Our Summer School Becomes More Mega-Diverse Every Day.
We never tire of finding out about all the wonderful places our students come to us from. This summer is shaping up to be our most diverse yet!
Botswana
Southern Africa
Previously known as Bechuanaland when it was under British protection, Botswana is roughly the same size as France, but with less than one third of the population. Nearly 40% of the country’s area is comprised of national parks and wildlife reserves, where cheetahs, hyenas and fishing owls roam. Made famous by the Okavango Delta – the “Jewel in the Kalahari” – Botswana is a truly stunning place. Interestingly, its first President Sir Seretse Khama was a graduate of Balliol College, where some of ORA’s summer programmes are now held.
Denmark
Northern Europe
The UN World Happiness Report rated this country the happiest in the world two years in a row, despite the fact that it rains or snows every second day. Denmark is also famous for Lego, “hygge”, Hans Christian Anderson, and Cold Hawaii – a surfing spot which is notorious throughout this 100-island archipelago. The Danish flag is one of the oldest flags still in use by an independent nation, having been acknowledged in 1219.
Madagascar
Indian Ocean
This island nation is the fourth largest island nation in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. It is classed as one of the world’s most mega-diverse countries, and is home to over 250,000 wildlife species which are found nowhere else in the world, leading to some scientists referring to it as the “eighth continent.” If you want to see ring-tailed lemurs in their natural habitat, this is the place to go.
Saudi Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula
At approximately one quarter of the size of the United States, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river, being over 95% desert. Home to the religious holy shrine of Mecca, the epic camel race known as the King’s Cup, and the story of Lawrence of Arabia, Saudi Arabia has historically been the world’s largest producer of oil. The camel market in Riyadh is the largest in the world, selling about 100 camels per day.
The Maldives
Indian Ocean
Comprised of nearly 1200 coral islands arranged into 26 prime atolls, the Maldives is a country which has a healthy respect for the close proximity of the sea. It is the lowest and flattest nation on earth, and is lauded as being one of the safest tourist destinations in the world – despite the almost constant threat of the islands sinking through climate change. President Mohamed Nasheed drew attention to this in 2009 by holding the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting, complete with scuba gear!
If you would like to see your nationality pictured here, why not secure your place today? Spaces are filling up quickly!
Images: beach house; an nafud desert; lake house; okavango delta; lemur