Cultures of the world is the aggregate of regional variations in culture, both by nation and ethnic group and more broadly, by larger regional variations. Similarities in culture often occur in geographically nearby peoples. Both summaries of each region's major cultural characteristics as well as links to individual national or group cultures can be found here. See also: list of national cultures. The word culture comes from the Latin root colere (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor). ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cultures of the World. ...

Africa

Main article: Culture of Africa

The continent Africa was the birthplace of the hominin subfamily and the genus Homo, including eight species, of which only Homo sapiens survive. Human culture in Africa is as old as the human race, and includes Neolithic (10,000 BC) rock engravings, the glacial age petroglyphs (a carving or line drawing on rock, especially one made by prehistoric people) of early hunter-gatherers in the dry grasslands of North Africa, the Nomes of Egypt (3100 BC), and ancient Egypt. The Culture of Africa encompasses and includes all cultures which were ever in the continent of Africa. ... Genera Gorilla Pan (chimpanzees) Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Homininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, including Homo sapiens and some extinct relatives, as well as the gorillas and the chimpanzees. ... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... Species Homo sapiens sapiens See text for extinct species. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, southern Utah, USA Petroglyphs are images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric, especially Neolithic, peoples. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided by the formidable barrier of the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... The nomes of Ancient Egypt A nome (Greek: district) is a subnational administrative division of Ancient Egypt. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ...

Though of many varied origins, African culture, especially Sub-Saharan African culture has been shaped by European colonialism, and is differentiated from North Africa from its lesser influence by Arab and Islamic culture. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

Africa is home to innumerable tribes, ethnic and social groups, some representing very large populations consisting of millions of people, others are smaller groups of a few thousand. http://www. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ...

Africa is a big continent and the food and drink of Africa reflect local influences, as also glimpses of colonial food traditions, including use of food products like peppers, peanuts and maize introduced by the colonizers. The African cuisine is a combination of traditional fruits and vegetables, milk and meat products. The African village diet is often milk, curds and whey. Exotic game and fish are gathered from Africa's vast area. In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... Species C. annuum (incl. ... Binomial name Arachis hypogaea L. The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the legume family Fabaceae native to South America. ... Corn redirects here. ... A cuisine (from French cuisine, meaning cooking; culinary art; kitchen; itself from Latin coquina, meaning the same; itself from the Latin verb coquere, meaning to cook) is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a place of origin. ... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Spain. ... Vegetables in a market Venn diagram representing the relationship between (botanical) fruits and vegetables. ... A glass of cows milk A goat kid feeding on its mothers milk Milk is the nutrient fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). ... Mortal Kombat character, see Meat (Mortal Kombat). ... Curd is a dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating) milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar and then draining off the liquid portion (called whey). ... Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained; it is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. ...

Overview

Africa has a number of overlapping cultures. The most conventional distinction is that between sub-Saharan Africa and the northern countries from Egypt to Morocco, who largely associate themselves with Arabic culture. In this comparison, the nations to the south of the Sahara are considered to consist of many cultural areas, in particular that of the Bantu language group. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ...

Divisions may also be made between French Africa and the rest of Africa, in particular the former British colonies of southern and East Africa. Another cultural fault-line is that between those Africans living traditional lifestyles and those who are essentially modern. The traditionalists are sometimes subdivided into pastoralists and agriculturalists. Map of the first (light blue) and second (dark blue — plain and hachured) French colonial empires France has had colonial possessions, in various forms, since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... It has been suggested that Pastoralist be merged into this article or section. ... Agrarian redirects here. ...

African art reflects the diversity of African cultures. The oldest existing art from Africa are 6,000-year old carvings found in Niger, while the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt was the world's tallest architectural accomplishment for 4,000 years until the creation of the Eiffel Tower. The Ethiopian complex of monolithic churches at Lalibela, of which the Church of St. George is representative, is regarded as another marvel of engineering. Makonde carving c. ... The Great Pyramid is the oldest and the largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa. ... Eiffel tower on Bastille Day The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, France. ... Church of St. ... The Bete Giyorgis, one of the many rock-hewn churches at the holy site of Lalibela, Ethiopia Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia. ... St. ...

The music of Africa is one of its most dynamic art forms. Egypt has long been a cultural focus of the Arab world, while remembrance of the rhythms of sub-Saharan Africa, in particular west Africa, was transmitted through the Atlantic slave trade to modern samba, blues, jazz, reggae, rap, and rock and roll. Modern music of the continent includes the highly complex choral singing of southern Africa and the dance rhythms of soukous, dominated by the music of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A recent development of the twenty first century is the emergence of African hip hop. In particular, a form from Senegal is blended with traditional mbalax. Recently in South Africa, a form of music related to house music known under the name Kwaito has developed, although the country has been home to its own form of South African jazz for some time, while Afrikaans music is completely distinct and composed mostly of traditional Boere musiek, and forms of folk and rock music. An African woman, wearing native garments, performs during a visit from participants in the West Africa Training Cruise 1983. ... The Atlantic slave trade, started by the Spanish, was the purchase of people in and transported from West Africa and Central Africa, into slavery in the New World. ... Samba is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. ... Shahrukh is a bona vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Hip hop music is a style of popular music. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... // Soukous is a musical genre that originated in the Congos during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa. ... Describing the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult, due to vagaries surrounding the meanings of various terms. ... Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread American influence. ... Mbalax is a genre of popular music developed in Senegal and Gambia. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... South African jazz is, put most simply, the jazz music of South Africa. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Language

The continent of Africa speaks hundreds of languages and if dialects spoken by various ethnic groups are also included, the number is much higher. All these languages and dialects do not have same importance: some are spoken by only few hundred persons, others are spoken by millions. Among the most prominent languages spoken are Arabic, Swahili and Hausa. Very few countries of Africa use any single language and for this reason several official languages coexist, African and European. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see below for derivation) is a Bantu language the most widely spoken language of sub-Saharan Africa. ... Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people, and as a second language by about 15 million more. ...

The language of Africa present a unity of character as well as diversity, as is manifest in all the dimensions of Africa. Four prominent language families of Africa are:

• Afro-Asiatic
• Nilo-Saharan
• Niger-Kordofanian
• Khoisan

The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a language family with about 375 languages (SIL estimate) and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia (including some 200 million speakers of Arabic). ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... The Niger-Kordofanian language family was proposed by Joseph H. Greenberg in his 1966 book Languages of Africa. ... Map showing the distribution of the Khoi-San languages. ...

Anglo America (United States and Canada)

Because of the economic dominance of the United States, the shared English language between the two countries, and the loose border (no visa is required to move between the countries), the culture of the United States and Canada is very similar. However, there are some notable differences. Among these is the fact that Canada has a large French-speaking minority, while the second-most common language in the United States is Spanish. In addition, Canada uses the metric system; the U.S. does not. Canadian spelling is usually more similar to British spelling, although the speech of Canadians is somewhat akin to that of Americans. The International System of Units (symbol: SI) (for the French phrase Syst me International dUnit s) is the most widely used system of units. ...

A unique feature of the relationship between the two countries is how the U.S.-based National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball's American League (AL) all have at least one Canadian team (several in the case of the NHL) in addition to their American franchises, in contrast to how sports leagues from virtually all other countries are limited to the country they are based in. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a basketball league. ... NHL redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... American League The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ...

Canada

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are the federal and national police force of Canada and an international icon. Seen here at Expo 67.

