Windmills

Why do we call them windmills?

Early windmills used the energy of the wind. As the wind turns the blades or sails of the windmill, a shaft connects the sails to the mechanisms stored inside towers that mill, (grind) grain into flour.  Later, the power of windmills was used to do many different jobs such as pumping water and sawing wood, but the name windmill stayed the same.

These windmills are in the Netherlands. They pump water into the canals and off the land.	Windmills like these pump water up from below the ground to irrigate the crops, and for farm animals to drink.	This is an old mill, built in the United States of America.
On the Greek island of Mykanos, you can see windmills like these.	These are Spanish windmills.	Modern wind turbines

Thomas & Sydenham, Windmills. [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2008)

 updated  © [2008] kidcyber

Images © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation