How well did Unbreakable sell?

"Unbreakable" debuted atop the "Billboard" 200 albums chart in the week ending October 8, 2015. The album sold 116,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, which included streaming and individual digital song sales. Of that sum, the album sold 109,000 in pure sales. "Unbreakable" became Jackson's seventh number one album on that chart and also made her the third act to amass a number one album in each of the last four decades. The album also opened atop the US Independent Albums Chart. In its second week, "Unbreakable" dropped to number eight on the "Billboard" 200 with 30,000 equivalent album units sold, which represented a drop of 74 percent in album sales. Out of that figure, 27,911 were pure album sales. As of 28 April 2016, "Unbreakable" has sold 253,000 copies domestically. In Canada the album also debuted at number one, with sales of 4,300 units, which represented the lowest sales for an album debuting at number-one in 2015. It became Jackson's second chart-topping album in Canada in the Soundscan era since "All for You" debuted atop the charts in 2001.

Unbreakable (Janet Jackson album)

Unbreakable is the eleventh studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was released on October 2, 2015, and is the first album released under her independent label Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management through a partnership with the singer. Jackson had parted ways with Island Records in 2008 due to dissatisfaction over the company's lack of promotion for her tenth studio album, "Discipline" (2008). The singer began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins the following year, but eventually abandoned the project. She became busy with film roles and embarked on a worldwide concert tour, and in 2013 announced her third marriage to Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. Two years later in May 2015 Jackson announced that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release "Unbreakable".

Jackson reunited with songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, their last collaboration being on her ninth studio album "20 Y.O." (2006). Additional songwriting and production was provided by Dem Jointz, Tommy McClendon and Thomas Lumpkins. Featured artists include rappers J. Cole and Missy Elliott. "Unbreakable"s theme reflects various experiences over the course of Jackson's life—including aspects of her childhood and the death of her brother Michael—in addition to socially conscious messages prevalent in her 1989 album "Rhythm Nation 1814". Its lead single "No Sleeep" became her 40th entry on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number 63, as well as her most successful entry on the US Adult R&B Songs chart, topping the chart for twelve nonconsecutive weeks.

The album debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200, becoming Jackson's seventh album to top the chart in the United States. This made her the third act in the history of the chart to have a number one album in each of the last four decades. It also peaked within the top 40 of most major music markets. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics, which some commenting it reflects her maturation. "Unbreakable" was named by several publications as one of the best album releases of 2015. As of April 2016, the album has sold over 253,000 copies in the United States.

After releasing her tenth studio album "Discipline" in 2008, Jackson parted ways with her label home of 14 months Island Records. A spokesperson for the singer added, "[Jackson] will have autonomy over her career, without the restrictions of a label system... Always known to break new ground and set trends, Jackson's departure from Island Records makes her one of the first superstar artists to have the individual freedom to promote their work through a variety of avenues such as iTunes, mobile carriers and other diverse and innovative channels." Mariel Concepcion of "Billboard" magazine suggested "Jackson would seem to be a natural fit at Live Nation Artists, which is already home to Jay-Z, Nickelback and Shakira." The following year, she suffered the unexpected death of her brother Michael Jackson; she later performed a special tribute to him at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She also ended her seven-year relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri.

As a joint venture with EMI, Universal Music Enterprises subsequently released her second greatest hits compilation, "Number Ones" (2009) under A&M Records. Although she began recording new material with producer Rodney Jerkins, she eventually abandoned the project, still unwilling to specify whether she intended to sign with a major label or release music independently. UMe and A&M later released her third compilation "" (2010) as the debut of the "Icon" album series, designed to feature "the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history." After starring in feature films "Why Did I Get Married Too?" and "For Colored Girls" in 2010, she embarked on the world concert tour Number Ones, Up Close and Personal in 2011 to promote her second compilation. In 2013, she indicated she was once again working on a new record. Later that year, she also revealed that she was married to her third husband, Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. She announced in May 2015, that she would embark on the Unbreakable World Tour and release her eleventh studio album through her newly formed, independent record label as a result of a partnership between herself and BMG.

In October 2009, just a month before Jackson released her second compilation album "Number Ones" (2009), American producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins revealed that they were working together on the singer's eleventh studio album:

Since we've been working... I feel like the studio has become a second home for her because with the whole situation with Michael [Jackson] happening, and I feel like right now, emotionally, she can come here and let all her feelings out. [...] You gotta understand, she lost her brother. She was in a relationship for seven years [with Jermaine Dupri] that's over now. There's things that she told me that I didn't even realize. You know, certain [things] like self-esteem that I didn't even realize that she dealt with for years that, you know.... She's working on her book and she'll deal with that in her book, but also in songs, certain songs we're dealing with that head on. And sometimes it can be a touchy subject for us to even go into, and I kinda had to persuade her, 'Let's just go, let's talk about that.' And she's been doing it, and she's a pro about it.
However, in 2010, Jackson revealed she had scrapped the recorded material with Jerkins. Although she recorded and released "Nothing" as the theme for the film "Why Did I Get Married Too?", she stated: "There have been a lot of record labels that have asked me to sit down and talk with them, but I don't know if I want to do something completely independent, or go with a major". In August 2011, while touring with her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal world tour, the singer stated that she would "go back into the studio later this year or early next. I am not sure what I will be doing yet. I like to be inspired by what is going on in my life at that time". In 2013, she confirmed she was recording a new album and "creating the concept and initial thoughts on the music."

In August 2014, producer and engineer Ian Cross, who worked on her last three studio albums, confirmed in an interview with studio monitor manufacturer Barefoot Sound that he was working on Jackson's new album, stating, "The new album is going to be great. It's a process. There's a lot in store, yet to come", also saying they worked in recording studios in Qatar, Paris and Middle East. He asserted that he and the singer "had a little bit more of a special relationship because we became friends naturally. You meet a lot of people and you become friends with a couple of them, but sometimes there is one person you become really good friends with. She asked me to work on an album with her called "Discipline" in 2007 and, again, just do the same thing, produce the vocals. That led to her hiring me full-time to work with her. That's where I'm at now". After Cross' declarations, Jackson herself responded to the rumor, neither confirming nor denying the works, stating: "If there is a new project, you'll hear it from my lips", she tweeted. Barefoot Sound subsequently removed the full text of the Cross interview from their website. "Unbreakable" saw Jackson reunite with long-time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who did not contribute to her previous project.

"Unbreakable" is divided into two sides; the first side is composed mostly by dance-pop and R&B songs, while the second one is more experimental. The album opens with the title track "Unbreakable", a mid-tempo R&B song, which describes Jackson's unyielding devotion to her fans. The following track "Burnitup!" is an uptempo song with electronic beats, with processed vocal samples and house drums. Jackson asks "Mr. DJ" to "turn it up" and the crowd to "dance like no-one's watching", while Elliott raps "Make it work, make it work, make it work". "Dammn Baby", the third track, has hints of trap bass and percussion, and bits of previous single "I Get Lonely" into its breakdown. In the fourth song "The Great Forever", she is reportedly to sound like her late brother Michael Jackson, and addresses the curiosity about her romantic life. "I don't see why loving someone or what I do seem so radical to you [...] What you think doesn't mean nothing at all / Doesn't change who I am." The next track, "Shoulda Known Better" opens as a ballad, but develops EDM beats for its underpinning. During the song she asks "Why, why, why?", before making a call for social action. "We won't accept excuses. We tolerate no abuses". Sixth track, "After You Fall", is a stripped ballad with Jackson's vocals being accompanied by only a piano line. The following song "Broken Hearts Heal" is a song with "breezy" vocal harmonies, and a tribute to her brother Michael, reminiscing about a childhood full of singing and laughing together. During the chorus, she sings "Our love ain't no material thing/Inshallah see you in the next life". Eight track "Night" is a house track which accompanies breathy vocals by Jackson. The ninth song and lead single from the album, "No Sleeep", is an R&B song, which lyrically finds Jackson crooning about a long-distance romance over "soulful" keyboards and programmed drums.

