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Real World Elicegui Esteiro Grupo 4
REAL WORLD
ISFD Nº 41
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
STUDENTS:
ELICEGUI MERCEDES
ESTEIRO YAGO
GROUP 4 – (1º1º)
2017
INDEX
• UNIT 1: Great Britain Identity page 4
• UNIT 2: England Identity page 8
• UNIT 3: Wales Identity page 13
• UNIT 4: Scotland Identity page 16
• UNIT 5: Ireland Identity page 19
• UNIT 6: The United States of America Identity page 22
• UNIT 7: Canada Identity page 27
• UNIT 8: The West Indies Identity page 31
• UNIT 9: Australia Identity page 35
• UNIT 10: New Zealand Identity page 40
• UNIT 11: India Identity page 42
• UNIT 12: Africa Identity page 49
UNIT 1 GREAT BRITAIN IDENTITY
THE UK, GREAT BRITAIN OR THE BRITISH ISLES?
The oficial name of the UK is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It is situated in the North-West of Europe, with a total area of 244,100 km2 and a length of
1,000 km.
It is made up of four countries, distributed on two main islands.
On the island of Great Britain, the biggest one, you can find Scotland in the North, England in
the South and Wales in the West.
On the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland is the one that belongs to the UK, while the Republic
of Ireland is an independent country
When was the UK formed?
The United Kingdom was formed on January 1st, 1801 and constitutes the greater part of the
British Isles.
What is the British Isles?
It is a geographical term which includes two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland,
and 5,000 small islands, including the Isle of Man which has its own parliament and laws.
What is the UK capital city?
London, which is also the capital of England, is the capital city of the UK
THE UNION FLAG
The Union flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the oficial flag of the UK, so we can call it “the British flag”.
It is made up of the individual flags of three of the Kingdom countries and symbolizes the
administrative union of England, Scotland and Ireland under one sovereign. Since 1921 only
Northern Ireland remained part of the Union.
On the other side, Wales, being a principality and not a nation, couldn’t be included in the
Union flag but is represented indirectly by the English flag as it was part the former Kingdom of
England.
GOVERNMENT
The UK is a Constitutional Monarchy
What are the national identities of people living in Britain?
Although anyone in the UK has a British citizenship, they have different nationalities.
Most people born in the UK do not regard themselves as British and prefer to state their
national identity as English, Scottish or Welsh.
DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
There are often distinct differences between people living in each of the four countries in
the UK because each group of people tend to develop their own way of life.
There are multiple factors that influence in people’s way of life: where they live, how they
are brought up, their standards of living, their employment, interests, religious or their
traditional culture. In fact, many of these factors can be resumed as CULTURE.
As it is formed by different countries, people in Britain have many different cultures.
Great Britain has two official languages: English and Welsh. These two languages are very
different from each other but they have something in common: they are both descendant
of Indo-European languages.
More than half the world’s population speaks one of almost 300 Indo-
European languages, it means that all these languages have the same root
and, although this language doesn’t exist anymore, you can trace its
influence up to our days.
How Britain became a multicultural society
Not all British are Christian and white. Almost 8% of the population of Britain is from other
cultures and ethnicities, each one contributing to make this country the place it is today.
Britain is a mixed race society since the very beginning, as they were invaded by Romans,
Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Africans were taken to
Britain as slaves or servants. Over the years, thousands of people have gone to Britain as
refugees, escaping from persecution or hunger in their own countries.
Descendants of people from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan and other places, who established in
Britain in the 1950’s and 1960’s, live mainly in the big cities of England, like London, Birmingham
and Manchester.
People that moved to Britain try to keep their own cultures alive and marry them with the
culture of their new home. An excellent example of this is the Notting Hill Carnival, brought to
Britain from the Caribbean, which is now a big part of the British life.
POPULATION BY ETHNIC GROUP:
APRIL 2001
Total Population Minority ethnic
population
Thousands per cent per cent
White 54,154 92.1
Mixed 677 1.2 14.6
Asian or Asian British
Indian 1,053 1.8 22.7
Pakistani 747 1.3 16.1
Bangladeshi 283 0.5 6.1
Other Asian 248 0.4 5.3
Black or Black British
Black Caribbean 566 1.0 12.2
Black African 485 0.8 10.5
Black Other 98 0.2 2.1
Chinese 247 0.4 5.3
Other 231 0.4 5.0
All minority ethnic
population
4,635 7.9 100
All population 58,789 100
UNIT 2 ENGLAND IDENTITY
England is the largest and most populated of the four nations that made up the UK
It is situated on the island of Great Britain, with Scotland to the North and Wales to the West.
Unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which all have some kind of self
government in domestic issues, England no longer exists as a political or economic unit.
It seems to have been absorbed by Great Britain after the signature of the Act of Union
in 1707.
Not many institutions work only for England. Some exceptions are the Church of England
and sport associations for cricket, soccer and rugby.
In the 19th century, England became the centre of the Industrial Revolution and London,
soon turned into one of the world’ss most important cities, knot of economic, political
and social changes that spread to the world.
CLIMATE
Since Romans times, England has
been stereotyped as being cold, grey
and rainy, but this is not absolutely
accurate. The weather rarely gets
very cold or very hot, and even when
it rains quite frecquently, some parts
of the country often don’t have rains
for weeks.
But we should say its quite variable
and unpredictable
THE FLAG
England’s flag consists on a red cross on a white field. It’s been an English icon since the crusades and it honours Saint
George, the patron saint of England.
It is said that both, the patron and the flag, were selected by King Richard the Lionheart.
PEOPLE
The people of England, as well as their language, is the result of a mixed influence since Romans times to our days.
Romans, Angles, Saxons and others from Europe to the Vikings, Normans, Chinese, Jews, people from former British
colonies in the Caribbean, Indians, workers from the Western Union, such as Poland, regardless people from other UK
nations and the Republic of Ireland have made of England their second home.
Surely, you can find unfriendly people, but England is one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, with
a very low index of racism comparing to other nations. Almost everybody will treat you well if you are
polite and make an effort to fit in.
Although there are some social problems in big cities and even in some rural areas, England is a country
with Little visible poverty. Unfortunately, muggings, car theft, and other street crime are unhappily
common in some districts of many towns and cities, but England is by large a very safe country as long
as you use common sense.
LANGUAGE
Even when English is the main language in England, it is spoken with many different accents
throughout the country. Generally, English accents can be broadly divided into Northern and
Southern accents, with natives of Liverpool having a very distinctive accent that is easily
distinguishable from that of someone from neighbouring Manchester.
No other languages are widely spoken, but with the recent past decades of immigration, you may
also hear other languages such as Polish, Chinese, German, various South Asian languages or
even various African languages being spoken in their respective communities.
The Church of England, with the Monarch as its
head, is the official church of this country,
although there are also Non-Anglican Protestant,
Catholics, and communities of Muslims, Jews, Sikhs
and Hindus.
CULTURAL LIFE
English culture has received contributions from Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Muslims and other
immigrant groups. Other parts of the United Kingdom have gone through the same process so
that England cannot always be distinguished from Wales, Scotland ore even Northern Ireland.
Despite being so diverse, it continues developing a strong cultural influence all over the world in
areas such as music, films and literature.
CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
The Royal Society was founded in 1660 and awards fellowships, medals, and endowed lectureships based on scientific and technological achievements.
The British Museum contains a wealth of archaeological and ethnographic specimens and gave birth to the British Library. The Zoological Society of
London, which maintains the London Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens both conduct research, publishes journals, and support large libraries and show
England’s great natural beauty. There are also notable libraries at the University of Cambridge and at the University of Oxford (the Bodleian Library).
There are plenty of Art galleries in England. The mayor one are based in London such as the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the
National Portrait Gallery, two Tate galleries—Tate Britain (with superb collections of John Constable and the Pre-Raphaelites) and Tate Modern—and
the Wallace Collection.
LITERATURE
English literature has produced masterpieces since medieval times,
starting with King Arthur’s legend, written in Old English, passing through
Shakespeare’s plays, the Brönte sisters, Charles Dickens, Louis Carrol, J.R.R
Tolkien to J. K Rowling
England has contributed to cinema arts since the William Friese-Greene’s first
experiments with cinematography in the late 19th century. During the 1930’s, Alfred
Hitchcock directed England’s first great film: “The Thirty-Nine Steps”.
Since then, England has continued moviemaking as a satellite of the USA, which
provided much of the “English” cinema with films as the iconic James Bond Series.
English participation in the cinema industry has been increased by the appearence of
films by Hugh Hudson, Kenneth Branagh and the influence of great actors, such as Sir
Lawrence Olivier or Sir Anthony Hopkins.
FILMS
MUSIC
England has an old deep bond with music, since the times when monks and
troubadours travelled throughout Europe, spreading musical forms quickly.
England produced many notable composers including William Byrd, Henry Purcell
and George Frederick Handel.
British popular music, especially rock music, has had a tremendous impact on world
music and produced worldwide known bands, starting with The Beatles, the Rolling
Stones, the Who, and others of sensational popularity such as Led Zeppelin, Elton
John, Pink Floyd, the Sex Pistols, the Police, Boy George, the Spice Girls, Oasis, Blur,
Radiohead and Queen.
CUISINE
English cuisine is base on either beef, lamb, pork,
chicken or fish served with potatoes or other
vegetables. Fish and chips is one of the most
traditional carry-out English dishes.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Despite England’s lively cultural life, the
exploitation of leisure is increasingly the
concern of commerce: foreign holiday
package tours, gambling of many kinds (from
bingo to horse-race and political betting), and
the transformation of the traditional English
pub by trendy interior decoration. English
people also enjoy their weekends with
countryside trips and outdoor activities from
fishing to mountaineering.
Besides cricket, football (soccer), and rugby
football, the English take part in angling,
basketball, snooker, and swimming.
MEDIA AND PUBLISHING
Being centred in London, England has a vast and deep
influencing broadcasting and printed media, including de BBC,
daily newspapers such as The Times, tabloids like The Sun, The
Daily Telegraph, The Guradian and periodicals as The
Economist.
UNIT 3 WALES IDENTITY
Wales it is the only country in the United Kingdom that is not represented in the Union Jack,
because It was united to England under one King when the flag was created. However, as the
other countries member of the United Kingdom, Wales has its own flag.
The flag incorporates the red dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, on a white and green field
representing the Tudors. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and carried to St
Paul's Cathedral. After that, the red dragon was included as a supporter to represent the Tudors
Welsh descent. It was officially recognized as the Welsh national flag in 1959.
LANGUAGE
Wales is a bilingual country.20% of the people speak Welsh as their first language. Welsh people are proud of
their language and all the road signs are bilingual. There are also a lot of Welsh language programs on radio
and TV, and students can go to all-Welsh schools.
The Welsh Word for Wales is Cymru, which means “friend” and the Welsh are
proud of themselves as being friendly and welcoming.
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Everywhere you go in Wales, there is a hill, lake or standing stone that has a story of its own.
The more popular are the legend of King Arthur and his knights, the Lady of the Lake, and the
tale of Prince Llewelyn and his hunting dog, Gelert.
Most of these stories can be found in The Mabinogion (pronounced 'Mabin-OGion') a
collection of masterpieces medieval literature and Wales' greatest contribution to European
literature, which still have the ability to fascinate and appeal to all.
WELSH ARTS AND CULTURE
Wales has not only a great number of famous artists, such as Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Bale,
Tom Jones, Richard Burton and Catherine Zeta Jones, but also holds the world’s most famous art and literature
festival.
Many movie producers choose Wales and its scenic landscapes to give life to some great films since the beginning
of Hollywood history. Moby Dick (1956), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), An American Werewolf in London (1981),
First Knight (1995), James Bond’s The world is not enough (1999) and Die another day (2002) and the recent
blockbusters Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1 & Pt. 2 (2010 & 2011), Captain America: The First Avenger
(2011), and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)among others, were filmed or have scenes filmed in Wales.
WELSH FOOD AND DRINK
The Welsh are proud of their food. Their landscape reflects
freshness, quality and variety. There is fresh, local and organic
meat and vegetables from the farms and fish from the coast.
The traditional Welsh Cakes deserve one paragraph apart, a type
of scone cooked on a stove-top griddle, or the afternoon tea with
Bara Brith (which is translated as speckled bread), a wonderful
sticky fruitcake served sliced and smothered in butter.
