GEOGRAPHY PARAGRAPHS
Middle East
Significance of Israel-- Israel is very significant
in the Middle East. It is a country that is the homeland of the Jewish people,
who previously had no homeland at all. It has a lot of religious sites that are
very important to the people of the Jewish faith, and HAS BEEN COPIED FROM THE INTERNET!!! it is good for them to
safely be able to visit them. However, the country is the cause of a lot of
conflict. Palestinians (people of Islam) think that the land is rightfully
theirs, especially Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. There is constant conflict over
the land, and it will not likely stop in the near future.
US war in Iraq-- The land of Usa has been at war
with Iraq a lot this decade and last. Desert Storm was a conflict in which we
fought to protect the country of Kuwait from the invading Iraqis. Now, we
sought to upset their leader, Saddam Hussein. We brought him to our country and
executed him, and now we are in (well, not any more) Iraq training their people
to protect and fight for themselves, and also showing them how to form a good
government, because the US just has to do things like that.
US war in Afghanistan-- We are in AfghanHELLO, HOW IS YOUR ICEREAM TODAY.?istan to try and
fight the Al Quada and the Taliban. They are Islamic groups who don’t really
like America all that much. The leaders of these terrorist groups were believed
to be in Afghanistan, and we went there to fight them and stop them. About a year ago, we killed Osama Bin Laden
in Pakistan, and that was great, I guess.
Characteristics of the Religions of
the Middle East-- In Islam,
there are five pillars (the Five Pillars of Islam) which dictate how a Muslim
person should live their life. Here is a
brief description of each of them: Shahada…There is now God but Allah, and
Mohammed is his Prophet; Salat…pray five times a day, facing Mecca; Zakat…2.5%
of your net worth giving to the poor; Ramadan…month long fast from sun-up to
sun-down; Hajj…pilgrimage you must make once in your life to Mecca. Mecca is
the religious center for Muslims. It is to Islam what Salt Lake is to the LDS
faith. You are only allowed into mecca if you are a Muslim. Inside of Mecca is
the Kabba, mosque that is the most sacred in all of Islam. It is part of what
Muslims must do on the Hajj. In Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim
religious monument) and the Wailing Wall (a Jewish religious monument; the last
standing wall of Solomon’s temple) are very near each other. One can see where
controversy may arise.
Theocracy-- Theorcracy is when a
government is ruled by religion. Decisions about the country are made either by
religious leaders or in the best interest of the religion. Countries like this
usually don’t like a lot of other religions. Examples of countries with
theocracy are Saudi Arabia (Islam) and India (Hindu…well, it’s sort of
theocratic).
Abundance/Scarcity of Resources-- There is one resource that the Middle East
is very well known for: oil. Most of the countries there have economies based
on oil, and they become very rich because of it. There is always a need for
oil, at least for now. However, fresh water is a very scarce resource. As a
solution, wealthy Middle Eastern countries often build desalinization plants.
These plants take sea water and convert it to fresh water. It’s very expensive,
but hey, they have a butt load of $$$ from all of the oil.
OPEC-- OPEC stands for the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. A lot of Middle Eastern
countries are part of this, as well as ones from Africa and South America. OPEC
has two main purposes (as Carter has said time and time again): Set the price
for a barrel of crude [oil] and decide how much to produce (aka pump out of the
ground).
Fertile Crescent-- The Fertile
Crescent is a region in the Middle East that is, well, fertile. It has very
nutrient-rich soil, and was the birthplace of civilizatMY NAME IS CHESTER, CHESTER THE MOLESTORions. It is located
between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, in present-day Iraq. It was
and is very important to the people of the Middle East, which is reflected by
their symbols on their flags (crescent moon).
Africa
Colonialism-- In the early 20th
century, some countries from Europe wanted to take control of Africa. They all
wanted land so they could exploit it for its plentiful natural resources. It
was at the Berlin conference were eight countries all divided Africa into
borders of their choosing, not taking into consideration the many African tribes
that they were cutting in half with their new borders, which caused much unrest
from the native people of Africa. Only two countries were not put OSCAR, OSCAR, OSCAR MEYER WEINERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! TASTES SO GOOD, KETCHUP AND SPICE under
European control: Ethiopia and Liberia. Kenya was one of the countries that
didn’t like European rule, enough so that they had an uprising led by people
like Jomo Kenyatta to take back control of the country.
Landlocked Countries-- I assume this should be done
without a map, so I’ll do so. The countries that I can think of that are
landlocked are Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria,
Swaziland and that is about it. I probably got some wrong, but this was without
a map,so…yeah.
Serengeti-- The Serengeti is a tropical
grassland (or savannah) below the Sahel in Africa. It is very important to
Africa for tourism reasons (that will make quite a bit of money) and for the
fact that a lot of species of animals live on the Serengeti that are important
to the world’s ecology.
Nile Delta-- The Nile Delta is in the
northern part of Egypt, in Africa. It is where the Nile River empties into the
Mediterranean, and is very important to Africa. A lot of animals use it as a
watering hole, and people use it for irrigation and farming.
Desertification-- Desertification
is the worldwide change of land into desert.
This is happening every year around the world, and pieces of land about
the size of Kansas changes into desert. This can be caused by many different
reasons, such as over grazing, bad farming habits, and global warming.
Disease in Africa-- Disease is a major
problem in the country of Africa. Aids, malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever,
and sleeping sickness kill millions of people GUESS WHAT IS AWESOME? 666every year (a lot of which are
children). Poor medical care and other factors (climate, under education) cause
this. This is especially present in South Africa, where AIDS is such an
epidemic that it is causing a decrease in the population.
Arab Spring-- The Arab Spring happened last
spring in the Middle East and in northern Africa. It was a rash of violent
protests by the oppressed population of countries like Libya, Tunisia (where it
started) and Egypt. The people fought military, overthrew and killed dictators,
and took control of their governments to try and make a better life for
themselves and their countrymen.
Nomads in Africa-- In Africa (especially
the Sahara) there are groups of people who roam the land, just trying to
survive. The heard camels, practice sustenance farming, and just try to deal
with the harsh climate of the Sahara. It is one way to survive in Africa, and
many people are able to do it. People like the Centaurs and the wild-fire
Phoenixes are nomads in Africa.
Population/Natural increase rates
in Africa-- In Africa
(especially the sub-Saharan part) there is a high infant mortality rate. There
are many causes of this, diseases, lions, dingoes (or was that Australia) and
also molesters. So, what do parents do?
Have a bunch of kids (sort of like Utah, although here there are different
reasons). If you have eight kids, you know that at least a few will survive.
So, the population of Africa is growing very rapidly, except in South
Africa…they have AIDS.
Apartheid in South Africa-- An apartheid is when the minority (in
the case of S. Africa, the whites) rules over the majority (again, in the case
of S. Africa, the blacks). This was a major problem for the people of South
Africa. Why should a thousand people rule a hundred thousand? Nelson Mandela
aimed to change that, and was sent to prison for a few decades because of it.
When South Africa finally became free, he was elected president.
South Asia
Characteristics of Hinduism-- Hinduism is the main religion of India,
and the people there are very passionate about it. In Hinduism there are A LOT
of gods: Ganesh, Kali, etc. There are over three million gods (think). The
religion is about being kind to others and connecting with nature. There is
reincarnation involved, and until you live an absolutely perfect life, you are
stuck in reincarnation, and can’t go to nirvana.
Caste System-- Hinduism
involves castes, or societal groups. If you are in any other caste than the
Untouchables, you are fine. However, if you are an Untouchable, than you are
pretty much screwed. You have to do all of the worst jobs and can never reach
nirvana. You are treated as the dirt of society, and are born into it. If your
parents were Untouchables, then there is nothing that you can do to change your
position in society.