Starting the second part, "Dream Maker / Euphoria", the tenth track, is an R&B song with a soul sample, and at one point of the song she sings "Wish I could create a perfect place, without jealousy, abuse, or hate". Eleventh song "2 B Loved" is described lyrically as a "rapturous celebration of the power of love", complete with a "burst of sunshiny pop froth complete with hand claps, [and] a hip-shaking groove". Next track "Take Me Away" has an electro-rock arrangement and lyrically looks for escape with a lover.
The following and thirteenth song "Promise" is an interlude. The fourteenth track, "Lessons Learned", is built over a "plucked" guitar figure, on which Jackson sings about an abusive relationship where the victim keeps that way. At one point of the song Jackson sings "What makes her want to stay?". "Black Eagle", the next song, is a two-part song that sets its mysticism and self-help to modal phrases and quiet finger snaps; she addresses the struggles of today, but goes with "Because every life matters... We all need to do better." The sixteenth track "Well Traveled" is arena rock, described as a "Bon Jovi power ballad" song. The closing track, "Gon' B Alright", is "twisted" psychedelic rock, and was compared to Sly & The Family Stone sound.

The album's lead single, titled "No Sleeep", was released on June 22, 2015. In early June, Jimmy Jam tweeted, "Early morning #Plush #NoSL333P #ConversationsInACafe", along with a picture of sheet music in a darkened studio. Fans quickly found out the titles "No SL333P" and "Plush" in the picture. Later, a snippet of the song was leaked, followed by a countdown on her official website which revealed the song on June 22, 2015. The album version of the song features additional verses from American rapper J. Cole. It was released to radio airplay and made available for digital download on July 23, 2015. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The album version featuring J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the US Adult R&B Songs chart.
The music video for the third single, titled "Dammn Baby", was released May 4, 2016 on YouTube and her official Facebook page. The song debuted on the US Adult R&B Songs chart at number 20.

On April 22, 2015, she tweeted, "Letting go doesn't mean you stop", after a fan created a mock Missing Persons poster of Jackson which had begun circulating the internet prompting Jackson to retweet it herself, adding to further speculation of a new album. On May 16, 2015, on her 49th birthday, Jackson announced a new album and world tour and stated "I promised you would hear it from my lips. And now you will. This year, new music, new world tour, a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going." It was later announced that she will release her new album in the fall of 2015 under her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management. The launch of Rhythm Nation marks Jackson as among the few African-American female musicians to establish a record label. In June, she released the album's first single, "No Sleeep". That same month, she teased a track titled "Love", which was later re-titled "Unbreakable". The song is about how important her fans were to her. On August 20, 2015, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever", while also confirming the title of her eleventh studio album as "Unbreakable", and is set to release on October 2, 2015.

She has promoted the album through social media, frequently using the hashtag #ConversationsInACafe as well as taglines "I've been listening" and "Let's keep the conversation going." To further promote the album, Jackson embarked on the accompanying Unbreakable World Tour in August 2015. Pre-sale tickets were made available exclusively to American Express and Citibank cardholders prior to general admission tickets going on sale on June 22, 2015. Jackson's forthcoming album was also made available for pre-order, along with vinyl copies of the album's lead single "No Sleeep". On September 19, 2015, Jackson was set to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. However, on September 18, her rep confirmed she had withdrawn from the festival.
Due to Jackson's pregnancy, the Unbreakable World Tour resulted in postponement until September 2017; re-branded the State of the World Tour, with a new setlist and costumes.

In the UK the album debuted at number eleven, which represents her highest debut in that country since 2001 when "All for You" debuted at number two. Her previous albums had missed the top twenty with "Damita Jo" peaking at thirty-two, and "20 Y.O." and "Discipline" both debuting at sixty-three.

"Unbreakable" received positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album received an average score of 75, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 22 critics. Jim Fusilli of "The Wall Street Journal" complimented Jackson's vocals, as well as her efforts to craft a contemporary but familiar sound to add to her diverse catalog. He notes that she and her primary producers, Jam and Lewis, "explore a satisfying range of musical styles plucked from across the span of pop history" including funk, electronic dance music and soul. According to Jed Gottlieb of the "Boston Herald", "[u]nlike her peers, Jackson doesn't fear slow-burn R&B. This kind of quiet storm soul shows up again and again, on the big ballad 'Well Traveled' and the lead single 'No Sleeep'." Writing for "Entertainment Weekly", Kyle Anderson called the album "her most sonically diverse set since 1997's quirky, hypersexual "The Velvet Rope"" adding that "the most thrilling aspect of "Unbreakable" is her willingness to experiment." Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" commented that Jackson depicts a far more subdued persona in comparison to the explicit nature of her previous albums. He states that "[f]or most of 'Unbreakable,' she plays big sister—someone who's happily in love, willing to offer advice and wishing for a better world. It's a benign role but a modest one, reinforced by the music." "Newsday"'s Glenn Gamboa wrote that "Unbreakable" reflects her maturation, stating that after a tumultuous period in her career following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, "Jackson finally seems like herself again—actually an even wiser version of herself."

In her review for "USA Today", Elysa Gardner wrote: "The young woman intent on liberating herself and the world is still socially and spiritually conscious, but she has evolved into a more settled, reflective artist ... With "Unbreakable", Jackson, already a proven survivor—of both her family's well-publicized struggles and decades of changing trends in pop music and culture—gives us no reason to doubt that people will keep watching, and listening." Mikael Wood of "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the album is a collection of "grand-scaled but meticulously detailed songs" that include a mix of balladry, R&B, rock and EDM. Wood comments that although "the music makes for delicious ear candy, Jackson isn't content to leave it at that. She also has messages to deliver[.]" Writing for "The Guardian", Alex Macpherson remarked: "Unbreakable’s highlights are low-key moments of reflection and nostalgia: the hypnotic sway of Promise, the languorous dread of Lessons Learned and After You Fall, a skeletal piano lullaby that seems composed for Jackson’s late brother Michael, and on which she once again demonstrates the emotional range of her voice." Rebecca Haithcoat of "Spin" rated "Unbreakable" 8/10, stating that "it proves Janet can still surprise us. Who would've ever envisioned her slipping on a pair of boots and cowboy-cut Wranglers to sing 'Lessons Learned,' a country-tinged ballad about co-dependency? Or that she and the boys would've gone full "Nashville" and let a steel guitar cry and a little twang curl the edges of her voice on 'Well Traveled' (and that the whole thing would work!)?" Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album 3.5/5 stars, complimenting Jackson's diversity of sound while referencing her own catalog and familial influences. He remarked: "No one but Jackson can directly reference previous triumphs, address her audience, and yet move forward quite like this."


What's fantasy football?

Fantasy football is a genre of board game or wargame which normally involves two teams of fantasy races (such as elves, dwarves or orcs) competing in an extremely violent variant of gridiron football. Often the only resemblance to gridiron football for many fantasy football games is to get the ball into an end zone or goal, but these games still fall under the fantasy football genre.

Fantasy football (board games)

The most famous of fantasy football games is Games Workshop's "Blood Bowl" series.

Fantasy football (less commonly referred to as fantasy association football worldwide but known as fantasy soccer in the United States) is a game in which participants assemble an imaginary team of real life footballers and score points based on those players' actual statistical performance or their perceived contribution on the field of play. Usually players are selected from one specific division in a particular country, although there are many variations. The original game was created in England by Bernie Donnelly on Saturday 14 August 1971 and is still going strong 45 years later. Fantasy football has evolved in recent years from a simple recreational activity into a significant business due to exposure via the internet.

Fantasy football (association)

An emerging variant is club-based fantasy football in which participants select players from within their own club. Participating clubs typically have more than one football team and adopt club fantasy football to increase communication and banter between teams. Some clubs charge a nominal amount for players to enter a team and either use the proceeds as a fundraiser or to fund the fantasy league prizes. Club fantasy football leagues tend to be less sophisticated than the national variety since most clubs run them on a spreadsheet. Niche sports websites now offer online versions with both paid and free versions available.

