# notes

id: 585c9535e0a84b48ad757444c873ee52
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Argentina
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Argentina** (officially the **Argentine Republic**) is a country in South America. Argentina is the second-largest country in South America and the eighth-largest country in the world.
   
  Spanish is the language most people speak and the official language, but many other languages are spoken. There are minorities speaking Italian, German, [English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language "English language"), Quechua and even Welsh in Patagonia.

  The capital city "Capital (city)") of the Argentina is Buenos Aires, one of the largest cities in the world, in eastern Argentina. In order by number of people, the largest cities in Argentina are [Buenos Aires](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires "Buenos Aires"), Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza, La Plata, Tucumán, Mar del Plata, [Salta](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salta "Salta"), Santa Fe, and Bahía Blanca.

  Argentina is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east and south. It is bordered by Paraguay and [Bolivia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia "Bolivia") in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast, and Chile in the west and south. It also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: _Islas Malvinas_) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

  Contents
  --------

  - [1 History](#History)
  - 2 Politics
  - 3 Administrative divisions
  - 4 Geography
  - 5 Other information
  - 6 Related pages
  - 7 References
  - [8 Other websites](#Other_websites)

  History
  -------

  The name **Argentina** comes from the Latin _argentum_ (silver) as the Spanish conquistadors believed the area had silver. In the Americas, Canada, US, Brazil and Argentina are the largest countries (in that order).

  The oldest signs of people in Argentina are in the Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz), and are more than 13,000 years old. In 1480 the [Inca Empire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Empire "Inca Empire") conquered northwestern Argentina, making it part of the empire. In the northeastern area, the Guaraní") developed a culture based on yuca and sweet potato however typical dishes all around Argentina are pasta, red wines (Italian influence) and beef.

  Other languages spoken are Italian, English and German. Lunfardo is Argentinean slang and is a mix of Spanish and Italian. Argentineans are said to speak Spanish with an Italian accent.

  Argentina declared independent from Spain in 1816, and achieved it in a War led by José de San Martín in 1818. Many immigrants from Europe came to the country. By the 1920s it was the 7th wealthiest country in the world, but it began a decline after this. In the 1940s, following the "infamous decade" where the country's politics were not stable, Juan Peron came to power. Peron was one of the most important people in the country's history and many politicians today call themselves Peronist. Peron was forced out of power in 1955. After spending years in exile he returned to power in the 1970s.

  In 1976, the country was falling into chaos, and the military took power. This was not the first time the military had done this. Leading the new government was Jorge Rafael Videla. Videla was one of history's most brutal dictators. Thousands of people disappeared or were killed during his time as president. Videla retired in 1980.

  One of his successors was another general turned dictator, [Leopoldo Galtieri](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopoldo_Galtieri "Leopoldo Galtieri"). By the time Galtieri was in office in 1981 the dictatorship became unpopular. To try to stir up support, Galtieri ordered an invasion of the Falkland Islands, starting a war. Argentina lost the war, and soon the country fell into chaos again. Galtieri was removed from power and eventually democracy was restored. Galtieri and Videla would be charged with "crimes against humanity" because of the mass murder and other crimes that they ordered as president.

  Today, Argentina is one of the most important countries in Latin America, though it still has many problems facing it. It has a large economy and is an influential country in the "southern cone" of South America.

  Politics
  --------

  Argentina is a federal republic. The people of Argentina vote for a President to rule them and Senators and Deputies to speak for them and make laws for them. The President is Mauricio Macri since December 2015.

  Administrative divisions
  ------------------------

  Argentina is divided into 23 [provinces](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province "Province") (_provincias_; singular: _provincia_), and 1 city (commonly known as _capital federal_):

  1. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires\*
  2. Buenos Aires (Province)
  3. Catamarca
  4. Chaco
  5. Chubut
  6. Córdoba
  7. [Corrientes](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrientes_Province "Corrientes Province")
  8. Entre Ríos
  9. Formosa
  10. Jujuy
  11. La Pampa
  12. La Rioja "La Rioja Province (Argentina)")

  13. Mendoza
  14. [Misiones](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misiones_Province "Misiones Province")
  15. Neuquén
  16. Río Negro
  17. Salta
  18. San Juan "San Juan Province (Argentina)")
  19. San Luis
  20. Santa Cruz "Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)")
  21. [Santa Fe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Province "Santa Fe Province")
  22. Santiago del Estero
  23. Tierra del Fuego "Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)")
  24. Tucumán

  Geography
  ---------

  Main page: Geography of Argentina

  ![Map of Argentina](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Argentina_-_Pol%C3%ADtico.png)

  Map of Argentina Argentina is almost 3,700 km long from north to south, and 1,400 km from east to west (maximum values). It can be divided into three parts: the [Pampas](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pampas "Pampas") in the central part of the country, Patagonia in the southern part down to Tierra del Fuego; and the Andes mountain range along the western border with Chile, with the highest point in the province of Mendoza. [Cerro Aconcagua](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerro_Aconcagua "Cerro Aconcagua"), at 6,960 metres (22,834 ft "Foot (unit of length)")), is the Americas' highest mountain.

  The most important rivers include the River Plate, Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado "Colorado River (Argentina)"), [Uruguay](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay_River "Uruguay River") and the largest river, the Paraná. River Plate was incorrectly translated though, and should have been translated to English as River of (the) Silver. River Plate is also a famous Buenos Aires soccer team.

  See List of cities in Argentina for the many places people live in Argentina.

  Other information
  -----------------

  The majority of the Argentineans are descendants of Europeans mainly from Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, [France](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/France "France"), other Europeans countries and Mestizo representing more than 90% of the total population of the country.

  Football or soccer is the most popular sport, although the national sport of the country is Pato. Argentina has a number of highly ranked Polo players. Field hockey (for women) rugby and golf are also favorites.

  Argentina is a Christian country. Most of Argentina's people (80 percent) are Roman Catholic. Argentina also has the largest population of Jewish community after Israel and US. Many Middle Eastern immigrants who were Muslims converted to Catholicism, but there are still Muslims as well.

  Medicine is socialized and so is education, making Argentina's literacy rate about 98%. State University is free as well.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - [Argentina at the Olympics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_at_the_Olympics "Argentina at the Olympics")
  - Argentina national football team
  - List of rivers of ArgentinaArgentina


id: b4b07c0334a5497580580e593622e86e
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Australia
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Australia**, officially called the **Commonwealth of Australia**, is a country and sovereign state in the southern hemisphere, located on its own continent between the [Pacific Ocean](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean "Pacific Ocean") and the Indian Ocean. Its capital city is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney.
   
  Australia is the sixth biggest country in the world by land area, and is part of the Oceanic and [Australasian](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasia "Australasia") regions. Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and other islands on the Australian tectonic plate are together called Australasia, which is one of the world's great ecozones. When other Pacific islands are included with Australasia, it is called Oceania.

  23–24 million people live in Australia, and about 80% of them live on the east coast. The country is divided up into six [states](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Australia "States of Australia"), and more than half of Australia's population lives in and around the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

  Australia is known for its [mining](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining "Mining"), its production of wool, and as the world's largest producer of bauxite. Its emblem is a flower called the Golden Wattle.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Geography
    - 1.1 Regions and cities
  - 2 History
    - [2.1 Aboriginal people](#Aboriginal_people)
    - 2.2 Terra Australis
    - 2.3 Settlement
    - 2.4 Exploration
    - 2.5 Self government
    - 2.6 The Commonwealth of Australia
  - 3 Politics
  - [4 Culture](#Culture)
    - 4.1 Sport
    - 4.2 Art festivals
  - 5 Wildlife
  - 6 References
  - 7 Other websites

  Geography
  ---------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:As-map.png)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:As-map.png "Enlarge")

  Map of Australia Australia's landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometers is on the Indo-Australian plate"). The continent of Australia, including the island of Tasmania, was separated from the other continents of the world many millions of years ago. Because of this, many animals and plants live in Australia that do not live anywhere else. These include animals like the kangaroo, the koala, the emu, the [kookaburra](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra "Kookaburra"), and the platypus.

  People first arrived in Australia more than 50,000 years ago. These native Australians are called the Australian Aborigines. For the history of Australia, see History of Australia.

  Most of the Australian colonies, having been settled from Britain, became mostly independent democratic states in the 1850s and all six combined as a federation on 1 January 1901. The first Prime Minister of Australia was Edmund Barton in 1901. Australia is a member of the [United Nations](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations "United Nations") and the Commonwealth of Nations. It is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia and Head of State and a Governor-General who is chosen by the Prime Minister to carry out all the duties of the Queen in Australia.

  ### Regions and cities

  _See also: List of Cities in Australia_Australia has six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are [New South Wales](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales "New South Wales"), Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria "Victoria (Australia)"), and Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the [Australian Capital Territory](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Capital_Territory "Australian Capital Territory") (ACT).

  In 2013 according to world bank Australia had just over 23.13 million people. Most Australians live in cities along the coast, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Hobart and [Adelaide](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide "Adelaide"). The largest inland city is Canberra, which is also the nation's capital. The largest city is Sydney.

  Australia is a very big country, but much of the land is very dry, and the middle of the continent is mostly desert. Only the areas around the east, west and south coast have enough rain and a suitable climate (not too hot) for many farms and cities.

  History
  -------

  ### Aboriginal people

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corroboree.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corroboree.jpg "Enlarge")

  Photograph of Arrernte men of Central Australia in a Corroboree in 1900. The Australian Aboriginal people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago or even earlier. Until the arrival of British settlers in 1788, the Aboriginal people lived by hunting and gathering food from the land. They lived in all sorts of climates and managed the land in different ways. An example of Aboriginal land management was the Cumberland Plain") where Sydney is now. Every few years the Aboriginal people would burn the grass and small trees. This meant that a lot of grass grew back, but not many big trees. Kangaroos like to live on grassy plains, but not in forests. The kangaroos that lived on the plain were a good food supply for the Aboriginal people. Sometimes, Aborigines would name a person after an animal, and they could not eat that animal to help level out the food population.

  Aboriginal people did not usually build houses, except huts of grass, leaves and bark. They did not usually build walls or fences, and there were no horses, cows or sheep in Australia that needed to be kept in pens. The only Aboriginal buildings that are known are fish-traps made from stones piled up in the river, and the remains of a few stone huts in Victoria and Tasmania. The Aboriginal people did not use metal or make pottery or use bows and arrows or weave cloth. In some parts of Australia the people used sharp flaked-stone spearheads, but most Aboriginal spears were made of sharply pointed wood. Australia has a lot of trees that have very hard wood that was good for spear making. The boomerang was used in some areas for sport and for hunting.

  The Aboriginal people did not think that the land belonged to them. They believed that they had grown from the land, so it was like their mother, and they belonged to the land.

  ### Terra Australis

  In the 1600s, [Dutch](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_people "Dutch people") merchants traded with the islands of Batavia (now Indonesia), to the north of Australia and several different Dutch ships touched on the coast of Australia. The Dutch governor, van Diemen, sent Abel Tasman on a voyage of discovery and he found Tasmania, which he named Van Diemen's Land. Its name was later changed to honour the man who discovered it.

  The British Government was sure that there must be a very large land in the south, that had not been explored. They sent Captain [James Cook](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook "James Cook") to the Pacific Ocean. His ship, _HMS Endeavour_, carried the famous scientists, Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Solander who were going to Tahiti where they would watch the planet Venus "Venus (planet)") pass in front of the Sun. Captain Cook's secret mission was to find "[Terra Australis](/w/index.php?title=Terra_Australis&action=edit&redlink=1 "Terra Australis (not yet started)")" (the Land of the South).

  The voyage of discovery was very successful, because they found New Zealand and sailed right around it. Then they sailed westward. At last, a boy, William Hicks, who was up the mast spotted land on the horizon. Captain Cook named that bit of land Point Hicks. They sailed up the coast and Captain Cook named the land that he saw "New South Wales". At last they sailed into a large open bay which was full of fish and stingrays which the sailors speared for food. Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander went ashore and were astonished to find that they did not know what any of the plants or birds or animals that they saw were. They collected hundreds of plants to take back to England.

  Captain Cook saw the Aboriginal people with their simple way of life. He saw them fishing and hunting and collecting grass seeds and fruit. But there were no houses and no fences. In most parts of the world, people put up a house and a fence or some marker to show that they own the land. But the Aboriginal people did not own the land in that way. They belonged to the land, like a baby belongs to its mother. Captain Cook went home to England and told the government that no-one owned the land. This would later cause a terrible problem for the Aboriginal people.

  ### Settlement

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Founding_of_Australia._By_Capt._Arthur_Phillip_R.N._Sydney_Cove,_Jan._26th_1788.jpg)

  Captain Arthur Phillip raises the British flag at [Sydney](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney "Sydney") in 1788. In the 1700s, in England, laws were tough, many people were poor and gaols (jails) were full. A person could be sentenced to death for stealing a loaf of bread. Many people were hung for small crimes. But usually they were just thrown in gaol. Often they were sent away to the British colonies in America. But by the 1770s, the colonies in America became the United States. They were free from British rule and would not take England's convicts any more, so England needed to find a new and less populated place.

  By the 1780s the gaols of England were so full that convicts were often chained up in rotting old ships. The government decided to make a settlement in New South Wales and send some of the convicts there. In 1788 the First Fleet of eleven ships set sail from Portsmouth carrying convicts, sailors, marines, a few free settlers and enough food to last for two years. Their leader was Captain Arthur Phillip. They were to make a new colony at the place that Captain Cook had discovered, named Botany Bay because of all the unknown plants found there by the two scientists.

  Captain Phillip found that Botany Bay was flat and windy. There was not much fresh water. He went with two ships up the coast and sailed into a great harbor which he said was "the finest harbor in the world!" There were many small bays on the harbor so he decided on one which had a good stream of fresh water and some flat shore to land on. On 26 January 1788, the flag was raised and New South Wales was claimed in the name of [King George III](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom "George III of the United Kingdom") of England, and the new settlement was called Sydney.

  For the first few years of the settlement, things were very difficult. No-one in the British Government had thought very hard about what sort of convicts should be sent to make a new colony. Nobody had chosen them carefully. There was only one man who was a farmer. There was no-one among the convicts who was a builder, a brick-maker or a blacksmith. No-one knew how to fix the tools when they broke. All of the cattle escaped. There were no cooking pots. All the plants were different so no-one knew which ones could be eaten. It was probable that everyone in the new colony would die of starvation.

  Somehow, the little group of tents with a hut for the Governor, Arthur Phillip, and another hut for the supply of food, grew into a small town with streets, a bridge over the stream, a windmill for grinding grain and wharves for ships. By the 1820s there was a fine brick house for the Governor. There was also a hospital and a convict barracks and a beautiful church which are still standing today. Settlements had spread out from Sydney, firstly to Norfolk Island and to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), and also up the coast to Newcastle, where coal was discovered, and inland where the missing cattle were found to have grown to a large herd. Spanish Merino sheep had been brought to Sydney, and by 1820, farmers were raising fat lambs for meat and also sending fine wool back to the factories of England.

  While the settlement was growing in New South Wales, it was also growing in Tasmania. The climate in Tasmania was more like that in England, and farmers found it easy to grow crops there.

  ### Exploration

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ln-Governor-Lachlan_macquarie.jpg)

  Governor Lachlan Macquarie was the 5th governor of New South Wales and one who though that Australia could be a rich and free place. Because Australia is such a very large land, it was easy to think that it might be able to hold a very large number of people. In the early days of the colony, a great number of explorers went out, searching for good land to settle on. When the settlers looked west from Sydney, they saw a range of mountains which they called the [Blue Mountains](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales) "Blue Mountains (New South Wales)"). They were not very high and did not look very rugged but for many years no-one could find their way through them. In 1813 Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson "William Lawson (explorer)") and a 17-year-old called William Charles Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains and found land on the other side which was good for farming. A road was built and the governor, Lachlan Macquarie founded the town of Bathurst on the other side, 100 miles from Sydney.

  Some people, like Captain Charles Sturt were sure that there must be a sea in the middle of Australia and set out to find it. Many of the explorers did not prepare very well, or else they went out to explore at the hottest time of year. Some died like Burke and Wills. [Ludwig Leichhardt](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Leichhardt "Ludwig Leichhardt") got lost twice. The second time, he was never seen again. Major Thomas Mitchell was one of the most successful explorers. He mapped the country as he went, and his maps remained in use for more than 100 years. He travelled all the way to what is now western Victoria, and to his surprise and annoyance found that he was not the first white person there. The Henty brothers") had come from Tasmania, had built themselves a house, had a successful farm and fed the Major and his men on roast lamb and wine.

  ### Self government

  The gold rushes of New South Wales and Victoria started in 1851 leading to large numbers of people arriving to search for gold. The population grew across south east Australia and made great wealth and industry. By 1853 the gold rushes had made some poor people, very rich.

  The transportation of convicts to Australia ended in the 1840s and 1850s and more changes came. The people in Australia wanted to run their own country, and not be told what to do from London. The first governments in the colonies were run by governors chosen by London. Soon the settlers wanted local government and more democracy. William Wentworth started the Australian Patriotic Association (Australia's first political party) in 1835 to demand democratic government. In 1840, the city councils started and some people could vote. New South Wales Legislative Council had its first elections in 1843, again with some limits on who could vote. In 1855, limited self-government was given by London to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. In 1855, the [right to vote](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_vote "Right to vote") was given to all men over 21 in South Australia. The other colonies soon followed. Women were given the vote in the Parliament of South Australia in 1895 and they became the first women in the world allowed to stand in elections.

  Australians had started parliamentary democracies all across the continent. But voices were getting louder for all of them to come together as one country with a national parliament.

  ### The Commonwealth of Australia

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Opening_of_the_first_parliament.jpg)

  A painting of the opening of the first Parliament of Australia, 9 May 1901, painted by Tom Roberts. Australia has had democracy since the 1850s. [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Australian_PR_COB_2006.PNG/300px-Australian_PR_COB_2006.PNG)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_PR_COB_2006.PNG)

  Countries of birth of Australian estimated resident population, 2006.  
  Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics Until 1901, Australia was not a nation, it was six separate colonies governed by Britain. They voted to join together to form one new country, called the Commonwealth of Australia, in 1901. Australia was still part of the British Empire, and at first wanted only British or Europeans to come to Australia. But soon it had its own money, and its own Army and Navy.

  In Australia at this time, the trade unions were very strong, and they started a political party, the Australian Labor Party. Australia passed many laws to help the [workers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker "Worker").

  In 1914, the First World War started in Europe. Australia joined in on the side of Britain against Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Australian soldiers were sent to Gallipoli, in the Ottoman Empire. They fought bravely, but were beaten by the Turks. Today Australia remembers this battle every year on [ANZAC Day](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_Day "ANZAC Day"). They also fought on the Western Front. More than 60,000 Australians were killed.

  Australia had a really hard time in the Great Depression of the 1930s and joined Britain in a war against Nazi Germany when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. But in 1941 lots of Australian soldiers were captured in the Fall of Singapore by Japan. Then Japan started attacking Australia and people worried about invasion. But with help from the United States Navy, the Japanese were stopped. After the war, Australia became a close friend of the United States.

  When the war ended, Australia felt that it needed many more people to fill the country up and to work. So the government said it would take in people from Europe who had lost their homes in the war. It did things like building the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Over the next 25 years, millions of people came to Australia. They came especially from [Italy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy "Italy") and Greece, other countries in Europe. Later they also came from countries like Turkey and Lebanon. An important new party, the Liberal Party of Australia "Liberal Party (Australia)") was made by Robert Menzies in 1944 and it won lots of elections from 1949 until in 1972, then Gough Whitlam won for the [Labor Party](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Labor_Party "Australian Labor Party"). Whitlam made changes, but he made the Senate unhappy and the Governor-General sacked him and forced an election in 1975. Then Malcolm Fraser won a few elections for the Liberal Party.

  In the 1960s many people began coming to Australia from China, Vietnam, [Malaysia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia "Malaysia") and other countries in Asia. Australia became more multicultural. In the 1950s and 1960s Australia became one of the richest countries in the world, helped by mining and wool. Australia started trading more with America, then Japan. Australia supported the United States in wars against dictatorships in Korea and Vietnam and later Iraq. Australian soldiers also helped the [United Nations](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations "United Nations") in countries like East Timor in 1999.

  In 1973, the famous Sydney Opera House opened. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s lots of Australian movies, actors and singers became famous around the world. In the year 2000, Sydney had the Summer Olympics.

  In the 1980s and 90s, the Labor Party under Bob Hawke and [Paul Keating](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Keating "Paul Keating"), then the Liberal Party under John Howard made lots of changes to the economy. Australia had a bad recession in 1991, but when other Western countries had trouble with their economies in 2008, Australia stayed strong.

  Today Australia is a rich, peaceful and democratic country. But it still has problems. Around 4-5% of Australians could not get a job in 2010. A lot of land in Australia (like Uluru) has been returned to Aboriginal people, but lots of Aborigines are still poorer than everybody else. Every year the government chooses a big number of new people from all around the world to come as immigrants to live in Australia. These people may come because they want to do business, or to live in a democracy, to join their family, or because they are refugees. Australia took 6.5 million immigrants in the 60 years after [World War Two](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Two "World War Two"), including around 660,000 refugees.

  Julia Gillard became the first woman Prime Minister of Australia in 2010 when she replaced her colleague Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party.

  Politics
  --------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_house_of_representatives04.jpg)

  The chamber of the Australian House of Representatives in [Canberra](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canberra "Canberra"). Australia is made up of six states and three mainland territories. Each state and territory has its own Parliament and makes its own local laws. The Parliament of Australia sits in Canberra and makes laws for the whole country, also known as the Commonwealth or Federation.

  The [Federal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation "Federation") government is led by the Prime Minister of Australia, who is the member of Parliament chosen as leader. The current Prime Minister is Malcolm Turnbull.

  The leader of Australia is the Prime Minister, although the Governor-General represents the Queen of Australia, who is also the Queen of Great Britain, as head of state. The Governor-General, currently His Excellency") Sir Peter Cosgrove, is chosen by the Prime Minister.

  Culture
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Opera_House_Night.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Opera_House_Night.jpg "Enlarge")

  The Sydney Opera House was officially opened in 1973.Australia was colonised by people from Britain, but today people from all over the world live there. English is the main spoken language, and Christianity is the main religion, though all religions are accepted and not everybody has a religion. Australia is multicultural, which means that all its people are encouraged to keep their different languages, religions and ways of life, while also learning English and joining in with other Australians.

  Famous Australian writers include the bush balladeers [Banjo Paterson](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo_Paterson "Banjo Paterson") and Henry Lawson who wrote about life in the Australian bush. More modern famous writers include Peter Carey "Peter Carey (novelist)"), Thomas Keneally and Colleen McCullough. In 1973, Patrick White won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Australian to have achieved this; he is seen as one of the great English-language writers of the twentieth century.

  [Australian music](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_music "Australian music") has had lots of world-wide stars, for example the opera singers Nellie Melba and Joan Sutherland, the rock and roll bands Bee Gees, AC/DC and INXS, the folk-rocker Paul Kelly (musician) "Paul Kelly (musician)"), the pop singer [Kylie Minogue](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylie_Minogue "Kylie Minogue") and Australian country music stars Slim Dusty and John Williamson. Australian Aboriginal music is very special and very ancient: it has the famous digeridoo woodwind instrument.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Didgeridoo.jpg)

  [didgeridoo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo "Didgeridoo")Australian TV has produced many successful programs for home and overseas - including Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Home and Away and Neighbours - and produced such well known TV stars as Barry Humphries (_Dame Edna Everage_), Steve Irwin (_The Crocodile Hunter_) and The Wiggles. Major Australian subgroups such as the Bogan have been shown on Australian TV in shows such as [Bogan Hunters](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogan_Hunters "Bogan Hunters") and Kath & Kim").

  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. Each major city has its daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, _The Australian_ and _The Australian Financial Review")_.

  Australian movies have a very long history. The world's first feature movie was the Australian movie _The Story of the Kelly Gang_ of 1906. In 1933, _In the Wake of the Bounty_, directed by [Charles Chauvel](/w/index.php?title=Charles_Chauvel_(filmmaker)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Charles Chauvel (filmmaker) (not yet started)"), had Errol Flynn as the main actor. Flynn went on to a celebrated career in Hollywood. The first Australian Oscar was won by 1942's _Kokoda Front Line!_, directed by Ken G. Hall. In the 1970s and 1980s lots of big Australian movies and movie stars became world famous with movies like _Picnic at Hanging Rock_, _Gallipoli_ "Gallipoli (1981 movie)") (with Mel Gibson), _[The Man From Snowy River](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Snowy_River_(1982_movie) "The Man from Snowy River (1982 movie)")_ and _Crocodile Dundee_. Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger became global stars during the 1990s and _Australia "Australia (2008 movie)")_ starring Nicole Kidman and [Hugh Jackman](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Jackman "Hugh Jackman") made a lot of money in 2008.

  Australia is also a popular destination for business conferences and research, with Sydney named as one of the top 20 meeting destinations in the world.

  ### Sport

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DonaldBradman.jpg)

  Don Bradman. Sport is an important part of Australian culture because the climate is good for outdoor activities. 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly take part in organised sporting activities. In international sports, Australia has very strong teams in cricket, hockey, netball, [rugby league](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league "Rugby league") and rugby union, and performs well in cycling, rowing and swimming. Local popular sports include Australian Rules Football, horse racing, soccer and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games since 1896, and every [Commonwealth Games](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games "Commonwealth Games"). Australia has hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked in the top five medal-winners since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938, 1962, 1982 and 2006 Commonwealth Games and are to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam "Grand Slam (tennis)") tennis tournaments, annual international cricket matches and the Formula One [Australian Grand Prix](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Grand_Prix "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-rated television programs include the Summer Olympic Games and the grand finals of local and international football competitions.

  The main sporting leagues for males are the Australian Football League, National Rugby League, A-League and NBL "National Basketball League (Australasia)"). For women, they are ANZ Netball Championships, [W-League](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/W-League_(Australia) "W-League (Australia)") and WNBL.

  Famous Australian sports players include the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, the swimmer Ian Thorpe and the [athlete](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportsperson "Sportsperson") Cathy Freeman.

  ### Art festivals

  Just 60 years ago, Australia had only one big art festival. Now Australia has hundreds of smaller community-based festivals, and national and regional festivals that focus on specific art forms.

  Wildlife
  --------

  Australia is home to many animals that can be found nowhere else on Earth, which include: the koala, the kangaroo, the wombat, the numbat, the emu, among many others. Most of the [marsupials](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsupial "Marsupial") in the world are found only on the continent.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Numbat.jpg)

  Numbat


id: 857368229fc84ac8b2787fbfefe48300
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Brazil
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Brazil** (officially called **Federative Republic of Brazil**; how to say: IPA: (bɾɐˈziw)) is a country in South America. It is the [world](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth "Earth")'s fifth largest country. The country has about 209 million people. The capital "Capital (city)") of Brazil is Brasília. Brazil was named after brazilwood. Brazilwood is a tree that once grew very well along the Brazilian coast.
   
  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - 2 Languages
  - 3 Geography
  - [4 People/culture](#People.2Fculture)
  - 5 Related pages
  - 6 References
  - 7 Other websites

  History
  -------

  ![(icon)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg)This section needs more information.The first people to come to Brazil came around 9,000 B.C. That group of people is often called the South American Indians"). They probably came from [North America](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America "North America"). Some of them were hunters and gatherers, but others were farmers.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Brazil_(1500).png)

  .png "Enlarge")

  Flag of Brazil, 1500. Pedro Álvares Cabral was the first European to see Brazil. He saw it in 1500. He was from Portugal and the Portuguese government claimed Brazil. Soon, explorers explored the whole coastline of Brazil and colonies were set up. In the late 1500s and early 1600s the Dutch and the French would sometimes try to take land in Brazil. Brazilians started moving inland farther than the Treaty of Tordesillas said they could. This caused some fights with the Spaniards and native people in the area.

  In 1822, Brazil claimed to be its own country and not a part of [Portugal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal "Portugal") anymore. Soon there was civil war. But the emperor Pedro II improved the economy, and in 1888, he freed the slaves. In 1889, there was a military coup and Pedro II had to leave the country.

  In 1889, Brazil became a republic. It was not very democratic, because the only people who could vote were people who owned land. There were some uprisings in the 1920s because some people thought the government was unfairly helping coffee growers. Brazil joined the [Allies](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II "Allies of World War II") during World War II.

  During the 1960s, the leader Castelo Branco") made the government like a dictatorship. Since then, the country has become more democratic, but some people feel that there are still big problems in health and education.

  In September 2016, then-president Dilma Rousseff was removed from office because of impeachment.

  Languages
  ---------

  Most people in Brazil speak [Portuguese](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_language "Portuguese language"). Brazil is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese.

  Some people in Brazil speak German dialects. That came from German immigrants. 2% of Brazilians speak German as their first language. Yiddish is spoken by the elders of the Jewish community.

  Other people in Brazil speak their ancestors languages like Italian, [Japanese](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language "Japanese language"), Polish, Ukrainian, French, Russian, Lithuanian, Chinese, [Dutch](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_language "Dutch language") and Korean. Spanish or "Portunhol", a mix of Portuguese and Castilian (Spanish) is spoken at some of the borders. Indigenous languages as Guarani") and Aymará are the first languages of a small number of Brazilians.

  Geography
  ---------

  Brazil has the world's largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest. It makes up 40% of the country's land area. Brazil also has other types of land, including a type of [savanna](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna "Savanna") called _cerrado_, and a dry plant region named _caatinga_.

  The most important cities are Brasília (the capital), Belém "Belém (Brazil)"), Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza "Fortaleza (Brazil)"), [Goiânia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia "Goiânia"), Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo (the biggest city) and [Vitória](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vit%C3%B3ria_(Brazil) "Vitória (Brazil)"). Other cities are at List of largest cities in Brazil.

  Brazil is divided into 26 states plus the Federal District in five regions (north, south, northeast, southeast and centre-west):

  - **North**: Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Roraima, Pará, Amapá, Tocantins
  - **Northeast**: Maranhão, Pernambuco, Ceará, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia
  - **Centre-West**: Goiás, Mato grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Distrito Federal/ Federal District
  - **Southeast**: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais
  - **South**: Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul

  The country is the fifth largest in the world by area. It is known for its many rainforests and jungles. It is next to every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador.

  People/culture
  --------------

  Brazil is the largest country in South America and fifth largest in the world. Its people are called Brazilians or Brasileiros (In Portuguese). The people include citizens of Portuguese or other European descent who mainly live in the South and Southeast, Africans, Native Americans, Arabs, Gypsies and people of Mixed ancestry. Brazil also has the largest Japanese community outside [Japan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan "Japan"). Other East Asians follow the Japanese group.

  Two major sporting events were held in Brazil recently: the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Civil Police (Brazil) "Civil Police (Brazil)")
  - Political subdivisions of Brazil
  - [CIA World Factbook](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html)


id: ba7f5e0936c14c7886e45a04be87c024
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Canada
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Canada** (![Listen](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/EN-CA-Canada.ogg "Listen")/ˈkæn[ə](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key "Wikipedia:IPA for English")də/; French: (ka.na.dɑ)) is a country in [North America](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America "North America"), located to the north of the United States. Its land reaches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Arctic Ocean to the north, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world's second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area. It has the world's longest [coastline](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastline "Coastline") and is the only one to touch three oceans.
   
  Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Most parts of the country have a cold or severely cold winter climate, but areas to the south are warm in summer. Much of the land contains forests or [tundra](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra "Tundra"), with the Rocky Mountains towards the west. About four fifths of Canada's 36 million people live in urban areas near the southern border with the U.S, the longest between any two countries in the world. The national capital is Ottawa, and the largest city is Toronto; other large cities include [Montreal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal "Montreal"), Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Hamilton.

  The places that are now Canada have long been home to many [Aboriginal people](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_people "Aboriginal people"). In 1537 the French started a colony and the British empire soon followed. The two empires fought several wars and in the late 18th century only British North America remained with what is more or less Canada today. The country was formed with the British North America Act") on July 1, 1867, when several colonies joined together to make a semi-federal Dominion"). Over time, more provinces and territories became part of Canada. In 1931, Canada achieved near total independence from the United Kingdom with the Statute of Westminster 1931, and became [completely independent](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty "Sovereignty") when the Canada Act 1982") removed the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

  Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as its head of state. The country is officially [bilingual](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingual "Bilingual") at the federal level, meaning that citizens have the right to communicate with the government in either English or French. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural") nations since lots of people moved from many other countries to Canada. Its economy is the eleventh largest in the world "List of countries by GDP (nominal)"), and relies mainly on natural resources and well-developed international [trade networks](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trading "Trading"). Canada's relationship)) with its neighbor and biggest trading partner, the U.S., has had a big impact on its economy") and culture").

  Canada is a developed country and has the tenth highest_per_capita "List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita") nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It [ranks among the highest](/w/index.php?title=International_rankings_of_Canada&action=edit&redlink=1 "International rankings of Canada (not yet started)") in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Canada is a Commonwealth realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations, a member of the Francophonie, and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the G8&action=edit&redlink=1 "Group of Eight (G8) (not yet started)"), the [Group of Ten](/w/index.php?title=Group_of_Ten_(economics)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Group of Ten (economics) (not yet started)"), the G20"), the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation") forum.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Geography
  - 2 History
  - 3 Government
    - [3.1 Provinces and territories](#Provinces_and_territories)
  - 4 Climate and its influence
  - 5 Natural resources
  - 6 Demographics
  - 7 Travel requirements for US citizens
  - 8 References
  - 9 Other websites

  Geography
  ---------

  Canada is the second largest country in the world in land area, after [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"). It has the longest border with water (coastline) of any country in the world. It is next to the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans. It is the only country in the world to be next to three oceans at once. It has six time zones.

  Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces are between the 45th and 60th parallels of latitude, and the territories are to the north of the 60th parallel of latitude. Most large cities in Canada are in the southern part of the country, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. There are very few people living in the northern part of Canada.

