clockwise around the Caspian Sea
- Snoqualmie Falls (waterfallsnorthwest.com)
Snoqualmie Falls is among the largest and most significant waterfalls in the United States. Situated along the Snoqualmie River in the town of Snoqualmie, the falls plunge a into a huge amphitheater carved in ancient volcanic bedrock. Officially Snoqualmie Falls has a height of 268 feet, however lidar data suggests this measurement to be that of the hydroelectric system, rather than the falls itself, and that the waterfall itself is about 10-12 feet shorter. The natural volume of the Snoqualmie River, coupled with the great height of the falls makes it one of the most powerful waterfalls in North America. However, that power was too tempting a prospect for intrepid engineers, and in July of 1899 the Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric plant went online - the first hydroelectric facility in the world to be built entirely underground. In 1910 a second powerhouse (this one above ground) was constructed downstream of the falls, which was greatly expanded again in the late 1950s.
- Dagestan (Wikipedia)
Dagestan (/ˌdæɡɪˈstæn, -ˈstɑːn/ DAG-ə-STA(H)N; Russian: Дагестан; IPA: [dəɡʲɪˈstan]), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Federal District. The republic is the southernmost tip of Russia, sharing land borders with the countries of Azerbaijan and Georgia to the south and southwest, the Russian republics of Chechnya and Kalmykia to the west and north, and with Stavropol Krai to the northwest. Makhachkala is the republic’s capital and largest city; other major cities are Derbent, Kizlyar, Izberbash, Kaspiysk, and Buynaksk.
