John’s Blog

China-  China was once a communist state which is when the government has very strong control over the economy and society as a whole. From this, China was still behind other countries in technology, and manufactured goods were of poor quality. To help their economy get stronger China allowed many features of the free enterprise system to take hold without completely giving up the communist government. One feature is that Individuals can choose what jobs they want and where to start their own businesses. Another feature is that workers can keep the profits they make. The third feature is that farmers can grow and sell what they wish. Many foreign companies are investing their money in Chinese companies because Chinese workers are willing to work for less money and there are millions of possible customers for their goods. China’s rapid economic growth made more of China’s people able to get jobs in manufacturing and service industries. It also made wages increase and more goods available to buy. Four consumer goods could be TV’s motorcycles cars and DVD players. China’s economic growth has also hurt the environment because of poisonous chemicals being dumped into rivers and smoke from burnt coal polluting the air. Until 1997 the busy city of Hong Kong has been controlled by the United Kingdom and still remains busy like no other country.

  China’s rapid economic growth

     Did you know that the amazing country of India worships the cow and treats it as a sacred animal? Being the birth place of Buddhism and Hinduism, India is the home of over 700 dialects and languages. Surprisingly, there is a city in India called Shiva and is named after the god of death! Can you believe that over 200 years ago the British ruled India and built thousands of amazing railroad systems which became there main way of transportation? These trains can get extremely crowded with people. There are four people to a compartment and the trains use fans as air conditioning. If you are riding on one of these trains you don’t have to worry about starving because they serve food on it. If your wondering what the Indian people eat, they make their own meals varrying from drinks and soups to delicious hand made salads. India has their very own sacred river called the Ganges. Some people may find some of these facts rather disturbing. The Ganges is know to be the most polluted river. It is also where people bathe and swim. Here’s a good fact: If we even went in the Ganges we would get sick immediately because we would not be used to such polluted water. As people and animals pass away they are ceremonially thrown into the Ganges river. Over 200 stairs lead down to the Ganges called the Ghats. India is also know for the largest palace in the world called the Taj Mahal. It was built by a Muslim emperor, Shah Jahan, to store his dead wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years to build and was constructed in 1631. Krishna, a Hindu god has a birthday every year. This important holiday is commonly celebrated by the Hindu people. During this celebration and many more the streets come alive with many activities. Activities like music, food, face-painting, and much more. During Krishna’s birthday many people send prayer candles into the river to worship her.. India has many endangered species and one of them is the elephant. Elephants can be found at Corbett National park in India. There is one way to get on a elephant: Step 1- put one foot on elephants trunk. Step 2- grab on to ears of elephant and pull yourself up. Step 3- keep pulling while the elephant assists you by lifting it’s trunk. Here’s an amazing fact for all those people out there begging to learn about India. About 20 people are killed by tigers every year! India is a fascinating country, and I think everyone should know about it.           

     The Ottoman Empire, founded in the late 13th century, was ruled by an Asian ethnic group called Turks. These people migrated to Anatolia during the A.D. 900’s. Here, they created a powerful Muslim empire called the Ottoman Empire, led by the descendants of Osman I. In the 1400’s, the Ottomans conquered the city Constantanople which had been the capital of the Byzantine Empire for almost 1,000 years. They renamed this port city Istanbul as it is called it today. Istanbul is the only city in the world which is located on two continents, Asia and Europe.

       Socially, economically, and militarily the Ottoman Empire was a medieval state, unaffected by the developments in the rest of Europe. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by sultans who believed that leadership was a divine right bestowed on a chosen family. Ottoman princes were sent off to the provinces with their tutors to learn the business of government. Often these princes had to compete for the throne. The sultan would likely kill most of his male relatives to secure his position on the throne. Bribery and corruption were common in the government and the sultans had little actual involvement in any public affairs.

       The sultans lack of control led to the decline of the empire while World War I led to the actual collapse of the empire. In 1922, Turkish  nationalists overthrew the sultan and modern Turkey’s history began.    

 I got my information from infoplease.com and Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia.