Tribalism and the Nation in the African Continent Essay

Tribalism and the Nation in the African Continent - Essay Example This often accompanies accusations of primitiveness that are leveled against institutions that have their origin in tribal collectives. Tribalism in its jingoistic form is harmful for the unity of a nation and its overall development. This paper shall argue against tribalism and the effects that it has upon the modern state. It shall not however, argue for the modern state in its present form which is a creation of European culture and has been imposed on the African cultures that they once had colonized. One of the main reasons as to why certain states are unable to achieve a certain kind of unity is the persistence of tribalism. This tribalism then leads to the establishment of the tyranny of a certain tribe over the other despite the existence of democratic procedures that are established with the intention of ensuring the equal distribution of power (Jason). Over the past few decades, one has witnessed an alarming rise in the number of governments that are dictatorships in Africa. This has a lot to do with tribalism as it actively promotes tribal loyalties during elections and this then takes precedence over issues of development. This then results in most parties feeling a certain kind of disillusionment regarding the very process of elections, something that would then further tip the balance of power in favor of the ruling tribes. Tribalism thus represents a conglomeration of forces that seek to topple the forces of democracy that seek to provide for a country certain forms of development. Such incidents have happened as late as in 2008 during the Kenyan elections. Such incidents are often violent and further mar the social fabric of the nation (Africa: Talking about "Tribe"). They then cause great economic and social damage that needs to be rectified through great efforts on the part of the state. This then sets the process of development back by many years. This backward step is then taken not just at the level of the economy but also at the level of the social relations that exist between the different tribes living within the same country. Writers like Ngugi wa Thiongo identify tribalism as the problem that plagues Africa. He advocates the establishment of a single collective that would then have a more or less homogenous identity. This identity would be created following an elaborate process of decolonization that would result in the establishment of a more authentic identity (Thiongo). Even within such a framework, development is envisaged in a rath er Western framework. This is not to say that there is no African framework of development but to demonstrate the woeful lack of research in this area. If one is to posit arguments against such a thesis of nationalism against tribalism. Writers like Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni attempt to complicate the problem by introducing pre-colonial and colonial perspectives that then serve to absolve tribalism of the guilt that it would have to shoulder as far as the lack of development is concerned. Ndlovu-Gatsheni looks at the different factors that affect development in areas that are affected by tribalism and ascribes the underdeveloped states of these areas as products of history (167-9). Such analyses fail to locate the root of the problem and consequently only manage to create a sense of the inevitable as far as the existence of the problem is concerned. The historical angle of the problem, while it needs to be argued, also needs to be looked upon as something that leads to a solution and not just presenting an analysis of the situation as it arrived. It is