A traditional Welsh breakfast consists of Laverbread, not actually
bread at all but seaweed, often fried into crisp patties with eggs,
bacon and fresh cockles
QUICK FACTS
Population: 3,113,150*
Population Density: 150,1 people per km2*
Size: 20,782km2 or 8,024m2
Coastal Path: 1,400km
Capital City: Cardiff, population 361,468*
Other major towns/cities: Swansea, Newport, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil
Official languages: English, Welsh
Government: Welsh Government
First Minister of Wales: Carwyn Jones AM
National Day: 1st March (St Davids Day)
National Anthem: Hen Wlad fy Nhadau / Land of my fathers
Currency: Pounds sterling (£)
*StatsWales/ Mid year Local Authority estimates 2016
UNIT 4 SCOTLAND IDENTITY
Scotland is a mountainous country in the north of the island of Great Britain. It shares a land
border to the south with England and is bounded by the North Sea on the east and the
Atlantic Ocean on the west. Its capital city is Edinburgh.
Scotland has about 790 islands - 130 of them are inhabited.
The Saltire is the official Scottish flag, flown on
public buildings and carried by Scottish teams in
international competitions.
It represents Scottish patron saint, St. Andrew
SCOTLAND IS FAMOUS FOR:
• Its fresh water lochs (lakes) – there are over 1,500 square kilometres of them. One of
the most famous is Loch Ness where a mysterious monster is said to lurk in the depths of
the water.
• Its clans, kilts, medieval castles, as well as poetry and songs of Robert Burns.
“Clan” is the Gaelic Word for family, and it refers to extended family groups who often live
in the same areas.
• Many clan names begin with Mac or Mc, the Gaelic form for “son of”
The most important clans had their own tartan, which they used to make the kilts that all
Scottish men wore.
Nowadays, many Scots wear kilts, especially on important occasions.
• Theatre lovers from around the world
come to Edinburgh for its famous
theatre festival.
GOVERNMENT
On 1st July 1999, the Scottish Parliament was opened by HM the Queen, the first
Scottish Parliament in 300 years. Scottish parliament responsibilities include social
work services, health, local government and education.
FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM SCOTLAND
Famous Scots include: Walter Scott,
Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
David Hume and the actor Sean Connery.
Famous musicians of Scotland include
Annie Lennox, Wet Wet Wet, Travis and
Simple Minds.
INTERESTING FACTS
•Edinburgh – the capital of Scotland, like Rome, was built on seven hills.
•Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own fire-brigade.
•Until 1603, Scotland (like England) had its own Monarch. In 1603, the King of Scotland became also the King of England ruling both countries.
UNIT 5 IRELAND IDENTITY
Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic, separated from Great Britain by the North
Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the
British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.
Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland or Eire (officially named
Ireland) in the South, covering almost the seventy-five per cent of the island’s surface,
and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, in the northeast of the island.
This división became official in 1921, when the 6 counties of the North stayed as part of
the United Kingdom, and the twenty-six counties in the South declared themselves
independent.
The capital of Eire is Dublin and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
In 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, being the second-most populous
island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland
and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.
GEOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE
Irish geography is basically made up of low mountains around a central plain.
There are plenty of navigable rivers that cross the island
The island has a profuse vegetation, product of its mild but changeable
climate which avoids extremes in temperature.
Its climate is very moderate. As an oceanic weather, winters are milder than
expected but summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe. Rainfall
and cloud cover are abundant.
HISTORY
In the 5th century Saint Patrick, who later became Ireland’s patron saint,
converted the pagan Irish to Christianity.
•In the 6th century monks built round towers across and along the country to be
used as places of protection during attacks.
•In the 9th and 11th centuries the Vikings invaded Ireland and built many towns,
as Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
•In the 12th century the Normans, who already ruled England, invaded Ireland.
In 1204 Dublin castle was the first Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, becoming the centre of
English power in the island.
•In 1690 the Catholic King James was defeated in battle by Protestant King William. It was the
begining of centuries of problems between Catholics and Protestants.
•In 1800 the Irish Government was abolished and Ireland was ruled by the British
Government. Saint Patrick’s cross was added to the Union Jack.
•In the 1840’s there was a great famine because of the failure of potato crop. The British
Government refused to help the people and millions of Irish emigrated to USA.
•In 1916, during the Easter Rising, the Republic of Ireland was proclaimed but the revolution
was repelled and its leaders, executed. However, the War of Independence started.
In 1921, with the end of the war, the divided country signed an agreement and the division
between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was officialTHE FLAGS
The "Tricolour," the national flag of the Republic of Ireland since
1848, is made of three equal stripes that illustrate the Irish political
landscape.
•orange — standing for Irish Protestants
•green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause
•white — representing the hope for peace between them
The Cross of Saint Patrick is generally not flown by Irish people, not even on St. Patrick's day. Irish do not
recognise it as their own and they see it as a British symbol, used by regiments of the British Army. The flag was
first designed by British authorities in Dublin Castle in the 17th century as a counterpart to St. George's Cross. The
flag also forms part of the coat of arms of the Duke of Leinster.
Real World Elicegui Esteiro Grupo 4
UNIT 6 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IDENTITY
The continent of America consists of two large land masses (North
America and South America) connected by one smaller land mass (Central
American isthmus).
The countries within North America are Canada, Mexico and the United
States of America.
The later is often referred to as "the USA", "the US", "the United States",
"the United States of America", "the States", or simply "America". It is the
fourth largest country in the world, at 9,8 million km2.
Also, it is home to the world's third-largest population, with over 318
million people, and it includes both densely populated cities with
sprawling suburbs and vast, uninhabited natural areas.
DISCOVERY
Cristopher Colombus is commonly known as the first european to have
set foot in America, however, that is not the case. When he first arrived
on the coasts of the Bahamas in 1492 it turned out that the place was
inhabited by people who had crossed from Asia to America several
thousands of years before. Apparently in the Ice Age there was a patch
of land, known as the Bering land bridge, accessible because of the low
sea level that allowed people to pass from Siberia to Alaska, which got
covered by water when the ice thawed and caused sea levels to rise.
THE UNITED STATES AND ITS INDEPENDENCY
While Cristopher Colombus is the first (at least the first accurately recorded) European to have
travelled to this "New World", he certainly wouldn't be the last. Realizing the unexploited
potential of the lands led many powers, such as the Spanish Empire, France and the British
Empire, to fund colonies across the continent.
After 1765, growing philosophical and political differences strained the relationship between
Britain and its colonies. Following the Stamp Act (an act which imposed a tax and required that
many printed materials in the colonies be produce on stamped paper produced in London, in
order to pay for British troops stationed in America), Patriot protests against taxation without
representation escalated into boycotts, which culminated in the events of the Boston Tea
Party, in which a group called "Sons of Liberty" destroyed a large shipment of tea in Boston
Harbor on December 16, 1773. Britain responded by closing Boston Harbor and passing a
series of punitive measures (known as "Coercive Acts" by the British and as "Intolerable Acts"
by the colonists) against the Massachusetts colony. Massachusetts colonists responded with
the Suffolk Resolves, and they established a shadow government which wrested control of the
countryside from the Crown. Twelve colonies formed a Continental Congress to coordinate
their resistance, establishing committees and conventions that effectively seized power. British
attempts to disarm the Massachusetts militia led to open armed conflict in 1775, quickly
escalating into a full-fledged war for independence.
In 1776, the Thirteen Colonies declared their
independence from Britain. With the help of France
and Spain, they defeated the British in the American
Revolutionary War. In the 1783 Treaty of Paris,
Britain recognized the independence of the
Thirteen Colonies, which became known as the
United States. These days the US is comprised of 50
states.
THE STARS AND STRIPES
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag
for the new nation. The resolution stated: “Resolved, that the flag of the United
States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars,
white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
Between 1777 and 1960 Congress passed several acts that changed the shape,
design and arrangement of the flag, so stars and stripes could be added to reflect the
admission of each new state into the country. These days the flag has of 13
horizontal stripes, six white alternating with seven red, and fifty white stars on a blue
background. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent
the 50 states of the Union. The colours of the flag are symbolic as well; red for
hardiness and valour, white symbolizing purity and innocence, and finally, blue,
representing vigilance, perseverance and justice.
LANGUAGE
Despite 80% of the people
in the U.S.A. speak English,
there is no official language
for this country.
MUSIC
The United States has birthed many a musician and composer in
the modern world. Since the beginning of recorded music,
American performers have continued to lead the field of popular
music, which out of "all the contributions made by Americans to
world culture... has been taken to heart by the entire world".
Genres of music born in the US include blues, jazz, gospel, country,
soul and rock
Blues: Developed by African Americans in the "Deep South" of the
United States in late 19th century. It has its roots in African musical
traditions, African-American work songs, spirituals, and folk music.
Early blues frequently had a loose narrative, often relating the
troubles experienced in African-American society.
Jazz: It originated in African American communities of New
Orleans, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and
developed from roots in blues and ragtime. It is characterized by its
use of chord progressions and improvisation, making every time a
song is played, unique.
Gospel: When the blues and jazz became intermingled with African-
American Christian church music, gospel was born. It often takes the
form of a call and response between the preacher, who sings or
declaims a line, and the congregation, which sings an affirmative
reply, usually accompanied by piano, organ or guitar.
Country: The origins of country are in rural Southern folk music, which was primarily
Irish and British, with African and continental European music. Anglo-Celtic tunes,
dance music, and balladry were the earliest predecessors of modern country, then
known as hillbilly music. Early hillbilly also borrowed elements of the blues and drew
upon more aspects of 19th-century pop songs, eventually evolving into the country
genre. Its earliest instrumentation revolved around the European-derived fiddle and
the African-derived banjo, with the guitar later added.
Soul: Combining elements of gospel
music, rhythm and blues and jazz, this genre
quickly rose to popularity, dominating the
U.S. R&B chart in the 1960s, with many
recordings crossing over into the pop charts
in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere. By 1968,
the soul music genre had begun to splinter.
Some soul artists developed funk music,
while other singers and groups developed
slicker, more sophisticated, and in some
cases more politically conscious varieties. By
the early 1970s, soul music had been
influenced by psychedelic rock and other
genres, leading to psychedelic soul. The
United States saw the development of neo
soul around 1994. There are also several
other subgenres and offshoots of soul
music.
Rock & Roll: Though deeply rooted in the blues tradition, rock took elements from Afro-
Caribbean and Latin musical techniques. Rock and roll entered popular music through a style
called rockabilly, which fused the developing sound with elements of country music. The first
performer who appealed to mainstream audiences was Elvis Presley, becoming one of the
best-selling musicians in history, and brought rock and roll to audiences across the world. Later
on during the "British invasion" of music, bands such as The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling
Stones became immensely popular and had a profound effect on American culture and music,
introducing the conception of popular music as an art, rather than a form of commerce or pure
entertainment, to American music.
UNIT 7 CANADA IDENTITY
THE CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA
Second in size only to Russia, Canada is one of the largest countries on Earth,
though large doesn't necessarily mean heavily populated.
Canada has a population of 35million people, making it the 34th most populated
country in the world.
How can it be that the second largest country comes in at number 34 in
population size? Well, harsh climate is a big factor, with temperatures going as
low as -30° C fairly frequently during winter in many parts of the country.
That coupled with over two million lakes and thousands of natural parks that
restrict the construction of big railways and highways caused most of the
population to settle in its southernmost regions. This leads to many places being
untamed wilderness, allowing for lots of beautiful natural vistas to remain mostly
intact.
HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT
What is now Canada had been inhabited by various indigenous
peoples thousands of years before European colonization.
Beginning in the 16th century, British and French claims were
made on the area, with the colony of Canada first being
established by the French in 1535. As a consequence of various
conflicts, Great Britain gained and lost territories within British
North America until it was left with what mostly comprises
Canada today. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July
1, 1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova
Scotia joined to form the semi-autonomous federal Dominion of
Canada.
In 1931, Canada achieved near-total
independence from the United Kingdom, but
decided to allow the British Parliament to
temporarily retain the power to amend Canada's
constitution, on request from the Parliament of
Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada
took over that authority, removing the last
remaining ties of legal dependence on the British
Parliament, giving the country full sovereignty.
Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and
a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth
II being the head of state.
LANGUAGE
Both English and French have official federal status
throughout Canada.