  Canada extends from the west coast, across the [prairies](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie "Prairie") and central Canada, to the Atlantic provinces. In the north there are three territories, stretching between Alaska and Greenland: the Yukon in the west, then the Northwest Territories, then Nunavut. Four of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) are shared between Canada and the United States (Lake Michigan is in the USA), and they make up 16% of the Earth's fresh water. The Saint Lawrence Seaway joins the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing ocean going vessels to travel as far inland as Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada.

  Canada shares land and sea borders with the USA (the lower 48 states and [Alaska](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska "Alaska")), Denmark (Greenland), and France (St. Pierre and Miquelon — a small group of islands off the southern coast off the island of Newfoundland).

  The geography of Canada is very different from place to place, from high alpine areas in the west, flat grasslands and prairies in the centre, and ancient shield&action=edit&redlink=1 "Shield (geology) (not yet started)") rocks in the east. Canada contains some of the very last untouched boreal forest in the world.

  The [Canadian Shield](/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Shield&action=edit&redlink=1 "Canadian Shield (not yet started)") is a vast area of ancient Pre-Cambrian rocks lying in an arc around Hudson Bay, covering more than one third of Canada's land area. This is a unique land of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. It is a terrain that is very dangerous and difficult to traverse cross country because of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. Canada has 60% of the world's lakes.

  History
  -------

  Indigenous (native) people lived in what is now Canada for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. They are known as the First Nations and the Inuit people. The Métis have part First Nations and part European backgrounds. Together, these three groups are called "Indigenous," "Aboriginal," or "First Peoples." They used to be called "Indians" by the Europeans, but this is now considered rude.

  The Vikings were the first Europeans known to land in Canada, in what is now [Newfoundland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland "Newfoundland"), led by the Viking explorer Leif Erikson. They did not stay long, however. In the early 16th century, Europeans started exploring Canada's eastern coast, beginning with John Cabot from England in 1497, and later Jacques Cartier in 1534 from France. Alexander Mackenzie later reached the Pacific coast over land, where captains [James Cook](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook "James Cook") and George Vancouver") went by sea. The Europeans also traded beaver furs to the First Nations.

  Parts of Canada were settled by France, and parts by Great Britain. In 1605, Port-Royal&action=edit&redlink=1 "Port-Royal (Acadia) (not yet started)") was built in Acadia (today called Nova Scotia) by the French, led by Samuel de Champlain, and in 1608 he started settling Quebec. The British took control of the French areas after a battle of the French and Indian War on the [Plains of Abraham](/w/index.php?title=Plains_of_Abraham&action=edit&redlink=1 "Plains of Abraham (not yet started)") near Quebec City in 1759.

  After the American Revolutionary War, many people in the new United States wanted to stay loyal to Britain. Thousands came north to Canada and settled in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and [Ontario](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario "Ontario"). They were called United Empire Loyalists. During the War of 1812, the United States tried to conquer Canada but were defeated.

  On July 1, 1867, Canada was united under a federal government. It included the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and [Nova Scotia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia "Nova Scotia"). Sir John A. Macdonald was the first prime minister. Manitoba, the Yukon territory, and the Northwest Territories became part of Canada in 1870. British Columbia joined in 1871, and Prince Edward Island in 1873.

  There were two [Red River Rebellions](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Rebellion "Red River Rebellion"), in 1869-70 and 1885, both led by Louis Riel. He fought for more rights for the Métis people, a mix between French and First Nations. A railroad across the country, the Canadian Pacific Railway, finished in 1885, made it easier for Canadians to move to the west. Many Europeans came to the prairies, so [Alberta](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta "Alberta") and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.

  Canadian soldiers fought in World War I for the British Empire. More Canadians died in this war than any other war. Canada became better known as a country after its success in capturing Vimy Ridge from the Germans in France in 1917. Women were given the right to vote by the end of the war, partly because of the help they gave making weapons while the men fought in Europe. In 1931, Canada became fully independent. Then the government of Canada made all decisions about Canada.

  ![Crew of a Sherman-tank resting while parked](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crew_of_a_Sherman-tank_south_of_Vaucelles.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crew_of_a_Sherman-tank_south_of_Vaucelles.jpg "Enlarge")

  A Canadian crew during the battle of Normandy in June 1944. Canadians also fought in World War II. The Dieppe Raid in 1942 went very badly and most of the soldiers were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Canadians were important in 1944 at Normandy, and they liberated the Netherlands from the Germans.

  In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador became the 10th province of Canada. In 1956, Canadian [Lester Pearson](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Pearson "Lester Pearson"), who later became prime minister, helped end the Suez Crisis"). As a result, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1965, Pearson helped Canada get a new flag, the Maple Leaf. Before that, Canadians had used the Red Ensign. In 1982, Canada changed its constitution, including a new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms"). The main part of the Constitution is still the 1867 [British North America](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_North_America "British North America") Act.

  Some French Canadians today wish to form their own country, separate from the rest of Canada. The province of Quebec held a referendum (vote) in 1980, but only about 40% wanted to separate. Another referendum was held in 1995, with almost 50% voting in favour of leaving Canada. Since then, fewer people in Quebec have wanted to leave Canada, but it is still important to Quebec politics.

  Today, about 25% of Canadians speak French as their first language. Many people can speak both French and English. Although most French Canadians live in the province of Quebec, there are French-speaking communities and people all across Canada. For example, 40% of the people in the province of New Brunswick and 20% of those in Manitoba have a strong French background, as do some people in Ontario, mainly along its border with Quebec.

  In 1999, Nunavut was created as Canada's third territory, out of the eastern [Northwest Territories](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territories "Northwest Territories"), in an agreement with the Inuit people.

  In 2014, after-tax, middle-class incomes in Canada were reported to be higher than those in the United States.

  Government
  ----------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Centre_Block_and_Centennial_Flame_(14766251442).jpg)

  .jpg "Enlarge")

  Parliament Hill. Canada has a government called a constitutional monarchy. It has a monarch (meaning a king or queen is the head of that country), and is a [democracy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy "Democracy") (meaning the people of that country rule it). The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is officially the Queen of Canada. She appoints a Governor General to represent her in the country, however, the choice of Governor General is made by the prime minister.

  The Queen's powers are mostly exercised by the Governor General, currently David Johnston. The Governor General, like the Canadian sovereign (King/Queen of Canada), is not political and remains above politics, and because of that they do not usually use their powers without the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers.

  The head of government is the Prime Minister. The current prime minister is Justin Trudeau, who replaced Stephen Harper in October 2015. Each province and territory has a [premier](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier "Premier") to lead its government. The day-to-day operations of the government are run by the cabinet. The cabinet is usually formed from the largest party in Parliament.

  The Parliament of Canada passes the laws of the country. The governor general, acting on behalf of the monarch, has the right to veto a law (meaning the law cannot go into effect) but this right has not been used for some time. There are five main parties in the Canadian Parliament: the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the _Bloc Québécois_, and the Green Party. In addition to the five parties with MPs in Parliament, there are fourteen other smaller parties registered with Elections Canada and several MPs who sit as Independents.

  ### Provinces and territories

  Main page: [Provinces and territories of Canada](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada "Provinces and territories of Canada")

  ![Political map of Canada.png](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_map_of_Canada.png)

  Below is a list of provinces and territories. They are listed by population.

  > Provinces

  NameCapitalLargest cityEntered  
  ConfederationPopulation  
  (2014)Area  
  (km2)Official  
  language! OntarioTorontoToronto186713,678,7001,076,395English! [Quebec](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec "Quebec")Quebec CityMontreal18678,214,7001,542,056French! British ColumbiaVictoriaVancouver18714,631,300944,735English![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Flag_of_Alberta.svg/22px-Flag_of_Alberta.svg.png) AlbertaEdmontonCalgary19054,121,700661,848English! ManitobaWinnipegWinnipeg18701,282,000647,797English![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Flag_of_Saskatchewan.svg/22px-Flag_of_Saskatchewan.svg.png) SaskatchewanReginaSaskatoon19051,125,400651,036English! Nova ScotiaHalifaxHalifax1867942,70055,284English![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Flag_of_New_Brunswick.svg/22px-Flag_of_New_Brunswick.svg.png) New BrunswickFrederictonSaint John1867753,90072,908English and French! Newfoundland and LabradorSt. John'sSt. John's1949527,000405,212English![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Flag_of_Prince_Edward_Island.svg/22px-Flag_of_Prince_Edward_Island.svg.png) Prince Edward IslandCharlottetownCharlottetown1873146,3005,660EnglishTerritories! Northwest TerritoriesYellowknifeYellowknife187041,4621,346,106multiple! [Yukon](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon "Yukon")WhitehorseWhitehorse189833,897482,443English and French! NunavutIqaluitIqaluit199931,9062,093,190multipleClimate and its influence
  -------------------------

  Many people from other parts of the world think of Canada as a very cold and snowy place. While it is true that much of Canada is very far north, most Canadians live in the southern parts, where the weather is much milder. Nearly two thirds of Canadians live less than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the U.S. border. In some cities the temperature can get very cold in the winter, especially in the inland. Warm air systems moving in from the Pacific Ocean bring more rain than snow to the Pacific coast, while colder temperatures further inland do result in snow. Most of Canada can get quite hot in the summer, often over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

  Canadians are known to play winter sports such as ice hockey and skiing and [snowboarding](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowboarding "Snowboarding"), and also enjoy many summer sports and games.

  Natural resources
  -----------------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peyto_Lake-Banff_NP-Canada.jpg)

  Peyto Lake in Alberta. Canada has lots of natural resources. Its large amounts of fish have been used for centuries for food and money. [Hydroelectric](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity "Hydroelectricity") power (electricity by water) is abundant because of Canada's many rivers. Forests of the west are used for wood. Besides these renewable resources, Canada has metal ores and oil deposits. Also, Canada is the leading exporter of zinc, uranium, gold, nickel, aluminum, [steel](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel "Steel") and lead.

  Demographics
  ------------

  Around 35 million people live in Canada. This is almost the same number as in the U.S. state of California. Most people live in the southern parts of Canada.

  A large number of immigrants from almost every part of the world come to live in Canada. One example is the former Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, who came to Canada as a young child with her family from Haiti in 1968. Today, up to 1/5th of the population is an immigrant to Canada.

  Travel requirements for US citizens
  -----------------------------------

  American citizens do not need a visa or an [eTA](/w/index.php?title=Electronic_Travel_Authorization_(Canada)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Electronic Travel Authorization (Canada) (not yet started)") to visit or transit Canada. However, American citizens must carry proper travel documents and identification.


id: fc30e733aa5748aaae136c7cbb139608
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: France
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **France** (French: _France_), officially the **French Republic** (French: _République française_), is a country in Western Europe. Its capital city "Capital (city)") is Paris. It is a member of the [European Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union "European Union"). It is known for its culture, its many monuments and structures, and places such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, [Giverny](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giverny "Giverny"), Mont Saint Michel, Versailles, and Notre Dame de Paris. France is divided into 13 _régions_ that are further subdivided _départements_.
   
  The country has been one of the great powers since the end of the 17th century. During the 18th and 19th centuries, France had a vast [colonial empire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony "Colony") across West Africa and Southeast Asia, which does not exist anymore.

  It is the most visited country in the world, as about 82 million foreign tourists visit it every year. France is a founding member of the European Union and has the largest land area of any member. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the G8 and NATO. It is one of the five permanent members of the [United Nations Security Council](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council "United Nations Security Council") and possesses nuclear weapons, including active warheads, and also has nuclear power plants.

  Some well-known cities in France include Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, [Lille](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lille "Lille"), Toulouse, Nice, Strasbourg, Rennes and Nantes.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Geography and climate
  - [2 History](#History)
  - 3 Divisions
  - 4 Government
  - 5 Military
  - 6 Foreign relations
  - 7 Economy
  - 8 Demographics
    - [8.1 Ethnic groups](#Ethnic_groups)
  - 9 Culture
    - 9.1 Language
    - 9.2 Religion
    - 9.3 Literature
    - 9.4 Sports
    - 9.5 Cuisine
    - [9.6 Tourism](#Tourism)
  - 10 Related pages
  - 11 References
    - 11.1 Notes
  - 12 Other websites

  Geography and climate
  ---------------------

  France is in Western Europe. France has borders with [Belgium](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium "Belgium"), Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and [Spain](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain "Spain"). France has two mountain ranges near its borders: the Alps in the east and the Pyrenees in the south. There are many rivers in France, including the Seine and the Loire. In the north and the west of France, there are low hills and river valleys.

  In France there are many different climates. The [Atlantic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean "Atlantic Ocean") has a major effect on the weather in the north and west. This means the temperature is about the same most of the year. It is in the marine west coast climate region. In the east, winters are cold and the weather is good. Summers are hot and stormy. In the south, winters are cool and wet. Summers are hot and dry. The north has a temperate climate similar to that of the United Kingdom and other Northern European countries.

  France has the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world. It covers 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,637 sq mi). Only the United States has a larger one .

  History
  -------

  The name "France" comes from the [Latin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin "Latin") word _Francia_, which literally means "land of the Franks" or "Frankland".

  The borders of modern France are about the same as those of ancient Gaul. Celtic Gauls inhabited Ancient Gaul. Julius Caesar conquered Gaul for Rome in the 1st century BC. Eventually, the Gauls adopted Roman speech ([Latin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin "Latin"), from which the French language evolved) and Roman culture. Christianity first appeared in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. It became firmly established by the fourth and fifth centuries.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_France_1477-fr.svg)

  France in 1477. Red line: Limit of the Kingdom of France; Light blue: the royal domain In the 4th century AD, the Germanic tribes, principally the Franks invaded the Gauls. This is how the name _Francie_ appeared. The modern name "France" comes from the name of the [Capetian](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capetian_dynasty "Capetian dynasty") Kings of France around Paris. The Franks were the first tribe of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert to Christianity rather than Arianism. The French called themselves "the most Christian Kingdom of France".

  The Treaty of Verdun (843), divided Charlemagne's Empire into three parts. The biggest area was Western Francia. It is similar to modern France.

  The Carolingian dynasty [ruled](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule "Rule") France until 987, when Hugh Capet became King of France. His descendants, the Direct Capetians, the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon, unified the country with many wars and dynastic inheritance. The monarchy was the most [powerful](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_power "Great power") during the 17th century and the reign of Louis XIV of France. At that time, France had the largest population in Europe. The country had a big influence over European politics, economy, and culture. French became the common language of [diplomacy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacy "Diplomacy") in international affairs. Much of the Enlightenment happened in France. French scientists made big scientific discoveries in the 18th century. France also conquered many overseas possessions in the Americas and Asia.

  France had a monarchy until the French Revolution in 1789. King [Louis XVI](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France "Louis XVI of France") and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed in 1793. Thousands of other French citizens were also killed. Napoleon Bonaparte took control of the Republic in 1799. He later made himself Emperor of the First Empire (1804–1814). His armies conquered most of continental Europe. The metric system was invented by French scientists during the French revolution.

  After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, another monarchy arose. Later [Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis-Napol%C3%A9on_Bonaparte "Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte") created the Second Empire in 1852. Louis-Napoléon was removed after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. The Third Republic replaced his regime.

  The large French colonial empire in the 19th century included parts of West Africa and Southeast Asia. The culture and politics of these regions were influenced by France. Many [ex-colonies](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony "Colony") officially speak the French language.

  The country actively took part in both the First and Second World Wars, with battles taking place on its soil. During the First World War, millions were killed in the trenches including over a million in the Battle of the Somme. The conditions were extremely difficult for the soldiers on the front. The last surviving veteran was Pierre Picault who died on 20 November 2008 at the age of 109. During the Second World War, Nazis [occupied](https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/occupy "wikt:occupy") France. The Allies landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944 and began the Battle of Normandy. German forces lost France in just a few months.

  Divisions
  ---------

  The 13 regions and 96 departments of metropolitan France includes Corsica (_Corse_, lower right). The Paris area is expanded. France is divided into (administrative) regions. 22 of them are in Metropolitan France:

  - [Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auvergne-Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes "Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes")
  - Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
  - Brittany
  - Centre-Val de Loire
  - Corsica
  - Grand Est
  - Hauts-de-France
  - [Île-de-France](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele-de-France "Île-de-France")
  - Normandy
  - Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  - Occitanie
  - Pays de la Loire
  - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

  Corsica has a different status than the other 12 metropolitan regions. It is called _collectivité territoriale_.

  France also has five [overseas regions](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Regions_of_France "Overseas Regions of France"):

  - French Guiana (in South America)
  - Guadeloupe (in the Caribbean)
  - Martinique (in the Caribbean)
  - Mayotte (in the Indian Ocean)
  - Réunion (in the Indian Ocean)

  These four overseas regions have the same status as the metropolitan ones. They are like the overseas American states of Alaska and [Hawaii](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii "Hawaii").

  Then France is divided into 101 departments. The departments are divided into 342 arrondissements. The _arrondissements_ are re-divided into 4,032 cantons. The smallest subdivision is the commune. On January 1, 2008, INSEE counted 36,781 communes in France. 36,569 of them are in [metropolitan France](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_France "Metropolitan France") and 212 of them are in overseas France.

  Government
  ----------

  The government of France is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution") of the French Fifth Republic. The constitution declares the nation to be "an indivisible, secular, democratic, and [social](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social "Social") Republic". It provides for a separation of powers.

  Military
  --------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gaule96.jpg)

  Nuclear aircraft carrier _Charles de Gaulle_![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Republican_Guard_Bastille_Day_2007_n4.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Republican_Guard_Bastille_Day_2007_n4.jpg "Enlarge")

  French Republican Guard The French armed forces are divided into four branches:

  - The _Armée de Terre_ (Army)
  - The _Marine Nationale_ (Navy)
  - The _Armée de l'Air_ (Air Force)
  - The _Gendarmerie Nationale_ (A military force which acts as a National Rural Police)

  France has about 359,000 military personnel. France spends 2.6% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense "Defense (military)"). This is the highest in the [European Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union "European Union"). France and the UK spend 40% of the EU defence budget. About 10% of France's defence budget is for its nuclear weapons force.

  Foreign relations
  -----------------

  _See also: European Union and United Nations Security Council_France is a member of the United Nations. It is a permanent member of the [United Nations Security Council](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council "United Nations Security Council") and has veto rights. It is also a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It hosts the headquarters of the OECD, UNESCO and Interpol. In 1953, the [United Nations](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations "United Nations") asked France to choose a coat of arms to represent them internationally. The French emblem is now on their passports.

  France was a founding member of the European Union. In the 1960s, France wanted to exclude the United Kingdom from the organisation. It wanted to build its own economic [power](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence "Influence") in continental Europe. France and Germany became closer after World War II. This was to try to become the most influential country in the EU. It limited the influence of the new Eastern European members. France is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). However, under President de Gaulle, it left the joint military command. In the early 1990s, France received [criticism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism "Criticism") for its underground nuclear tests in French Polynesia. France vigorously opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. France retains strong political and economic influence in its former African colonies. For instance it has supplied economic aid and troops for peace-keeping missions in the Ivory Coast and Chad.

  Economy
  -------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/A380_Reveal_2.jpg/220px-A380_Reveal_2.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A380_Reveal_2.jpg)

  The first completed Airbus A380 in Toulouse on 18 January 2005. Airbus is a symbol of the globalisation of the French and European economy. France is a member of the G8 group of leading [industrialised](https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/industry "wikt:industry") countries. France has the eighth-largest economy in the world by Gross domestic product (GDP) (which takes into account how much it costs to live in different countries and inflation rates). France and 11 other European Union members jointly launched the euro on 1 January 1999 and started using it in 2002.

  France's economy has nearly 2.9 million registered companies. The government has a considerable influence over railway, electricity, [aircraft](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft "Aircraft"), and telecommunications firms (as it owns big companies like SNCF") and EDF") (French electricity)). France has an important aerospace (design of aircraft and spacecraft) industry led by Airbus. It can also launch [rockets](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket "Rocket") from French Guiana.

  France has invested a lot in nuclear power. This made France the smallest producer of carbon dioxide among the seven most industrialised countries in the world. As a result, 59 nuclear power plants generate most of the electricity produced in the country (78% in 2006, up from only 8% in 1973, 24% in 1980, and 75% in 1990).

  France is the leading agricultural producer and exporter in Europe. France exports wheat, poultry, dairy products, [beef](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef "Beef"), and pork. It is also famous for its wine industry. France received 10 billion euros in 2006 from the European Community as subsidies to its farmers.

  At one time, the Factory Act of 1833 limited the workday for women and children to 11 hours a day.

  Demographics
  ------------

  On 1 January 2008, it was estimated that 63.8 million people live in France, including in the Overseas Regions of France. 61,875,000 of these live in metropolitan France, the part of the country that is within Europe.

  ### Ethnic groups

  The major ethnic groups living in France today are descended from Celtic people and [Roman people](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome "Ancient Rome"). The significant minority groups living in France are:

  - Teutonic, that is Germanic peoples
  - Slavic
  - people from North Africa
  - Sub-Saharan African - people from Africa who live south of the Sahara desert
  - people from Indochina
  - people from the [Basque Country](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_(greater_region) "Basque Country (greater region)") of southwest Europe

  Culture
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet_1899_Nadar.jpg)

  Claude Monet, founder of the Impressionist movement ### Language

  Main page: French language

  French is the official [language](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language "Language") of France. It belongs to the Romance language group, which includes Italian and Spanish. Many regional dialects are also used in France. Alsatian, a German dialect, is spoken in [Alsace](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace "Alsace") and in parts of Lorraine in eastern France. French was the language of diplomacy and culture in Europe between the 17th and 19th century and is still widely used.

  Some people in France also speak Basque, Breton, [Catalan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_language "Catalan language"), Corsican, German, Flemish, and Occitan.

  ### Religion

  France religiosityreligionpercentChristianity54%Not religious31%Islam4%Judaism1%Other religions  
  or no opinion10%France is a secular country and the constitution guarantees freedom of [religion](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion "Religion"). The population is about 51% Roman Catholic, and 31% of people are agnostics or atheists. 4% are Muslim, 3% say they are Protestant and 1% say they are [Jewish](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism "Judaism"). 10% are from other religions or do not have an opinion about religion. There are also Zoroastrian, Unitarian Universalist, Jain and Wiccan communities. Religions founded in France include Raelism.

  According to a Poll in 2005:

  - **34%** of French citizens responded that _"they believe there is a God"_.
  - **27%** answered that _"they believe there is some sort of [spirit](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit "Spirit") or life force"_.
  - **33%** answered that _"they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force"_.

  ### Literature

  Main page: French literature

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dartagnan-musketeers.jpg)

  _The Three Musketeers_ by Alexandre DumasFrench literature began in the Middle Ages. French was divided into several dialects at the time. Some authors spelled words differently from one other.

  During the 17th century, [Pierre Corneille](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Corneille "Pierre Corneille"), Jean Racine, Molière, Blaise Pascal and René Descartes were the main authors.

  In the 18th and 19th centuries, French literature and poetry reached its best. The 18th century saw writings of authors, essayists and moralists as [Voltaire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire") and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As for French children's literature in those times, Charles Perrault wrote stories such as "Little Red Riding Hood", "Beauty and the Beast", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Puss in Boots".

  Many famous French novels were written in the 19th century by authors such as [Victor Hugo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo "Victor Hugo"), Alexandre Dumas and Jules Verne. They wrote popular novels like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte-Cristo, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and [Les Misérables](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables "Les Misérables"). Other 19th century fiction writers include Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, Théophile Gautier and Stendhal.

  Famous novels were written during the 20th century by Marcel Proust, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, [Albert Camus](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus "Albert Camus"), Jean-Paul Sartre and Michel Houellebecq").

  ### Sports

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TourDeFrance_2005_07_09.jpg)

  The _Peloton_ (means "pack" in French) of the Tour de FranceThe Tour de France [cycling](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling "Cycling") race in July is one of the best-known sporting events. It is a three-week race of around 3,500 km that covers most of France and ends in the centre of Paris, on the _Avenue des Champs-Elysées_. Football "Football (soccer)") is another popular sport in France. The French team won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the UEFA European Football Championship in 1984 and 2000. France also hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans [car race](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_race "Car race"). France also hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2007 and finished fourth. France is closely associated with the Modern Olympic Games. At the end of the 19th century, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin suggested having the Olympic Games again. France hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1900 and 1924, in Paris. France also hosted the [Winter Games](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Olympic_Games "Winter Olympic Games") three times: in 1924 in Chamonix, in 1968 in Grenoble, and in 1992 in Albertville.

  ### Cuisine

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Terrine_de_saumon_au_basilic.JPG)

  Basil salmon terrine&action=edit&redlink=1 "Terrine (food) (not yet started)")French cuisine has influenced the style of cooking throughout Europe, and its chefs work in restaurants throughout the world.

  The roots of modern _haute cuisine_ lie in chefs like [La Varenne](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Pierre_La_Varenne "François Pierre La Varenne") (1615–1678) and the notable chef of Napoleon, Marie-Antoine Carême (1784–1833). These chefs developed a lighter style of food compared to the food of the Middle Ages. They used fewer spices, and more herbs and creamy ingredients.

  Typical ingredients like roux and fish stock, and techniques such as marinading, and dishes such as [ragout](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragout "Ragout"), were invented. Carême was an expert pâtissier (pastry-maker), and this is still a mark of French cooking. He developed basic sauces, his 'mother sauces'; he had over a hundred sauces in his repertoire, based on the half-dozen mother sauces.

  French cuisine was introduced in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935). He was a genius at organisation. He worked out how to run large restaurants, as in a big hotel or a palace; how the staff should be organised; how the menu was prepared. He had methods for everything. Escoffier's largest contribution was the publication of _Le Guide Culinaire_ in 1903, which established the fundamentals of French cookery. Escoffier managed the restaurants and cuisine at the Savoy Hotel and Carlton Hotel") in London, the Hôtel Ritz Paris, and some of the greatest cruise ships.

  Escoffier, however, left out much of the culinary character to be found in the regions of France.

  Gastro-tourism and the _[Guide Michelin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_Michelin "Guide Michelin")_ helped to acquaint people with the rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of the French countryside in the 20th century. Gascon") cuisine has also had great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France. Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated in variations across the country. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles regionally and nationally. In the north of France, people often prefer to use butter to [cook](https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/cook "wikt:cook"). In the south, they prefer olive oil and garlic. In France, each region has its own special dish; choucroute") in [Alsace](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace "Alsace"), quiche in Lorraine, cassoulet") in the Languedoc-Roussillon, and tapenade") in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

  In November 2010, **French gastronomy** was added by [UNESCO](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO "UNESCO") to its lists of the world's 'intangible cultural heritage'.

  ### Tourism

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chateau-de-versailles-cour.jpg)

  The Palace of Versailles is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France. France is the number one tourist destination in the world. In 2007, 81.9 million foreign tourists visited France. Spain comes second (58.5 million in 2006) and the United States come third (51.1 million in 2006). Some of the most famous attractions in Paris, are the [Eiffel Tower](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower "Eiffel Tower") and the Arc de Triomphe. Another one is Mont Saint Michel, in Normandy.

  A European Disneyland is located in a suburb east of Paris. The resort opened in 1992 and is also a popular tourist destination in Europe.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - [France at the Olympics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_at_the_Olympics "France at the Olympics")
  - France national football team
  - List of rivers of France


id: 540023ef8799406e8bc05e25a1b309b4
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Germany
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  The **Federal Republic of Germany**, also called **Germany** (German: **Bundesrepublik Deutschland** or just **Deutschland**), is a country in Central Europe. The country's full name is sometimes shortened to the **FRG** (or the **BRD**, in German).

  To the north of Germany are the North Sea, the [Baltic Sea](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea "Baltic Sea"), and the country of Denmark. To the east of Germany are the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. To the south of Germany are the countries of Austria and Switzerland. To the west of Germany are the countries of France, [Luxembourg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg "Luxembourg"), Belgium, and the Netherlands. The total area of Germany is 357,021 square kilometres (137,847 square miles). The large majority of Germany has warm summers and cool or cold winters. In June 2013, Germany had a population of 80.6 million people. After the United States, Germany is the second most popular country for migration in the world.
   
  Before it was called Germany, it was called Germania. In the years A.D. 900 until 1806, Germany was part of the Holy Roman Empire.

  From 1949 to 1990, Germany was made up of two countries called the Federal Republic of Germany (inf. West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (inf. East Germany). During this time, the capital city of Berlin was divided into a west and an east part. On 13 August 1961, [East Germany](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Democratic_Republic "German Democratic Republic") started building the Berlin Wall between the two parts of Berlin. West Germany was one of the countries that started the European Union.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - 2 Politics
  - 3 Geography
    - 3.1 States
  - [4 Economy](#Economy)
  - 5 People
  - 6 Asylum seekers and refugees
    - 6.1 Religion
  - 7 Culture
    - 7.1 Food
    - 7.2 Sports
  - [8 Related pages](#Related_pages)
  - 9 References
  - 10 Other websites

  History
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lucas_Cranach_(I)_workshop_-_Martin_Luther_(Uffizi).jpg)

  _workshop_-_Martin_Luther_(Uffizi).jpg "Enlarge")

  Martin Luther, (1483–1546) started the Protestant Reformation. Germany gained importance as the [Holy Roman Empire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire "Holy Roman Empire") of the German Nation, which was the first Reich, a word translated as empire. It was started by Charlemagne who became the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD, and it lasted until 1806, the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

  The Second Reich was started with a treaty in 1871 in Versailles. The biggest state in the new German Empire was Prussia. The rulers were called Kaisers or "German Emperors", but they did not call themselves "Emperors _of_ Germany". There were many smaller states in the Empire, but not Austria. Germany stayed an empire for 50 years.

    
  1866 Prussia won the war against [Austria](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria "Austria") and their allies confederates. During this time Prussia founded the North German Confederation. The treaty of unification of Germany was made after Germany won the Franco-Prussian War with France in 1871. In World War I, Germany joined Austria-Hungary, and again declared war on France. The war became slow in the west and became trench warfare. Many men were killed on both sides without winning or losing. In the [Eastern Front](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_I) "Eastern Front (World War I)") the soldiers fought with the Russian Empire and won there after the Russians gave up. The war ended in 1918 because the Germans could not win in the west and gave up. Germany's emperor also had to give up his power. France took Alsace from Germany and Poland got the Danzig corridor. After a revolution, the Second Reich ended and the democratic Weimar Republic began.

  After the war, there were a lot of problems with money in Germany because of the Peace Treaty of Versailles (which made Germany pay for the costs of World War I) and the worldwide [Great Depression](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression "Great Depression").

  The Third Reich was Nazi Germany; it lasted 12 years, from 1933 to 1945. It started after Adolf Hitler became the head of government. On 23 March 1933, the Reichstag (parliament) passed the Enabling Act, which let Hitler's government command the country without help from the Reichstag and the presidency. This gave him total control of the country and the government. Hitler in effect became a dictator.

  Hitler wanted to unify all Germans in one state, and did this by annexing places where Germans lived, such as [Austria](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria "Austria") and Czechoslovakia; Hitler also wanted the land in Poland that Germany had owned before 1918. Poland refused to give it to him. The invasion of Poland started World War II on 1 September 1939. In the beginning of the war, Germany was winning. It managed to take over much of Europe. However, Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941 and, after the Battle of Kursk, the German Eastern Front began a slow retreat until war's end. On 8 May 1945, Germany gave up after Berlin was captured, Hitler had killed himself a week earlier. Because of the war, Germany lost a lot of German land east of the Oder-Neiße line, and for 45 years, Germany was split into West Germany and East Germany.

  In 1989 there was a process of reforms in East Germany, which lead to the opening of the Berlin Wall and to the end of socialist rule in Germany. This events are known as the _[Wende](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wende "Wende")_ or the _Friedliche Revolution_ (Peaceful Revolution) in Germany. After that, East Germany joined West Germany in 1990. The new Germany is a part of the European Union.

  Politics
  --------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMO_at_German_National_Maritime_Conference_(33760358581).jpg)

  .jpg "Enlarge")

  Chancellor Angela Merkel. Main page: Politics of Germany

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Political_System_of_Germany.svg/250px-Political_System_of_Germany.svg.png)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_System_of_Germany.svg)

  Political system of Germany![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berlin_reichstag_CP.jpg)

  The Reichstag Building in Berlin is the site of the German parliament. Germany is a constitutional [federal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_republic "Federal republic") democracy. Its political rules come from the 'constitution' called _Basic Law_ (_Grundgesetz_), written by West Germany in 1949. It has a parliamentary system, and the parliament elects the head of government, the Federal Chancellor (_Bundeskanzler_). The current Chancellor, Dr Angela Merkel, is a woman who used to live in East Germany.

  The people of Germany vote for the parliament, called the _Bundestag_ (Federal Assembly), every four years. Government members of the 16 [States of Germany](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Germany "States of Germany") (_Bundesländer_) work in the _Bundesrat "Bundesrat (Germany)")_ (Federal Council). The _Bundesrat_ can help make some laws.

  Main office holdersOfficeNamePartySincePresidentFrank-Walter SteinmeierSPD19 March 2017[Chancellor](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_Germany "Chancellor of Germany")Angela MerkelCDU22 November 2005Other government partiesSPD, CSUThe [head of state](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state "Head of state") is the _Bundespräsident_ (Federal President). This person has no real powers but can order elections for the Bundestag. The current president is Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD).

  The judiciary branch (the part of German politics that deals with courts) has a _Bundesverfassungsgericht_ (Federal Constitutional Court). It can stop any act by the law-makers or other leaders if they feel they go against Germany's constitution.

  The opposition parties are the [Alliance '90/The Greens](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_%2790/The_Greens "Alliance '90/The Greens") and Die Linke.

  Geography
  ---------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deutschland_topo.jpg)

  Topographic map Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe. It stretches from the North Sea and Baltic Sea in the north to the high mountains of the [Alps](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alps "Alps") in the south. The highest point is the Zugspitze on the Austrian border, at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft).

  Germany's northern part is very low and flat (lowest point: Neuendorf-Sachsenbande at −3.54 m or −11.6 ft). In the middle, there are low mountain ranges covered in large forests. Between these and the Alps, there is another plain created by glaciers during the ice ages.

