Round 5: BeNeLuxThe Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that comprises three neighboring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg which lie in the north western European region between France and Germany. The name is formed from the beginning of each country's name. Historically, they were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states.
The Kingdom of Belgium is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters. The name 'Belgium' is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is incorrect as Holland is merely a province. The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything appertaining to the Netherlands. Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions.
Belgium is well known in the world over for its cuisine. Belgians love waffles and french fries. Contrary to their name, french fries also originated in Belgium. The Netherlands is known for its traditional windmills, tulips, cheese, and clogs. Studies show that the country Luxembourg consumes the most alcohol, according to Guinness World Records 2008.
The CC map of BeNeLux was designed by
MarVal primarily for his Dutch Clan. The map contains standard gameplay, but has some similarities to the Classic map (smaller bonuses on opposite sides of the map). What sets this map apart is the ability to hold the small +2 bonus in the middle of the map. It lends itself to building, but can be left alone by a player in the north. The Capitals bonus gives a player who is spread out a small chance to earn some troops.
Round 6: FranceFrance is a country located in Western Europe; extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as L’Hexagone (The “Hexagon”) because of the geometric shape of its territory. France possesses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west.
The railway network of France is the most extensive in Western Europe, as you may have noticed earlier in the season when we visited Rail Europe. France is the home of the International System of Units (the metric system). It is also the home of more well known icons such as the Tour de France-- a 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi) bike race, the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel tower, and the Arc de Triomphe: it's no surprise that France is ranked as the first tourist destination in the world.
Although the country is the butt of many jokes in the US, there’s nothing funny about the CC map. It’s another standard map that anybody can pick up. Have you noticed that I prefer that type of maps? We’ve now whittled over half the field; another 3 teams will not make it out of France.
Round 7: IberiaThe Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France. It is bordered on the southeast and east by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the north, west and southwest by the Atlantic Ocean. The Pyrenees form the northeast edge of the peninsula, separating it from the rest of Europe. In the south, it approaches the northern coast of Africa. The peninsula is roughly octagon shaped. Approximately 3/4 of the octagon is a low and rolling plateau. It is located roughly in the center. It is ringed by mountains and contains the sources of most of the rivers, which find their way through gaps in the mountain barriers on all sides. The principal urban centers are: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Lisbon and Porto.
Because of its location, the territories of Spain and Portugal were subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, since prehistoric times. On the other side, Spain has been an important source of influence to other regions. After a long and hard conquest, the Iberian Peninsula became a region of the Roman Empire known as Hispania. During the early Middle Ages it came under Germanic rule. Later it was conquered by Muslim invaders. Through a very long and fitful process, the Christian kingdoms in the north gradually rolled back Muslim rule, finally extinguishing its last remnant in Granada in 1492, the same year Columbus reached the Americas.
Things have gotten to the nit-and-gritty point of the tournament. In Round 6, 11 of the 12 teams were within 2 points of each other. The dominant team of Godd and Arcee were forced into a tiebreaker scenario in order to advance. This round of 9 teams will continue to be a dogfight, but 3 more will still be eliminated.
Round 8: British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland. There are about 136 permanently inhabited islands in the group, the largest two being Great Britain and Ireland. The islands are at relatively low altitudes. The Scottish Highlands in the northern part of Great Britain are mountainous. Other mountainous areas include Wales and parts of the island of Ireland. Lakes on the islands are generally not large, neither are rivers particularly long. The English Channel and the southern North Sea are the busiest seaways in the world. The Channel Tunnel, opened 1994, links Great Britain to France and is the second-longest rail tunnel in the world.
The Isles have a long shared history. Even though they are one of the smallest areas in our trip, it has some of the most interesting sights. These include Hadrian’s Wall in northern England (built by the Romans in 122 and still used today as a bike trail), Westminster Palace in London (including the palace and Big Ben), Stonehenge, Loch Ness in Scotland, and Dublin University in Ireland.
This is the next to last leg of the race, and we are down to our final 6 teams. Half will be eliminated, so I hope you’ve stored up enough tiebreaker points throughout the tournament.
Finals: EuropeThe continent of Europe takes up almost 7% of the world’s land and contains 11% of the world’s population. It includes 50 nations/states, with Russia being the largest and Vatican City the smallest. The continent drove the rise in Western civilization in the 16th century, and dominated most of the world in the 17th-19th centuries. The World Wars of the first half of the 20th century left Europe with much less power than it had previously. Today, 27 European nations are members of the European Union, which was designed for ease of travel and market structure.
Congratulations on making it to the final leg of the race. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done up to this point in the tournament; it’s a mad-dash to the finish line. The first team to win 2 games wins the title of Amazing Race: Europe Champions.
