Emma

__Ancient Africa__ Africa is believed to be the birthplace of humanity. Over time colonies, kingdoms, and countries, ave risen and fell, climates have changed, but Africa's culture has changed but survived. Over 2,000 years ago a well known kingdom, The Kingdom of Kush started. The king Piankhi traveled to Southern Egypt, and conquered the area, but took land just south of the borders of Egypt. The Kingdom of Kush began. Egypt was already a civilization, thus Kush learned a lot from them. The people of Kush learned a lot from the Egyptians, and began to thrive on their own. The capital of Kush was an extravagant city named Meroe. The people of Kush were especially good at making iron tools and also had a great supply of gold. . They used elephants to carry the iron and gold and to ride on. It wasn't long before the Kush started trading with other people. They traded their gold and iron for jewelry and glass. They were the first civilization to ever trade supplies, and this helped the evolution of merging of cultures. As time went on, the countries surrounding Kush became more and more powerful. To the North of Kush was Egypt and to the South of Kush was Ethiopia. Axum was the "capitol" of Ethiopia, and it wasn't long before the Ethiopian people destroyed and conquered Kush. Axum became the new Kush. Like Kush, Axum became a huge trading city. They trade clothing, gold, jewelry, and many other things. However, at this time to the West of Ethiopia was Ghana, and their culture was growing. Ghana built the city of Timbuktu, and like the Kush, Ghana was rich in gold. They traded with other kingdoms for salt in return of gold. Once again, just like the Kush, Ghana began to grow wealthier and wealthier, and it was a matter of time before Timbuktu was conquered. Mali conquered Ghana in about 1300. The king who ruled Mali was named Mansa Musa. He rode around in a caravan visiting many other other kingdoms in Africa. The caravans were pulled by camels and loaded with gold. Seeing these other influences, Mansa Musa wanted other people to learn besides just trade. He brought teachers into Timbuktu and soon people all over Africa came to Timbuktu to learn law and study. The arts also influenced countries and kingdoms throughout Africa at different time periods. Some of the earliest African art was the Nok art. The Nok art originated in Nigeria in about 1000 B.C.E and mysteriously disappeared in 500 A.D. Many scientists think that the Nok art was the first art in Africa to resemble human properties, and may have started the theme in many African sculptures and paintings. The Nok art led to other pieces of art in Egypt, Ghana, Kosh, and eventually all over the world. In fact, when Rome took over much of Europe the Egyptian and African art culture was spread from one place to another throughout Europe, and may be one of the reasons sculptures (especially of humans) are so popular.

__The Fertile Crescent__ One of the first civilizations to ever exist began about 5,000 years ago, directly East of Northern Africa. Mesopotamia, otherwise known as the Fertile Crescent, contained to main rivers running through the East side of it and the Mediterranean Sea directly to the West. The two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, were a great place for food, water, arable land, and transportation. The Mediterranean Sea held the same properties. Thus, most of the cities in Mesopotamia were around the three bodies of water. Around the Tigris and Euphrates was the cities Ur, Lagash, Babylon, and Nineveh. Around the Mediterranean Sea, on the opposite side of the crescent, was the cities Tyre, Jericho, and Jerusalem, which was very famous in history, all the way up to the Renaissance, because it was considered holy. Although, Mesopotamia may not have been the first town or city, Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations for a few reasons, and was quite ahead of inventions and technology for the time. Mesopotamia was the first to have all of the things that make up a civilization. First, people grew crops, gathered, and hunted. They had an organized way of dealing with what they need most; food. Secondly, Mesopotamia's people tame animals. This means they could successfully farm, another important way of getting food. Third, people built permanent homes. They didn't completely depend on hunting, so they didn't need to move if there was a scarcity of game because they had other resources. Fourthly, they developed technology. Although there weren't instruments, harpoons, and cars, the people of Mesopotamia had advances in technology such as weapons, and the wheel. Lastly, was literary achievements. The Mesopotamian people invented one of the first calendars, and had their own form of writing. They had all the basic achievements on a primary level that we have today. The people of Mesopotamia didn't just have inventions, to help their civilization, they were also known for being monotheistic, having many gods. The Mesopotamian people believed that their world was controlled by gods, goddesses, monsters, and demons. Like the Egyptians, there were hundreds of gods that controlled different things. Each city had it's own god to protect it, and the god was giving offerings in temples by the people of the city. Shamash: Shamash is the sun god, as well as the god of justice and truth. This is because like the sun he sees over everything, and knows what is true and fair. Sin: Sin is the moon god. Sin's symbols are the crescent moon and the winged bull. The crescent moon represents his power, and he flies on the bull when he brings the moon up in the evening and down in the morning. Ninurta: Ninurta is the god of war. He rides a lion, and is shown holding a bow and arrow and sword. Pazuzu: Pazuzu is a good demon. He protects the people for evil forces and protects the people from the evil god Lamashtu.

__Canada__
The first people to live in Canada were the American-Indians. American Indians fished, gathered, and traded happily up until about A.D. 1000. In A.D. 1000 Vikings were the first people to come to Canada. They traveled in sailing ships from Scandinavia and landed in Newfoundland. Some settled in Canada but most didn't, and they didn't really cause much harm to the American-Indians. The American-Indians continued their lives until about five hundred years later explorers from Britain came and started claiming the land. At first the American Indians were happy, trading furs and fish with the British and French. Several well known explorers such as John Cabot (1497), Jacques Cartier (1534), and Henry Hudson (1610), all started coming from 1450-1700 and started claiming the Indians land. It was a matter of time before the the French and British started fighting over the land and trade. Some American Indians fought on one side and some on the other. In 1763 Britain gained control of Canada. The British did allow the American Indians and French to keep their laws, religions, and language, but the British and French were turning what was once Indian territory into cities and towns. In 1867 however, Canada won the right to become it's own country apart from the British. This helped the American Indians to have the same rights as everyone else. Today the American Indians do have the same rights as everyone else, but I believe that they once had there own land and trade, but don't anymore because of Britain and France. In the wars between France and Britain, Indian tribes that were once friends were sided against each other. Although Canada prides itself on being multicultural Britain and France took away many of the American Indians rights.

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http://canada.usembassy.gov/visas/information-for-canadians/first-nations-and-native-americans.html

__Oceania__
====== Oceania is a group of thousands of islands made up to be a country. There are thousands of countries in Oceania, the most famous being New Zealand and Australia. Australia is a country just South of the equator. About 40,000 years ago people called Aborigines traveled the land as nomadic herders, much like the people in China. They moved around the country of Australia, gathering and hunting food. They used stone axes, spears and boomerangs to hunt. They also used digging sticks to dig roots out of the ground and discovered that water collected in large bushes. This was important because although Australia is surrounded with water, it is quite dry. Like Australia, New Zealand has a well defined culture and specific ways. The native people in New Zealand were called Maori. The Maori gathered crops such as sweet potatoes and beans on farms, and hunted and gathered food. They tended to stay in one place all their lives and built homes out of reeds. In 1606 Abel Tasman came to Australia and New Zealand. He left quickly though, because he didn't see anything good to trade. In 1788, about one hundred years later, Britain started sending criminals to Australia. In 1840, New Zealand became a British colony. The Maori were soon displeased with having to sell their land to the British. The Maori fought the British and lost but in 1907 fought again and won. Britain's culture affected New Zealand and Australia's. Today rugby and cricket is popular in Australia and New Zealand, and so is the language. Some people in Britain and New Zealand speak a form of British because of the people that moved there. New Zealand and Australia are both much more up to date on things like technology than they were before Britain came. A good thing or bad, Britain has hugely impacted Australia and New Zealand into what it is today.

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http://access-socialstudies.cappelendamm.no/c319202/tekstoppgave/vis.html?tid=368473&strukt_tid=319202

__Africa__
Throughout history Africa has always had some interesting part of its culture. One of these main things is Egypt, which you can read below. However, in this section I am going to talk about life in Africa from the 1300s to now. In the 1300s the European people heard stories about a land with wonderful resources from traders and explorers. Many Europeans in the late 1400s made the journey to become rich, and capture slaves for plantations. Just like when the British took over India, at first Britain was "just helping" the country and continent, but then they took over and used the people. Slaves were captured in Africa and brought to the Americas to work in plantations. One in six Africans died on this journey. They were also used as house slaves, and this was the start of racism, because the British began to be convinced that they were higher than the Africans. *After the second World War the only countries that weren't ruled by Britain were Ethiopia, Liberia, and Egypt.* In the late 1800s and 1900s the other Africans countries began to fight back against the British, and started winning. In 1957 Ghana was the first country to gain it's independence from Britain, and in 1963 Kenya did as well. *The last country to gain its independence Namibia, which was formerly called South West Africa.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/14generic3.shtml

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10,000 year ago, one of the most powerful ancient civilizations began in Egypt. The Egyptians lived along the Nile River, which provided food, transportation, good soil for farming, and water. The ancient Egyptians were monotheistic, which meant they believed in many gods. Their religion went with there form of government, because their government system was based on a Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was the king of Egypt and made laws. Whatever the Pharaoh said would have to be followed, no exceptions. Under the Pharaoh was the nobles who also ran the government along with the Pharaoh. Artists were people who made holy statues and buildings and were just under the nobles. Under the artists were the farmers and other workers, who had little say in the government. The Egyptian government was sort of like the Indian Caste System, but unlike the untouchables, workers could still lead a normal life and would not be so frowned upon. =====

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*As I previously said, the Egyptians believed in many gods. They also believed in an afterlife for a Pharaoh, and would build massive pyramids for the Pharaoh, so that he or she would travel to the afterlife safely. Here are some of the main Egyptian gods: =====

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Ra: Ra is the sun god, and is father of Bastet. Egyptians believed that Ra was eaten every night by Nut the sky goddess, but was reborn every morning. Ra is the most important god to the Egyptians, because without sunlight there is nothing. =====

[[image:osiris.gif caption="Osiris"]]
Osiris: Osiris is known as the god of the underworld. He is also the god of death and resurrection. He worked with Anubis, who helped mummify the dead. He s commonly known for his white garments. He was also the father of Horus.*

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http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html

__The Renaissance__
The Middle Ages in Europe were very important. However, I am going to talk about the time after the Middle Ages, called the Renaissance.In the 1300s the Crusaders brought England together with people in the East. With the Crusades, and bringing people together brought more trading. All the different ideas brought on a time of change, or rebirth, which is what the word Renaissance means. The different ideas were about writing, art, and inventions. These ideas changed the world for what it is today. *One of the most famous people of this time period was Leonardo Da Vinci, most famous for his inventions and his piece Mona Lisa. Michelangelo another famous figure from this time period, did amazing works of art such as The Pieta, and David. *Quite possibly the most famous from this time period is William Shakespeare, who wrote fantastic literature such as //Romeo and Juliet//, //Macbeth//, //Othello//, //Hamlet//, //Much Ado About Nothing//, //The Tempest,// and //the Taming of the Shrew.

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// http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/ Martin Luther also had great ideas, but they were about the Roman-Catholic church. Although Martin Luther thought the Roman-Catholic church was good, there were a few things he thought could go differently. As an example, you could pay the Roman-Catholic church if you made a mistake, and it would be forgiven. Martin Luther told his beliefs to people, and although some people were angry with what he thought, his ideas and the other people I've mentioned made a change in the world, and started the Industrial Revolution, even if they didn't do anything directly to the cause. The Industrial Revolution was in the 1500 and 1600s when people all over Europe wanted clothes and other products, and people didn't need to have it home made. Thus they made machines to help do the work for them. Many people would work in these machines in a factory. The factories were in small towns, which as more people came grew into larger towns, until they were cities. This is what caused people to live in cities instead of being more spread out, and eventually lead to where we are as a world today.

__India's Election__
India's voting system is a little different from the U.S's. The Indian vote, like our country, starts with a common person, anyone, over the age of eighteen. The voter votes for part of the Parliament, the House of People, who then elect the President and Prime Minister. However, to make things more complicated, the people also elect the State Assemblies. The State Assemblies elect the Council of States, who elect the the President as well, along with the house of people. This vote is drawn from majority, as is all the votes in India. Currently, the Prime Minister is Manhoman Singh, and the President is Pranab Mukherjee.

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parliamentofindia.nic.in

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 * Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was married to Mumtaz Mahal, and had fourteen children when she died giving birth to the last child. Shah Jahan wanted to make a special memorial to remember her. The Taj Mahal took 68,000 dollars to build, 22 years to build 22,000 workers, and 1,000 elephants. Sadly, when it was done, Shah Jahan was thrown into a "prison" by his son. He spent the rest of his life imprisoned by his son, until he died and was buried with his wife in the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is now one of the seven wonders of the world and is the most visited site in India. Although Shah Jahan died, his story and the Taj Mahal live on.**=====

**__South Asia__**
===== ==**South Asia is the most populated region in the world. Today they face many problems like war, pollution, economic crises, and terrorism. Also, based on their location, they also face natural disasters. However the culture and work of South Asia brings people together. However religion can also be a subject of war. In some countries forms of bibles discriminate against women and people who don't follow their religion. This has been a cause for wars and protests. Many Pakistan and Indian wars have happened over the Kashmir, a state in India with many people who are Muslim. The Kashmiri people fight for independence against Indian troops. If a bomb were to be dropped it would not only effect the country it's released on, it would impact the land, pollution, and health of other countries, yet there isn't much they can do. Population is also a problem. Although the Indian birth rate has started to decrease, the average for Pakistan is four children per family and the average for Afghanistan is seven. The population increases by 500,000 each year. Terrorist attacks on the U.S also have increased in the past few years. There have been attacks injuring 100 people and killing 80 in 2006 and more into 2009. This could cause wars and is a threat to not only the U.S. If the problems of South Asia aren't solved and no one helps the world will suffer from over-population, pollution, poverty, and under nourishment.

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http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107264.html __Jawaharlal Nehru__

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= http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/nehru_jawaharlal.shtml

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**__Shiva Destroyer and Restorer__
 * In 1947 Jawaharlal became the first Prime Minister of India. In 1919 he joined the India Nationalist Congress who was fighting for freedom against the British. In the 1920s and 1930s he got arrested several times by the British for civil disobedience. He was influenced and a friend of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1928 he was elected head of Congress. At the end of World War ll he gradually became more recognized. He wanted India to be free but unlike the Muslims, wanted the countries to not be split up by religion. In 1947 he won, India was free and he became the first` Prime Minister, and held that position until his death in 1964.**=====

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http://www.mantraonnet.com/shiva2.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/shiva.shtml http://www.muktinath.org/hinduism/shiva.htm

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 * As you may already know, Shiva, is a Hindu god known as the destroyer and restorer. He is known to have great wisdom, represented by his third eye, but also with that curse comes his terrible temper. He is known to kill Lord Brahma, the main god and his son. Shiva is also known for his cobra necklace, which represents his control over dangerous animals, and how he not only destroys but also restores. The trident he holds also represents that he is one of the three main gods. Although Shiva is the destroyer, he is also knowledgeable and is also, sort of like Vishnu, as he is also a restorer. **=====

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 * Gandhi lived in Porbandar, India and was born in 1869. He was a nationalist leader. He studied the law in London but in 1893 he went to South Africa where he fought against Indian discrimination. In 1914 he came back to India and fought against the caste system, women's rights, and an end in poverty. He is now a symbol in India of freedom, people's rights and peace. Sadly, in 1948 he was killed by a fanatic. **=====

** "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." ( What he thought about peace.) **
** "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." **  "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

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www.biography.com/people/mahatma-gandhi-9305898 ** "Everything you do will be insignificant, but you must do it because no one else will." **

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 * Ancient India's caste system was indeed intricate. Although in the Indian History section I did told you about the Brahmins, and the main caste system I however, did not tell you about the caste system in the caste system. India's  Kshatriyas were the second highest ranking of the Indian caste. However, there was a caste system in the Kshatriya ranking. The job of the Kshatriyas was "To protect the people, to bestow gifts on Brahmins, to offer sacrifices and to study the holy books.The Kshatriyas were in charge of anything to do with the government and military. The most powerful Kshatriyas were the Council of Ministers who was in charge of government policy, sort of like today's congress. The Council of Ministers would vote if the Brahmin was trying to pass a law, and would decide if it would go into effect or not. The council could even overthrow the Brahmin if necessary. In Ancient India each kingdom was divided into provinces which were divided into districts. The districts were then divided into small towns and villages. Each kingdom was run by the royal family. However, the provinces and districts were run by a provincial governor and prominent residents, which are the next line in the caste of Kshatriyas. The towns and villages were run by chiefs and councilors. In this ranking, the Governors and Chiefs did much of what we do today. They looked over the town or district, much like a mayor. They collected taxes, supervised buildings, bridges, and roads, and even collected tolls. The held censuses and policed the area. They also judged court cases. The penalties for crimes varied on what they had done. A special section of the government was spies. The spies spied, and told what was going on in the town, and if any shady deals were occurring the spies would tell the king. The Kshatriyas also helped the army. They were the best soldiers, and Historians found that the Ancient Indians used chariots, elephants, and cavalry to fight in battles. The elephants were placed first in battle, much like modern-day tanks. **=====

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__** http://www.facts-about-india.com/economic-life.php

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 * The Harappans, just like today had imports and exports and often traded with other countries. The Harappans grew crops such as wheat, barley, peas, kodon, and other spices. They traded with other countries in return or bought them with golden seals that archaeologists think were used as a form of currency. The Harappans received gold,silver,tin and lead from Afghanistan; coins from Lothal; and jade from Central Asia. The Harappans traded a lot, and had a mixed culture because of so many influences and invaders from other countries. The Harappans also traded animals and were known to have Bulls, Oxes, and Rams.     **=====

**__The Aryans__**
Aryans were groups of people who lived in ganas. Ganas were groups of families that had there own territory which was ruled by the Raja or king. The houses were either larger or smaller based on your rank in the caste. The caste system also determined who you married to, your job, and what your lifestyle was like. In the beginning of the Aryan civilization women had rights until 500 B.C. When Brahmins became more powerful they however, had different ideas. Aryan women could not own property, have an education, and her husband was chosen by her parents. = =

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http://www.rivervalleycivilizations.com/indus.php


 * The earliest Aryan book was the Veda or Vedas. The Veda was about the religion of Vedas and was much like the Bible. The Veda was written in a language called Sanskrit. The Sanskrit language was popular for the Aryans from 1400 B.C - 1200 A.D. The Aryan books were not only about religion but also included poems, plays, and stories. The Vedas religion eventually developed into what is now Hinduism. the Aryan culture also influenced today's Buddhism and Jainism. India's History In 2600 B.C one of India's earliest civilizations began, and would be one of the most advanced of its kind for hundreds of years. The civilization was by the Indus River Valley, which is present day Pakistan. The people who lived there were called the Harappans and they had their own language, form of currency, agriculture, and eventually religion. They even had their own social caste. They divided the caste into four sections and you couldn't change what caste were in once you were born. The highest rank was Brahmins which was priests and kings; then Kshatriyas who were warriors and aristocrats. Then the Vaishyas, who were cultivators, artisans and merchants; Then came the Shudras who were unskilled workers. Last were the Pariahs who were the "untouchables", or peasants. The form of currency they used was silver bar coins that came from Persia. They were brought into what was then India after the Aryans came. The Aryans were nomadic herders and lived in central Asia. However, they spread out into the Indus River Valley. In 1700 B.C the Indus River Valley civilization died. No one knows why. Some possibilities are Earthquakes, the Indus River changing course, and the Aryans killing the Harappans. However there is no evidence the Aryans did kill the Harappans, and it still remains a mystery. Some people moved East after the Indus River Valley Civilization ended and many died. Although the civilization died, there is some evidence on there life. They left behind literature, religion, and the first writings of Hinduism. The Caste System India's Geography India is a country in South-Asia. Geography wise, in the North-East lie the Himalayas, which make up part of India's border. To the North-West is the country Pakistan. Pakistan is where the Indus River Valley used to be. Some other bordering countries are Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and an island on the Southern tip of India called Sri Lanka. To the South of India is the Indian Ocean. Off the coast of Eastern Asia is the Bay of Bengal, and on the Western side of India is the Arabian Sea. India's climate is very different from the U.S's climate. In India the climate ranges from humid and subtropical, tropical wet, and dry. Summers in India have lots of rain. The annual monsoon brings most of the rain for India and is very useful. However, if the monsoon lasts to long, it can bring flooding, mudslides, and many homes are destroyed. Towards Northern India, the weather is cooler then in Southern India, and in the winter is around 50 fahrenheit, while Southern Asia can be around 80 degrees fahrenheit. However, Northern India is pretty warm considering how far North it is. It is not as cold as it would normally be because of the Himalayan Mountains blocking cold winds from India.                              =====