![Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and
covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares
a border with England to the south, and is otherwise
surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the
east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. In
addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than
790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent
sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist
until 1707. Scotland subsequently entered into a political union
with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new
Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created a new
Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the
Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. In 1801,
Great Britain itself entered into a political union with the
Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland
Culture
Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both
traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument
is the Great Highland Bagpipe, a wind instrument consisting of three drones
and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a
reservoir of air in a bag. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various
types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new
ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), fiddle and
accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily
featured in Scottish country dance bands. There are many successful
Scottish bands and individual artists in varying styles including Annie
Lennox, Amy Macdonald, Runrig, Boards of Canada, Cocteau Twins,
Deacon Blue, Franz Ferdinand, Susan Boyle, Emeli Sandé, Texas, The
View, The Fratellis, Twin Atlantic and Biffy Clyro. Other Scottish musicians
include Shirley Manson, Paolo Nutini and Calvin Harris.
Literary heritage dating back to the early Middle Ages. The first surviving
major text in Early Scots is the 14th-century poet John Barbour's epic Brus,
focusing on the life of Robert I, and was soon followed by a series of vernacular
romances and prose works.[296] In the 16th century the crown's patronage
helped the development of Scots drama and poetry, but the accession of James
VI to the English throne removed a major centre of literary patronage and Scots
was sidelined as a literary language. Interest in Scots literature was revived in
the 18th century by figures including James Macpherson the first Scottish poet
to gain an international reputation and was a major influence on the European
Enlightenment. It was also a major influence on Robert Burns, whom many
consider the national poet, and Walter Scott, whose Waverley Novels did much
to define Scottish identity in the 19th century. Towards the end of the Victorian
era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations as
writers in English, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J. M.
Barrie and George MacDonald. 9](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/realworldassignment-170824131811/85/Realworld-assignment-9-320.jpg)
Realworld assignment
- 1. Collegue: ISFD 41º Subject: Language and Culture I Students: Carol Peñalva, Rebeca Rianelli, Camila Romero, Catalina Quintana Group: 1º 1º, 2017 1
- 2. CONTENTS 2 1. Great Britain 3-4 2. England 5-6 3. Wales 7-8 4. Scotland 9-10 5. Ireland 11-12 6. The United States of America 13-14 7. Canada 15-16 8. West Indies 17-18 9. Australia 19-20 10.New Zealand 21-22 11.Asia 23-24 12.Africa 25-26
- 3. Great Britain The UK and Great Britain – What’s the Difference? It is a question we often get asked; The UK, Britain, Great Britain, The British Isles, England… what’s the difference? The UK is short for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a sovereign state, and is made up of four countries; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a political name and everyone from UK can call themselves British, but generally people from Scotland call themselves Scottish. People from wales call themself welsh and people from Northern Ireland call themselves British or Irish. Great Britain is not a country; it is a landmass. It is known as ‘Great’ because it is the largest island in the British Isles, and houses the countries of England, Scotland and Wales within its shores. The British Isles is the name of a group of islands situated off the north western corner of mainland Europe. It is made up of Great Britain, Ireland, The Isle of Man, The Isles of Scilly, The Channel Islands (including Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney), as well as over 6,000 other smaller islands. Country Capital People Language Flag Religion Great Britain London The British English It is diverse, complex and multicultural England London The English English Anglican, Roman Catholic, Jews and Muslims Scotland Edinburgh The Scots Scottish/English Presbyterian Wales Cardiff The Welsh Welsh/English Cristianity, Buddhists, hindus NorthernIreland Belfast The Irish Irish/English Protestan, anglican and Roman catholic UK Interesting Fact: Major Oak is a centennial oak. Its age is established between 900 and 1000 years, and is considered the largest tree in Britain. It is located in the Sherwood Forest, near the town of Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire. According to local legends, this tree served as a refuge for Robin Hood and his crew; with an arboreal canopy of 28 meters and an approximate weight of 23 tons. 3
- 4. Costume and traditions in Britain The British are well known for their unconditional love for 5 o'clock tea, the so-called Five O'clock Tea. They are also famous for being the creators of football and for their fanaticism for cricket, one of the English sports par excellence. Rugby is another of his passions. Other traditions and customs of the United Kingdom have to do with their typical meals. The main course is fish and chips and also stand out beef, lamb, chicken and vegetables. At lunch time is very common to have a quick sandwich. For breakfast the famous dish with eggs, bacon, tomato, sausage and baked beans ; fill them with energy just after the start of the day. If we talk about drinks, clearly, the tea takes first place, then coffee, bitter beer, whiskey and wine. British gather with friends for a drink in public houses, better known as pubs. They are a symbol of social life in the UK, where people eat, drink, talk and relax. The music has been home to great artists like The Beatles, Queen, Oasis, Elton John, U2, Radiohead and the list goes on. His musicians have always had great influence abroad. Law and Order The British Parliament consists of two houses, The House of Commons and The House of Lords. It is known that The House of Commons is the most important because decides all new laws and reforms and The House of Lords must approve these laws or reforms before they can become legal. The House of Commons is made up of MPs, Members of the Parliament, who are openly elected every five years. There are 659 MPs and each one represents a different constituency. Voting system; there are two main type of voting in the UK. The First Past the Post (FPTP) system and Proportional Representation (PR) system. Some UK political Parties list: Conservatives Liberal Democrats Labour UK Independence Party SNP UK government structure •Central government- The Monarch - House of Lords - House of commons •Devolved Parliament – The Scottish parliament – The Northern Ireland Assembly – The welsh Assembly. •Regional government – Local Authorities. 4