Main articles: Culture of Canada, National symbols of Canada, Sport in Canada

Canadian culture has historically been heavily influenced by English, French, Irish, Scottish and Aboriginal cultures and traditions, and over time has been greatly influenced by American culture due to its proximity and the interchange of human capital. Many forms of American media and entertainment are popular, if not dominant in Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the US and worldwide. Many cultural products are now marketed toward a unified "North American" market, or a global market generally. Image File history File links RCMP_officer_Expo_67. ... Image File history File links RCMP_officer_Expo_67. ... Royal Canadian Mounted Police heraldic badge. ... Man and His World redirects here - for the 1990 animated documentary feature film by Bruno Bozzetto, see Man and His World. ... // Canadian culture is a product of Canadas history and geography. ... The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is an important national symbol of Canada. ... A wide variety of sports are played in Canada. ... The English are an ethnic group and nation primarily associated with England and the English language. ... The Scottish people are a nation[6] and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. ... Aboriginal peoples in Canada are Indigenous Peoples recognized in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, sections 25 and 35, respectively, as Indians (First Nations), Métis, and Inuit. ... Human capital is a way of defining and categorizing the skills and abilities as used in employment and as they otherwise contribute to the economy. ...

The creation and preservation of more distinctly Canadian culture has been partly influenced by federal government programs, laws and institutions such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... The National Film Board of Canada (usually National Film Board or NFB) is a Canadian public filmmaking organization established to produce and distribute films that inform Canadians and promote Canada around the world. ... The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC, in French Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes) was established in 1968 by the Canadian Parliament to replace the Board of Broadcast Governors. ...

A Kwakwaka'wakw totem pole and traditional "big house" in Victoria, BC.

Canadian culture has also been greatly influenced by more recent immigration of people from all over the world. Many Canadians value multiculturalism, indeed some see Canadian culture as being inherently multicultural.^[1] Multicultural heritage is enshrined in Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2132x1629, 2240 KB) Summary Thunderbird Park, 2006. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2132x1629, 2240 KB) Summary Thunderbird Park, 2006. ... Kwakwakawakw (also Kwakiutl, pronounced Kwa-gyu-thl) is a term used to describe a group of Canadian First Nations people, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the mainland. ... A Gitxsan pole (left) and Kwakwakawakw pole (right) at Thunderbird Park in Victoria, British Columbia. ... Victoria is a Canadian city, and it is the capital of the province of British Columbia. ... Multiculturalism is an ideology advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and include, distinct cultural groups, with equal status. ... Section Twenty-seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a section of the Charter that, as part of a range of provisions within the section 25 to section 31 bloc, helps determine how rights in other sections of the Charter should be interpreted and applied by the...

National symbols are influenced by natural, historical, and First Nations sources. Particularly, the use of the maple leaf, as a Canadian symbol, dates back to the early 18th century and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of arms. Other prominent symbols include the beaver, [[Canad The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is an important national symbol of Canada. ... First Nations is a term of ethnicity used in Canada. ... Maple leaves in fall For other meanings, see maple leaf (disambiguation). ... The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf and lUnifolié (French for the one-leaved), is a base red flag with a white square in its centre featuring a stylized, 11-pointed, red maple leaf. ... The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdoms Merchant Navy The Red Ensign is a flag that originated in the early 1600s as an ensign flown by the Royal Navy. ... In Canada a penny is a coin worth one cent or 1/100th of a dollar. ... Coat of Arms of Canada (from 1994) The Royal Coat of Arms of Canada (formally known as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Canada) was proclaimed by King George V on November 21, 1921, as the Arms or Ensigns Armorial of the Dominion of Canada. ... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ...

United States

Main article: Culture of the United States

American cultural icons, such as apple pie, baseball, and the American flag.

American culture has been a melting pot of different cultures around the world, which have formed a unified culture centered on the American Dream, a faith, held by many in the United States, that, through hard work, courage, and self-determination, regardless of social class, a person can gain a better life.^[2] This belief is rooted in the belief that the country is a "city upon a hill, a light unto the nations,"^[3] which were values held by many early European settlers and maintained by subsequent generations. This article is becoming very long. ... http://www. ... http://www. ... Apple pie In cooking, an apple pie is a fruit pie (or tart) in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... National flag and ensign. ... Alternate meaning: crucible (science) The melting pot is a metaphor for the way in which heterogenous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (iron, tin; people of different backgrounds and religions, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Social mobility or intergenerational mobility is the degree to which, in a given society, an individuals social status can change throughout the course of his or her life, or the degree to which that individuals offspring and subsequent generations move up and down the class system. ... City upon a hill is the phrase often used to refer to John Winthrops famous sermon, A Model of Christian Charity,, of 1630, based on Matthew 5:14 (You are the light of the world. ...

American cuisine, embraces native American ingredients like turkey, potatoes, corn, and squash which have become integral parts of American culture. Such popular icons as apple pies, pizza, and hamburgers are all derived from European dishes. Burritos and tacos have their origins in Mexico. However, many of the food items now enjoyed worldwide either originated in the United States or were substantially altered by American chefs. Because the United States has long attracted immigrants from a wide variety of nations and cultures, it is no surprise that the cuisine of the United States is extremely diverse and difficult to define. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. ... Look up corn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash C. moschata- butternut squash C. pepo- most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 223652002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... Apple pie In cooking, an apple pie is a fruit pie (or tart) in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. ... A pizza with tomatoes, field mushrooms, and onions as toppings. ... For other uses, see Hamburger (disambiguation). ... A large burrito. ... barbacoa tacos. ...

Music in the United States also traces to the country's melting-pot population through a diverse array of styles. Rock and roll, hip hop, country, blues, and jazz are among the country's most internationally renowned genres. Since the late 19th century, popular recorded music from the United States has become increasingly known across the world, such that some forms of American popular music are heard almost everywhere.^[4] The United States is home to a wide array of regional styles and scenes. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Rhythm and blues (aka R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ...

However, not all American culture is derived from some other form found elsewhere in the world. For example, the birth of cinema, as well as its radical development, can largely be traced back to the United States. In 1878, the first recorded instance of sequential photographs capturing and reproducing motion was Eadweard Muybridge's series of a running horse, which the British-born photographer produced in Palo Alto, California, using a row of still cameras. Since then, the American film industry, centered in Hollywood, California, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world. Other areas of development include the comic book and Disney's animated films, which saw widespread popularity and influence, especially in Japanese anime and manga and Chinese animation and manhua. Muybridges The Horse in Motion. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Location of Palo Alto within Santa Clara County, California. ... An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States containing a narrative in the comics form. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn) film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot (even if it is a very short one). ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ... This page is about the development of animation and comic industry in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. ... Manhua (Traditional Chinese: 漫畫; Simplified Chinese: 漫画; Pinyin: ) is a general term for comics produced in China, often including Chinese translations of Japanese manga. ...