  Germany also contains parts of Europe's longest rivers, such as the Rhine (which makes up a part of Germany's western border, while [Oder River](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oder_River "Oder River") is on its eastern border), the Danube and the Elbe.

  ### States

  Main page: States of Germany

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Germany_general_map.png)

  Map of Germany In Germany there are sixteen states (_Bundesländer_):

  State[Capital](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(political) "Capital (political)")Area (km²)PopulationBaden-WürttembergStuttgart35,75210,569,100BavariaMunich70,54912,519,600[Berlin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin "Berlin")Berlin8923,375,200BrandenburgPotsdam29,4772,449,500Bremen "Bremen (state)")Bremen404654,800Hamburg[Hamburg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg "Hamburg")7551,734,300HesseWiesbaden21,1156,016,500Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaSchwerin23,1741,600,300Lower SaxonyHanover47,6187,779,000[North Rhine-Westphalia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Rhine-Westphalia "North Rhine-Westphalia")Düsseldorf34,04317,554,300Rhineland-PalatinateMainz19,8473,990,300SaarlandSaarbrücken2,569994,300Saxony[Dresden](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden "Dresden")18,4164,050,200Saxony-AnhaltMagdeburg20,4452,259,400Schleswig-HolsteinKiel15,7632,806,500ThuringiaErfurt16,1722,170,500In these states there are 301 _[Kreise](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_districts "List of German districts")_ (districts) and 114 independent cities, which do not belong to any district.

  Economy
  -------

  Germany has one of the world's largest technologically powerful economies. Bringing West and East Germany together and making their economy work is still taking a long time and costing a lot of money. Germany is the largest economy in Europe. In September 2011, the inflation rate in Germany was 2.5%. The unemployment rate of Germany was 5.5% as of October 2011.

  Germany is one of the G8 countries. The main industry area is the [Ruhr area](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhr_area "Ruhr area").

  People
  ------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Castle_Neuschwanstein.jpg)

  Neuschwanstein CastleIn Germany live mostly Germans and many ethnic minorities"). There are at least seven million people from other countries living in Germany. Some have political asylum, some are [guest workers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guest_worker "Guest worker") (_Gastarbeiter_), and some are their families. Many people from poor or dangerous countries go to Germany for safety. Many others do not get permission to live in Germany.

  About 50,000 ethnic Danish people live in Schleswig-Holstein, in the north. About 60,000 Sorbs (a Slavic people) live in Germany too, in Saxony and Brandenburg. About 12,000 people in Germany speak Frisian; this language is the closest living language to [English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language "English language"). In northern Germany, people outside towns speak Low Saxon.

  Many people have come to Germany from Turkey (about 1.9 million Turks and Kurds). Other small groups of people in Germany are Croats (0.2 million), Italians (0.6 million), Greeks (0.4 million), [Russians](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"), and Poles (0.3 million). There are also some ethnic Germans who lived in the old Soviet Union (1.7 million), Poland (0.7 million), and Romania (0.3 million). These people have German passports, so they are not counted as foreigners. A lot of these people do not speak German at home.

  Christianity is the biggest religion; Protestants are 38% of the people (mostly in the north) and Catholics are 34% of the people (mostly in the south). There are also many [Muslims](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam "Islam"), while the other people (26.3%) are either not religious, or belong to smaller religious groups. In the eastern regions, the former territory of the GDR (known as the _DDR_ in German), only one fifth of the population is religious.

  Germany has one of the world's highest levels of schooling, technology, and businesses. The number of young people who attend universities is now three times more than it was after the end of World War II, and the trade and technical schools of Germany are some of the best in the world. German income is, on average, $25,000 a year, making Germany a highly middle class society. A large social welfare system gives people money when they are ill, unemployed, or similarly disadvantaged. Millions of Germans travel outside of their country each year.

  Asylum seekers and refugees
  ---------------------------

  In 2015 there were erroneous reports in some African, Arabic etc. media channels concerning the conditions of coming to and living in Germany. False promises of money, easy living and easy jobs were made. Germany is a very densely populated country and especially in cities the housing situation is difficult and rents are high. Already in 2014 there were 39.000 homeless people in Germany and 339.000 people without apartment. Here a link to a German video report from a German news magazine. The video is about refugees, who have been living in a sports gym in Berlin for over a year with no privacy. In the video people discuss amongst others why there are problems to find living space in containers. The containers are similar to those in [Zaatari refugee camp](/w/index.php?title=Zaatari_refugee_camp&action=edit&redlink=1 "Zaatari refugee camp (not yet started)").

  ### Religion

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colognecathedralatnight.JPG)

  The Cologne Cathedral at the Rhine river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frauenkirche_interior_2008_001-Frauenkirche_interior_2008_009.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frauenkirche_interior_2008_001-Frauenkirche_interior_2008_009.jpg "Enlarge")

  Inside the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden. Germany's constitution says that all people can believe in any religion they want to, and that no one is allowed to discriminate against somebody because of the person's religion.

  In ancient times Germany was largely pagan. Roman Catholicism was the biggest religion in Germany up to the 15th century, but a major religious change called the Reformation changed this. In 1517, Martin Luther said that the Catholic Church used religion to make money. Luther started Protestantism, which is as big as the Catholic religion in Germany today. Before World War II, about two-thirds of the German people were Protestant and one-thirds were Roman Catholic. In the north and northeast of Germany, there were a lot more Protestants than Catholics. Today, about two-thirds of German people (more than 55 million people) call themselves Christian, but most of them do not practice it. About half of them are Protestants and about half are Roman Catholics. Most German Protestants are members of the [Evangelical Church in Germany](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Church_in_Germany "Evangelical Church in Germany"). The previous Pope, Benedict XVI, was born in Germany.

  Before World War II, about one percent of the country's people were German Jews. Today, Germany has the fastest-growing group of Jewish people in the world. Many of them are in Berlin. Ten thousand Jews have moved to Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall; many came from countries that were in the Soviet Union. Schools teaching about the horrible things that happened when the Nazis were in power, as well as teaching against the ideas of the Nazis, has helped to make Germany very tolerant towards other people and cultures, and now many people move there from countries that may not be so tolerant.

  About three million [Muslims](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim "Muslim") live in Germany, 3.7% of the total population. The country also has a large atheist and agnostic population, and there are also Jain, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities. The 20th century has also seen a neopagan") revival.

  Culture
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beethoven.jpg)

  Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), composer. [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Franz_Marc_003.jpg/170px-Franz_Marc_003.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Franz_Marc_003.jpg)

  _Blaues Pferd I_ (_Blue Horse I_, 1911 by Franz Marc") (1880–1916). Germany has a long history of poets, thinkers, artists, and so on. There are 240 supported theaters, hundreds of orchestras, thousands of museums and over 25,000 libraries in Germany. Millions of tourists visit these attractions every year.

  Germany has created a high level of gender equality, disability rights, and accepts homosexuality. [Gay marriage](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_marriage "Gay marriage") is somewhat legal in Germany.

  ### Food

  Germany is also known for their food. Their food varies from region to region. For example, in the southern regions, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, they share their type of food with Switzerland and Austria. Everywhere in Germany, meat is eaten as a sausage. Even though wine use is increasing, the national alcoholic drink is beer. The number of Germans who drink [beer](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer "Beer") is one of the highest in the world. German restaurants are also rated the second-best, with France rated first place.

  ### Sports

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westfalenstadion_von_oben.jpg)

  Signal Iduna Park is the biggest football stadium in Germany. Football is the most popular sport in Germany. The national team has won the [FIFA World Cup](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup "FIFA World Cup") 4 times (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014), and appears in the finals a lot. The team also has had the most Euro titles than any other country. The top football league in Germany is [Bundesliga](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesliga "Bundesliga"). Also, the German Football Association (_Deutscher Fußball-Bund_) is the largest in the world. Some of the world's best Footballers came from Germany. These would include Miroslav Klose, Oliver Kahn, Gerd Müller, Michael Ballack, [Bastian Schweinsteiger](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastian_Schweinsteiger "Bastian Schweinsteiger"), Franz Beckenbauer, and so on. Plus, many tournaments have taken place in Germany. The most recent was the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The Audi Cup takes place in Germany every year in Munich.

  Germany is also known for its motor sports. The country has made companies like the BMW, [Mercedes-Benz](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz "Mercedes-Benz"), Audi, etc. Successful German racing drivers include Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

  Successful tennis players have also come from Germany, including Steffi Graf and Boris Becker. More recently, [Sabine Lisicki](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabine_Lisicki "Sabine Lisicki") reached the Women's Singles final at Wimbledon in 2013.

  Lastly, Germany is one of the best countries in the Olympic Games. Germany is the third in the list of the most Olympic Games medals in history (mixed with West and East Germany medals). The country finished first place in the 2006 Winter Olympics, and second in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Germany got fifth place in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - [Germany at the Olympics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany_at_the_Olympics "Germany at the Olympics")
  - Germany national football team
  - List of rivers of Germany


id: 59c51170de774f069fd3102ee84e01cb
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Iran
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Iran** (Persian: ايران), once known as **Persia**, is a country in [Western Asia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Asia "Western Asia"). It is part of the Middle East region. It shares borders with Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, [Pakistan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan "Pakistan"), Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
   
  Tehran is the capital "Capital (city)") and biggest city. Iran is the eighteenth largest country in the world. It has more than 80 million people. Iran has been a member of the United Nations since 1945. It is a member of the [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Petroleum_Exporting_Countries "Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries") (OPEC). It is an Islamic republic.

  In Iran, Persians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Mazandaranis, Gilaks, Lurs and Bakhtiaris are the the most important ethnic groups.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
    - 1.1 Persian Empire
    - 1.2 After World War II
  - 2 Economy
  - 3 Religion in Iran
  - [4 Regions and provinces](#Regions_and_provinces)
  - 5 Related pages
  - 6 References
    - 6.1 More reading

  History
  -------

  Main page: History of Iran

  In the past, Iran was called "Persia" by people outside of the country. The people that lived there called the country "Iran". The official name was Persia. The name Persia was used when dealing with other countries and in government papers.

  In 1935, [Reza Shāh Pahlavi](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Sh%C4%81h_Pahlavi "Reza Shāh Pahlavi") was Shah of Iran. He officially renamed the country "Iran". This was done to show that Iran belongs to all the non-Persian Iranians as well as to Persian Iranians. The name Iran means _land of the Aryans_. It is used in the ancient book of the Zoroastrians, the Avesta "Avesta (religious scripture)"). In the 19th and early 20th century, the name _Aryan_ was used by Europeans to mean _all Indo-Europeans_. The "Aryan Race" was a term that [Hitler](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Hitler "Adolph Hitler") used to describe his "Superior" or "perfect" race, but it first meant Iranians. "Aryan" means "noble" in Iranian languages.

  ### Persian Empire

  Around 500 BC, the area that is now Iran was the center of the Achaemenid Empire. The Greek city states fought against the Persian armies led by Darius the Great and Xerxes. Then Alexander the Great took the country by fighting the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. He later ruled.

  After them, the Sassanian dynasty (224-651) parm over. Other people took Persia by [fi\\ghting](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/War "War"), like the Arabs (7th century), Turks (10th century) and Mongols (13th century). However, Iran has always had a different culture and continued to survive.

  ### After World War II

  For more details, see Islamic Revolution

  The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worked in Iran to create [riots](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot "Riot") which led to the removal of Prime Minister Mosaddegh. The United States and Great Britain then made the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi King of Iran, again. When the Shah left Iran, he had ruled for less than a year. The Iranian [government](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government "Government") was changed to an Islamic Republic by Islamic Revolution. Soon afterwards, the Iranian Students Movement") (Tahkim Vahdat), with the backing of the new government, took over the U.S. Embassy in [Tehran](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran "Tehran"). They held most of the diplomats hostage for 444 days.

  Relations between the two countries have not been good since. For example, the United States claims that Iran supports terrorist groups against Israel. Iran does not see Israel as a country. Iran, along with most [Arab](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab "Arab") countries, believes that Israel does not have the right to exist. However, Iran has collaborated with the West at times. These deals have been about energy or about fighting terrorism.

  Iran fought the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. Many foreign counties supported for Iraq.

  Now, the West is trying to prevent Iran from using nuclear technology, even though Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported many times that there is no evidence that Iran is developing [nuclear weapons](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon "Nuclear weapon"). However, it also says that it can not say for sure that Iran is not doing so in secret.

  A December 2007 CIA report on nuclear activity in Iran said that Iran's secret program to get nuclear weapons technology was stopped in 2003. It said that Iran will probably not be able to build a nuclear weapon soon.

  Economy
  -------

  Iran has the [natural resource](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource "Natural resource") of oil. It is a member of OPEC. Oil is one of its main exports. Rice, handicrafts, carpets and crocus are important local products. Iran is the world's largest exporter and producer of caviar. Iran is also one of the world's biggest exporters of pistachio nuts.

  Iran has factories that produce industrial products. Iran is also involved in the field of biomedical sciences.

  Rial is the [money](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money "Money") used in Iran.

  Religion in Iran
  ----------------

  About 90% of Iranian people are Muslim. The state religion is Shia Islam. It has been the state religion since the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century. This is the religion of about 75% of Iranians. They belong to the Twelver branch. About 9% of Iranians Muslim belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The 9% of Iranians who are not Muslim are [Bahá'ís](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith "Bahá'í Faith"), Mandeans, Zoroastrians, Christians and Jews. It is thought that there are between 300,000 and 350,000 Persian(Iranian) Jews.

  Regions and provinces
  ---------------------

  Main page: Provinces of Iran

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Towers_in_Tehran_City_at_night.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Towers_in_Tehran_City_at_night.jpg "Enlarge")

  Some buildings in Tehran. - Tehran
  - Alborz
  - Markazi
  - Zanjan
  - Golestan
  - Gilan
  - Mazandaran
  - Razavi Khorasan
  - [South Khorasan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Khorasan_Province "South Khorasan Province")
  - North Khorasan
  - Fars
  - Khuzestan

  - Isfahan
  - Yazd
  - Kerman
  - Hormozgan
  - Bushehr
  - Ilam
  - Lorestan
  - West Azerbaijan
  - East Azerbaijan
  - Kurdistan
  - Sistan and Baluchistan

  [![Roof hafez tomb](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg/220px-Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg)

  Roof hafez tomb Related pages
  -------------

  - Ancient Armenia


id: f26cbdd98e2d4baf818bc8587b10dd02
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Italy
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Italy** is a country in Europe and a member of the European Union. Its official name is **Repubblica Italiana**. Italy is a democratic [republic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic "Republic") and is a founding member of the European Union.
   
  Italy is also a member of the G8, as it has the 8th largest Gross Domestic Product in the world. Its President is Sergio Mattarella and its Prime Minister is Paolo Gentiloni. Before 1861, it was made up of smaller kingdoms and city-states.

  Contents
  --------

  - [1 Geography](#Geography)
  - 2 People and culture
  - 3 Economy
  - 4 Religion
  - 5 Food
  - 6 Regions
  - 7 Politics
  - [8 History](#History)
  - 9 Transportation
  - 10 Related pages
  - 11 References
  - 12 Other websites

  Geography
  ---------

  For more details, see Italian Peninsula

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Satellite_image_of_Italy_in_March_2003.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Satellite_image_of_Italy_in_March_2003.jpg "Enlarge")

  Satellite "Satellite (artificial)") image of Italy Italy is a peninsula, meaning it is encompassed by the sea on all of its sides apart from one side of the country (its north side). Northern Italy is separated from France, Switzerland, and Austria by the Alps, a chain of mountains. [Mont Blanc](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Blanc "Mont Blanc") (_Monte Bianco_ in Italian or white mountain in English), the highest mountain in western Europe, belongs to this chain. The second important chain of mountains in Italy is the Apennines (_Appennini_ in Italian), which are in central and southern Italy.

  The capital "Capital (city)") of Italy is Rome. Other cities in Italy are Milan, Turin, [Florence](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence "Florence"), Genoa, Naples, Palermo and Venice. The country has a number of islands, the biggest of which are Sicily and Sardinia, which can be reached by ship or [aircraft](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft "Aircraft").

  The Po River is the longest river in Italy. It flows through 5 cities: Torino, Piacenza, Cremona Ferrara and Rovigo. The Tiber River runs through the city of Rome.

  Northern Italy has some of the biggest lakes in the country, such as Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and [Lake Iseo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Iseo "Lake Iseo"). Because it is surrounded by the sea, Italy has many kilometers of coast, which brings tourists from all over the world. Tourists also come to see Italy's historical places.

  Two very small countries are located within Italy. They are San Marino, which is surrounded by part of Northern Italy, and the Vatican City, which is inside Rome.

  People and culture
  ------------------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Leonardo_self.jpg/220px-Leonardo_self.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_self.jpg)

  Leonardo Da VinciPeople from Italy are called Italians. Nearly all the Italians are Christians, and most of these are Roman Catholics, which is based in the Vatican City and home to its leader, the Pope.

  The population of Italy is a little over 60 million. About 2.7 million of them live in [Rome](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome "Rome"), and 1.3 million in Milan. As of 31 December 2015, over 5 million foreigners were living in Italy, which is 8.3% of the total population.

  The official language of Italy is Italian and in some small areas German, Slovenian or French. People also speak languages such as Sicilian and Sardinian, which are very similar to Italian, but are different dialects of Italian.

  There are many different dialects spoken in Italy. They vary between regions and, in some cases, also between provinces.

  The people of Italy are mostly descendant from the ancient Romans.

  Italy is home to more World Heritage Sites than any other nation in the world. These sites are culturally important and valued according to [UNESCO](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO "UNESCO"). About 60% of the works of art of the world are in Italy. Italy is also a big wine producer. In 2005 it made over 5 million tonnes.

  Economy
  -------

  Italy has a modern social welfare system. The labor market enjoys relative strength, with many foreigners, especially from Romania, working in Italy where the wages are much higher. But it could have been much more workers on the labor market because men and women already retired in the age of 57 and the unemployment rate is relatively high at 8.2 percent. Italy's modern society has been built up through loans and now the country has a catastrophic high debt of €1.9trn or 120 percent of the country's total GDP. And the government can't pay back the loans during the time period the EU wish.

  Religion
  --------

  Italy religiosityreligionpercentChristianity90%No religion7%Islam2%Others1%Most people in Italy are Roman Catholics, but the Catholic Church is no longer officially the state religion. 87.8% of the people said they were Roman Catholic. Only about a third said they were active members (36.8%). There are also other Christian groups in Italy, more than 700,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians. 180,000 of them belong to the [Greek Orthodox Church](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Church "Greek Orthodox Church").

  550,000 are Pentecostals and Evangelicals (0.8%). 235,685 Jehovah's Witnesses (0.4%), 30,000 Waldensians"), 25,000 Seventh-day Adventists, 22,000 Mormons, 20,000 [Baptists](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist "Baptist"), 7,000 Lutherans, 4,000 Methodists. The country's oldest religious minority is the Jewish community. It has roughly 45,000 people. It is no longer the largest non-Christian group.

  About 825,000 Muslims live in Italy. Most of them immigrated. (1.4% of the total population) Only 50,000 are Italian citizens"). In addition, there are 50,000 Buddhists 70,000 [Sikh](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh "Sikh") and 70,000 Hindus in Italy.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gondola-Venice-Italy.jpg)

  In Venice, gondolas are a way for people to get around. Food
  ----

  During the celebration of Epiphany "Epiphany (holiday)"), it's traditional to eat a special cake called 'Rosca de Reyes' Three Kings Cake. A figure of Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the baby Jesus in their piece of cake is the 'Godparent' of Jesus for that year.

  Regions
  -------

  Italy is [divided](https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/divide "wikt:divide") into 20 Regions (_Regioni_ in Italian) and every Region is divided into Provinces").

  There are 20 Regions. 5 of them have a special status, they are called _autonomous_. This means that they can make certain local laws more easily. These regions are marked with an asterisk (\*) below.

  ![Gondola-Venice-Italy.jpg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gondola-Venice-Italy.jpg)

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Obelisk_of_montecitorio_arp.jpg/170px-Obelisk_of_montecitorio_arp.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Obelisk_of_montecitorio_arp.jpg)

  The Chamber of Deputies")The Head of State is Sergio Mattarella, whose task began in February 2015. Mattarella is currently the President of the Italian Republic. The first president was Enrico De Nicola").

  The Head of Government is [Paolo Gentiloni](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Gentiloni "Paolo Gentiloni"), who became Prime Minister on December 12, 2016, succeeding Matteo Renzi. Renzi was previously the Mayor of Florence and is Italy's youngest-ever Prime Minister, at age 39 when taking office.

  Italy was one of the first members of the European Union and in 2002, along with 11 other European countries, it changed to using the [euro](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro "Euro") as its official currency. Before this, the Italian lira") had been used since 1861.

  Anyone who wants to be President of Italy must have Italian citizenship, be at least 50 years old, and must be able to hold political and civil rights.

  History
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colosseum_in_Rome,_Italy_-_April_2007.jpg)

  The Colosseum in Rome. Its original name is Flavian Amphitheatre, being built under the [Flavian dynasty](/w/index.php?title=Flavian_dynasty&action=edit&redlink=1 "Flavian dynasty (not yet started)"), an imperial Family of the Ancient Rome. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leaning_tower_of_pisa_2.jpg)

  Leaning Tower of PisaBefore 1861, Italy was not a state. The area was made of a group of independent states, ruled by other countries (such as Austria, France, and Spain). In the 1850s the Earl of Camillo Cavour was the Head of Government of the "State of Sardinia". He talked to the Austrians in Lombardy and Veneto and said they should create a Northern Italian state. This happened, but other Central and Southern Italian states also joined Piedmont to create a bigger state.

  In 1860, [Giuseppe Garibaldi](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Garibaldi "Giuseppe Garibaldi") took control of Sicily, creating the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Vittorio Emanuele II was made the King. But, in 1861, Latium and Veneto were still not part of Italy, because they were ruled by the Pope and Austrian Empire.

  Veneto was made part of Italy in 1866 after a war with Austria, and Italian soldiers won Latium in 1870. That was when they took away the Pope's power. The Pope, who was angry, said that he was a prisoner to keep Catholic people from being active in politics. That year, Italy finally came back together.

  Italy participated in World War I as an ally of [Great Britain](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain "Great Britain"), France, and Russia against the Central Powers. Almost all of Italy's fighting was on the Eastern border, near Austria. After the "Caporetto") defeat", Italy thought they would lose the war. But, in 1918, the Central Powers surrendered, and Italy gained the Trentino-South Tyrol, which once was owned by Austria.

  In 1922, a new Italian government started, and it was ruled by Benito Mussolini, the leader of [Fascism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism "Fascism") in Italy. He became Head of Government and dictator, calling himself "duce" - which means "leader" in Italian. He became friends with German dictator Hitler, and Mussolini followed him into World War II. Italy entered the war in 1940 as an ally of Germany and [Japan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan "Japan") against France, Great Britain, and Russia. During the war, Italy controlled most of the Mediterranean Sea.

  On July 25, 1943, Mussolini was removed by the Great Council of Fascism, and, on September 8, 1943, Badoglio said that the war as an ally of Germany was ended. Italy started fighting as an ally of France and the UK, but Italian soldiers did not know who to shoot. In Northern Italy, a movement called [Resistenza](/w/index.php?title=Italian_resistance_movement&action=edit&redlink=1 "Italian resistance movement (not yet started)") started to fight against the German invaders.

  Mussolini tried to make another Northern Italian fascist state, the Republic of Salò"), but it failed. On April 25, 1945, Italy became free. The state became a republic on June 2, 1946, and, for the first time, women were able to vote. Italian people ended the Savoia dynasty and adopted a republic government.

  In February 1947, Italy signed a peace treaty with the [Allies](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II "Allies of World War II") losing all the colonies and some territorial areas (Istria and parts of Dalmatia).

  Since then Italy has joined NATO and the European Community (as a founding member), becoming one of the seven biggest industrial economies in the world.

  Transportation
  --------------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rom_Fiumicino_Airport_2008_by-RaBoe.jpg)

  Rome-Fiumicino Airport") was the [sixth busiest airport](/w/index.php?title=List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Europe&action=edit&redlink=1 "List of the busiest airports in Europe (not yet started)") in Europe in 2008. The railway network in Italy totals 16,627 kilometres (10,331 mi), the 17th longest in the world. High speed trains include ETR")-class trains which travel at 300 km/h (190 mph).

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Italy at the Olympics
  - Italy national football team
  - [Italian cuisine](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_cuisine "Italian cuisine")
  - Italophilia
  - Italian Mare Nostrum
  - List of rivers of Italy


id: 981a5b9d65ef48979a9aabf1504eeba9
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Japan
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Japan** (Japanese: 日本) is a country in East Asia. It is a group of many [islands](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island "Island") close to the east coast of Korea, China and Russia. The Pacific Ocean is to the east of Japan and the Sea of Japan is to the west. Most people in Japan live on one of four of the islands. The biggest of these islands, Honshu, has the most people. Honshu is the 7th largest island in the [world](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/World "World"). Tokyo is the capital of Japan and its biggest city.
   
  The Japanese people call their country "Nihon" or "Nippon", which means "the origin of the Sun" in Japanese. Japan is a monarchy whose head of state is called the [Emperor](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Japan "Emperor of Japan").

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - 2 Geography
  - 3 Politics and government
  - 4 Science and technology
  - 5 Society and culture
  - 6 Armed forces
  - [7 Education](#Education)
  - 8 Cities
    - 8.1 Territorial problem
  - 9 Public transportation
  - 10 Subdivisions
  - 11 Sports
  - 12 Related pages
  - [13 References](#References)
  - 14 Other websites

  History
  -------

  Main page: History of Japan

  The earliest records on Japan are from Chinese documents. One of those records said there were many small countries (in Japan) which had wars between them and later a country, ruled by a queen, became the strongest, unified others, and brought peace.

  The Japanese began to write their own history after the 5th and 6th centuries, when people from Korea and China taught Japan about the [Chinese writing system](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_writing_system "Chinese writing system"). Japan's neighbours also taught them Buddhism. The Japanese changed Buddhism in many ways. For example, Japanese Buddhists used ideas such as Zen more than other Buddhists.

  In the ancient and Middle Ages, China gave Japan many new cultural ideas, but their friendship became weaker later. In the late 13th century, Mongolians from China tried to invade Japan twice, but they could not.  
  The samurai and [shogun](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun "Shogun") of Medieval Japan are similar to knights and lords in Medieval Europe.

  Japan had some contact with the Europeans in the 16th century. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit Japan. Later, the Spanish, English and Dutch came to Japan to trade. Also, they brought [Christianity](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity "Christianity"). Japan's leaders welcomed them at first, but because Europeans had conquered many places in the world, the Japanese were scared they would conquer Japan too. So the Japanese did not let the Europeans come into Japan anymore, except in a small area in Nagasaki city. Many Christians were killed. Only the Chinese, Korean and Dutch people were allowed to visit Japan, in the end, and they were under careful control of the Japanese government. Japan was opened for visitors again in 1854 by Commodore Matthew Perry, when the Americans wanted to use Japanese ports for American whale boats. Perry brought steamships with guns, which scared the Japanese into making an agreement with him.

  This new contact with Europeans and Americans changed the Japanese culture. The Meiji Restoration of [1868](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1868 "1868") stopped some old ways and added many new ones. The Empire of Japan was created, and it became a very powerful nation and tried to invade the countries next to it. It invaded and annexed Ryukyu Kingdom, Taiwan, and Korea. It had wars with China and Russia: the First Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion the [Russo-Japanese War](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War "Russo-Japanese War"), and the Second Sino-Japanese War, which grew to become a part of World War II when Japan became allies with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

  In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, a water base of the United States, and destroyed or damaged many ships and airplanes. This started the United States' involvement in World War II. American and Japanese forces fought each other in the Pacific. Once airbases were established within range of the Japanese mainland, America began to win, and started dropping bombs on Japanese cities. America was able to bomb most of the important cities and quickly brought Japan close to defeat. To make Japan surrender, the United States dropped two [atomic bombs](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bomb "Atomic bomb") on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing 150,000 Japanese citizens. Soon after this the Soviet Union began to fight against Japan, and the Japanese army in Manchuria lost. Japan surrendered and gave up all the places it took from other countries, accepting the Potsdam Proclamation. The United States occupied Japan and forced it to write a new constitution, in which it promised to never go to war again.

  Geography
  ---------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Mountfujijapan.jpg/220px-Mountfujijapan.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mountfujijapan.jpg)

  Mount Fuji with cherry blossom trees and a shinkansen in the foreground—all three are iconic of Japan Japan is a group of islands in the Western Pacific, off the coast of China. The four biggest islands are Honshu, [Hokkaido](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido "Hokkaido"), Shikoku, and Kyushu, and there are about 6,000 smaller islands there. Japan is separated from the Asian continent by the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Honshu, which means 'Mainland' in the Japanese language, is the biggest island. Hokkaido is the island north of Honshu. Kyushu is the island west of Honshu. Shikoku is the island to the south-west of Honshu.

  In the middle of Japan there are mountains. They cover the middle of the islands and leave a very narrow strip of flat land on most coasts. Many of the mountains are extinct volcanoes, but some are still active. The highest of these mountains is the beautiful, volcano-shaped Mt Fuji (3776m or 12,389 feet high). Japan has many earthquakes, in fact there are about 1500 of these every year. The most recent big earthquake was in 2011 - called '2011 Tohoku Earthquake'. It caused great damage to several power plants forcing Japan to shut down all its nuclear plants. There was nuclear core meltdown which caused a serious health risk to nearby villages and cities.

  90% of the people living in Japan live in just 10% of the land, near the coast. The other 10% of the people in Japan live away from the coast.

  Over 10 cities have more than a million people in them. The biggest city in Japan is [Tokyo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo "Tokyo"), which is the capital.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Skyscrapers_of_Shinjuku_2009_January.jpg)

  TokyoPolitics and government
  -----------------------

  For more details, see Government of Japan

  The ruling party is the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) "Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)") and prime minister is Shinzo Abe.

  Science and technology
  ----------------------

  In the past, the Japanese learned science by way of China or from [Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe "Europe") in the Meiji Era. However, in recent decades Japan has been a leading innovator in several fields, including chemical engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics. There are many technological companies in Japan, and these companies make products for export.

  The robot Asimo was made and introduced in 2000. It was manufactured by Honda.

  Society and culture
  -------------------

  _See also: Japanese tea ceremony, Noh, and [Kabuki](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki "Kabuki")_Many things in Japanese culture originated in China, like Go and bonsai.

  Japan's traditional food is seafood, rice, miso soup, and vegetables. Noodles and [tofu](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu "Tofu") are also common. Sushi, a Japanese food made of cooked rice with vinegar with other ingredients such as raw fish, is popular around the world.

  The religion in Japan is mostly Shinto and Buddhist. Due to the tolerant nature of the two main Japanese religions, and the resulting intermixing mixing of the two, many Japanese identify as both Shinto and Buddhist at the same time. There are small numbers of Christians and Muslims, and a few [Jews](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew "Jew").

  When it comes to popular culture, Japan is famous for making video games. Many of the biggest companies that make games, like Nintendo, Namco, and Sega, are Japanese. Other well-known parts of Japanese arts are [comics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics "Comics"), called manga, and digital animation, or anime. Many people get to know Japanese or how life in Japan is like by reading manga or watching anime on television.

  Armed forces
  ------------

  For more details, see Imperial Japanese Army

  Education
  ---------

  For more details, see List of national universities in Japan

  Cities
  ------

  The biggest cities in Japan are:

  - [Tokyo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo "Tokyo")
  - Yokohama
  - Nagoya
  - Osaka
  - Kyoto
  - Kobe
  - Hiroshima
  - [Fukuoka](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka "Fukuoka")
  - Kitakyushu
  - Sendai
  - Sapporo
  - Nagasaki

  In Japan there are eight traditional regions:

  - Hokkaido
  - Tohoku
  - [Kanto](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanto "Kanto")
  - Chubu
  - Kansai
  - Chugoku")
  - Shikoku
  - Kyushu
  - Okinawa

  ### Territorial problem

  Since Japan is an island nation, Japan has several problems over territory because maritime boundaries can be hard to protect. These days, Japan is competing for at least 4 different territories. It cannot agree with some neighbouring countries on whether the land belongs to Japan or the other country.

  - [Senkaku Islands](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands "Senkaku Islands") problem (with China and Taiwan)
  - Liancourt Rocks island problem (with South Korea)
  - Southern Chishima Islands problem (with Russia)
  - [Sea of Japan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Japan "Sea of Japan") problem (with South Korea and North Korea)

  Public transportation
  ---------------------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JR_Central_Shinkansen_700.jpg)

  High speed Shinkansen or _Bullet trains_ are a common form of transportation in Japan. There are several important international airports in Japan. Narita is the major international airport in the Tokyo area. Kansai International Airport serves as the main airport for [Osaka](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka "Osaka"), Kobe, and Kyoto. Chūbu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya is the newest of the three. Haneda Airport is close to central Tokyo and is the largest domestic airport in the country.

  The Shinkansen is one of the fastest trains in the world and connects cities in Honshu and Kyushu. Networks of public and private railways are almost all over the country. People mostly travel between cities in buses.

  Subdivisions
  ------------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Region_system8.png/230px-Region_system8.png)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Region_system8.png)

  Prefectures in Japan Main page: Prefectures of Japan

  Main page: List of Provinces of Japan

  Modern Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. Before the Meiji period (1868-1912), the nation was divided into provinces which were consolidated in the prefectural system.

