Chapter 33

An Aborigines man

Section 1
1. The major indigenous groups living in New Zealand ans Australia are the Maori and the Aborigines, respectively.

2. People living in the more urban areas of New Zealand and Australia have easier access to schools and medical care, while the people in the more rural areas, such as the Outback, must use two-way radios to talk to teachers or doctors, or travel long distances to reach hospitals.

creative writing: There are two main groups of people who came to settle the region of New Zealand and Australia: the indigenous peoples, and the European settlers.
   Firstly, the indigenous groups, also called the Aborigines and the Maori, came to Australia and New Zealand somewhere between 20,000 and 60,000 years ago. It is believed that during that time period, due to the ice age, ocean levels were lower, and there was possibly a land bridge connecting Australia, Oceania, New Zealand, and the mainland of Asia, allowing migrants to reach New Zealand and Australia without having to cross vast seas.
   Second of all, the first people from Europe, particularly Great Britain, to settle in Australia and New Zealand were actually prisoners who could not be afforded to keep in overcrowded jails in England. 77 years after the first prisoners where taken to Australia, non-criminals finally settled on Australia's coast. They fought with the Aborigines and the Maori for land, power and resources, and forcefully relocated them to reserves. After about 200 years, the Aborigines and Maori finally gained rights for themselves, and together with their British neighbors declared Australia and New Zealand independent nations.

Section 2
1. Isolation had affected the indigenous cultures among the islands of Oceania: 1,200 out of the world's 3,000 languages come from Oceania; surfing and outrigger canoes came from Oceania.



The outrigger canoe was the easiest way of transportation for
Oceania's people before the European explorers brought their trade ships.


2. With the European settlers came their ideas, religions, and cultures, along with migrant workers from South Asia (and their ideas, religions and cultures). All of this combined with social structures and power weakened the indigenous people's lifestyles, cultures and religions, making them less and less common.

creative writing: If I were a tourist traveling among the islands of any part of Oceania in an outrigger canoe, and were to write what I saw in a journal entry, I would write:

   "We pushed off in the outrigger today, and immediately saw a sea turtle. it swam with us for some way, but eventually went out to sea. The guide took us along the shore of the islands, and we passed many fishermen casting nets and lines. they waved to us as we rowed by. There were also locals and tourists surfing in the break, closer to shore. Rowing was very tiring: it takes a lot of energy from you. We stopped and pulled ashore to rest and to but some breadfruit and coconuts from a small market. when we left again, we went farther out so that we wouldn't have to worry about being struck by incoming waves. The water was so blue and clear, you could see every little fish - and the big ones too. after a while, the small islands that we passed seemed to look exactly the same - I asked if we were going in circles, but the guide said no. As we rowed between two close islands, we were caught up in an outrigger race! There were teams on much longer, narrower boats than ours, going so fast, that we couldn't help but stop and watch them. Thankfully, we weren't hit, but next time, I'd rather be on the shore watching."


A sunset view of one of Micronesia's many islands.



Chapter 32



Map of Australia and Oceania





Section 1
1. In Australia, the mountains, plateaus, and lowlands are dry, arid, and usually support very little plant life. In New Zealand, however, the mountain sides are covered in lush forests or farms, they receive much more rain, and the rivers on the plains run wet most of the year.

2. Volcanoes and continental shelves have shaped the islands of Oceania. volcanic debris builds up in the ocean, either along a fault line or over a hot spot, and eventually breaks the surface, forming a new island. Colliding tectonic plates also form islands by pushing land upward until new ground appears, and grows.

creative writing: If I were to chose whether to go to North Island or South Island in New Zealand, I would rather go to North island. North Island has long, beautiful beaches, fair weather and enormous, ancient rain forests. This island also has volcanic hot springs and active volcanoes, both of which are cool tourist attractions.

One of the many natural hot springs on North Island.



A river flowing through the forests on North Island.



One North Island's amazing hidden beaches.




Rain in Australia's Outback.



