Asia is the largest continent in the world. It spans thirty percent of the globe and is comprised of forty-four nations. To give you an idea of its landscape diversity, Asia is home to the highest point above sea level, Mt. Everest which is located in Nepal and China, and the lowest point, the Dead Sea which is located in Israel. Throw in the deepest lake, Lake Baykal, as well as the great rivers found in Asia and you have arguably the most dynamic region in the world.
Three political regions constitute Asia: The Middle East, North Asia (home to China’s 1.3 billion people), and Southeast Asia (home to India’s 1.1 billion people). With such a diverse political make-up, the socio-economic environments range from the most wealthy in the world to extreme poverty. In recent years China has emerged as one of the top three world economies along with the U.S. and Japan.
Nineteen or so countries make up the region known as Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, the Slavic republics of Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Eastern Europe is a contextual area. That means the countries included in the geographic region will change depending on who you’re talking to. To make it easier, the region includes those countries formerly behind the “Iron Curtain” under communist rule. You may also hear it referred to as Slavic Europe, contrasting Germanic Europe.
The geographic intrigue notwithstanding, the region faces many socio-economic barriers stemming from the oppressive rule of communism. Though there are rich agricultural possibilities in places like the Ukraine, the short season make a more rural life difficult. The urban-industrial characteristics shine in countries like Czech Republic. The struggle to rise above poverty forces many to seek work abroad.
South America is made up of twelve countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. What do you think of when you hear South America? Bright smiles, vibrant colors, and music that makes you want to dance. This sub-continent of the Americas finds itself between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans with North America and the Caribbean Sea above. Though it has the shortest coastlines of all the continents it makes up for it in diverse beauty: the Galapagos Islands, the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River, the dynamic Patagonia, and the largest rainforest in the world.
For a long time South America focused its efforts in mining and exporting mineral commodities: gold, silver, copper, iron ore, tin, and petroleum. But these commodities can fall victim to unstable markets. This is forcing South American governments to diversify their exports.
Three European explorers discovered South America and, culturally, the European influence remains in present day—especially the influence of Spain and Portugal. The United States' popular culture also influences the broader South American culture. In South America you will find a mix of first world cultural expressions and global cities, like Brazil's Sau Paulo, as well as old world peoples living in interior mountain and coastal regions, and third world culture just beyond the outskirts of cities like Quito, Ecuador.
The United States is known for American football, iPhones, and the Liberty Bell, among other things. Located in North America, the United States borders Canada to the north and Mexico to the southwest, and is bookended by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A vast and geographically diverse land, a vacationer can choose a quiet beach in south Florida, a high desert experience in Utah, or the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest.
With the number one economy in the world, the United States continues to lead much of the world in product innovation, though much of the industry jobs have moved abroad. Though the United States stands as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, there is a growing disparity between the very rich and the very poor.
Nevertheless, the United States remains a global symbol for prosperity and achieving. A pioneering spirit forged it into being and that same spirit catapults it into a new century of socio-economic change and challenges.
You could easily get lost in Africa. It’s big. It’s the second largest continent on the planet with fifty-four countries, home to one billion people. The great continent is surrounded by three oceans: the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Africa straddles the equator causing a wide range of climates to stretch across its diverse lands. Mt. Kilimanjaro is perhaps the best metaphor for Africa’s diverse beauty. Rising from just above sea level to an astounding 19,336 feet, “Kili” is a climatic odyssey ranging from the tropics to the arctic.
The diversity of the landscape is mirrored by the socio-economic and political diversity. Various countries face political and military unrest, while others routinely face drought conditions leading to famine, while others thrive in a first world context.