Ó National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Culture is reflected in language, rituals, politics, even clothing. Here, kente cloth is worn to special events by West Africans as their traditional dress.

Now consider what people wear in Bangladesh, the oil industry of the Middle East, and a spicy Mexican meal. What do they have in common? They are all influenced by geography, the physical and political landscape of the region.

Welcome to Culture and Geography, an exploration of the people and places of the world!

At the intersection of culture and geography, you'll find art and science, individuals and communities, history and current events. You'll see how a mountain in the distance can inspire a Sufi poet, how a river blocking a passage occupies a civil engineer and ship builder alike, and how the sound of a busy Cairo street inspires a musician. You'll recognize the familiar in places you never knew existed, and be amazed by what you discover right around the corner.

What do you need to bring on the journey? An open mind, a place to think, and someone to share it all with. But you'll also need a way to heal, because along with great beauty, comedy, and inspiration, the story of the human community includes tragedy and pain.

Culture Clash

Today's Uzbek children will see a world drastically different from that of their parents. The influence of western culture is apparent in the young generation.

War, slavery, injustice, environmental pollution — these are inescapable parts of what it means to be human. This journey around the world and through history can be illuminating and uplifting, but the beautiful moments are often veiled by the damage people do to each other. But don't forget that sometimes the most powerful aspect of culture is how people resist it.

	I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.          –Mahatma Gandhi

Where in the World to Begin?

The exploration begins with "What is Geography" (1). From there, travel to "The Middle East and North Africa" (2), "South Asia" (3), "China" (4), or "Japan, Korea, and the Pacific Rim" (5).

There are several ways to approach Culture and Geography:

• Survey as many regions as you can, or immerse yourself in one.
• Compare one aspect (such as "Society and Family Life") of different regions.

  From the gauchos of Argentina to the folk dancers of South Korea to the Vedda people of Sri Lanka -- there are so many people and cultures to explore.

• Explore the case studies of different countries, including Iran, Indonesia, and Kurdistan.
• Tour a region by using different approaches. For example, examine its history and stories, sample its food, learn its traditional dances, or discuss its current events.

• Practice identifying countries and cities in the interactive maps (2a, 3a, 4, 5a).
• Contribute your thoughts by using the You-Try-It feature, as in "Cities in the Desert" (1a) and "Thinking about the Caste System" (3g).
• Embark on the Mount Everest Adventure (3b).
• Learn how to use chopsticks (4j).
• Write a Japanese haiku (5g).

	The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.          –Loren Eiseley

1. What Is Geography?
   1. The Five Themes of Geography
   2. Physical and Human Geography
   3. What Does a Geographer Do?
   4. Climate and Weather
   5. Weather Extremes
   6. Oceans and the Hydrosphere
   7. Water Resources
   8. River Systems
   9. Ecological Essentials
   10. Geologic Hazards
   11. Shaping the Earth
2. The Middle East and North Africa
   1. The Geography of the Middle East
   2. The Sahara Desert
   3. Judaism
   4. Christianity
   5. Islam
   6. Society and Family Life
   7. Breaking Up the Ottoman Empire
   8. The Emergence of Israel
   9. Art and Literature of the Middle East
   10. Food, Fashion, and Music
   11. Turkey: A Case Study
   12. Iran: A Case Study
   13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict
   14. Oil and the Global Economy
   15. A Nation without a State: Kurdistan
3. South Asia
   1. The Geography of South Asia
   2. The Himalayas
   3. Hinduism
   4. Buddhism
   5. Jainism and Sikhism
   6. Islam Comes to South Asia
   7. The Caste System
   8. Society and Family Life
   9. The Imperial Period
   10. Gandhi and the Struggle for Independence
   11. Separation: India and Pakistan
   12. Art and Literature of South Asia
   13. Food, Fashion, and Music
   14. Case Study: Bangladesh
   15. Case Study: Sri Lanka
   16. India: The World's Largest Democracy
   17. The Pakistani Republic
   18. The Question of Kashmir
4. China
   1. The Geography of China
   2. The Yangtze - the River Dragon
   3. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism
   4. Conforming to Change - Society and Family Life
   5. Regionalism in China
   6. Fending Off the West
   7. Villain or Hero? The Rise of Mao
   8. The Cultural Revolution
   9. Chinese Art and Literature
   10. Food, Fashion, and Music
   11. The Tibetan Question
   12. China and Taiwan - One China or Two?
   13. The Population Question
5. Japan, Korea, and the Pacific Rim
   1. The Geography of Japan and Korea
   2. Mount Fuji
   3. Shinto and Zen Buddhism
   4. Japanese Society and Family Life
   5. Japan Becomes a World Power
   6. The Postwar Japanese Miracle
   7. Japanese Art and Literature
   8. Japanese Food, Fashion, and Music
   9. Religions of the Rim
   10. Regional Society and Family Life
   11. The Variety of Colonial Experiences
   12. The Korean War
   13. Case Study: the Philippines
   14. Case Study: Indonesia
   15. Case Study: South Korea
   16. The Economic Tigers
   17. Don't Question Authority