Happy Birthday to Panama!

Temple of Bacchus, which is considered one of the best preserved Roman temples in the world. *Photo from Wikipedia November 22 is Independence Day, which celebrates the independence of Lebanon from France in 1943. In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire, and eventually became one of the Empire’s leading centers of Christianity. In the Mount Lebanon range a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church was established. As the Arab Muslims conquered the region, the Maronites held onto their religion and identity. However, a new religious group, the Druze, established themselves in Mount Lebanon

Roseau, the capital and largest city of Dominica. *Photo from Wikipedia November 3 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Dominica from the United Kingdom in 1978. The island was originally inhabited by the Kalinago and later colonized by Europeans, predominantly by the French from the 1690s to 1763. Columbus is said to have passed the island on Sunday, November 3, 1493, and the island’s name is derived from the Latin for “Sunday”. Great Britain took possession in 1763 after its defeat of France in the Seven Years’ War, and it gradually established English as the official language. The island

Traditional Omani Food. *Photo from Wikipedia November 18 is Oman’s National Day, celebrates independence from Portugal control in 1650. From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. Historically, Muscat