Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Defintions


capitalism- : an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market

communism- a : (classlist society) a theory advocating elimination of private property
b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed

free enterprise-: freedom of private business to organize and operate for profit in a competitive system without interference by government beyond regulation necessary to protect public interest and keep the national economy in balance

free market-  : an economic market operating by free competition




citation-
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Friday, November 16, 2012

Countries' History


Afghanistan declared independence on August 19, 1919. It has been a popular focal point of the Silk Road and human migration. It is the hardest country in the world to live in. A man from The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was killed in 1978. Members of this party began to fear that the government was going to be dismantled because many were being arrested. Afghanistan is located near South Asia, Central Asia, and part of Western Asia. 
Iran declared its independence in October of 1977.It is home of the world's largest civilizations. Iran has had many different leaders in terms of leaders. In January of 1978, the Iranian Revolution occurred. This was against the first major demonstration against the Shah. It is located in Western Asia.
Saudi Arabia declared its independence on May 20, 1947. The new kingdom was on a reliant on limited agriculture and pilgrimage revenues and therefore was a very poor country. The Kingdom is called "Unification Kingdom." There was never an empire as the rulers. Saudi Arabia is located is Western Asia. 
India declared independence on August 15, 1947. The main leader that helped India gain its independence from Great Britain was Mahatma Gandhi. Europeans set up colonies in India. Luckily, India did not have to go through any war to gain independence from the United Kingdom.
Venezuela declared independence on July 5, 1811. They got it from France. The military strong men running the country main promotion was oil. Venezuela was one of the three countries that were involved in the collapse of Gran Columbia in 1830. Venezuela is located on the Northern coast of South America. 
The United Kingdom was never owned by any country so therefore they did not have to gain independence from any country. The United Kingdom controlled many countries. The United Kingdom is located off the north-west coast of Europe. 
Mexico declared independence in the early 19th century. Before they were an independent nation, they were conquered and colonized by Spain in the early 16th century. Also, Mexico is a site of advanced Amerindian civilizations. Some of the groups within the nation include the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec. They were a part of Spain for three centuries.

Germany declared independence in 1777. Julius Caesar used to be control of Germany when they founded it. But the Battle of Teautoburg Forest prevented the annexation by the Roman Empire. Germany was divided into two sections in 800-900. The Holy Roman Empire was formed and clashed in the Thirty Years’ War. This war drew an end to the Holy Roman Empire and a beginning of the modern nation-state system.

Israel declared independence o May 14, 1948. After World War II, many Arabs and Jewish people went to this area. Also, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area. When all the people began to come in, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. Before they declared independence, The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) occupied Israel.

France declared independence in 1778. People began living in France about 1.57 million years ago. Three main entho-linguistic groups in France were the Gauls, Aquitani, and the Belgae. Then many years later, France was ruled under the House of Capet, founded by Hugh Capet in 987. In the late 18th century, the monarchy and associated institutions were overthrown in the French Revolution.  

Brazil declared its independence on September 7, 1822. Brazil starts with Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. The first European to explore Brazil was Pedro Alvares Cabral on April 22, 1500. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Brazil was a colony of Portugal. Then they decided to be an independent nation. 

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Five Key Religions

Christianity is a very popular religion around the world today. It started around 30 AD. The teachings of Christianity began to spread around the Roman Empire. Their teachings are based in their holy book called The Holy Bible. It is estimated that Christianity has about 2.2 billion following worldwide today. The central figure is Jesus Christ, meaning this is a monotheistic religion. About 40% of the Americas, 26% of Europe, 24% of Sub-Saharan Africa, 13% of Asia-Pacific, and 1% of Mid East-North Africa believe in the concept of Christianity.

Islam, next to Christianity, is the most popular religion around the world. It was started in around 622 CE by Muhammad the Prophet in Mecca. The Quraan is the holy book in the Islamic faith. Islam claims to have about 1.5 billion followers. Allah is the central figure, meaning Islam is a monotheistic religion. The geographical concentration includes Africa and the Middle East.

Buddhism was founded by a prince named Siddhartha Gautama around 460 BC. The holy book is called the Tipitaka and they claim about 2 million followers. Buddha is the central figure in Buddhism, meaning this religion is also monotheistic. The place with the largest number of Buddhist in the world is called Tibet.

Hinduism was founded around 1500-500 BC in India. The holy book is called the Vedas and they claim to have about 950 million followers. 

Test Questions

1. Parts of a groups everyday life is.... (cultural characters)
2. What are some examples of cultural characters? (language, religion, ethnic heritage)
3. Name a nation that is bilingual? (Canada)
4. What is the world language? (English)
5. Name 3 of the 5 world religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism)