Population: 1994 est. 458,000 (according to The Colombia Encyclopedia), the most recent estimate of the end of 2005 is that it has reached 1,532,200.
City Flower: Bougainvillea glabra or Paper Flower (first image taken from wikipedia, second shows it growing on the sides of the elevated roads)
City Tree: Delonix Regia or Flame Tree
City Bird: Egret (the island is said to be in the shape of a flying egret - personally I can't see this)
Weather: Subtropical with weather influenced by typhoons several times each year (July-September). Sites I've found indicate an average of 82F/27.7C summer and 55F/12.7C winter - but having arrived mid-August I experienced 90F/32.2+ for days at a time, not a temperature I'm comfortable with in combination with high humidity. You know it's stinking hot when just standing at the bus-stop finds a rivulet of sweat running down your back - and you leave an imprint when you arise to get off the bus...
Fluctuation in temperature appears minimal with most days and nights spent within a range of 15 degrees F/7 degrees C. I am assured by more seasoned expats that winter is cold, cold, cold (hard for me to imagine at the moment!) and finds them piling on all the clothes that they own in their apartments. Apparently it's all the marble that keeps things cool. I'm not convinced, having found the change in temperature once autumn arrived to be a welcome change from the relentless heat and humidity of August and September. It amused me no end that everyone started wearing long sleeves, jeans and trousers (even some pullovers) whilst I just enjoyed wearing my shorts and short sleeves without sweating. Oh, and I was often chided (in chinese - but some things transcend language) for having Sebastien out and about without [choose one or several] long pants, shoes, long short, hat, umbrella etc etc. It takes a village...and they're not afraid to let you know! But enough of my tangent...
Average Income: The Xiamen government reported that the average per capita income in 2006 was US$2,153 (US$3,433 for administrative staff). The municipal government sets a minimum monthly wage that (interestingly) varies according to which district you work in Xiamen: "The city's minimum monthly wage during the period from1 July, 2003 to 30 June, 2004 is RMB Yuan 480 in Siming and Huli districts, RMB Yuan 430 in Jimei and Haicang districts and RMB Yuan 360 in Tong'an and Xiang'an districts respectively" - or roughly US$68.50, US$61.40 and US$51.40. This really blew me away when I realised that what I used to earn per month (BC - before children) in Australia was more or less 8 months of a Xiamen chinese resident's income. Even now, our income is much more than the average.
Cash is king and I intend to post about currency later as I have been collecting the many variations found here - plus I want to note down some things I find interesting about counterfeiting.
That will do for now. Have to move on from the cafe before my bottom falls asleep!
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