December 2002

Where Santa Claus Lives

Finnish children start losing their innocence at the age of seven, when they find out about the biggest lie in their lives. Santa Claus does not exist. His beard is made from cotton and he does not ride on sledges pulled by reindeer. And he has no assistants – “tontu”, who stay behind the window of each house and see that children behave well and receive the best presents as remuneration for their obeisance. No. The presents are bought by parents, grandmothers and uncles and aunts. Continued...

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Moldova Needs the Green Card

Following the Second World War the increase in road traffic made it necessary to devise a system to facilitate the movement of vehicles across borders. The problem was considered by the Working Party of the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe (a United Nations body), which decided to recommend a solution based on a system originally implemented by the Nordic countries in the 1930s. Continued...