- 5. Location England is a predominant constituent unit of The United Kingdom, occupying more than half the island of Great Britain. It is bounded on the North by Scotland, on the west by the Irish Sea, Wales and the Atlantic Ocean on the South by the English Channel and on the east by the North Sea. England is a large country and it is the most densely populated. Most people live in the prosperous and fertile south east of the country. The most inhabited cities is London but there are other important cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol. England Ethnic group and Languages The English language is multilingual, drawn from a variety of sources, and its vocabulary has been increased by importations from throughout the world. The main ethnic stem of English the Anglo-Saxons who invaded and colonized England in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the millennia following the last glacial period, the British Isles were inhabited by migrant tribes from the continent of Europe and later by traders from the Mediterranean area. During the Roman occupation England was inhabited by Celtic speaking Britons but Britons yielded to the invading Angles, Saxons and Jutes, from present northwestern Germany, except in the mountainous areas of western and northern Great Britain. The Anglo-Saxons preserved and absorbed little of the Roman-British culture they found in the 5th century. There are few traces of Celtic or Roman Latin in the early English of the Anglo-Saxons, though some words survive in place-names. Modern English share many similar words with Latin that come from romance language like French and Spanish. Old English is the language of Beowulf. It belong to Germany language family. 5
- 6. Food and drink before and now Meats at the heart of the main meal, which usually was eaten at midday. Along with this main course, there might be a dish such as a meat casserole, and fish also was consumed. Heavy sauces, gravies, soups and stews or puddings (savory and sweet), and pasties and pies also were eaten. Vegetables included potatoes and carrots, turnips and cabbage, and salad vegetables. Fruit was also part of the diet, though in small proportions. Lighter meals included variations of the sandwich. Breakfast foods ranged from hot cereals to tea, toast, and marmalade, to steak, eggs, and kidneys. These foods were not available to most people before World War II. The rural poor, for example, ate a diet based on cheese and bread, with bacon eaten a few times a week, supplemented by fresh milk if available, cabbage, and vegetables if a garden was kept. All the classes drank tea; beer was drunk by the working classes and other alcoholic beverages were drunk by the middle and upper classes.The main meal is now eaten in the evening and is likely to consist of frozen or ready-made food. In addition to eating out in pubs, inns, and restaurants, people consume fast food. There has been a dramatic increase in the variety of foreign cuisine, ranging from Chinese and Indian to French and Italian. Interesting facts •England was the first industrialized nation after the industrial revolution that began around 1760. •Famous English scientists include Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Isaac Newtonand Stephen Hawking among many others. •The longest river found entirely in England is the River Thames, it flows through London and is slightly shorter than the River Severn at around 346 kilometres (215 miles) in length. •The largest lake in England is named Windermere. •The highest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, which stands at around 978 metres (3,209 ft.) in height. •England has a large economy and uses the pound sterling as its currency. •English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee is credited with inventing the World Wide Web. •There have been a number of influential English authors but perhaps the most well- known is William Shakespeare, who wrote classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. •William Shakespeare was Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England •Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in England but others such as cricket and rugby have large followings. •The Summer Olympic Games have been held in London 3 times, in 1908, 1948 and 2012. 6
- 7. Wales Location Wales is one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom which is very small and it is the only country not to be represented in the union jack. And it is because wales and England were united under one king when the flag was created. Wales is located in a wide peninsula in the western portion of the island of Great Britain and Cardiff is its capital. The island of Anglesey is also considered a part of Wales and is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait. Wales is surrounded by water on three sides: to the north, the Irish Sea; to the south, the Bristol Channel; and to the west, Saint George's Channel and Cardigan Bay. The English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucestershire border Wales on the east. Identity and language It is known the Wales have a strong sense of national identity, it is a country with two languages; Welsh and English. Welsh is spoken by around 20% of the population. Although the North West has the highest ratio of Welsh to English speakers, a greater number of Welsh speakers live in the more populous south. Most areas are far from completely Anglicized, and the language is strong across Wales. There are several dialects of Welsh, most audibly north and south. The road signs are bilingual, giving both the Welsh and English versions of the text and place names. The Welsh language (Cymru) continues to flourish within Wales thanks to Welsh-medium education, a lively media industry and the enthusiasm of people living in Wales. The rights of the language have also been helped by bilingual and language policies made law by the Government. Literature Literature and poetry occupy an important position in Wales for historical and linguistic reasons. Welsh culture was based on an oral tradition of legends, myths, and folktales passed down from generation to generation. The most famous early bardic poets, Taliesin and Aneirin, wrote epic poems about Welsh events and legends around the seventh century. Increasing literacy in the eighteenth century and the concern of Welsh intellectuals for the preservation of the language and culture gave birth to modern written Welsh literature. As industrialization and Anglicization began to threaten traditional Welsh culture, efforts were made to promote the language, preserve Welsh poetry, and encourage Welsh writers. Dylan Thomas, however, the best known twentieth century Welsh poet, wrote in English. Literary festivals and competitions help keep this tradition alive, as does the continued promotion of Welsh, the Celtic language with the largest number of speakers today. Nevertheless, the influence of other cultures combined with the ease of communication through mass media, from both inside the United Kingdom and from other parts of the world, continually undermine efforts to preserve a purely Welsh form of literature. 7
- 8. History Wales is steeped in history, it wasn't always a part of Great Britain and has very strong Celtic roots. Between the 9th and 11th centuries it was divided into small states, but in the 13th century Llywelynap Iorwerth united the country and his son was crowned the first Prince of Wales, this state ended very quickly in 1282, when Edward I of England conquered Wales and gave the title of Prince of Wales to his son, Edward. Ever since the eldest son of the King or Queen of England has been given this title, the current Prince of Wales is of course Prince Charles. All over Wales there are magnificent stone castles and ruins from this time. Built by the English to control the Welsh, the best known are at Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech. Today Wales has an assembly and runs many of its own affairs. who led the cavalry charge against the English. The symbol of Wales, which also appears on the flag, is a red dragon. Supposedly brought to the colony of Britain by the Romans, the dragon was a popular symbol in the ancient world and was used by the Romans and the Saxons. It became the national symbol of Wales when Henry VII, who became king in 1485 and had used it as his battle flag during the battle of Bosworth Field, decreed that the red dragon should become the official flag of Wales. The leek and the daffodil are also important Welsh symbols. One legend connects the leek to Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, who defeated the pagan Saxons in a victorious battle that supposedly occurred in a field of leeks. It is more likely that leeks were adopted as a national symbol because of their importance to the Welsh diet, particularly during Lent when meat was not allowed. Another, less famous Welsh symbol consists of three ostrich plumes and the motto "IchDien" (translation: "I serve") from the Battle of Crecy, France, in 1346. It was probably borrowed from the motto of the King of Bohemia, who led the cavalry charge against the English. Interesting fact Wales has a total of 641 castles. It is a historical feat, taking into account that the expansion of this nation is not very large. Some of them have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, such as the north-western castles: Caernarfon, Baumaris, Conwy and Harlech. In addition, Wales would have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world. 8
- 9. Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. In addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707. Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created a new Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. In 1801, Great Britain itself entered into a political union with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Culture Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is the Great Highland Bagpipe, a wind instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), fiddle and accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily featured in Scottish country dance bands. There are many successful Scottish bands and individual artists in varying styles including Annie Lennox, Amy Macdonald, Runrig, Boards of Canada, Cocteau Twins, Deacon Blue, Franz Ferdinand, Susan Boyle, Emeli Sandé, Texas, The View, The Fratellis, Twin Atlantic and Biffy Clyro. Other Scottish musicians include Shirley Manson, Paolo Nutini and Calvin Harris. Literary heritage dating back to the early Middle Ages. The first surviving major text in Early Scots is the 14th-century poet John Barbour's epic Brus, focusing on the life of Robert I, and was soon followed by a series of vernacular romances and prose works.[296] In the 16th century the crown's patronage helped the development of Scots drama and poetry, but the accession of James VI to the English throne removed a major centre of literary patronage and Scots was sidelined as a literary language. Interest in Scots literature was revived in the 18th century by figures including James Macpherson the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation and was a major influence on the European Enlightenment. It was also a major influence on Robert Burns, whom many consider the national poet, and Walter Scott, whose Waverley Novels did much to define Scottish identity in the 19th century. Towards the end of the Victorian era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations as writers in English, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J. M. Barrie and George MacDonald. 9
- 10. Sports Scotland hosts its own national sporting competitions and has independent representation at several international sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby Union World Cup, the Rugby League World Cup, the Cricket World Cup, the Netball World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Scotland has its own national governing bodies, such as the Scottish Football Association (the second oldest national football association in the world) and the Scottish Rugby Union. Variations of football have been played in Scotland for centuries, with the earliest reference dating back to 1424. Association football is the most popular sport and the Scottish Cup is the world's oldest national trophy. Most popular food Haggis traditionally consists of sheep’s liver, heart and lung minced with suet (fat), onion, oats and spices and encased in sausage casing (sheep stomach originally) for cooking. Stovies Simple in its execution, potatoes, beef, onions, butter/fat and stock confined to one pan. stovies should be served with oatcakes and beetroot. Full Scottish Breakfast: consists of Bacon, egg, sausage, beans, black pudding, tattie scone, tomato, mushrooms and toast, all washed down with a pot of tea or coffee and orange juice. Cullen Skink consists of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions and is a local speciality of the town of Cullen in the North- East, however, you will find it on many Scottish menus nationwide. Pudding Made primarily of blood, varied meat and oatmeal, black pudding is common in Scotland with Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis being particularly famous for having fantastic and good quality pudding. Cranachan It´s made with Cream; honey; whisky-soaked oats and raspberries. Rowies Consisting primarily of flour, salt, lard, oil/butter and usually spread with jam. Interesting fact: Foreign cuisine is just as much a part of Scotland’s identity. With a multi-cultural country comes multi-cultural food; from Polish to Turkish, Scotland boasts a healthy and diverse café/restaurant scene. Scotland contested the first ever international football game in 1872 against England. The match took place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club. With the modern game of golf originating in 15th century Scotland, the country is promoted as the home of golf. To many golfers the Old Course in the Fife town of St. Andrews, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered a site of pilgrimage. The Open Championship, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland, with Scottish golfers winning the earliest majors. There are many other famous golf courses in Scotland, including Carnoustie, Gleneagles, Muirfield, and Royal Troon. Other distinctive features of the national sporting culture include the Highland games, curling and shinty. In boxing, Scotland has had 13 world champions, including Ken Buchanan, Benny Lynch and Jim Watt. Haggis Scottish Breakfast Pudding 10
- 11. Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, in the northeast of the island. In 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. The island was Christianized from the 5th century onward. Following the Norman invasion in the 12th century, England claimed sovereignty over Ireland. However, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th century Tudor conquest, which led to colonization by settlers from Britain. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, and was extended during the 18th century. With the Acts of Union in 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. A war of independence in the early 20th century was followed by the partition of the island, creating the Irish Free State, which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades, and Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the United Kingdom. In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the European Economic Community while the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland, as part of it, did the same. Ireland Cultural roots Ireland's culture comprises elements of the culture of ancient peoples, later immigrant and broadcast cultural influences (chiefly Gaelic culture, Anglicization, Americanization and aspects of broader European culture). Ireland is regarded as one of the Celtic nations of Europe, alongside Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany. This combination of cultural influences is visible in the intricate designs termed Irish interlace or Celtic knotwork. These can be seen in the ornamentation of medieval religious and secular works. The style is still popular today in jewellery and graphic art, as is the distinctive style of traditional Irish music and dance, and has become indicative of modern "Celtic" culture in general. Literature Ireland has made a large contribution in all its branches, particularly in the English language. Poetry in Irish is among the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. In English, Jonathan Swift, still often called the foremost satirist in the English language, was very popular in his day for works such as Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal, and Oscar Wilde is known most for his often quoted witticisms. In the 20th century, Ireland produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. 11
- 12. Music Music has been in evidence in Ireland since prehistoric times. Irish traditional music and dance has seen a surge in popularity and global coverage since the 1960s. In the middle years of the 20th century, as Irish society was modernizing, traditional music had fallen out of favour, especially in urban areas. However during the 1960s, there was a revival of interest in Irish traditional music led by groups such as The Dubliners, The Chieftains, The Wolfe Tones, the Clancy Brothers, Sweeney's Men and individuals like Seán Ó Riada and Christy Moore. Groups and musicians including Horslips, Van Morrison and Thin Lizzy incorporated elements of Irish traditional music into contemporary rock music and, during the 1970s and 1980s, The most popular Irish musicians are Enya, The Saw Doctors, The Corrs, Sinéad O'Connor, Clannad, The Cranberries and The Pogues among others. Most popular Irish food Soda bread The basic ingredients are “bread soda” (bicarbonate of soda) and buttermilk form the raising agent, which is mixed in with flour. and spread liberally with butter. Shellfish Shellfish abound in Irish cuisine, from clams in Connemara, to Molly Malone’s famed cockles and mussels, and Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines). Colcannon and champ Colcannon is a classic mash of potatoes, cabbage or kale and butter or cream, flavored with scallions (spring onions), and champ is a similar, mashed potato, flavoured with scallions, milk and butter. Boxty Grated raw potato to be mixed with mashed potato and then either; mixed with flour and salt and boiled before being sliced and fried in butter (boxty dumplings), added to a pancake-like batter before being fried (boxty on the pan), or the batter mix baked in a loaf tin and then sliced and fried (boxty in the oven). Boiled bacon and cabbage Traditionally, salted pork – a cut from the shoulder or back of the pig – would have been soaked overnight depending on how much desalting was needed, before being boiled, with the cabbage added to the cooking pot in the last ten minutes. A silky, parsley sauce is the classic accompaniment. Irish salmon and smoked salmon Salmon poached and served with a white sauce, potatoes and spring greens. Black and white pudding pork meat, fat and blood mixed with barley, suet and oatmeal in an intensely flavored sausage. White pudding (minus the blood) Coddled pork The leftovers at the end of the week would be slowly stewed in the oven for hours, with slices of pork sausage packed in with bacon rashers or leftover boiled bacon and sliced potatoes and onions. Interesting fact Irish and Scottish dishes share some ingredients and even recipes for their typical menus, the black and with pudding are a perfect example of the similarities on their food. Irish stew Irish stew is more likely made with lamb, herbs (thyme, parsley, bay leaves) and stock added for depth of flavour. Typical Irish Breakfast 12
- 13. United States of America The United States of America commonly known as the United States (U.S.) or America (It´s the northern part of America, the other parts are South America and Central America), is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self- governing territories, and various possessions. Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico (the other countries in North America). The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 mega diverse countries. Who discovered the U.S? Older textbooks start with the arrival of Christopher Columbus an Italian Explorer on October 12, 1492 and emphasize the European background of the colonization of the Americas. In recent decades American schools and universities typically have shifted back in time to include more on the colonial period and much more on the prehistory of the Native Americans. That's because Indigenous people lived in what is now the United States for thousands of years before European colonists began to arrive, mostly from England, after 1600. The Spanish built small settlements in Florida and the Southwest, and the French along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. By the 1770s, thirteen British colonies contained two and a half million people along the Atlantic coast east of the Appalachian Mountains. After the end of the French and Indian Wars in the 1760s, the British government imposed a series of new taxes, rejecting the colonists' argument that any new taxes had to be approved by them (see Stamp Act 1765). Tax resistance, especially the Boston Tea Party (1773), led to punitive laws (the Intolerable Acts) by Parliament designed to end self-government in Massachusetts. American Patriots (as they called themselves) adhered to a political ideology called republicanism that emphasized civic duty, virtue, and opposition to corruption, fancy luxuries and aristocracy. The thirteen colonies declared war against the British and one year later Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, In 1783 the States won the war and became the United states of America with their first president George Washington. Fauna of The U.S The fauna of the United States of America is all the animals living in the Continental United States and its surrounding seas and islands, the Hawaiian Archipelago, Alaska in the Arctic, and several island-territories in the Pacific and in the Caribbean. The U.S. has very rare indigenous species found nowhere else on Earth. With most of the North American continent, the U.S. lies in the Nearctic faunistic realm, a region containing an assemblage of species similar to northern parts of Africa and Eurasia. An estimated 432 species of mammals characterize the fauna of the continental U.S. There are more than 800 species of birds and more than 100,000 known species of insects. There are 311 known reptiles, 295 amphibians and 1154 known fish species in the U.S. Known animals that exist in all of the lower 48 states include white-tailed deer, bobcat, raccoon, muskrat, striped skunk, barn owl, American mink, American beaver, North American river otter and red fox. The red-tailed hawk is one of the most widely distributed hawks not only in the U.S., but in the Americas. 13
