Nigeria

    Nigeria we all know as a place that may not seem like the wealthiest but we never know much about their history. Learning about it is very interesting because it is just like other countries it has it's own background of creating their country how it is today. They've also gone through others ruling over them, wars, crisis, and ect. They are still dealing with it today.
   At first Nigeria was inhabited by those who had practiced agriculture and stock-herding. Those people were called nok, they lived on the Jos Plateau located in the central area of Nigeria. Later on in the 18th century Kanem Borner was formed in northern Nigeria and from there it had expanded into the south. The Hausa State Empire was also formed at the same time, they had been controlled by Songhai Empire. Soon that empire had fallen and Kanem Borner influence had came in.
   Over in the north the dominant states were Ife, Oya, and Benin. Those states had been set up by Yoruba and Edo in the first century of CE. It was all great in the beginning but then the Banin Emprie had gained control over many, they're main peaking point being the 15th to 17th century. That did not last long either with Oyo taking over Yorubaland and Dahoma, later including Banin in that list. Oyo's time had lasted quite awhile until the break out of the Civil Wars. Right after that the north falls apart as well, and Usumanan de Fodio starts Jihad (Holy War) in the 1800's. Usumanan gains control of all Hausa States except Bornu. He also reforms the Islam practice, and with all that his son follows in his footsteps when he gains his own power over northern Nigeria. That had happened before the British controlled it.
   Nigeria may also seem to have lived in poverty for a while but they were involved in slave trade. The Portuguese were the first to reach the coast, and the slaves would be captured by middlemen. Those slaves would then be sold to the Portuguese. The trading would keep going on and off depending on the current power. It was such a great area to trade that Sir George Goldie had many treaties with the African leaders that he got control of the French trading companies in that area. With the control of that area he was able to spread the business south west and east, later on including the north as well.
  Though it may seem like Nigeria may not have a lot going on for the country itself but if you dig deeper by not just going by looks, money, or all those other things that attract people you may find other things interesting that don't necessarily stand out. It is a great place to visit sometime to may find an indigenous person and ask them about the history and background of the place. It would be great to know a little more and maybe appreciate something Nigeria may have to offer.

"Nigeria: History." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.



First Semester Reflection

South America

 

 

        Learning all about the different country's geography and other things are very interesting. I would have to say that studying South America was very fascinating, especially the second half of the chapter. It was interesting to see the real difference between Hispanic and Latino. Learning more and more about different countries is very exciting. Soon we will all be able to know a little about every other country not that ours isn't great but it is still good to be informed. Another interesting thing we learned that I thought was interesting was about how the junta. Yes, they were bad but it was intriguing to see how they threw over the government and were able to keep that power over the people. Also in Argentina with the first woman president, Christina Fernandez Kirchner. It was great to see that woman there can also be in power if they wanted. As we went on with the semester we ended with a little bit of Europe which will be very interesting to get deeper into this next semester along with the other awesome things to come.

Peru

     Lima, the capital of Peru. A fascinating place where it makes a mark for itself in originality. The coastal is characterized by their national identity, which is wealthy. While the interior is more traditional and in poverty. Is usually left out socially and economically. Seems like a great place to get away from the world to get a moment alone in the interiors. 

     There are some downsides to the interior for the people there, they are underprivileged and discriminated. Their traditional ways are also being destructed with the mining and oil development. The interior social factors also disrupt the Peruvian culture. Here they suffer the problem of low economy and influence. 45% of indigenous people have no education so there are no job opportunities for them ("Peru-Contemporary Issues"), this is part of why they have low economic value. 

     Problems in the coast are many people migrating from the interiors too quickly. It causes shortages of water, electricity, sewer system, infrastructure, job opportunities, and shelter. Some people would have to make their homes out of cardboard, metal scraps, or canes.

    So the interior seem very rough and underprivileged it would be great to start a missionary trip there or just help out in general. Along with the coastal would be great for family vacations or just a luxury trip on your own. You can visit the famous Machu Picchu. 

 

"Peru: Contemporary Issues." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC CLIO, 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. 

    Alpaca made of alpaca fur. (Credit:    

                  Kelly Struthers)

               

           www. cntratraveller.com

South Korea

         South Korea, at the age of 5 or 6 I went to Seoul, South Korea. It had been the first time I had flown alone with my big brother. Anyway, I spent my whole summer there and the culture was very different from what I was used to. Where I had stayed there was no shower at home, you would have to go use the public bathroom to shower. There were also no beds, you slept on the ground with one or two blanket and a pillow. Of course, you felt like you were having a sleep over every day. I also stayed at my great aunt's where they had lots of bobcats around the house. As far as cars go, there weren't very many around considering everything was in walking distance. In Seoul they had lots of street markets selling thing like acessories, handbags, electronics, and other things as well.

         For Koreans, their meals are homecooked and usually always have rice or kimch'i incorporated in some way. Kimch'i is vegetables mixed with salt and chang, soybean paste. Their main dishes are either broiled or fried foods, soups, raw or salted fish, and vegetables. Koreans also have beef that is marinated with soy sauce, garlic, and spices. This is called bulgogi. Eating these foods you usally have to use chopsticks or a spoon ("South Korea: Food and Holidays").

         In my extra research of this country I also learned more about the cultural makeup there. It is known as the most ethnically homogeneous place. People call it the "single race society" because 99% of the koreans speak Korean. When it comes to religion, it is the base for religious diplomats. More than half of the country has no religious preference and the rest is either Buddahist or Christian (Cybriwsky, "Seoul").

         In South Korea you even celebrate holidays differently. For Singmogil (Arbor Day) everyone is expected to plant at least one tree. It is seen as a gift to the future generations, and it makes up for the deforestation from the Korean War and WWII. Another holiday celebrated in a different way is Ch'usok (Harvest Moon Festival). It is the Thanksgiving Day for Koreans, it's celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Koreans there even get three days of no work. How does that sound to you? Every 14-16 on the eighth lunar month they get time to go back to their hometown or visit family ("South Korea: Food and Holidays").

 

photographs taken from: http://quekzhenghao.blogspot.com/2011/01/seoul-south-korea.html

kimch'i

Bulgogi

 

information taken from:



Cybriwsky, Roman A. "Seoul." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World.ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

"South Korea: Food and Holidays." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World.ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.