A Short History of Saudi Arabia (09/08)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covers an area about the third of the size of
the USA, and occupies most of the Arabian peninsula (
map),
most of which is desert.
Its population is about 27 million, of which 5 million are foreigners
(technicians, merchants, diplomats and soldiers). 90% of citizens are
Arabs and all are Muslims (...
A Short History of Jamaica (09/08)
The island nation of
Jamaica is in the Greater Antilles about 385 northeast of the Central American mainland, and about 90 miles south of Cuba. Within a century of Columbus sailing the ocean blue and the subsequent Spanish occupation of the island in 1494, the native Arawaks (who called the island Xaymaca) had effectively died out, due to ...
The Republic of Sierra Leone (08/08)
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a small country with a population of about 5.3 million on the west coast of Africa bordered by Guinea and Liberia. The life expectancy of men is 39 years and women 42 years. The name is an adaptation of the Portuguese, 'serra leoa' (lion mountains). During the 18th century it was an important center for the...
Rankin Inlet & The Inuit (08/08)
Rankin Inlet (
picture)
has a population of about 2,200.
It is located on the 63rd
parallel on the west shore of
Hudson Bay (
map)
approximately 1,100 miles north
of Winnipeg in the recently
formed territory of Nunavut,
which was ...
A Short History of Lebanon (08/08)
The area now known as Lebanon (
map) was settled by the seafaring Phoenicians (also known as Caananites) around 3,500 BCE. They established city states such as Beirut, Tyre and Sidon. Over the next five millennia the area would come under the control of numerous empires including the Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader and ...
Yiddish Theatre in America (07/08)
More than 200 Yiddish theatre troupes performed in the United States between 1890 and 1940 (
photo of a theater group in 1909). In their heyday in the 1920s, twelve troupes resided in New York City alone, with 22 Yiddish theatres on the Lower East Side, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Their repertoires spanned a variety of genres including ...
Silk, and The Silk Road (07/08)
The Silk Road (
map) starts at the western gate of old Changan in
Xian which, in the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), was the greatest city in the world. The Xian municipality commissioned a red sandstone sculpture of twice life-size camels in commemoration, but the site is now engulfed by a supermarket - so the camels have been relocated to a ...
Nocturnal Climbing at Cambridge University (06/08)
Cambridge, the second oldest university in the English-speaking world, is located in the East of England. It is said that it was established by a group of scholars in the early 13th century who left Oxford (which was established in the 11th century) after two of their number were accused of murdering a local and hung by town authorities. ...
A Short Guide to Notable Historic Barriers (06/08)
Hadrian's Wall was built in AD 122. It measures 80 Roman miles (73.5 miles/117 km). It was the second of three stone and turf fortifications the Romans built across Britain to prevent military raids by the Picts (who inhabited what is now Scotland) but is best known as it is the best preserved. The lesser known walls are
Gask Ridge, built ...
Shah Abbas I and the founding of modern Iran (06/08)
Evidence of settled communities in Iran date back to at least the 5th millennium BC (as evidenced by 7,000 year-old
wine jars that have been excavated in the Zagros Mountains).
Cyrus the Great is credited with establishing the first unified empire during his 21 year reign beginning in 550 BCE. He is also remembered for the
Cyrus Cylinder (...
Jewish Homelands (05/08)
Over the years a number of different plans for a Jewish homeland have been proposed. A 1903 British proposal offered 5,000 square miles of the Mau Plateau (in what is now Kenya) to the Jewish people as a homeland. This offer, presented at the sixth Zionist Congress in Basel, was in response to pogroms against the Jews in Russia. The ...
A Short History of Norway (05/08)
Norway is one of the three kingdoms in the geographical region known as Scandinavia (
map); the others being Denmark and Sweden. Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes described as Scandinavian because of their close geographical and historic connections with Scandinavia, although technically speaking these countries belong ...
The Indian Caste System (05/08)
Without his violent act Balram Halwai, the hero of
The White Tiger, would have had trouble accessing upward social mobility because of the strict caste system in India. Many Westerners believe, because India is officially a democracy and the Indian constitution of 1949 banned it, that the caste system is a thing of the past, but in many ...
Argentina: The Jewish community and the "Dirty War" (04/08)
Jews in Argentina
After being expelled from Spain in 1492, a number of Jews settled in Argentina where they assimilated into the general population, so by the mid 1800s there were few overt Jews in Argentina. When Argentina gained its independence from Spain in 1810, the first president officially abolished the Inquisition and encouraged ...
A Short History of Czechoslovakia (04/08)
The lands now known as The Czech Republic and Slovakia were ruled by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire for about 300 years until the end of World War I and the collapse of the empire. In 1918, a union was proclaimed between the Czech lands and Slovakia to form the Czechoslovakian state, an idea that had been advocated by Czech and Slovak ...
A Short History of Colombia (04/08)
About twice the size of Texas with a population of 44 million, Colombia is
located just south of Panama (
map).
ith a per capita GDP of $8,400, 49% of the population live below the poverty
line. From 1510 the area that is now Colombia was part of the Spanish empire until a nine year uprising led by Simon Bolivar resulted in the...