  **[Hokkaidō](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8D "Hokkaidō")**- - - - - -

  1\. Hokkaidō

  **Tōhoku**- - - - - -

  2\. Aomori  
  3\. Iwate  
  4\. Miyagi  
  5\. Akita  
  6\. [Yamagata](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamagata_Prefecture "Yamagata Prefecture")  
  7\. Fukushima

  **Kantō**- - - - - -

  8\. Ibaraki  
  9\. Tochigi  
  10\. Gunma  
  11\. Saitama  
  12\. [Chiba](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiba_Prefecture "Chiba Prefecture")  
  13\. Tokyo  
  14\. Kanagawa

  **Chūbu**- - - - - -

  15\. Niigata  
  16\. Toyama  
  17\. Ishikawa  
  18\. [Fukui](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukui_Prefecture "Fukui Prefecture")  
  19\. Yamanashi  
  20\. Nagano  
  21\. Gifu  
  22\. Shizuoka  
  23\. Aichi

  **Kansai**- - - - - -

  24\. [Mie](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mie_Prefecture "Mie Prefecture")  
  25\. Shiga  
  26\. Kyoto  
  27\. Osaka  
  28\. Hyōgo  
  29\. Nara  
  30\. Wakayama

  **[Chūgoku](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABgoku_region "Chūgoku region")**- - - - - -

  31\. Tottori  
  32\. Shimane  
  33\. Okayama  
  34\. Hiroshima  
  35\. Yamaguchi

  **Shikoku**- - - - - -

  36\. [Tokushima](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokushima_Prefecture "Tokushima Prefecture")  
  37\. Kagawa  
  38\. Ehime  
  39\. Kōchi

  **Kyūshū and Okinawa**- - - - - -

  40\. Fukuoka  
  41\. [Saga](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_Prefecture "Saga Prefecture")  
  42\. Nagasaki  
  43\. Kumamoto  
  44\. Ōita  
  45\. Miyazaki  
  46\. Kagoshima  
  47\. Okinawa

  Sports
  ------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Sumo_ceremony.jpg/220px-Sumo_ceremony.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sumo_ceremony.jpg)

  Sumo fighters give a circle around the referee in the opening ceremony. Main page: Sport in Japan

  Japan has many traditional sports such as sumo, judo, karate, [kyudo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABd%C5%8D "Kyūdō"), aikido, iaido") and kendo. Also, there are sports which were imported from the West such as baseball, soccer, rugby, [golf](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf "Golf") and skiing.

  Japan has taken part in the Olympic Games since 1912. It hosted the Olympic Games in 1964, 1972 and 1998. From 1912 until now, Japanese sportspeople have won 398 medals in total.

  Professional sports are also popular and many sports such as baseball (see Pacific League and Central League")), soccer (see List of Japanese football teams), sumo, American football, [basketball](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball "Basketball") and volleyball, are played professionally.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Japanese cuisine
  - Japanese language
  - Japanese calendar


id: 34f97f44575a4d4aa9527fdcf52ad211
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Mexico
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Mexico** (Spanish: _México_, official name: **United Mexican States** (Spanish: _Estados Unidos Mexicanos_, ![Loudspeaker.png](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loudspeaker.png) [listen](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Es-mx-Estados_Unidos_Mexicanos.ogg "Es-mx-Estados Unidos Mexicanos.ogg") (info • help)) is a country in North America. Mexico is south of Texas and other American states. Guatemala and [Belize](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize "Belize") are south of Mexico. Mexico is between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
   
  People living in Mexico or who are from there are called Mexicans. Most Mexican people speak Spanish. There are also Mexicans who speak Native American languages, like Nahuatl, Maya, and [Zapotec](/w/index.php?title=Zapotec_language&action=edit&redlink=1 "Zapotec language (not yet started)"). The capital of Mexico is Mexico City.India

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - 2 Politics
  - 3 States
  - 4 Geography
  - 5 People
  - [6 Related pages](#Related_pages)
  - 7 References

  History
  -------

  Before the Europeans came, many Native American cultures existed in Mexico. The earliest was the Olmec culture in the south. The Olmecs are famous for the large stone heads they made. On the Yucatán peninsula lived the Mayans. The Mayans lived in city states ruled by kings. The Mayans were most powerful between 200 and [900](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/900 "900") A.D. Another powerful empire belonged to Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was a very large city, one of the largest at that time. After Teotihuacan declined the Toltecs became powerful. Things made by the Toltecs have been found from the southern parts of the U.S. all the way to Costa Rica. A famous Toltec god is Quetzalcoatl. The Toltec culture declined too, and it was succeeded by the Aztecs. The Aztecs called their own empire Mexico. A famous Aztec king was [Moctezuma II](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moctezuma_II "Moctezuma II").

  In 1519 the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés came to Mexico. The Aztecs thought he was the returned Quetzalcoatl, so they did not want to fight against him. Cortes allied himself with the enemies of the Aztecs. In 1521 they conquered the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. The Aztec Empire became part of Spain. It was called [New Spain](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Spain "New Spain").

  In 1810 the Mexican priest Miguel Hidalgo started the Mexican war of independence. In 1821 the Spanish finally retreated and Mexico became independent. The first leader of independent Mexico was Agustin de Iturbide"). He set up the First Mexican Empire and became emperor. But the Mexicans were not happy with him, and in [1823](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1823 "1823") the country became a republic.

  A man who was very important in Mexico in the early 19th century was Antonio López de Santa Anna. He was the president of Mexico 11 times. When he became a dictator, Texas declared independence (1836). The Battle of the Alamo was part of this [Texas Revolution](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution "Texas Revolution"). Between 1846 and 1848 there was war between Mexico and the United States. In this war Mexico lost its large northern areas, which became the southwestern United States. After this war Santa Anna was sent away to Venezuela.

  Between 1858 and 1861 there was war again, between [liberals](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism "Liberalism") and conservatives. The liberal Benito Juárez won the war and became president afterwards. Juarez stayed president until France invaded Mexico and made Maximilian of Habsburg emperor of the Second Mexican Empire. But Maximilian was very unpopular. After more war he was executed in [1867](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1867 "1867"), and Juarez became president again.

  Conservatives thought Juarez had too much power. In 1876 they ousted him, and made Porfirio Díaz"), a general who had won a battle against the French, president. Porfirio Díaz made the country wealthier, but the poor people became poorer. Franciso I. Madero started the Mexican Revolution in 1910.

  The next 10 years the country was in chaos. There were many presidents who ruled for a short time and all kinds of people fought against each other. Famous people from this period are Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa and [Francisco I. Madero](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_I._Madero "Francisco I. Madero"). When Álvaro Obregón became president in 1920 the fighting calmed down.

  In 1929 President Plutarco Elías Calles") founded the National Mexican Party, PNM. The party was later renamed Institutional Revolutionary Party"), PRI. The party would rule for a very long time. Most PRI presidents were not popular, it was said that they were only president to become richer themselves. An exception was president Lázaro Cárdenas. He was president between [1934](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934 "1934") and 1940.

  After several decades more and more people became unhappy with the PRI. In 1968 security forces shot at protesters, this caused several hundred deaths and became known as the Tlatelolco massacre"). Another uprising was in 1994 when Zapatistas rebelled in the province Chiapas.

  Mainly through ballot box fraud the PRI managed to stay into power until [2000](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000 "2000"), when Vicente Fox of the National Action Party, PAN, was elected president. In total the PRI had governed Mexico for 71 years.

  Politics
  --------

  Mexico is a constitutional federal democracy ruled by a president. The president is elected every 6 years. The current president is Enrique Peña Nieto. Parliament has a Senate and House of Deputies.

  States
  ------

  [![Map of México divided into states](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/States_of_Mexico.svg/350px-States_of_Mexico.svg.png)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:States_of_Mexico.svg "Map of México divided into states")

  1\. Aguascalientes  
  2\. Baja California "Baja California (state)")  
  3\. Baja California Sur  
  4\. Campeche  
  5\. Chiapas  
  6\. Chihuahua "Chihuahua (state)")  
  7\. [Coahuila](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coahuila_de_Zaragoza "Coahuila de Zaragoza")  
  8\. Colima  
  9\. Durango  
  10\. Guanajuato  
  11\. Guerrero "Guerrero (state)")

  12\. Hidalgo  
  13\. Jalisco  
  14\. [Mexico](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_(state) "Mexico (state)")  
  15\. Michoacan  
  16\. Morelos  
  17\. Nayarit  
  18\. Nuevo Leon  
  19\. Oaxaca  
  20\. Puebla "Puebla (state)")  
  21\. [Queretaro](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queretaro "Queretaro")  
  22\. Quintana Roo

  23\. San Luis Potosí  
  24\. Sinaloa  
  25\. Sonora  
  26\. Tabasco "Tabasco (state)")  
  27\. Tamaulipas  
  28\. [Tlaxcala](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlaxcala "Tlaxcala")  
  29\. Veracruz  
  30\. Yucatán "Yucatán (state)")  
  31\. Zacatecas  
  32 Mexico City

  Geography
  ---------

  Mexico is in the southern part of North America. It is roughly shaped like a triangle. Mexico is more than 3000 km (1,850 miles) long from northwest to southeast. Mexico is between two large seas: the Pacific Ocean in the West and the [Gulf of Mexico](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico "Gulf of Mexico") and the Caribbean Sea in the East. Mexico has two large peninsulas. Baja California in the northwest, and Yucatán "Yucatán (state)") in the southeast. In central and western Mexico are the Sierra Madre") mountains. In the Sierra Madre is the Pico de Orizaba"), the highest [mountain](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain "Mountain") of Mexico. In central Mexico there are also a few volcanoes like the Popocatépetl and the Iztaccíhuatl"). The Pico de Orizaba is also a volcano. In the north of Mexico are deserts. In the south are tropical rainforests. Some rivers in Mexico are the Río Bravo (known in the US as the Rio Grande), the [Río Balsas](/w/index.php?title=R%C3%ADo_Balsas&action=edit&redlink=1 "Río Balsas (not yet started)"), the Río Pánuco"), and the Río Yaqui").

  - Landscapes of Mexico
  - ![20091211 - Puerto Penasco -63.jpg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20091211_-_Puerto_Penasco_-63.jpg)
  - ![Cualloenelpicoenero2010.JPG](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cualloenelpicoenero2010.JPG)
  - ![Tulum-Seaside-2010.jpg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tulum-Seaside-2010.jpg)
  - ![Barranca del cobre 2.jpg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barranca_del_cobre_2.jpg)
  - [![Xel-ha-inlet.jpg](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Xel-ha-inlet.jpg/271px-Xel-ha-inlet.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Xel-ha-inlet.jpg)
  - ![Los maravillosos Prismas Basálticos..jpg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Los_maravillosos_Prismas_Bas%C3%A1lticos..jpg)

  People
  ------

  _See also: List of famous Mexican people")_Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. It is also the second most populous country in Latin America (after Brazil). 60% of Mexicans have Native American and European forefathers; these are called mestizos. Almost 30% of Mexicans are pure Native American and 10% are [European](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe "Europe"). Most Mexicans (90%) speak Spanish. 10% of the Mexicans speak a Native American language, like Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, Maya or Zapotec"). Most people in Mexico are Roman Catholic (89%) and 6% are Protestant.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - List of rivers of Mexico
  - [Mexico at the Olympics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_at_the_Olympics "Mexico at the Olympics")
  - Mexico national football team


id: 6b27aed8f4044c018c0ced7e5803d5e0
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: People's Republic of China
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  The **People's Republic of China** (**PRC**) (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國) is a one-party state in East Asia governed by the Communist Party of China. It was founded on 21 September 1949. It has more than 1.3 billion [people](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/People "People"), which is more than any other country in the world. It covers an area of 9.6 million square kilometers.
   
  The capital city is Beijing, and Shanghai is the city with the most people living in it. Along with the cities of Tianjin and Chongqing, these four cities are "[municipalities](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipality "Municipality")" directly controlled by the national government. Two other cities are given the status of "special administrative region" (SAR). They are Hong Kong, which was once a colony of the United Kingdom and given back to China in 1997; and Macau, which Portugal gave back in 1999. These two cities remain highly [autonomous](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomy "Autonomy"), or have much of their own power. Aside from the "municipalities" and the "SAR's", there are 23 provinces and five "autonomous regions", or regions with more law-making rights than the provinces and with a large number of people of a minority group population. They are the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the [Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Mongolia "Inner Mongolia") or Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

  In the SAR's, the central government is responsible for defense and foreign affairs but not the daily operations for 50 years. PRC claims Taiwan as one of its many provinces. However, PRC does not have control of Taiwan which has an entirely different political system and officially known as the Republic of China (Taiwan).

  Contents
  --------

  - [1 History](#History)
    - 1.1 Ancient (2100 B.C. - 1500 A.D.)
    - 1.2 A new age
  - 2 Geography
    - 2.1 Biodiversity
  - 3 Military
  - 4 People and culture
    - [4.1 Festivals](#Festivals)
  - 5 Transport
  - 6 Related pages
  - 7 References
  - 8 Other websites

  History
  -------

  _See also: History of China_China has one of the world's oldest civilizations and has the oldest continuous civilization. It has archaeological evidence over 5,000 years old. It also has one of the world's oldest [writing systems](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character "Chinese character") (and the oldest in use today), and is viewed as the source of many major inventions.

  ### Ancient (2100 B.C. - 1500 A.D.)

  Ancient China was one of the first civilizations and was active since the 2nd millennium BC as a feudal society. Chinese civilization was also one of the few to invent [writing](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing "Writing"), with the others being Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley civilization, the Maya civilization, the Minoan civilization of ancient Greece, and Ancient Egypt. It reached its golden age during the [Tang Dynasty](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty "Tang Dynasty") (c. A.D. 10th century). Home of Confucianism and Daoism, it had great influence on nearby countries including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam in the areas of political system, philosophy, religion, art, and even writing and literature. China is home to some of the oldest artwork in the world. Statues and pottery, as well as decorations made of jade, are some classic examples.

  Before the [Qin Dynasty](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Dynasty "Qin Dynasty") united China, there were hundreds of small states that fought each other for hundreds of years in a war to control China. This is known as the Warring States Period. Although the continuing wars made people suffer, it was at this time when many of the great philosophies of the East") were born, including Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism and Daoism alone have been the foundation of many social values seen in modern eastern-Asian cultures today.

  Its geography mostly looked like that of modern China, except with northern and western edges that varied. It was often attacked by northern nomadic people such as the Turkic tribes and the [Mongols](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol "Mongol") lead by Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan. During the history of ancient China, the northern nomadic people and the Chinese people had been fighting each other and taking turns to rule the land and the people of China. However, when the northern people beat the Chinese people and came to rule the kingdom, they also Incorporated the Chinese way of living and became like the Chinese. Many of the strongest dynasties of China were ruled by the northern people, including the Qin, Tang, Yuan (Mongolian), and Qing ([Manchu](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchu "Manchu")). Each time, they also brought new elements into the Chinese culture.

  ### A new age

  While China achieved many things in the First millennium and early 2nd millennium, it became an isolationist") country in the 15th century C.E. This was because Spain found a lot of silver in the newly explored continents of North and South America. Silver was the main currency (money) in China and Europe at the time, and China did not want to be bought by the foreigners.

  By the time of the [Renaissance](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance "Renaissance"), European powers started to take over other countries in Asia. While China was never actually taken over by Europeans, many European countries, such as Britain and France built spheres of influence") in China. Since China had cut itself off from the world over the previous few centuries, by the [Qing Dynasty](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty "Qing Dynasty"), it had fallen behind other countries in technology, and was helpless to stop this from happening. This had become clear when it lost the Opium Wars to Britain in the 19th century.

  In 1912, the Qing dynasty was overthrown by the Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang, a [nationalist](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist "Nationalist") party, and the Republic of China established. Over time, Marxist ideas grew popular and the Communist party was formed.

  The Chinese Civil War later started between the Kuomintang (Nationalists) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Communists of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Communists wanted to make China like the [Soviet Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union "Soviet Union"), whereas the other side wanted to keep China in its current state at the time. The Communists were led by Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi") and others. Later Liu lost influence with Mao and his death to this day remains unresolved. The Communists eventually won the war. The Nationalists (led by Chiang Kai-shek) fled to the island of Taiwan and set up their new capital city in Taipei. After the Chinese Civil War, the Communist leader Mao Zedong declared a new country, the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing on September 21, 1949.

  In 1927, the Chinese Civil War began as the Kuomintang, led by Chiang Kai-shek, and the Communists fought one another. By 1949, the Red Army of the Chinese Communist Party had gained control over mainland China and [Mao Zedong](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong "Mao Zedong") announced the creation of the People's Republic of China. Chiang Kai-shek and the other nationalists fled to Taiwan.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mao_proclaiming_the_establishment_of_the_PRC_in_1949.jpg)

  Mao Zedong founding the People's Republic of China in 1949 As the leader of the People's Republic of China, Mao began many social and economic reform projects with mixed results. The Great Leap Forward, from 1958 to 1961, tried to [industrialize](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrialization "Industrialization") China and increase its food production, but resulted in one of the largest famines in history. It is estimated that 45 million people died as a result of this reform project. In 1966, Mao began the Cultural Revolution to remove capitalist influences from society and government. Major government officials and ordinary citizens were accused of being "revisionists" - people who disagreed with some parts of Marxism - or "counter-revolutionaries" and were persecuted. Many universities and schools were closed, and historical and religious sites were destroyed. Although the program officially ended in 1969, it continued until Mao's death in 1976.

  During this time period, the People's Republic of China did not get along with the capitalist countries of the Western world. Beginning in the 1960s, relationships between the People's Republic of China and the [Soviet Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union "Soviet Union") also became increasingly unfriendly in the Sino-Soviet Split. In 1972, to counter the power of the Soviet Union, Mao and Zhou Enlai met with US President Richard Nixon in Beijing. This began to improve relationships between China and the Western world.

  After Mao's death, there was a power struggle between the Gang of Four and Hua Guofeng, the man Mao had chosen to be the next leader of China. Eventually, Deng Xiaoping, one of the [veterans](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veteran "Veteran") of the revolution, took power. He began a "Reform and Opening Up" (simplified Chinese: 改革开放; traditional Chinese: 改革開放) campaign. These reforms tried to make the People's Republic of China a modern, industrial - but still socialist - nation by moving towards a market system. Deng's policies would be known as "socialism with Chinese characteristics."

  Although Deng's policy helped loosen restrictions on citizens, the People's Republic of China continues to have problems with the amount of control the government has over citizens' private lives. In 1979, the one-child policy, which limits most couples to one child, was created because of the overpopulation problem in the People's Republic of China. This policy is highly controversial and many Westerners have criticized it. News and Internet sites are also [censored](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship "Censorship") by the government.

  In 1989, the Chinese government used soldiers and tanks to stop a protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square organized by students seeking political reform. This action received worldwide criticism and led to economic sanctions") being placed on the Chinese government.

  In August 2008, China hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time.

  Geography
  ---------

  _See also: List of cities in the People's Republic of China_The People's Republic of China is the fourth-largest country in the world by land area after Russia, [Canada](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada "Canada"), and the United States. China has every kind of climate in the northern hemisphere except the polar climate. It is also the largest country without any land north of the Arctic Circle. China borders 14 nations, which is more than any other country in the world. It borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma in Southeast Asia; [India](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/India "India"), Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan in South Asia; Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and [Kazakhstan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhstan "Kazakhstan") in Central Asia; a small section of Russian Altai") and Mongolia in Inner Asia"); and the Russian Far East and North Korea in Northeast Asia.

  China has two major rivers, the Yellow River and the [Yangtze River](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze_River "Yangtze River"). There is also the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert.

  The world's highest point, Mt. Everest (8848m), is on the border between China and Nepal. The country's lowest point, and the world's fourth-lowest, is the dried lake bed of Ayding Lake") (−154m).

  ### Biodiversity

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panda_Cub_from_Wolong,_Sichuan,_China.JPG)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panda_Cub_from_Wolong,_Sichuan,_China.JPG "Enlarge")

  A giant panda photographed in Sichuan. China is one of 17 megadiverse countries"). It is in two of the world's major ecozones: the Palearctic and the Indomalaya"). In the Palearctic zone, mammals such as the horse, [camel](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel "Camel"), tapir, and jerboa can be found. Among the species in the Indomalaya region are the Leopard Cat, bamboo rat"), treeshrew, and various monkey and [ape](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape "Ape") species. Some overlap is between the two regions; deer, antelope, bears, wolves, pigs, and many rodent species can all be found in China's environments. The famous giant panda is found only in a limited area along the Yangtze River. China has a continuing problem with trade in endangered") species. There are now laws to stop such activities.

  China also has a variety of forest types. Cold coniferous forests cover most of the north of the country. The forest have animal species such as [moose](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose "Moose") and the Asian black bear, along with over 120 bird species. Moist conifer forests can have thickets of bamboo. It is replaced by rhododendrons in higher montane stands of juniper and yew. [Subtropical](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical "Subtropical") forests, which are mostly in central and southern China. These support as many as 146,000 species of flora. Tropical and seasonal rainforests, though confined to Yunnan and Hainan Island, have a quarter of all the plant and animal species found in China.

  Military
  --------

  The PRC Armed Forces, also known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is one of the most powerful armies in the world. Nowadays PRC is among the atomic powers in the world. It also has the largest standing army in the world of over 2 million soldiers on active duty.

  People and culture
  ------------------

  There are 56 recognized minority ethnic minority groups in China. Han is the largest ethnic group in China (92% of the population). [Mandarin Chinese](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Chinese "Mandarin Chinese") is the main spoken language.

  China is the origin of Eastern martial arts, called Kung Fu or its first name Wushu"). China is also the home of the well-respected Spa Monastery") and Wudang Mountains"). Martial art started more for the purpose of survival"), defense, and [warfare](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/War "War") than art. Over time some art forms") have branched off, while others have retained their distinct Chinese flavor.

  China has had renoned artists including Wong Fei Hung") (Huang Fei Hung") or Hwang Fei Hung")) and many others. [Art](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art "Art") has also co-existed with a variety of paints including the more standard 18 colors. Legendary and controversial moves like Big Mak") are also praised and talked about within the culture.

  China has many traditional festivals, such as the Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and so on. The most significant is Chinese New Year. Another important holiday is the [National Day](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China "National Day of the People's Republic of China") celebration around October 1. Weekends are moved around to make sure everyone has a week-long holiday for it, just like during the lunar new year.

  ### Festivals

  Chinese New Year lasts fifteen days, including one week as a national holiday. It starts with the first day of the Chinese lunar year and ends with the full moon fifteen days later. It is always in the middle of winter, but is called the "Spring Festival" in Chinese because Chinese seasons are a little different from English ones. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, people call on friends and relatives. Because most people watch the special performances on CCTV all the night on New Year's Eve and don't go to bed until 12:00 AM, they usually get up later in the next day. The fifth day of the Chinese New Year is the day to welcome the god of Wealth (Chinese:财神爷), many people make and eat dumplings (Chinese:饺子). They believe that dumplings can hold the god of Wealth and bring luck.The last day of the Chinese New Year is the Lantern Festival. On this day, the moon becomes the full moon. People go out and watch the lantern festivals everywhere. After that, they eat sweet dumpling (Chinese:汤圆,元宵), a kind of dumpling which is round and looks like the full moon.

  Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States") period. He persuaded his emperor not to accept Qin's diplomats' offers several times but his emperor did not listen to him. He was very sad and ended up jumping into the river to end his life. The people loved him so much that they did not want the fish to eat his corpse. They made and threw rice dumplings into the river. They hope the fish eat these dumplings instead of the poet's corpse. They also rowed dragon boats in the river to get rid of the fish. Such practices, eating rice dumplings and holding dragon boat races, become what Chinese do in this festival nowadays.

  Held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival for families. Now when the festival sets in, people would sit together to eat moon cakes, appreciate the bright full moon cakes, appreciate the bright full moon, celebrate the bumper harvest and enjoy the family love and happiness. To the Chinese people, the full moon symbolizes family reunion, as does the "moon cakes." Hence the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Family Reunion Festival.

  Transport
  ---------

  Trains are commonly used for moving from one place to another, mainly for long distances. Bullet trains are faster and more common in the cities. China has more high-speed trains than any other country in the world. [Buses](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus "Bus") and air transport are also very common.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - List of provinces of China
  - Political problems of China


id: f5148245df24482fa61068ec368c0f7c
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Poland
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Poland** is a country in Central Europe. It is on the east of Germany (along Oder and [Lusatian Neisse](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusatian_Neisse "Lusatian Neisse")). The Czech Republic and Slovakia are to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania, and [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia") to the north. The total land area of Poland is about 312,679 km2 (120,728 mi2), slightly larger than Oman. This makes Poland the 77th largest country in the world with over 38.5 million people. Most Polish people live in large cities, including the capital, Warsaw (Polish: _Warszawa_), Łódź, Cracow (Polish: _Kraków_), the second capital of Poland (first was Gniezno), [Szczecin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szczecin "Szczecin"), Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań.
   
  The word "Poland" was written officially for the first time in 966. In 1569, Poland formed a strong union with Lithuania called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. At some point in its history, it was the largest state in Europe and became very influential. Much of the territory that now makes up Central European states used to belong to that Commonwealth. Eventually, after a slow decline, the Commonwealth collapsed in 1795. Poland regained its [independence](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence "Independence") in 1918 after World War I. In 1921, Poland defeated Soviet Russia in the Polish-Soviet War that started in 1919.

  However, Poland lost independence again not long after the beginning of World War II, after suffering a defeat by both the USSR and Nazi Germany. Although the government collapsed, the Polish people fought on by forming the largest and most effective resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Europe. It is most notable for disrupting German supply lines to the Eastern Front of WWII, providing military intelligence to the British, and for saving more [Jewish](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews "Jews") lives in the Holocaust than any other Allied organization or government. After the war, Poland regained "independence" and became a communist country within the Eastern Bloc. The new government was appointed by Joseph Stalin and was under the control of the Soviet Union.

  In 1989, Poland ceased being a communist country and became a [liberal democracy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_democracy "Liberal democracy"). Its change of government was the first in a series of events that led to the states of Eastern and Central Europe regaining their independence and the fall of the USSR in 1991. After the democratic consolidation, Poland joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Poland is also a member of NATO, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization.

  Contents
  --------

  - [1 History](#History)
    - 1.1 Before Piasts
    - 1.2 Piast and Jagiellon dynasties
    - 1.3 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to II Republic of Poland
    - 1.4 World War II
    - 1.5 After the war
  - 2 Geography
  - [3 Literature](#Literature)
  - 4 People
  - 5 Famous people
  - 6 Urban demographics
  - 7 Other pages
  - 8 References
  - 9 Other websites

  History
  -------

  Main page: [History of Poland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland "History of Poland")

  ### Before Piasts

  The first sign of humans in Polish lands was 500,000 years ago. The Bronze Age started around 2400-2300 BC. The Iron Age started around 750-700 BC. At that time the Polish lands were under the influence of the Lusatian culture"). About 400 BC Celtic and [Germanic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_people "Germanic people") tribes lived there. Those people had trade contacts with the Roman Empire.

  Over time, Slavs came to Polish lands. Some of those Slavs, now commonly referred to as Western Slavs (though in reality a diverse group of tribes with shared ethnic and cultural features), stayed there and started to create new nations. The most powerful tribe was called the Polans, who united all of the other Slavic tribes living there, and this is where the name "Poland" comes from.

  ### Piast and Jagiellon dynasties

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Poland1020.png)

  Poland around 1020 Poland began to form into a country around the middle of the 10th century in the [Piast dynasty](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piast_dynasty "Piast dynasty"). In 966, Prince Mieszko I became a Christian, and so the Polish people also became Christians. The next king was Bolesław I of Poland") (called Bolesław the Brave). He conquered many lands and he became the first King of Poland. Casimir I of Poland") changed the Polish capital from Gniezno to Kraków. In the 12th century Poland broke into some smaller [states](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/States "States") after the death of King Bolesław III Wrymouth") in 1138 because of his will "Will (law)"). Those states were later attacked by Mongol armies in 1241, which slowed down the unification of the small states into the big country of Poland. This happened eighty years later, in 1320, when [Władysław I](/w/index.php?title=W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_I_of_Poland&action=edit&redlink=1 "Władysław I of Poland (not yet started)") became the King of the United Poland. His son Casimir III the Great reformed the Polish economy, built new castles and won the war against the Ruthenian Dukedom"). Many people emigrated to Poland, becoming a haven for emigrants . A large number of Jewish people also moved into Poland during that time. The Black Death, which affected many parts of Europe from [1347](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1347 "1347") to 1351, did not come to Poland.

  After the death of the last Piast on the Polish throne, Casimir III, Louis I of Hungary") and his daughter Jadwiga of Poland began their rule. She married the Lithuanian prince Jogaila"). Their marriage started a new dynasty in Poland: the [Jagiellon dynasty](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagiellon_dynasty "Jagiellon dynasty"). Under the Jagiellon dynasty, Poland made an alliance with its neighbor Lithuania.

  ### Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to II Republic of Poland

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rzeczpospolita.png)

  The Polish-Lithuanian Union when it was largest. In the 17th century Sweden attacked almost all of Poland (this was called “the Deluge”). Many wars against the Ottoman Empire, [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"), Cossacks, Transylvania and Brandenburg-Prussia") ended in 1699. For the next 80 years, the government and the nation were weak, making Poland dependent on Russia. Russian tsars took advantage of this by offering money to dishonest members of the Polish government, who would block new ideas and solutions. [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"), Prussia, and Austria broke Poland into three pieces in 1772, 1793 and 1795, which dissolved the country. Before the second split, a Constitution called "[The Constitution of 3 May](/w/index.php?title=The_Constitution_of_3_May&action=edit&redlink=1 "The Constitution of 3 May (not yet started)")" was made in 1791. The Polish people did not like the new kings, and often rebelled (two big rebellions in 1830 and 1863). Napoleon made another Polish state, “the Duchy of Warsaw")”, but after the Napoleonic wars"), Poland was split again by the countries at the Congress of Vienna. The eastern part was ruled by the Russian tsar. During World War I all the [Allies](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_I "Allies of World War I") agreed to save Poland. Soon after the surrender of Germany in November 1918, Poland became the Second Polish Republic (_II Rzeczpospolita Polska_). It got its freedom after several military conflicts; the largest was in 1919-1921 Polish-Soviet War.

  ### World War II

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rzeczpospolita_1922.png)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rzeczpospolita_1922.png "Enlarge")

  Poland 1922-1938 On September 1, 1939, World War II started when Nazi Germany attacked Poland. The Soviet Union attacked Poland on September 17, 1939. Warsaw was defeated on [September 28](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_28 "September 28"), 1939. Poland was split up into two pieces, one half owned by Nazi Germany, the other by the Soviet Union. More than 6 million Polish people died, and half of these people were Jewish"). Most of these deaths were part of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed. At the war's end, Poland's borders were moved west, pushing the eastern border to the Curzon line"). The western border was moved to the Oder-Neisse line. The new Poland became 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometers (29,900 sq mi). The shift forced millions of Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, and Jews to move.

  ### After the war

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Curzon_line_en.svg)

  Poland's current boundaries were made after 1945. The grey areas went from Poland to the Soviet Union. The pink areas from Germany to Poland [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Poland_topo.jpg/220px-Poland_topo.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Poland_topo.jpg)

  Physical land features of Poland. After these events Poland gradually became a communist country. It was supposedly an independent country. But in reality the new government was appointed by Joseph Stalin. It was also under the control of the Soviet Union. The country was then renamed the People's Republic of Poland. There are many Poles in the neighboring countries Ukraine, [Belarus](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus "Belarus"), and Lithuania (these three countries were part of the Soviet Union until 1991), as well as in other countries. The most Poles outside of Poland are in the United States, especially in Chicago. Germany and the United Kingdom are also home to a large Polish diaspora. The most recent mass emigration of Poles to western countries began after 1989.

  In 1989 Solidarity - a trade union led by Lech Wałęsa - helped defeat the communist government in Poland. Even before that event, Lech Wałęsa was given a Nobel Prize for leading the first non-communist trade union fighting for democracy in the [Communist Block](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Bloc "Eastern Bloc"). When Communism ended in Poland there were many improvements in human rights, such as freedom of speech, democracy, etc. In 1991 Poland became a member of the Visegrad Group and joined NATO in 1999 along with the Czech Republic and Hungary. Polish voters then voted to join the [European Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union "European Union") in a vote in June 2003. The country joined the EU on May 1, 2004.

  Currently, the Prime Minister is Ewa Kopacz. On 10 April 2010 the President Lech Kaczyński died in a government plane crash in Smolensk in Russia. The president is elected directly by the citizens for a five-year term. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and confirmed by the "Sejm". The Sejm is the lower chamber of Parliament [legislature](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislature "Legislature") for the country. It has 460 deputies elected every four years.

  Geography
  ---------

  Poland's territory is a plain reaching from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Carpathian Mountains in the south. Within that plain, the land varies from east to west.

  The Polish Baltic coast is mostly smooth but has natural harbors in the Gdańsk-Gdynia region and [Szczecin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szczecin "Szczecin") in the far northwest. This coast has several spits, dunes and coastal lakes. Coast lakes are former bays that have been cut off from the sea. These areas are sometimes called lagoons. Szczecin Lagoon is on the western border with Germany. The Vistula Lagoon") is on the eastern border with [Kaliningrad](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad "Kaliningrad"), province of Russia. The longest river in Poland, the Vistula river, empties into the Vistula Lagoon") and also directly into the Baltic Sea.

  The northeastern region is densely wooded, sparsely populated and lacks agricultural and industrial resources. The geographical region has four hilly districts of moraines and lakes created by moraines. These formed during and after the [Pleistocene](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene "Pleistocene") ice age. The Masurian Lake District is the largest of the four districts and covers much of northeastern Poland.

  Poland has many lakes. In Europe only Finland has more lakes. The largest lakes are Śniardwy") and Mamry"). In addition to the lake districts in the north, there is also a large number of mountain lakes in the Tatras mountains").

  South of the northeastern region is the regions of Silesia and [Masovia](/w/index.php?title=Masovia&action=edit&redlink=1 "Masovia (not yet started)"), which are marked by broad ice age river valleys. Silesia region has many resources and people. Coal is abundant. Lower Silesia has large copper mining. Masovian Plain") is in central Poland. It is in the valleys of three large rivers: Vistula, Bug and [Narew](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narew "Narew").

  Further south is the Polish mountain region. These mountains include the Sudetes and the Carpathian Mountains. The highest part of the Carpathians is the Tatra mountains which is along Poland’s southern border. The tallest mountain in Poland, Rysy") at 2,503 m (8,210 ft), is in the High Tatras").

  Poland is made of sixteen regions known as voivodeships (_województwa_, singular - _województwo_). They are basically created from the country's historical regions, whereas those of the past two decades (till [1998](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998 "1998")) had been focused on and named for separate cities. The new units range in areas from under 10,000 km2 (Opole Voivodeship) to over 35,000 km2 (Masovian Voivodeship). Voivodeships are controlled by voivod governments, and their legislatures are called voivodeship sejmiks").

  The sixteen voivodeships that make up Poland are further divided into _powiaty_ (singular _powiat_), second-level units of administration, which are about the same as to a county, district or prefecture in other countries.

  [Voivodeship](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voivodeship "Voivodeship")Capital city or cities_in Polish_Kuyavia-Pomerania")_Kujawsko-Pomorskie_Bydgoszcz / ToruńGreater Poland_Wielkopolskie_Poznań[Lesser Poland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Poland_Voivodeship "Lesser Poland Voivodeship")_Małopolskie_KrakówŁódź")_Łódzkie_ŁódźLower Silesia_Dolnośląskie_WrocławLublin")_Lubelskie_[Lublin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lublin "Lublin")Lubusz")_Lubuskie_Gorzów Wielkopolski / Zielona GóraMasovia_Mazowieckie_Warsaw (National Capital)Opole")_Opolskie_[Opole](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole "Opole")Podlasie")_Podlaskie_BiałystokPomerania")_Pomorskie_GdańskSilesia_Śląskie_Katowice[Subcarpathia](/w/index.php?title=Subcarpathian_Voivodeship&action=edit&redlink=1 "Subcarpathian Voivodeship (not yet started)")_Podkarpackie_RzeszówSwietokrzyskie")_Świętokrzyskie_KielceWarmia-Masuria")_Warmińsko-Mazurskie_OlsztynWest Pomerania")_Zachodniopomorskie_[Szczecin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szczecin "Szczecin")![Wojewodztwa.svg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wojewodztwa.svg)

  Literature
  ----------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henryk_Sienkiewicz_02.jpg)

  Henryk SienkiewiczAlmost no Polish literature remains before Christianisation in the 10th century. Polish literature was written in the [Latin language](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_language "Latin language") during the Middle Ages. The Polish language was accepted as equal to Latin after the Renaissance for literature.

  Jan Kochanowski was a leading poet of European Renaissance literature in the 16th century. Other great Polish poets include [Adam Mickiewicz](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Mickiewicz "Adam Mickiewicz") who wrote _Pan Tadeusz")_ epic in 1834.

  Several Polish novelists have won the Nobel prize. Henryk Sienkiewicz won in 19dramatized versions of famous events in Polish history. Władysław Reymont won a Nobel prize in 1924. He wrote the novel Chłopi"). Two polish poets won Nobel prize as well. One is Wisława Szymborska (1996) and the second Czesław Miłosz") (1980).

  [Stanisław Lem](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem "Stanisław Lem") is a famous science fiction author in the modern era. His _Solaris&action=edit&redlink=1 "Solaris (novel) (not yet started)")_ novel was made twice into a feature film.

  People
  ------

  Main page: Poles

  In the past, Poland was inhabited by people from different nations and of different religions (mainly Catholics, Orthodox and [Judaism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism "Judaism")). This changed after 1939, because of the Nazi Holocaust which killed many Polish Jews. After World War II, the country was changed into a communist country, by the Warsaw Pact which included most central European countries and Russia [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia").

  Today 38,038,000 people live in Poland (2011). In 2002 96.74% of the population call themselves Polish, while 471,500 people (1.23%) claimed another nationality. 774,900 people (2.03%) did not declare any nationality. Nationalities, or ethnic groups in Poland are Silesians"), Germans (most in the former Opole Voivodeship")), Ukrainians, Lithuanians, [Russians](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"), Jews and Belarusians. The Polish language is part of the West Slavic section of the Slavic languages. It is also the official language of Poland. [English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language "English language") and German are the most common second languages studied and spoken.

  In the past few years, Poland's population has gone down because of an increase in emigration and a sharp drop in the birth rate. In 2006, the census office estimated the total population of Poland at 38,536,869, a very small rise on the 2002 figure of 38,230,080. Since Poland's accession to the European Union, a large number of Polish people have moved to work in Western European countries like the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Some organizations state people have left because of high [unemployment](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment "Unemployment") (10.5%) and better opportunities for work somewhere else. In April 2007, the Polish population of the United Kingdom had risen to about 300,000 people and estimates predict about 65,000 Polish people living in the Republic of Ireland. However, in recent years strong growth of Polish economy and increasing value of Polish currency (PLN) makes many Polish immigrants to go back home. In 2007, the number of people leaving the country was lower than people who are coming back. Poland became an attractive place to work for people from other countries (mainly Ukraine).

  A Polish minority is still present in neighboring countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania, as well as in other countries. The largest number of ethnic Poles outside of the country can be found in the United States.

  Famous people
  -------------

  - Fryderyk Chopin, a music composer.
  - Joseph Conrad, born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, an acclaimed author who however wrote in English.
  - Nicolaus Copernicus, an [astronomer](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomer "Astronomer") who showed that the Earth moves around the Sun.
  - Maria Skłodowska-Curie discovered radium and polonium.
  - Franciszek Kamieński"), discovered [mycorrhiza](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza "Mycorrhiza").
  - Tadeusz Kościuszko, an army commander who fought for USA's and Poland's independence.
  - Robert Kubica, a F1 driver.
  - Stanisław Lem, a science fiction writer.
  - Adam Małysz, a ski-jumper.
  - [Adam Mickiewicz](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Mickiewicz "Adam Mickiewicz"), a poet
  - Pope John Paul II (earlier Karol Wojtyła). Before he became Pope, he was a Bishop in Kraków.
  - Agnieszka Radwańska, female tennis player
  - Władysław Reymont, a novelist
  - Henryk Sienkiewicz, a novelist
  - [Kamil Stoch](/w/index.php?title=Kamil_Stoch&action=edit&redlink=1 "Kamil Stoch (not yet started)"), a ski jumper
  - Wisława Szymborska, a writer
  - Andrzej Wajda, a film director
  - Lech Wałęsa, leader of "Solidarność" ("Solidarity"), he helped defeat the communist government in Poland and USSR influence in Central and Eastern Europe
  - Robert Lewandowski, a football player
  - Czesław Miłosz"), a poet

  Urban demographics
  ------------------

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Warsaw_-_Royal_Castle_Square.jpg/200px-Warsaw_-_Royal_Castle_Square.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Warsaw_-_Royal_Castle_Square.jpg)

  Warsaw, the castle and the cathedral in the background. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lodz_manufaktura_01.jpg)

  Łódź, Izrael's Poznański Factory. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wroclaw_1.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wroclaw_1.jpg "Enlarge")

  Wrocław. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Poznan_Poland.jpg)

  Old Market square in Poznań. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gdansk_Glowne_Miasto.jpg)

  Old town in [Gdańsk](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk "Gdańsk"). ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Szczecin_town_hall.jpg)

  Old town in Szczecin. ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Torun01CenterWithWall.JPG)

  Toruń. [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a_Town_Hall.jpg/160px-Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a_Town_Hall.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a_Town_Hall.jpg)

  Town Hall in Bielsko-Biała. The lists below show the population count of Poland's largest cities based on 2005 estimates.

   Agglomeration or conurbation Voivodeship Inhabitants  
  (Estimated, 2005)1Katowice ([USIA](/w/index.php?title=Upper_Silesian_Industrial_Area&action=edit&redlink=1 "Upper Silesian Industrial Area (not yet started)"))Silesia**3,487,000**2Warsaw (Warszawa)Masovia2,679,0003KrakówLesser Poland1,400,0004Łódź[Łódź](/w/index.php?title=%C5%81%C3%B3d%C5%BA_Voivodeship&action=edit&redlink=1 "Łódź Voivodeship (not yet started)")1,300,0005TricityPomerania")1,100,0006PoznańGreater Poland1,000,000 City Voivodeship Inhabitants  
  May 20, 2002Inhabitants  
  [December 31](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_31 "December 31"), 20041Warsaw (Warszawa)Masovia**1,671,670****1,692,854**2ŁódźŁódź")789,318774,0043Kraków[Lesser Poland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Poland_Voivodeship "Lesser Poland Voivodeship")758,544757,4304WrocławLower Silesia640,367636,2685PoznańGreater Poland578,886570,7786GdańskPomerania")461,334459,0727[Szczecin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szczecin "Szczecin")Western Pomerania")415,399411,9008BydgoszczKuyavia-Pomerania")373,804368,2359LublinLublin")357,110355,99810Katowice[Silesia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_Voivodeship "Silesian Voivodeship")327,222319,90411BiałystokPodlasie")291,383292,15012GdyniaPomerania")253,458253,32413CzęstochowaSilesia251,436248,03214[Sosnowiec](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosnowiec "Sosnowiec")Silesia232,622228,19215RadomMasovia229,699227,61316KielceŚwiętokrzyskie212,429209,45517Toruń[Kuyavia-Pomerania](/w/index.php?title=Kuyavian-Pomeranian_Voivodeship&action=edit&redlink=1 "Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (not yet started)")211,243208,27818GliwiceSilesia203,814200,36119ZabrzeSilesia195,293192,54620BytomSilesia193,546189,53521[Bielsko-Biała](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a "Bielsko-Biała")Silesia178,028176,98722OlsztynWarmia-Masuria")173,102174,55023RzeszówSubcarpathia")160,376159,02024Ruda Śląska[Silesia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_Voivodeship "Silesian Voivodeship")150,595147,40325RybnikSilesia142,731141,75526TychySilesia132,816131,54727Dąbrowa GórniczaSilesia132,236130,78928[Opole](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole "Opole")Opole")129,946128,86429PłockMasovia128,361127,84130ElblągWarmia-Masuria")128,134127,65531Wałbrzych[Lower Silesia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship "Lower Silesian Voivodeship")130,268127,56632Gorzów WielkopolskiLubusz")125,914125,57833WłocławekKuyavia-Pomerania")121,229120,36934TarnówLesser Poland119,913118,26735[Zielona Góra](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zielona_G%C3%B3ra "Zielona Góra")Lubusz")118,293118,51636ChorzówSilesia117,430115,24137KaliszGreater Poland109,498108,79238Koszalin")[Western Pomerania](/w/index.php?title=West_Pomeranian_Voivodeship&action=edit&redlink=1 "West Pomeranian Voivodeship (not yet started)")108,709107,77339LegnicaLower Silesia107,100106,14340SłupskPomerania")100,37699,82741Grudziądz")Kuyavia-Pomerania")99,94398,75742[Jaworzno](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaworzno "Jaworzno")Silesia98,78096,600Other pages
  -----------

  - List of rivers of Poland
  - Poland at the Olympics
  - Poland national football team


id: c5f7053e149e482f86dbd0f1366ff5bb
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Republic of China
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  The **Republic of China** (simplified Chinese: 中华民国; traditional Chinese: 中華民國; [pinyin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin "Pinyin"): _Zhonghua Minguo_), also known as Republic of China (Taiwan), is a democratic island country in East Asia. It is usually called **Taiwan**. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is to the northwest; [Japan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan "Japan") is to the northeast; the Philippines is to the south. Chinese Nationalist lost the Chinese Civil War to Communists in 1949, and moved the government of Republic of China from Nanjing to Taipei. It still claims the ownership of all of China including Mainland China.
   
  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Territory
  - 2 Administrative divisions
  - [3 History](#History)
  - 4 Politics
  - 5 Language
  - 6 Notes
  - 7 References

  Territory
  ---------

  The territory the Republic of China (ROC) controls is known by most people as the island of **Taiwan**. Most places on Taiwan Island are called "Taiwan Province" by the government of the Republic of China for official business, except the two largest cities of [Taipei](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei "Taipei") and Kaohsiung. West of Taiwan Island, there are three small groups of islands that also belong to ROC. They are:

  - The Pescadores (Penghu, 澎湖列島): They also are part of Taiwan Province.
  - Quemoy (Kinmen, 金門): A part of Fujian province, called Kinmen County(金門縣).
  - Matsu (馬祖列島): the smallest county, called Lienchiang County(連江縣), also part of [Fujian](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian "Fujian") province
  - Diaoyutai Islands:The Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚臺列嶼|Diàoyútái Lièyû) are a group of islands where nobody lives that the Republic of China (ROC) claims it belong to them, but also claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Japan. In Japanese, the islands are known as the Senkaku Islands (尖閣諸島, Senkaku Shotō?). The islands are now under the control of Japan.
  - Dong-Sha Islands"):The Pratas Islands or Dong-Sha Islands (東沙羣島) consists of three islands in the northeastern South China Sea, 340 km southeast of Hong Kong.
  - Taiping") (Traditional Chinese: 太平島|Tàipíng), also known as Itu Aba, is the largest of the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) in the South China Sea.

  The ROC used to govern Mainland China too. Now it is governed by the Communist People's Republic of China see [History](#History) and Political problems of China. However, ROC still declares Mainland China as its territory officially. The Republic of China also used to Mongolia.

  ![Republic_of_China_(orthographic_projection,_historical).svg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Republic_of_China_(orthographic_projection,_historical).svg)

  .svg "Enlarge")

  This is the territory of the Republic of China between 1912 and 1949. Administrative divisions
  ------------------------

  ![Taiwan ROC political divisions labeled.svg](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Taiwan_ROC_political_divisions_labeled.svg)

  There are administrative divisions in different levels and types.

  - Provinces (省 shěng)  
    (1st level): 
    - Taiwan Province
    - [Fujian Province](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_Province,_Republic_of_China "Fujian Province, Republic of China")

  - Special municipalities (直轄市 zhíxiáshì)  
    (1st and 2nd level): 
    - New Taipei City
    - Taipei City
    - Taichung City
    - Tainan City
    - Kaohsiung City

  - Provincial cities (市 shì)  
    (2nd level): 
    - Keelung City
    - [Hsinchu City](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsinchu_City "Hsinchu City")
    - Chiayi City

  - Counties (縣 xiàn)  
    (2nd level): 
    - Changhua County
    - Chiayi County
    - Hsinchu County
    - Hualien County
    - Kinmen County
    - [Lienchiang County](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lienchiang_County "Lienchiang County")
    - Miaoli County
    - Nantou County")
    - Penghu County")
    - Pingtung County")
    - Taitung County")
    - Taoyuan County
    - [Yilan County](/w/index.php?title=Yilan_County&action=edit&redlink=1 "Yilan County (not yet started)")
    - Yunlin County")

  157 Districts (區 qū), 17 Country-controlled cities (縣轄市 xiànxiáshì), 41 Urban Townships (鎮 zhèn), and 153 Rural Townships (鄉 xiāng) stand the 3rd level. Districts stand under either Special municipalities or Provincial cities; Country-controlled cities, Urban Townships, and Rural Townships stand under Counties.

  Villages (里 lǐ or 村 cūn) stand the 4th level, and Neighborhoods (鄰 lín) stand the 5th level.

  History
  -------

  The Nationalists, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, got rid of the Qing Dynasty ruled by the Manchus, then they established the ROC and ended Imperial Dynastic Rule in late-1911. The ROC at that time had Mainland China and all of what is now called Mongolia.

  After the Japanese were defeated by the Allies during World War II, Taiwan was controlled by the ROC.

  In 1949, the Chinese Communists fought a [war](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_war "Civil war") against the Nationalists and won. They established the People's Republic of China. The Nationalists left mainland China and arrived in Taiwan.

  Politics
  --------

  After the ROC created a base on Taiwan, it hoped one day to capture the Mainland. But Chinese Communists grew stronger, so the Nationalists never did go back. The Communists say they replaced the ROC as the only government of China and also calls Taiwan their own.

  There are those people in Taiwan who want to never be a part of the People's Republic of China. They believe in complete Taiwan independence") and want to rename the ROC (Taiwan) to "Republic of Taiwan" so Taiwan can no longer have any ancestral connection to China or Chinese culture. Some other people wish to unite with the People's Republic of China; they want Chinese reunification"). Some still want to attack the PRC and reunify China under the Republic of China. Some others want the _status quo")_, which means keeping everything the way it is now.

  Language
  --------

  Most Taiwanese people speak the Standard Chinese language known as [Mandarin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_language "Mandarin language"), and others speak local dialects such as Min Nan (Taiwanese) or Hakka. The Cantonese language, spoken in parts of southern China (for example, the province of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau), is not spoken in Taiwan. A small percentage of Aboriginal Taiwanese speak [aboriginal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal "Aboriginal") languages, but the rest of the Chinese people have treated them badly, and many of these people, and their languages, struggle to survive. Some older Taiwanese people who went to school while the country was under Japanese rule can speak Japanese.

  After the Nationalist government fled the Mainland in 1948-49, they brought their language, Mandarin, with them, and made Mandarin the only official language. Then everyone in the ROC had to learn Mandarin. But, unlike the people in Mainland China, the Taiwanese never changed to simplified Chinese characters and so they have always used traditional Chinese characters. In the past, students were not allowed to speak their mother tongue in school and were expected to speak only Mandarin. Taiwanese, Hakka, and native languages were considered bad until the early 1990s, when education in these languages began to be taught in some school systems. They were promoted, but by this time, many young people could speak only Mandarin.

  Notes
  -----

  1. ↑ _Waishengren_ usually refers to people who immigrated") from mainland China to Taiwan after 1945, also the Chinese refugees migrated to Taiwan due to the [Chinese Civil War](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War "Chinese Civil War"), and to their descendants born in Taiwan. It does not include citizens of the People's Republic of China who more recently moved to Taiwan.
  2. ↑ Taiwanese aborigines are officially categorised into 16 separate ethnic groups") by the Republic of China. Template:Harvp")


id: b47ff6653d1e432e9cf47fe70a29bf63
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Russia
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Russia** (Russian: Россия), official name: **Russian Federation** (Russian: Российская Федерация) is a country that is mostly in Asia and partly in [Eastern Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe "Eastern Europe"). It is the largest country in the world by land area. About 142.9 million people live in Russia according to the 2010 census. The official name for Russia in English is the Russian Federation. The capital city of Russia is Moscow. Russia shares borders with [Norway](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway "Norway"), Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), [Belarus](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus "Belarus"), Ukraine, Georgia "Georgia (country)"), Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and [North Korea](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea "North Korea"). It also has borders over water with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the United States by the Bering Strait.
   
  Russia is a very large and diverse country. Its government is now based on a democratic form of rule. The president is chosen in direct elections, and its current President is [Vladimir Putin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin "Vladimir Putin"). The official language is Russian. Russia produces a lot of energy made from oil and natural gas.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Size and resources
  - 2 Constitution
    - 2.1 Politics
  - [3 History](#History)
    - 3.1 History of present Russian Federation
  - 4 Geography
  - 5 Demographics
  - 6 Culture and Religion
    - 6.1 Music and ballet
    - 6.2 Literature
    - [6.3 Sports](#Sports)
        - 6.3.1 Chess
    - 6.4 Religion
  - 7 Related pages
  - 8 References

  Size and resources
  ------------------

  At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the world's eighth most populous nation with 143 million people as of 2012.

  Extending from eastern [Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe "Europe") across the whole of northern Asia, Russia spans nine time zones and has a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves, and its [lakes](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes "Lakes") contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.

  Constitution
  ------------

  Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic. It has a president and a parliament. Russia consists of 85 federal subjects (territorial units). All subjects of the federation shall be equal. All entities are subject to the uniform federal law. Subjects of the federation have two representatives in the parliament. Subjects of the Russian Federation do not have a right to secession from it. Important issues are decided by the Federation President; lesser powers are given to the member republics.

  At the end of the twentieth century, Russia experienced many political upheavals. Some people fought to withdraw from the federation.

  Elections are held at all levels. According Steve White, the present government made it clear that they had no plans of establishing a "second edition" of the American or British political system, but rather a system that was closer to Russia's own traditions and circumstances. Richard Sakwa wrote that the Russian government is considered legitimate by the majority of the Russian people. It seeks to deliver a set of public goods without trying to fit to extra-democratic logic to achieve them, but whether the system is becoming autocratic (dictatorial) is more debatable.

  ### Politics

  There are four major political parties in Russia. United Russia (Единая Россия) is the largest party.

  NameIdeologyLeader[MPs](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_Parliament "Member of Parliament")United Russia  
  _Единая Россия_Conservatism, Centrism")Vladimir Putin342Communist Party of the Russian Federation  
  _Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации_Communism, [Marxism-Leninism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism-Leninism "Marxism-Leninism")Gennady Zyuganov42Liberal Democratic Party of Russia  
  _Либерально-Демократическая Партия России_Nationalism, Authoritarian conservatism.Vladimir Zhirinovsky39A Just Russia  
  _Справедливая Россия_Social democracy, [Democratic socialism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism "Democratic socialism")Sergei Mironov")23Civic Platform&action=edit&redlink=1 "Wikipedia:Civic Platform (Russia) (not yet started)")_Гражданская платформа_

  Conservatism, Economic liberalismLiberal conservatism

  Rifat Shaykhutdinov")1[Rodina](/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Rodina_(political_party)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Wikipedia:Rodina (political party) (not yet started)")_Родина_

  Russian nationalism")National conservatism")

  Alexey Zhuravlyov&action=edit&redlink=1 "Wikipedia:Aleksey Zhuravlyov (politician) (not yet started)")1Vacant1_**Total**__**450**_The United Russia is the ruling party, which supports the government. The other parties in the Duma (Russian parliament) do not criticize the government strongly, for fear of losing their places in the Duma. Many opposition parties, such as the People's Freedom Party") and the Other Russia"), have been unable to register due to very strict rules. In the 2000s the government led a war in Chechnya, and in the process, [civil liberties](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_liberties "Civil liberties") and independent media were restricted. Corruption is widespread and human rights, especially in the North Caucasus, are frequently violated. In 2008 Putin's government was in a war with Georgia in a dispute over a region with many ethnic Russians.

  History
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_der-Grosse_1838.jpg)

  Peter the Great proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721 The roots of Russia's history began when the [East Slavs](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_peoples "Slavic peoples") formed a group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. The Vikings and their descendants founded the first East Slavic state of Kievan Rus' in the 9th century. They adopted Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in 988. This form of Christianity influenced Russian culture greatly. Kievan Rus' eventually broke up and the lands were divided into many small feudal states. The most powerful successor state to Kievan Rus' was the [Grand Duchy of Moscow](/w/index.php?title=Grand_Duchy_of_Moscow&action=edit&redlink=1 "Grand Duchy of Moscow (not yet started)"). This area served as the main force in later Russian unification and the fight against the Golden Horde from Asia. Moscow slowly gained control of the regions around it and took over the cultural and political life of Kievan Rus'.

  In the 18th century, the nation had expanded through conquest, annexation and exploration to become the Russian Empire, the third largest empire in history. It stretched from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth eastward to the Pacific Ocean and [Alaska](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska "Alaska"). The empire was ruled by an emperor called the Tsar.

  Peter the Great ruled Russia from 1689 until 1725. Peter moved the capital from Moscow to a new city named Saint Petersburg. He made Russian society more modern in many ways. The government began building ships for the Russian navy.

  The Russo-Japanese War started in 1904 and ended in 1905 with Japan winning the war. The Russian defeat was one of the reasons for later [revolutions](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution "Revolution").

  In October 1917, the Bolsheviks (later called "Communists"), influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, took over the country and murdered the Tsar and other people who stood against them. Once they took power, the Bolsheviks, under Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, created the first [Marxist](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism "Marxism") Communist State.

  From the 1920s to the 1950s, Josef Stalin ruled as an absolute dictator of Soviet Russia, and destroyed anything and anyone that was against his rule, including taking the property of farmers and shopkeepers. Many millions of people starved and died in the resulting famines. Stalin also removed, or "purged", all military personnel who were not loyal to him, and many were killed or sent to prison camps, or gulags, for many years. Even in the gulags, many prisoners died.

  Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany agreed not to attack each other in 1939. In June 1941, Germany broke the agreement and attacked in [Operation Barbarossa](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa "Operation Barbarossa"). The attack was part of World War II. The war lasted in Europe until May 1945, and Russia lost more than 20 million people during that time. In spite of this large loss, Russia was one of the winners of the war and became a world superpower.

  From 1922 to 1991, Russia was the largest part of the Soviet Union, or the _Union of Soviet Socialist Republics_ (USSR). People sometimes used the name "Russia" for the whole Soviet Union, or sometimes "Soviet Russia". Russia was only one of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. The republic was in fact named the "Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" (RSFSR).

  The Soviet Union fell apart in the early 1990s. Russia took over the place of the USSR in the United Nations (UN).

  ### History of present Russian Federation

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moscow,_City_May_2010_03.JPG)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moscow,_City_May_2010_03.JPG "Enlarge")

  Moscow International Business Center under construction Boris Yeltsin was elected the President of Russia in June 1991, in the first direct presidential election in Russian history. Wide-ranging reforms took place, including privatization and free trade laws. Radical changes "(shock therapy) were recommended by the United States and International Monetary Fund. A major [economic crisis](/w/index.php?title=Economic_crisis&action=edit&redlink=1 "Economic crisis (not yet started)") followed. There was 50% decline in GDP and industrial output between 1990–95.

  The privatization largely shifted control of enterprises from state agencies to individuals with inside connections in the government system. Many of the newly rich business people took billions in cash and assets outside of the country . The depression of state and economy led to the collapse of social services. Millions went into poverty, from 1.5% level of poverty in the late Soviet era, to 39–49% by mid-1993. The 1990s saw extreme corruption and lawlessness, rise of criminal gangs and violent crime.

  The 1990s had many armed conflicts in the North Caucasus. There were both local ethnic battles and separatist Islamist insurrections. Since the Chechen separatists declared independence in the early 1990s, a Chechen War was fought between the rebel groups and the Russian military. Terrorist attacks against [civilians](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian "Civilian") caused hundreds of deaths. The most notable of these were the Moscow theater hostage crisis") and Beslan school siege").

  Russia took responsibility for settling the USSR's external debts, even though its population made up just half of the population of the USSR at the time of its dissolution. High budget deficits caused the 1998 Russian financial crisis") and resulted in further GDP decline.

  On 31 December 1999 President Yeltsin resigned, or quit being the president. The job of president was given to the recently appointed Prime Minister, [Vladimir Putin](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin "Vladimir Putin"). Putin then won the 2000 presidential election. Putin stopped the Chechen rebellion quickly, but violence still occurs in the Northern Caucasus at times.

  High oil prices and initially weak currency followed by increasing domestic demand, consumption "Consumption (economics)") and investments has helped the economy grow for nine straight years. This improved the standard of living and increasing Russia's influence on the world stage. While many reforms made during the Putin presidency have been criticized by Western nations as un-democratic, Putin's leadership led to stability, and progress. This won him widespread popularity in Russia.

  On 2 March 2008, Dmitry Medvedev was elected President of Russia, whilst Putin became [Prime Minister](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Russia "Prime Minister of Russia"). Putin returned to the presidency following the 2012 presidential elections, and Medvedev was appointed Prime Minister.

  Geography
  ---------

  Russia's capital and the biggest city is Moscow. The second biggest city is Saint Petersburg, which was the capital of Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  Cities in Russia with more than one million people are, in order:

  - Moscow
  - Saint Petersburg
  - Novosibirsk
  - Yekaterinburg
  - Nizhniy Novgorod
  - Samara")
  - [Omsk](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omsk "Omsk")
  - Kazan
  - Ufa")
  - Chelyabinsk
  - Rostov on Don
  - Krasnoyarsk")
  - Volgograd

  The most western point of Russia is near [Kaliningrad](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad "Kaliningrad"), formerly named Königsberg. The most eastern point of Russia is Diomid island, 35 km from Chukotka") (Russia) and 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Alaska (USA). The most southern point is in Caucasus, on the border with Azerbaijan. The most northern point is on Franz Josef Land archipelago in Arctic Ocean, 900 kilometres (560 mi) from the [North Pole](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole "North Pole").

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Russian_Regions-EN.svg)

  Russian Federation regions Demographics
  ------------

  Ethnic composition (2010)Russians80.90%Tatars3.87%Ukrainians1.40%Bashkirs")1.15%[Chuvash](/w/index.php?title=Chuvash_people&action=edit&redlink=1 "Chuvash people (not yet started)")1.05%Chechen")1.04%Armenians0.86%Other/unspecified9.73%![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Population_of_Russia.PNG)

  Population (in millions) 1950–January 2009. Russia has a population of 142 million citizens. Most people (73.7%) live in cities. The population decreased by 5 million people since the fall of the Soviet Union. The current population growth is close to zero, and the population even went down by 0.085% in 2008.

  Russia's area is about 17 million square kilometers (6.5 million sq. mi.). It is the largest country in the world. Its [population density](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_density "Population density") is about 9 persons per square kilometer (22 per sq. mi.). This is among the lowest country density in the world. The population is most dense in the European part of the country, centering around Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

  Culture and Religion
  --------------------

  ### Music and ballet

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Tschaikowski.jpg)

  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893), composer. World-renowned composers of the 20th century included Alexander Scriabin, [Igor Stravinsky](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Stravinsky "Igor Stravinsky"), Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich. Russia has produced some of the greatest pianists: Anton Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz and [Vladimir Ashkenazy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Ashkenazy "Vladimir Ashkenazy") are among the all-time greats.

  Russian composer Tchaikovsky created famous ballets such as The Nutcracker. The impressario Sergei Diaghilev was responsible for the development of ballet in the early 20th century with the Ballets Russes. Dance companies at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet produced many famous [dancers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancer "Dancer").

  ### Literature

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:L.N.Tolstoy_Prokudin-Gorsky.jpg)

  Leo Tolstoy wrote _War and Peace_. Russians have contributed many famous works of literature. Alexander Pushkin is considered a founder of modern Russian literature. He was a poet from the 19th century.

  Other famous poets and writers of the 19th century were Anton Chekhov, [Mikhail Lermontov](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Lermontov "Mikhail Lermontov"), Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol (he was born in what is now Ukraine, but during his lifetime Ukraine was a part of Russia), Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky are considered by many people to be two of the greatest novelists ever. Three Russians won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the 20th century: Boris Pasternak (1958), [Mikhail Sholokhov](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Sholokhov "Mikhail Sholokhov") (1965) and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1980). Mikhail Bulgakov's _The Master and Margarita_ was also a novel of the highest quality.

  ### Sports

  Soccer, ice hockey and [basketball](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball "Basketball") are among the most popular sports. Boxing, gymnastics, weightlifting, and tennis are also popular sports. Track suits are popular clothing items for many Russians. Sports people to gain world fame include former tennis world number one Maria Sharapova, who has won three Grand Slam titles, and was the world's highest paid female athlete in 2008.

  Since the 1952 Olympic Games, Soviet and later Russian athletes are in the three in gold medals collected at the Summer Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow while the 2014 Winter Olympics were hosted in Sochi.

  #### Chess

  [Chess](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess "Chess") is the main intellectual sport in Russia. In the 20th century there were nine Russian World Chess Champions, more than all other nations combined.

  ### Religion

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moscow_-_Cathedral_of_Christ_the_Saviour.jpg)

  Cathedral of Christ the Saviour&action=edit&redlink=1 "Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Moscow) (not yet started)"), demolished during the Soviet period, was reconstructed from 1990–2000. The main religion in Russia is the Russian Orthodox Church. It is one of the [Eastern Orthodox Churches](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church "Eastern Orthodox Church").

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Crime in Russia
  - List of rivers of Russia
  - Russia at the Olympics
  - Russia national football team
  - Soviet Union


id: 75488dda7bf2430d9e3c28ddf053fcd3
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Spain
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Spain** is a country in [Southern Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europe "Southern Europe"). It is in the Iberian Peninsula near Portugal and Gibraltar. France and the country of Andorra are on its northeast side, where the Pyrenees mountains are.
   
  The people of Spain are called Spaniards and most people there speak [Spanish](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language "Spanish language") (in Spanish, "Castellano", from _Castilla_, or "Español"). They speak other languages in some parts of the country. They are Catalan, Basque, and Galician, Leonese, Aragonese, Aranese [Occitan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occitan_language "Occitan language") and even Portuguese. The religion of most of the people in Spain is Roman Catholic.

  Since 1975, Spain has had a constitutional monarchy. The King of Spain is Felipe VI. He only does what the constitution allows him to. The parliament is called _Las Cortes Generales_, and has two bodies: "El Congreso" (The Congress) and "El Senado" (The Senate) and it is chosen by the Spanish people by [voting](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote "Vote"). The Prime minister is Mariano Rajoy. The government and the king's palace are in Madrid, the capital "Capital (city)") of Spain.

  Spain has more than five hundred thousand [square kilometres](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_kilometre "Square kilometre") of land. It is smaller than France, but it is bigger than Sweden or Germany. Almost fifty million people live in Spain. Spain has 17 parts called autonomous communities (this means that they can decide upon some affairs themselves). Each part has its own government.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History of Spain
    - 1.1 Early history
    - [1.2 Muslim occupation](#Muslim_occupation)
    - 1.3 Kingdom of León
    - 1.4 16th and 17th century
    - 1.5 18th century
    - 1.6 19th century
    - 1.7 20th century
    - 1.8 21st century
  - [2 Religion](#Religion)
  - 3 Geography of Spain
    - 3.1 Regions
    - 3.2 Spain, Tapas
    - 3.3 City areas
  - 4 Languages
  - 5 References
    - [5.1 Notes](#Notes)

  History of Spain
  ----------------

  Main page: History of Spain

  ### Early history

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dama_de_Elche.jpg)

  Lady of Elche") made by the Iberians People have lived in Spain for a long time. There have been people living there since the Stone Age. Later, the Roman Empire controlled Spain for about five hundred years; then as the Roman Empire broke up, groups of [Germanic people](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_people "Germanic people") including Visigoths moved in and took control.

  ### Muslim occupation

  In 711, the Umayyads took over, and later groups from North Africa, called the Moors. At first the Muslims ruled most of Spain but the reconquista slowly forced them out over seven centuries. They called the land Al-Andalus. They were [Muslims](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim "Muslim"), and Muslim Spain was the farthest western point of Islamic civilization"). The Caliphate of Córdoba fell apart in the early 11th century and Muslim rulers sometimes fought each other when they weren't fighting the Christians. Muslim Spain was focused on learning. The greatest library system outside [Baghdad](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad "Baghdad") was also there.