Pro Bowl, 2006. Football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States.^[5]

Sports are a national pastime, and playing sports, especially football, baseball, and basketball, is very popular at the high-school level. Professional sports in the U.S. is big business, with most of the world's most highly paid athletes.^[6] The "Big Four" sports are baseball, football, ice hockey, and basketball. Another popular sport is auto racing, especially NASCAR. Lacrosse, originally played by some of the indigenous tribes, is a visible sport and growing. Soccer (called football elsewhere) is a popular participatory sport, especially among children; but it does not have a large following as a spectator sport, in contrast to its much greater popularity in other countries. The United States is among the most influential regions in shaping three popular board-based recreational sports—surfboarding, skateboarding, and snowboarding—which have many competitions and a large, dedicated subculture. Eight Olympiads have taken place in the United States. The country generally fares very well in them, especially the Summer Olympics: for instance, in the 2004 Olympics, the U.S. topped the medals table, with a record 103 medals (35 gold, 39 silver, and 29 bronze).^[7] Baseball is popularly termed "the national pastime"; since the early 1990s, football has largely been considered the most popular sport in America. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2284x2012, 500 KB) Subject: Pro Bowl Source page url: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2284x2012, 500 KB) Subject: Pro Bowl Source page url: http://www. ... The Pro Bowl is the National Football Leagues all-star game. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... A spectator sport is one that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ... Racing cars redirects here. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The Dive Shot. Lacrosse is a team sport that is played by ten players (men) or twelve players (women), each of whom uses a netted stick (the crosse) in order to pass and catch a very hard rubber ball with the aim of scoring goals (each worth one point traditionally... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... A spectator sport is one that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. ... The first boardsport was surfing, followed by skateboarding. ... See World Wide Web for surfing the web; see also Wind surfing Surfing at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. ... A skateboarder performing a frontside lipslide Skateboarding is the act of rolling on or performing tricks with a skateboard. ... Snowboarder in a half-pipe Snowboarder trail entry Snowboarding is a boardsport that involves descending a snow-covered slope on a snowboard that is attached to ones feet. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. ... The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to August 29, 2004. ... This is the full table of the medal count of the 2004 Summer Olympics. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ...

See also: Arts and entertainment in the United States, Media of the United States, Dance of the United States, Architecture of the United States, Holidays of the United States, and Lists of Americans

This article discusses the culture of the United States; for customs and way of life, see Culture of the United States. ... The media of the United States of amrica consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. ... Closely related to the development of American music in the early 20th century was the emergence of a new, and distinctively American, art form -- modern dance. ... The United States has a history of architecture that includes a wide variety of styles. ... Holidays of the United States vary with local observance. ... // African Americans Albanian Americans Arab Americans Asian American Australian Americans Austrian Americans Brazilian Americans Cajuns Cambodian Americans Chilean Americans Chinese Americans Louisiana Creoles Cuban Americans Dutch Americans English Americans Filipino Americans Finnish Americans French Americans German Americans Greek Americans Hispanic Americans Hungarian Americans Indian Americans Native Americans Indonesian Americans*Iranian...

Asia

Main article: Culture of Asia

For discussion of the area sometimes termed southwest Asia, see Middle East.

Culturally, there has been little unity or common history for many of the cultures and peoples of Asia. The culture of Asia is the artificial aggregate of the cultural heritage of many nationalities, societies, religions, and ethnic groups in the region, traditionally called a continent from a Western-centric perspective, of Asia. ...  Southwest Asia in most contexts. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Asian art, music, and cuisine, as well as literature, are important parts of Asian culture. Eastern philosophy and religion also plays a major role, with Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity all playing major roles. One of the most complex parts of Asian culture is the relationship between traditional cultures and the Western world. Arts of the Far East include: Buddhist art Chinese art Japanese art Tibetan art Thai art Art of Laos Categories: Art stubs ... Asian music actually is a vague, loose term that encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from just as numerous Asian cultures. ... Asian cuisine is a term for the various cuisines of South, East and Southeast Asia and for fusion dishes based on combining them. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Taoism (pronounced and often written as Daoism (dow-ism)) is the English name for a religious and philosophical tradition in China. ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The term Western World or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ...

Languages and literature

Asia is home to several language families and many language isolates. Most Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken. For instance, according to Ethnologue, more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines. But Korea is home to only one language. Current distribution of Human Language Families Most languages are known to belong to language families. ... A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or genetic) relationship with other living languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common to any other language. ... Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), a Christian linguistic service organization which studies lesser-known languages primarily to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or 조선, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...

Haiku

Early-Modern Japanese literature (17th–19th centuries) developed comparable innovations such as haiku, a form of Japanese poetry that evolved from the ancient hokku (Japanese language: 発句) mode. Haiku consists of three lines: the first and third lines each have five morae (the rough phonological equivalent of syllables), while the second has seven. Original haiku masters included such figures as Edo period poet Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉); others influenced by Bashō include Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki. Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia. ... Haiku )   is a mode of Japanese poetry, the late 19th century revision by Masaoka Shiki of the older hokku ), the opening verse of a linked verse form, haikai no renga. ... Grave of the Japanese poet Yosa Buson The best-known forms of Japanese poetry (outside Japan) are haiku and senryu. ... Japanese (,  ) is a language spoken by over 130 million people, mainly in Japan, but also by Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ... Phonology (Greek phonÄ“ = voice/sound and logos = word/speech), is a subfield of linguistics which studies the sound system of a specific language (or languages). ... A syllable (Ancient Greek: ) is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Edo Period. ... A statue of Bashō in Ogaki, Gifu. ... Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶 Kobayashi Issa) (June 15, 1763 - January 5, 1828) was a Japanese writer of haikai known for his hokku verses. ... Haiku by Shiki at Horyu-ji (temple): kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Hōryū-ji I bite into a persimmon and a bell resounds— Hōryūji —trans. ...

Mythology, philosophy and religion

Philosophy

Main article: Eastern philosophy

Asian philosophical traditions originated in India and China and cover a large spectrum of philosophical thoughts and writings. Indian philosophy includes Hindu philosophy and Buddhist philosophy. They include elements of nonmaterial pursuits, whereas another school of thought from India, Carvaka, preached the enjoyment of material world. This does not cite its references or sources. ... The term Indian philosophy may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought, including: Hindu philosophy Buddhist philosophy Jain philosophy Sikh philosophy Carvaka atheist philosophy Lokayata materialist philosophy Tantric religious philosophy Bhakti religious philosophy Sufi religious philosophy Ahmadi religious philosophy Political and military philosophy such as that of Chanakya... Hindu philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Buddhist philosophy is the branch of Eastern philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a. ... Carvaka, also frequently transliterated as Charvaka or Cārvāka, and also known as Lokayata or Lokyāta, is a thoroughly materialistic and atheistic school of thought with roots in ancient India. ...

Taoism was founded by Chinese philosopher Lao Zi, who lived 605-520 B.C. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who lived 563-483 B.C. Taoism (pronounced and often written as Daoism (dow-ism)) is the English name for a religious and philosophical tradition in China. ... Lao Zi (Chinese 老子, also spelled Laozi, Lao Tzu, or Lao Tse) is a major figure in Chinese philosophy whose historical existence is debated. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he...

During the 20th century, in the two most populous countries of Asia, two dramatically different political philosophies took shape. Gandhi gave a new meaning to Ahimsa, and redefined the concepts of nonviolence and nonresistance. During the same period, Mao Zedong’s communist philosophy was crystallized. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी, Gujarati મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી), called... Ahimsa (अहिंसा ) is a Sanskrit term meaning non-violence (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). ... Nonviolence (or non-violence) can be both a political strategy or moral philosophy that rejects the use of violence in efforts to attain social or political change. ... Nonresistance (or non-resistance) discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of nonviolence. ... Mao redirects here. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownershipmovement]]. Early forms of human social organization have been described as primitive communism by Marxists. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Religions

A large majority of people in the world who practice a religious faith practice one founded in Asia.

Religions founded in Asia and with a majority of their contemporary adherents in Asia include:

• Hinduism: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali.
• Buddhism: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, parts of northern, eastern, and western India, and parts of central and eastern Russia (Siberia).
• Islam: Central, South, and Southwest Asia, Malaysia, Philippines Brunei and Indonesia.

Religions founded in Asia that have the majority of their contemporary adherents in other regions include: Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... This is the current Indonesian Collaboration of the week. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) arctic northeast Siberia Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia and comprising a large part of the Euro-Asian Steppe. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ...  Southwest Asia in most contexts. ...

• Christianity (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Armenia, Georgia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, Pakistan, India and the Philippines)
• Judaism (slightly fewer than half of its adherents reside in Asia; Israel, Iran, India, Syria.)

Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ...

Food & drink

Thai seafood curry

In many parts of Asia, rice is a staple food, and it is mostly served steamed or as a porridge known as congee. China is the world largest producer and consumer of rice. In India, people often eat food with their hands, and many spices are used in every dish. Most spices originated around India or neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka. blue or green seafood curry. ... blue or green seafood curry. ... Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Rice is two species of grass (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) native to tropical and subtropical southern & southeastern Asia and in Africa. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled steam and water vapor, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rice congee is a type of Asian rice porridge known as zhōu (粥 or juk in several Chinese dialects and Korean, and pronounced kayu in Japanese). ... Screen shot of Spice OPUS, a fork of Berkeley SPICE SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuits Emphasis) is a general purpose analog circuit simulator. ...

Durian

Durians are a common fruit in Southeast Asia, which, Alfred Russel Wallace, attested to its delicious flavor as worth the entire cost of his trip there. Durian from http://www. ... Durian from http://www. ... Species There are currently 30 recognised species (see text) This article is about the fruit. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Alfred Russel Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS (January 8, 1823 – November 7, 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. ...

East Asia

East Asia is usually thought to consist of China, Japan, Korea, but may also include Mongolia and Indochina. . The dominant influence historically has been China, though in modern times, cultural exchange has flowed more bidirectionally. Major characteristics of this region include shared Chinese-derived language characteristics, as well as shared religion, especially Buddhism. There is also a shared social and moral philosophy derived from Confucianism. Korea (Korean: 한국 or 조선, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. ... Histories for East Asia are listed by area in alphabetical order: History of China History of Hong Kong History of Japan History of Korea History of Macau History of Mongolia History of Siberia History of Russian Far East History of Ryūkyū Islands History of Tibet History of Taiwan History... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ...

The Chinese writing is generally agreed to be the unifying principle. It was historically used throughout the region, and is still used to a large extent in most countries of the region. In most cases, the meaning of the characters remain unchanged, but the pronunciation differs between regions. Even within China, for example, a Cantonese person and a person from northern China probably cannot hold a converstaion, but they can certainly understand each other by passing notes. The Chinese writing system is the oldest continuous writing system in the world (but by no means primitive). 漢字 / 汉字 Chinese character in Hànzì, Kanji, Hanja, Hán Tự. Red in Simplified Chinese. ... Cantonese people (Traditional Chinese: 廣東人; Simplified Chinese: 广东人; Pinyin: Guǎngdōng rén; Jyutping: gwong2 dung1 yan4), broadly speaking, are persons originating from the present-day Guangdong province in southern China. ... Mandarin (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally speech of officials), or Beifanghua (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Northern Dialect(s)), is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ...

Apart from the unifying influence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Chinese characters, there is much diversity between the regions. Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ...

South Asia (Indian Subcontinent)

The nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka share an ethnic background and all have similar cultures. This is largely due to the fact that before the 1947 Partition, India included both Pakistan and Bangladesh in its borders. The reason they were separated was due to varying religious composition in various Indian states.

The Indus Valley Civilization began on the Indus River (Now in Pakistan) by a people known as the Dravidians. In time, however, Aryans invaded the South Asian subcontinent from the north, forcing the Dravidians to the South of India. The Aryans also invaded the island of Sri Lanka and set up the Kingdom of Sinhala. The people eventually mingled to form a common culture. Dravidian may refer to: in the spiritualistic interpretations: the people who are the drav i. ... This article is about the term Aryan. For Arian, a follower of the ancient Christian sect, See Arianism. ... Sinhala language Sinhala alphabet Sinhala people Sinhala place-names Sinhala Place Names, see Sinhala place-names Category: ...

The 4 major World Religions founded in India (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism) are spread throughout the subcontinent. While 80% of Indians are Hindus and Nepal is a Hindu State, Sri Lanka has a majority of Buddhists. South Asian culture was influenced somewhat by the arrival of Islam, which based itself in the North-West of India (now in Pakistan), near the borders of Afghanistan. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... Jain and Jaina redirect here. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

Europe

Main article: Culture of Europe

The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. Whether it be a question of West as opposed to East; Catholicism and Protestantism as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural faultlines across the continent. The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... The term Western World or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ... The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures, social structures and philosophical systems of the East, namely Asia (including China, India, Japan, and surrounding regions). ... As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

Europe has been a cradle for many cultural innovations and movements, often at odds with each other such as Christian proselytism and Humanism, that have consequently been spread across the globe. The Renaissance of classical ideas influenced the development Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion, usually another religion. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ...

Though European cultures have many varied origins, Europe has been in recent times undergoing a purposeful move towards a unified economy and political system, mainly through NATO and the European Union. The idea of a unified Europe and the loss of local uniqueness has resulted in backlash, with the European constitution rejected in several countries. NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[2] (NATO; French: ; also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance, the Western Alliance, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. ...

The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. Whether it be a question of West as opposed to East; Catholicism and Protestantism as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural faultlines across the continent. World map showing the location of Europe. ... The term Western World or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ... The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures, social structures and philosophical systems of the East, namely Asia (including China, India, Japan, and surrounding regions). ... As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

Europe has been a cradle for many cultural innovations and movements, often at odds with each other such as Christian proselytism and Humanism, that have consequently been spread across the globe. The Renaissance of classical ideas influenced the development of art and literature far beyond the confines of the continent. Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion, usually another religion. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Global influence

European culture also has a broad influence beyond the continent of Europe due to the legacy of colonialism. In this broader sense it is sometimes referred to as Western Civilization. Nearly all of the Americas were ruled by European powers at one time or another, and some parts of the New World, such as French Guiana, still are. The vast majority of the population of the Americas speak European languages, specifically Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. Additionally the cultures of the European colonial powers (Spain, Britain, Portugal, Russia and France) exert a strong influence. Pith helmet of the Second French Empire. ... The term Western World or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ... World map showing the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere historically considered to consist of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The legacy of colonialism has spread European culture elsewhere in the world. Europe profoundly influenced on the cultures of Africa, India, Israel, Australia, and other places colonised or settled by Europeans. The Culture of Africa encompasses and includes all cultures which were ever in the continent of Africa. ...

Religion

Main article: Religion in Europe

Christianity was the dominant feature in shaping European culture for at least the last 1700 years. Modern philosophical thought has very much been influenced by Christian philosophers such as St. Thomas Aquinas and Erasmus. But now millions of Europeans profess no religion or are atheist or agnostic. Predominant religions in Europe  Roman Catholicism  Orthodox Christianity  Protestantism  Sunni Islam  Shia Islam Religion in Europe spans the approximately 50,000 years of human settlement in the continent of Europe, from the earliest prehistoric spirituality to later pagan religions, such as the Ancient Greek, Roman and Nordic faiths, to the...

The most popular religions of Europe are:

• Roman Catholicism
• Protestantism
• Orthodox Christianity:
• Islam

The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, preserving the traditions of the early church unchanged, accepting the canonicity of the first seven ecumenical councils held between the 4th and the... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

Latin America

The population of Latin America is an amalgam of ethnic groups. The composition varies from country to country; some have a predominance of a racially mixed population, some have a high percentage of people of Amerindian origin, some are dominated by inhabitants of European origin and some populations are primarily of African origin. An amalgam is any mixture or blending of mercury with another metal or with an alloy. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ...

The culture of Latin America is the product of many influences, derived mainly from:

• The indigenous culture of the peoples that inhabitated the continents prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
• The European culture, brought under five main versions: The Spanish, the Portuguese, the English, the French and the Dutch. This can be seen in any expression of the Arts, like painting, Literature and Music, and in the Sciences and Politics. These five main branches left, especially, an enduring mark of their influence in their Languages, which are spoken to date throughout Central (including the Caribbean), South and North America (México).
• From Africa, the Latin American countries received the sense of rhythm and some of their dances such as the dances of the Caribbean, the bomba, the plena, the candombe, the cumbia and many others.

A Hupa man. ... For other uses, see Bomba (disambiguation). ... Plena is a traditional form of Puerto Rican music. ... Candombe is a drum-based musical form of Uruguay. ... Cumbia is originally a Colombian folk dance and dance music and is Colombias representative national dance and music along with vallenato. ...

Language

Romance languages in Latin America: Green-Spanish; Blue-French; Orange-Portuguese

Spanish is the predominant language in the majority of the countries. Portuguese is spoken primarily in Brazil, where it is both the official and the national language. French is also spoken in smaller countries, in the Caribbean, and French Guiana. Image File history File links Map-Romance_Latin_America. ... Image File history File links Map-Romance_Latin_America. ... West Indian redirects here. ...

See also: Amerindian languages

Several nations, especially in the Caribbean, have their own Creole languages, derived from European languages and various African tongues. Native American languages are spoken in many Latin American nations, mainly Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Mexico. Nahuatl is only one of the 62 native languages spoken by indigenous people in Mexico, which are officially recognised by the government as "national languages", along with Spanish. Guarani is, along with Spanish, the official language of Paraguay, and is spoken by a majority of the population. Amerindian languages are the native languages of the Americas. ... West Indian redirects here. ... A creole is a language descended from a pidgin that has become the native language of a group of people. ... Native American languages are the indigenous languages of the Americas, spoken by Native Americans from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Greenland. ... Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. ... Guaraní (local name: avañeẽ ) is an Amerindian language of South America that belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní subfamily. ...

Other European languages spoken include the Italian in Brazil and Argentina, the German in southern Brazil, southern Chile and Argentina, and the Welsh in southern Argentina. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Religion

The primary religion throughout Latin America is Roman Catholicism. Latin America, and in particular Brazil, are active in developing the quasi-socialist Roman Catholic movement known as Liberation Theology. Practitioners of the Protestant, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Mormon, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Bahá'í, and indigenous denominations and religions exist. Various Afro-Latin American traditions, such as Santería, and Macumba, a tribal- voodoo religion are also practiced. Evangelicalism in particular is increasing in popularity. ^[8] As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Liberation theology is a school of theology that focuses on Jesus Christ as not only the Redeemer but also the Liberator of the Oppressed. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to religious practices and traditions which are found in conservative, almost always Protestant Christianity. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most-recognized architectural symbol of Mormonism For other uses, see Mormon (disambiguation). ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology[]. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of the Awakened One in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Santería, also known as Lukumí or Regla de Ocha, is a set of related religious systems that fuse Catholic Christian beliefs with traditional Yoruba beliefs. ... Macumba is a word of African (Bantu) origins. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to religious practices and traditions which are found in conservative, almost always Protestant Christianity. ...

Painting

See also: Latin American painters

The development of Latin American painting stemmed originally from the styles brought along by Spanish, Portuguese and French Baroque Painters, which in turn were following the trends of the Italian Masters. This Eurocentrism of the Arts, in general, started to fade in early 20th century, when Latin-Americans began to acknowledge the uniqueness of their condition and started to follow their own path. The following is a list of famous Latin American Painters: // [edit] Argentina Xul Solar Antonio Berni (1905 – 1981) Lucio Fontana (1899 – 1968) Florencio Molina Campos (1891 – 1959) Benito Quinquela Martín (1890 – 1977) Xul Solar (1887 – 1963) Raúl Soldi (1905 – 1994) [edit] Brazil Anita Malfatti Alfredo Volpi (born Italian...

From the early 20th Century, the art of Latin America was greatly inspired by the Constructivist Movement. The Constructivist Movement was founded in Russia around 1915 by Vladimir Tatlin. The Movement quickly spread from Russia to Europe and then into Latin America. Joaquin Torres Garcia and Manuel Rendón have been credited with bringing the Constructivist Movement into Latin America from Europe. Vladimir Yevgrafovich Tatlin (Владимир Евграфович Татлин) (December 28, 1885 (OS: December 16) – May 31, 1953) worked as a painter and architect. ... Joaquín Torres García (b. ... Rendóns , oil on canvas, 1955. ...

Literature

Main article: Latin American literature

Latin American literature gained its own identity, evolving from the strong European and, at a later stage, Anglo-American influences, and is very recognisable internationally, including renowned Nobel Prize winners. The Colombian Gabriel García Márquez won the prize for his work, including the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. Others include João Guimarães Rosa in Brazil, with his book "Grande Sertão - Veredas", and older writers such as Machado de Assis and ( "Dom Casmurro" ). Latin American literature refers to the literature of Latin America. ... Nobel Prize medal. ... Gabriel José García Márquez, also known as Gabo (born March 6, 1927), is a Colombian novelist, journalist, publisher, political activist, and recipient of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. ... One Hundred Years of Solitude (Spanish: Cien años de soledad) is a novel by Gabriel García Márquez which was first published in Spanish in 1967 (Buenos Aires: Sudamericana), with an English translation by Gregory Rabassa released in 1970 (New York: Harper and Row). ... João Guimarães Rosa (27 June 1908 – 19 November 1967) was a Brazilian novelist, probably the greatest Brazilian novelist born in the 20th century. ... Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (June 21, 1839 - September 29, 1908) was a Brazilian realist novelist, poet and short-story writer born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ...

Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda (in 1971) are known Chilean Nobel Prize winners. The Argentine Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) is a solid and influential figure of Latin-American letters. ^[9] Gabriela Mistral Gabriela Mistral (April 7, 1889 – January 10, 1957) was the pseudonym of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet, educator, diplomat and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1945. ... Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name of the Chilean writer and communist politician Ricardo Eliecer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto. ... Jorge Luis Borges (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986), was an Argentine writer who is considered one of the foremost Hispanic literary figures of the 20th century. ...

Music

Main article: Latin American music

One of the main characteristics of Latin American music is its diversity, from the lively rhythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the more austere sounds of southern South America. Another feature of Latin American music is its original blending of the variety of styles that arrived in The Americas and became influential, from the early Spanish and European Baroque to the different beats of the African rhythms. Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music, includes the music of many countries and comes in many varieties, from the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple and moving Andean flute. ...