According to a census that took place in
2011, English and French are the mother
tongues of 56.9% and 21.3%
of Canadians respectively.
Canada is also home to many Indigenous
languages. Taken together, these are spoken by
about 0.6% of the population.
THE MAPLE LEAF
The flag of Canada, often referred to as the Canadian flag, or unofficially as
the MapleLeaf and l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leafed"), is a national flag consisting of
a red field with a white square at its centre, in the middle of which is featured a stylized,
red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre.
OFFICIAL SPORTS
Since its founding, Canada's official sport was lacrosse. In 1994, First Nations groups objected to a government bill that
proposed establishing ice hockey as Canada's national sport, arguing that it neglected recognition of the game of
lacrosse, a uniquely Native contribution. In response, the House of Commons amended a bill "to recognize hockey as
Canada's Winter Sport and lacrosse as Canada's Summer Sport," although lacrosse is played all year, in all seasons,
indoor and outdoors. On May 12, 1994, the National Sports of Canada Act came into force with these designations.
LACROSSE
The First Nations began playing the sport more than 500 years ago. Today lacrosse not only remains an
integral part of native culture, but is played by tens of thousands of people across Canada and the north
eastern United States. From its origin as 'The Creator's Game' to the overwhelming popularity of the
Toronto Rock and the modern game, lacrosse has survived the test of time after treading down a long,
controversial path that led it to become recognized as Canada's official national sport. The Canadian
Lacrosse Association, founded in 1925, is the governing body of lacrosse in Canada. It conducts national
junior and senior championship tournaments for men and women in both field and box lacrosse.
The National Lacrosse League is a professional box lacrosse league, with franchises in Canada and the
United States. Major League Lacrosse is a professional field lacrosse league, with seven U.S. franchises
and one Canadian franchise. The 2006 World Lacrosse Championship was held in London, Ontario.
Canada beat the United States 15-10 in the final to break a 28-year U.S. winning streak. One of the best
lacrosse players of all time, Gary Gait was born in Victoria, British Columbia and has won every possible
major lacrosse championship. Great achievements in Canadian Lacrosse are recognized by the Canadian
Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
ICE HOCKEY
The modern form of ice hockey began in Canada in the late 19th century, and is widely considered
Canada's national pastime, with high levels of participation by children, men and women at various levels
of competition.
The Stanley Cup, considered the premiere trophy in professional ice hockey, originated in Canada in 1893.
A Canadian national men's team, composed of professionals, competes in the annual IIHF Men's World
Championship and in the Olympics.
Prominent trophies for national championships in Canada are the Memorial Cup for the top junior-age
men's team and the Allan Cup for the top men's senior team. There are national championships in several
other divisions of play. Hockey Canada is the sport's official governing body in Canada and is a member of
the International Ice Hockey Federation(IIHF).
UNIT 8 THE WEST INDIES IDENTITY
THE CARIBBEAN
Also known as the Caribbean Basin, the West Indies are a crescent-shaped
group of islands over 3,200 km long that separate the Gulf of Mexico and
the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the
east and north.
The islands have had a strong colonial presence (some still do), since they
were where Christopher Colombus' voyages had taken him. He and his crew
had first met land in what they called San Salvador (now known as the
Bahamas) in 1492. When they saw that the natives had gold and jewels in
their possession, Colombus and the Spaniards were ecstatic at the prospect
of reaping fortunes from the lands they had just encountered. Soon enough
they started enforcing laws that dictated the natives were to bring them gold
every three months, or else face death. Hearing of the wealth that this "New
World" had to offer, other European countries began their own colonization
efforts and it wasn't too long before the British, the Dutch and the French
had colonized the Caribbean.
Several crops grew well in the tropical
climate and the British, using criminals and
African slaves as workers, gained much
power and money from their sugar, cotton
and tobacco plantations.
Slavery went on for several years, until
1834, and by 1962 Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago had become independent from the
British Crown.
LANGUAGE
Creole is a language which varies from place to place. It is a blend of the
West African language and the language of whatever European power had
taken control over a specific island. For instance, the island of Dominica
had been very much disputed, having changed ownership several times
before eventually becoming a British colony. As a result, the Creole spoken
on the island is very rich in influence from the many European languages
that had been spoken there. Creole is now the official language of the
Antilles and Haiti. However, it isn't in other English-speaking islands, given
that the British colonialists did not accept Creole as a real language,
preventing it to be taught in schools.
RHYTHMS OF THE CARIBBEAN
Caribbean music genres are very diverse.
They are each syntheses
of African, European, Indian and Indigenous influences,
largely created by descendants of African slaves, with
contributions from other communities. Some of the
styles to gain wide popularity outside of the Caribbean
include, bachata, calypso, dancehall, reggae
and mambo.
BACHATA
Bachata is a genre that originated in the Dominican Republic in the first half of the 20th century
with European, Indigenous and African musical elements.
The first recorded compositions of Bachata were done by Jose Manuel Calderon from
the Dominican Republic. The predecessors of Bachata are Bolero and Son (and later, from the mid
1980s, Merengue). The original term used to name the genre was amargue, until the
term bachata became popular. The form of dance, bachata, also developed with the music
CALYPSO
Calypso is a style that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early 20th century and spread to
the rest of Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela. Its rhythms can be traced back to West
African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th
century.
Calypso drew upon African and French influences, and became the voice of the people. It was
characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals, which was most often sung in a French-
influenced creole and led by a griot (a West African bard or troubadour of sorts). As English replaced
the Antillean creole as the dominant language, calypso migrated into English, and in so doing it
attracted more attention from the government. It allowed the masses to challenge the doings of the
unelected Governor and Legislative Council, and the elected town councils of Port of Spain and San
Fernando. Calypso continued to play an important role in political expression, and also served to
document the history of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
DANCEHALL
Dancehall, also known as "Bashment", is a genre of Jamaican popular music that
originated in the late 1970s. Initially, it was a sparser version of reggae than
the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s,
digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound
considerably, with digital dancehall becoming increasingly characterized by
faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music include its extensive use
of Jamaican Creole rather than Jamaican standard English and a focus on the
track instrumentals.
Dancehall saw initial mainstream success in Jamaica in the 1980s, and by the
1990s, it became increasingly popular among communities of Jamaicans who had
left their homeland (Jamaican diaspora). In the 2000s, dancehall experienced
worldwide mainstream success, and by the 2010s, it began to heavily influence
the work of established Western artists and producers, which has helped to
further bring the genre into the Western music mainstream.
REGGAE
Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern
popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was
the first popular song to use the word "reggae," effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a
global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican
dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was strongly
influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, and evolved out of the
earlier genres ska and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political comment.
MAMBO
Mambo is a genre of Latin music as well as a style of dance that originated in Cuba. Israel "Cachao"
and Orestes "Macho" Lopez were two brothers who became musicians and composers. Together,
they invented Mambo music in the 1930s in Havana and it was later made popular by figures like
Pérez Prado and Beny More. Mambo music and Mambo dance became hugely popular and
dominated their industries for 20 years. It is a fusion of Swing Jazz and Cuban music.
UNIT 9 AUSTRALIA IDENTITY
AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD
Officially named "the Commonwealth of Australia" is the sixth largest country in the world
and the largest island. It comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of
Tasmania and several other smaller islands.
Australia is also the least populated, driest, flattest continent in the world. Its apparent lack
of population doesn't stop it from doing extremely well. It has the second-highest human
development index globally, and boasts high quality of life, health, education, economic
freedom, civil liberties and political rights.
In its large territory it includes a wide range of habitats from alpine plains to tropical
rainforests, and is categorized as a megadiverse country.
HISTORY AND
LANGUAGE
For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was
inhabited by indigenous Australians. After the European discovery of the continent
by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and
initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales. The population
grew steadily in the following decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been
explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies were established. On 1 January
1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since
maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as
a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states and several territories. It is
a major part of the Commonwealth Realm.
Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the de
facto national language.
THE FLAG
The Australian flag is a defaced British blue ensign bearing the
Union Flag on the top-left. On the fly are 5 white stars,
representing the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars
generally only visible in the southern hemisphere. Each of these
stars has 7 points except for the smallest star which has only
five.
Directly below the Union Flag is a large 7 pointed white star
called the Federation Star, representing the federation of the
colonies of Australia on 1 January 1901. There is one point for
each of the six original states, and one to represent all of
Australia′s internal and external territories.
FAUNA OF AUSTRALIA
One of the most characteristic things about Australia is the many strange animals that inhabit the lands.
Here are some of the most iconic:
Tasmanian devil
The size of a small dog, it is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It is characterized by its stocky and
muscular build, black fur, pungent odor, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity
when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites in
relation body mass of any mammal land predator. It hunts prey and scavenges carrion as well as eating
household products if humans are living nearby. As comical as it is, the familiar Looney Tunes portrayal of a
Tasmanian devil as a seething, snarling, insatiable lunatic is, at times, not all that far from the truth, in fact, it is
what earned it its name in the first place.
Kangaroo
Kangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus,
literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 9 meters in a single bound, and travel more than 48
kilometers per hour. Kangaroos use their strong tails for balance while jumping. They are the tallest of all marsupials, standing over
2 meters tall.
Female kangaroos sport a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Newborn joeys are
just about the size of a grape. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the
pouch. A newborn joey can’t suckle or swallow, so the kangaroo mom uses her muscles to pump milk down its throat. At around 4
months, the joey emerges from the pouch for short trips and to graze on grass and small shrubs. At 10 months, the joey is mature
enough to leave the pouch for good.
Koala
Incorrectly called koala bear, the koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial of coastal
eastern Australia. It is about 60 to 85 cm long and weighs up to 14 kg in the southern
part of its range but only about half that in the subtropical north. It is easily
recognizable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large,
spoon-shaped nose. The feet are strong and clawed; the two inner digits of the front
feet and the innermost digit of the hind feet are opposable for grabbing onto branches.
They typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up
most of their diet, both in solids and liquids. Because this eucalypt diet has limited
nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a
day.
Platypus
Last but by no means least, the platypus. This strange animal baffled European naturalists when they
first encountered it, with some going as far as to consider it an elaborate hoax. It has a beak similar to
a duck's, a beaver's tail, an otter's fur, a venomous spur on its hind foot, and it is one of the few
mammals that lay eggs. Their bills are comprised of thousands of cells that can detect the electric
fields generated by all living things. It’s so sensitive that the platypus can hunt with its eyes, ears, and
nose all closed, relying entirely on the bill’s electrolocation.
There are many great attractions in the country.
• Sydney: The iconic Opera House was opened in 1973 and was designed by Danish architect Jørn
Utzon
•Canberra: The capital city of Australia
•Perth: the biggest city in Western Australia with lovely Fremantle nearby
•Adelaide: the main city in South Australia and is known for one of the largest Christmas parades
in the world.
•Brisbane: centre of the Gold Coast with numerous resorts
for an exciting beach holiday
•Great Barrier Reef: Great for snorkelling and diving.
• Cairns is a popular beach resort town on the Northern
Coast.
Real World Elicegui Esteiro Grupo 4
UNIT 10 NEWZEALANDIDENTITY
HUMANS IN NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is a country which hasn't been populated by mankind for very long. The first to
arrive were ancestors of Māori. These first settlers probably arrived from Polynesia between
1200 and 1300 AD. They discovered New Zealand as they explored the Pacific, navigating by
ocean currents and the winds and stars.
The name they gave the country was Aotearoa, meaning “land of the long white cloud”. Around
1642 a Dutch explorer by the name of Abel Tasman sights the south island and charts some of
the country's west coast. It subsequently appears on Dutch maps as Nieuw Zeeland, named
after the Dutch province of Zeeland. A surprisingly long time - 127 years - passed before New
Zealand was visited by another European, Captain James Cook. He came in 1769 on the first of
three voyages.
European whalers and sealers started visiting regularly and then came traders. By the 1830s the
British government was being pressured to curb lawlessness in the country and also to pre-empt
the French who were considering New Zealand as a potential colony.
Eventually, at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, William Hobson, New Zealand’s first Governor,
invited assembled Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown. The treaty was taken all
round the country for signing by local chiefs, and eventually more than 500 signed, thus making
New Zealand a British colony. Later on, in 1907, it would go on to become a "dominion", though
this meant no real change in anything but the name.