  ### Kingdom of León

  The Kingdom of León, the most important in the early Spanish Middle Ages, was born in 910. This Kingdom developed the first democratic parliament (Cortes de Llión) in Europe in 1188. After 1301, León had the same King as the Kingdom of Castile in personal union. The various kingdoms remained independent territories until 1833, when Spain was divided into regions and provinces.

  In 1492, the Christians took the last part of Spain that still belonged to the Moors, Granada. Boabdil"), the last Moorish King of Granada, surrendered to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and [Isabella I of Castile](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_I_of_Castile "Isabella I of Castile") on 2 January 1492. Ferdinand and Isabella now ruled all of Spain.

  Before this, there were a number of Christian countries in what is now called Spain. Two of these countries, Castile and Aragon, came together when Ferdinand II of Aragon married the queen Isabella of Castile. The King ruled as much as the Queen.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spain_Andalusia_Cordoba_BW_2015-10-27_13-54-14.jpg)

  Inside of the Mezquita in [Córdoba](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B3rdoba,_Andalusia "Córdoba, Andalusia"), a Muslim mosque which became a Christian cathedral"). In the same year, 1492, they sent Christopher Columbus to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus found the islands of the Caribbean Sea.

  When other Europeans explored, like Hernán Cortés and [Francisco Pizarro](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro "Francisco Pizarro"), they found out that there were two continents there - North America and South America. Spanish conquistadores took over very large parts of those two continents. This empire did not make Spain a rich country, for most of the money had to be spent in wars in Italy and elsewhere. Some of these wars were fought against other European countries who were trying to take over parts of the Americas.

  Meanwhile, at home, the Muslim manuscripts had been either burnt or taken to other countries. Jews had also been expelled from Spain. Some Jews remained but they had to become Christians. Among the few old things kept and respected in Spain were in [music](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music "Music"): harmony and stringed instruments. The buildings that had been built by the Moors were kept, and many Muslim religious buildings (mosques) were turned into churches. Some Jewish religious buildings were also turned into churches. Many Arab words became part of the Spanish Language.

  ### 16th and 17th century

  The grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella was Charles. When his grandfather died he inherited Castille and Aragon. He also inherited many territories at the death of his other grandfather, Maximilian I of Austria. Charles received from Maximilian the Austria state and the territories of Burgundy. He was named Charles I in Spain, but he was elected as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and was called Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. This made the empire bigger than ever. However, it was not a single country, but a personal union of many independent countries with a single King. At first many Spaniards did not want Charles as their king, so they fought against him. However, he won.

  Charles did not like the [Protestant Reformation](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation "Protestant Reformation"), and fought against it.

  ### 18th century

  In the 18th century some of the parts of that large empire became their own countries, or were taken over by new countries, such as the United States of America.

  ### 19th century

  Spain (and other European countries) was invaded by Napoleon of France. Spain, Britain and Europe sent its troops to defend the peninsula, since it was so weak.

  ### 20th century

  There was not much peace in Spain during the first part of the 20th century. Some Spaniards tried to set up a government chosen by the people (a democracy), and they made Alfonso XIII") leave the country. However, in 1936, two different groups of Spaniards went to war over whether the government should be a democracy, in the [Spanish Civil War](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War "Spanish Civil War") (although those on the side of the Republic were largely socialist or anarchist), or take orders from one person. In 1939, those who wanted democracy were defeated, and a nationalist dictator named Francisco Franco took over the government.

  Francisco Franco died on 20 November 1975. He had decided that Spain should have a monarchy again, and he chose Juan Carlos, the grandson of Juan of Bourbon who had been forced to leave the country, to be king and Adolfo Suárez to become its first Prime Minister. But the king and Suárez did not rule as a dictator; instead, they chose to set up a democracy.

  On 23 February 1981 a group of people who had supported the now dead General Franco tried to take control of the democratic Spanish Parliament by force, they entered the building and fired guns in the air. It was seen live on Spanish television and there was widespread fear that this might be the start of another civil war. However, Juan Carlos I, quickly appeared on television and broadcast to the nation that they should remain calm. The persons responsible for the attempt to take over the country were arrested.

  Now Spain is a modern democratic country, and does business with many countries around the world. It is the eighth largest economy in the world and is an important part of the European Union.

  ### 21st century

  On 2 June 2014, [Juan Carlos I](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_I "Juan Carlos I") announced that he would abdicate in favour of his son, Felipe VI. The date of abdication and handover to Felipe occurred on 19 June 2014. He and his wife kept their titles.

  Religion
  --------

  Ancient religions in Spain were mostly pagan. Today, however, at least 94 percent of Spain is Roman Catholic. Spanish mystic Teresa of Ávila is an important figure within Catholicism. The second largest Christian group is [Orthodox](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox "Orthodox"). Other religions represented include Muslim, Baha'i Buddhists, Jain, Zoroastrianism and Unitarian Universalism. The country also has large [atheist](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheist "Atheist") and agnostic communities.

  Geography of Spain
  ------------------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TeideN1.jpg)

  Teide National Park, TenerifeThe middle of Spain is a high, dry, flat land called La Meseta. In La Meseta it can be very hot in the summer and cold or very cold in the [winter](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter "Winter"). Spain also has many mountain ranges. The Mount Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands), the highest mountain of Spain and the islands of the Atlantic (it is the third largest volcano in the world from its base). In the north there is a range of mountains called _Los Picos de Europa_ (The European Peaks). Here it is very cold in winter with a lot of snow but with gentle warm summers.

  In the south-east of the country is a range of mountains called _La Sierra Nevada "Sierra Nevada (Spain)")_ (The Snowy Mountains). This range of mountains contains the highest mountain in mainland Spain, Mulacen, at 2952 metres. La Sierra Nevada is very popular in winter for winter sports, especially skiing. Snow remains on its peaks throughout the year. The south coast, has a warm and [temperate climate](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_climate "Temperate climate"), not very hot or very cold. Since Spain is in the south of Europe, it is very sunny. Many people from Northern Europe take their vacations in Spain, enjoying its beaches and cities.

  Spain has a border with Portugal in the west and borders with France and Andorra in the North. In the south, it borders Gibraltar, a British territory. The Spanish territories of [Ceuta](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceuta "Ceuta") and Melilla are in North Africa and border onto Morocco.

  ### Regions

  Spain is divided into Autonomous Communities, which means that they have their own regional governments. They are Andalucía (capital city Seville), [Aragon](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragon "Aragon") (capital city Zaragoza), Asturias (capital city Oviedo), Balearic Islands (capital city Palma de Mallorca), Basque Country (capital city [Vitoria](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitoria "Vitoria")), Canary Islands (capital cities Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas), Cantabria (capital city Santander), Castilla-La Mancha") (capital city [Toledo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Spain "Toledo, Spain")), Castile and Leon") (capital city Valladolid), Catalonia (capital city Barcelona), Extremadura (capital city Merida), [Galicia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Spain) "Galicia (Spain)") (capital city Santiago de Compostela), La Rioja (capital city Logrono), Madrid Community (capital city Madrid), Murcia Community (capital city [Murcia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murcia "Murcia")), Navarra (capital city Pamplona) and the Valencia Community (capital city Valencia).

  ### Spain, Tapas

  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palo_Santo_Cafe,_Aranda_de_Duero,_Spain,_Jam%C3%B3n_serrano,_Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant.jpg)
    
    Palo Santo Cafe, Aranda de Duero, Spain, Jamón serrano
  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant,_Palo_Santo_Cafe,_Aranda_de_Duero,_Jam%C3%B3n_serrano.jpg)
    
    Jamón serrano sevred at Palo Santo Cafe, Aranda de Duero
  - [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Palo_Santo_Cafe%2C_Aranda_de_Duero%2C_Spain%2C_Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant.jpg/120px-Palo_Santo_Cafe%2C_Aranda_de_Duero%2C_Spain%2C_Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palo_Santo_Cafe,_Aranda_de_Duero,_Spain,_Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant.jpg)
    
    Anchovies in Spanish Olive OIl
  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tapas_Bar_%26_Restaurant,_Palo_Santo_Cafe,_Aranda_de_Duero.jpg)
    
    (Spanish Tortilla)

  ### City areas

  In Spain, many people live in cities or close to cities. The ten biggest city areas are:

  Pos.City areaRegionProv.population (city + area)1**Madrid**MadridMadrid5,263,0002**Barcelona**CataloniaBarcelona4,251,0003**Valencia**[Valencian Community](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencian_Community "Valencian Community")Valencia1,499,0004**Sevilla**AndaluciaSeville1,262,0005**Bilbao**Basque Country&action=edit&redlink=1 "Basque Country (autonomous community) (not yet started)")Biscay947,0006**Málaga**AndalusiaMálaga844,0007**[Oviedo](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviedo "Oviedo")–Gijón**AsturiasAsturias844,0008**Alicante–Elche**Valencian CommunityAlicante793,0009**Las Palmas de Gran Canaria**[Canarias](/w/index.php?title=Canarias&action=edit&redlink=1 "Canarias (not yet started)")Las Palmas de Gran Canaria640,00010**Zaragoza**AragonZaragoza639,000Languages
  ---------

  While Spanish is the most spoken language in the country, other languages like Catalan, Basque or Galician are also spoken in a few territories.


id: 21e4cb9515c1400ea0994d32b181b23d
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: Turkey
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Turkey** (Turkish: _Türkiye_) is a country in both [Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe "Europe") and Asia. The area of Turkey is about 780,000 square kilometres.
   
  Turkey is a republic. There are 81 provinces in Turkey. The money of Turkey is called Turkish Lira. The capital city is Ankara, a city in central Anatolia. The cultural and economic center is Istanbul, which is in Europe. In the past Istanbul was called [Constantinople](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople "Constantinople"). The republic was founded in 1923, after World War I and a war of independence (_Kurtuluş Savaşı_). Before that, Turkey was the core of the Ottoman Empire.

  Many civilizations were located in the area that is now Turkey, like the Hittites, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. Many important events in the history of Christianity happened in Turkey. Because it lies in both Europe and Asia, some people see Turkey as the "door" between Europe and Asia.

  Modern Turkey's warm and varied [climate](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate "Climate") lets many kinds of food crops grow, and livestock and forestry are important industries. Turkey makes enough food to feed itself. Turkish manufactures include airplanes, electronics, cars, [clothing](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothes "Clothes") and textiles for home and for other countries.

  Turkey is a popular place for tourists to visit. It has hundreds of kilometers of beautiful beaches on its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, and many important historical places.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - [2 People](#People)
  - 3 European Union
  - 4 Economy
  - 5 Provinces
  - 6 Culture
    - 6.1 Language
    - 6.2 Lifestyle
    - [6.3 Majority and minorities](#Majority_and_minorities)
  - 7 Education
  - 8 Earthquakes
  - 9 Other websites
  - 10 Notes
  - 11 References

  History
  -------

  People have been living in Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey - also called [Asia Minor](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Minor "Asia Minor")) longer than almost anywhere else in the world, except Africa.

  The first major empire in the area was the Hittites (from the 18th century to the 13th century BC). The Hittites, who spoke one of the Indo-European languages, developed a high culture in Central Anatolia. Their kingdom was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BC and the successor states were Lydia, Caria and Lycia.

  From 1950 BCE, Greeks and Assyrians inhabited parts of southeastern Turkey. The Assyrian capital was named Tushhan (900-600 BC). The Assyrians ruled over southeastern Turkey until the Assyrian Empire was conquered by [Babylonia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonia "Babylonia") in the year 612 BC. Then Anatolia became home for various kingdoms including the Achaemenid Empire, Hellenistic kingdoms"), Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire), Seljuk Empire, and [Mongol Empire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_Empire "Mongol Empire").

  During the 14th century, after the fall of the Mongol Empire, Lord Osman built a new empire named after himself: the Ottoman Empire. It became one of the longest existing empires of all time. The Empire also stretched across the Balkans, (Yugoslavia and Bulgaria) in Europe. The Kingdom was ruled by Muslim law, but other religions had certain [minority rights](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_rights "Minority rights").

  In World War I the Ottoman Empire was one of the Central Powers. During the war, 500,000 Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were massacred in the so-called Armenian Genocide. Turkey denies that the event was genocide. The Central Powers lost the war and the Ottoman Empire was destroyed, but after that Ataturk led the army to get rid of foreign enemies, like the Greeks. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the first [President of Turkey](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Turkey "President of Turkey"). He made many changes that made Turkey more modern. But some people did not like some of the things he did because they thought they were against Islam. Religious secondary schools were gotten rid of, for example.

  For many years Kurdish guerrillas (usually called the "PKK") led by Abdullah Öcalan have been fighting the Turkish government. They said they were fighting so that the Kurds in the south east of Turkey could have autonomy and decide more things for themselves. But the government and most countries in the world call them [terrorists](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist "Terrorist").

  On 15 July 2016, a coup d'état was attempted.

  People
  ------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yagli_gures1.jpg)

  Oil-wrestling at Kırkpınar About 80 million people live in Turkey. Most of them are ethnic Turks. About 15% are ethnic [Kurds](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurd "Kurd"). Many refugees from Syria (over 2 million) live in Turkey because they have run away from the Syrian civil war.

  The vast majority of Turks are Muslim. The biggest city in Turkey is Istanbul which has the biggest population of any city in Europe.

  Turkish people have many ethnic and famous foods, such as mantı") (Turkish ravioli), [döner](/w/index.php?title=D%C3%B6ner&action=edit&redlink=1 "Döner (not yet started)"), kebabs, Turkish delight, baklava, börek, köfte, and other foods.

  Much of the population in Turkey is made up of teenagers and young adults.

  According to a study, Anatolia is genetically more closely related to the Balkan populations than to the Central Asian populations. The Turks of Anatolia (Asian part of Turkey) have only 13% of genes from populations from Central Asia. The population is mainly from the [Greeks](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks "Greeks"), Armenians and Kurds.

  European Union
  --------------

  Turkey is trying to join the European Union (EU). The EU says that before Turkey can join, it must start trading with the Republic of Cyprus and improve human rights.

  Economy
  -------

  Turkey is in the OECD and the [G-20](/w/index.php?title=G-20&action=edit&redlink=1 "G-20 (not yet started)") and is one of the 20 largest economies. The Turkish currency is called the Lira. The first coins were made in Turkey.

  In the 1970s, many Turks moved to other countries, like Germany, to escape the bad economy at the time and to get better jobs. They often come back to Turkey for their summer holidays. Today, many of the people who left in the 1970s want to move back to Turkey.

  Until the 1980s the government owned most companies, but then Prime Minister Turgut Özal sold them. Before, foreigners were usually not allowed to buy companies, land or property. Earthquakes in 1994, 1999, and 2001 slowed economic growth a bit.

  Turkey mostly buys and sells with the EU, the United States, the Russian Federation, and Japan. Turkey and the EU agreed not to put a lot of tax on what they buy and sell to each other. After that it was easier for Turkish factories to sell products to the EU and for business people in the EU to buy companies in Turkey.

  Turkey's exports in 2010 were worth 117 billion United States dollars.

  Turkey has no petroleum or natural gas so it buys them from other countries, like Russia. In 2010, oil was found in the Turkish City of Diyarbakir, but there was not enough oil to extract. Turkey is searching for natural gas in Northern Turkish Cyprus.

  Provinces
  ---------

  The capital and second-largest city of Turkey is [Ankara](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankara "Ankara"). The largest and the most crowded city is Istanbul which is the only city in the world that has land on two different continents. The third largest city is the coastal city of Izmir which is the main port of the country. Turkey is divided into 81 provinces. Each province has its own little government but they can only make decisions about small things: the government in Ankara decides important issues. The provinces are in 7 regions. Each province is divided into districts. There are 923 districts altogether.

  Culture
  -------

  ### Language

  Main page: Turkish language

  Most people in Turkey speak Turkish. It belongs to the Turkic language group, which also includes many other languages spoken across [Asia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia "Asia"), such as Azerbaijani and Tatar. The Turkish language came from central Asia, but now it is a bit different from the languages spoken in central Asia.

  In Turkey there are also minorities who speak languages such as Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, [Greek](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language "Greek language") or Ladino, and many others.

  Many of the young adults can also speak English, which is taught throughout Primary, Middle and High school.

  ### Lifestyle

  Turkey has a modern culture. The life style of the Turks is similar to that of the Europeans. Turkish culture is a cross between Western countries and modern Islamic culture.

  Different parts of Turkey have similar but not exactly the same lifestyles. The Lifestyle in the West, South West and North West is more modern. People living in that area have modern accents. Southern Turkey also has a modern life style but Turks living by the Mediterranean have southern, much thicker, and more masculine accents than western Turkey. Northerners, by the Black Sea have softer accents and also have modern lifestyles. Eastern and South Eastern Turkey is made up of mostly Kurds. They generally have less modern and more Islamic lifestyles.

  Rich cities in Turkey include Istanbul, İzmir, Ankara, Mersin") (also known as Icel), and [Antalya](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antalya "Antalya").

  ### Majority and minorities

  The majority of Turkey is made up of Turks. The largest minority is Kurds. Kurds live mostly in South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The second largest minority are Arabs.

  Education
  ---------

  Main page: Education in Turkey

  Turkey's literacy rate is currently 95%. People in Turkey are required to go to school for 12 years.

  İstanbul University") was the first university in Turkey. It was established in 1453. Ankara University") was the first university that was started after Turkey became a republic. It was established in 1946.

  There were 6065 high schools in Turkey in 2002 according to Ministry of National Education.[(1)](http://www.meb.gov.tr/Stats/Apk2002/61.htm) In 2011, there were 166 universities in Turkey.

  Earthquakes
  -----------

  The 1999 İzmit earthquake was an approximately 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02 am local time. 18.000 people died in the earthquake. Many people have been killed by earthquakes in Turkey.

  The New York Times estimated that over 570 people died in the Erzincan earthquake of March 13 1992. The earthquake was a 6.8 on the Richter Scale.

  Other websites
  --------------

  !Wikimedia Commons has media related to: _**[Turkey](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Turkey "commons:Special:Search/Turkey")**_!Wikivoyage has a travel guide about: _**Turkey**_- CIA World Factbook - Turkey

  Notes
  -----

  1. ↑ Not specified by law, as appears on the Turkish passports"), ID cards") and [diplomatic missions of Turkey](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botschaft_021.jpg "File:Botschaft 021.jpg").
  2. ↑ as stated in the Treaty of Lausanne")


id: e13baa0fa0b64bab85d08dc4ab035f03
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: United Kingdom
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  The **United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland**, simply called the **United Kingdom** or **UK**, is a sovereign state in Northern Europe. It is a constitutional monarchy that is made up of four separate countries. It is a member of the [European Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union "European Union"), United Nations, the Commonwealth, NATO and the G8. It has the fifth largest economy in the world.

  Around 65 million people live in the UK. They can be divided into four big nationalities based on the countries where they live. These countries, and the names of the people and language spoken there, are as follows:

  - England is the biggest country, and the one where most people in the UK live. People who live in England are called [English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_people "English people"). Their native language is called English, which is spoken by almost everyone in the UK and has become a global lingua franca. A few people in the southwest part of England can speak Cornish, a Celtic language.
  - Scotland, to the north of England, is the second biggest country. People who live here are called [Scottish](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_people "Scottish people"), and some speak languages called Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language, or Scots, which is a lot like English but is different from it.
  - Wales is to the west of England. Its people are called Welsh and have their own Celtic language which is also called Welsh. Not everyone in Wales can speak Welsh, but almost everyone can speak English.
  - Northern Ireland is on the island of [Ireland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland "Ireland"), which is west of Great Britain where the other three countries are on. Some Irish people live here and speak Irish, another Celtic language, or Ulster Scots, a dialect of the language spoken in Scotland.

  Between the 17th and mid 20th-centuries, Britain was a world power. It became a colonial empire that controlled large areas of Africa, Asia, [North America](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America "North America") and Oceania. Many countries left and became independent from the empire in the 20th century, although Britain keeps links with most countries of its former empire.

  The UK has many cities. England is home to London, the biggest city in the UK and also its capital city. There are also many other big cities in England including Birmingham, [Manchester](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester "Manchester"), Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Scotland has the big cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. [Cardiff](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff "Cardiff") and Swansea are in Wales and Belfast is in Northern Ireland. The UK had a dominating empire named the British Empire. At its height in 1922, more than 458 million people lived in the British Empire, one-fifth of the Earth's population. Its area was 13,012,000 sq mi, almost a quarter of the Earth's land area. The British Empire was often called 'the empire on which the sun never sets', that describes a large empire, because the sun is always shining on at least one of its territories.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Prehistory
  - 2 History
    - 2.1 Britain unified
    - 2.2 Parliament
  - [3 Native languages in the UK](#Native_languages_in_the_UK)
    - 3.1 Celtic languages
    - 3.2 Germanic languages
  - 4 Foreign languages
  - 5 Geography
  - 6 Politics
  - 7 Military
  - [8 Economy](#Economy)
  - 9 Literature
  - 10 Education
  - 11 Transport
  - 12 Notes
  - 13 References
   
  Prehistory
  ----------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stonehenge_Wide_Angle.jpg "Enlarge")

  Stonehenge in the United Kingdom Archaeological remains show that the first group of people to live in the British Isles were hunter-gatherers after the last ice age ended. The date is not known: perhaps as early as 8000BC but certainly by 5000BC. They built mesolithic wood and stone monuments. Stonehenge was built between 3000 and 1600BC. [Celtic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celt "Celt") tribes arrived from mainland Europe. Britain was a changing collection of tribal areas, with no overall leader. Julius Caesar tried to invade (take over) the island in 55BC but was not able to do so. The Romans successfully invaded in 43AD.

  History
  -------

  _See also: History of the United Kingdom_Written history began in Britain when writing was brought to Britain by the Romans. Rome ruled in Britain from 44AD to 410AD, but they only ruled England and Wales. The Romans never ruled Scotland north of the Clyde-Forth valley, or Ireland; their northern boundary varied from time to time, and was marked for a while at Hadrian's Wall.

  After the Romans, two waves of immigrants came to Britain. The first were German tribes: the Angles, [Saxons](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxons "Saxons") and Jutes. English, the language, is a development from Anglo-Saxon Old English, and is a Germanic language. The second were the Vikings.

  ### Britain unified

  After a long period when England was split into various kingdoms, it was made into one country by Æthelstan ([Athelstan](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athelstan "Athelstan")) in 945AD. England and Wales were unified by Edward I (Longshanks) by force in the 13th century.

  Union with Scotland took much longer; there were hundreds of years of conflicts between both parts of Britain. This union between England and Scotland in 1707 formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged Scotland and England into one country.

  In 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I of England died, her closest relative was King James VI of Scotland. He became king of England as well as king of Scotland. In 1707, the Scottish and English Parliaments agreed the Treaty of Union, which joined the two countries into one country called _The Kingdom of Great Britain_ under Queen Anne.

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Queen_Elizabeth_II_March_2015.jpg/180px-Queen_Elizabeth_II_March_2015.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Elizabeth_II_March_2015.jpg)

  Queen Elizabeth has reigned since 1952. By 1800, both Scotland and England had already independently had much influence over Ireland since 1200. In that year laws were passed in Great Britain and Ireland to merge the two states. The new country was called the _United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland_. In 1922 much of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State (now called Ireland) from the United Kingdom. However, six northern counties (called Northern Ireland) continue to be part of the United Kingdom. The country was renamed _The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland_.

  ### Parliament

  The British people are represented by members of [Parliament](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament "Parliament"), not ruled by monarchs. Parliament started in 1215 as an advisory body for the monarch, but by the 17th century it had gained enough power to successfully defeat Charles I, in the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector. Though the monarchy was restored after his death, the Crown slowly became the secondary power, and Parliament the first. Members of Parliament (called MPs) were elected, but until the early twentieth century, only men who owned property could vote. In the nineteenth century, more people were given suffrage (the right to vote), but even so, by 1900, women could not vote, and only 40% of men were rich enough to vote. But in 1928, all adults, male and female, got the vote: this is called universal suffrage.

  Parliament is in London, but it has power over the whole of the UK. Today, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own seats of local government but they have more limited powers; Scotland has the self named Scottish Parliament. The Welsh have an assembly and the Northern Irish have Stormount. There isn't an individual English parliament representing the views of only English regions. There are also parliaments in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which are islands that are partly controlled by the UK, and partly independent.

  The members of Parliament belong to [political parties](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party "Political party"): the biggest parties are the Conservative Party, Labour Party, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats. Members of the same party agree to act and vote more or less together. A party with more than half the seats (a majority) forms the government; the leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister, who then appoints other ministers. Because the government has a majority in Parliament, it can normally control what laws are passed.

  Native languages in the UK
  --------------------------

  ### Celtic languages

  - Welsh
  - Cornish
  - Irish Gaelic
  - Scottish Gaelic

  ### Germanic languages

  - English
  - [Scots](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots "Scots")
  - Ulster Scots

  Foreign languages
  -----------------

  Major languages spoken in the United Kingdom other than English include Polish (500,000 - approximate number of speakers in the United Kingdom), Eastern Panjabi or Punjabi (471,000), Bengali (400,000), Urdu (400,000), Cantonese (300,000), [Greek](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language "Greek language") (200,000), Southwestern Caribbean Creole English (170,000).

  Geography
  ---------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:United_Kingdom_labelled_map7_vector.svg)

  The countries of the United Kingdom![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uk_topo_en.jpg)

  The topography of the UK The UK is made up of four different countries: [Wales](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales "Wales"), England and Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital city of Wales is Cardiff. The capital city of England is London. The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh and the capital city of Northern Ireland is [Belfast](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast "Belfast"). Other large cities in the UK are Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, [Sheffield](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield "Sheffield"), Glasgow, Southampton, Leicester, Coventry, Bradford and Nottingham.

  The UK is north-west off the coast of mainland [Europe](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe "Europe"). Around the UK are the North Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. The UK also rules, usually indirectly, a number of smaller places (mostly islands) round the world, which are known as _overseas territories_. They are remnants of the British Empire.

  The weather of the United Kingdom is changeable and unpredictable. Summers are moderately warm, winters are cool to cold. Rain falls throughout the year, and more on the west than the east because of its northerly latitude and the warm water from the Atlantic Ocean's [Gulf Stream](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream "Gulf Stream"). The usually moderate prevailing winds from the Atlantic may be interrupted by Arctic air from the north-east or hot air from the Sahara.

  Politics
  --------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westminster_palace.jpg)

  Westminster, London has the clock tower, which holds the bell [Big Ben](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben "Big Ben")![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theresa_May.png)

  The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is Theresa May since 2016 The UK is a parliamentary democracy based on a [constitutional](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy "Constitutional monarchy") and hereditary monarchy. The people of the United Kingdom vote for a members of Parliament to speak for them and to make laws for them. Queen Elizabeth II is the queen of the UK and is the head of state. Even though she is the head of state, she does not actually govern the country. The government, led by the [Prime Minister](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister "Prime Minister"), governs the country and decides policy. Today, the Prime Minister is Theresa May, who is the leader of the Conservative party and was not directly elected by the people of the country.

  Parliament is where laws are made. It has three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Queen. The House of Commons is the most powerful part. It is where Members of Parliament sit. The Prime Minister sits here as well, because they are a Member of Parliament. The people who sit in the House of Lords are called peers: they are not chosen by the people. Most peers are now appointed by the government. There are some who are hereditary [peers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerage "Peerage") (their fathers were peers); and a few others, such as certain bishops in the established Church of England, and the Judiciary (Law Lords).

  Scotland has its own devolved Parliament with power to make laws on things like education, health and Scottish law. Northern Ireland and Wales have their own devolved Assemblies which have some powers but less than the Scottish parliament. The UK Parliament remains sovereign and it could end the devolved administrations at any time.

  Military
  --------

  The UK has a military of around 223,000 people, not including reserve forces. The UK has one of the most advanced military in the world, alongside such countries such as the USA and France, and operates a large army (British Army), a sizable navy ([Royal Navy](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy "Royal Navy")) and air force (Royal Air Force). From the 18th century to the early 20th century, the UK was one of the most powerful nations in the world, with a huge navy (due to the fact it was surrounded by sea, so a large navy was the most practical option). This status has faded in recent times, but the UK remains a member of various military groups such as the UN Security Council and NATO. It is also still seen as a great military power.

  Economy
  -------

  The UK is a developed country with the sixth largest economy in the world. It was a superpower during the 18th, 19th and early 20th century and was considered since the early 1800s to be the most powerful and influential nation in the world, in politics, economics (For it was the wealthiest country at the time.) and in military strength. Britain continued to be the biggest manufacturing economy in the world until 1908 and the largest economy until the 1920s. The economic cost of two world wars and the decline of the [British Empire](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire "British Empire") in the 1950s and 1960s reduced its leading role in global affairs. The UK has strong economic, cultural, military and political influence and is a nuclear power. It is a member state of the European Union at the moment, but is planning on leaving after brexit was voted for. The UK holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the G8, NATO, World Trade Organization and the [Commonwealth of Nations](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations "Commonwealth of Nations").

  London, the capital, is famous as being the largest centre of finance in the world, along with New York City in the United States.

  Literature
  ----------

  _See also: English literature_![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paget_holmes.png)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paget_holmes.png "Enlarge")

  Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson William Shakespeare was an English playwright. He wrote plays in the late 16th century. Some of his plays were _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Macbeth_. In the 19th century, [Jane Austen](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen "Jane Austen") and Charles Dickens were novelists. Twentieth century writers include the science fiction novelist H.G. Wells and J.R.R. Tolkien. The children's fantasy _Harry Potter_ series was written by J.K. Rowling. Aldous Huxley was also from the United Kingdom.

  English language literature is written by authors from many countries. Eight people from the United Kingdom have won the [Nobel Prize in Literature](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature "Nobel Prize in Literature"). Seamus Heaney is a writer who was born in Northern Ireland.

  Arthur Conan Doyle from Scotland wrote the Sherlock Holmes detective novels. He was from Edinburgh. The poet [Dylan Thomas](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas "Dylan Thomas") brought Welsh culture to international attention.

  Education
  ---------

  England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have separate, but similar, systems of education. They all have rules that education is required from ages five to eighteen, except for in Scotland where school departure is allowed from the age of sixteen. Many children attend state schools and other children attend private schools.

  Britain's universities are the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, and London universities (University College London, the London School of Economics, King's College London and Imperial College London) which collectively form the 'Golden Triangle' of UK universities.

  A broader group of twenty universities form the [Russell Group](/w/index.php?title=Russell_Group&action=edit&redlink=1 "Russell Group (not yet started)"), which account for two thirds of research grants and contract funding out of the total of 100 universities.

  Transport
  ---------

  Road traffic in the United Kingdom drives on the left hand side of the road (unlike the Americas and some of the rest of Europe), and the driver steers from the right hand side of the vehicle. The road network on the island of Great Britain is extensive, with most local and rural roads having evolved from Roman and Medieval times. Major routes developed in the mid 20th Century were made to the needs of the motor car. The high speed motorway (freeway) network was mostly constructed in the 1960s and 1970s and links together major towns and cities.

  The system of rail transport was invented in England and Wales, so the United Kingdom has the oldest railway network in the world. It was built mostly during the Victorian era. At the heart of the network are five long distance main lines which radiate from London to the major cities and secondary population centres with dense commuter networks within the regions. The newest part of the network connects London to the Channel Tunnel from St Pancras station and is built to the same standard as the French TGV system. The British Rail network is part privatised, with privately owned train operating companies providing service along particular lines or regions, whilst the tracks, signals and stations are owned by a Government controlled company called Network Rail. In Northern Ireland the [NI Railways](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/NI_Railways "NI Railways") is the national railway. The system of underground railways in London, known as the Tube, has been copied by many other cities.

  Most domestic air travel in the United Kingdom is between London and the major cities in Scotland and the North of England. London-Heathrow is the nation’s largest airport and is one of the most important international hubs in the world. Other major airports with principal international service include London-Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

  An extensive system of ferry networks operate between the Scottish islands, and major ferry routes operate between England and France (via the English Channel), Scotland-Northern Ireland (via the Irish Sea) and England/Wales-Republic of Ireland (from Liverpool/Holyhead).

  Notes
  -----

  1. ↑ No law was passed making _God Save the Queen_ the official anthem. In the British tradition, such laws are not necessary; proclamation and usage are sufficient to make it the official national anthem. _God Save the Queen_ also serves as the [Royal anthem](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honors_music "Honors music") for several other countries.
  2. ↑ Under the Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, [Irish](/w/index.php?title=Irish_(language)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Irish (language) (not yet started)"), Scots and its regional variant Ulster Scots") are officially recognised as Regional or minority languages by the UK Government for the purposes of the Charter.
  3. ↑ British dependencies drive on the left except for BIOT and [Gibraltar](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar "Gibraltar").
  4. ↑ ISO 3166-1 alpha-2") states that this should be GB and .gb was initially used by the Government, but registration has been suppressed in favour of .uk. The .eu domain is shared with other [European Union](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union "European Union") member states.


id: b98e364ed29349b69330b868f354f41a
parent_id: 8168be31786443d7a6654d28dae27c1d
title: United States
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  The **United States of America** (**USA**), often called the **United States** (**U.S.**) or **America**, is a country in North America. It is made up of 50 states, a federal district, and five territories. It has great influence over world [finance](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finance "Finance"), trade, culture, military, politics, and technology.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Government
    - [1.1 Executive branch](#Executive_branch)
    - 1.2 Legislative branch
    - 1.3 Judicial branch
  - 2 Politics
  - 3 Land
    - 3.1 States
    - 3.2 Territories and possessions
    - [3.3 Counties and cities](#Counties_and_cities)
  - 4 Geography
  - 5 Economy
  - 6 Demographics
    - 6.1 Money
    - 6.2 Religion
    - 6.3 Languages
  - [7 Culture](#Culture)
    - 7.1 Federal holidays
    - 7.2 Flag
  - 8 References
  - 9 Other websites
    - 9.1 Government
    - 9.2 Other

  Government
  ----------

  Main page: [Federal government of the United States](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States "Federal government of the United States")

  The United States is a federal republic. The federal government of the United States is set up by the Constitution. There are three branches of government. They are the _executive branch_, the _[legislative branch](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_branch "Legislative branch")_, and the _judicial branch_. State governments and the federal government work in very similar ways. Each state has its own executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive branch of a state government is led by a governor, instead of a president.

  ### Executive branch

  The executive branch is the part of the government that enforces the law. Members of the U.S. Electoral College elect a president who is the leader of the executive branch, as well as the leader of the armed forces. The president may [veto](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veto "Veto") a bill that the Congress has passed, so it doesn't become a law. The President may also make "executive orders" to ensure that people follow the law.

  The president is in charge of many departments that control much of the day-to-day actions of government. For example, Department of Commerce makes rules about trade. The president chooses the heads of these departments, and also nominates federal judges. However, the Senate, part of the legislative branch, must agree with all of the people the president chooses. The president may serve two 4-year terms.

  ### Legislative branch

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USCapitol.jpg)

  The west side of the United States Capitol, which is home to the United States CongressThe [legislative branch](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_branch "Legislative branch") makes laws. The legislative branch is called the United States Congress. Congress is divided into two "houses".

  One house is the House of Representatives. The Representatives are each elected by voters from a set area within a state. The number of Representatives a state has is based on how many people live there. Representatives serve two-year terms. The total number of representatives today is 435. The leader of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House.

  The other house is the Senate. In the Senate, each state is represented equally, by two senators. Because there are 50 states, there are 100 senators. The President's treaties or appointments of officials need the Senate's approval. Senators serve six-year terms. The Vice President of the United States serves as president of the Senate. In practice, the vice president is usually absent from the Senate, and a senator serves as president [pro tempore](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_tempore "Pro tempore"), or temporary president, of the Senate.

  Representatives and senators propose laws, called "bills "Bill (law)")", in their respective houses. A bill may be voted upon by the entire house right away or may first go to a small group, known as a committee, which may recommend a bill for a vote by the whole house. If one house votes to pass a bill, the bill then gets sent to the other house; if both houses vote for it, it is then sent to the president, who may sign the bill into law or veto it. If the president vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress. If Congress votes again and passes the bill with at least a two-thirds majority, the bill becomes law and cannot be vetoed by the president.

  Under the American system of [federalism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism "Federalism"), Congress may not make laws that directly control the states; instead, Congress may use the promise of federal funds, or special circumstances such as national emergencies, to encourage the states to follow federal law. This system is both complex and unique.

  ### Judicial branch

  The Judicial Branch is the part of government that interprets what the law means. The Judicial Branch is made up of the Supreme Court and many lower courts. If the Supreme Court decides that a law is not allowed by the Constitution, the law is said to be "struck down" and is no longer a valid law.

  The Supreme Court is made up of nine judges, called justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. One of these justices, called the [chief justice](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_United_States "Chief Justice of the United States"), heads the court. A Supreme Court justice serves until he or she dies or resigns (quits in the middle of his or her term). When that happens, the president nominates someone new to replace the justice who left. If the Senate agrees with that choice, the person becomes a justice. If the Senate does not agree with the president's choice, then the president must nominate someone else.

  Famous court cases such as _Marbury v. Madison")_ (which was decided in 1803) have firmly established that the Supreme Court is the ultimate interpreter of the United States Constitution and has the power to strike down any law that conflicts with it.

  Politics
  --------

  _See also: States of the United States and [Politics of the United States](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_States "Politics of the United States")_![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_System_of_the_United_States.svg)

  The political system of the United States The United States of America consists of 50 states, 5 territories and 1 district (Washington D.C.). States can make laws about things inside the state, but federal law is about things dealing with more than one state or dealing with other countries. In some areas, if the federal government makes laws that say different things from the state laws, people must follow the federal law because the state law is not a law any more. Each state has a constitution of its own, different from the federal (national) Constitution. Each of these is like the federal Constitution because they say how each state's government is set up, but some also talk about specific laws.

  The federal and most state governments are dominated by two political parties: the Republicans and the [Democrats](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Democratic_Party "United States Democratic Party"). There are many smaller parties; the largest of these are the Libertarian Party "Libertarian Party (United States)") and the Green Party "Green Party (United States)"). People help in political campaigns that they like. They try to persuade politicians to help them; this is called lobbying. All Americans are allowed to do these things, but some have and spend more money than others, or in other ways do more in politics. Some people think this is a problem, and lobby for rules to be made to change it.

  Since 2017, the president is a Republican, and Congress is also Republican controlled, so the Republicans have more power in the federal government. There are still many powerful Democrats who can try to stop the Republicans from doing things that they believe will be bad for the country. Also, members of a party in power do not always agree on what to do. If enough people decide to vote against Republicans in the next election, they will lose power. In a republic like the United States, no party can do whatever they want. All politicians have to argue, compromise, and make deals with each other to get things done. They have to answer to the people and take responsibility for their mistakes.

  The USA's large cultural, economic, and military influence has made the foreign policy of the United States, or relations with other countries, a topic in American politics, and the politics of many other countries.

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/GeorgeWashington.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GeorgeWashington.jpg)

  George Washington, first PresidentRussia-USA (07-2017)

  Land
  ----

  ### States

  _See also: List of U.S. states_The United States conquered") and bought new lands over time, and grew from the original 13 colonies in the east to the current 50 states, of which 48 of them are [joined together](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contigny "Contigny") to make up the contiguous United States. These states, called the "lower 48", can all be reached by road without crossing a border into another country. They go from the Atlantic east to the Pacific in the west. There are two other states which are not joined to the lower 48 states. Alaska can be reached by passing through British Columbia and the [Yukon](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon "Yukon"), both of which are part of Canada. Hawaii is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is so far from the rest of the US that it can only be reached by airplane.

  Washington, D.C., the national capital, is a federal district that was split from the states of Maryland and Virginia in 1791. Not part of any US state, it used to be in the shape of a [square](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square "Square"), with the land west of the Potomac River coming from Virginia, and the land east of the river coming from Maryland. In 1846, Virginia took back its part of the land. Some people living in DC wants it to become a state, or for Maryland to take back its land, so that they can have the right to vote in Congress.

  ### Territories and possessions

  The United States consists of sixteen lands that are not states, many of which are colonial territories. None of them have any land borders with the rest of the US. People live in five of these places, which are _de facto_ American:

  - [Puerto Rico](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico "Puerto Rico")
  - American Samoa
  - Guam
  - U.S. Virgin Islands
  - Northern Mariana Islands

  The Philippines was a possession of the United States. [Palau](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau "Palau"), the Federated States of Micronesia, and other Pacific island nations were governed by the United States as a United Nations "Trust Territory". All of these places have become independent: the Philippines in 1946, Palau in 1947, and Micronesia in 1986.

  The U.S. armed forces has bases") in many countries, and the U.S. Navy's base at [Guantanamo Bay](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay "Guantanamo Bay") was rented from Cuba after that country had a Communist revolution.

  ### Counties and cities

  _See also: List of United States cities by population_All the states are divided into administrative subdivisions. Most of them are called counties, but Louisiana uses the word "[parish](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parishes_in_Louisiana "List of parishes in Louisiana")," and Alaska uses the word "borough."

  There are many cities in the United States. One city in each state is the state capital, where the government of the state meets and the governor works. This city is not always the largest in its state. For example, the city with the most people living in it is New York City in [New York State](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_(state) "New York (state)"), but the state capital is Albany. Some other big cities are Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Seattle, [Washington](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_(state) "Washington (state)"); Miami, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Las Vegas, Nevada; [Houston](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston "Houston") and Dallas, Texas; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Boston, [Massachusetts](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts "Massachusetts"); Denver, Colorado; and St. Louis, Missouri.

  Geography
  ---------

  Main page: Geography of the United States

  The United States is the fourth biggest country in the world by land area. Only [Russia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia "Russia"), Canada and China are bigger. The U.S's geography varies a lot and includes:

  - forests and grass fields on the east coast
  - the Appalachian Mountains in the east
  - the [Great Plains](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains "Great Plains") in the middle of the country
  - the Mississippi-Missouri river in the middle of the country
  - the Rocky Mountains west of the plains
  - deserts and coastal areas west of the Rocky Mountains
  - forests in the [Pacific Northwest](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest "Pacific Northwest")
  - Arctic regions of Alaska
  - volcanic islands in Hawaii
  - a long coastline with many beaches
  - the everglades in Florida

  The [climate](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate "Climate") varies along with the geography, from tropical (hot and wet in summer, warm and dry in winter) in Florida to tundra (cold all year) in Alaska. Large parts of the country have warm summers and cold winters. Some parts of the United States, like parts of California, have a Mediterranean climate.

  Economy
  -------

  The United States has a [capitalist](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalist "Capitalist") economy. The country has rich mineral resources, with many gold, coal and uranium deposits. [Farming](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farming "Farming") makes the country among the top producers of, among others, corn (maize), wheat, sugar, and tobacco. America produces cars, [airplanes](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane "Airplane"), and electronics. About 3/4 of Americans work in the service industry.

  The top 15 trading partners in terms of total trade are:

  CountryCanadaChinaMexicoJapan[Germany](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany "Germany")UKSouth KoreaFranceTaiwanNetherlandsBrazil[Malaysia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia "Malaysia")ItalySingaporeIreland1. 

  Demographics
  ------------

  Historical populationsCensusPop.%±**1790**3,929,000—**1800**5,308,00035.1%**1810**7,240,00036.4%**[1820](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1820_United_States_Census "1820 United States Census")**9,638,00033.1%**1830**12,866,00033.5%**1840**17,063,00032.6%**1850**23,192,00035.9%**1860**31,443,32135.6%**1870**38,558,37122.6%**1880**50,189,20930.2%**[1890](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1890_United_States_Census "1890 United States Census")**62,979,76625.5%**1900**76,212,16821.0%**1910**92,228,53121.0%**1920**106,021,56815.0%**1930**123,202,66016.2%**1940**132,164,5697.3%**1950**151,325,79814.5%**[1960](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_United_States_Census "1960 United States Census")**179,323,17518.5%**1970**203,211,92613.3%**1980**226,545,80511.5%**1990**248,709,8739.8%**2000**281,421,90613.2%**2010**308,745,5389.7%The United States of America has people of many different race "Race (sociology)") and [ethnic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group "Ethnic group") backgrounds. 80% of the people in the United States descend from European immigrants. Many people are descended from Germany, England, Scotland, [Ireland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland "Ireland"), Africa, and Italy. 13% of the people in the United States are African-American. Most of them descend from the African slaves that were brought to America. Asian-Americans make up only 5% of the population in America but make up a bigger portion in the west coast. For example, in California, Asian-Americans make up 13% of the population of that state. [Hispanic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic "Hispanic")-Americans or people of Latin origins make up 15% of the nation. The original peoples, called Native American, American Indians, or Amerindians and Inuit (Eskimos) are a very small group.

  11% of the people in the United States are foreign born. 18% speak a language other than English at home. For people 25 and older, 80% are high school graduates while 25% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

  The 2000 Census counted self-reported [ancestry](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestor "Ancestor"). It identified 43 million German-Americans, 30.5 million Irish-Americans, 24.9 million African-Americans, 24.5 million English-Americans, and 18.4 million Mexican-Americans.

  ### Money

  The social structure of the United States has a big range. This means that some Americans are much, much richer than others. The average (median) income for an American was $37,000 a year in 2002. However, the richest 1% of Americans have as much money as the [poorest](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor "Poor") 90%. 51% of all households have access to a computer and 41% had access to the Internet in 2000, a figure which had grown to 75% in 2004. Also, 67.9% of American families owned their homes in 2002. There are 200 million cars in the United States, two for every three Americans. The debt has grown to over $16,000,000,000,000.

  ### Religion

  There are many different religions in the U.S. Statistically, the largest religion is Christianity, including groups such as Catholicism, [Protestantism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism "Protestantism") and Mormonism. Other religions include Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Unitarian Universalism, Wicca, [Druidry](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druidry "Druidry"), Baha'i, Raelism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism and Jainism. Religions which were founded within the United States include Eckankar, [Satanism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanism "Satanism") and Scientology. Native American religions have various animistic beliefs.

  The United States is one of the most religious countries in the Western World, and most Americans believe in God. The number of Christians in the U.S. has gone down. 86.2% called themselves Christian in 1990 and 78.4% said this in 2007. The others include Judaism (1.7%), Islam (0.8%), [Buddhism](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism "Buddhism") (0.7%), Hinduism (0.4%), and Unitarian Universalism (0.3%). Those who have no religion are at 16.1%. There is a large difference between those who say that they belong to a religion and those who are members of a religious body of that religion.

  Doubts about the existence of a God, gods or goddesses are higher among young people. (citation needed) Among the non-religious population of the U.S., there are deists, humanists, ignotic, atheists, and agnostics.

  ### Languages

  Languages (2007)English225.5 millionSpanish, incl. Creole")34.5 millionChinese2.5 millionFrench, incl. [Creole](/w/index.php?title=French-based_creole_languages&action=edit&redlink=1 "French-based creole languages (not yet started)")2.0 millionTagalog1.5 millionVietnamese1.2 millionGerman1.1 millionKorean1.1 millionArabic0.3 millionThe United States does not have an official language, the United States Congress has considered officially designating English as such for many years, since it is the most used language, and the language in which the United States Declaration of Independence and [United States Constitution](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution "United States Constitution") are written. 38 states out of 50 have English as the official language. Spanish has increased in usage in certain sectors of society, due to a flow of immigrants—especially from Mexico and Cuba. French is also a main language in parts of Louisiana because France once owned the area as a colony.

  Culture
  -------

  American popular culture goes out to many places in the world. It has a large influence on most of the world, especially the Western world. American [music](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music "Music") is heard all over the world, and American movies and television shows can be seen in most countries.

  ### Federal holidays

  DateNameDescriptionJanuary 1New Year's DayCelebrates the beginning of the year3rd Monday in JanuaryMartin Luther King, Jr. DayHonors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an African-American civil rights leader3rd Monday in February[President's Day](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/President%27s_Day "President's Day")Honors all of the American presidents, but specifically George Washington (b. February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (b. February 12)Last Monday in MayMemorial DayHonors military servicemen, who gave their lives, also marks the traditional start of summerJuly 4Independence DayCelebrates the [Declaration of Independence](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence "United States Declaration of Independence"); otherwise known as "The Fourth of July"1st Monday in SeptemberLabor DayCelebrates the achievements of workers, and marks the traditional end of summer2nd Monday in OctoberColumbus DayHonors Christopher Columbus, the man who discovered the Americas for Europe (not celebrated in some states, like Montana)[November 11](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_11 "November 11")Veterans DayHonors all military servicemen (past and present)4th Thursday in NovemberThanksgivingGives thanks for God's blessings, and the autumn harvest, and marks the [traditional](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition "Tradition") beginning of the "holiday season"December 25ChristmasCelebrates the birth of Jesus Christ (non-Christians celebrate it as a winter holiday)### Flag

  The American [flag](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag "Flag") is made up of 50 stars on a blue background, and has 13 stripes, seven red and six white. It is one of many symbols of the United States like the Bald Eagle. The 50 stars represent the 50 states. The red stands for courage. The blue stands for justice. The white represents peace and cleanness. The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg)

  The US Flag


id: cda30c47d7c74027a69469c4513b1dc0
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Tennis
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Tennis** is a sport played with a felt-covered rubber ball, a [racket](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racket "Racket"), and a court.

  First, early in the 11th century, players in France played this sport with their hands. It was called “Jeu de Paume”. In the 15th century the sport came to Poland and the players played with rackets. Now it is called “tennis”. It became popular in England and France. King Henry III was a big fan of the game.

  There are many different kinds of courts, like grass, clay or hard court. The goal of tennis is to hit the ball over the [net](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net "Net") into the other player’s court. When the other player cannot return the ball, a point is won. The game is played with two or four people. When it is played with two people, it is called “singles” "Singles (tennis)"), and when it is played with four people, it is called “doubles” "Doubles (tennis)"). The court has "alleys" on each side, which are "fair" territory when playing doubles.

  A tennis game has a number of sets&action=edit&redlink=1 "Set (tennis) (not yet started)"). Each set has a number of games, and each game has points"). The points are counted love (0, after the French l'oeuf), fifteen (15), thirty (30), and forty (40). If both players get to forty, the score is _deuce_ from which 2 more points are needed to win the game. When one player reaches six games, it is one set. If it is a three-set match, the player who wins two sets first is the winner. If the game count reaches 5–5, the set must be won with two more games than the other player, like 7–5 or 8–6. If the game count gets to 6–6, a "[tiebreaker](/w/index.php?title=Tiebreaker&action=edit&redlink=1 "Tiebreaker (not yet started)")" is played. In a tiebreak, players have to get at least seven points while getting two more points than the other player to win the set. In tiebreak points are called “one,” “two,” etc.

  The game started in Germany during the 1700s. Tennis is now a sport that is played at the Olympics. They also have big tournaments like the U.S. Open "U.S. Open (tennis)"), Australian Open, French Open and [Wimbledon](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimbledon_Championships "Wimbledon Championships"). These four are known as Grand Slam "Grand Slam (tennis)") events. Tennis’s official name is "lawn tennis")". Since 1998, every September 23 has been called "Tennis Day")".

  There is also soft tennis. Soft tennis is different from regulation tennis. For example, the racket, ball and rules are much different. Soft tennis is popular in Japan. Thousands of people play soft tennis. Tennis is quite a popular sport which lots of people enjoy watching.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Shots
  - 2 Four Grand Slams
  - [3 Images](#Images)
  - 4 Other websites

  Shots
  -----

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Andy_Roddick.jpg)

  Andy Roddick before serving There are many different "shots" and "strokes", ways to hit the ball, in tennis. A stroke is the way the body is moved to hit the ball. A shot is how the ball is hit. These include:

  Strokes- The _backhand_ is a type of stroke hit by swinging the racquet away from the body. The stroke begins with the arm holding the racquet held across the body. It is then moved in front of the body to hit the ball. For a right-handed player, a backhand begins on the left side of his body, continues across his body as the ball is hit, and ends on the right side of his body. It can be either a one-handed or a two-handed stroke.
  - The _forehand_ is the opposite of the backhand. It starts with the arm outside of the body and moves across the body. For a right handed player, the arm starts on the right side of the body and moves across the body to the left side. The _forehand_ is hit with one hand (most commonly the hand the player uses to write).

  Shots- A _serve_ (sometimes called a _service_) is a shot to start a point&action=edit&redlink=1 "Point (tennis) (not yet started)"). The serve is usually started by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it across the net. The serve may be done underhand or overhead. The overhead serve the most common form. The serve is done from behind the _baseline_ (the line at the back of the court). The serve must land on the inside of the service line and center service line on the other side of the net to call it good. The serve that is set has to be in the box diagonal to where the server serves.
  - A _volley_ is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. Usually, a player hits a volley while standing near the net. It is sometimes done farther back, in the middle of the court or even near the back.
  - A _drop shot_ is tapping . A good drop shot travels just far enough that the opponent cannot run fast enough to get to it.
  - A _lob_ is a shot that can use backhand or forehand swings. For a lob the person has to swing through, but make the tennis ball go up. When the ball goes up the goal is for the ball to land in between the _baseline_ (the line at the back of the court) and the service line.

  Four Grand Slams
  ----------------

  - [Australian Open](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Open "Australian Open") (January)
  - French Open ( May-June)
  - Wimbledon (June - July)
  - US Open "US Open (tennis)") (August-September)

  Winning all four Grand Slams in the same year is called a Calendar Slam. They are the most important tennis tournaments of each season (year). This is because of the world ranking points, tradition, prize-money, and public attention.

  Images
  ------

  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tennisball.jpg)
    
    Tennis balls
  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gr%C3%B6nefeld.jpg)
    
    Female player
  - ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Final_Score_Andy_Roddick_vs_Saulnier.jpg)
    
    Scoreboard


id: fff1c89a8ba744c0b8ef220e18f702c8
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Table tennis
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Table tennis**, also known as **Ping Pong** (a trademarked name), is one of the most popular sports in the world, with players in many countries. It is played by two or four people on a table. To play this game, people use bats and small celluloid balls. You need also a net and a table. Table tennis was invented in England in 1880.

  The **International Table Tennis Federation** (ITTF), the worldwide organization, was founded in 1926. Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988. Many of the best players in the world today come from China.

  - **乒乓球 (Ping Pang Qiu)** is the official name for the sport in China, [Hong Kong](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong "Hong Kong") and Taiwan.
  - **卓球 (Takkyu)** is the official name for the sport in Japan.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Tennis


id: 2b5a2cff2fb5404a8d3a81b65a8cbd00
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Rugby football
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Rugby football** is a sport that people play around the world. Many people play rugby in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, [Ireland](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland "Ireland"), Italy, France, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, USA, [Canada](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada "Canada") the Pacific Islands and some 100+ other countries. It is the World's premier oval ball football and is usually just called "rugby".

  Rugby football is named after Rugby School, the school in England where it was developed. Legend has it that one day in 1823, a senior boy called William Webb Ellis elected to run with the ball rather than retiring to kick it as was the normal mode of play in Rugby School football matches. "Running in" was not considered quite the done thing then but was later formalised in the laws of Rugby Football (first published in 1846). Association Football was not formalised until 1863 and even then allowed handling of the ball, but not catching it and running with it. In the mid 1860's an attempt was made to provide one set of laws for all football but there were irreconcilable differences, mainly concerning "hacking" (dispossessing an opponent of the ball by kicking him in the shins). The "hackers" went on to eventually play rugby football even though hacking was barred a few years later. The "anti-hackers" went on to form Association Football, eventually banning any handling.

  Rules
  -----

  There are two types of rugby, called **rugby union** and **rugby league**. There are many similarities between the two types of rugby, but they have developed different sets of rules over time. The split between the two types occurred because of a disagreement about the way players were treated when they were injured during a game.

  Rugby union is the most popular form of rugby, and it is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar. Rugby league is played by many people in the UK (especially in northern England), Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. In most other places, the word "rugby" refers to rugby union.

  Rugby football is played on a field by two teams of 15 people. The objective of the game is to obtain more points than the opposing team within 80 minutes of playing time. Points are gained through scoring tries or kicking goals.

  At each end of the playing field there is a [field goal](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_goal "Field goal") made out of poles, shaped like the letter H in English. There is also an area called the in-goal. A goal is scored when a player kicks the ball through the top of the H of the other team's goal.

  Play starts when a player from one team kicks the ball from the halfway line towards the opposing team's field goal. Play continues until a try is scored, the ball crosses the side line or dead ball line, or an infringement occurs. The ball can be moved up the field either by carrying or kicking it. The ball can be passed between team members, but it cannot be passed to team members who are closer to the opposing team's goal than the person who is currently carrying the ball.

  Players score a _try_ if they manage to touch the ball to the ground on or beyond the other team's in-goal. After a try, the team that scored the try then has an opportunity to kick a goal. This is known as a _conversion kick_. A goal that is scored from a conversion kick is worth two points in addition to the points of a try. A try is worth five points in rugby union, and four points in rugby league. After a team scores points, play restarts with the non-scoring team kicking the ball from the halfway line toward the opposing team's field goal.

  Players tackle members of the other team to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Tackling in rugby means grabbing the other person and either stopping them from moving or making them fall on the ground. The main rule for tackling in rugby is that there should be no contact with the neck. Only players carrying the ball can be tackled. Once a tackle is completed, the opposition can compete for the ball.

  The Rugby World Cup is a championship of rugby union teams from countries all over the world. The Rugby World Cup is held every four years, and will next be held in 2019, in Japan.

  There is also the Rugby League World Cup, which is made up of member nations of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The tournament has an irregular schedule. The next tournament will be in 2017, and will be hosted by Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.


id: cfa3c6269f1a4eafabd99d7209b59dca
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Golf
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Golf** is a game played in an open field where the golfer plays his golf ball into a hole by using different types of clubs") (golf instruments). The book _Rules of Golf_ reads "The Game of Golf consists in playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules."

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Play of the game
  - 2 Clubs
  - [3 The Majors](#The_Majors)
  - 4 Other websites
  - 5 References

  Play of the game
  ----------------

  In golf, a golfer plays a number of holes in a given order. 18 holes played in an order controlled by the golf course design, normally make up a game. On a nine-hole course, two nine-hole rounds make up a normal game. Each hole starts from the teeing area. Golfers put the ball on a small stand called a tee and swing a club at it to try and hit it as straight and far as possible. Once each golfer in the group has done this, the person whose ball landed farthest from the hole hits his again, followed by everyone else, one person at a time, until everyone is on the green. The green is the area near the hole where the grass is cut very short. Once on the green the players will try to "putt" the ball into the hole. Putting is similar to a regular swing except it is not as hard and the player does not want the ball to go in the air. Once each player has put their ball into the hole, the group moves on to the next hole.

  Each time a player swings at his ball, it is considered a "stroke". Each hole is a certain number of strokes that golfers are expected to need to get their ball into the hole. This is known as the "par". If a player gets his ball in the hole in less than the par he gets a "birdie". If it takes him one more shot then the par it is known as a bogey. Most holes have a par between 3 and 5.

  The two common forms of playing golf are **match play** and **stroke play**. In match play, two golfers (or two teams) play holes one at a time. The golfer with the lower number of strokes (number of times the golfer used to get his ball in the hole) wins that hole. If the two have the same number of strokes, the hole is "halved" (drawn). The golfer that has the greatest number of holes wins. In _stroke play_, the golfer (or team) with the smallest number of strokes all together wins. There are different forms of these rules, some given in the "Rules of Golf" making them "official.

  Clubs
  -----

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Golf_player_putting_green_2003.jpg)

  A golfer using a putter on a green to hit the ball into the hole. Part of a series of articles on  
  **Sports**[](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports "Sports")

  ![Sports](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sports_icon.png "Sports")

  **Summer Sports")**Track and field athletics  
  Football (soccer)  
  Basketball  
  Rugby  
  [Gymnastics](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnastics "Gymnastics")  
  Baseball  
  American football  
  Cycling·Auto racing  
  Cricket·<a class="mw-selflink selflink">Golf</a>  
  Field hockey·[Handball](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handball "Handball")  
  Archery·Shooting  
  Fencing·Weightlifting  
  Pentathlon·Triathlon  
  [Horseback riding](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrianism "Equestrianism")

  Water sportsSwimming· Diving  
  Water polo·Sailing  
  Canoeing·[Rowing](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowing "Rowing")

  Martial artsBoxing·Wrestling  
  Karate·Taekwondo

  Net sports Tennis· [Volleyball](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volleyball "Volleyball")  
  Table tennis· Badminton

  **Winter sports**

  Ice hockey· Skating  
  Skiing·[Curling](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling "Curling")  
  Bobsled·Luge  
  Snowboarding·Biathlon  
  Ice sledge hockey

  The four different types of clubs used in golf are woods, irons, putters and wedges. Woods are used to hit the ball very far, usually off the tee (but also on the fairway). The name of woods is different every number, for example, No.1 wood is called "driver", No.2 is "brassey", No.3 is "spoon" and so on. There are many types of irons, which can be used to hit varying distances. They are numbered 1-9 with a 1 iron hitting the ball farther than a 9. The 1 iron is no longer common in the game. Even the 2 iron is getting uncommon. Putters are used when on the green. The rules do not let the golfer use over 14 clubs in a game.

  The Majors
  ----------

  Golfers call the four (or five) biggest tournaments in [professional](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional "Professional") golf "majors", and they play them at nearly the same time every year. The four majors are:

  Men's1. **The Masters**
  2. **U.S. Open**
  3. **The Open Championship** (_**British Open**_)
  4. **PGA Championship**

  Women's1. **Kraft Nabisco Championship**
  2. **LPGA Championship**
  3. **U.S. Women's Open**
  4. **Women's British Open**

  In 2013, women's golf will add a fifth major. The Evian Masters, held in France, will become a major, and will be renamed **The Evian** at that time.

  Vincent Clark won the first ever open championship which was held in St Andrews in 1860.

  Other websites
  --------------

  - Best Players
  - Rules of Golf
  - Golf Equipment Reviews
  - Golf ball aerodynamics
  - [Golfers' Dictionary](http://golf.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htm)
  - A Nice Golf Tips Blog
  - Golf news
  - Golf history
  - Golf trivia
  - Golf Tips & More
  - Titleist Golf Clubs
  - [Golf swing tips](http://www.golfswingtipspro.com)
  - Golf Reviews

  - Online Golf Tips & Biomechanics of the golf swing


id: e0e74c9165014583b99047b2bd8ab360
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Formula One
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Formula One** is a type of motorsport. Teams compete in a series of Grand Prix") races, held in different countries around the world. Some of the most popular races are held in Monaco, Japan, Italy and Britain. The cars are very fast, reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. The championship has been won many times by different teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Williams. Teams can consist of as many as 600 people, who all come together every race weekend, and using each of their individual expertise try to obtain the best result - a victory. The winning driver and team each get twenty-five points towards the Drivers'") and Constructors' Championship"). Teams consist of drivers, test drivers, a team principal, mechanics, engineers, and designers. Winning a race takes a good qualifying position, flawless strategy, perfect pitstops and a fast car. If you get the most poles (first place) then you get a trophy. This was added in 2014

  Drivers are paid huge salaries and money to risk their lives every time they step into the cockpit of the F1 car. Like all types of motor racing, the dangers associated with Formula One are great. Therefore, there are many safety measures. Drivers wear 4 layers of flameproof overalls, made of a fire resistant material called Nomex"). A drivers helmet must be able to resist an 800 degree celsius flame for at least 45 seconds, as well as big G forces. The helmets are so strong that they can be driven over by trucks with no damage being done to them. Carbon fibre is the ideal material for the bodywork of Formula One cars, as it is light and strong. Because of this, the cars are very expensive to build and repair. The design of cars differs from team to team. Each team has two entries into the championship, which means two cars to build. The current tyre suppliers are [Pirelli](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirelli "Pirelli") - making sure every car has the right tyre for the differing weather conditions. Wet weather driving is considered a skill in Formula One, as the cars are harder to drive.

  The body that runs Formula One, the FIA, is based in France. Although Formula One is a 'billion dollar business', a drop in viewership and attendance figures at races has prompted the FIA to make a number of rule changes in recent years. These changes are meant to make the races more interesting, so more people watch F1 on television.


id: ffa2982ab3c14544aed9f9f6dddf7566
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Boxing
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Boxing** is one of the world's oldest combat sports. It is usually held in a ring and two boxers (people who fight in boxing fights) wear special gloves and try to hit one another.

  There are a few different ways to win in boxing. One is by a way of a knockout, which is when a fighter is knocked to the ground and cannot get back up within ten seconds. Another way is by a technical knockout, which is when the fighter can not continue fighting or the referee stops the fight. Another possibility is winning on points, which a boxer gets by outboxing his or her opponent by hitting the opponent more often, harder, and more accurately. There are also draws in boxing. What in other sports are called "tie" in boxing it's called "draw". A referee can announce a technical draw due to an accidental cut or an accidental wound like a headbutt"). Generally, it is considered a "no contest" (NC). However, from the second round, or four in some fights, if the score cards for both fighters are equal, the fight could be called a draw. Boxing is very popular around the world. It is a way to defeat your enemy by physical force.

  Famous boxers
  -------------

  - Muhammad Ali
  - [Rubin "Hurricane" Carter](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubin_Carter "Rubin Carter")
  - Nonito Donaire")
  - Oscar de la Hoya
  - Jack Dempsey
  - George Foreman
  - Joe Frazier
  - Evander Holyfield
  - [Lennox Lewis](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennox_Lewis "Lennox Lewis")
  - Joe Louis
  - Rocky Marciano
  - Manny Pacquiao")
  - Willie Pep")
  - Sugar Ray Robinson
  - Max Schmeling")
  - [Mike Tyson](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson "Mike Tyson")
  - Floyd Mayweather, Jr.


id: 89ce8fa29fb142e0972509c1fd82ff9c
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Basketball
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Basketball** is a handball game usually played by two teams of five players. The objective is to get the ball through a hoop mounted high up on a backboard at each end. It is a very popular [sport](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport "Sport") worldwide, played with a round, orange ball that bounces. Basketball is a really amazing sport that teaches many people how to play. It includes the skills- Dribbling, Shooting, Running, Jumping, running and others, these are the main ones.

  The game is played between men's teams or between women's teams. Basketball has been played in the Summer Olympic Games since 1936. The shot clock rule started in 1954. The first basketball game took place in 1892, where the court was half the size of what we have today.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 History
  - 2 Rules
    - 2.1 Equipment
    - 2.2 Teams
    - 2.3 Playing regulations
  - 3 Officials
  - [4 Basketball terms](#Basketball_terms)
    - 4.1 Positions in basketball
  - 5 Variations
    - 5.1 Wheelchair basketball
  - 6 Other websites

  History
  -------

  In early December 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts invented an indoor game called basketball. He invented the sport to keep his students from becoming bored during the winter. Naismith wrote the basic rules and then nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot tall pole. Unlike modern basketball hoops, the bottom of the peach-basket was still there, so after a point was scored, somebody had to get the ball out of the basket with a long stick. Over time, people made a hole at the bottom of the basket so the ball could go through more easily.

  The score of the first game of basketball ever played was 1 - 0. There is a sculpture in Springfield, outside where the first game was held. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is also in Springfield.

  Since the rules hadn't been formally written, there was no maximum number of players back then unlike today. This also meant that there were no set rules to the game; Naismith only observed and changed the rules accordingly.

  Rules
  -----

  The aim of basketball is to score more points than the other team, by shooting the ball in the basket. Baskets can be worth 1, 2, or 3 points. You get points by shooting the ball into the opponents' basket. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

  ### Equipment

  The court, where the game is played, is a rectangle shape, and at both end lines there is a goal called a "hoop" in the shape of a circle basket with the bottom cut out.

