Guns, Germs and Steel

In the movie Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond tries to explain the reasons behind the many problems surrounding Africa and its natives. Diamond believes that it began with the European settlers who came to Africa many years ago. This group of people took over native land from the Africans. This displaced many of the natives forcing them to move away from their home land. The European settlers were able to accomplish this because of their developed lifestyle. They had important resources like large animals, developed technology and sophisticated medicine. These factors all contributed to the decline in African power. Once the Europeans had taken over southern Africa they started pushing towards the interior of Africa to gain more land and resources. However, with this conquest the Europeans experienced more problems. They faced more resistance from larger African tribes, which they had not seen before. The Europeans combated this by advancing their steel technology. The industrial revolution led the Europeans to the creation of more advanced guns (the multi-shot and continuous gun). This invention helped the Europeans to take over more land and travel farther toward the interior of Africa. However, this movement to the interior parts of Africa posed greater problems for the Europeans. Their initial settlements were in southern Africa, which were equally the same distance from the equator as they were in Europe. This helped to produce similar climates and conditions that they were accustomed too. When the Europeans moved more towards the interior they moved into a more tropical climate. They were subjected to a new environment that they and their animals had never experienced. The land was very different and this affected their farming and agriculture because their crops would not successfully grow. The new climate also brought new illnesses and diseases that they had never seen. They didn’t have the proper medicine to combat these various problems. This caused the Europeans to eventually leave this land, but after they left the damage upon Africa and their natives was already done. The colonization that the Europeans had enforced on the Africans was one factor that has contributed to their problems and still exists today. Africans used to live in different regions that were very spread out, but now they live in high density locations. This has increased the rate of infection of different illnesses and diseases. It is easier to pass and contract an illness when living in close proximity of more individuals. This has also affected their medicine because the more medicine the doctors give out the more likely the strains of disease can mutate and combat the effect of the medicine. This has caused medicine in Africa to become less effective causing more sickness and more deaths. Before the Europeans arrived in Africa, African culture was very diverse with many tribes. Each tribe had their own culture made up of a different set of beliefs and values. They also had their own unique language. Since different tribes of Africans were forced to live in close proximity, many problems have cropped up amongst the different tribes. Besides having to live in close proximity to each other, other factors that have contributed to this rise in conflict are the language and cultural barriers between different groups of Africans. Understanding the impact the European Settlers had when they came to Africa and colonized helps to understand how the tension started among the Africans and why conflict still exists today.

Photos courtesy of http://www.travelnotes.org/Africa/images/africa2.gif and https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv_qh9DSM6NWWPGbh5FahMjxqKx_wC9f3WfOIHOUKjkUuFxzQt8WPi39L4vuXM2WzqUiAK7XunVS7dZxmKyLSG2OrBWdjDW0w_GMkfdvt0In_wYOqshIhvJ-Ws3oliUOhiPWi94_gnSo/s400/boer-guerrilla-commandos-boerwar_400.jpg

Saudi Arabia

Before I watched the program about Saudi Arabia I had many preconceived notions about this country and their people. First, I knew that the majority of this country was desert. The film stated that 95% of the country was actually made up of desert. I thought that it was awesome that the Saudi Arabians had off-road vehicles that they used to tear up the desert. I would love the opportunity to cruise the desert in one of those types of vehicles. I also believed the people of Saudi Arabia to be very reserved and quite. I thought this because I knew that there were many strict religious rules and codes in which they had to follow. I also thought that the majority of the population was either rich or poor because of the significance of oil production with very little middle class. It was fascinating to find out that the cost of a gallon of gas was under $1 in Saudi Arabia. It seemed that there was also a middle class present throughout the filming of this show. I was expecting to see a large presence of wealth and materialistic people in the program, but this class was not represented or shown in the program. It was interesting to see that they also had a huge shopping mall for people to go shopping. I was also aware of the dress code in which women are forced to follow. It was interesting to find out that the reason the women covered up in public was to protect female beauty. However, I did not realize that they could wear whatever they wanted in their own home. It was nice to know that females had some freedom when it came to dressing in clothes! It would not be very fun to be limited to a certain dress code everywhere you went! I thought it was so bizarre and fascinating that women had to follow the dress code even while underwater! It was interesting to see that the outfit the men wore actually was very light weight and helped to keep them cool in the hot temperatures. I learned that vendors and practically the rest of the city shuts down during the time of prayer. I also learned that Saudi Arabia is a very family oriented country. Families get preferential treatment when it comes to certain things within the community. I was shocked at how similar Saudi Arabians act compared to people from the United States. It seemed that everyone was very nice and polite to the American host. I also saw many friendly and proud Arabs who were honored to serve their guests. Hospitality was also an important aspect when it came to the culture of the Saudi Arabians. It was also interesting to see the wide variety of food selection that they had. I didn’t know that camel meat was actually a part of their diet. It was also interesting to see that the majority of people ate with their fingers. They would share a main course and just rip their food right off with their fingers. This is a different concept compared to American culture. Overall I thought that the country of Saudi Arabia was very different from what I expected. I would someday love the opportunity to travel to this place!

