decades of their lives to achieve the confidence to speak a few things about our great heritage and to lead the young generation to the world platform with the wealth of that heritage expressed fascinatingly in various forms of arts.