  In each game of basketball these things are required:

  - Basketball
  - Basketball court
  - Basketball hoop and backboard

  ### Teams

  Basketball is played with two teams, with 5 players from each team on the court at one time. The maximum number of players on the bench differs by league. In international play, a maximum of 7 players are allowed on the bench, resulting in a roster of 12 players. The NBA has 13-player rosters; college and high school teams have 15-player rosters. When a player wants to substitute for another player on the court they let the score bench know. The referees will signal for the player waiting to come into the court. The player that went into the game is now playing and the player that was playing is sitting on the bench.

  ### Playing regulations

  A game of basketball is made up of four quarters, each ten (or in the National Basketball Association 12,) minutes long. At the start of every game the [referee](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referee "Referee") throws the basketball up in the air, and one player from each team tries to hit it to their teammates, that is called a "jump ball."

  At the start of each quarter the team who has the possession arrow pointing towards their hoop gets the ball. Then the arrow is switched, and the next team gets the ball next quarter.

  After four quarters, the team who scores the most points wins. If the two teams score the same number of points, there is a five-minute "overtime" to see who can score more points. "Overtime" can be played over and over until one team finally scores more points.

  While playing the game, players on one team try to stop players on the other team from scoring. Each normal score is worth two points; however, if a player throws the ball into the hoop from behind the large arced line on the court, called the "3-point line," the score is worth three points.

  If you do something illegal in the game, it is called a "foul." If you foul someone on the other team while he is shooting the basketball, the player who was fouled gets to shoot "free throws" from the "foul line". A free throw is a shot that no one is allowed to try to block. Each successful free throw is worth one point.

  If you foul a player who is not shooting, the other team gets the ball, and can throw it in bounds from the sideline. Players can do three things with the ball: "dribble" (bounce) the ball, "pass" the ball to a teammate, or "shoot" the ball at the hoop. The player with the ball tries to keep the ball and not let the other team get it.

  Once a player commits five fouls, he is no longer allowed to play in the game, and a player on the bench must go in the game immediately.

  Officials
  ---------

  In a game of basketball there are a number of people who are not from either team, that are there to help. They are called officials. Officials are very important because without them the game would not run as efficiently. Here is a list of some of these people:

  - **Umpire** There are either one or two umpires in a game of basketball. It is the umpires' job to make the game more fair by enforcing the rules of the game. The umpires take into consideration the spirit and intent of the player before making any call. In the NBA and WNBA, the term "umpire" is not used; the person who has this role is called the referee.
  - **Referee** The use of this word varies between rule sets. 
    - Under the rules of FIBA (the worldwide governing body for the sport), the NCAA (U.S. college basketball), and NFHS (U.S. high schools), there is one referee in a game of basketball. He is the "head" umpire. The referee has all the jobs of the umpires along with a couple more responsibilities. He is also the one that makes the final decision for most problems and is the one who throws the ball up for the tip off the start of the match.
    - The first ever recorded female referee is Isabelle Johnson from Melbourne.
    - The first ever recorded male referee is Campbell Grech from Melbourne.
  - **Time Keeper** There is one timekeeper whose job is to keep track of the time and to tell the umpires when time for each quarter has run out. He is also in control of adding the scores onto the scoreboard.
  - **Scorekeeper** There is one scorekeeper whose job is to keep track of and record all points scored, shots attempted, fouls made and timeouts called.
  - **Assistant Scorekeeper** There is one assistant scorekeeper in a game of basketball. his job is to assist the scorekeeper, by telling him the players who score points, and to hold up a number for each foul called, showing everyone the number of fouls the specified player has for the game.
  - **Shot Clock Operator** There is one shot clock operator and his job is to keep resetting and holding the device when needed or told to by an umpire. This person needs to have good reflexes and quickness, as he has to quickly reset the timer when the game resumes.

  It should also be noted that fans and media in North America will often use "referee" to describe all on-court officials, whether their formal titles are "referee", "umpire", or "crew chief".

  Basketball terms
  ----------------

  There are some basketball terms which players have to understand when playing the game. Here are some terms:

  - **Draft pick** is an eligible player selected to play for one of thirty teams in the NBA
  - **Free throw** is a basketball throw from the free-throw line from either personal, technical, unsportsmanlike or disqualifying fouls. Each free-throw made is worth one point. The amount of free-throws attempted are determined by the following: 
    - missed field goal and a drawn foul will result in 2 free throws
    - made field goal and a drawn foul will result in 1 free throw
    - missed 3-point attempt and a drawn foul will result in 3 free throws
    - made 3-point attempt and a drawn foul will result in 1 free throw
    - unsportsmanlike foul will result in 2 free throws and the same team's possession. (In all North American rule sets, this foul is called a "flagrant foul", with the same penalty.)
    - technical foul will result in 2 free throws and the same team's possession. (In the NBA and WNBA, technical fouls result in 1 free throw instead of 2.)
  - **Field goal** is any made shot in normal play. Field goals are worth 2 points, unless the shooter was outside the three-point line, in which case it is worth 3 points.
  - **Personal foul** is any contact, committed by a player of the other team, thought, by the umpires, to have caused a disadvantage.
  - **Technical foul** is a violation of certain basketball rules. They include: 
    - fighting or threatening to fight with another person
    - entering the basketball court when it is not a substitution time
    - a player being out of bounds (away from the court) to gain an advantage
    - having too many players play on the court
    - refusing to sit on the bench
    - returning to play when a player is disqualified (loses his privileges to play)
    - yelling and/or swearing at another player or an official
  - **Rebound** is the act of catching the basketball after a shot has been attempted, but missed.
  - **Assist** is to pass a teammate the ball, which then the teammate immediately shoots into the basketball ring successfully. 2-3 dribbles are allowed after catching the ball for assist to be counted.
  - **Steal** is to take the ball away from a person who is dribbling, shooting or passing without physically touching the person (committing a foul).
  - **Turnover** is when the team that controls the ball loses control and the other team gains control.
  - **Walkover** is the automatic victory of a team if the opposing team withdraws, is disqualified or there is not any competition at all.
  - **Substitution** is the act of replacing a player from the court to an another player sitting on the bench.
  - **Double dribble** is when a player dribbles the ball and picks it up and then dribbles it again without having shot or passed it. Dribbling the ball with two hands is also a double dribble. If a player double dribbles, the ball is automatically given to the other team.
  - **Carry** is when a player physically turns the ball over with their hands whilst dribbling it.
  - **Travel** is when a player in possession of the ball moves both feet without dribbling the ball. If a player travels, the ball is automatically given to the opposing team.
  - **Shot clock** is a clock designed to limit the time a team has to shoot a basketball. The shot clock is different in different leagues, but it is usually between 24 seconds and 35 seconds. After time runs out, the ball is automatically given to the opposing team unless they shot, before the clock runs out, and hit the rim or the ball enters the basket.
  - **Substitute (subs)** is when a player on the bench swaps for a player on the court. The player on the bench is allowed to play and the player sits on the bench.
  - **Jump ball** happens at the start of every game. This is where the ball gets thrown up from the centre circle and one person from each team jumps for it, aiming to hit it to one of his team mates.
  - **Alternating possession** At the start of the game there is a jump ball. Whichever team "wins" the jump ball gets the arrow pointed towards their goal. Each time the rules mention it the ball gets given to the team who is trying to score in the direction of the arrow and the arrow gets turned.
  - **Clutch** is a shot made at a difficult moment in the game, usually when the shot clock is about to run out or the team, losing by 1 or 2 points, suddenly wins the game, because of the clutch shot.
  - **Backcourt violation** is when a player crosses the half-court line and walks backwards over the line while in possession of the ball, or passes to another player who is behind the half-court line. Note that this rule does not apply if a defensive player taps the ball, and it goes beyond the half-court line, and the offensive player retrieves it in the "backcourt".
  - **3-second violation** is when a player stands in the lane (an area marked by the big square in front of the basket) for more than 3 seconds. The offensive team that commits a 3-second violation will lose the possession of the ball. The defensive team that commits a 3-second violation will receive a technical foul.
  - **8- or 10-second violation** is when the team with the ball fails to advance the ball past the center line within the allowed time. The offensive team will lose possession. The allowed time is 8 seconds in international play, the NBA, and WNBA, and 10 seconds in college and high school play for both males and females. Women's college basketball was the last level of basketball to add this violation, only doing so for the 2013–14 season.

  ### Positions in basketball

  In professional basketball teams, each player has a position. A position is a job or role that a player has to take part in to play the game. If everyone is doing their job correctly, the team is usually successful.

  - **Point guard (PG) (1)** - point guards are responsible for leading the team on offense. They have to take the ball out (to dribble the ball halfway across their team's court side into the opposing team's court side) and plan an "attack" or "play" - to pass the ball to a player and he passes on to another player and so on till a player shoots the basketball. Point guards can be small, but they have to be very fast and possess good ball-handling. But the most important thing for the PG is a wide view. PG should control the game when on offense. That's why PG is called 'the coach on the court'.
  - **Shooting guard (SG) (2)** - shooting guards generally are a little bit taller and slower than point guards. They have to make good shots from far distances (like three-point lines).
  - **Small forward (SF) (3)** - small forwards are generally taller than both point guards and shooting guards. They are the team's most versatile player, doing everything from rebounding and assisting to scoring.
  - **Power forward (PF) (4)** - power forwards are usually one of the strongest players who play inside the 3 point line. Their job is to receive rebounds from under the basket and score in the opposing team's basket, although it is unusual for a power forward to score most points for the team.
  - **Center (C) (5)** - Centers will usually be the tallest player on the team. They score close to the basket, rebound and block shots on the defensive end. They also start the game in the tip off.

  Other positions, more usual in professional basketball teams, are used in basketball.

  - **Swingman** - a basketball player who can play both small forward and shooting guard positions.
  - **Stretch four** (also **cornerman**) - a basketball player who can play both power forward and small forward positions. The term "stretch four" comes from the concept of a power forward ("four") capable of "stretching" a defense with outside shooting ability.
  - **Point forward** - a basketball player who can play both point guard and forward (either small forward or power forward) positions.
  - **Forward-center** - a basketball player who can play both forward (usually power forward) and center positions.

  Variations
  ----------

  There are many types of basketball. Some are for people with disabilities, others are played more by a specific group. The most common type is able body basketball and that is the one that has been described in this article.

  ### Wheelchair basketball

  In this variation the players are all seated in a wheelchair. This is often played by people who cannot walk or are unable to play able body basketball properly. The rules are altered slightly but the game follows the same general concepts.


id: ae7472eb941d4482afd4bce2329fbfcf
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Baseball
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Baseball** is a [sport](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport "Sport") played on a field by two teams against each other. In baseball, a player on one team throws a small round ball "Baseball (ball)") at a player on the other team, who tries to hit it with a bat. Then the player who hits the ball has to run around the field. Players score points by running around in a full circle around three markers on the ground called [bases](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_(baseball) "Base (baseball)"), to back where they started, which is called home plate. They have to do this without getting caught by the players on the other team.

  Baseball started in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s, but historians are not sure who invented it. Many people in North America, South America, and [East Asia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia "East Asia") play baseball, but the sport is most popular in the United States and Japan. In the U.S., baseball is called the _national pastime_, because so many people in the United States used to spend a lot of time playing or watching baseball games. Today, though, most Americans follow football more than baseball, especially when it comes time for the Super Bowl.

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 How baseball is played
    - 1.1 Fielding team
        - 1.1.1 Pitching
    - [1.2 The batting team](#The_batting_team)
  - 2 Baseball terms
    - 2.1 The field
  - 3 The Game
  - 4 Related pages
  - 5 References

  How baseball is played
  ----------------------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_field_overview.png)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_field_overview.png "Enlarge")

  A baseball field. A game of baseball is played by two teams on a baseball field. Each team has nine players. There are also umpires. Umpires watch everything carefully to decide what happened, make calls about a play, and make sure everyone follows the rules.

  On a baseball field, there are four bases. The bases form a diamond that goes around the field to the right from the starting base. The starting base is called _home plate_. Home plate is a pentagon, which is a shape that has five sides. First base is on the right side of the field, second base is at the top of the infield, third base is on the left side of the field, and home plate is at the back of the field, where the catcher plays.

  The game is played in _innings_. Professional and college baseball have nine innings. In an inning, each team has one turn to bat and try to score _runs "Run (baseball)")_ worth one point. When one team bats, the other team plays defense and tries to get three players on the other [team](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team "Team") _out "Out (baseball)")_. The team that is playing defense always has the ball. This is different from other team sports. When the team on defense gets three players out, it is their turn to try and score runs. Then the team that was batting starts playing defense, and the team that was playing defense starts batting. After nine innings, the team that has the most runs is the winner. If the teams have the same number of runs, they play more innings until one team wins. At the start of the game, the home team pitches, while players on the visiting team bat. Only one player can bat at a time.

  The baseball field, or _diamond_, has two main parts, the infield and the outfield. The _infield_ is where the four bases are. The _outfield_ is beyond the bases, from the view of home plate. The lines from home plate to first base and home plate to third base are the _foul lines_, and the ground outside of these lines is called _foul territory_. A ball that is hit with a bat and flies between the foul lines is a _fair ball_, and the batter and runners can try and run around the bases and score. A ball that is outside the foul lines is a _foul ball_. If the ball hits the ground in the foul area rather than being caught in the air, the batter continues to bat, and any runners must return to the base that they were on before the ball was hit. If the batter has fewer than two strikes, a foul ball counts as a strike. If the batter already has two strikes, and the foul ball is not caught in the air, then the batter continues to hit. If a ball is caught by a fielder in fair or foul ground, the batter is out.

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_swing.jpg)

  A batter swinging at a pitched ball. The most important part of the game is between the _pitcher "Pitcher (baseball)")_ and the _batter "Batter (baseball)")_. The pitcher throws, or _pitches "Pitch (baseball)")_, the ball towards home plate. The pitcher normally throws the ball close enough for the batter to hit it. If the pitcher throws the ball in the strike zone, which is the area over home plate and between the hitter's knee and chest, the pitch is a "strike", unless the batter hits the ball. The pitch is always a strike, regardless of where it is, if the batter swings the bat and misses, so the batter must have good aim with the bat. Three strikes are a "strikeout", and this is one way to make an "out". A pitch that the batter does not swing at, and which is not called a strike, is a "ball." On the fourth "ball" thrown by a pitcher, the batter "walks" to first base, so it is important to pitch well.

  The _[catcher](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catcher "Catcher")_ for the pitcher's team waits behind the batter, and catches any ball that the batter does not hit. The catcher uses signals to tell the pitcher where to throw the ball. If the pitcher does not like what the catcher says, he will shake his head, which signals "no". If he agrees with what the catcher has signaled, he will nod his head, which signals "yes".

  There are many ways to get batters out, and runners can also be gotten out. Some common ways to get batters out are catching a batted ball in the air"), whether in fair or foul territory, throwing the ball to the defensive player at first base (an out if it gets there before the batter), and a strikeout. A runner can be put out by tagging the runner while the runner is not on a base, and by "forcing him out" (when a base is touched before a player can get there, with no base for the runner to go back to). When the fielding team has put out three of the batting team's players, the _half-inning_ is over and the team in the field and the team at bat switch places.

  The batting team wants to get runs. In order to get a run, a player must bat, then become a base runner, touch all the bases in order, and then touch home plate without being called out. So first, the batter wants to make other players get to home plate, or to run the bases himself. Runners can not pass each other while running the bases.

  A base runner who touches home plate after touching all previous bases in order, and without getting out, scores a _run "Run (baseball)")_. If the batter hits the ball over the fence (between the foul lines) without touching the ground, it is a home run. The batter, and any base-runners, are allowed to advance to the home plate and score a run. The fielding team can do nothing to stop them.

  ### Fielding team

  The team on the field tries not to let the team who's batting get any runs. The fielding team has a pitcher and a catcher. The remaining seven fielders can stand anywhere in the field. However, there are usually four people that stand around the infield close to the bases and three _outfielders_ who stand around the outfield.

  The four infielders are the _[first baseman](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_baseman "First baseman")_, _second baseman_, _shortstop_, and _third baseman_. The first baseman and third baseman stand close to first base and third base. The second baseman and the shortstop stand on either side of second base.

  The first baseman's job is to make _force plays")_ at first base. In a force play, another infielder catches a ball that has touched the ground, and throws it to the first baseman. The first baseman must then touch the batter or the base with the ball before the batter can touch first base. Then the batter is out. First basemen need to have quick feet, stretch well, be quick and know how to catch wild throws. First base is one of the most important positions as a significant number of plays happen there.

  The second baseman's job is to cover the area to the right of second base and to back the first baseman up. The shortstop's job is to cover the area between second and third bases. This is where right-handed batters usually hit ground balls"). The shortstop also covers second or third base and the near part of left field. The shortstop is usually the best fielder on the team. The third baseman needs to have a strong throwing arm. This is because many times the batter will hit a ball toward third base. The third baseman must throw the ball very quickly to the first baseman, to get the runner out. Because the balls that go to third base are usually hit very hard, the third baseman must also be very quick.

  The three outfielders are called the _left fielder_, the _[center fielder](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_fielder "Center fielder")_, and the _right fielder_, because they stand in left field, center field and right field. Left field and right field are on the left and right sides, if you look out from home plate. Center field is straight ahead from home plate. Center field is very big, so the center fielder is usually the fastest.

  The team can decide where to put the infielders and outfielders. Players often stand at slightly different places on the field between some plays. These changes are called "shifts". The fielders may shift at any time. Players can shift for many reasons. One of the more popular ones is the _defensive shift_, where players move in the infield. They do this because they know that some batters can only hit a ball a certain direction. It can also be easier to make a double play when fielders are moved a certain way.

  #### Pitching

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_pitching_motion_2004.jpg)

  How the pitcher moves. Teams can change pitchers during a game. Teams change their pitchers often because it is hard for a pitcher to throw a full game of nine innings. A pitcher can sometimes throw a no-hitter where no one on the opposite team gets an earned hit. A team can use as many pitchers as it wants to, but it is rare to use more than eight in a game. The ways that a pitcher throws the ball are called _pitches")_. Many professional pitchers use two or more different pitches. Pitchers change which pitch they throw so that the batter will be tricked and not know what pitch to expect. This makes it more difficult for the batter to hit the ball. Pitchers can make the ball move differently: faster or slower, closer or farther from the batter, higher or lower. There are also many types of pitches, such as the slurve, curve, slider, splitter, sinker, screw, 2-seam cut, 2-seam screw, knuckle, knuckle curve, change-up, circle change-up, palm ball, and others.

  When throwing the ball, the pitcher must touch the _pitcher's rubber&action=edit&redlink=1 "Rubber (baseball) (not yet started)")_ with his foot. The pitcher's rubber is on top of the mound. The pitcher cannot take more than one step forward when he throws the ball. That makes the pitcher throw the ball slower. Many major-league pitchers can throw the ball up to 100 miles per hour (145 km/h). Throwing a baseball that fast can be bad for the body. Pitchers can end up with a lot of injuries. Doctors often will perform Tommy John [surgery](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgery "Surgery") on a pitcher with an elbow injury. The operation is named after Tommy John, the first pitcher to have the surgery. Today, pitchers are able to recover from their injuries much more often than before Tommy John surgery.

  ### The batting team

  The batting team wants to get runs. The batting team sends its players up to home plate in a special order. This order is called the _lineup_. Each team chooses its lineup at the start of the game. After the game starts, the team cannot change the order. But the team can use a player who was not on the lineup. The new player has to change with an original player. The new player's name is written in the lineup where the original player's name was. After the ninth player has batted, the first player in the lineup starts again. If a runner comes to home plate, he scores a run. Then he is not a base runner. After scoring a run, the player must leave the field until it is his turn again. So a player can only score one run for each time he bats.

  Since people began to have more free time, baseball has become the national pastime of America. About 12 million people play baseball in the United States.

  Baseball terms
  --------------

  ### The field

  _See the image above for a diagram of the playing field._- **Base**: Four points on the field the players must run to. The player starts at _Home plate_ and must go to each of the other bases in order and return to Home plate to score a _run_. The other bases are named _First base_, _Second base_ and _Third base_. Home plate is a piece of hard rubber and the other bases are made of cloth. In professional baseball, the bases are 90 feet "Foot (unit of length)") from each other. The bases on the field are in the shape of a diamond.
  - **Baseline**: the line between each of the bases in order. For example, from home plate to first base, from first base to second base, and so on.
  - **Base path**: The area along the baseline where the players run from base to base.
  - **Ball**: A pitch that was thrown outside the strike zone and that the batter did not swing at.
  - **Strike**: A pitch that was thrown inside the strike zone and that the batter did not swing at, a pitch that the batter swung at and missed, or a ball that the batter hit into foul territory.
  - **Dugout**: the place where the players and coaches who are not on the field sit.
  - **Bullpen**: the place where the pitchers watch the game and warm up before they start playing or when they are not playing.
  - **Outfield**: where three players play, typically where the best arm, the fastest and the second best arm play

  The Game
  --------

  - **Grounder**: A ball that bounces and rolls on the ground after being hit.
  - **Pop Fly**: A ball that goes high in the air after being hit. It can be caught for an out or it can fall for a hit
  - **Double Play**: When the defense gets two outs on one play. Often happens when a ground ball is hit to an infielder with a runner on base.
  - **Bunt**: when the batter holds his bat out to try and hit the ball rather than swinging it. A bunted ball does not go far usually. Pitchers often bunt because they are not as good at hitting. A bunt is also often used when trying to advance another runner already on one of the bases. This is called a "sacrifice" or "sacrifice bunt."
  - **Hit:** When the batter connect an unstoppable.
  - **Home Run:** When the batter hits the ball outside the baseball field, he gets to run all of the bases and scores at home plate.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - Major League Baseball


id: 93474484542d4b458a86b71a17d3b00b
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: Association football
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **Winter sports**

  [Ice hockey](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey "Ice hockey")· Skating  
  Skiing·Curling  
  Bobsled·Luge  
  Snowboarding·[Biathlon](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biathlon "Biathlon")  
  Ice sledge hockey

  There are many competitions for football, for both football clubs and countries. Football clubs usually play other teams in their own country, with a few exceptions. Cardiff City F.C. and Swansea City F.C from Wales for example, play in the English leagues and in the English [FA Cup](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Cup "FA Cup").

  Groups such as UEFA and FIFA organise international competitions between clubs and countries. Clubs play in competitions such as UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League, and countries play for the World Cup or a continental trophy such as the UEFA European Football Championship.

  The [FIFA World Cup](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup "FIFA World Cup") takes place every four years between national teams, and is the world's most popular sporting event, even more popular than the Olympic Games. In football, there are two main types competitions. In a "league", all of the teams play the same number of games, but in a "cup", teams leave the competition when they lose, until the last two teams play each other to decide the winner.

  Who plays football
  ------------------

  Football is the world's most popular sport. It is played in more countries than any other game. In fact, FIFA (the Federation Internationale de Football Association) has more members than the United Nations. It is played by both males and females.

  In Europe, the main competitions to compete to be the best in Europe are the Champions League for the top teams from the top leagues in each country in Europe. Then there is UEFA Europa League which is for the next best teams from each member of the UEFA.

  The most successful club in the world, in terms of domestic league results, is Rangers F.C. from Scotland, who have won more domestic league titles than any other team in the world. They have won the [country's league](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Premier_League "Scottish Premier League") 51 times which is a world record. Other successful clubs are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain, or Manchester United from England.

  Rules
  -----

  ### Fundamental rules

  _Note: this is not a complete summary_- The side which scores the most goals wins. If scores are equal, the result is a draw.
  - The officials in a football game are a referee and two linesmen.
  - Goals are scored by getting the ball into the opponents' goal, more than halfway across the line. 
    - Referees have access to goal-line cameras to decide close cases.
    - The _[offside rule](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside_rule "Offside rule")_ means that there have to be at least two defenders between the attacker and the defenders' goal when the attacker's teammate passes the ball to him/her. (This is not a complete summary: the rule is complex). Usually, one of the two defenders is the goalkeeper.
  - Players may not use their hands or arms (handball), except the goalkeeper, who may use them within his own _penalty area_ (_penalty areas_ are in front of both goals).
  - The ball is out of play if it crosses the field boundaries. 
    - If a player kicks the ball out of play at the side of the field, the other team gets to throw the ball back into play (a _throw in_).
    - If a player kicks the ball out of play at their end of the field, the other team kicks the ball back into play from the corner (a _corner kick_);
    - If a player kicks the ball out of play at the other end of the field, the other team kicks the ball back into play from directly in front of the goal (a _goal kick_).
  - Football is a game of two halves. Each half is 45 minutes. The referee may add time to the end of each half when play is delayed due to injuries or substitutions. There is an interval of ten minutes between halves.
  - Each team is allowed up to three substitutes from the bench during the course of a game. No player substituted can return during the game.

  ### Behaviour rules

  - Players may not trip or push each other (a _foul")_).
  - Players may not hold each other or stop other players from getting to the ball (_obstruction_).
  - When a player scores he is not allowed to jump into the crowd. If he does he will get a yellow card. The same applies to lifting their shirt in celebration.
  - Players must not abuse referees in any way (verbally or physically).
  - Players who commit bad fouls get shown a yellow card. Players who commit really bad fouls, or get shown two yellow cards in the same game, get shown a red card. Players who get shown a red card get sent off the field and cannot finish playing the game. In some competitions (like the Premier League in England) you miss the next game (suspended) if you get a red card, or pick up 5 yellow cards during the season.

  Related pages
  -------------

  - List of national football teams
  - List of Argentine football teams
  - List of Austrian football teams
  - List of Brazilian football teams
  - [List of Dutch football teams](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dutch_football_teams "List of Dutch football teams")
  - List of English football teams
  - List of French football teams
  - List of German football teams
  - List of Indian football teams
  - List of Italian football teams
  - List of Japanese football teams
  - [List of Portuguese football teams](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Portuguese_football_teams "List of Portuguese football teams")
  - List of Russian football teams
  - List of Scottish football teams
  - List of Spanish football teams
  - List of association football clubs in Sweden
  - List of United States soccer teams
  - List of Welsh football teams


id: b1c36fd452ec4672b3ea027b9085aafc
parent_id: 2f9817e70d344ed6b17efac792d21a41
title: American football
source: joplindev
source_application: net.cozic.joplin-cli
body:
  **American Football** (just called **football** in the USA) is a [team](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team "Team") sport. It is played by two teams with 11 players on each side. American football is played with a ball with pointed ends. Points are scored in many ways, usually by one team getting the ball into the end zone of the other team.

  The game started in the 19th century as college football, an American version of [rugby football](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_football "Rugby football").

  Contents
  --------

  - 1 Gameplay
  - 2 Field
  - 3 Players
  - 4 Scoring
    - 4.1 Touchdown (6 points)
    - 4.2 Field goal (3 points)
    - [4.3 Extra point (1 or 2 points)](#Extra_point_.281_or_2_points.29)
    - 4.4 Safety (2 points)
  - 5 American Professional Seasons
    - 5.1 Exhibition season
    - 5.2 Regular season
    - 5.3 NFL playoffs
    - 5.4 Related pages
  - [6 Other websites](#Other_websites)

  Gameplay
  --------

  The main leagues that play American football (usually just referred to as "football" in America) are the professional National Football League (NFL), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which plays college football. In the National Football League, players can be paid millions of dollars. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association, players simply play for the pride of their school, scholarships, or for the chance to join a national team. Over a million boys (and a small number of girls) play high school football, also for school pride. There is also a closely related sport called [Canadian football](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_football "Canadian football").

  A football game is played with a ball called a football. The sport is played on a grass (or artificial turf) field. The field is exactly 360 feet "Foot (unit of length)") (120 yards) long and 160 feet (53⅓ yards) wide. The end zones, one at each end of the field, are 10 yards long. The players wear protective equipment, including a helmet with face mask, shoulder pads, thigh pads, and often a mouth guard. A team has four chances, or "downs", to advance the ball 10 yards while the opposing team tries to stop it. Certain players advance the ball by carrying or throwing it. Teams can score by advancing the ball to the other team's end zone or by kicking the ball through a goalpost placed at the back of the end zone. American football is carefully regulated by time and rules, which are enforced by officials, who also determine when a team scores.

  A college or professional football game is 60 minutes long, and is divided into 15-minute quarters. In some high schools, the quarters are 12 minutes long, and games for younger children are often shorter still. After the first two quarters, the teams rest during halftime.

  In NFL football, if the game is tied after the four quarters, the two teams compete in at least one more 15-minute period called overtime. During overtime, the first team to score points is usually the winner. However, under the current rules, first used for the 2011 postseason, if the team that has the ball first ends its possession by scoring a field goal, the other team has a chance to score. If that team does not score, or if it scores a touchdown, the game ends. If it scores a field goal, the game continues, and the next team to score wins. During the regular season, only one overtime period is played—if neither team scores, or if both teams score field goals when they first have the ball, the game ends in a tie. During the playoffs, the game will continue with as many overtime periods as needed to decide a winner. If the game is tied after each team has had the ball once in overtime, the first team to score wins.

  In NCAA football overtime, which is based on the system used for high school football in most U.S. states, the teams take turns trying to score. The game ends when one team scores, and the other team fails to score as many points during its chance.

  Field
  -----

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AmFBfield.svg)

  An American football field. American football is played on a field 120 yards long by 53⅓ yards wide. Most of the game is played on 100 yards in the middle. It is divided by 20 lines drawing every 5 yards. The field has two other sets of markings, running between the two end zones along the length of the field, known as "hashmarks". All plays must start between the hashmarks—if the last play ended outside the hashmarks, the ball is moved to the nearest hashmark. At the ends of the field there are scoring areas, called the end zones.

  There are also two yellow poles on the end of each field called uprights. Sometimes, if the team can not score a touchdown they might want to kick it through the uprights for three points. The uprights are also used for scoring one point after a team scored a touchdown.

  Players
  -------

  ![](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeremi_Johnson_and_Ray_Lewis.jpg)

  [](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeremi_Johnson_and_Ray_Lewis.jpg "Enlarge")

  Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis tackles Cincinnati Bengals runningback Jeremi Johnson") in a [National Football League](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League "National Football League") game. There are many types of players on a football team. For the offensive part of the team, a quarterback throws the football to wide receivers while offensive linemen block to protect him from defensive players. The offensive linemen also block when a running back runs to advance the football. Players on the Defensive line"), a linebacker, and [defensive backs](/w/index.php?title=Defensive_backs&action=edit&redlink=1 "Defensive backs (not yet started)") (cornerbacks") and American football safeties")) attempt to tackle the offensive player who carries the football. Some team members only play during certain times. These players belong to the Special Teams. The kicker can kick the ball to the other team or between the uprights, while the placeholder") holds the ball steady. The kick returner") runs the ball down the field in an attempt to score points after catching the ball.

  Scoring
  -------

  ### Touchdown (6 points)

  A touchdown is achieved when a player has legal possession of the ball and the ball crosses an imaginary vertical plane above the opposing team's goal line. After a touchdown, the scoring team attempts a try for 1 or 2 points (see below). A successful touchdown is signaled by an official extending both arms vertically above the head.

  ### Field goal (3 points)

  A field goal is scored when the ball is place kicked between the goal posts") behind the opponent's end zone. The most common type of kick used is the place kick. For a place kick, the ball must first be snapped to a placeholder, who holds the ball upright on the ground with his fingertip so that it may be kicked. Three points are scored if the ball crosses between the two upright posts and above the crossbar and remains over.

  ### Extra point (1 or 2 points)

  Immediately following a touchdown, the scoring team can attempt to kick the ball between the goal posts for 1 extra point. The team can also run or pass the ball into the end zone for 2 points. This is not done very often although it does happen.

  ### Safety (2 points)

  A **safety** is scored if a player causes the ball to become dead in his own end zone. When this happens two points are awarded to the opposing (usually defending) team. This can happen if a player is either downed or goes out of bounds in the end zone while carrying the ball. It can also happen if he fumbles the ball, and it goes out of bounds in the end zone. A safety is also awarded to the defensive team if the offensive team commits a foul which is enforced in its own end zone.

  American Professional Seasons
  -----------------------------

  ### Exhibition season

  [![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Wilson_American_football.jpg/220px-Wilson_American_football.jpg)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wilson_American_football.jpg)

  An American Football ball **Exhibition season** (better known as **Pre-Season**) is in August. In the exhibition season, the teams get ready for the regular season "Season (sports)") by having training. Teams have practices to help the team get better and see who will make the team. All of the teams play 4 games before the regular season starts, and the games do not change what team gets to the post season. Because of it, teams do not use their best players much, and use the games as more practice.

  ### Regular season

  The 32 NFL teams are divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each of them is divided in four divisions: North, South, West and East. Each division includes four teams. The season lasts 17 weeks. Each team plays 16 games and has one week off. This week of rest is called a "bye week".

  ### NFL playoffs

  Part of a series of articles on  
  **Sports**

  [![Sports](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Sports_icon.png/50px-Sports_icon.png)](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sports_icon.png "Sports")

  **Summer Sports")**Track and field athletics  
  Football (soccer)  
  Basketball  
  Rugby  
  Gymnastics  
  [Baseball](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball "Baseball")  
  <a class="mw-selflink selflink">American football</a>  
  Cycling·Auto racing  
  Cricket·Golf  
  Field hockey·Handball  
  [Archery](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery "Archery")·Shooting  
  Fencing·Weightlifting  
  Pentathlon·Triathlon  
  Horseback riding

  [Water sports](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_sports "List of water sports")Swimming· Diving  
  Water polo·Sailing  
  Canoeing·Rowing

  [Martial arts](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts "Martial arts")Boxing·Wrestling  
  Karate·Taekwondo

  Net sports Tennis· Volleyball  
  [Table tennis](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis "Table tennis")· Badminton

  **Winter sports**

  Ice hockey· Skating  
  Skiing·Curling  
  [Bobsled](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobsleigh "Bobsleigh")·Luge  
  Snowboarding·Biathlon  
  Ice sledge hockey

  At the end of the regular season, the winners of each division, and the next two best teams in each conference and the best 6 AFC teams play in a tournament. NFC's champion and AFC's champion play the NFL's final game, the Super Bowl. The event is often treated as a National holiday as many stores close for the event. The day of the event is commonly known nationwide as **Super Bowl Sunday**.


