A

Glossary

aboriginal:

The first known inhabitants of a country.

adobe:

A brick made from sun-dried heavy clay mixed with straw, used in building houses.

Altaic language family:

A family of languages spoken in portions of northern and eastern Europe, and nearly the whole of northern and central Asia, together with some other regions.

Amerindian:

A contraction of the two words, American Indian. It describes native peoples of North, South, or Central America.

Anglican:

Pertaining to or connected with the Church of England.

animism:

The belief that natural objects and phenomena have souls or innate spiritual powers.

apartheid:

The past governmental policy in the Republic of South Africa of separating the races in society.

arable land:

Land that can be cultivated by plowing and used for growing crops.

archipelago:

Any body of water abounding with islands, or the islands themselves collectively.

Austronesian language:

A family of languages which includes practically all the languages of the Pacific Islands—Indonesian, Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian sub-families.

average life expectancy:

In any given society, the average age attained by persons at the time of death.

Baha'i:

The follower of a religious sect founded by Mirza Husayn Ali in Iran in 1863.

Baltic states:

The three formerly communist countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that border on the Baltic Sea.

Bantu language group:

A name applied to the languages spoken in central and south Africa.

Baptist:

A member of a Protestant denomination that practices adult baptism by complete immersion in water.

barren land:

Unproductive land, partly or entirely treeless.

barter:

Trade practice where merchandise is exchanged directly for other merchandise or services without use of money.

Berber:

a member of one of the Afroasiatic peoples of northern Africa.

Brahman:

A member (by heredity) of the highest caste among the Hindus, usually assigned to the priest-hood.

bride wealth (bride price):

Fee, in money or goods, paid by a prospective groom (and his family) to the bride's family.

Buddhism:

A religious system common in India and eastern Asia. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (c.563–c.483 BC), Buddhism asserts that suffering is an inescapable part of life. Deliverance can only be achieved through the practice of charity, temperance, justice, honesty, and truth.

Byzantine Empire:

An empire centered in the city of Byzantium, now Istanbul in present-day Turkey.

cassava:

The name of several species of stout herbs, extensively cultivated for food.

caste system:

Heriditary social classes into which the Hindus are rigidly separated according to the religious law of Brahmanism. Privileges and limitations of each caste are passed down from parents to children.

Caucasian:

The white race of human beings, as determined by genealogy and physical features.

census:

An official counting of the inhabitants of a state or country with details of sex and age, family, occupation, possessions, etc.

Christianity:

The religion founded by Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as holy scripture.

Church of England:

The national and established church in England.

civil rights:

The privileges of all individuals to be treated as equals under the laws of their country; specifically, the rights given by certain amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

coastal plain:

A fairly level area of land along the coast of a land mass.

coca:

A shrub native to South America, the leaves of which produce organic compounds that are used in the production of cocaine.

colonial period:

The period of time when a country forms colonies in and extends control over a foreign area.

colonist:

Any member of a colony or one who helps settle a new colony.

colony:

A group of people who settle in a new area far from their original country, but still under the jurisdiction of that country. Also refers to the newly settled area itself.

commonwealth:

A free association of sovereign independent states that has no charter, treaty, or constitution. The association promotes cooperation, consultation, and mutual assistance among members.

communism:

A form of government whose system requires common ownership of property for the use of all citizens. Prices on goods and services are usually set by the government, and all profits are shared equally by everyone. Also, communism refers directly to the official doctrine of the former Soviet Union.

compulsory education:

The mandatory requirement for children to attend school until they have reached a certain age or grade level.

Confucianism:

The system of ethics and politics taught by the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

constitution:

The written laws and basic rights of citizens of a country or members of an organized group.

copra:

The dried meat of the coconut.

cordillera:

A continuous ridge, range, or chain of mountains.

coup d'ètat (coup):

A sudden, violent overthrow of a government or its leader.

cuisine:

A particular style of preparing food, especially when referring to the cooking of a particular country or ethnic group.

Cushitic language group:

A group of languages that are spoken in Ethiopia and other areas of eastern Africa.

Cyrillic alphabet:

An alphabet invented by Cyril and Methodius in the ninth century as an alphabet that was easier for the copyist to write. The Russian alphabet is a slight modification of it.

deity:

A being with the attributes, nature, and essence of a god; a divinity.

desegregation:

The act of removing restrictions on people of a particular race that keep them socially, economically, and, sometimes, physically, separate from other groups.

desertification:

The process of becoming a desert as a result of climatic changes, land mismanagement, or both.

Dewali (Deepavali, Divali):

The Hindu Festival of Lights, when Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune, is said to visit the homes of humans. The four-or five-day festival occurs in October or November.

dialect:

One of a number of regional or related modes of speech regarded as descending from a common origin.

dowry:

The sum of the property or money that a bride brings to her groom at their marriage.

Druze:

A member of a Muslim sect based in Syria, living chiefly in the mountain regions of Lebanon.

dynasty:

A family line of sovereigns who rule in succession, and the time during which they reign.

Eastern Orthodox:

The outgrowth of the original Eastern Church of the Eastern Roman Empire, consisting of eastern Europe, western Asia, and Egypt.