Hispano-Caribbean music, such as salsa, merengue, bachata, etc., are styles of music that have been strongly influenced by African rhythms and melodies. ^{[10] [11]} Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Spanish Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad. ... Merengue is a type of lively, joyful music and dance that comes from the Dominican Republic. ... Bachata is a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighborhoods of Dominican Republic. ...

Arguably, the main contribution to music entered through folklore, where the true soul of the Latin American and Caribbean countries is expressed. Musicians such as Atahualpa Yupanqui, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa, Jorge Negrete, Caetano Veloso, and others gave magnificent examples of the heights that this soul can reach. Atahualpa Yupanqui performing for Radio Nacional, Buenos Aires. ... Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval (October 14, 1917 – February 5, 1967) was a notable Chilean folklorist and visual artist. ... Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez (September 23, 1932 – September 16, 1973) was a Chilean folk singer and activist. ... Mercedes Sosa (born 9 July 1935) is an Argentine singer immensely popular throughout Latin America. ... Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno (November 30, 1911 - December 5, 1953) was a Mexican singer and movie star. ... Caetano Veloso at Umbria Jazz (Perugia, Italy) Caetano Veloso (born 7 August 1942) is one of the most popular and influential Brazilian composers and singers. ...

Latin pop, including many forms of rock, is popular in Latin America today (see Spanish language rock and roll). ^[12] Latin Pop (Pop Latino, in Spanish) is pop music from Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and Hispanic-American artists who sing in languages spoken in Latin America, mainly Spanish and Portuguese. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... Spanish language rock and roll (Spanish: Rock en Español) borrows heavily from American, British, Irish, and Australian rock and roll music and from traditional and popular music of Spanish-speaking cultures (cumbia, ranchera, rumba, tango, etc) and has evolved from a cult-like music movement to a more well...

Cuisine

Latin American cuisine is a phrase that refers to typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes (tortillas, tamales, pupusas) and various salsas and other condiments (guacamole, pico de gallo, mole). Corn redirects here. ... Traditional tortilla making. ... A meal of a tamale and squash soup A tamale or tamal (from Nahuatl tamalli) is a traditional Latin American food consisting of a corn meal dough filled with meats, cheese (post-colonial), and sliced chiles or any preparation according to taste. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Día Nacional de la Pupusa. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Guacamole Guacamole is an avocado-based relish or dip from the time of the Aztecs. ... Pico de gallo Pico de gallo (from Spanish, literally roosters beak), is generally known as a fresh condiment made from chopped tomato, onion, and chiles (typically serranos or jalapeños). ... Mole (IPA: /ˈmo. ...

Beverages include mate, horchata, atole and aguas frescas. Mate Mate (pronounced ) is a highly caffeinated infusion prepared by steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in hot water. ... Two large jars of aguas frescas in a taqueria in Seattle, Washington, USA. On the left is a jar of jamaica and on the right is a jar of horchata. ... Traditional cornstarch-based Mexican hot drink. ... Two large jars of aguas frescas in a taqueria in Seattle, Washington,USA. On the left is a jar of jamaica and on the right is a jar of horchata. ...

Desserts include dulce de leche and flan. A Smuckers brand jar of Dulce de Leche Dulce De Leche (DDL) () in Spanish, or doce de leite in Portuguese, is a traditional caramel-like candy popular in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and other parts of the Americas. ... Flan may refer to any of the following: a flan IS a pie it says so on the pie page, it is a tart which is a pie, so there In British English usage, flan may be various kinds of tart or cake with a sweet or savoury filling, often...

Middle East and North Africa

Perhaps the defining characteristic of the Middle East and North Africa is Islam and variations of the Arabic language, though this region is also home to Israel and Judaism, and significant Christian minorities. Further, several groups who are adherents to Islam may not consider themselves Arab. In the Western world, the Middle East is generally thought of as a predominantly Islamic, Arabic-speaking community. However, the area encompasses many distinct cultural and ethnic groups, including the Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Berbers, Druze, Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Maronites, Persians and Turks. The main language groups include: Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian (also known as Aramaic and Syriac), Azeri, Egyptian Arabic (Masri), Hebrew, Persian, Kurdish and Turkish. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided by the formidable barrier of the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The term Western World or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Languages Assyrian, Chaldean, Turoyo Religions Christianity Related ethnic groups other Semitic peoples Assyrians are an ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, but who have migrated to the Caucasus, North America and Western Europe during the past century. ... Azerbaijanis or Azerbaijani Turks, are a Muslim people who number more than 25 million worldwide. ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group indigenous to the Maghreb, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ... Druze star The Druze or Druz (also known as Druse; Arabic: derzÄ« or durzÄ« درزي, pl. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܶܐ in Syriac, Mawarinah in Arabic) are members of one of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic church. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Assyrian Neo-Aramaic is a modern Eastern Aramaic or Syriac language. ... Aramaic is a group of Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. ... Syriac ( Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... The Azerbaijani language, also called Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish, is the official language of Republic of Azerbaijan. ... Egyptian Arabic (MarÄ«, مصري) is part of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, descended mainly from a medieval dialect of Arabic. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Persian (Local names: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Kurdish language is a language spoken in the region called Kurdistan, including Kurdish populations in parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. ...

Religion

The Middle East is the birthplace and spiritual center of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Look up spiritual in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

They are Abrahamic religions are derived to some extent from Judaism as practiced in ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah prior to the Babylonian Exile, at the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE. Many believe that Judaism in Biblical Israel was renovated and reformed to some extent in the 6th century BCE by Ezra and other priests returning to Israel from the exile. Samaritanism separated from Judaism in the next few centuries. map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Dharmic (yellow) religions in each country. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Main article: Jew Jewish religion Etymology of Jew  · Who is a Jew? Jewish leadership  · Jewish culture Jewish ethnic divisions Ashkenazi (German and E. Europe) Mizrahi (Arab and Oriental) Sephardi (Iberian) Temani (Yemenite)  · Beta Israel Jewish populations Germany  · France  · Latin America Britain  · Famous Jews by country Jewish languages Hebrew: (Biblical / Modern... (Redirected from 1st millennium BCE) (2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium AD – other millennia) Events The Iron Age began in Western Egypt declined as a major power The Tanakh was written Buddhism was founded Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and created the Persian Empire (6th... (7th century BC - 6th century BCE - 5th century BCE - other centuries) (600s BCE - 590s BCE - 580s BCE - 570s BCE - 560s BCE - 550s BCE - 540s BCE - 530s BCE - 520s BCE - 510s BCE - 500s BCE - other decades) (2nd millennium BCE - 1st millennium BCE - 1st millennium) The 5th and 6th centuries BCE were... Ezra is a personal name derived from Hebrew, written variously as עֶזְרָא ( Standard Hebrew ), Ê¿Ezra, ( Tiberian Hebrew ), Ê¿Ezrâ: short for עַזְרִיאֵל My help/court is God, Standard Hebrew Ê¿Azriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Ê¿Azrîʾēl, Arabic: عزير. // Once there once an ezra who ate two pies the kill barney with jake burton Unless otherwise... Main article: Samaritan It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Samaritan. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ...

Christianity originated in Judea, at the end of the 1st century, as a radically reformed branch of Judaism; it spread to ancient Greece and Rome, and from there to most of Europe, Asia, the Americas, and many other parts of the world. Over the centuries, Christianity split into many separate churches and denominations. A major split in the 5th century separated various Oriental Churches from the Catholic church centered in Rome. Other major splits were the East-West Schism in the 11th century, separating the Roman Catholic Church from the Eastern Orthodox Churches; and the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, that gave birth to hundreds of independent Protestant denominations. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 100 according the Gregorian calendar. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Area under Roman control  Roman Republic  Roman Empire  Western Empire  Eastern Empire Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a city-state founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... World map showing the Americas CIA map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... For the later Papal Schism in Avignon, see Western Schism. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... Reformation redirects here. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Islam originated in the 7th century, in the Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina. Although not a dissident branch of either Judaism or Christianity, it explicitly claimed to be a continuation and replacement for them, and echoed many of their principles. According to the Muslim belief, the Qur'an was the final word of God and its message was that of all the prophets. As an example of the similarities between the faiths, Muslims believe in a version of the story of Genesis and in the lineal descent of the Arabs from Abraham through Ishmael, who was conceived through Abraham's servant Hagar. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Genesis (Hebrew: ‎, Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah, the first book of the Tanakh and also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Expulsion of Ishmael and His Mother. ... Hagar can refer to: Hagar (Bible), in the Book of Genesis, the handmaiden of Sarah and wife of Abraham Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World, title name taken from the above lady Hagar (company), an Icelandic retailer company, part of the Baugur Group Hägar the Horrible, the comic...

North Africa

The people of the Maghreb and the Sahara speak various dialects of Berber and Arabic, and almost exclusively follow Islam. The Arabic and Berber groups of languages are distantly related, both being members of the Afro-Asiatic family. The Sahara dialects are notably more conservative than those of coastal cities (see Tuareg languages). Over the years, Berber peoples have been influenced by other cultures with which they came in contact: Nubians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, and lately Europeans. The cultures of the Maghreb and the Sahara therefore combine indigenous Berber, Arab and elements from neighboring parts of Africa and beyond. In the Sahara, the distinction between sedentary oasis inhabitants and nomadic Bedouin and Tuareg is particularly marked. The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a language family with about 375 languages (SIL estimate) and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia (including some 200 million speakers of Arabic). ... Tuareg or Tamasheq/Tamajaq/Tamahaq is a Berber language or family of closely related languages spoken by the Tuareg, in parts of Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso (with a few speakers, the Kinnin, even in Chad[1].) They are quite mutually comprehensible, and are commonly regarded as a... The Berbers (also called Amazigh people or Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa and speak various Berber languages. ... The Nubians are an ethnic group in Egypt and Sudan. ... Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plain of what is now Lebanon and Syria. ... Area under Roman control  Roman Republic  Roman Empire  Western Empire  Eastern Empire Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a city-state founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Vandals traditional reputation: a colored steel engraving of the Sack of Rome (455) by Heinrich Leutemann (1824-1904), c 1860-80 Vandal and Vandali redirect here. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara In geography, an oasis (plural: oases) is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. ... A Bedouin man resting on a hillside at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic ( ‎), a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via... For other senses of this name, see Tuareg (disambiguation). ...

The diverse peoples of the Sahara are usually categorized along ethno-linguistic lines. In the Maghreb, where Arab and Berber identities are often integrated, these lines can be blurred. Some Berber-speaking North Africans may identify as "Arab" depending on the social and political circumstances, although substantial numbers of Berbers (or Imazighen) have retained a distinct cultural identity which in the 20th century has been expressed as a clear ethnic identification with Berber history and language. Arabic-speaking Northwest Africans, regardless of ethnic background, often identify with Arab history and culture and may share a common vision with other Arabs. This, however, may or may not exclude pride in and identification with Berber and/or other parts of their heritage. Berber political and cultural activists for their part, often referred to as Berberists, may view all Northwest Africans as principally Berber, whether they are primarily Berber- or Arabic-speaking (see also Arabized Berber). The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group indigenous to the Maghreb, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... A map showing Northwest Africa Northwest Africa is the northwestern part of Africa. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Berberism is a political and a social movement across North Africa among Berbers, Berberism aspires to the recognition of the Berber culture and its language(s), Berberists see Northwest Africans as principally Berbers whether they are Berber-speaking or Arabs-speaking as being Berbers. ... A map showing Northwest Africa Northwest Africa is the northwestern part of Africa. ... An Arabized Berber is an inhabitant of North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya) whose native language is Arabic. ...

The Nile Valley through northern Sudan traces its origins to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Kush. The Egyptians over the centuries have shifted their language from Egyptian to modern Egyptian Arabic (both Afro-Asiatic), while retaining a national identity that has historically set them apart from other people in the region. Most Egyptians are Sunni Muslim and a significant minority adheres to Coptic Christianity. In Nubia, straddling Egypt and Sudan, a significant population retains the ancient Nubian language but has adopted Islam. The northern part of the Sudan is home to a, largely, Arabic-speaking Muslim population, but further down the Nile Valley, the culturally distinct world of the largely non-Muslim Nilotic and Nuba peoples begins. Sudan is the largest and most diverse of all North African countries. For other uses, see Kush (disambiguation). ... Egyptian Arabic (MarÄ«, مصري) is part of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, descended mainly from a medieval dialect of Arabic. ... Map showing the distribution of Afro-Asiatic languages The Afro-Asiatic languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... The word Copt signifies the natives of Egypt as a nationality, and in popular common culture in Egypt it is used to specifically signify Christian Egyptians, although its use to mean Egyptian is not unwitnessed. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ... Today Nubia is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan, but in ancient times it was an independent kingdom. ... The Nubian language group, according to the most recent research by Bechhaus-Gerst comprises the following varieties: Nobiin (previously called Mahas or Fadicca/Fiadicca). ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Nilotic refers to a number of indigenous East African peoples originating in northeast Africa in the region of the Nile River. ... Nuba is a collective term used for the peoples who inhabit the Nuba Mountains, in Kordofan province, Sudan, Africa. ...

North Africa formerly had a large Jewish population, almost all of whom emigrated to France or Israel when the North African nations gained independence. A smaller number went to Canada. Prior to the modern establishment of Israel, there were about 600,000-700,000 Jews in Northern Africa, including both Sfardīm (refugees from France, Spain and Portugal from the Renaissance era) as well as indigenous Mizrāḥîm. Today, less than fifteen thousand remain in the region, almost all in Morocco and Tunisia, and are mostly part of a French-speaking urban elite. (See Jewish exodus from Arab lands.) Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the... This article deals with those Jewish communities indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. ... The Jewish exodus from Arab lands refers to the 20th century emigration of Jews, primarily of Sephardi and Mizrahi background, from majority Arab lands. ...

Oceania

The original culture of Australia can only be surmised: cultural patterns among the remote descendants of the first Australians cannot be assumed to be unchanged after 53,000 (or more) years of human habitation of the continent. Much more is known about the richly diverse cultures of modern Aboriginal Australians, or at least of those few who survived the impact of European colonisation. (For more on this, see Australian Aborigine and related entries.) Although the effect of the arrival of Europeans on Aboriginal culture was profound and catastrophic, the reverse is not the case: broadly speaking, mainstream Australian culture has been imported from the United States and Europe (in particular, the United Kingdom).