THE FLAG
The New Zealand flag is the symbol of the realm, government and people of New
Zealand. Its royal blue background is based on the ensign of the Blue Squadron of
the Royal Navy, the stars of the Southern Cross emphasize the country's location in
the South Pacific Ocean and the Union Jack in the first quarter recognizes New
Zealand's historical origins as a British colony and dominion.
In 2016, for the first time, New Zealanders voted on their flag. The options were the current New
Zealand flag and the Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) design which had been selected from among
five designs in a previous referendum in 2015. Nearly 57% of voters opted for the current flag. This
was the Silver Fern's design
TERRITORY
The geography of New Zealand encompasses two main islands and a number of smaller
islands, located near the centre of the water hemisphere. New Zealand's landscape ranges
from the fjord-like southwest to the sandy beaches of the far north. South Island is dominated
by the Southern Alps while a volcanic plateau covers much of central North Island.
Temperatures rarely fall below 0 °C or rise above 30 °C and conditions vary from wet and cold
on South Island's West Coast to dry and continental a short distance away across the
mountains and subtropical in the northern reaches of North Island.
Temperatures rarely fall below 0 °C or rise above 30 °C and conditions vary from wet and cold on
South Island's West Coast to dry and continental a short distance away across the mountains
and subtropical in the northern reaches of North Island
UNIT11 INDIA IDENTITY
THE COUNTRY
India, officially the Republic of India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-
largest country by area, the second-most populous country, with over 1.2 billion
people, and the most populous democracy in the world. It shares land borders
with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
BEGINING
The History of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization, more precisely
known as Harappan Civilization. It flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South
Asia, what today is Pakistan and Western India. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of
the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.
The Indus valley civilization was basically an urban civilization and the people lived in well-
planned and well-built towns, which were also the centers for trade. The ruins of
Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that these were magnificent merchant cities-well planned,
scientifically laid, and well looked after. They had wide roads and a well-developed drainage
system. The houses were made of baked bricks and had two or more storeys. Harappans
knew the art of growing cereals, and wheat and barley constituted their staple food. They
consumed vegetables and fruits and ate mutton, pork and eggs as well. Evidences also show
that they wore cotton as well as woollen garments. By 1500 BC, the Harappan culture came to
an end. Among various causes ascribed to the decay of Indus Valley Civilization are the
recurrent floods and other natural causes like earthquake, etc.
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
The Vedic civilization is the earliest civilization in the history of ancient India associated with the coming of Aryans. It is named after the Vedas, the early
literature of the Hindu people. The Vedic Civilization flourished along the river Saraswati, in a region that now consists of the modern Indian states of Haryana
and Punjab. Vedic is synonymous with Aryans and Hinduism, which is another name for religious and spiritual thought that has evolved from the Vedas. The
largely accepted view is that a section of Aryans reached the frontiers of the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BC and first settled in Punjab and it is here, in this
land, where the hymns of Rigveda were composed.
The Aryans lived in tribes and spoke Sanskrit, which belonged to the Indo-European group of languages. Gradually, the Aryans intermingled with the local people
and a historic synthesis was worked out between the Aryan tribes and the original inhabitants. This synthesis broadly came to be known as Hinduism.
Buddha was born in BC 560 and died at the age of eighty in BC 480. The place of his birth was a grove known as Lumbini, near the city of Kapilavastu in the
Himalayan ranges within Nepal. Buddha, whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism, the religion and the philosophical system
that evolved into a great culture throughout much of southern and eastern Asia.
Up until modernity, Medieval Indian history went whole centuries under many indigenous rulers, that included the Chalukyas, the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the
Rashtrakutas, the Muslims rulers and the Mughal Empire.
Lastly, the Britishers came and ruled over India for nearly 200 years. After the battle of Plassey
in 1757, the British achieved political power in India. And their influence was established during the
time of Lord Dalhousie, who became the Governor General of the East India Company, setting the stage
for changes essential to a modern state. These included the consolidation and demarcation of
sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and the education of citizens. Technological changes—
among them, railways, canals, and the telegraph—were introduced not long after their introduction in
Europe. However, unrest with the company also grew during this time, and set off the Indian Rebellion
of 1857. Fed by diverse resentments and perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms,
harsh land taxes, and summary treatment of some rich landowners and princes, the rebellion rocked
many regions of northern and central India and shook the foundations of Company rule. Although the
rebellion was suppressed by 1858, it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and to the direct
administration of India by the British government. Proclaiming a unitary state and a gradual but limited
British-style parliamentary system, the new rulers also protected princes and landed gentry as a feudal
safeguard against future insurrections.
FLAG
The National Flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of India saffron, white and India green;
with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in blue at its centre.
It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly
held on 22 July 1947,
and it became the official flag of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947.
The flag was subsequently retained as that of the Republic of India.
In India, the term "tricolour" almost always refers to the Indian national flag.
MODERNITY AND BRITISH RULE
GHANDI
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born to a merchant family in Porbandar, India, in 1869.
He left Porbandar at the age of 18 to study law in London. After getting his degree he returned to India,
where he learned that his mother had died while he was in London and that his family had kept the news
from him. In 1893, a Muslim merchant in Kathiawar named Dada Abdullah contacted Gandhi.
Abdullah owned a large successful shipping business in South Africa. His distant cousin in Johannesburg
needed a lawyer, and they preferred someone with Kathiawari heritage. He left India once again,
this time for South Africa.
Immediately upon arrival, Gandhi faced discrimination because of his skin colour and heritage, like all
people of colour. The prejudice against Indians from British people that Gandhi experienced and observed,
deeply bothered him. He found it humiliating, and struggled to understand how some people can feel honour or superiority or pleasure in such
inhumane
practices. Gandhi began to question his people's standing in the British Empire. It was during this time that he became involved in civil rights, and
developed
his theory on peaceful protest, and in 1914 he returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress.
He inspired people to boycott British goods and stood by institutions in protest against British rule. During his protests many Indians were arrested and
killed,
however they stayed true to their principles and didn't react violently, they simply kept boycotting, leaving huge dents in British financial gains.
Eventually, in 1947 India became independent, splitting into two countries, India -with a Hindu majority- and Pakistan -with a Muslim majority.
The division was upsetting for Gandhi, who preferred the people stay united, and as a result he did not celebrate independence.
On 30 January 1948, Gandhi was with his grandnieces in the garden of the Birla House, on his way to address a prayer meeting,
when Nathuram Godse (a right-wing Hindu Nationalist) fired three times into his chest with a pistol at point-blank range, leading to his death.
•“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions.
Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values.
Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny”.
•“Hatred is not essential for nationalism. Race hatred will kill the real national spirit”.
•“Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation”.
•“There are two days in the year that we can not do anything, yesterday and tomorrow”.
•“Strength does not come from winning. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength”.
•“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”.
•“Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves”.
INDIAN ARCHITECTURE
Architecture is perhaps India’s greatest glory. Among the most-renowned
monuments are many cave temples hewn from rock
(of which those at Ajanta and Ellora are most noteworthy); the Sun Temple
at Konarak (Konarka);
the vast temple complexes at Bhubaneshwar, Khajuraho,
and Kanchipuram(Conjeeveram);
such Mughal masterpieces as Humayun’s tomb and the Taj Mahal; and, from the
20th century,
buildings such as the High Court in the planned city of Chandigarh, designed by
the Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier,
and the Bhopal State Assembly building in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, designed by
the Indian architect and urban planner Charles Correa.
Also notable are stepwells, such as the Rani ki Vav (“Queen’s Stepwell”)
in Patan (northern Gujarat), now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Stepwells are spectacular subterranean edifices “like skyscrapers sunk into the earth”
THE TAJ MAHAL
Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is
synonymous to love and romance. The name "Taj Mahal" was derived
from the name of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and means
"Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite
ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location,
all make a visit to the Taj Mahal gain a place amongst the most sought-
after tours in the world. However, until you know the love story
behind the construction of the Taj Mahal, the beauty of the same
would not enliven in your heart and mind and instead would come up
as just another beautiful building/monument. It is the love behind this
outstanding monument that has given a life to this monument. Come
and explore the visceral charisma that it emanates
RELIGION
Religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and
practices.
Secularism in India means treatment of all religions equally by the state.
India is a Secular State by the 42nd amendment act of Constitution in 1976.
The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major
religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Throughout
India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture.
Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the
country by the law and custom; the Constitution of India has declared the
right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right.
DANCE AND MUSIC
Bharata natyam, the classical dance form originating in southern India,
expresses Hindu religious themes that date at least to the 4th century ce (see Natya-
shastra). There are also numerous regional and folk dance traditions. Instrumental and
vocal music is also quite varied and frequently is played or sung in concert (usually by
small ensembles). It is a popular mode of religious expression, as well as an essential
accompaniment to many social festivities, including dances and the narration of bardic
and other folk narratives. Some virtuosos, most notably Ravi Shankar (composer and sitar
player) an d Ali Akbar
THEATRE, FILMS AND LITERATURE
In modern times, Bengali playwrights—especially Nobel Prize
winner Rabindranath Tagore, who was also a philosopher, poet,
songwriter, choreographer, essayist, and painter—have given
new life to the Indian theatre. Playwrights from a number of
other regions also have gained popularity.
Indian interest in theatre has been replaced by the Indian motion-picture
industry, which now ranks as the most popular form of mass entertainment.
In some years India—whose film industry is centred in Mumbai (Bombay),
thus earning the entire movie-making industry the sobriquet “Bollywood” in
honour of Hollywood, its U.S. counterpart—makes more feature-length films
than any other country in the world. The lives of film heroes and heroines, as
portrayed in film magazines and other media, are subjects of great popular
interest. While most films are formulaic escapist pastiches of drama, comedy,
music, and dance, some of India’s best cinematographers, such as Satyajit
Ray, are internationally acclaimed. Others, such as filmmakers Ismail
Merchant, M. Night Shyamalan (Manoj Shyamalan), and Mira Nair, gained
their greatest success making films abroad. Radio, television and Internet
broadcasts, and digital and videocassette recordings are popular among
those affluent enough to afford them.
10 MAIN LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN INDIA
UNIT12 AFRICAIDENTITY
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent. At about 30.3
million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20.4%
of its total land area and with 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the
world's human population.The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea,
the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 54
countries, nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no
recognition.
During most of man's long history in Africa, there were no countries. Most of the countries
were founded by colonialists, who displaced or enslaved the previous inhabitants of the land.
Before that, however, there were many tribal groups, each with their own culture. The history
of these tribes span most of Africa's history, but despite it not being the birthplace of modern
society, it seems that it could very well be the birthplace of man as a whole.
THE OLDEST CONTINENT
THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
There is a paleo-anthropological site in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, called The Cradle
of Humankind. It spans 47,000 hectares and is one of eight World Heritage Sites in South Africa.
Here the landscape is dotted with subterranean limestone caves that have turned up a rich fossil
record for human evolutionary studies. These findings have led to the 'Out of Africa' theory,
estimating that most human ancestors originated from one general spot: Africa.
The Site comprises a strip of a dozen limestone caves containing the fossilized remains of ancient
forms of animals, plants and most importantly, hominids. The dolomite in which the caves
formed, started out as coral reefs growing in a warm shallow sea about 2.3 billion years ago.
There's biochemical evidence that made some theorize that the split of the human lineage (Hominidae) from that of the African apes took place around 5-
6 million years ago. The study of hominid fossils from sites in Africa thus enables scientists to understand how these hominids have changed and
diversified since then.
AFRICAN DIASPORA
The phrase "African diaspora" was coined during the 1990s, and gradually entered
common usage during the 2000s. The term "diaspora" originates from the Greek
διασπορά (diaspora, literally "scattering") which gained popularity in English in
reference to the Jewish diaspora before being more broadly applied to other
populations
The African diaspora refers to the communities throughout the world that have
resulted by descent from the movement in historic times of peoples from Africa,
predominantly to the Americas and among other areas around the globe. The term
has been historically applied in particular to the descendants of the West and Central
Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave
trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations in Brazil,
the United States, and Haiti. Some scholars identify "four circulatory phases" of
migration out of Africa.
