Dominic

=__India __=

India is a country in Southeast Asia. It is home to about 1.2 billion people. India is a large country that has four regions, Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern. It was a colony of England for many years. India is a very old civilization. Archaeologists say that there are ruins dating back to about 2700 B.C. India's ancient cities used to work on a grid system like our common places today. The Northern region has India's capitol New Delhi it is also where the city of Agra (and the Taj Mahal) is located. The Western part of India is home to Mumbai which is the biggest city and port. The Southern part of India is home to Bangalore and Cochin. The Eastern part of India is home to Bengal where there is more jungle or forest.

__Weather __ India receives seasonal winds that bring lots of rain to the Northeast and Southwest.The monsoons come every summer and can wipe out crops and agriculture. This is bad for India because much of its population's current jobs are farming related. Most of India has hot and humid weather that makes many people there wear light clothing and always trying to stay cool.

= __Geography History__ =  The land to the south of the Himalayas is called the Indian //Subcontinent//. In the past the subcontinent was connected to Africa. 90 million years later the piece of land broke away and drifted to the northeast. As the huge piece of land collided with Asia the pressure caused the ground to rise up and create the Himalayas. The Himalayas is located above the Indo-Gangetic Plain and surround almost all of Nepal and Bhutan. Most of India is a peninsula because it is surrounded by water.

__The Indus River Valley__   The Indus river valley civilization started in 250 0 B.C. It started on the south western part of the river near the city Mohenjo-Daro. The city was along the Indus river and it was near were Pakistan is today. Them Indus river gave the colonies around it irrigation that gave them the ability to feed themselves. The plants that the civilizations made were wheat,barely rye,peas,cotton, and rice.These were all used for trade and helped the Indus valley bring in and let out more trade. They also invented boats and crates to irrigate trade. The Indus valley civilization also had used domesticated animals as food and as a tool for hunting or other jobs the animals could be used for. = __Religion__ =  Religion is very important to the people of India. Both Hinduism and Buddhism started in India. There is a very high respect for wildlife such as cows or other animals because both religions believe in reincarnation. The cows in India are so sacred that the Indian people let them wonder through the street. The Indian culture is also home to many gods and goddesses. Some people in the Indus valley civilization believed in Hinduism (1700-1100 B.C.) that consist of many gods. When a religion has many gods they are known as a Polytheistic. At a later date the civilization believed in Buddhism ( 365 B.C.). Buddhism has one god (Buddha) and is known as a Monotheistic religion. __**Ganesha (Ganesh)**__ One of the most interesting gods in the Hindu culture is Ganesha the elephant headed god. Lots of Hindu ceremonies start by calling on Ganesha because he can remove any obstacles ahead. One of the most common stories in the Hindu culture is how Ganesha received his head. One variation is that Ganesha was guarding the path while his mother, the goddess Parvati, bathed nearby. Shiva, Ganesha's father, came home and didn't recognize his son. He thought that Ganesh was an intruder and he cut off his head with his trident. When Shiva realized what he had done, a wise old elephant volunteered his head so that the boy could live. media type="youtube" key="n_gQxVOmod0" width="253" height="210" align="center"

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**__These are important and popular gods in India__** Vehicle: swan has 4 heads, 4 arms, and a reddish complexion not commonly worshipped not to be confused with Brahman (the ground of all being) or the Brahmin (priestly caste) || ==Saraswati== Vehicle: swan wife of Brahma sits on a white lotus playing a veena || || Vehicle: garuda (bird) has 4 arms, a blueish complexion, and rests on a snake was incarnated (born as an animal or human) nine times with one more still to come is the main god of **Vaishnavism** || ==Lakshmi== Vehicle: owl wife of Vishnu usually shown bestowing coins and flanked by elephants || || Vehicle: bull has matted hair, a third eye, a blue throat and a trident in his hand often worshipped in the featureless lingam form is the main god of **Saivism** || ==Parvati== Vehicle: lion the reincarnation of Shiva's first wifehas many forms, such as the popular Durga and Kali (see below); often shown together with Saraswati and Lakshmi as the **tridevi** ('triple goddess') || ||
 * **THE TRIMURTI (Hindu Trinity):** |||| **SHAKTIS (female aspects):** ||
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/brahma-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Brahma" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/brahma.html"]] || ==Brahma==
 * The Creator**
 * Goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts**
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/vishnu-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Vishnu" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/vishnu.html"]] || ==Vishnu==
 * The Preserver**
 * Goddess of wealth and prosperity**
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/shiva-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Shiva" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/shiva.html"]] || ==Shiva==
 * The Destroyer / Transformer**
 * The Divine Mother**

Click photo to enlarge || ==Ganesh== Vehicle: mouse son of Shiva & Parvati has an elephant's head || ==Murugan== Vehicle: peacock son of Shiva & Parvati popular in Tamil areas also known as Skanda || Click photo to enlarge || Click photo to enlarge || ==Durga== A fiercer form of Parvati Vehicle: tiger has ten arms holding many weapons || ==Kali== Vehicle: donkey usually portrayed as dark and violent || Click photo to enlarge || the central figure in the epic story //Ramayana// || ==Krishna== usually portrayed as a child and a prankster; often shown playing the flute || || an ape-like god known for assisting Rama || ==Surya== pulled on a chariot by horses || || __Important Historical Events__ media type="youtube" key="iOZHD8n38XI" height="280" align="center" width="425"
 * ==OTHER POPULAR HINDU GODS== ||
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/ganesh-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Ganesh" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/ganesh.html"]]
 * God of the intellect and the remover of obstacles**
 * God of war**
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/durga-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu goddess Durga" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/durga.html"]]
 * Goddess of time and death**
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/rama-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Rama" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/rama.html"]] || ==Rama==
 * The 7th avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu**
 * The 8th avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu**
 * [[image:http://www.usefulcharts.com/images/hindu-gods/hanuman-small.jpg width="180" height="230" caption="Hindu god Hanuman" link="http://www.usefulcharts.com/religion/hinduism/hanuman.html"]] || ==Hanuman==
 * God of the Sun**

 Mhatma Gandhi 1869- 1948

 **__The Epics continue throughout history__** The epics were Hindu poems that described values of the Hindu culture. They told of stories about courage and love. These poems later became films, they were normally filmed in Bollywood, India. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are the two most common epics.They are very important to India's culture and India's people. __**Current Events**__  One issue in India today is that children are working at dangerous jobs instead of going to school. There have been laws passed to prevent this, but many children are forced to work because they and their families are very poor. One dangerous job that children in the Eastern India do is mining. One mine Owner was quoted as saying " People die all the time. You have breakfast in the morning, go to work and never come back. Many have died this way."




 * __Kshatriyas Government__**

 This group of people had to protect the people. It also was to watch over the government and army. They also had something called the council of ministers that were a small influencieal group. The king had to ask them if he had any big problems. The kingdom was once divided into several large provinces. Each provines was govern into smaller districts. The districts were run by deputies and a council of prominent citizens. Districts were farther divided into cities, towns and villages. That were run by chiefs and councils. There were also thounsands of other officials. These civil servants collected tolls and taxes. They also regulated land and water use. These servants also policed the streets. Government Magistrates judged legal cases. Government officials also kept an eye on business operations,wadges, working conditions and the price of goods. Spies or overseers were a special kind of government official. They watched what was going on and made reports for the king. Spies watched for signs of disloyalty, dishonesty and unrest. They brought regular reports from their territories to the capitol.The official were payed in Panas by their officials. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">__Industrial Revolution__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">In the 1500's-1600's England was a major trading nation. They brought most cloth and textiles to trade with other countries. England's clothes were in such demand they needed to higher more workers to create the cloth. In The 1700's England made machines called Spinning Geny's. These machines helped England produce more cotton and textiles. The new machines obviously needed power to run efficiently, the coal mines in England were used constantly because they needed as much energy as possible to create the new products they made. In 1720, England had Iron imported to England because they were running out of charcoal due to smelting. In 1709, Abraham Derby discovered a way to smelt iron with procesed coal. In 1779, England made there first Iron bridge. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">__The Reformation__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> The reformation took place in the 1500's and was pointed at the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation was started by Martin Luther because he was mad that people could pay the church to forgive their sins. In 1517, Luther nailed 95 of his beliefs to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. In 1520, Luther left the catholic church. People who followed Luther were callused Protestants. In 1545, changes were made to the catholic church, this was called the Reformation. On May 8, 1521, the council released the Edict of Worms, banning Luther’s writings and declaring him a “convicted heretic." this kicked him out of the roman church.Wittenberg Castle Church in May 1522. Miraculously, he was able to avoid capture and began organizing a new church, Lutheranism. He gained many followers and got support from a German princes. When a peasant revolt began in 1524, Luther sided with the rulers, whom he depended on to keep his church growing. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">__The Renaissance__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> After the crusades there was a period called the Renaissance. The word Renaissance is a French word meaning rebirth. The Renaissance period took place in the 1300's. In the Renaissance, people looked into literature, art, and science. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are some of the most well known artist for many reasons. Both of these artist believed that we should look back at the Greeks and Romans because of there fine arts and simple ways. They felt that they left the simpler ways through the middle ages, when there were lots of battles and wars. The Renaissance was also a time for new technologies–including the printing press, a new system of astronomy and the discovery and exploration of new continents. These inventions are the basic building blocks for our common day technology. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">__The Middle East__ The Middle East is crammed between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The largest country in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's capital is Riyadh. The Red Sea, Indiana Ocean,the Nile river and the Mediterranean sea all border The Middle East. Religion is a large part of the culture in the Middle East. If you study the religion Islam you are called Muslim. Most people that are from or live in the Middle East follow Islam. The Middle East is the home land to many other religions besides Islam. For example, Judaism and Christianity began in the Middle East. Islam was found in Mecca around 600s, when Muhammad was praying in a mountain cave. While praying, he heard a voice talk to him. The voice said that there was only one god named Allah. The voice said that Muhammad must be the the messenger of Allah. Eventually, more people began to follow Muhammad. This religion was called Islam.

Another holy city to the Middle East is Medina. Medina directly translates to " City of the Prophet" region of western Saudi Arabia. Muhammad fled to Medina city when he was forced out of Mecca,the place where he attracted his first followers. Medina's population is about 600,000 people.In 622, Medina became the head of Muhammad's movement. In 622, Muhammad was invited to come and live in Yathrib (the old name of Medina) and act as a sort of governor. Medina in those times was a divided city. Different clans and religions were fighting and bickering. Muhammad brought the city to a calm state. He invited all people in the city to follow his religion of Islam. However, he had trouble convincing the Jewish population that Islam was the true version of Judaism.

=__4th Quarter History__=

__Canada__
Canada is a large land mass North of the U.S. It has a cold climate and was first visited by European Vikings. They discovered Canada around 1000 A.D.. In 1497 another European explorer named John Cabot discovered Newfoundland for England in 1497. This is why there are many English speaking colonies in Canada. Then the French explorer,Jacques Cartier, found the St. Lawrence River in 1534. This is why there is are French speaking colonies in Canada. The most famous explorer named Henry Hudson found the Hudson bay in Canada. As you can see, Canada was obviously constantly being conquered and re-discovered by new people from Europe and other parts of the world. This also was hard on the native americans that lived in early canada because the Europeans brought disease that the natives couldn't handle. In the 1600 Britain and France both fought for canada in the early 1600's. Samuel de Champlain found the city of Quebec where there are many french speaking colonies. The british also have influenced the language in canada. In 1670, the British made the Hudson's Bay Company which was what Henry Hudson found on his voyage.

__**African Slave Trade**__
The Europeans and Africans relationship has been complicated sense the first time they met one another. In the 1400's Northern and Southern America was growing and becoming a larger place with more people. In order to feed this growing population the americans built farms called plantations. They needed more workers for the plantations so, the next trip to Africa the Europeans took more than gold. The Europeans hired //Slave Catchers// to hide and catch Africans to take back to America. One out of every six Africans died on the voyage to america. By the 1700's 70,000 people were taken from their home. Twelve million Africans were sold as slaves before the end of the slave trade in 1870. The Europeans began to think they were better than their slaves and made it harder for the Africans to live in an alien land.

__**The Fertile Crescent**__
Mesopotamia is called the Fertile Crescent because it is surrounded by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This land was very fertile because of all the water surrounding it. Most people were constantly moving around and looking for crops and food for themselves. Then they realized that they had a large amount of land that was perfect for crops and live stock. Suddenly people began to form together to form cities and towns. There were more people making permantent homes near each other. With the new people coming to these towns people began to become more civilized and make smarter choices by inventing new ways to speak to each other and make inventions to help each other. This new activity led to new inventions and discoveries that helped guide us into what we are today. [WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT??] INCLUDE A CONCLUSION THAT CONNECTS THIS TO THE MERGING OF CULTURES!]

__**Oceania**__
Oceania is near Australia in the Pacific Ocean. The many islands in Oceania are called; Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Like Canada, Oceania was first discovered by the Europeans. Particularly the Dutch. They came to explore and trade. In 1606, Willem Jansz found northern Australia. In 1642 another Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman. Her last name, Tasman was later the name of the island she discovered. Today, Australia is very rich and has many natural resources the resources have helped this continent have a stronger economic hold. Oceania is beginning to become the place-to-be because of new jobs and plenty of natural resources. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #130c0c; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;"> Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from a weak economy dependent on Britins market access to a more industrialized, an economy that can compete globally. This growth has helped real incomes. Broadened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. This great place has stumbled upon a gold mine with new jobs and a stronger economy.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #130c0c; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;"> **__Ancient Egypt__** **People in Ancient Egypt were a highly advanced civilization for there time period. They built huge pyramids and the bricks they used were huge and almost all of them were only inches away from the same height. The people in ancient Egypt eventually found a way to mummify bodies and harvest their organs into a jar. A well known place in ancient Egypt is the Nile River. It was a 4,000 mile long river the made the land surrounding it was fertile. Ancient Egypt's religion had many gods. They believed in the Sun God Ra, they believed human life was like the sun rising and setting. That when someone died the sun set and they were reborn once the sun rose once again in the morning. This is interesting how many different religions spread across the world all make a new belief system to invent themselves somehow. All of them always involve life after death or a better place in life. Once the person had passed away they mummified the dead with chemicals.** **This procedure was very advanced for an ancient civilization.**This procedure was the base of most chemical
 * 1) Pull brain out of nose using a hook
 * 2) Make a cut on the left side of the body near the stomach
 * 3) Remove all internal organs
 * 4) Let the internal organs dry
 * 5) Place the lungs, intestines, stomach and liver inside canopic jars
 * 6) Place the heart back inside the body
 * 7) Rinse inside of body with wine and spices
 * 8) Cover the corpse with a material like salt called natron for 70 days
 * 9) After 40 days stuff the body with linen or sand to give it a more human shape
 * 10) After the 70 days wrap the body from head to toe in bandages
 * 11) Place in coffin( The type of coffin can depend on how rich the deceased person was

__**The Middle Ages**__

 * The Middle Ages happened after the fall of the Roman Empire in 1500 A.D.. The Middle Ages were the hardest time for people to live because it was a time of war and many people died during these wars. The most fought over variable in the Middle Ages was land and power because of how valuable it was at the time. Trade began to falter because no one trusted each other. Many warriors would just go to a farm and burn down all the crops and rob the families of their valuables. This was a horrible time to live for anyone in this time period. Entire Towns were destroyed by these warriors and it was a time were the educational values were low. There are records of people taking animals to court for eating crops or killing people. Later the Roman Catholic Church were began to bring back the education from the Romans and the Greek civilizations.