Creation of the Himalayas-- Above India lies the Himalayas, the
largest mountain range in the world. It was created when the plate that India
was on collided with the Asian plate, and they made a HUGE mountain range (the
Himalayas, btw, the home of mount Everest…THATS WHAT SHEE SEDfive miles tall).
Population Density in South Asia-- India is the second most populous country in
the world (China being the first, the land of Usa being the third) with
something like 1.2 billion people. Of those, 75% of them live in rural villages
of India (that’s why India is called the Land of Villages, or something). It is
the size of the western part of the US, but has like fourteen cities with 1
million plus people. That’s dense (just like your mother).
India/Pakistan conflict-- Pakistan used to be part of
India, until it broke off and formed its own country. It did this because
Pakistanis are Muslim and that clashed with the Hinduism of India. Anyway,
there is a lot of debate between these two countries of the region of Kashmir.
It is a sacred place for Pakistanis, but India actually owns the land. The two
countries have been fighting for a while over it, and some people think that
this may be what causes WWIII (both countries have nuclear weapons….0_0)
Monsoons-- Monsoons are tropical storms
that plague the coast of India. Wet monsoons happen in the summer, and bring a
lot of rain (16 feet in some places) and dry monsoons are in the winter, and
blow back towards the ocean.
Flooding in Bangladesh-- Bangladesh is another country that
broke away from India, it is on the east side (yo). It has a lot of problems
with flooding. There are maMONKEEEEEEYYYYYYSSSSny causes, such as its low elevation (its capital,
Dhaka, is maybe 25 feet above sea level). The monsoons that it gets are also
very powerful, and the wet monsoons bring a lot of rain to Bangladesh. All this, plus storm surges are factors in causing
the flooding.
Outsourcing-- Outsourcing is when US companies
build huge factories in places in South Asia (like Bangalore) and give hire
Indian people to work there. This has an impact on the US economy, as Americans
aren’t getting jobs that are in India. Also, the companies don’t have to pay as
much (or any) taxes.
Green Revolution-- Back in the 60s, India
was starving. Majorly. Scientists needed to develop a way to grow crops more
efficiently to be able to feed the people. This caused the Green Revolution,
where many new types of corn and other crops were genetically modified to make
new, better versions.
East/Southeast Asia
North Korea-- North Korea is a very isolated
country from the rest of the world. It and China are basically the last
countries that still have communism, but even China has contact with the
outside world. N. Korea will allow now outside help, media, or anything to
enter their country. This is isolationism. North Korea became this way after
the Korean War. They wanted to unite North and South Korea under communism, and
the UN got involved to put a stop to it. A border was drawn (on the 38th
parallel) and a DMZ (demilitarized zone) was created. This is a no=man’s land
and nobody can cross it. US troops remain in South Korea to stop an attack if
there is one. Kim Jong Il was the previous leader of North Korea, but he died
this year, and his son, Kim Jong Un, is the new leader. This scares people,
because they don’t know what he will do with his power.
Tibet/China conflict-- China considered Tibet to
be part of the PRC, even though Tibet had an autonomous rule. The PRC
(communist) didn’t quite trust the Buddhism of Tibet, and sent troops there to
occupy Tibet, and destroy temples and monuments. The Dalai Lama (Buddhist
leader) was forced to flee and now lives in India. There are protests to try to
make Tibet independent.
Religious Characteristics-- In China, the average person’s
religion is a combination of four schools of thought: Buddhism, which deals
with the religious side of things; Taoism, which is the more spiritual and
self-focused part; Confucianism, which is about loyalty to the government and
obedience to laws; and Atheistic, which is basically Communist. The main
religion is Buddhist, but there are indigenous religions like Shinto in Japan
(spirits in everything).I LOVE DRUGGGGGGGSSSSSSS
Ring of Fire-- Around the
Pacific Rim, there is a lot of volcanic and seismic activity. This is caused by
the Specific Plate, which is sub ducting under its surrounding plates and
causing magma to go upward into volcanoes. PS Hawaii is the warning station for
all of the Pacific Basin for seismic activity.