African diaspora
Regions with significant populations
Brazil 55,900,000, including
multiracial people
United States 46,350,467
Haiti 8,788,439
Colombia 4,944,400
France 3,800,000
Jamaica 2,731,419
Venezuela 2,641,481 – 6,999,246
United Kingdom 2,080,000
Dominican Republic 1,985,991
Mexico 1,386,556
Cuba 1,126,894
Italy 1,100,000
Puerto Rico 979,842
Peru 875,427
Germany 817,150
Canada 783,795
Spain 690,291
Ecuador 680,000
Trinidad and Tobago 607,472
Natural Wonders of Africa
•SERENGETI MIGRATION
♦ The migration crosses Tanzania and Kenya
♦ It spans 30,000 km2
♦ It is the longest and largest overland migration in the world
♦ The name Serengeti means “endless plains”
•NGORNGORO CRATER
♦ It is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world
♦ It’s is referred to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden”
♦ The crater is 19 km across and covers 264 km2
♦ It rises over 600 metres above the caldera floor
♦ It’s home to over 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino.
•MOUNT KILIMANJARO
♦
It is the tallest mountain in Africa, reaching 5,895 m
♦ It’s the tallest free-standing mountain in the world
♦ There are seven different peaks, with Uhuru Peak being the highest
♦ Kibo peak features a 2.41 km-wide crater
• THE NILE RIVER
♦It’s the longest river in the world stretching 6,650 km
♦ It traverses across 10 countries
♦ The mouth of the river is in Egypt
♦ There are two sources – one in Uganda and the other in Ethiopia
•THE RED SEA REEF
♦ It’s home to over 1,100 species of fish, of which 1 in 10 occur only in this area
♦ The reef extends over 1,900 km
• SAHARA DESERT
♦ It’s the largest hot desert in the world
♦ It covers 11 countries and accounts for
9,000,000 km2
♦ The sand dunes are as high as 180 meters
♦ It’s home to several features which could be
considered “wonders” themselves •OKAVANGO DELTA
♦ It is the largest inland delta in the world
♦ It’s created by annual seasonal flooding which peaks in
July and August
♦ It’s flat – with less than 2 metres of variation
♦ It’s been recognized as a World Heritage site

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Real World Elicegui Esteiro Grupo 4

  • 2. REAL WORLD ISFD Nº 41 LANGUAGE AND CULTURE STUDENTS: ELICEGUI MERCEDES ESTEIRO YAGO GROUP 4 – (1º1º) 2017
  • 3. INDEX • UNIT 1: Great Britain Identity page 4 • UNIT 2: England Identity page 8 • UNIT 3: Wales Identity page 13 • UNIT 4: Scotland Identity page 16 • UNIT 5: Ireland Identity page 19 • UNIT 6: The United States of America Identity page 22 • UNIT 7: Canada Identity page 27 • UNIT 8: The West Indies Identity page 31 • UNIT 9: Australia Identity page 35 • UNIT 10: New Zealand Identity page 40 • UNIT 11: India Identity page 42 • UNIT 12: Africa Identity page 49
  • 4. UNIT 1 GREAT BRITAIN IDENTITY THE UK, GREAT BRITAIN OR THE BRITISH ISLES? The oficial name of the UK is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated in the North-West of Europe, with a total area of 244,100 km2 and a length of 1,000 km. It is made up of four countries, distributed on two main islands. On the island of Great Britain, the biggest one, you can find Scotland in the North, England in the South and Wales in the West. On the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland is the one that belongs to the UK, while the Republic of Ireland is an independent country When was the UK formed? The United Kingdom was formed on January 1st, 1801 and constitutes the greater part of the British Isles. What is the British Isles? It is a geographical term which includes two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and 5,000 small islands, including the Isle of Man which has its own parliament and laws. What is the UK capital city? London, which is also the capital of England, is the capital city of the UK
  • 5. THE UNION FLAG The Union flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the oficial flag of the UK, so we can call it “the British flag”. It is made up of the individual flags of three of the Kingdom countries and symbolizes the administrative union of England, Scotland and Ireland under one sovereign. Since 1921 only Northern Ireland remained part of the Union. On the other side, Wales, being a principality and not a nation, couldn’t be included in the Union flag but is represented indirectly by the English flag as it was part the former Kingdom of England. GOVERNMENT The UK is a Constitutional Monarchy
  • 6. What are the national identities of people living in Britain? Although anyone in the UK has a British citizenship, they have different nationalities. Most people born in the UK do not regard themselves as British and prefer to state their national identity as English, Scottish or Welsh. DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES There are often distinct differences between people living in each of the four countries in the UK because each group of people tend to develop their own way of life. There are multiple factors that influence in people’s way of life: where they live, how they are brought up, their standards of living, their employment, interests, religious or their traditional culture. In fact, many of these factors can be resumed as CULTURE. As it is formed by different countries, people in Britain have many different cultures. Great Britain has two official languages: English and Welsh. These two languages are very different from each other but they have something in common: they are both descendant of Indo-European languages. More than half the world’s population speaks one of almost 300 Indo- European languages, it means that all these languages have the same root and, although this language doesn’t exist anymore, you can trace its influence up to our days.
  • 7. How Britain became a multicultural society Not all British are Christian and white. Almost 8% of the population of Britain is from other cultures and ethnicities, each one contributing to make this country the place it is today. Britain is a mixed race society since the very beginning, as they were invaded by Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Africans were taken to Britain as slaves or servants. Over the years, thousands of people have gone to Britain as refugees, escaping from persecution or hunger in their own countries. Descendants of people from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan and other places, who established in Britain in the 1950’s and 1960’s, live mainly in the big cities of England, like London, Birmingham and Manchester. People that moved to Britain try to keep their own cultures alive and marry them with the culture of their new home. An excellent example of this is the Notting Hill Carnival, brought to Britain from the Caribbean, which is now a big part of the British life. POPULATION BY ETHNIC GROUP: APRIL 2001 Total Population Minority ethnic population Thousands per cent per cent White 54,154 92.1 Mixed 677 1.2 14.6 Asian or Asian British Indian 1,053 1.8 22.7 Pakistani 747 1.3 16.1 Bangladeshi 283 0.5 6.1 Other Asian 248 0.4 5.3 Black or Black British Black Caribbean 566 1.0 12.2 Black African 485 0.8 10.5 Black Other 98 0.2 2.1 Chinese 247 0.4 5.3 Other 231 0.4 5.0 All minority ethnic population 4,635 7.9 100 All population 58,789 100
  • 8. UNIT 2 ENGLAND IDENTITY England is the largest and most populated of the four nations that made up the UK It is situated on the island of Great Britain, with Scotland to the North and Wales to the West. Unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which all have some kind of self government in domestic issues, England no longer exists as a political or economic unit. It seems to have been absorbed by Great Britain after the signature of the Act of Union in 1707. Not many institutions work only for England. Some exceptions are the Church of England and sport associations for cricket, soccer and rugby. In the 19th century, England became the centre of the Industrial Revolution and London, soon turned into one of the world’ss most important cities, knot of economic, political and social changes that spread to the world. CLIMATE Since Romans times, England has been stereotyped as being cold, grey and rainy, but this is not absolutely accurate. The weather rarely gets very cold or very hot, and even when it rains quite frecquently, some parts of the country often don’t have rains for weeks. But we should say its quite variable and unpredictable
  • 9. THE FLAG England’s flag consists on a red cross on a white field. It’s been an English icon since the crusades and it honours Saint George, the patron saint of England. It is said that both, the patron and the flag, were selected by King Richard the Lionheart. PEOPLE The people of England, as well as their language, is the result of a mixed influence since Romans times to our days. Romans, Angles, Saxons and others from Europe to the Vikings, Normans, Chinese, Jews, people from former British colonies in the Caribbean, Indians, workers from the Western Union, such as Poland, regardless people from other UK nations and the Republic of Ireland have made of England their second home. Surely, you can find unfriendly people, but England is one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, with a very low index of racism comparing to other nations. Almost everybody will treat you well if you are polite and make an effort to fit in. Although there are some social problems in big cities and even in some rural areas, England is a country with Little visible poverty. Unfortunately, muggings, car theft, and other street crime are unhappily common in some districts of many towns and cities, but England is by large a very safe country as long as you use common sense. LANGUAGE Even when English is the main language in England, it is spoken with many different accents throughout the country. Generally, English accents can be broadly divided into Northern and Southern accents, with natives of Liverpool having a very distinctive accent that is easily distinguishable from that of someone from neighbouring Manchester. No other languages are widely spoken, but with the recent past decades of immigration, you may also hear other languages such as Polish, Chinese, German, various South Asian languages or even various African languages being spoken in their respective communities.
  • 10. The Church of England, with the Monarch as its head, is the official church of this country, although there are also Non-Anglican Protestant, Catholics, and communities of Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and Hindus. CULTURAL LIFE English culture has received contributions from Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Muslims and other immigrant groups. Other parts of the United Kingdom have gone through the same process so that England cannot always be distinguished from Wales, Scotland ore even Northern Ireland. Despite being so diverse, it continues developing a strong cultural influence all over the world in areas such as music, films and literature. CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS The Royal Society was founded in 1660 and awards fellowships, medals, and endowed lectureships based on scientific and technological achievements. The British Museum contains a wealth of archaeological and ethnographic specimens and gave birth to the British Library. The Zoological Society of London, which maintains the London Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens both conduct research, publishes journals, and support large libraries and show England’s great natural beauty. There are also notable libraries at the University of Cambridge and at the University of Oxford (the Bodleian Library). There are plenty of Art galleries in England. The mayor one are based in London such as the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, two Tate galleries—Tate Britain (with superb collections of John Constable and the Pre-Raphaelites) and Tate Modern—and the Wallace Collection.
  • 11. LITERATURE English literature has produced masterpieces since medieval times, starting with King Arthur’s legend, written in Old English, passing through Shakespeare’s plays, the Brönte sisters, Charles Dickens, Louis Carrol, J.R.R Tolkien to J. K Rowling England has contributed to cinema arts since the William Friese-Greene’s first experiments with cinematography in the late 19th century. During the 1930’s, Alfred Hitchcock directed England’s first great film: “The Thirty-Nine Steps”. Since then, England has continued moviemaking as a satellite of the USA, which provided much of the “English” cinema with films as the iconic James Bond Series. English participation in the cinema industry has been increased by the appearence of films by Hugh Hudson, Kenneth Branagh and the influence of great actors, such as Sir Lawrence Olivier or Sir Anthony Hopkins. FILMS MUSIC England has an old deep bond with music, since the times when monks and troubadours travelled throughout Europe, spreading musical forms quickly. England produced many notable composers including William Byrd, Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel. British popular music, especially rock music, has had a tremendous impact on world music and produced worldwide known bands, starting with The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and others of sensational popularity such as Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Pink Floyd, the Sex Pistols, the Police, Boy George, the Spice Girls, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead and Queen.
  • 12. CUISINE English cuisine is base on either beef, lamb, pork, chicken or fish served with potatoes or other vegetables. Fish and chips is one of the most traditional carry-out English dishes. SPORTS AND RECREATION Despite England’s lively cultural life, the exploitation of leisure is increasingly the concern of commerce: foreign holiday package tours, gambling of many kinds (from bingo to horse-race and political betting), and the transformation of the traditional English pub by trendy interior decoration. English people also enjoy their weekends with countryside trips and outdoor activities from fishing to mountaineering. Besides cricket, football (soccer), and rugby football, the English take part in angling, basketball, snooker, and swimming. MEDIA AND PUBLISHING Being centred in London, England has a vast and deep influencing broadcasting and printed media, including de BBC, daily newspapers such as The Times, tabloids like The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Guradian and periodicals as The Economist.
  • 13. UNIT 3 WALES IDENTITY Wales it is the only country in the United Kingdom that is not represented in the Union Jack, because It was united to England under one King when the flag was created. However, as the other countries member of the United Kingdom, Wales has its own flag. The flag incorporates the red dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, on a white and green field representing the Tudors. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and carried to St Paul's Cathedral. After that, the red dragon was included as a supporter to represent the Tudors Welsh descent. It was officially recognized as the Welsh national flag in 1959. LANGUAGE Wales is a bilingual country.20% of the people speak Welsh as their first language. Welsh people are proud of their language and all the road signs are bilingual. There are also a lot of Welsh language programs on radio and TV, and students can go to all-Welsh schools. The Welsh Word for Wales is Cymru, which means “friend” and the Welsh are proud of themselves as being friendly and welcoming.