Section 2
1. The amount of rainfall in Australia, Oceania, and New Zealand affects the climates and vegetation in theses areas: Australia's interior has a very short supply of rain, and its climate is hot and dry, with little plant life; Australia's coastal regions, however, receive much more rain than does its interior - up to 80 inches in some places - and its climate is much cooler and arable; Oceania receives lots of rain and therefore, its climate is hot, tropical, and lush; New Zealand receives different amounts of rainfall across its many islands - North Island receives 20 to 60 inches of rain, while South Island gets 315 inches of rain annually.

2. Oceania has a tropical rain forest climate because of its bountiful rainfall, and hot temperatures. This is due to its placement between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer.

creative writing: If I were a travel writer who has been assigned to write a tourist brochure for a destination in Australia, Oceania, or New Zealand, and had to write a paragraph about the climate and vegetation of one destination in the region, then I would write to potential tourists:

   "Sydney: a beautiful city, with many sights, sounds, and . . . storms? Yes, that's right- Sydney, the best-known city in Australia, is victim to as many as 10 hail storms and up to 50 inches of rain each year. In fact, for almost half of the year, the only weather is rain and clouds. But all of this water is just a relief from the hot summer months - from December to February -  when the rain never falls. This fluctuation in weather patterns creates a hot, tropical rain forest climate, with water-dependent plants trees and shrubs."


Bird's-eye-view of Sydney.



Chapter 31

Section 1
1. It is one of the region's largest export product, and it grows well in the fertile soil and large amounts of rainfall in Southeast Asia.



Farmers picking rice in Myanmar

2. Many countries in Southeast Asia are industrializing at different rates because of their differences in economies, industries, populations and governing ideals.

creative writing: Lack of political stability, communication development, abundances of natural resources and changes in business policies change the economic growth rates between countries of Southeast Asia. Political and economic developments in one country can effect another in Southeast Asia because of their interdependence (a rising economy in one country can beneficially influence another, but a failing economy can negatively influence another).


Section 2


Mount Pinatubo erupting in 1991

1. Volcanoes, floods and typhoons in Southeast Asia are dangerous because of their sheer power, their ability to ruin thousands of square miles of crops and kill hundreds of people. volcanic eruptions occur rarely, but they bring destruction to land and water for thousands of miles around. floods ruin crops and contaminate drinking water, and typhoons, with their strong winds and heavy rains can cause flash floods and can cause severe property damage.

2. The larger use of factories, cars and electricity mean more air and water pollution in expanding and urbanizing countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Off-shore oil and gas exploration resulted in the loss of 50% of Thailand's mangrove forests.

creative writing: The people of Southeast Asia face many challenges with both natural and man-made environmental issues.  I believe that the man-made environmental issues are more demanding at the present time. I think this is because of our lack of awareness of just how much our actions towards the environment can affect mother nature's response. Many of the super-storms and climate changes that we are facing today are a result of global warming. If we can address the pollution issues, then perhaps the damage can be reversed and the challenges thrown at us by nature will lessen and we can focus on how to be more prepared to face them.

Chapter 29

Map of Southeast Asia



Section 1
1. Islands, peninsulas and mountain ranges make up the physical geography of Southeast Asia.

2. Rich natural resources like natural gas, gems and agricultural products are sold as exports and affect Southeast Asia's economy in a positive way.


market on the Mekong River
(merchants and farmers meet in their boats)

 creative writing: The people in Southeast Asia depend on their waterways. one reason is for trade. fishers catch their meals on the waters, and also sell surplus to passersby. farmers travel up and down the rivers to deliver produce, and merchants sell their products in trade boats. cargo ships can also sail up the larger rivers to ship imports and exports into and out of Southeast Asian countries.

Section 2
1. The monsoon winds and dry seasons influence the region's weather patterns.



Average climate of Southeast Asia



2. The region's main climate types are tropical wet and tropical dry, along with smaller areas of highland and humid subtropical climates.

creative writing: Singapore, and island country in Southeast Asia, was once covered in lush tropical rainforest. But as the city (and the country) grew, so did the need for space, and the city of Singapore became a sprawling Urban monster.  I am completely agianst this kind of careless development, especially in areas where there are species found no where else on Earth. these are my reasons why: Many native species became endangered and even extinct because of the mass development. Although many new plants have been brought into the city, hardly any of them are native - most are from the Americas. the city and country still encroach on the rain forests there, and more and more natural habitat is disappearing.
  

Chapter 28

Section 1

1. East Asian countries have usually communist or democratic governments and have market economies controlled by private businesses.



China's grain production



2. Agriculture, trade, and industries have a large impact on East Asia's economy.

creative writing: Despite China’s record of human rights violations, the United States granted it full trading privileges and the country has also been admitted to the World Trade Organization. In my opinion, the US and the WTO made the wrong decision.

I think that it was the wrong decision to admit China into the WTO and to grant it full trade rights because the Chinese government would just see it as an opportunity to increase cheap labor and decrease labor laws. if the US and the WTO hadn't granted full trade rights and admission, then perhaps China would have changed its laws and treatment of dissidents to prove itself worthy of being a major trading partner of the world.

Air pollution in an East Asian city

 Section 2

1. Industrialization and urbanization in Eastern Asia causes extreme pollution in the air (coal and dust pollution causes thick smog in China's cities), acid rain, deforestation, industrial waste, landfills, water pollution, and desertification.

2. East Asia normally faces floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the western side of the Ring of Fire. East Asia also suffers from typhoons, hurricane-like storms.

creative writing: East Asian countries are taking steps to solve their environmental problems. Japan, since the 1970's, has curbed its industrial pollution,  and reduced its chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions. other countries such as China and Taiwan are damming rivers and building levees and dikes to reduce flooding damage during typhoon season. These countries are also using the dams to produce hydroelectric power to supply electricity to their immense populations.

Chapter 27

Map of East Asia

Section 1
1. Most of East Asia's ideas and traditions originate from China.

2. Most people in China speak the Mandarin dialect of the Han Chinese language.

creative writing: Before the 1900's, the only educated people in China were the wealthy. They learned to read, and to write. when the communist government took control of china, they pushed the need of literacy, and built schools, to make it accessible to all children. but during the "Great Leap Forward," schools were closed and so were factories: children who were put out of school were also put out of jobs, along with their parents. When Mao Zedong passed away, the government once again maintained the importance of education, and the literacy rate in China is still on the rise today.



Map of Japan



Section 2
1. Japan's dense population is distributed with an average of 875 people per square mile (338 per square kilometer). Approximately 78% of Japan's population lives in coastal urban areas, and very little people living in the mountain regions.

2. In the early to mid- 1900's  - during WWII - the Japanese military invaded much of East Asia and Oceania, creating a modern empire. But this empire came to an end in the late 1940's when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese military surrendered.

creative writing: Although Japan’s population is ethnically homogeneous, its culture has been influenced by many other cultures. Their language, for example, is believed to be distantly related to the Korean and Mongolian languages. secondly, Japan's religion is a blend of practices and faiths from all over the world: there are Shintos, Christians, Buddhists, and many more.

Map of both North and South Korea



Section 3
1. In reaction to contact with the West, and the Western "gunboat diplomacy," Korea became an isolated country, keeping its people in, and foreigners out. This earned it the nickname, "Hermit Kingdom."

2. The Korean way of life is mainly based on Confucianism.

creative writing: Korea was separated into North Korea and South Korea after the second World War. Although North and South Korea are predominantly ethnically homogeneous, a cultural divergence has taken place between the two countries. This growing apart of their cultures is caused by their radically different economical and political systems. the result of this is a difference in culture, education, food distribution, use of resources, trade, and virtues.

Chapter 25

 Section 1

1. Cash crops in south Asia provide food for families and farmers, as well as export profits in international trade.

2. Pakistan, India and Bangladesh all have a free press.

creative writing: I would like to go to Nepal for vacation so that i could see the Himalaya mountains, although I would not go hiking in them. i think that this is the most tourist-friendly country in south Asia because of all of the tourism sparked the Mount Everest's popularity, and because of its ecotourism.



Mount Everest trail



Section 2

1. Problems in South Asia are caused both by religious and ethnic concerns as well as issues with self-governing peoples.

2. Rapid industrialization means that more and more people are in need of food, water, supplies and living space, and the cramped cities of South Asia cannot support all of the people living there. The result is poor living circumstances, deforestation to bring in wood for housing, cooking fire, and urbanization, and lastly, there is a lack of resources in the cities because there is such a high demand for everything. it also puts a lot of pollution into the atmosphere, ruining air quality and cleanliness.

creative writing: Government officials in South Asia are trying to convince poor rural populations to stop illegal logging and hunting of endangered animals. If I were one such official, and I had to write to the people of my country, I would write something like this:

 To the people of South Asia:

 I know that you are struggling with feeding yourself and your families, and you might not have enough money to do so, but that is no reason to destroy our Earth, our home, our animals or forests. deforestation is one of the biggest problems in South Asia, and illegal logging is the biggest contributor to it.

 Our rain forests keep the soil from eroding and they give us oxygen to breathe. They remove much of the pollution that we put into the air, and they protect us from rising air temperatures and from monsoons. you may illegally be cutting down these old growth forests to sell for money, but if you will be part of the Chipko movement, we can save our forests, and therefore, save the Earth and ourselves.

 Besides the forests, our endangered species are being poached, and this can also affect our lives, and our Earth. As forests disappear, so does much of the animals' territory, and they are pushed closer and closer to our rural areas and even our cities. Bengal tigers have lost more that 70% of their original habitat, putting them in small spaces, and decreasing their chances of survival. That is why they are coming to our farms and trying to make off with the livestock that you grow: they have no prey in their territories anymore, so they take ours. If we protected these endangered animals instead of killing them and selling their pelts, we could make jobs by hiring rangers to patrol the tigers' territory to protect these beautiful animals.

 These animals and forests are important to the Earth, to our survival, and to the survival of our children. so please help to keep them safe and stop the destruction of our world.



Deforestation in South Asia is affecting the Bengal Tiger populations, as well as many other species.



Chapter 22

Section 1
1. Three problems that cash-crop production has created for countries in sub-Saharan Africa are: (1)the risk of being dependent on one or two crops, (2)the effects on the economy because of a drop in crop prices or (3)an unfavorable growing season that could affect crops.

2. Three ways that transportation and communications in the region are changing are as follows: (1) Nigeria is planning to link all of its railway systems, (2) new satellite technology is helping to bring television stations to households in Africa, to make it cheaper to get channels outside of urban areas, and (3) the number of telephone and cell phone lines has neatly tripled between 2000 and 2004, allowing people to communicate across long distances, while costing them less money.

African girl holding her cell phone

creative writing: countries in the sub-Sahara African region have taken on enormous debt that they have been unable to repay. i think that this is from their advances in technology, communications, and transportation. because these countries are so poor, they could not afford to pay for all of these advances on their own, so they borrowed money from other, richer countries to take a step into the twenty-first century, but their economies still have to balance out before they can repay their loans.

Section 2

1. Three reasons that food shortages have occurred in parts of Africa south of the Sahara are: (1) drought, which shortens the amount of crops that survive to produce fruits, vegetables and grains, (2) wars, which stop economic growth, causes farmers to give their products to soldiers, and destroys farmland, and (3) exceeded carrying capacities.



Somali soldiers



2. Three of the steps African countries south of the Sahara are taking to protect their environments are as follows: (1) eliminating poaching with new, stricter laws, (2) new ranching laws that encourage crocodile farming, and (3) protecting habitats for endangered animals like elephants, rhinoceroses, and smaller game animals, so that when animals are reintroduced, their habitats will be able to support them.