Black Elk Speaks Essay Example for Free

Black Elk Speaks Essay In the article, Black Elk Speaks with Forked Tongue, Couser is giving his opinion on how he thinks that Neihardt was in actuality suppressing the Lakota way of life and Black Elk’s story. His opinion is backed by some good points from the text and as well as other scholars who have the same opinion as himself. Couser does believe that Black Elk Speaks is a well written book and he even respects and commends Neihardt in his attempt to honor Black Elk, â€Å"before detailing the short comings of Black Elk Speaks I would like to acknowledge the considerable efforts Neihardt made to honor Black Elk’s narrative† (Couser). Couser then dives into the idea that this book as an autobiography should be a thing of the past. I think Couser then gets carried away with an opinion about how Black Elk was being censored and the truths were kept secret. Couser’s argument is good but his tactic and tangent near the end could have been left out; it does not hurt the argument but it also is too absurd to help the argument as well. Couser states that one of the problems with Neihardt is just the sheer fact of the language barrier; he uses DeMallie as an example of a person who thought the same thing. While there is good translation at times there are horrific and even completely made up parts in the book; this goes back to Couser’s argument that the book is not qualified to be called a Native American Biography. Neihardt had Black Elk’s son translate while Neighardt’s daughter would take notes; this action alone makes it inevitable that there will be some miscommunication and misinterpretation. It was then Neihardt who, in order to fill in the loss in translation, put in his own creativity and somehow turn a story into a piece of literary work. Due to the language barrier it was inevitable from the very beginning that Neihardt would have to change things around for literary purposes. Couser seems to only point out the bad parts of the book and never goes into depth about any of the good things, for instance: had Neihardt gone verbatim what Black Elk said he would have gotten factual information wrong, â€Å"After we had danced, she spoke to us. She said something like this: ‘I am sixty-seven years old. (Neihardt 177); this is just one example where Neihardt saw a mistake and corrected it just as any good editor would do. A literal translation of every word Black Elk spoke is not plausible due to a difference in culture as well as language. As a writer it was Neihardt’s job to put it in a form that is readable. It was his job to try to convey the emotions Black Elk was portraying in the telling of the story. Seeing what Neihardt put in and left out did not make much of a difference and it seemed to be well done for as big of a barrier he faced. Couser also argues that Neihardt’s free translation, not just language barrier but also that Neihardt could fill in things with his own creativeness, debunks the argument that Black Elk Speaks is a true Native American Autobiography. He believes that Neihardt’s attempts to change and convey emotion are merely Neihardt using his own opinion and creativeness. The text in the book is not verbatim and therefore Neihardt did his own thing. Couser later argues that Neihardt creating much of the story is still a kind of suppression and is conveying a dominant power. Neihardt used creativity just as any other writer would have done. â€Å"There were many lies, but we could not eat them. The forked tongue made promises† (Neihardt 172); that sentence is Neihardt’s and it may not be what Black Elk said but it could have been something that Neihardt could see Black Elk saying. Just because something is creative does not mean that it is an absurd thought. He used creativity to convey what he was seeing from Black Elk himself. Had Neihardt only gone by words I think more would have been lost in translation; not only is there language that has to be translated but also an emotional language. Neihardt took it upon himself to convey the emotion and had someone else transcribe the notes. Even though the translation was not word for word I think he portrayed the emotion quite well in the text. Couser then starts his tangent about how in this â€Å"autobiography† the white man is still suppressing the Native American Indian. He discusses little things like how Neihardt should not have addressed Black Elk as Black Elk. He also accuses Neihardt of trying to make the book too Indian like. He criticizes Neihardt’s writing of Black Elk. Couser then argues that the reason that Neihardt did not mention as many rituals or customs in the text is due to a dominant culture trying to eradicate and hide another culture, the Native American Indian culture. All in the same argument Couser suggest that the book is a sign of cultural imperialism; he says that the books was meant to escape cultural imperialism but in the end the book seems to be all about cultural imperialism I believe that Neihardt wrote the book and went off, as closely as possible, Black Elk. Neihardt approached Black Elk, not vice versa; had Black Elk approached Neihardt the book would probably be totally different then what it is today. Neihardt had every right to do what he did in the book due to his poetic license. It should be a given that Neihardt was going to do some of his own things; however, that does not mean that the book is a cultural imperialist book or a historical fiction. For some reason Neihardt changed his intentions for the interview; they were going to go towards his poetry but for some purpose he turned to a novel. I believe Neihardt was doing the story telling in a way that had never been done before, in a literary way. Black Elk told the story in an oral and story form and Neihardt then transformed the story into a literary work. Couser did have a strong argument and I do agree with what he said about how the book should not be taken as a Lakota bible or a Native American Biography; I do not agree with his argument that the book is a form of suppression upon the Native Americans. The flaws in the book are minute enough that it can still give a considerable amount of history and background on the Lakota people. However, it should not be taken as a bible for the Lakota people, after all not everything of what was said about the tribe and rituals is in the book and one must do more research than just read and study Black Elk Speaks. All Neihardt was expected to do was his best and I think he did accomplish his goal of creating a fairly accurate portrayal of the Lakota people and the Indian life of Black Elk.