  • 14. MYTHS AND LEGENDS Everywhere you go in Wales, there is a hill, lake or standing stone that has a story of its own. The more popular are the legend of King Arthur and his knights, the Lady of the Lake, and the tale of Prince Llewelyn and his hunting dog, Gelert. Most of these stories can be found in The Mabinogion (pronounced 'Mabin-OGion') a collection of masterpieces medieval literature and Wales' greatest contribution to European literature, which still have the ability to fascinate and appeal to all. WELSH ARTS AND CULTURE Wales has not only a great number of famous artists, such as Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Bale, Tom Jones, Richard Burton and Catherine Zeta Jones, but also holds the world’s most famous art and literature festival. Many movie producers choose Wales and its scenic landscapes to give life to some great films since the beginning of Hollywood history. Moby Dick (1956), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), An American Werewolf in London (1981), First Knight (1995), James Bond’s The world is not enough (1999) and Die another day (2002) and the recent blockbusters Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1 & Pt. 2 (2010 & 2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)among others, were filmed or have scenes filmed in Wales. WELSH FOOD AND DRINK The Welsh are proud of their food. Their landscape reflects freshness, quality and variety. There is fresh, local and organic meat and vegetables from the farms and fish from the coast. The traditional Welsh Cakes deserve one paragraph apart, a type of scone cooked on a stove-top griddle, or the afternoon tea with Bara Brith (which is translated as speckled bread), a wonderful sticky fruitcake served sliced and smothered in butter. A traditional Welsh breakfast consists of Laverbread, not actually bread at all but seaweed, often fried into crisp patties with eggs, bacon and fresh cockles
  • 15. QUICK FACTS Population: 3,113,150* Population Density: 150,1 people per km2* Size: 20,782km2 or 8,024m2 Coastal Path: 1,400km Capital City: Cardiff, population 361,468* Other major towns/cities: Swansea, Newport, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil Official languages: English, Welsh Government: Welsh Government First Minister of Wales: Carwyn Jones AM National Day: 1st March (St Davids Day) National Anthem: Hen Wlad fy Nhadau / Land of my fathers Currency: Pounds sterling (£) *StatsWales/ Mid year Local Authority estimates 2016
  • 16. UNIT 4 SCOTLAND IDENTITY Scotland is a mountainous country in the north of the island of Great Britain. It shares a land border to the south with England and is bounded by the North Sea on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Its capital city is Edinburgh. Scotland has about 790 islands - 130 of them are inhabited. The Saltire is the official Scottish flag, flown on public buildings and carried by Scottish teams in international competitions. It represents Scottish patron saint, St. Andrew
  • 17. SCOTLAND IS FAMOUS FOR: • Its fresh water lochs (lakes) – there are over 1,500 square kilometres of them. One of the most famous is Loch Ness where a mysterious monster is said to lurk in the depths of the water. • Its clans, kilts, medieval castles, as well as poetry and songs of Robert Burns. “Clan” is the Gaelic Word for family, and it refers to extended family groups who often live in the same areas. • Many clan names begin with Mac or Mc, the Gaelic form for “son of” The most important clans had their own tartan, which they used to make the kilts that all Scottish men wore. Nowadays, many Scots wear kilts, especially on important occasions. • Theatre lovers from around the world come to Edinburgh for its famous theatre festival. GOVERNMENT On 1st July 1999, the Scottish Parliament was opened by HM the Queen, the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years. Scottish parliament responsibilities include social work services, health, local government and education.
  • 18. FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM SCOTLAND Famous Scots include: Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, David Hume and the actor Sean Connery. Famous musicians of Scotland include Annie Lennox, Wet Wet Wet, Travis and Simple Minds. INTERESTING FACTS •Edinburgh – the capital of Scotland, like Rome, was built on seven hills. •Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own fire-brigade. •Until 1603, Scotland (like England) had its own Monarch. In 1603, the King of Scotland became also the King of England ruling both countries.
  • 19. UNIT 5 IRELAND IDENTITY Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic, separated from Great Britain by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland or Eire (officially named Ireland) in the South, covering almost the seventy-five per cent of the island’s surface, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, in the northeast of the island. This división became official in 1921, when the 6 counties of the North stayed as part of the United Kingdom, and the twenty-six counties in the South declared themselves independent. The capital of Eire is Dublin and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. In 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, being the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. GEOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE Irish geography is basically made up of low mountains around a central plain. There are plenty of navigable rivers that cross the island The island has a profuse vegetation, product of its mild but changeable climate which avoids extremes in temperature. Its climate is very moderate. As an oceanic weather, winters are milder than expected but summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.
  • 20. HISTORY In the 5th century Saint Patrick, who later became Ireland’s patron saint, converted the pagan Irish to Christianity. •In the 6th century monks built round towers across and along the country to be used as places of protection during attacks. •In the 9th and 11th centuries the Vikings invaded Ireland and built many towns, as Dublin, Cork and Limerick. •In the 12th century the Normans, who already ruled England, invaded Ireland. In 1204 Dublin castle was the first Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, becoming the centre of English power in the island. •In 1690 the Catholic King James was defeated in battle by Protestant King William. It was the begining of centuries of problems between Catholics and Protestants. •In 1800 the Irish Government was abolished and Ireland was ruled by the British Government. Saint Patrick’s cross was added to the Union Jack. •In the 1840’s there was a great famine because of the failure of potato crop. The British Government refused to help the people and millions of Irish emigrated to USA. •In 1916, during the Easter Rising, the Republic of Ireland was proclaimed but the revolution was repelled and its leaders, executed. However, the War of Independence started. In 1921, with the end of the war, the divided country signed an agreement and the division between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was officialTHE FLAGS The "Tricolour," the national flag of the Republic of Ireland since 1848, is made of three equal stripes that illustrate the Irish political landscape. •orange — standing for Irish Protestants •green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause •white — representing the hope for peace between them The Cross of Saint Patrick is generally not flown by Irish people, not even on St. Patrick's day. Irish do not recognise it as their own and they see it as a British symbol, used by regiments of the British Army. The flag was first designed by British authorities in Dublin Castle in the 17th century as a counterpart to St. George's Cross. The flag also forms part of the coat of arms of the Duke of Leinster.
  • 22. UNIT 6 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IDENTITY The continent of America consists of two large land masses (North America and South America) connected by one smaller land mass (Central American isthmus). The countries within North America are Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. The later is often referred to as "the USA", "the US", "the United States", "the United States of America", "the States", or simply "America". It is the fourth largest country in the world, at 9,8 million km2. Also, it is home to the world's third-largest population, with over 318 million people, and it includes both densely populated cities with sprawling suburbs and vast, uninhabited natural areas. DISCOVERY Cristopher Colombus is commonly known as the first european to have set foot in America, however, that is not the case. When he first arrived on the coasts of the Bahamas in 1492 it turned out that the place was inhabited by people who had crossed from Asia to America several thousands of years before. Apparently in the Ice Age there was a patch of land, known as the Bering land bridge, accessible because of the low sea level that allowed people to pass from Siberia to Alaska, which got covered by water when the ice thawed and caused sea levels to rise.
  • 23. THE UNITED STATES AND ITS INDEPENDENCY While Cristopher Colombus is the first (at least the first accurately recorded) European to have travelled to this "New World", he certainly wouldn't be the last. Realizing the unexploited potential of the lands led many powers, such as the Spanish Empire, France and the British Empire, to fund colonies across the continent. After 1765, growing philosophical and political differences strained the relationship between Britain and its colonies. Following the Stamp Act (an act which imposed a tax and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produce on stamped paper produced in London, in order to pay for British troops stationed in America), Patriot protests against taxation without representation escalated into boycotts, which culminated in the events of the Boston Tea Party, in which a group called "Sons of Liberty" destroyed a large shipment of tea in Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Britain responded by closing Boston Harbor and passing a series of punitive measures (known as "Coercive Acts" by the British and as "Intolerable Acts" by the colonists) against the Massachusetts colony. Massachusetts colonists responded with the Suffolk Resolves, and they established a shadow government which wrested control of the countryside from the Crown. Twelve colonies formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their resistance, establishing committees and conventions that effectively seized power. British attempts to disarm the Massachusetts militia led to open armed conflict in 1775, quickly escalating into a full-fledged war for independence. In 1776, the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Britain. With the help of France and Spain, they defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War. In the 1783 Treaty of Paris, Britain recognized the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, which became known as the United States. These days the US is comprised of 50 states.
  • 24. THE STARS AND STRIPES On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new nation. The resolution stated: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." Between 1777 and 1960 Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag, so stars and stripes could be added to reflect the admission of each new state into the country. These days the flag has of 13 horizontal stripes, six white alternating with seven red, and fifty white stars on a blue background. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colours of the flag are symbolic as well; red for hardiness and valour, white symbolizing purity and innocence, and finally, blue, representing vigilance, perseverance and justice. LANGUAGE Despite 80% of the people in the U.S.A. speak English, there is no official language for this country.
  • 25. MUSIC The United States has birthed many a musician and composer in the modern world. Since the beginning of recorded music, American performers have continued to lead the field of popular music, which out of "all the contributions made by Americans to world culture... has been taken to heart by the entire world". Genres of music born in the US include blues, jazz, gospel, country, soul and rock Blues: Developed by African Americans in the "Deep South" of the United States in late 19th century. It has its roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, spirituals, and folk music. Early blues frequently had a loose narrative, often relating the troubles experienced in African-American society. Jazz: It originated in African American communities of New Orleans, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. It is characterized by its use of chord progressions and improvisation, making every time a song is played, unique. Gospel: When the blues and jazz became intermingled with African- American Christian church music, gospel was born. It often takes the form of a call and response between the preacher, who sings or declaims a line, and the congregation, which sings an affirmative reply, usually accompanied by piano, organ or guitar.
  • 26. Country: The origins of country are in rural Southern folk music, which was primarily Irish and British, with African and continental European music. Anglo-Celtic tunes, dance music, and balladry were the earliest predecessors of modern country, then known as hillbilly music. Early hillbilly also borrowed elements of the blues and drew upon more aspects of 19th-century pop songs, eventually evolving into the country genre. Its earliest instrumentation revolved around the European-derived fiddle and the African-derived banjo, with the guitar later added. Soul: Combining elements of gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz, this genre quickly rose to popularity, dominating the U.S. R&B chart in the 1960s, with many recordings crossing over into the pop charts in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere. By 1968, the soul music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul artists developed funk music, while other singers and groups developed slicker, more sophisticated, and in some cases more politically conscious varieties. By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres, leading to psychedelic soul. The United States saw the development of neo soul around 1994. There are also several other subgenres and offshoots of soul music. Rock & Roll: Though deeply rooted in the blues tradition, rock took elements from Afro- Caribbean and Latin musical techniques. Rock and roll entered popular music through a style called rockabilly, which fused the developing sound with elements of country music. The first performer who appealed to mainstream audiences was Elvis Presley, becoming one of the best-selling musicians in history, and brought rock and roll to audiences across the world. Later on during the "British invasion" of music, bands such as The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones became immensely popular and had a profound effect on American culture and music, introducing the conception of popular music as an art, rather than a form of commerce or pure entertainment, to American music.
  • 27. UNIT 7 CANADA IDENTITY THE CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA Second in size only to Russia, Canada is one of the largest countries on Earth, though large doesn't necessarily mean heavily populated. Canada has a population of 35million people, making it the 34th most populated country in the world. How can it be that the second largest country comes in at number 34 in population size? Well, harsh climate is a big factor, with temperatures going as low as -30° C fairly frequently during winter in many parts of the country. That coupled with over two million lakes and thousands of natural parks that restrict the construction of big railways and highways caused most of the population to settle in its southernmost regions. This leads to many places being untamed wilderness, allowing for lots of beautiful natural vistas to remain mostly intact. HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT What is now Canada had been inhabited by various indigenous peoples thousands of years before European colonization. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French claims were made on the area, with the colony of Canada first being established by the French in 1535. As a consequence of various conflicts, Great Britain gained and lost territories within British North America until it was left with what mostly comprises Canada today. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1, 1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined to form the semi-autonomous federal Dominion of Canada.
  • 28. In 1931, Canada achieved near-total independence from the United Kingdom, but decided to allow the British Parliament to temporarily retain the power to amend Canada's constitution, on request from the Parliament of Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada took over that authority, removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the British Parliament, giving the country full sovereignty. Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state. LANGUAGE Both English and French have official federal status throughout Canada. According to a census that took place in 2011, English and French are the mother tongues of 56.9% and 21.3% of Canadians respectively. Canada is also home to many Indigenous languages. Taken together, these are spoken by about 0.6% of the population.
  • 29. THE MAPLE LEAF The flag of Canada, often referred to as the Canadian flag, or unofficially as the MapleLeaf and l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leafed"), is a national flag consisting of a red field with a white square at its centre, in the middle of which is featured a stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre. OFFICIAL SPORTS Since its founding, Canada's official sport was lacrosse. In 1994, First Nations groups objected to a government bill that proposed establishing ice hockey as Canada's national sport, arguing that it neglected recognition of the game of lacrosse, a uniquely Native contribution. In response, the House of Commons amended a bill "to recognize hockey as Canada's Winter Sport and lacrosse as Canada's Summer Sport," although lacrosse is played all year, in all seasons, indoor and outdoors. On May 12, 1994, the National Sports of Canada Act came into force with these designations. LACROSSE The First Nations began playing the sport more than 500 years ago. Today lacrosse not only remains an integral part of native culture, but is played by tens of thousands of people across Canada and the north eastern United States. From its origin as 'The Creator's Game' to the overwhelming popularity of the Toronto Rock and the modern game, lacrosse has survived the test of time after treading down a long, controversial path that led it to become recognized as Canada's official national sport. The Canadian Lacrosse Association, founded in 1925, is the governing body of lacrosse in Canada. It conducts national junior and senior championship tournaments for men and women in both field and box lacrosse. The National Lacrosse League is a professional box lacrosse league, with franchises in Canada and the United States. Major League Lacrosse is a professional field lacrosse league, with seven U.S. franchises and one Canadian franchise. The 2006 World Lacrosse Championship was held in London, Ontario. Canada beat the United States 15-10 in the final to break a 28-year U.S. winning streak. One of the best lacrosse players of all time, Gary Gait was born in Victoria, British Columbia and has won every possible major lacrosse championship. Great achievements in Canadian Lacrosse are recognized by the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
  • 30. ICE HOCKEY The modern form of ice hockey began in Canada in the late 19th century, and is widely considered Canada's national pastime, with high levels of participation by children, men and women at various levels of competition. The Stanley Cup, considered the premiere trophy in professional ice hockey, originated in Canada in 1893. A Canadian national men's team, composed of professionals, competes in the annual IIHF Men's World Championship and in the Olympics. Prominent trophies for national championships in Canada are the Memorial Cup for the top junior-age men's team and the Allan Cup for the top men's senior team. There are national championships in several other divisions of play. Hockey Canada is the sport's official governing body in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation(IIHF).
  • 31. UNIT 8 THE WEST INDIES IDENTITY THE CARIBBEAN Also known as the Caribbean Basin, the West Indies are a crescent-shaped group of islands over 3,200 km long that separate the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. The islands have had a strong colonial presence (some still do), since they were where Christopher Colombus' voyages had taken him. He and his crew had first met land in what they called San Salvador (now known as the Bahamas) in 1492. When they saw that the natives had gold and jewels in their possession, Colombus and the Spaniards were ecstatic at the prospect of reaping fortunes from the lands they had just encountered. Soon enough they started enforcing laws that dictated the natives were to bring them gold every three months, or else face death. Hearing of the wealth that this "New World" had to offer, other European countries began their own colonization efforts and it wasn't too long before the British, the Dutch and the French had colonized the Caribbean. Several crops grew well in the tropical climate and the British, using criminals and African slaves as workers, gained much power and money from their sugar, cotton and tobacco plantations. Slavery went on for several years, until 1834, and by 1962 Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago had become independent from the British Crown.
  • 32. LANGUAGE Creole is a language which varies from place to place. It is a blend of the West African language and the language of whatever European power had taken control over a specific island. For instance, the island of Dominica had been very much disputed, having changed ownership several times before eventually becoming a British colony. As a result, the Creole spoken on the island is very rich in influence from the many European languages that had been spoken there. Creole is now the official language of the Antilles and Haiti. However, it isn't in other English-speaking islands, given that the British colonialists did not accept Creole as a real language, preventing it to be taught in schools. RHYTHMS OF THE CARIBBEAN Caribbean music genres are very diverse. They are each syntheses of African, European, Indian and Indigenous influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves, with contributions from other communities. Some of the styles to gain wide popularity outside of the Caribbean include, bachata, calypso, dancehall, reggae and mambo. BACHATA Bachata is a genre that originated in the Dominican Republic in the first half of the 20th century with European, Indigenous and African musical elements. The first recorded compositions of Bachata were done by Jose Manuel Calderon from the Dominican Republic. The predecessors of Bachata are Bolero and Son (and later, from the mid 1980s, Merengue). The original term used to name the genre was amargue, until the term bachata became popular. The form of dance, bachata, also developed with the music
  • 33. CALYPSO Calypso is a style that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early 20th century and spread to the rest of Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century. Calypso drew upon African and French influences, and became the voice of the people. It was characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals, which was most often sung in a French- influenced creole and led by a griot (a West African bard or troubadour of sorts). As English replaced the Antillean creole as the dominant language, calypso migrated into English, and in so doing it attracted more attention from the government. It allowed the masses to challenge the doings of the unelected Governor and Legislative Council, and the elected town councils of Port of Spain and San Fernando. Calypso continued to play an important role in political expression, and also served to document the history of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. DANCEHALL Dancehall, also known as "Bashment", is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, it was a sparser version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably, with digital dancehall becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music include its extensive use of Jamaican Creole rather than Jamaican standard English and a focus on the track instrumentals. Dancehall saw initial mainstream success in Jamaica in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, it became increasingly popular among communities of Jamaicans who had left their homeland (Jamaican diaspora). In the 2000s, dancehall experienced worldwide mainstream success, and by the 2010s, it began to heavily influence the work of established Western artists and producers, which has helped to further bring the genre into the Western music mainstream.
  • 34. REGGAE Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the word "reggae," effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was strongly influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, and evolved out of the earlier genres ska and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political comment. MAMBO Mambo is a genre of Latin music as well as a style of dance that originated in Cuba. Israel "Cachao" and Orestes "Macho" Lopez were two brothers who became musicians and composers. Together, they invented Mambo music in the 1930s in Havana and it was later made popular by figures like Pérez Prado and Beny More. Mambo music and Mambo dance became hugely popular and dominated their industries for 20 years. It is a fusion of Swing Jazz and Cuban music.
  • 35. UNIT 9 AUSTRALIA IDENTITY AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD Officially named "the Commonwealth of Australia" is the sixth largest country in the world and the largest island. It comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and several other smaller islands. Australia is also the least populated, driest, flattest continent in the world. Its apparent lack of population doesn't stop it from doing extremely well. It has the second-highest human development index globally, and boasts high quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights. In its large territory it includes a wide range of habitats from alpine plains to tropical rainforests, and is categorized as a megadiverse country. HISTORY AND LANGUAGE For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians. After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales. The population grew steadily in the following decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies were established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states and several territories. It is a major part of the Commonwealth Realm. Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language.
  • 36. THE FLAG The Australian flag is a defaced British blue ensign bearing the Union Flag on the top-left. On the fly are 5 white stars, representing the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars generally only visible in the southern hemisphere. Each of these stars has 7 points except for the smallest star which has only five. Directly below the Union Flag is a large 7 pointed white star called the Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia on 1 January 1901. There is one point for each of the six original states, and one to represent all of Australia′s internal and external territories. FAUNA OF AUSTRALIA One of the most characteristic things about Australia is the many strange animals that inhabit the lands. Here are some of the most iconic: Tasmanian devil The size of a small dog, it is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It is characterized by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odor, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites in relation body mass of any mammal land predator. It hunts prey and scavenges carrion as well as eating household products if humans are living nearby. As comical as it is, the familiar Looney Tunes portrayal of a Tasmanian devil as a seething, snarling, insatiable lunatic is, at times, not all that far from the truth, in fact, it is what earned it its name in the first place.
  • 37. Kangaroo Kangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus, literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 9 meters in a single bound, and travel more than 48 kilometers per hour. Kangaroos use their strong tails for balance while jumping. They are the tallest of all marsupials, standing over 2 meters tall. Female kangaroos sport a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Newborn joeys are just about the size of a grape. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch. A newborn joey can’t suckle or swallow, so the kangaroo mom uses her muscles to pump milk down its throat. At around 4 months, the joey emerges from the pouch for short trips and to graze on grass and small shrubs. At 10 months, the joey is mature enough to leave the pouch for good. Koala Incorrectly called koala bear, the koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial of coastal eastern Australia. It is about 60 to 85 cm long and weighs up to 14 kg in the southern part of its range but only about half that in the subtropical north. It is easily recognizable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The feet are strong and clawed; the two inner digits of the front feet and the innermost digit of the hind feet are opposable for grabbing onto branches. They typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet, both in solids and liquids. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a day. Platypus Last but by no means least, the platypus. This strange animal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some going as far as to consider it an elaborate hoax. It has a beak similar to a duck's, a beaver's tail, an otter's fur, a venomous spur on its hind foot, and it is one of the few mammals that lay eggs. Their bills are comprised of thousands of cells that can detect the electric fields generated by all living things. It’s so sensitive that the platypus can hunt with its eyes, ears, and nose all closed, relying entirely on the bill’s electrolocation.
  • 38. There are many great attractions in the country. • Sydney: The iconic Opera House was opened in 1973 and was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon •Canberra: The capital city of Australia •Perth: the biggest city in Western Australia with lovely Fremantle nearby •Adelaide: the main city in South Australia and is known for one of the largest Christmas parades in the world. •Brisbane: centre of the Gold Coast with numerous resorts for an exciting beach holiday •Great Barrier Reef: Great for snorkelling and diving. • Cairns is a popular beach resort town on the Northern Coast.
  • 40. UNIT 10 NEWZEALANDIDENTITY HUMANS IN NEW ZEALAND New Zealand is a country which hasn't been populated by mankind for very long. The first to arrive were ancestors of Māori. These first settlers probably arrived from Polynesia between 1200 and 1300 AD. They discovered New Zealand as they explored the Pacific, navigating by ocean currents and the winds and stars. The name they gave the country was Aotearoa, meaning “land of the long white cloud”. Around 1642 a Dutch explorer by the name of Abel Tasman sights the south island and charts some of the country's west coast. It subsequently appears on Dutch maps as Nieuw Zeeland, named after the Dutch province of Zeeland. A surprisingly long time - 127 years - passed before New Zealand was visited by another European, Captain James Cook. He came in 1769 on the first of three voyages. European whalers and sealers started visiting regularly and then came traders. By the 1830s the British government was being pressured to curb lawlessness in the country and also to pre-empt the French who were considering New Zealand as a potential colony. Eventually, at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, William Hobson, New Zealand’s first Governor, invited assembled Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown. The treaty was taken all round the country for signing by local chiefs, and eventually more than 500 signed, thus making New Zealand a British colony. Later on, in 1907, it would go on to become a "dominion", though this meant no real change in anything but the name. THE FLAG The New Zealand flag is the symbol of the realm, government and people of New Zealand. Its royal blue background is based on the ensign of the Blue Squadron of the Royal Navy, the stars of the Southern Cross emphasize the country's location in the South Pacific Ocean and the Union Jack in the first quarter recognizes New Zealand's historical origins as a British colony and dominion. In 2016, for the first time, New Zealanders voted on their flag. The options were the current New Zealand flag and the Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) design which had been selected from among five designs in a previous referendum in 2015. Nearly 57% of voters opted for the current flag. This was the Silver Fern's design
  • 41. TERRITORY The geography of New Zealand encompasses two main islands and a number of smaller islands, located near the centre of the water hemisphere. New Zealand's landscape ranges from the fjord-like southwest to the sandy beaches of the far north. South Island is dominated by the Southern Alps while a volcanic plateau covers much of central North Island. Temperatures rarely fall below 0 °C or rise above 30 °C and conditions vary from wet and cold on South Island's West Coast to dry and continental a short distance away across the mountains and subtropical in the northern reaches of North Island. Temperatures rarely fall below 0 °C or rise above 30 °C and conditions vary from wet and cold on South Island's West Coast to dry and continental a short distance away across the mountains and subtropical in the northern reaches of North Island
  • 42. UNIT11 INDIA IDENTITY THE COUNTRY India, officially the Republic of India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh- largest country by area, the second-most populous country, with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. It shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. BEGINING The History of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization, more precisely known as Harappan Civilization. It flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia, what today is Pakistan and Western India. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. The Indus valley civilization was basically an urban civilization and the people lived in well- planned and well-built towns, which were also the centers for trade. The ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that these were magnificent merchant cities-well planned, scientifically laid, and well looked after. They had wide roads and a well-developed drainage system. The houses were made of baked bricks and had two or more storeys. Harappans knew the art of growing cereals, and wheat and barley constituted their staple food. They consumed vegetables and fruits and ate mutton, pork and eggs as well. Evidences also show that they wore cotton as well as woollen garments. By 1500 BC, the Harappan culture came to an end. Among various causes ascribed to the decay of Indus Valley Civilization are the recurrent floods and other natural causes like earthquake, etc. VEDIC CIVILIZATION The Vedic civilization is the earliest civilization in the history of ancient India associated with the coming of Aryans. It is named after the Vedas, the early literature of the Hindu people. The Vedic Civilization flourished along the river Saraswati, in a region that now consists of the modern Indian states of Haryana and Punjab. Vedic is synonymous with Aryans and Hinduism, which is another name for religious and spiritual thought that has evolved from the Vedas. The largely accepted view is that a section of Aryans reached the frontiers of the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BC and first settled in Punjab and it is here, in this land, where the hymns of Rigveda were composed. The Aryans lived in tribes and spoke Sanskrit, which belonged to the Indo-European group of languages. Gradually, the Aryans intermingled with the local people and a historic synthesis was worked out between the Aryan tribes and the original inhabitants. This synthesis broadly came to be known as Hinduism. Buddha was born in BC 560 and died at the age of eighty in BC 480. The place of his birth was a grove known as Lumbini, near the city of Kapilavastu in the Himalayan ranges within Nepal. Buddha, whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism, the religion and the philosophical system that evolved into a great culture throughout much of southern and eastern Asia. Up until modernity, Medieval Indian history went whole centuries under many indigenous rulers, that included the Chalukyas, the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Muslims rulers and the Mughal Empire.
  • 43. Lastly, the Britishers came and ruled over India for nearly 200 years. After the battle of Plassey in 1757, the British achieved political power in India. And their influence was established during the time of Lord Dalhousie, who became the Governor General of the East India Company, setting the stage for changes essential to a modern state. These included the consolidation and demarcation of sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and the education of citizens. Technological changes— among them, railways, canals, and the telegraph—were introduced not long after their introduction in Europe. However, unrest with the company also grew during this time, and set off the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Fed by diverse resentments and perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms, harsh land taxes, and summary treatment of some rich landowners and princes, the rebellion rocked many regions of northern and central India and shook the foundations of Company rule. Although the rebellion was suppressed by 1858, it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and to the direct administration of India by the British government. Proclaiming a unitary state and a gradual but limited British-style parliamentary system, the new rulers also protected princes and landed gentry as a feudal safeguard against future insurrections. FLAG The National Flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of India saffron, white and India green; with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, and it became the official flag of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. The flag was subsequently retained as that of the Republic of India. In India, the term "tricolour" almost always refers to the Indian national flag. MODERNITY AND BRITISH RULE
  • 44. GHANDI Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born to a merchant family in Porbandar, India, in 1869. He left Porbandar at the age of 18 to study law in London. After getting his degree he returned to India, where he learned that his mother had died while he was in London and that his family had kept the news from him. In 1893, a Muslim merchant in Kathiawar named Dada Abdullah contacted Gandhi. Abdullah owned a large successful shipping business in South Africa. His distant cousin in Johannesburg needed a lawyer, and they preferred someone with Kathiawari heritage. He left India once again, this time for South Africa. Immediately upon arrival, Gandhi faced discrimination because of his skin colour and heritage, like all people of colour. The prejudice against Indians from British people that Gandhi experienced and observed, deeply bothered him. He found it humiliating, and struggled to understand how some people can feel honour or superiority or pleasure in such inhumane practices. Gandhi began to question his people's standing in the British Empire. It was during this time that he became involved in civil rights, and developed his theory on peaceful protest, and in 1914 he returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress. He inspired people to boycott British goods and stood by institutions in protest against British rule. During his protests many Indians were arrested and killed, however they stayed true to their principles and didn't react violently, they simply kept boycotting, leaving huge dents in British financial gains. Eventually, in 1947 India became independent, splitting into two countries, India -with a Hindu majority- and Pakistan -with a Muslim majority. The division was upsetting for Gandhi, who preferred the people stay united, and as a result he did not celebrate independence. On 30 January 1948, Gandhi was with his grandnieces in the garden of the Birla House, on his way to address a prayer meeting, when Nathuram Godse (a right-wing Hindu Nationalist) fired three times into his chest with a pistol at point-blank range, leading to his death. •“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny”. •“Hatred is not essential for nationalism. Race hatred will kill the real national spirit”. •“Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation”. •“There are two days in the year that we can not do anything, yesterday and tomorrow”. •“Strength does not come from winning. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength”. •“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”. •“Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves”.
  • 45. INDIAN ARCHITECTURE Architecture is perhaps India’s greatest glory. Among the most-renowned monuments are many cave temples hewn from rock (of which those at Ajanta and Ellora are most noteworthy); the Sun Temple at Konarak (Konarka); the vast temple complexes at Bhubaneshwar, Khajuraho, and Kanchipuram(Conjeeveram); such Mughal masterpieces as Humayun’s tomb and the Taj Mahal; and, from the 20th century, buildings such as the High Court in the planned city of Chandigarh, designed by the Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier, and the Bhopal State Assembly building in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, designed by the Indian architect and urban planner Charles Correa. Also notable are stepwells, such as the Rani ki Vav (“Queen’s Stepwell”) in Patan (northern Gujarat), now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stepwells are spectacular subterranean edifices “like skyscrapers sunk into the earth”
  • 46. THE TAJ MAHAL Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous to love and romance. The name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make a visit to the Taj Mahal gain a place amongst the most sought- after tours in the world. However, until you know the love story behind the construction of the Taj Mahal, the beauty of the same would not enliven in your heart and mind and instead would come up as just another beautiful building/monument. It is the love behind this outstanding monument that has given a life to this monument. Come and explore the visceral charisma that it emanates RELIGION Religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Secularism in India means treatment of all religions equally by the state. India is a Secular State by the 42nd amendment act of Constitution in 1976. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the country by the law and custom; the Constitution of India has declared the right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right.
  • 47. DANCE AND MUSIC Bharata natyam, the classical dance form originating in southern India, expresses Hindu religious themes that date at least to the 4th century ce (see Natya- shastra). There are also numerous regional and folk dance traditions. Instrumental and vocal music is also quite varied and frequently is played or sung in concert (usually by small ensembles). It is a popular mode of religious expression, as well as an essential accompaniment to many social festivities, including dances and the narration of bardic and other folk narratives. Some virtuosos, most notably Ravi Shankar (composer and sitar player) an d Ali Akbar THEATRE, FILMS AND LITERATURE In modern times, Bengali playwrights—especially Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, who was also a philosopher, poet, songwriter, choreographer, essayist, and painter—have given new life to the Indian theatre. Playwrights from a number of other regions also have gained popularity. Indian interest in theatre has been replaced by the Indian motion-picture industry, which now ranks as the most popular form of mass entertainment. In some years India—whose film industry is centred in Mumbai (Bombay), thus earning the entire movie-making industry the sobriquet “Bollywood” in honour of Hollywood, its U.S. counterpart—makes more feature-length films than any other country in the world. The lives of film heroes and heroines, as portrayed in film magazines and other media, are subjects of great popular interest. While most films are formulaic escapist pastiches of drama, comedy, music, and dance, some of India’s best cinematographers, such as Satyajit Ray, are internationally acclaimed. Others, such as filmmakers Ismail Merchant, M. Night Shyamalan (Manoj Shyamalan), and Mira Nair, gained their greatest success making films abroad. Radio, television and Internet broadcasts, and digital and videocassette recordings are popular among those affluent enough to afford them.
  • 48. 10 MAIN LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN INDIA
  • 49. UNIT12 AFRICAIDENTITY Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of its total land area and with 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population.The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 54 countries, nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. During most of man's long history in Africa, there were no countries. Most of the countries were founded by colonialists, who displaced or enslaved the previous inhabitants of the land. Before that, however, there were many tribal groups, each with their own culture. The history of these tribes span most of Africa's history, but despite it not being the birthplace of modern society, it seems that it could very well be the birthplace of man as a whole. THE OLDEST CONTINENT THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND There is a paleo-anthropological site in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, called The Cradle of Humankind. It spans 47,000 hectares and is one of eight World Heritage Sites in South Africa. Here the landscape is dotted with subterranean limestone caves that have turned up a rich fossil record for human evolutionary studies. These findings have led to the 'Out of Africa' theory, estimating that most human ancestors originated from one general spot: Africa. The Site comprises a strip of a dozen limestone caves containing the fossilized remains of ancient forms of animals, plants and most importantly, hominids. The dolomite in which the caves formed, started out as coral reefs growing in a warm shallow sea about 2.3 billion years ago. There's biochemical evidence that made some theorize that the split of the human lineage (Hominidae) from that of the African apes took place around 5- 6 million years ago. The study of hominid fossils from sites in Africa thus enables scientists to understand how these hominids have changed and diversified since then.
  • 50. AFRICAN DIASPORA The phrase "African diaspora" was coined during the 1990s, and gradually entered common usage during the 2000s. The term "diaspora" originates from the Greek διασπορά (diaspora, literally "scattering") which gained popularity in English in reference to the Jewish diaspora before being more broadly applied to other populations The African diaspora refers to the communities throughout the world that have resulted by descent from the movement in historic times of peoples from Africa, predominantly to the Americas and among other areas around the globe. The term has been historically applied in particular to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations in Brazil, the United States, and Haiti. Some scholars identify "four circulatory phases" of migration out of Africa. African diaspora Regions with significant populations Brazil 55,900,000, including multiracial people United States 46,350,467 Haiti 8,788,439 Colombia 4,944,400 France 3,800,000 Jamaica 2,731,419 Venezuela 2,641,481 – 6,999,246 United Kingdom 2,080,000 Dominican Republic 1,985,991 Mexico 1,386,556 Cuba 1,126,894 Italy 1,100,000 Puerto Rico 979,842 Peru 875,427 Germany 817,150 Canada 783,795 Spain 690,291 Ecuador 680,000 Trinidad and Tobago 607,472 Natural Wonders of Africa •SERENGETI MIGRATION ♦ The migration crosses Tanzania and Kenya ♦ It spans 30,000 km2 ♦ It is the longest and largest overland migration in the world ♦ The name Serengeti means “endless plains”
  • 51. •NGORNGORO CRATER ♦ It is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world ♦ It’s is referred to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden” ♦ The crater is 19 km across and covers 264 km2 ♦ It rises over 600 metres above the caldera floor ♦ It’s home to over 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino. •MOUNT KILIMANJARO ♦ It is the tallest mountain in Africa, reaching 5,895 m ♦ It’s the tallest free-standing mountain in the world ♦ There are seven different peaks, with Uhuru Peak being the highest ♦ Kibo peak features a 2.41 km-wide crater • THE NILE RIVER ♦It’s the longest river in the world stretching 6,650 km ♦ It traverses across 10 countries ♦ The mouth of the river is in Egypt ♦ There are two sources – one in Uganda and the other in Ethiopia
  • 52. •THE RED SEA REEF ♦ It’s home to over 1,100 species of fish, of which 1 in 10 occur only in this area ♦ The reef extends over 1,900 km • SAHARA DESERT ♦ It’s the largest hot desert in the world ♦ It covers 11 countries and accounts for 9,000,000 km2 ♦ The sand dunes are as high as 180 meters ♦ It’s home to several features which could be considered “wonders” themselves •OKAVANGO DELTA ♦ It is the largest inland delta in the world ♦ It’s created by annual seasonal flooding which peaks in July and August ♦ It’s flat – with less than 2 metres of variation ♦ It’s been recognized as a World Heritage site