A Short History of Vietnam Since 1975 (04/08)
Vietnam's history has been one of repeated invasions and resistance (
historic maps). For the millennium up to the early 10th century, Vietnam was controlled by the Chinese, until a final rebellion in 938 led to Vietnam achieving independence. Over the following centuries it repelled a number of Chinese invasion attempts, including three ...
Thailand (03/08)
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand (
map) is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. Thailand allied itself with Japan during WWII but has been an ally of the US since....
A Short History of Libya (02/08)
Libya is located on the Mediterranean coast in the North of Africa to the West of Egypt (
map). Much of the country lies within the Sahara Desert but the coastal areas have a Mediterranean climate with arable land in the plateaus. The earliest known settlers of the area were the Berber people, known as Libyans to the Greeks. Around the 7th...
The Tropics (02/08)
- The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere, at approximately 23°30' (23.5°) N latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23°30' (23.5°) S latitude. This region is also referred to as the ...
A Short History of Northern Ireland (02/08)
English involvement in Ireland began around 1170 when Dermot Mac Murchada, King of Leinster (one of 4 Irish provinces) asked for Henry II's help to return him to the throne from which he'd been ousted (for more about Henry II, read
A Plantagenet Primer). Henry (great-grandson of William the Conqueror of Normandy) invaded but in the ...
Interesting Facts about Wales (01/08)
- Wales, located on the south-west peninsula of Great Britain (the main island of the United Kingdom - map) is one of the four constituent nations of the UK, the others are England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Its population is about 3 million (5% of the UK).
- The Welsh language is a Celtic language, that traces its roots back at least ...
A Short History of Palestine (01/08)
The Canaanites are the earliest known civilization to live in the area of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, living in city-states such as Jericho around 3,000 BCE. Positioned close to Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Asia Minor the area was not only a meeting point for different cultures but also a battleground for various ...
A Short History of Mumbai (Bombay) (01/08)
The port city of Mumbai, on the West coast of India, originally consisted of a series of islands which are now joined together through reclamation. Although the area had been inhabited for many thousands of years and had been an important trading port and a center for Hindu and Buddhist culture, the city as we know it today was founded by...
The Tsengel Tuvans (11/07)
To reach the homeland of the Tsengel Tuvans one has to travel to the furthest western corner of Mongolia, to the High Altai mountains to a province the size of the Netherlands, bordering China. More than 90% of the population of the area are Kazakh Muslims, the remaining 10% are Khalkh, Urinakhai, Khoshuud and Tuvans.
The Tuvans are a ...
The Knowledge (11/07)
It takes a central London cab driver an average of 34 months to gain
The Knowledge required to drive a licensed London taxi. Before they can receive their license they must know every street and the route between every street in a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross station (that's about 113 square miles) - and they need to be able to describe ...
A Brief History of Auschwitz (11/07)
Auschwitz was the name the Germans used for the Polish city of Oswiecim when they occupied it in WWII. The concentration camp was established nearby in June 1940, taking the name of the nearby town. The camp quickly expanded into three main parts: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III-Monowitz - a group of about 40 sub-...
A Short History of Modern China (10/07)
- In 1911 the Qing Dynasty was
overthrown, ending 2000 years of
imperial rule. There were many
revolutionary groups but the most
organized was founded by Dr Sun
Yat-sen.
- In WWI the Chinese government
sided with the Allies. In return
...
A Short History of Biafra and Nigeria (09/07)
Located on the west coast of Africa,
Nigeria (
map)
is the most populous country in Africa
(~122 million in an area about double
that of California). It became a
state in 1960 when it declared its
independence from Britain. In 1966 a
series of coups ...
A Short History of Kenya (09/07)
Kenya is located on the East Coast of Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia (
map). The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was the first European on record to visit the area in 1498. Portuguese rule officially began in 1505, bringing the Portuguese a useful revenue source from tribute payments, ...
A Short History of Sierra Leone (09/07)
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a small country with a population of about
5.3 million on the west coast of Africa (
map) bordered by Guinea and Liberia (For more about Liberia visit
The Darling at BookBrowse and click the 'BookBrowse Says' link). The life expectancy of men is 39 years and women 42 years. The name is an
adaptation ...
A Short History of Ethiopia (09/07)
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (historically known as Abyssinia) is located in east Africa, on the 'Horn of Africa' (
map).
Once an important trade route due to its location on the Red Sea, it has been landlocked since 1993, when the province of Eritrea gained independence. It is the oldest independent country in Africa (and...
A Short History of Iran (09/07)
If your recollection of the recent history of Iran is a little rusty, this brief background should refresh your memory of the events that form the backdrop to Maryam's childhood:
Iran's 4,000 year history is summed up by Dr Saeed in
The Saffron Kitchen. Referring to Iran before and after the 1979 revolution he says, 'We were welcomed ...