Photos courtesy of http://www.wordtravels.com/images/map/Saudi_Arabia_map.jpg and http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2307716-Bedoins_In_Saudi_Arabia-Saudi_Arabia.jpg

Soviet Terms

Glasnost- A specific Soviet government policy that allowed for open discussion of social and political issues within the country. It was also known as a historical time period (around the 1980s) when there was less censorship by the government.

http://www.historyorb.com/russia/glasnost.shtml

Karl Marx- A German socialist thinker whose ideas and beliefs created the foundations of communism. His ideology eventually led to the movement of Marxism. This system of beliefs have influenced many people and has specifically impacted the people of Russia.

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html

http://www.pointofresistance.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/karl-marx0.jpg

Vladimir Lenin- A Russian politician and revolutionary thinker who led the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was known as a communist who was the first Head of State during the initial years of the USSR.

http://www.essortment.com/all/biographyvladim_myd.htm

http://www.isfp.co.uk/images/vladimir_lenin.jpg

Perestroika- Was the policy of governmental and economic reform. This was established by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. The creation of this policy took place during the mid 1980s.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perestroika

Russian Revolution of 1917- A combination of events which led to the creation of the Soviet state. It became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR.

http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/russianrev.html

KGB- A Russian abbreviation for the name of the national security agency of the Soviet Union. It was known for being a very effective intelligence agency.

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/russia/kgb/su0520.htm

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c72e153ef01156ff8732f970c-800wi

Chechnya- A region that is located in the Northern Caucasus mountains. Over time, there have been many disputes over its independence from Russia.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/100/crisis-in-chechnya

http://www.flashpoints.info/countries-conflicts/Chechnya-web/Chechnya-map3.bmp

Tsar Nickolas II- The last Emperor to rule Russia. He ruled from 1894 until 1917 and was abolished shortly following the Revolution of 1917.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/nicholasii.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Tsar_Nicholas_II_-1898.JPG

Trans-Siberian railroad- The longest railroad system to exist in Russia. The system was constructed under the control of Tsar Alexander III and began in 1891. This railroad system runs from Moscow to Vladivostok and stretches over 5,700 miles.

http://www.geographia.com/russia/trasib01.htm

http://www.travelhistory.org/siberia/travelers/bholmes/intromatter/transibbig.jpg

Kremlin- Is a complex consisting of multiple palaces, armories and churches. It also serves as the official residence of the President of Russia.

http://www.geographia.com/russia/moscow02.htm

http://rocketrussian.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/kremlin.jpg

Red Square- A location in Moscow that is known as a city square. This square is surrounded by some of Moscow’s famous tourist attractions such as Lenin’s tomb and St. Basil’s cathedral. It is also located adjacent to the Kremlin.

http://www.geographia.com/RUSSIA/moscow03.htm

Bolshevik- A member of the extremist wing of the Russian Democratic party. The Bolsheviks came to power during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and eventually founded the Soviet Union.

http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/easteurope/octrev.html

Joseph Stalin- A Russian political figure who became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Vladimir Lenin.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSstalin.htm

http://images.google.com/images?q=Joseph%20Stalin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Yuri Gagarin- A Soviet cosmonaut, who became the first person in outer space. While in space he was able to successfully orbit the Earth.

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/gagarin.html

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Science/Images/yuri-gagarin-in-space.jpg

Mikhail Gorbachev- A Soviet official who served as President, but resigned once the Soviet Union started to fall apart.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/238982/Mikhail-Gorbachev

http://www.topnews.in/files/Mikhail.Gorbachev.jpg

Grigori Rasputin- A man who was considered to have been a “faith healer” who influenced many lives. Interestingly, there is a brand of vodka that is made in Germany that is named after Rasputin and even includes his face in a hologram on the bottle.

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Rasputin_Grigori.html

http://signaveritae.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/rasputin-pd.jpg

Grand Dutchess Anastasia- The youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II who was supposedly executed with her family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Some people say that her body was missing and question her whereabouts.

http://www.answers.com/topic/anastasia

Red Terror- Is known as a campaign led by the Bolsheviks, which included many executions and arrests. This campaign targeted against counterrevolutionaries in Russia.

http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/18369/Red-Terror.html

Lake Baykal- Is the world’s deepest lake in the world, which reaches depths of 1285 m below sea level. It is believed that this lake contains 20% of the total freshwater on the entire earth.

http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/asi/asi-27.html

http://www.baikaler.com/map/gifs/olkhontotal.gif

All of these terms are connected in various ways, but all contribute to the history and geography of Russia.