African Elephants were hunted for their valuable tusks,
and in 1989, they were put on the endangered species list.



creative writing: Famine and war are among the threats to the people of Africa south of the Sahara, and desertification and poaching are among the threats to the environment and wildlife. War and poaching are both ways of killing a species, war being the killing of humans, and poaching being illegal hunting of animals. Both are serious threats that are caused by humans. famine and desertification are both natural occurrences that can destroy a population, whether it be human or animal. If humans can stop fighting and make peace, the citizens of the sub-Sahara African countries can focus on their farming, conservation of land, and protection of wildlife. this may seem far-fetched, but if the fighting stops, we can fix all of our other problems by working as one.

Chapter 20

Section 1
1. In South-Saharan Africa, tectonic activity has created the Great Rift Valley, Lake Tanganyika, and the Ruwenzor Mountains.


Map of Great Rift Valley



2. The basins that hold lakes and rivers in South-Saharan Africa are created by the uplifting of the earth's crust while escarpments, mountains and the rise of the land direct the water's flow.


creative writing: Mineral deposits are often found near rivers or in dry river beds. Because rivers in South-Saharan Africa are found in rift valleys, only countries with rift basins have access to mineral deposits. if a desert or dangerous stretch of land separates a country from a rift basin, then that country is deprived of that deposit as well.


Section 2
1. In addition to rain fall, ocean currents, wind patterns and elevation affect the climate in Africa south of the Sahara.



Climate of Africa south of the Sahara



2. There are many kinds of climates in Africa south of the Sahara: tropical wet with tropical rain forests; tropical dry with grassland and scattered trees; steppe with low-growing grasses and small shrubs and trees; desert with very little plant life; and midlatitude climates with lush farmland and grasses and shrubs.

creative writing: The Serengeti Plain is in Africa's tropical dry climate and sports tropical grassland and spread out trees and scrubs. This African terrain has temperatures of 70°F in the winter and 90°F in the summer. The Great Plains in North America are steppe and humid continental climates with temperate grassland and very little trees. This vast plain has temperatures of 50°F in the winter, and 70°F in the summer . Both of the plains have large expanses of grassland, and also have large, grazing mammals and smaller carnivorous mammals living on the plains. 

Chapter 19

Section 1
1. Only 2-30% of the land in the middle east is arable, or able to support farmland, and yet much of the economies of middle Eastern countries is dependent om agriculture. The steppe climate of Central Asia provide fertile land for raising livestock and growing crops. The Mediterranean climate of North Africa and Southwest Asia allow farmers to grow cereal grains, olives, grapes, dates and citrus fruits. Fishing industries are a big part of life in north Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, and fish are caught in man-made ponds, the Atlantic Ocean, inland seas, and rivers.

2. Changes and improvements in communication and transportation are bringing people closer together. Communications allow people in different regions to interact without the need to travel, and even so, new roads, airlines and railways are being built for when transportation is necessary.

creative writing: The communications in the united states and Canada are very high-tech, and are becoming sleeker and smaller (like smaller computers and cell phones), while telecommunications in the middle east are still being picked up. Most of the economy in the US and in Canada are either agriculture, industry, or technology based, and in the Middle East it is based on oil, natural gas and agriculture. Travel in the Canada and the United States is mostly done by car or airplane, and some railway. In Southwest Asia, North Africa and Central Asia, there are more roads, railways and airports being built, and all of the new ones are being used.



The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Section 2
1. Much of the freshwater sources in North Africa, and the Middle East are oases, rivers and aquifers. Countries with little of these and are bordered by salt water use desalination - the separation of salt from water - to provide fresh water. farmers also dig canals to irrigate their farms.

2. Three of the largest environmental problems in the area are the Aswan High dam, the impact of war, and the three troubled seas. The Aswan High Dam rests on the Nile River in Egypt. It has dammed up the Nile, disrupting its natural flow, and created the world's largest man-made lake - Lake Nasser. Now that the Nile doesn't flood because of the dam, it cannot deposit fertile salts and minerals to the farmland, and the ground is growing sterile.

War in the middle east and in north Africa caused the destruction of nearly 700 oil wells, which poured thousands of pounds of thick black smoke clouds into the atmosphere. Also, millions of gallons of oil was poured into the Persian Gulf and killed thousands of marine animals and birds.

The troubled seas, or the Caspian sea, the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea, all face extreme environmental challenges. Both air and water pollution soil the water in these three lakes, and overfishing has depleted their fish populations. Farmers have diverted feeding rivers to irrigate their farmlands, and this causes the lakes to lose water, and the drier land is kicked up in dust storms. The Dead sea has dropped, in the past 40-50 years, 262 feet, or 80 meters.


Salt formation in the Dead Sea



creative writing: I agree with the statement "It is necessary for all of the countries in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia to cooperate to develop plans and technologies to bring more freshwater to the region." I agree because without water, no human can survive, and without water, no ecosystem can survive. Because most of this area is desert, the conservation of water is extremely important, and the conservation of the environment is equally important. If the countries in this region don't have enough water to support its people, then they need to work together to bring freshwater to cities and farms.

Chapter 17

Map of the Middle East and North Africa

Section 1
1. Mountains and deserts dominate the landscape of North Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The main water sources are lush river valleys that wind their way across the kums and to the seas.

2. Much of the world is economically dependent on this area because of its natural resources - oil and natural gas. This region contains some 60% of the world's oil preserves under its deserts.

creative writing: I believe that the supply of water in North Africa, southwest Asia, and Central Asia is more critical to the region's security than the supply of oil. This is how I see it: every one needs water to stay alive, but no one needs oil to stay alive.

Section 2
1. The climates in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia are made up of desert and steppe climates with little to no rain. But in the northern middle east, that is around Turkey and Syria, a Mediterranean climate brings rainy, cool winters and hot summers.

2. People like nomadic herders keep their livestock in steppe climates and feed them on short grasses that grow in these areas. The people that grow cereals and grains live next to rivers and use irrigation to water their fields.


Size of sand grains in the Middle East


creative writing: The steppe climate areas of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia, and the steppe climate in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada are similar. The farmers in both regions grow similar crops and livestock - grains, cereals, cattle, goats. But these areas and their farmers are different as well: most of the food produced in the great plains is widely commercial, while the food grown in Southwest & Central Asia, and North Africa is more locally use and eaten.

Chapter 16

Section 1

1. Agriculture, industry, communications and transportation have changed since the fall of the Soviet Union. Agriculture in Russia used to be based on state-controlled kolkhozes and sovkhozes - farms owned by either the farmers, or the government - but since the decline of the soviet union, and the growing market economy, the stability of agriculture depended on crop imports from other countries. Industry is slowly increasing its GDP in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. The main focus of Russia's industries is the extraction and processing of crude oil, and the import of minerals and metals. Communications post-Soviet era have recognized new view points, and is not as restricted of criticizing the government as it was under soviet rule. the use of cell phones has doubled, and the use of the Internet is above the world's average of 12%. Finally, transportation is difficult, at best, in Russia. Often, snow-fall and -melts often make roads unsafe, and unusable. Russia depends on waterways and rail systems to transport goods and people all across the country.



The Trans-Siberian railroad is the largest
contributor of transportation across Russia.



2. Russia is developing into a full part of the global trading community. Its major trading companions are the Japan, the EU, China, and other former Soviet republics.

creative writing: Russia, under Soviet rule, started with a control economy. The government controlled what products were made, where they were sold, and how much they cost. many working consumers could not afford day-to-day things, and therefor, both the economy and the working population suffered. Mikhail Gorbachev, who ruled starting in 1985, began changing the economy over to a market one in order to save the economy, which was failing. he allowed businesses to become privately owned, and he reduced the government's control on consumer products. The next ruler, Boris Yeltsin, further removed price controls and encouraged investing profits in foreign reinvestment's. Eventually, Russia's economy became a fully market economy.


Section 2
1. Russia manages its natural resources by forcing companies in mining, fishing and timber industries to take environmentally aware actions, by replanting trees, increasing private investments to protect forests, and meeting strict environmental standards.

2. The future environmental challenges that Russia faces are the shrinking fish populations in Russia's oceans and rivers, the use of super trawlers in the fishing industry - which unnecessarily kills millions of sea mammals and fish every year. Pipelines that transport gas and oil across the country threaten the environment with leaks and busts, which can kill the surrounding areas for miles. Also, the thawing of peat bogs in Siberia could release millions of metric tons of greenhouse gasses into the air.

creative writing: Pollution is a global issue, but it affects some people more than others, and in places like Russia, with lots of lands and forests to care for, the impact is greater. The Soviet's disregard for environmental preservation did not help maters. The soviets tested the effects of nuclear bombs and explosions. Nuclear wastes and radioactive materials, if not properly contained, can cause severe cancer, destroy the environment in a large area, and contaminate water for generations. One example of a severely disasterous exposure of the effects of radiation was in the fire in the nuclear plant in the Russian town of Chernobyl. The fire set off an explosion releasing tons of radioactive particles into the air. This disaster still affects people today.


The nuclear power plant after the explosion in Chrnobyl.



Chapter 15

flag of the Soviet Union

Section 1

1. In post-Soviet Russia, the role of religion has changed from being illegal, to being very important and influential.

2. Russia's major ethnic groups are Russian, Turkic, Ukrainian, Uralic-Altic, Ossetian, Paleo-Siberian, and Caucasian.

creative writing: If I were a teen in Europe who wanted to persuade my parents that attending high school in the post-Soviet era is better than it was during the Soviet era, my essay would look something like this:

Dear Mama and Papa,
   I know that you attended high school during the soviet era, and you may believe that it was great. But the post-Soviet era that we now live in has provided an even greater education for me. This is because of the greater variety of subjects that I am being taught. You only learned about mathematics, engineering and science, and although these are very important, so is history, language, and literature! Without these, much of our humanity is lost, and where would we be without that?
   It is in my opinion that post-Soviet education is of higher quality than that of the Soviet era. Although you may disagree, stating that because of the Soviet Union, you now have a good paying engineering job, but I say, so do all of the other parents who grew up under Soviet rule. An entire generation was turned monochromatic, the same, with the same jobs and educations. but now, with a variety of subjects to master, my generation will flourish with color of varying educations and employments.
  This is why I believe that the quality of education in post-Soviet Russia is higher than it was in Soviet Russia.
   Thank you for your time, from your child,
   Akilina



map of major ethnic groups in Russia


Section 2
1. The ancient Slavs were the ancestors of the ethnic Russians.

2. The causes of the Soviet Union's collapse were the weakened economy, the Cold War, and  the disagreements between the privileges of the leaders, and the wages of the workers in the USSR.

creative writing:
   The United States played part in the downfall of the soviet union in Russia, although, it was also contributed to by the failing economy and disagreements of the wages and privileges of its people.
   As more people suffered under Soviet rule, the Soviet leaders went toe-to-toe with the U.S. and its allies. as both powers fought for international power and influence. Although both threatened to use nuclear weapons to destroy the other's land and sent used other countries' soldiers to fight a proxy war, the two sides used propaganda to get more people and nations on their side. Eventually, the soviets lost, and soon after the cold war, the soviet union fell apart, leaving individual countries to find their own political stand.

Chapter 14



Russia's biggest cities



Section 1

1.The area of the land that Russia covers is approximately 6.6 million square miles, or 17.1 million square kilometers.

2. Russia's natural resources are natural gas, mineral reserves, platinum, coal, nickel, gemstones, and aluminum.

creative writing: Many people are not aware that much of the world’s forest land lies on Russian soil. Actually, one fifth of all the world's forests is in Russia. these forests are populated by spruce, pine, fir and cedar trees, which are fit to survive through cold Russian winters. These trees also are second in the world for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen, the first place forest being the rain forests in the Amazon Basin in South America. The trees in the boreal, or most northern, forests of Russia also provide literally tons of the world's timber. But every year, 40 million acres are deforested for agriculture or livestock grazing or urbanization. The loss of these trees could mean the loss of that much oxygen in the air, and just that much more carbon dioxide to pollute it. Therefor, the protection of Russia's forests are as much important to the trees themselves as to the world.

Section 2
1. Russia's main climates are tundra, steppe, humid continental, highland, and subarctic.



Average annual temperature in Russia.



2. In the tundra region of Russia, there are no trees, but wide, frozen planes. In Russia's subarctic regions, coniferous forests dominate the landscape, while in the humid continental regions, coniferous forests mix with deciduous forests. in the steppe climate of Russia, many plants grow, including sunflowers, mint, and beans, and vast expanses of grassy planes.

creative writing: If I were a member of Napoleon's army invading Russia in 1812, this journal entry might describe what my day would have been like:

December 14, 1812
   We walked another full day, today. The snow kept falling, and we kept walking, and the men in my regiment kept falling over, for they couldn't feel their feet. The Russians, as they retreat, kept burning their own towns. Sometimes the houses and barns were still on fire when we reached them, and we walked across the hot ashes to relieve the cold in our feet and legs. Napoleon told us to search the ruins for food or supplies, even though we knew it was futile. I only found a dead lamb. The other soldiers wanted to eat it strait away, but as it was about to be cleaned, the smell of rot came out from it, and we went hungry again. My dear friend Pierre died from pneumonia, and I pray that he is well, wherever he is. I also pray that i make it home without losing any more than the toes that froze today.

-- Théo Abbe

Chapter 13

Section 1
1. Three of the reasons major economic changes are taking place in Europe are the opening of tourism in urban areas, the fall of communism, and the creation and expansion of the European Union, or the EU.

2. Some changes in the economies, farming techniques, and communications in eastern Europe since the fall of communism in 1989 are the switching from command economies to market economies, the use of organic farming, and the merging of Eurovision and Intervision broadcast networks to create the European Broadcasting Union.



The euro is the most common form of currency in Europe, as it is used by most countries in the EU.

 creative writing: As Europe develops a more unified, service-oriented economy, a question rises: is it more important for nations to develop more efficient communications systems than to develop more efficient transportation systems? I believe that both are equally important. More efficient transportation would mean that less oil is used to power trains, cars, boats and airplanes. Also, a more efficient communications network would mean that more people could share their ideas with the rest of the world through fiber-optics, cell phones, satellite relay, cable and microwave relay. This would especially help communications in eastern Europe.

Section 2

1. Three ways the industry and farming practices have affected Europe's environment are soil erosion caused by over-farming, over-grazing, bad farming practices and too much removal of vegetation, the deforestation of nearly two-thirds of the natural forests of europe, and the creation of acid rain by the mixing of moisture and air-borne chemicals produced by factories and industrial sites. 



Trees killed by acid rain in Europe.



2. The steps that have been taken by the European Union to protect Europe's environment are the burning of natural gas instead of fossil fuels, the use of Biogas, a gas made by decomposing organic materials, and the law that states that by this year, 2010, all countries in the EU must have lowered their emissions to 15% lower than their previous levels in 1990.

creative writing: Are the pollution laws and controls put in place by members of the European Union all that is necessary to protect the environment in Europe today and in the future? In my opinion, no. I believe that we are always needing new restrictions to erase or at least lessen our environmental footprint. As long as humans will need electric power, we will need restrictions on our uses of it, and even the most recent laws against greater pollution will become outdated.

The flag of the European Union.