- 14. American art and literary tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, unique American characteristics made the American literature a separated path from the traditional English literature. America's first internationally popular writers were James Fennimore Cooper and Washington Irving in the early nineteenth century. They painted an American literary landscape full of humor and adventure. These were followed by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, who established a distinctive American literary voice in the middle of the nineteenth century. Mark Twain, Henry James, and poet Walt Whitman were major figures in the century's second half; Emily Dickinson, would be recognized as America's other essential poet. Eleven U.S. citizens have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, including John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Eugene O'Neill, Pearl S. Buck, T. S. Eliot and Sinclair Lewis. Ernest Hemingway, the 1954 Nobel laureate, is often named as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Culture, Icons and trademarks of the American population Hollywood has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. The dominant style of American cinema is Classical Hollywood Cinema, which developed from 1917-1960 and characterizes most films to this day. It is American cinema that soon became the most dominant force in an emerging industry. Since the 1920s, the American film industry has grossed more money every year than that of any other country. Since the early 20th century, the U.S. film industry has largely been based in and around Hollywood, Los Angeles, California The major film studios of Hollywood are the primary source of the most commercially successful movies in the world, such as The Birth of a Nation (1915), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Sound of Music (1965), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), The Avengers (2012), Frozen (2013), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Today, American film studios collectively generate several hundred movies every year, making the United States one of the most prolific producers of films in the world. List of Iconic Foods That America Is Most Famous For •Cheeseburger: The concept of the hamburger originated sometime in the late 19th century, according to the L.A. Times. As the dish began to increase in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. •Fried chicken: certainly not unique to the United States, but Americans have adopted the crispy, greasy dish as one of their own. •Apple pie: crossed the Atlantic with the pilgrims and made itself at home in the U.S. •Peanut butter and jelly sandwich: are very common among Americans “the average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school.” •Buffalo wings: The National Chicken Council attests to the dish’s popularity, estimating that over 13.5 billion chicken wings would be sold over the course of the year 2012. •Corn dogs: Hot dogs go hand-in-hand with barbecues and baseball. The National Hot Dog and Sausage council estimates that Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs annually. As for the corn dog spin on things — well, it’s a generally acknowledged fact that everything is better on a stick. •S’mores: are a simply and traditional American campfire treat. According to Slate, “The first known s’mores recipe appeared in 1927 in the Girl Scouts handbook Tramping and Trailing With the Girl Scouts.” •BBQ ribs: Barbecue seems to have originated with Spanish settlers in the United States, and that, “By the 19th century, the culinary technique was well established in the American South because pigs were prevalent in the region, pork became the primary meat at barbecues.” 14
- 15. Canada Canada is a country in the northern part of North America and the second largest country in the world. In addition, from North to South, it covers the greater part of the northern hemisphere, and from east to west, its vast land extends almost 4.700 miles, crossing six time zones. Despite its substantial size, Canada has only one-half of one percent of the world´s population, but is considered a nation of great ethnic and cultural diversity. Canada is also home to many rivers and lakes, which contain about 20 percent of all fresh water on Earth, along with a varied landscape, including high mountains, prairie grasslands, different types of forests, and arctic tundra. Its native wildlife is highly protected, and they also count with 41 national parks and three marine conservation areas. Indigenous people In Canada, the term Indigenous people (or Aboriginal people) refer to First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Indigenous people are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada. In 2011, there were more than 1.8 million Indigenous people living in communities throughout the country The term 'First Nations people' include Status and non- Status Indians. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, more than 1.4 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person – that equals 4% of the Canadian population. Of this number, 50% percent are registered Indians and 15% identify as non-Status Indians. There are more than 630 First Nation communities in Canada, which represent more than 50 Nations and 50 Indigenous languages. Inuit are the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic. The word Inuit means "the people" in the Inuit language of Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk. Métis are one of three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada, along with the Indians (or First Nations) and Inuit. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 418,380 Canadians self-identified as Métis. Contemporary Inuk man building an igloo Canada has a wide range of popular sports, which mainly include sports such as basketball, baseball, curling, lacrosse, football and ice hockey. Other sports that enjoy some degree of mainstream popularity in modern Canada include golf, volleyball, tennis, rugby, boxing, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, mountain climbing, cycling and bowling. However, its official sports are Ice hockey and Lacrosse Canadian Sports Created in the early 19th century but popularized and structured as a professional sport in the 1910s, hockey has held an outsized role in Canadian culture ever since. Playing organized hockey as a young kid is a transitional experience in many Canadian communities, though rising costs of equipment, travel and league fees — not to mention time investment for early morning training sessions and back-and-forth rink commutes — have progressively made it a for the most part upper- working class interest. Far more Canadians interact with the game solely at a professional level, as fans and attendees of games organized by the National Hockey League (NHL). Since 1893, the NHL's most desired prize has been the Stanley Cup, a once-a-year trophy awarded after a lengthy league-wide tournament. Ice Hockey Interesting fact Canada holds the record for the most gold medals ever won at the Winter Olympics, taking 14 Golds at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. 15
- 16. Typical dishes Poutine Poutine is perhaps one of the country’s most outlandish and defining dishes. A real poutine uses peppery meat-based gravy and “squeaky” curds on fries. Canadian Bacon Unlike traditional bacon, which comes from the pig’s belly, Canadian bacon is lean pork loin that’s been brined and rolled in cornmeal. Caesar Invented in 1969 by Calgary restaurant manager Walter Chell, this cocktail took off to become enormously popular from there. Its key ingredients are clamato juice, vodka, Worchester and a salted rim. Beavertails Can be described as a flattened donut without a hole, a whole-wheat pastry, fried and covered in an assortment of goodies. It can come topped with sugar, Nutella and a variety of other sweets. The Indians originally made these, but they were called pigs' ears. Butter Tarts Consisting of a delicate, crumbly crust and a creamy centre made of a butter, sugar and egg mixture, there’s constant debate over whether raisins should be added to the mix. Tourtière The Tourtiere is a pie typically filled with ground pork, beef, veal or game and a sprinkling of herbs and spices, though in some coastal towns, ground fish is used. Interesting fact: A bear cub named Winnipeg was exported from Canada to the London Zoo in 1915. A little boy named Christopher Robin Milne loved to visit Winnipeg, or Winnie for short. His love for the bear cub inspired the stories written by his father, A.A. Milne, about Winnie-the-Pooh. It originally was an aboriginal game, played in order to keep Indian warriors in fighting shape. This sport was named by French settlers who entitled it “La Crosse” in relation to its vaguely crucifix-shaped playing sticks. The first professional lacrosse association was founded in 1867, and its heritage continues today with the National Lacrosse League (NLL) which stars nine master groups, four of which are Canadian. The game is also remarkable at the college level, where the most distinguished colleges in the area have their own league, the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA). While undoubtedly rich in history, lacrosse has since a long time ago attempted to accomplish the kind of standard acclaim and fortune of other professional sports in Canada. Its fans are best portrayed as a proud but small subculture, and NLL playoffs once in a while catch the general population's (or media's) attention the way NHL, CFL or NFL games do. Lacrosse 16
