World affairs annual 2007.In the 22 pages that follow, you'll find maps and the latest data on air 194 countries in the world--everything from capital cities and languages to leaders and literacy rates. To better understand the data, read the explanations accompanying the sample entry for India below. On each map, you'll find summaries of key news stories to watch in the year ahead. And in our Snapshots section, you'll learn, among other things, the world's biggest religions and which countries have the most McDonald's. We hope you'll keep this issue for year-round reference, and that it will help you make sense of the news as we head into 2007. LESSON PLAN 3: INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND A recent National Geographic-Roper survey found that young Americans don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. much about the world outside the U.S. Only 37 percent could find Iraq on a map. But maps show much more than simply where things are. They provide dues about populations, economies, and how countries and regions relate to one another. CRITICAL THINKING * Have students examine the map of the Middle East, long a world hot spot and an area of great concern to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. What does Israel's location suggest about its vulnerability to attack? * Next, look at the map of Asia. Tell students that most of the world's oil supply is shipped through the Persian Gulf Persian Gulf, arm of the Arabian Sea, 90,000 sq mi (233,100 sq km), between the Arabian peninsula and Iran, extending c.600 mi (970 km) from the Shatt al Arab delta to the Strait of Hormuz, which links it with the Gulf of Oman. . What does the geography of the region suggest about the vulnerability of that oil supply? [Note the narrow choke point In military strategy, a choke point (or chokepoint) is a geographical feature (such as a valley or defile) which forces an army to go into a narrower formation (greatly decreasing combat power) in order to pass through it. off Iran. Oil shipping is subject to relatively easy interception.] * Now look at North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and Africa. Why are so many major cities located on or near an ocean or a river? (Water allows for easy transportation and shipment of goods.) DISCUSSION QUESTION * Ask students to examine the southern part of the map of Europe and note the number of relatively small countries. * What does this suggest about relations between those countries? (Does it help explain Europe's long history of warfare? Or its people's penchant for being multilingual and for having greater geographic knowledge than many Americans?) FAST FACT * The voyages of Columbus and other explorers provided the information needed to create world maps. The first world map was published in Italy in 1508. WEB WATCH www.lib.utexas.edu/maps Map Collection at the University of Texas, Austin, provides an online collection of modern and historical maps. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov /apod/image/0011 /earthlights_dmsp_big .jpg A Population Reference Bureau The Population Reference Bureau is a non-governmental organization in the United States, founded in 1929 by Guy Irving Burch, with support of Raymond Pearl. It provides information about demography. satellite photo of the world at night presents dramatic views of population clusters on all continents. QUIZ 2 > ATLAS 1. Iran's capital, -- , is located due south of the -- Sea. 2. During this summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah, many Lebanese fled the country, stopping first at --, an island nation to the northwest. 3. The Bay of -- washes the shores of two European countries. These countries are -- and --. 4. Upfront's Oct. 9 issue told the story of a young Zambian boy who works six days a week crushing rocks in his country's capital city of --. 5. The capital city of Equador, --, is very close to the equator. 6. As its location might suggest, fish is a major export of --, a European island nation whose northern extremities nearly touch the Arctic Circle Arctic Circle, imaginary circle on the surface of the earth at 66 1-2°N latitude, i.e., 23 1-2° south of the North Pole. It marks the northernmost point at which the sun can be seen at the winter solstice (about Dec. . 7. Only one of the five Great Lakes Great Lakes, group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km). , Lake --, lies entirety within the U.S. 8. The oil region of Venezuela is near a take about 300 miles west of the capital. On the western shore of that take is the city of --. 9. The straight-line distance between Vancouver and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of is approximately a 3,400 miles. b 2,400 miles. c 1,900 miles. d 2,800 miles. 10. The United Nations says genocide is occurring in Darfur a region in the African nation of -- , about 400 miles southwest of the capital of --. 11. In September, the military took control in -- , an Asian nation Noun 1. Asian nation - any one of the nations occupying the Asian continent Asian country country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" that ties just west of Cambodia. 12. -- is the capital of Germany. IN-DEPTH QUESTIONS 1. Study the map of North America. What does the location of the Mississippi River Mississippi River River, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. imply about its contribution to the economic development of the U.S.? 2. Note the "bulge" of eastern Brazil and the indented in·dent 1 v. in·dent·ed, in·dent·ing, in·dents v.tr. 1. To set (the first line of a paragraph, for example) in from the margin. 2. a. coast of western Africa, from Nigeria to Angola. Earth scientists say the shape of these two regions suggest something about the Earth millions of years ago. What is it? ANSWER KEY QUIZ 2 1. Tehran; Caspian 2. Cyprus 3. Biscay, Spain, France 4. Lusaka 5. Quito 6. Iceland 7. Michigan 8. Maracaibo 9. 2,400 10. Sudan; Khartoum 11. Thailand 12. Berlin |
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