Most fantasy football leagues, especially those run by national newspapers, ask participants to select 11 players within a price budget. There is usually a restriction on the number of players per club; a typical selection would be to select 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 4 or 3 midfielders and 2 or 3 forwards. Some games are squad-based, where participants choose not just a first eleven but also a set of substitutes. Normally you can only use max. 3 players of one team.

In smaller leagues played by a small group of people, players are bought by bidding between the rival managers rather than for a set amount of money. This means a particular player can only play for one team, and thus any points he accrues are credited to that team only. Typically, most leagues offer the chance to transfer players in and out of the team as the season progresses, in case of injury, suspension or loss of form.

Points are then gained or deducted depending on players' performances. Points systems vary between games but typically, points are awarded for some or all of the following achievements:

As well as the above, points can be deducted for some or all of the following:

The number of points each achievement or offence is credited with varies between different games, for example in the Daily Telegraph league, three points are awarded for an assist, and five for a goal. Due to the emphasis placed on assists and goalscoring, the value of players can differ greatly from real-life football, both in terms of individuals and position. For example, Claude Makelele, a world-class central midfield player, was rarely considered a valuable player in fantasy football because he was not an attacking player, as evidenced by three league goals in eight years at Real Madrid and Chelsea, and zero for the French national team in seventy-one appearances.

For this reason some fantasy football games have changed their scoring system to put greater emphasis on real player performance instead of emphasising goals and assists. For instance the game KAISER uses player scores gained by computer analyses based on dozens of different criteria. These scores are supplied by the data provider OPTA.

The game Oulala Fantasy Football uses a sophisticated scoring system. With 70 different points scoring criteria, which includes a matrix of any action that a player can perform, the criteria of 70 rises to a total of 275 dependent on each player's position on the field. Detailed actions include corners won, shots on/off target, successful dribbles and provoking an offside as well as many more others. These stats are sourced from Opta Sports and update in real time.

Most fantasy football games provide a choice of joining either private or public leagues. Public leagues are open to everybody and mostly there are leagues for each club or leagues for each country. League members then compete against each other and in some cases there is cash prizes for winning those leagues. Private leagues let the manager play with their friends only. Some games combine this with having unique teams in the leagues. This means that every Premier League player exists only once. As a result, there is a lot of activity on the transfer market where players are exchanged in between the community members.

At the start of the season fantasy football leagues can be set up in various ways. For leagues with unique teams, i.e. leagues where every player exists only once, there are at least two different starter options. Option 1 is a player auction. Every player is auctioned and the manager of a community needs to bid for the players. Managers have a certain budget for the auction. Option 2 is a player draft. Each manager is allocated a certain number of players.

For leagues without unique teams, i.e. every manager can own every player if he has sufficient funding, there is usually neither a draft nor an auction but managers can pick their players until they have used up their budget.

Various fantasy football games with unique teams offer the option of a player auction. At the beginning of the season, players are put on a transfer market and manager can bid for them. Some games even continue this auction system during the season (e.g. kaiser.co.uk). Kaiser also offers the opportunity to take the league to the next season. In this case new leagues can be started throughout the season without making it less interesting.

The draft is an option to jump-start a league. This is especially interesting for leagues that are set up during the season. From day 1, managers can line up their team for the next match day and trade players with other community members or using the computer. The draft is a common feature for NFL fantasy football games and the German Bundesliga. More than one Premier League manager game offers a similar feature.


What does endorheic mean?

An endorheic basin (also endoreic basin or endorreic basin) (from the, "éndon", "within" and, "rheîn", "to flow") is a limited drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but converges instead into lakes or swamps, permanent or seasonal, that equilibrate through evaporation. Such a basin may also be referred to as a closed or terminal basin or as an internal drainage system or interior drainage basin.

Endorheic basin

Endorheic regions, in contrast to exorheic regions which flow to the ocean in geologically defined patterns, are closed hydrologic systems. Their surface waters drain to inland terminal locations where the water evaporates or seeps into the ground, having no access to discharge into the sea. Endorheic water bodies include some of the largest lakes in the world, such as the Caspian Sea, the world's largest saline inland sea.

Endorheic basins constitute local base levels, defining a limit of erosion and deposition processes of nearby areas.

Endorheic lakes are bodies of water that do not flow into the sea. Most of the water falling on Earth finds its way to the oceans through a network of rivers, lakes and wetlands. However, there is a class of water bodies that are located in closed or endorheic watersheds where the topography prevents their drainage to the oceans. These endorheic watersheds (containing water in rivers or lakes that form a balance of surface inflows, evaporation and seepage) are often called terminal lakes or sink lakes.

Endorheic lakes are usually in the interior of a landmass, far from an ocean in areas of relatively low rainfall. Their watersheds are often confined by natural geologic land formations such as a mountain range, cutting off water egress to the ocean. The inland water flows into dry watersheds where the water evaporates, leaving a high concentration of minerals and other inflow erosion products. Over time this input of erosion products can cause the endorheic lake to become relatively saline (a "salt lake"). Since the main outflow pathways of these lakes are chiefly through evaporation and seepage, endorheic lakes are usually more sensitive to environmental pollutant inputs than water bodies that have access to oceans, as pollution can be trapped in them and accumulate over time.

Endorheic regions can occur in any climate but are most commonly found in desert locations. In areas where rainfall is higher, riparian erosion will generally carve drainage channels (particularly in times of flood), or cause the water level in the terminal lake to rise until it finds an outlet, breaking the enclosed endorheic hydrological system's geographical barrier and opening it to the surrounding terrain. The Black Sea was likely such a lake, having once been an independent hydrological system before the Mediterranean Sea broke through the terrain separating the two. Lake Bonneville was another such lake, overflowing its basin in the Bonneville flood. The Malheur/Harney lake system in Oregon is normally cut off from drainage to the ocean, but has an outflow channel to the Malheur River that is normally dry, but flows in years of peak precipitation.

Examples of relatively humid regions in endorheic basins often exist at high elevation. These regions tend to be marshy and are subject to substantial flooding in wet years. The area containing Mexico City is one such case, with annual precipitation of 850 mm and characterized by waterlogged soils that require draining.

Endorheic regions tend to be far inland with their boundaries defined by mountains or other geological features that block their access to oceans. Since the inflowing water can evacuate only through seepage or evaporation, dried minerals or other products collect in the basin, eventually making the water saline and also making the basin vulnerable to pollution. Continents vary in their concentration of endorheic regions due to conditions of geography and climate. Australia has the highest percentage of endorheic regions at 21 percent while North America has the least at 5 percent. Approximately 18 percent of the earth's land drains to endorheic lakes or seas, the largest of these land areas being the interior of Asia.
In deserts, water inflow is low and loss to solar evaporation high, drastically reducing the formation of complete drainage systems. Closed water flow areas often lead to the concentration of salts and other minerals in the basin. Minerals leached from the surrounding rocks are deposited in the basin, and left behind when the water evaporates. Thus endorheic basins often contain extensive salt pans (also called salt flats, salt lakes, alkali flats, dry lake beds or playas). These areas tend to be large, flat hardened surfaces and are sometimes used for aviation runways or land speed record attempts, because of their extensive areas of perfectly level terrain.

Both permanent and seasonal endorheic lakes can form in endorheic basins. Some endorheic basins are essentially stable, climate change having reduced precipitation to the degree that a lake no longer forms. Even most permanent endorheic lakes change size and shape dramatically over time, often becoming much smaller or breaking into several smaller parts during the dry season. As humans have expanded into previously uninhabitable desert areas, the river systems that feed many endorheic lakes have been altered by the construction of dams and aqueducts. As a result, many endorheic lakes in developed or developing countries have contracted dramatically, resulting in increased salinity, higher concentrations of pollutants, and the disruption of ecosystems.

Even within exorheic basins, there can be "non-contributing", low-lying areas that trap runoff and prevent it from contributing to flows downstream during years of average or below-average runoff. In flat river basins, non-contributing areas can be a large fraction of the river basin, e.g. Lake Winnipeg's basin. A lake may be endorheic during dry years and can overflow its basin during wet years, e.g., the former Tulare Lake.

Because the Earth's climate has recently been through a warming and drying phase with the end of the Ice Ages, many endorheic areas such as Death Valley that are now dry deserts were large lakes relatively recently. During the last ice age, the Sahara may have contained lakes larger than any now existing.

Endorheic lakes in Antarctica are located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land, the largest ice-free area in Antarctica.

Much of western and Central Asia is a giant endorheic region made up of a number of contiguous closed basins. The region contains several basins and terminal lakes, including:

Other endorheic lakes and basins in Asia include:Australia, being very dry and having exceedingly low runoff ratios due to its ancient soils, has many endorheic drainages. The most important are:
Large endorheic regions in Africa are located in the Sahara Desert, the Kalahari Desert, and the East African Rift:Many small lakes and ponds in North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains are endorheic; some of them have salt encrustations along their shores.

Though a large portion of Europe drains to the endorheic Caspian Sea, Europe's wet climate means it contains relatively few terminal lakes itself: any such basin is likely to continue to fill until it reaches an overflow level connecting it with an outlet or erodes the barrier blocking its exit. Exceptions include:All these lakes are drained, however, either through manmade canals or via karstic phenomena. Minor endorheic lakes exist throughout the Mediterranean countries of Spain (e.g. Laguna de Gallocanta, Estany de Banyoles), Italy, Cyprus (Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes) and Greece.Some of the Earth's ancient endorheic systems and lakes include:


What was Daisy Ridley's first movie role?

Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. Born in Westminster and brought up in Maida Vale, Ridley trained in drama at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. She began acting in minor guest roles on television and in short films, making her film debut in the independent horror film "Scrawl" (2015). She rose to international prominence for playing the lead role of Rey in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, starring in "" (2015) and "" (2017). She is also known for her performance of Mary Debenham in "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017), and as the voice of Cottontail in "Peter Rabbit" (2018).

Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley was born on 10 April 1992 in Westminster, London, and grew up in Maida Vale. She is the youngest of three daughters born to Louise Fawkner-Corbett, a banker, and Christopher Ridley, a photographer. She has two older sisters, Kika Rose and Poppy Sophia. Her mother's family, the Fawkner-Corbetts, were landed gentry with a military and medical background. Her great-uncle was "Dad's Army" actor and playwright Arnold Ridley; his brother, Daisy's grandfather, John Harry Dunn Ridley, O.B.E., was head of the Engineering Secretariat at the B.B.C. from 1950 to 1965. While growing up, her favourite film was "Matilda" (1996), an adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's story, with the title character (played by Mara Wilson in the film) a role model to her. Ridley won a scholarship to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, which she attended between the ages of 9 and 18. She then began reading classical civilisation at Birkbeck, University of London, before dropping out to concentrate on her acting career. Prior to being cast in "The Force Awakens", Ridley worked as a bartender in two different pubs in London for nearly two years. In 2016 Ridley began studying for a Bachelor of Arts in social science through online courses with the Open University.

Ridley began her career with minor roles in the television programmes "Youngers", "Toast of London", "Silent Witness", "Mr Selfridge", and "Casualty". She appeared in the short film "Blue Season", which was entered into the Sci-Fi-London 48-Hour Film Challenge. Ridley played the lead in film three of "Lifesaver", an interactive film which was nominated for a BAFTA Award. She also appeared in the music video for Wiley's song "Lights On", playing the character of Kim. Ridley made her film debut in the 2015 British independent horror film "Scrawl", after her scenes from the British comedy film "The Inbetweeners 2" were removed in the final cut.
In April 2014, Ridley's casting as Rey, one of the lead characters in "", was announced. She was chosen for the film in February 2014. At the time of her casting she was, according to "Rolling Stone", a "total unknown." Her choice by director J. J. Abrams was seen as a repeat of George Lucas's move of casting relatively unknown actors for the lead roles in the first "Star Wars" film in 1977. Ridley began filming her scenes in May 2014 at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, and prior to the film's release in December 2015, she appeared at the launch of a set of "Star Wars" postage stamps issued by the UK postal service Royal Mail, with her character Rey featuring on a stamp along with the droid BB-8. With international revenues of over $2 billion, "The Force Awakens" was a major box-office hit and the highest-grossing film of 2015. After an early screening of the film, Brian Viner of the "Daily Mail" called Ridley the "real star of the show", adding that her performance as Rey should "send her career into orbit." Her performance received critical acclaim, with Richard Roeper describing her portrayal as "a breakout performance" and adding "Ford has a terrific father figure chemistry [shared] with Ridley and [John] Boyega".

Ridley became executive producer of the documentary "The Eagle Huntress" in January 2016. Director Otto Bell said of her commitment, "Like so many other theatergoers around the world, I was blown away by Daisy's recent portrayal of an empowered female protagonist. I'm thrilled she'll be bringing that same energy to supporting a real-world heroine who is also on an epic journey to win victory in a far away land." The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2016, with Ridley narrating. She was one of several actors featured on Barbra Streisand's 2016 album "". Along with Anne Hathaway, Ridley and Streisand perform the song "At the Ballet" from "A Chorus Line", with Ridley performing the role of Bebe, one of a trio of dancers hoping to be cast in an upcoming show.

In 2017, Ridley portrayed Mary Debenham in "Murder on the Orient Express", an adaptation of Agatha Christie's detective novel of the same name. Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, production began in London in November 2016. She also reprised her role as Rey, opposite Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, in "", which was released in December 2017.

In January 2018, Ridley starred in "Ophelia", a reimagining of the Hamlet tale, alongside Naomi Watts and Clive Owen, in the titular role. The project was filmed from April to July 2017 and debuted at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In February 2018, Ridley voiced the role of Cottontail in "Peter Rabbit", an adaptation of the children's stories of the same name by Beatrix Potter.

In March 2019, Ridley will co-star in the "Chaos Walking", an adaptation of the young adult novel by Patrick Ness, as Viola Eade opposite Tom Holland as Todd Hewitt. The project was filmed from August to November 2017. In December 2019, Ridley will reprise her role as Rey in "", the last film in the sequel trilogy, filming in the summer of 2018.

Also in 2018, Ridley will film "Daddio", a film that follows a woman who is picked up by a cab at JFK airport and driven to her apartment in Manhattan. On the way there, the woman and cabdriver begin discussing their past and current relationships and the effects those relationships have had on their lives. Additionally, Ridley will reteam with director J. J. Abrams for "Kolma", which Abrams will also produce, a supernatural drama that finds a young woman who has suffered from a car crash that killed her boyfriend. When she dies decades later, she is given the choice of returning to the day of the accident to live her life again or being reunited with her love. Ridley will star in "The Lost Wife" as Lanka, a Polish art student who has a love affair with her best friend's older brother that is torn apart by the German invasion during the onset of World War II. Ridley has also signed on to star in "A Woman of No Importance", another Abrams-produced biographical political-thriller film based on Sonia Purnell's book of the same name. Ridley will portray American heiress and super-spy Virginia Hall, who attempted to break into the ranks of the American Foreign Service in the years before World War II. Ridley will reteam with actor Josh Gad in the superhero-comedy "Super-Normal", to be released by Netflix. Ridley will also star in "Piece of Mind".

Ridley has a tattoo of three stars on her left foot that she got when she was 15, a tattoo of the alchemical symbol of air on her right hip, and a peace symbol tattoo behind her right ear. As of April 2016, Ridley has a dog named Muffin. Ridley supports Premier League football club Arsenal F.C. Ridley has appeared in "People" magazine's World's Most Beautiful 2016 list. Her rise to stardom saw Ridley appear on Debrett's 2016 list of the most influential people in the UK.

Ridley suffers from endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, which required her to undergo multiple laparoscopic surgeries. She said on Instagram that she was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 15, and said it caused acne that lowered her self-esteem.

In August 2016, after receiving criticism for posting an anti-gun violence message on her Instagram account, Ridley deleted her Instagram account. The actress briefly returned to Instagram and said that the reason behind the deletion was because she had "a busy few months ahead and [so] wanted less distractions."

Daisy Ridley