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Sat, Apr 28, 2007
A tour of one-time British colonies, all part of 19th century Queen Victoria's Empire. The first stop is in Calcutta. Original established as a trading post, it eventually became the capital of British India. There is also a side trip to Darjeeling to look at the tea industry. From there to Hong Kong, the financial and Far East trading center and then to Borneo, a strategic location for defending key trade routes.
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Sat, May 5, 2007
Host Victoria Wood continues her tour of former British colonies - Queen Victoria's Empire - by visiting Ghana, Jamaica and Newfoundland. In Ghana, the focus is on how the British perfected the slave trade and the impact that has had on modern Ghanaian society. Many of those slaves were transported to Jamaica to work on sugar plantations. She explores what connection, if any, still exists between the two countries. Lastly she visits Newfoundland and visits the site to which Queen Victoria sent the first trans-Atlantic message via undersea cable.
Sat, May 12, 2007
The tour of Queen Victoria's Empire continues with visits to New Zealand, Australia and Zambia. In New Zealand, we learn of the ongoing friction between the local Maori people and subsequent colonizers. In Australia, there is a visit to the site of a once large prison in Tasmania followed by trips to Alice Springs, a review of the gold rush and a visit to Melbourne. In Zambia, we learn of Dr. David Livingstone's exploration of the African interior in the hope of finding a navigable waterway to the ocean. In the modern day city of Livingstone, we learn of herbal medicines available at the local market.