Canyon: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Grand Canyon.jpg.jpg|right|thumb|[[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]]]] |
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[[Image:Noravank with cliffs-DCP 0186.JPG|thumb|right|[[Noravank Monastery]] complex and canyon in [[Armenia]].]] |
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[[Image: Aerial view of canyons.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of canyons in western United States.]] |
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A '''canyon''' (occasionally spelt '''''cañon''''') or '''gorge''' is a deep valley between [[cliff]]s often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time [[erosion]] from a [[plateau]] level. The [[cliff]]s form because harder rock strata that are [[resistance (geology)|resistant]] to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls. Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wetter areas because weathering has a greater effect in arid zones. Canyon walls are often formed of resistant [[sandstone]]s or [[granite]]. [[Submarine canyon]]s are those which form underwater, generally at the mouths of rivers. The word ''canyon'' is Spanish in origin (''cañón''). The word ''canyon'' is generally used in the [[United States]], while the word ''gorge'' is more common in Europe and [[Oceania]], though it is also us<nowiki>e</nowiki>d in some parts of the United States and Canada. The military derived word ''[[defile (geography)|defile]]'' is occasionally used in the [[United Kingdom]]. |
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A famous example is the [[Grand Canyon]] in |
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[[Arizona]] with an average depth of one mile and a volume of 4.17 trillion cubic meters.<ref>http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/statistics.htm</ref> In the southwestern United States, canyon are important [[archeology|archeologically]] because of the many [[cliff-dwelling]]s built there, largely by the earlier inhabitants, [[Ancient Pueblo Peoples]]. |
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The [[Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon]] (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the [[Yarlung Tsangpo River (Tibet)|Yarlung Tsangpo River]] in [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world, and is slightly longer than Grand Canyon making it one of the world's largest.<ref>http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/canyon/hiking/hik301.html</ref> |
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Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geologic uplift. These are called [[entrenched river]]s, because they are unable to easily alter their course. The [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]] and the [[Snake River]] in the northwestern [[United States]] are two examples of [[tectonic uplift]]. |
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Canyons often form in areas of [[limestone]] rock. Limestone is to a certain extent soluble, so [[cave]] systems form in the rock. When these collapse a canyon is left, for example in the [[Mendip Hills]] in [[Somerset]] and [[Yorkshire Dales]] in [[Yorkshire]], England. |
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A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks such as those in ranges such as the [[Rocky Mountains]], the [[Alps]], the [[Himalayas]] or the [[Andes]]. Usually a river or stream and erosion carve out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain type canyons are [[Provo Canyon]] in Utah or [[Yosemite National Park]] in California's [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]. Canyons within mountains or gorges that only have an opening on one side are called ''[[box canyon]]s''. [[Slot canyon]]s are very narrow canyons, often with smooth walls. |
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==Largest canyons== |
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*[[Tsangpo Canyon]] in [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] |
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*[[Grand Canyon]] in [[Arizona]], [[USA]] |
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*[[Copper Canyon]] in [[Chihuahua State|Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]] |
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The definition of "largest canyon" is rather imprecise, as a canyon can be large by its depth, length, or the total area of the canyon system. Also the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the [[Himalaya]] contributes to their not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes mountain canyons as well as canyons cut through relatively flat [[plateau]]s (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation). |
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==Lists== |
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===List of canyons=== |
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[[Image:Gorges of Ak-SHur.jpg|thumb|Gorges of Ak-Shur.]] |
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*[[Black Canyon of the Gunnison]], Colorado, USA |
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*[[Blyde River Canyon]], [[Mpumalanga]], South Africa |
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*[[Charyn Canyon]], Kazakhstan |
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*[[Chicamocha National Park|Chicamocha Canyon]], [[Santander Department|Santander]], Colombia |
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*[[Saturban canyon]], [[Santander Department|Santander]], Colombia |
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*[[Colca Canyon]], [[Arequipa]], Peru |
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*[[Cotahuasi Canyon]], [[Arequipa]], Peru |
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*[[Fish River Canyon]], [[Namibia]], Africa |
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*[[Fraser Canyon]], [[British Columbia]], Canada |
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*[[Grand Canyon of Torotoro]], [[Torotoro]], [[Potosi Department]], Bolivia |
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*[[Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone]], Wyoming, USA |
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*[[Guartelá Canyon]], [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]], Brazil |
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*[[Hells Canyon]], Idaho and Oregon, USA |
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*[[Horseshoe_Canyon_(Alberta)|Horseshoe Canyon]], Alberta, Canada |
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*[[Huasteca Canyon]], [[Monterrey]], Mexico |
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*[[Kings Canyon (Northern Territory)]], Australia |
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*[[Matka Canyon]], Republic of Macedonia |
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*[[Nfeye Canyon]], Portugal |
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*[[Nine Mile Canyon]], Utah, USA |
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*[[Ouimet Canyon]], Ontario, Canada |
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*[[Palo Duro Canyon]], Texas, USA |
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*[[Rugova Canyon]], [[Kosovo]], Europe |
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*[[Shnizow Canyon]], [[Uşak]], Turkey |
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*[[Sumidero Canyon]], [[Chiapas]], Mexico |
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*[[Tara River Canyon]], [[Montenegro]], Europe |
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*[[Valla Canyon]], [[Kure]],Turkey |
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*[[Waimea Canyon]], Hawaii, USA |
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*[[Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], China |
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===List of gorges=== |
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[[File:Swaan gorge or Swaan cut.JPG|thumb|right|Swaan gorge]] |
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*[[Avon Gorge]], [[Bristol]], England |
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*[[Bog Walk Gorge]], [[Saint Catherine Parish]], Jamaica |
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*[[Bued Gorge]], [[Benguet]], Philippines |
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*[[Cataract Gorge]], [[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]], Australia |
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*[[Cheddar Gorge]], [[Somerset]], England |
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*[[Columbia River Gorge]], USA |
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*[[Corrieshalloch Gorge]], [[Ullapool]], Scotland |
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*[[Galston Gorge]], [[New South Wales|NSW]], Australia |
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*[[Ironbridge Gorge]], [[Shropshire]], England |
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*[[Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal]], [[South Africa]] (The word ''Kloof'' means '[[gorge]]' in [[Afrikaans]]) |
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*[[Komati Gorge]], South Africa |
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*[[Lanner Gorge]], South Africa |
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*[[Manawatu Gorge]], Manawatu, North Island, New Zealand |
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*[[Montalban Gorge]], Philippines |
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*[[New River Gorge National River | New River Gorge]], West Virginia, USA |
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*[[Niagara Falls | Niagara Gorge]], Canada/USA |
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*Katherine Gorge of [[Nitmiluk National Park]] in Australia |
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*[[Pankisi Gorge]], [[Georgia (country)]] |
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*[[Pine Creek Gorge]], Pennsylvania, USA |
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*[[Red River Gorge]], Kentucky, USA |
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*[[Royal Gorge]], Colorado, USA |
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*[[Samaria Gorge]], [[Crete]], Greece |
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*[[Talari Gorges]], [[Mali]] |
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*[[Gorges du Tarn]], France |
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*Taroko Gorge of [[Taroko National Park]], Taiwan |
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*[[Three Gorges]], [[Hubei]], China |
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*[[Tiger Leaping Gorge]], [[Yunnan]], China |
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*[[Verdon Gorge]], [[Provence]], France |
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*[[Vikos Gorge]], [[Vikos-Aoos National Park]], Greece |
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===List of other features causing gorges or canyons=== |
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*[[Ardèche River]], France |
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*[[Bued River]], Philippines |
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*[[Danube River]], Europe, including the [[Iron Gate (Danube)|Iron Gate]] |
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*[[Kings River (California)|Kings River]] of the [[Kings Canyon National Park]], California, USA |
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*[[South Nahanni River]] in [[Canada]][http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/SouthNahanni/SouthNahanni-F_e.htm] |
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*[[Steall Waterfall]] of [[Glen Nevis]], [[Lochaber]], Scotland |
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*[[Swaan River]] in the [[Pothohar Plateau]], Pakistan |
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==Canyons on other planetary bodies== |
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*[[Valles Marineris]] on [[Mars]], the largest known canyon in the solar system |
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*[[Ithaca Chasma]] on [[Saturn]]'s moon [[Tethys (moon)|Tethys]] |
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Venus has many craters and canyons on its surface. The troughs on the planet are part of a system of canyons that is more than 6 400 km long. |
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==See also== |
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*[[Canyoning]] |
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*[[Geomorphology]] |
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*[[Gully]] |
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*[[Landform|List of landforms]] |
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*[[Ravine]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{river morphology}} |
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[[Category:Canyons and gorges| ]] |
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[[Category:Erosion landforms]] |
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[[Category:Fluvial landforms]] |
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[[ar:تلعة]] |
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[[an:Foz]] |
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[[ast:Canga]] |
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[[br:Kanienn]] |
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[[bg:Каньон]] |
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[[ca:Congost (hidrografia)]] |
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[[cs:Kaňon]] |
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[[da:Kløft]] |
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[[de:Canyon]] |
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[[nv:Tsékooh]] |
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[[et:Kanjon]] |
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[[es:Cañón (geomorfología)]] |
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[[eo:Kanjono]] |
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[[fa:تنگ]] |
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[[fr:Canyon]] |
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[[gl:Canón (orografía)]] |
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[[ko:협곡]] |
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[[hr:Kanjon]] |
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[[id:Ngarai]] |
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[[it:Gola (geografia)]] |
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[[he:קניון (עמק)]] |
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[[ka:კანიონი]] |
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[[lt:Kanjonas]] |
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[[hu:Kanyon]] |
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[[nl:Kloof]] |
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[[ja:峡谷]] |
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[[no:Canyon]] |
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[[pl:Przełom rzeki]] |
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[[pt:Canhão (geologia)]] |
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[[ro:Defileu]] |
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[[ru:Каньон]] |
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[[scn:Canyon]] |
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[[simple:Canyon]] |
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[[sk:Kaňon]] |
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[[sl:Kanjon]] |
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[[sr:Кањон]] |
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[[fi:Kanjoni]] |
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[[sv:Kanjon]] |
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[[tl:Sabak]] |
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[[tr:Kanyon]] |
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[[uk:Каньйон]] |
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[[zh:峡谷]] |
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Revision as of 14:38, 3 February 2010
twilight sucks