Archipelago-- A group of islands is called an
archipelago. Indonesia and the Philippines are both examples of this. They are
both very big archipelagoes, Indonesia being the biggest with 17,000 plus islands
(the Philippines has 7,000 plus).
Economic Characteristics of East
Asia-- China has a free
trade agreement with North Korea (no isolationism there) and Taiwan, which they
need to trade with even though the PRC and ROC are having some conflicts. Japan
has to trade for most of its natural resources like iron and coal (which is
provided by China and Africa).
Three Gorges Dam-- Largest dam in the
world!! The Three Gorges Dam has just been completed on China’s Yangtze River,
and will proSWEAR WORD CUSS *&%$#vide a lot of hydroelectric power to China. This will do something,
I’m sure of it.
China/Taiwan Conflict-- In the 50s, some people who
were part of the PRC didn’t want to be, so they left. They were led by Chan
Kei-Shek and moved to Taiwan, an island off of the coast of China. They formed
the ROC (Republic of China). They are democratic, and an economic powerhouse,
which is one reason that China doesn’t take them over, they need the trade.
However, China can make the ROC’s life harder in other ways. They won’t allow
them to join the UN, even though Taiwan’s government has been petitioning for
years.
Resources of East Asia-- China is a huge country, and has
an abundance of natural resources like coal. They can trade this to Japan,
because they have none of their own. Japan, in turn, uses the resources they
trade for to make technically advanced stuff like cars (Mazda!!!!) and
electronics.
Land Use in East Asia-- In China, a lot of land is
used for farming. Things like rice paddy fields are very common, and rice is
grown abundantly in the southern part of China. Wheat is grown in the north. The
Yellow River is very prominent in China. It is yellow because of the loess, or
glacial soil, that it carries. It has been called China’s sorrow because it
will overflow every so often and ruin crops and other stuff of that nature.
Aquaculture is also very prominent (raisin mARAJUANAg fishes as crops), and China also
has a very profitable silk industry. Japan’s land use is much sparser. Only 15%
of the land is arable (able to be farmed on) and of that, it is terraced (steps
on a mountain) to make even more space. They do, however, have a huge fishing
industry.
Oceania
Climates of Oceania-- The Climates are pretty
diverse in Oceania. The island groups of the South Specific (Melanesia,
Polynesia, Micronesia) are all very tropical and have rainy and hot climates.
Most of Australia (the Outback) is a desert, and is very hot and dry. The
Southeastern part of Australia and New Zealand are more temperate, closer to
here.
Australian Outback-- The outback makes up 85%
of Australia’s land. It is in the center of the country, and is a hot desert.
Not many people live there, and it is mainly used for huge ranches (which can
be as big as 18,000 miles and are only looked after by a couple dozen people).
Aborigines-- They are the native people of
Australia. Their situation was very similar to what the Native Americans went
through with European explorers. The British came to Australia and brought
diseases and kicked the Aborigines off of their land. TheyFISHANUS lived off the land
in Australia, and were very in sync with nature. Now, there are very few left,
and they have huge educational and health issues to deal with in the modern
world. They have been given back some land, but it is not a lot.
High and Low Islands-- High and low islands of the
South Specific are very different from one another. High islands have good
soil, are volcanically made, and have the most people out of the two. Low
Islands (atolls made from coral and sunken volcanos, bad soil, and fewer
people) don’t have a lot of fresh water or resources, but they sure do look
cool. A lot of them are used as landing strips and bases (DIEGO GARCIA).
Land use in Australia/New Zealand-- Australia is 85% Outback, which is used
mainly for ranching. Australia produces coral, cattle, and is also the leading
exporter of opals. New Zealand ranches a lot as well. They produce sheep, dairy
products, and….kiwis!!
