Traditional Russian Religion

Many in Russia are members of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, second-largest Christian church next to the Roman Catholic Church in number of followers, which spread to the region via Eastern Europe after the split with the Roman Catholic Church. In central Asian republics such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Islam it is very pre-dominate because of the historical spread of the religion to this area by nomadic tribes.

Economies

• Command economies – Economic activities are organized to produce based on directives and planning from the ruler or the state. The economy is centrally controlled and decisions about production, distribution, and income are determined by the ruler or the government. Socialism and Communism are examples of command or planned economies.

• Most countries’ economic systems fall along a spectrum from command systems to free market systems with some countries have more government involvement in economic decisions and some having less government involvement in economic decisions.

• A free enterprise economic system is a market economy where independent producers supply goods and services in response to consumer demand. The system has four characteristics: economic freedom, voluntary exchange, private property, and profit motive. Wages in this system are determined by what society values. Competition is a feature of the system and is intended to produce better products and services at lower costs to consumers. Services provided by the government are limited in scope in an effort to limit taxation.

• A communist economic system is characterized by government ownership of all industries and businesses. Government owns and controls all resources and makes all economic decisions, including what is produced, what prices are charges, and what wages are paid. The government provides all services with no choice to the consumer. 

• Benefits of a U.S. free enterprise system

  • Individuals and businesses have the freedom to operate and compete with minimal government regulation

  • Private ownership of land, minerals, manufacturing plants, goods and services

  • Opportunities for innovativeness and inventiveness

  • Opportunities to earn a profit

  • Individuals may choose how to provide their own labor within the labor market​

Government

• In a limited government led by the citizens, everyone, including all authority figures, must obey the laws. Constitutions, statements of rights, or other laws define the limits of those in power, so leaders cannot take advantage of their elected, appointed, or inherited positions.

• Rule by a few – small group has power; oligarchy

  • Government with rule by a few also occurs when a group of persons seize power after an overthrow of the previous government. The new rulers constitute a junta. (usually an unlimited government)

  • Examples: Iran, Nepal, Vietnam, China, Russian Federation​

​Southwest Asia/North Africa Transitions of Power/Movement

• Following the First World War the Ottoman Empire was divided into several current nations in Southwest Asia with the British and French controlling the territories.

• The Holocaust during the Second World War encouraged the movement to create a Jewish state and Israel was founded as such in 1948 encompassing the territory of Palestine.

• The formation of Israel resulted in a series of conflicts between Arab states in the region and Israel or the Arab-Israeli wars.

• Conflict between Palestinians and Jews living in Israel also ensued and continues to plague the region.

• Following the end of the Second World War the territories in North Africa gained independence as the European powers decolonized in the region. These independent North African nations struggle with political and economic stability following decolonization.

​Effects of Colonization

• Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Political systems vary, but generally limited governments are emerging in the region, which has struggled to establish stable political systems and political boundaries following the end of European colonization in the mid-20th century

  • Most nations have adopted market economic systems and are primary exporters of natural resources with little industrial development in the region, again a legacy of colonization as suppliers of raw materials to colonial powers

  • Ethnic conflict plagues the region as boundaries drawn by the European colonial powers did not take into account tribal histories; increasingly conflicts over access to resources are developing along religious lines, such as in Nigeria and Sudan; apartheid in South Africa exemplifies the ethnic conflict that resulted from colonization

  • The region is characterized by a variety of ethnic tribal groups and a variety of languages, yet English and French are spoken widely because of the influence of colonization

  • Christianity and Islam are both practiced in the region, with Islam spreading to the region with trade in the 13th century and Christianity spreading to the region with European colonization and later missionary expeditions

African Cultural Traditions

• African folktales which encompass a range of myths, proverbs, and poetry reflect the oral traditions of African cultures. 

• An artistic heritage of using natural materials is reflected in the sculpture and carvings of African cultures.

Conflict

• Southwest Asia and North Africa

  • Conflict between Israel and Palestine has roots in Jewish immigration to the region and European involvement in partitioning the region following World War I

  • A variety of ethnic groups live within the region, including Arabs, Persians, Turks, Armenians, Kurds, and Jews because the region has served historically as a crossroads of travel and trade

  • A variety of languages are spoken in the region with Arabic predominating because of the historical spread of Islam in the region during the 8th century

  • Most practice Islam, yet the region is home to Jews, especially in Israel and Christian communities also, because of the historic development of these religions in the region

Ways People Have Modified the Physical Environment

• Dams – allows for flood control and the production of hydroelectricity, examples include Three Gorges Dam (China), Aswan (Egypt), Ataturk (Turkey)

• Desalination of saltwater is an adaptation used in regions where fresh water is scarce

​Important People Promoting Equality

• Nelson Mandela

  Nelson Mandela was a social rights activist, politician and philanthropist who became South Africa's first Black president from 1994 to 1999. After becoming involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African National Congress in 1942.

• Desmond Tutu

  Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican archbishop best known for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984. In 1995 he was named head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated allegations of human rights abuses during the apartheid era.​