Cuba and Guantánamo Bay (07/07)
Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean (780 miles long, 140 miles at its widest point) with a population of about 11 million; and infant mortality, life expectancy and literacy rates on a par with the USA (6.45 deaths per 1,000 live births, 77 years life expectancy, 97% literacy). It suffered a severe economic recession in the 1990s...
A Brief History of the Amish (06/07)
The Amish are direct descendants of the Anabaptists of 16th century Europe who rejected infant baptism and believed in the separation of church and state (which were entirely conjoined at the time). They became known as Mennonites after the Dutch Anabaptist leader Menno Simons (1496-1561). In the late 17th century there was a schism over ...
The Republic of Bolivia (06/07)
The Republic of Bolivia is a mountainous landlocked country that boasts the highest capital city in the world at 4km above sea level. It is bordered by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. It's population of about 9 million people enjoy three official languages - Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. It's per capita GDP ...
A Short History of Iraq (06/07)
map showing Kurdish and Shia areas or Iraq
The Republic of Iraq (about the size of California) spans the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, (between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers), the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and parts of the Syrian Desert. Mesopotamia was home to the world's first known civilization, the Sumerians...
The Ad (06/07)
The Ad are believed to be an ancient Arabian people who became rich through the production of frankincense and as a trading point for spices from India. The Qur'an says that the prophet Hud was sent by Allah to the city of Ubar/Iram (famed for its tall towers) to warn them that the city would be destroyed if they continued to worship ...
The Republic of Rwanda (03/07)
The Republic of Rwandais a landlocked country in East Central Africa bordering on Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa; about 80% of its 8.5 million people are Hutu, most of the remainder are Tutsi, with a few Twa (pygmies). The majority religion is Christianity (75%), and French...
The Siege of Leningrad (03/07)
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the 900-day siege, lasted from
September 1941 until January 1944 (a total of 872 days). In 1942 alone 650,000 died in Leningrad, some from German shelling, but mostly from starvation, exposure and disease. Although some supplies did get through across Lake Ladoga - by barge in the summer and by ...
A Short History of Albania (01/07)
Today, Albania is a country slightly smaller than the USA State of Maryland
with a population of about 3.5 million. It is bordered by Montenegro,
Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and the Adriatic Sea. Albanian is spoken by about 6
million people living in Albania, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia.
It is believed by most that ...
Jews in Poland (12/06)
Jews became a significant part of the Polish population in the 14th century
when they were offered a safe haven by King Casimir the Great after being
expelled en masse from much of Western Europe (including England, Spain, France
and Germany). By the 18th century about 750,000 Jews lived in Poland,
representing about 7% of ...
A Short History of Venice (11/06)
Venice was founded in the River Po estuary by refugees escaping Attila the Hun in the 5th century. The city is built on more than 100 islands forming the archipelago of the Venetian Lagoon. All transport within the city of Venice is either on foot or by water. Around the 8th century Venice became a city state, like Genoa and Pisa; and ...
Darjeeling, and the 1980s conflicts. (10/06)
The area around Darjeeling in North East India (
map) is populated primarily by Gorkhas (also known as Gurkhas) whose ancestors founded the Kingdom of Nepal; they have long wanted an independent state. Massive violence broke out between 1986 and 1988 but was resolved with the establishment of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council within...
The ETA and Basque separatists (09/06)
Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna (ETA) stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom. The group seeks independence for seven regions in northern Spain and South-West France that they claim as their own. The ETA first appeared in the 1960s as a student resistance movement opposed to General Franco's military dictatorship (Franco banned the ...
A modern history of Trieste (08/06)
Today, Trieste is a charming Italian city bordering Slovenia (formerly Yugoslavia) on the Adriatic Sea, home to a wide mix of cultures (
map of Trieste), but in 1954 it was at the center of a Cold War quandary - what to do with this little city-state caught in the power struggle between East and West?
Over the centuries Trieste ...
Tibet (07/06)
With an average elevation of 14-16,000 feet (sources differ), it's the highest nation on earth (by comparison, the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous states is Mt. Whitney at 14,494 feet)
Five of Asia's great rivers including the Indus, Mekong and Brahmaputra have their headwaters in Tibet.
Nearly half the world's population lives ...
Liberia (10/05)
Liberia is a tiny country on the west coast of Africa which was claimed by the USA in the early 19th century for the purposes of repatriating free blacks back to Africa. The 'American Colonization Society' was supported by two very different groups: abolitionists who wanted to free African slaves and their descendants and &#...
Burma (07/05)
Burma - now Myanmar - is located in South East Asia, west of Thailand, and borders Thailand, China, India, Laos and the Indian Ocean. It's total land area is about the size of Texas.
During much of the 19th Century and early 20th century, it was administered as a province of India by the British. In 1948 it attained independence and ...
The Sahara Desert (04/05)
The Sahara Desert is the second largest desert on earth - the largest being Antarctica. It covers more than 3.5 million square miles of North Africa (the entire land area of the USA would fit inside it). The Arabic word for desert is sahara (or zahara depending on the phonetic translation).
Like all parts of our planet, the ...