- 17. The West Indies is an archipelago that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Three major divisions constitute the West Indies: the Greater Antilles , comprising the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic ) and Puerto Rico; the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique , Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and Grenada; and the isolated island groups of the North American continental shelf—The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands—and those of the South American shelf, including Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. (Bermuda, although physiographically not a part of the West Indies, has common historical and cultural ties with the other islands and is often included in definitions of the region. The West Indies Origins The first inhabitants in the islands were Indians, and then, in 1492, the explorer Christopher Columbus became the first European to arrive at the islands. Some historians believe that he first stepped foot in the Bahamas. Columbus called these islands the Indies because he thought he had finally reached Asia (and the East Indies). Spain, when Columbus' mistake was discovered, renamed them the West Indies, to distinguish them from the Spice Islands in the Pacific Ocean, (the East Indies) which we now call Indonesia. Culture The countries of the West Indies share an extensive common culture as a result of their similar experiences as plantation colonies, despite the fact that they have differences in ancestry and language. A blend of African, American Indian, European, and, in some cases, Asian influences, can be seen in the culture of the Caribbean people. The islands also take pride in their lively cultural scenes, with parties, dances, and festivals, which tend to be notably annual carnival celebrations. Besides, Reggae music, which is now world-renowned, originated in Jamaica. Modern Caribbean literature owes much to philosophers and writers of the West Indies, including those who emigrated elsewhere; some notable names include Aimé Césaire (Martinique), V.S. Naipaul(Trinidad), Jean Price-Mars and Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), and C.L.R. James and Derek Walcott, who spoke to themes important to African descendants in the West Indies. Typical food Food in the Caribbean is based on mostly African, Spanish, Chinese, and East Indian, but generally are crossovers of the cuisines from the rest of the world. Spices, peppers and many different sorts of herbs (seasonings) are intensely used to prepare most meals. Popular dishes here are jerk chicken (Jamaica), fried flying fish (Barbados), general seafood which is prepared in many different ways, and stewed peas and beans, like pigeon peas. Roti, which is East Indian based, contains curries and spices Callaloo soup, which is made of dasheen leaves, okra and sometimes crabs, is eaten with rice sometimes, and is most prevalent in Trinidad and Tobago. Okra Jerk Chicken 17
- 18. Economy The traditional basis of the west indies´ economy is agriculture. However, it has been declining its production and employment, as most countries are not self-sufficient in relation to food production. Sugar, spices, citrus, bananas and cocoa are the main exports and the most important source of foreign exchange for some countries. Manufacturing in the West Indies represents a minor sector of the total economic activity. On the other hand, it has been developed serious mineral industries by countries such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, whose main mineral exports are petroleum from Trinidad and bauxite from Jamaica. Another major industry on most islands is tourism, which has become a considerable source of income, but tends to decline during times of economic recession. While trying to conquer issues of small size and dependence on a few export items, economic unions have been formed by the Caribbean countries, including the Central American Common Market, which established a regional free-trade zone; The Caribbean Community and Common Market, which promotes cooperation between English speaking countries; and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, whose individuals receive preferential tariffs from the European Union. Population People in the West Indies are ethnically diverse and mostly derived from an early plantation society based on slave labor. Most of the population emerges from African slaves or from British, French, Spanish, or Dutch colonists. Creole is the local language spoken in the West Indies, but as it evolved from different variants of European languages, there are many branches. The French and English creoles are a mix of these dialects with African and West Indian languages. By contrast, the significant Spanish-language communities—Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic—talk neat Spanish. Papiamentu, a Spanish-Dutch Portuguese-English Creole, is widely spoken on Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. South Asians constitute a substantial minority in the region, especially in Trinidad and Tobago, where they make up almost four-tenths of the population. Chinese constitute a smaller minority, and people of European (principally Spanish) descent represent for some seven- tenths of the inhabitants of Puerto Rico. Regarding religion, Roman Catholicism is the prevalent doctrine in the Spanish- and French-speaking islands, while Protestantism is the standard in the English-speaking and Dutch territories. Flora and fauna A large number of plant species in the Caribbean are indigenous to the region. At high elevations in the Greater Antilles, species more typical of midlatitude and subarctic flora are found. Land fauna is a devastated adaptation of the fauna found on the nearby South American territory. There are numerous rodents, including the rabbit like agouti, and various types of bats and reptiles. Feathered creature species include a few parrots, hummingbirds, ibis, and flamingos. The coastal seas are rich in marine life, including turtles, shellfish, caiman, dolphin, red snapper, bonito, and flying fish. Marine life is to a great extent unexploited for sustenance. Interesting fact: The name Caribbean comes for the name of the Carib people, indigenous natives of the Americas, whom colonists believe were cannibals. The Europeans referred to them as “cannibalistic Caribs,” which reflected the xenophobic attitude towards the original inhabitants of the region. 18
- 19. Australia is the sixth biggest country in the world and the smallest continent. It borders the Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean. Australia consists of mainly Australia, the island of Tasmania and several small islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is often called Down Under because the whole continent lies south of the equator. All the world’s climates are found on the continent—from the tropical rainforest in the north to the cool and temperate climates in the south and southeast. . Regarding The government system, it is a federal parliamentary democracy and a commonwealth realm. The chief of state is the queen and the head of government is the prime minister. Australia was once a British colony and after its discovery in 1788 people from Great Britain settled there. In the past decades people from all over the world have come to Australia. Today it is a multicultural society. Australia Early History and Colonization The groups comprising the aborigines are thought to have migrated from Southeast Asia. Skeletal remains indicate that aborigines arrived in Australia 50,000 years ago, and some evidence suggests that they were active there about 100,000 years ago. They travelled from Asia across land bridges that were exposed when sea levels were lower. A Dutch explorer, Willem Janszoon, landed in Australia in 1606, and named the land “New Holland. In 1788 the first British settlement was made and by 1829 the whole continent was a British dependency. Most of the settlers were criminals, undesirables from the British Isles, sent to live in Australia as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people. But soon, fighting broke out over who owned the land. Later, in 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches brought thousands of new immigrants, and by 1859, six separate colonies existed. Finally, in 1901, these colonies joined to form a British commonwealth. •The australian flag is dark blue with the British Union Jack in the upper left corner, the seven– pointed white Commonwealth star below the Union Jack, and to the right five white stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. •The national animal emblem is the kangaroo • The floral emblem is the golden wattle tree •Until 1984 the national anthem was the British "God Save the Queen," but it was changed to "Advance Australia Fair" as part of a movement toward asserting greater separation from the legacy of the colonial power. Interesting fact: Before the arrival of humans, Australia was home to megafauna: three meter tall kangaroos, seven meter long goannas, horse-sized ducks, and a marsupial lion the size of a leopard. 19
- 20. Traditional food In Australia, when Europeans from other countries started to come, they brought their eating habits with them. Today, you can find Italian, Greek and other restaurants all over the county. The most popular alcoholic drink is Beer, but many Australians also like to drink wine which is produced in the southern and south eastern part of the continent. Older people still drink lots of tea, like in Great Britain, but younger ones drink more and more coffee. Australian chefs are known worldwide for their "fusion cuisine," a blending of European cooking traditions with Asian flavors and products. However, some dishes are a national emblem, such as: Vegemite (a yeast extract spread) Milo (a powdered base for chocolate milk drinks) Anzac biscuits (oat biscuits sent to soldiers in World War I) Damper (a wheat flour-based loaf traditionally cooked in the ashes of a fire by settlers). On the other hand, Australians are among the world leaders in fast-food consumption. Burger and chicken chain stores, such as Mc Donald´s, are prominent in the suburbs, having displaced the traditional meat pies and fish and chips. Before World War II Australians drank about twenty times more beer than wine; beer consumption remains high, but wine drinking has increased at a much greater rate, and the country has become a significant exporter of wine. While Australians were long known as tea drinkers, coffee and wine have become increasingly popular. Interesting fact: 63% of Australians are overweight Trade In order of economic significance, Australia's current major trading partners include the United States, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand. Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of wool, meat, and wheat and a major supplier of sugar, dairy products, fruits, cotton, and rice. Major imports include passenger motor vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and crude petroleum oils 20
- 21. New Zealand Let’s talk about a country, home of Maori tribes, with essentially a western culture influenced by the environment and geographic isolation of the islands, and the cultural input of the indigenous Maori and the various waves of multi-ethnic migration which followed the British colonisation of New Zealand. These days after difficult moments of wars with indigenous Maori, people could find peace, and the” treaty of Waitangi”(signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs intended to enable the tribes to live peacefully) became part of the school curriculum in the late 20th century, to promote understanding between Maori and pakeha. The Kiwi has become the New Zealand icon. European New Zealand (pakeha), despite its location far from Europe, retained strong cultural ties to “Mother England". These ties were weakened by the demise of the British Empire and loss of special access to British meal and dairy markets. Pakeha culture began to forge a separate identity influenced by their ploncering history, a rural lifestyle and unique environment. Some of the traditional food that we can find in New Zealand are: •Sea food, with more than 14,000 kilometres of coastline, is home to some amazing sea food. Fresh diverse and delicious, Kiwis love their food, while you're in New Zealand, seek out a couple of the following quintessential kiwi foods. •Roast Lamb Succulent and tender , roast lamb is a kiwi favourite, is held in high esteem throughout the world and is one of the country's top export meals. •Mahori hangi One of the best places to enjoy this cultural feast is Rotorua, in the Central North Island-book for a Maori cultural experience. And we can’t forget dessert Kiwis are passionate about good ice cream- honey pokey (creamy vanilla ice cream with piece of honey comb), and also love their pavlova. A merengue type dessert that's topped with cream and fresh fruit. Traditional Food Roast lamb Pavlova Maori Sweets Interesting facts •Blue Lake, in Nelson Lakes National Park, has the clearest water in the world. •New Zealand is home to the world's smallest dolphin species. 21
- 22. Talking about tourism here are some important places to visit if you're in New Zealand: This is the top ten best places to go : • Bay of Island • Milford sound • Auckland • Waiheke Island • Christchurch • White Island • Queenstown • Te whakarewarewa geothermal valley • Waitomo glowworm caves • Franz josef Glacier (with the glacier hot pools) In these places there are different things that you can do, like scuba diving, dolphin eco experience , the Auckland Bridge climb or bungee jump, or something quite cultural like visiting one of the many museums, such as Auckland art gallery. Tourism Queenstown Te whakarewarewa geothermal valley Bay of Island Milford sound Famous people that we all know Finally we will name some important people from New Zealand, like Russell Crowe, Actor-Gladiator, born in wellington, to Jocelyn Yvonne(Wemmyss) and John Alexander Crowe, both of whom catered movie sets, his maternal grandfather, Stanley Wemyss, was a cinematographer. Martin Campbell, director-casino royale, who knows how to entertain an audience when he steps behind the camera, when he directed La mascara del Zorro; the movie earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Or Andrew Niccol, the writer of the Truman Show, New Zealand- born screenwriter-director, Andrew began his career in London , successfully directing TV commercials before moving to Los Angeles in order to make films longer than 60 seconds. He interested high powered producer Scolt Rudin in his the Truman Show script, but Rudin was not willing to gamble on a rookie director Russell Crowe Andrew Niccol Martin Campbell Literature Here we show some novels to know more about this great country. . •Long cloud ride (2007) by Josie Dew. •The bone people (1984) by Ken Hulme. 22
- 23. Asia Culture If we talk about the culture of Asia, we could find that it is diverse due to the different kind of cultural heritage of many nationalities, societies and ethnic groups. The continent is more commonly divided into more natural geographic and cultural subregions, including central Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, southeast Asia and west Asia, culturally, there has been little unity or common history for many of the culture and people of Asia. Something that we can learn about families is that it has very strong family value, they teach their kids that the family is their protection and the major source of their identity. They expect loyalty from their children. Parents define the law ,and the children are expected to obey them. This is called filial piety, the respect for one's parents and olders. Traditional festivals Festivals and celebrations in Asia are variety, like we mentioned before, in china for example they have Chinese new year, Dragon Boat festival and Mid-Autumn Moon festival are traditional holidays, or Japan New year, National Foundation Day, children's Day, O-bon The Emperor's Birthday and Christmas are popular. Whirl the Philippines is also tagged as the “ Fiesta Country”, some of these are influenced by other countries like Spain for example. Sports We can't forget sports. Due to the vastness of Asia, popular varieties greatly cross the continent.. Association Football is widely popular in Asia, along with boxing, badminton and table tennis. In East Asia Baseball in Japan, south Korea and Taiwan cricket, is especially popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 23
- 24. Places to visit The tourism in this continent offers something for everyone, from Thailand's magnificent beaches to Beijing's famed shopping district and the Temples of Hanoi, it's practically guaranteed to discover a perfect destination. You can take look some pictures of different places to meet. Asian celebrities Here we are going to show you, some people that we all ready know, who were born in Asia. • Vanessa Hudgens: Irish, native American from her dad's side. Her mother is a Filipino, Spanish and Chinese descent. Many people will remember her from High School Musical. • Bruno Mars: His real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, he was born in Honolulu. • Dean Cain: Plays the desired role of Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman in the television series. His birth name is Dean George Tanaka. Ethnicity a mix of French-Canadian, welsh, Irish and fda approval for Cymbalta Japanese. • Jackie Chan and Jet Li: These two are good together for a Prozac dosage increase reason. They are the top action martial arts in Hollywood. Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong china, while Jet Li was born in Beijing China. Literature If you want to know more about this fabulous continent there are some novels you can't miss: •Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri •The good of Small things by Arundhati Roy Interesting facts •Although linguistics experts generally agree that "Asia" is a Greek word, no one is certain where the word originated. •"Asia" is used as a female name and means "sunrise." The name "Asia" is thought to possibly be a variant of Aisha, the name of Muhammad’s favorite wife. •The 14 tallest mountains on earth, known collectively as the Eight-Thousanders, are all located in Asia — all are over 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) tall! 24
- 25. Africa Culture The continent of Africa has a varied and manifold culture, consisting of a mixture of tribes that each love their own unique characteristics. African culture is expressed in its arts and crafts, folklore and religion, clothing, cuisine, music and languages. It is so full of culture, with it not only changing from one country to another, but within a single country, many cultures can be discovered. Even though African cultures are widely diverse, they tend to have many similarities, like the morals they uphold, their love and respect for their cultures as well as the strong respect they hold for the aged and the important i.e. kings and Chiefs. Africa has influenced and been influenced by other continents. This can be portrayed in the willingness to adapt to the ever- changing modern world rather than staying rooted to their static culture. The westernized few, persuaded by European culture and Christianity, but with the increase of African nationalism, a cultural recovery occurred, the governments of most African nations encourage national dancers and music groups, museums and to a power a lower degree, artist and writers. African traditions These are expressed by many different art forms, such as music, dance, art, sculpture and beadwork. African languages are “tone language", meaning that pitch level determines meaning. Oral tradition is very important in African culture, as it insures the passage of cultural practices from one generation to another. Listening is an equally important skill, which has been perfected by the oral practice. Numerous songs and dances have been transmitted by word of mouth. Singing is very important to the African society, the songs are often sung in call-and-response form. Music is a form of communication and it plays a functional role in society. Music is often used to ward off evil spirits and to pay respect to good spirits, the dead and ancestors. However, the musical style and instruments vary from region to region. Dance is an integral part of the culture, and it utilizes symbolic gestures, masks, customs, body painting and props to communicate. The movements can be simple or complex with intricate actions including fast rotation, ripples of the body and contraction and release. Is used to express emption, whether joyful or sorrowful, and it isn't limited to just dancers. Often spectators will be encouraged to join in. 25
- 26. Folklore Folklore and religion represents a variety of social facets of the various cultures in Africa. Culture and religion share space and are deeply inter twined in Africa cultures. In Ethiopia, Christianity and Islam form the core aspect of Ethiopian culture and inform dietary customs as well as rituals and rites. An important role in many African cultures, stories reflect a group cultural identity and preserving the stories of Africa will help preserve an entire culture. There are different types of African stories: animal tales and day-to-day tales. Animal tales are more oriented towards entertainment, but still have more and lessons to them. African stories all have a certain structure. The villagers would gather around a common meeting place at the end of the day to listen and tell their stories. Important people from Africa Olaudah Equiano (1745- 1797) The first black African slave . His book 'the interesting Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano' played a pivotal role in turning public opinion Britain against slavery. Haile Selassie (1892- 1975) Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930. Selassie became an inspirational figure in the movement for African Independence for the way he resisted the Italian invasion of Ethiopia during the 1930s. Nelson Mandela (1918- 2013) He was an active member of the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Mandela was imprisoned for over 27 years for trying to overthrow the apartheid regime. In 1990 he became the first democratically elected President of South Africa, in 1994 his personality helped to heal the rift between the white and black populations, awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993. Literature If you want to read a good novel, you may read 'cry freedom' by John Briley Interesting facts •The Sahara is the largest desert in the world and is bigger than the continental USA. •Nigeria is fourth largest Oil exporter in the world, and Africa's biggest producer with about 2.2 million barrels produced every day. • Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. 26