Eid al-Adha:

The Muslim holiday that celebrates the end of the special pilgrimage season (hajj) to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Eid al-Fitr:

The Muslim holiday that begins just after the end of the month of Ramadan and is celebrated with three or four days of feasting.

emigration:

Moving from one country or region to another for the purpose of residence.

empire:

A group of territories ruled by one sovereign or supreme ruler. Also, the period of time under that rule.

Episcopal:

Belonging to or vested in bishops or prelates; characteristic of or pertaining to a bishop or bishops.

exports:

Goods sold to foreign buyers.

Finno-Ugric language group:

A subfamily of languages spoken in northeastern Europe, including Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, and Lapp.

fjord:

A deep indentation of the land forming a comparatively narrow arm of the sea with more or less steep slopes or cliffs on each side.

folk religion:

A religion with origins and traditions among the common people of a nation or region that is relevant to their particular life-style.

Former Soviet Union:

Refers to the republics that were once part of a large nation called the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (USSR). The USSR was commonly called the Soviet Union. It included the 12 republics: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgizstan, and Georgia. Sometimes the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are also included.

fundamentalist:

A person who holds religious beliefs based on the complete acceptance of the words of holy scriptures as the truth.

Germanic language group:

A large branch of the Indo-European family of languages including German itself, the Scandinavian languages, Dutch, Yiddish, Modern English, Modern Scottish, Afrikaans, and others. The group also includes extinct languages such as Gothic, Old High German, Old Saxon, Old English, Middle English, and the like.

Greek Orthodox:

The official church of Greece, a self-governing branch of the Orthodox Eastern Church.

guerrilla:

A member of a small radical military organization that uses unconventional tactics to take their enemies by surprise.

hajj:

A religious journey made by Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Holi:

A Hindu festival of processions and merriment lasting three to ten days that marks the end of the lunar year in February or March.

Holocaust:

The mass slaughter of European civilians, the vast majority of whom were Jews, by the Nazis during World War II.

Holy Roman Empire:

A kingdom consisting of a loose union of German and Italian territories that existed from around the ninth century until 1806.

homeland:

A region or area set aside to be a state for a people of a particular national, cultural, or racial origin.

homogeneous:

Of the same kind or nature, often used in reference to a whole.

Horn of Africa:

The Horn of Africa comprises Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan.

human rights issues:

Any matters involving people's basic rights which are in question or thought to be abused.

immigration:

The act or process of passing or entering into another country for the purpose of permanent residence.

imports:

Goods purchased from foreign suppliers.

indigenous:

Born or originating in a particular place or country; native to a particular region or area.

Indo-Aryan language group:

The group that includes the languages of India; also called Indo-European language group.

Indo-European language family:

The group that includes the languages of India and much of Europe and southwestern Asia.

Islam:

The religious system of Muhammad, practiced by Muslims and based on a belief in Allah as the supreme being and Muhammed as his prophet. Islam also refers to those nations in which it is the primary religion. There are two major sects: Sunni and Shia (or Shiite). The main difference between the two sects is in their belief in who follows Muhammad, founder of Islam, as the religious leader.

Judaism:

The religious system of the Jews, based on the Old Testament as revealed to Moses and characterized by a belief in one God and adherence to the laws of scripture and rabbinic traditions.

khan:

A sovereign, or ruler, in central Asia.

khanate:

A kingdom ruled by a khan, or man of rank.

literacy:

The ability to read and write.

Maghreb states:

Refers to Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia; sometimes includes Libya and Mauritania.

maize:

Another name (Spanish or British) for corn or the color of ripe corn.

manioc:

The cassava plant or its product. Manioc is a very important food-staple in tropical America.

matrilineal (descent):

Descending from, or tracing descent through, the maternal, or mother's, family line.

Mayan language family:

The languages of the Central American Indians, further divided into two subgroups: the Maya and the Huastek.

mean temperature:

The air temperature unit measured by the National Weather Service by adding the maximum and minimum daily temperatures together and diving the sum by 2.

Mecca:

A city in Saudi Arabia; a destination of Muslims in the Islamic world.

mestizo:

The offspring of a person of mixed blood; especially, a person of mixed Spanish and American Indian parentage.

millet:

A cereal grass whose small grain is used for food in Europe and Asia.

monarchy:

Government by a sovereign, such as a king or queen.

Mongol:

One of an Asiatic race chiefly resident in Mongolia, a region north of China proper and south of Siberia.

Moors:

One of the Arab tribes that conquered Spain in the eighth century.

Moslem

see Muslim.

mosque:

An Islam place of worship and the organization with which it is connected.

Muhammad (or Muhammed or Mahomet):

An Arabian prophet (AD 570–632), known as the "Prophet of Allah" who founded the religion of Islam in 622, and wrote the Koran, (also spelled Quran) the scripture of Islam.

mulatto:

One who is the offspring of parents one of whom is white and the other is black.

Muslim:

A follower of Muhammad in the religion of Islam.

Muslim New Year:

A Muslim holiday also called Nawruz. In some countries Muharram 1, which is the first month of the Islamic year, is observed as a holiday, in other places the new year is observed on Sha'ban, the eighth month of the year. This practice apparently stems from pagan Arab times. Shab-i-Bharat, a national holiday in Bangladesh on this day, is held by many to be the occasion when God ordains all actions in the coming year.

mystic:

Person who believes he or she can gain spiritual knowledge through processes like meditation that are not easily explained by reasoning or rational thinking.

nationalism:

National spirit or aspirations; desire for national unity, independence, or prosperity.

oasis:

Fertile spot in the midst of a desert or wasteland.

official language:

The language in which the business of a country and its government is conducted.

Ottoman Empire:

A Turkish empire that existed from about 1603 until 1918, and included lands around the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas.

patriarchal system:

A social system in which the head of the family or tribe is the father or oldest male. Ancestry is determined and traced through the male members of the tribe.

patrilineal (descent):

Descending from, or tracing descent through, the paternal, or father's, family line.

pilgrimage:

religious journey, usually to a holy place.

plantain:

Tropical plant with fruit that looks like bananas, but that must be cooked before eating.

Protestant:

A member of one of the Christian bodies that descended from the Reformation of the sixteenth century.

pulses:

Beans, peas, or lentils.

Ramadan:

The ninth month of the Muslim calender. The entire month commemorates the period in which the Prophet Muhammad is said to have recieved divine revelation and is observed by a strict fast from sunrise to sundown.

Rastafarian:

A member of a Jamaican cult begun in 1930 that is partly religious and partly political.

refugee:

Person who, in times of persecution or political commotion, flees to a foreign country for safety.

revolution:

A complete change in a government or society, such as in an overthrow of the government by the people.

Roman alphabet:

Alphabet of the ancient Romans from which alphabets of most modern European languages, including English, are derived.

Roman Catholic Church:

Christian church headed by the pope or Bishop of Rome.

Russian Orthodox:

The arm of the Eastern Orthodox Church that was the official church of Russia under the tsars.

Sahelian zone:

Eight countries make up this dry desert zone in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and the Cape Verde Islands.

savanna:

A treeless or near treeless grassland or plain.

segregation:

The enforced separation of a racial or religious group from other groups, compelling them to live and go to school separately from the rest of society.

Seventh-day Adventist:

One who believes in the second coming of Christ to establish a personal reign upon the earth.

shamanism:

A religion in which shamans (priests or medicine men) are believed to influence spirits.

shantytown:

An urban settlement of people in inadequate houses.

Shia Muslim

see Islam.

Shiites

see Islam.

Shintoism:

The system of nature-and hero-worship that forms the native religion of Japan.

sierra:

A chain of hills or mountains.

Sikh:

A member of a community of India, founded around 1500 and based on the principles of monotheism (belief in one god) and human brotherhood.

Sino-Tibetan language family:

The family of languages spoken in eastern Asia, including China, Thailand, Tibet, and Myanmar.

slash-and-burn agriculture:

A hasty and sometimes temporary way of clearing land to make it available for agriculture by cutting down trees and burning them; also known as swidden agriculture.

slave trade:

The transportation of black Africans beginning in the 1700s to other countries to be sold as slaves—people owned as property and compelled to work for their owners at no pay.

Slavic languages:

A major subgroup of the Indo-European language family. It is further subdivided into West Slavic (including Polish, Czech, Slovak and Serbian), South Slavic (including Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, and Old Church Slavonic), and East Slavic (including Russian Ukrainian and Byelorussian).

sorghum:

Plant grown for its valuable uses, such as for grain, syrup, or fodder.

Southeast Asia:

The region in Asia that consists of the Malay Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula, and Indochina.

Soviet Union

see Former Soviet Union.

subcontinent:

A large subdivision of a continent.

subsistence farming:

Farming that provides only the minimum food goods necessary for the continuation of the farm family.

Sudanic language group:

A related group of languages spoken in various areas of northern Africa, including Yoruba, Mandingo, and Tshi.

Sufi:

A Muslim mystic who believes that God alone exists, there can be no real difference between good and evil, that the soul exists within the body as in a cage, so death should be the chief object of desire.

sultan:

A king of a Muslim state.

Sunni Muslim

see Islam.

Taoism:

The doctrine of Lao-Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher (c.500 BC) as laid down by him in the Tao-te-ching.

Third World:

A term used to describe less developed countries; as of the mid-1990s, it is being replaced by the United Nations designation Less Developed Countries, or LDC.

treaty:

A negotiated agreement between two governments.

tribal system:

A social community in which people are organized into groups or clans descended from common ancestors and sharing customs and languages.

tundra:

A nearly level treeless area whose climate and vegetation are characteristically arctic due to its northern position; the subsoil is permanently frozen.

untouchables:

In India, members of the lowest caste in the caste system, a hereditary social class system. They were considered unworthy to touch members of higher castes.

Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics

see Former Soviet Union.

veldt:

A grassland in South Africa.

Western nations:

General term used to describe democratic, capitalist countries, including the United States, Canada, and western European countries.

Zoroastrianism:

The system of religious doctrine taught by Zoroaster and his followers in the Avesta; the religion prevalent in Persia until its overthrow by the Muslims in the seventh century.