Much of Australia's culture is derived from European and American roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the environment and Aboriginal culture. The vigour and originality of the arts in Australia — films, opera, music, painting, theater, dance, and crafts — are achieving international recognition.

Also see New Zealand, New Guinea.

Australia

Main articles: Culture of Australia and Sport in Australia

Golden Summer, Eaglemont (Eaglemont, Victoria) by Arthur Streeton (1889) is an early example of the rich tradition of Australian landscape painting.

The primary basis of Australian culture up until the mid-20th century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and indigenous culture. Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture (particularly television and cinema), large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbours. The vigour and originality of the arts in Australia — films, opera, music, painting, theatre, dance, and crafts — achieve international recognition. The modern culture of Australia draws from many sources, primarily Anglo-Celtic Australians, but also from indigenous Australians, the immigration of a diverse range of people with the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s, and post-World War II immigrants from all over the world. ... Australian rules football being played by two womens teams. ... Image File history File links Golden_Summer_Eaglemont_Arthur_Streeton. ... Image File history File links Golden_Summer_Eaglemont_Arthur_Streeton. ... Golden Summer, Eaglemont by Arthur Streeton (1889) Eaglemont, formerly known as Mount Eagle, is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Arthur Streeton by George Lambert (1917). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Anglo-Celtic is a racial or cultural category, used primarily in Australia to describe people of British, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and English descent. ... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ...

Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the cave and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in Australian art has been the Australian landscape, seen in the works of Arthur Streeton, Arthur Boyd and Albert Namatjira, among others. The traditions of indigenous Australians are largely transmitted orally and are closely tied to ceremony and the telling of the stories of the Dreamtime. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and art have a palpable influence on contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Australia has an active tradition of music, ballet and theatre; many of its performing arts companies receive public funding through the federal government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each capital city, and a national opera company, Opera Australia, first made prominent by the renowned diva Dame Joan Sutherland; Australian music includes classical, jazz, and many popular music genres. Cave or rock paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ... The art of Australia includes one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world - that is, those of the Indigenous Australians, Australian Aboriginal art in particular began to receive international recognition in the late 20th century. ... Arthur Streeton by George Lambert (1917). ... A tapestry which is a greatly enlarged version of Arthur Boyds painting hangs in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra Arthur Boyd AC OBE (20 July 1920-24 April 1999) was a member of the prominent Boyd artistic dynasty in Australia, with many relatives being painters, sculptors, architects... Namatjira outside Government House, Sydney, circa 1947. ... Representation of the Rainbow serpent, the Waugal The Dreamtime is the central, unifying theme in Australian Aboriginal mythology. ... Ŵú Australian Aborigines are the native peoples of Australia. ... Aboriginal hollow log tomb Australian Aboriginal art is art done by Australian Aborigines, covering art that pre-dates European colonisation as well as contemporary art by Aborigines based on traditional culture. ... Allegory of Music on the Opéra Garnier Music is an art form that involves organized sounds and silence. ... Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... The Australia Council for the Arts (commonly called the Australia Council) is the Australian Governments arts council. ... A philharmonic orchestra An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually a fairly large instrumental ensemble with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Opera Australia is Australias major opera company, formed by the merger of the Australian Opera and the Victorian State Opera companies in 1996. ... Joan Sutherland as Norma Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DBE (born November 7, 1926) is an Australian opera singer noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ... The earliest music of Australia was the folk music of the Australian Aborigines. ...

Australian literature has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers such as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, resonates with modern Australia and its perceived emphasis on egalitarianism, mateship, and anti-authoritarianism. In 1973, Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Australian to have achieved this; he is recognised as one of the great English-language writers of the twentieth century. Australian English is a major variety of the language; its grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and phrases, some of which have found their way into standard English. Australian literature in English began soon after the establishment of the country by Europeans. ... Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson (February 17, 1864 – February 5, 1941) was a famous Australian bush poet, journalist and author. ... Henry Lawson, circa 1902 Henry Lawson (17 June 1867 - 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and poet. ... Egalitarianism can refer to moral as well as factual theories. ... Patrick White (May 28, 1912 – September 30, 1990) was an Australian author. ... Nobel Prize in Literature medal. ... Australian English (AuE) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ...

Australian rules football was developed in Australia in the late 1850s and is played at amateur and professional levels. It is the most popular spectator sport in Australia in terms of annual attendances and club memberships.

Australia has two public broadcasters (the ABC and the multi-cultural SBS), three commercial television networks, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Australia's film industry has achieved critical and commercial successes. Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. According to Reporters Without Borders in 2005, Australia is in thirty first position on a list of countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (9th) and the United Kingdom (28th) but ahead of the United States. This ranking is primarily due to the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian print media in particular is under the control of either News Corporation or John Fairfax Holdings. Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. ... Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. ... The Big Men Fly - high marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the most important skill in Aussie Rules Footy Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy... // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC (formerly the Australian Broadcasting Commission) is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... Ned Kelly depicted in the first Australian feature-length narrative film The cinema of Australia has a long history and has produced many internationally-recognized films, actors and filmmakers. ... The Australian (informally referred to as The Oz) is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... The Australian Financial Review is the leading business newspaper in Australia. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... This article is concerned with the production of books, magazines, and other literary material (whether in printed or electronic formats). ... News Corporation (abbreviated to News Corp) (NYSE: NWS, NYSE: NWSa, ASX: NWS, LSE: NCRA) is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates. ... John Fairfax Holdings Limited (ABN 15 008 663 161) is an Australian Public Company operating in the media industry, working predominantly with newspapers. ...

Sport plays an important part in Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.^[13] At an international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and performs well in cycling and swimming. Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, soccer and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and every Commonwealth Games. Australia has hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938, 1962, 1982 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, annual international cricket matches and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. Corporate and government sponsorship of many sports and elite athletes is common in Australia. Televised sport is popular; some of the highest rating television programs include the summer Olympic Games and the grand finals of local and international football competitions.^[14] For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ... A game of field hockey in progress Field hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world; it is the second most popular team sport after football (soccer)[]. Its official name and the one by which it is usually known is hockey [1][2... Netball is a team sport similar to and derived from basketball, and was originally known in its country of origin, the United States, as womens basketball. Invented by Clara Gregory Baer[1], a pioneer in womens sport, it is now the pre-eminent womens team sport (both... Rugby league is a team sport played by two teams of 17 players, with 13 on the field at any one time and 4 on the bench (reserves). ... A rugby union scrum. ... Police officer on a bicycle Cycling is a recreation, a sport and a means of transport across land. ... This article concentrates on human swimming. ... The Big Men Fly - high marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the most important skill in Aussie Rules Footy Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Racing cars redirects here. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... The 1938 British Empire Games was the third as its called now Commonwealth Games. ... Countries which participated The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from November 22 to December 1. ... For the XIIth Commonwealth Games the cities of Lagos (Nigeria), Brisbane(Australia), Kuala Lumpur (wins 1998 games) (Malaysia) and Birmingham (England) all interested in presenting their candidatures. ... The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26. ... The Australian Open is the first of the worlds four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, held each January at Melbourne Park. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team who succeed in winning all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam (CYGS) In case they win all four consecutively, but not in the same calendar year... Demonstration event held in Melbourne just before the start of the 2005 Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix is a Formula One race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park as part of the annual Formula One championship season. ...

See also

Arts by region Arts by region // Main article: Culture of Africa Art African art reflects the diversity of African cultures. ...