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay Kingston and Tan, both of stereotypical immigrant background, use their memories of deceased mother to build credibility in their respective articles. In Tans Mother Tongue, major themes of language and identity throughout the essay revolves around how the mothers past lives in china affect their daughters lives in this country; just as the daughters childhood experiences effect their identities and adult lives. Likewise, Kingston uses a similar approach by introducing the mother character early on in the essay, with the narrators mother telling her a story which she must never repeat about the aunt she never knew. However, unlike Tans descriptive approach on mother-daughters daily lives, Kingston focuses on the clear parallel between her aunts tragedy and her own deprivations as the daughter of immigrants: the repression of sexuality, individuality, and generational shame. Despite their differences, the power of the spoken and written word is the common theme which gave birth to its relative themes in both respective articles. Being a talk-story meant to be kept silence, No Name Woman is written instead of spoken; Mother Tongue revolves around the narrator and her mothers spoken English, and again, is written instead of spoken. Stylistically, No Name Womans distinctive accomplishment lies within the cross boundaries between genres, dictions, styles, between fact and fiction. The narrator makes radical leaps in time and space, spanning over 100 years of Chinese-American history, combining Chinese myth, family history, and American individualism and rebelliousness. On the other hand, being a significant part of Tans childhood, the limitation in language of Tans mother has more or less influence over her writing style. She criticises her past attempt to create wittily crafted sentence that could prove her mastery over the English language, That was my mental quandary in its nascent state. A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce. This explains the lack of imaginative detail, metaphor and personal musings in Mother Tongue, in which was exerted strongly in Kingstons work. However, it is the simplicity of Tans language that evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth without the extr avagance of time leaping, non-linear talk-stories to reveal the same emotions, ideas or a simple truth both authors wish to impact on the readers themselves. It is clear that both Tan and Kingston are reaching out to other Chinese-Americans who share their feelings of displacement and frustration. So easy to read., a verdict given by Tans mother upon completion on readings of Tans work, highlights the purpose of Tans essay in increasing the awareness of language in family, home, peer, and work communities: allowing English literatures not only accessible to mainstream Americans, but also the minorities of limited English comprehension. Being a product of the sixties, No Name Woman contains traces of the civil right and womens liberation movements of that time, where Kingston proposes: Women in the old China did not choose. Some man had commanded her to lie with him and be his secret evil she obeyed him. However, it is her struggle to make sense of her mothers story according to her mothers traditional Chinese code of beliefs, that she shares her questions and concerns directly to Chinese-Americans: Chinese-Americans, when you try to unde rstand what things in you are Chinese, how do you separate what is peculiar to childhood, to poverty, insanities, one family, your mother who marked your growing with stories, from what is Chinese? What is Chinese tradition and what is the movies? Having to state that, as an immigrant story for a nation of immigrants, both Kingston and Tans work are nevertheless intended as well for a mainstream audience. The lives Kingston and Tan have to battle through are interesting ones. The opening words of The Woman Warrior set the tone for much of the rest of the memoir, You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what I am about to tell you In fact, after being silence all her life, Kingston becomes a rebellion of sorts by breaking the silence and asserts power over those who have held her back. Such form of rebellious nature is nevertheless expressed in Tans Mother Tongue as she breaks stereotypic cycle surrounding Asians, Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me. However, such depiction of unique experience in literature, as present in both Kingston and Tans work, can arguably be deemed reprehensible for its threat to distort Chinese-American reality. As the subject is forbidden, Kingston knows nothings about her aunt beyond the broad details of the story. This presents us with a dichotomy of the ambiguous nature of talk- story a blend of the real and fantasies. Similarly, Tan makes generalisation of the English spoken in other Asian-American families, not to mention her emphasise on math and science, in which Tan describes as what happened to me, not what happened to every Asian-American. The confusion and ambivalence they feel as the author, who were once the listeners, parallel ours. However, just as Kingston writes of No Name Woman: Unless I see her life branching into mine, she gives me no ancestral help, it enables readers to make allowances for Kingston and Tans reinterpretation of mothers word from their own American perspective, thereby encouraging readers too to alter ideas from each article according to their own perspectives. I believe that each of us was Amy Tan, or Maxine Hong Kingston, in some point of our lives. Whether it is through silence, or through talking, reading both authors pieces is like having a prophetic, riddle-like dream: one cannot help but to be drawn into its stories by their distinctive writing style, concepts of cultural language and identity, and its reflection on the readers themselves. With this comes an important point: sometimes we must be far away from home, or to be separated from our roots somehow, in order to realize and appreciate what we really have.

Golden Ratio :: essays research papers

What is the Golden Ratio The golden ration can occur anywhere. The golden proportion is the ratio of the shorter length to the longer length which equals the ratio of the longer length to the sum of both lengths. The golden ratio is a term used to describe proportioning in a piece. In a work of art or architecture, if one maintained a ratio of small elements to larger elements that was the same as the ratio of larger elements to the whole, the end result was pleasing to the eye. The ratio for length to width of rectangles is 1.61803398874989484820. The numeric value is called â€Å"phi†. The Golden Ratio is also known as the golden rectangle. The Golden Rectangle has the property that when a square is removed a smaller rectangle of the same shape remains, a smaller square can be removed and so on, resulting in a spiral pattern. The Golden Rectangle is a unique and important shape in mathematics. The Golden Rectangle appears in nature, music, and is often used in art and architecture. Some thing special about the golden rectangle is that the length to the width equals approximately 1.618†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golden Ration = Length = 1.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Width The golden rectangle has been discovered and used since ancient times. Our human eye perceives the golden rectangle as a beautiful geometric form. The symbol for the Golden Ratio is the Greek letter Phi. The Fibonacci Series was discovered around 1200 A.D. Leonardo Fibonacci discovered the unusual properties of the numeric series, that’s how it was named. It is not proven that Fibonacci even noticed the connection between the Golden Ratio meaning and Phi. The Renaissance used the Golden Mean and Phi in their sculptures and paintings to achieve vast amounts balance and beauty. The Golden Ratio in Architecture and Art Throughout the centuries, artists have used the golden ratio in their own creations. An example is â€Å"post† by Picasso. When using a golden mean gauge you can see that the lines are spaced to the Golden Proportion. The Golden Ratio also appears in the Parthenon in Athens. It was built about 440 B.C.; it forms a perfect Golden Rectangle. The exterior dimensions form Golden Rectangle. The Golden Ratio also appears in the front face, which is found to be Phi times as wide as it is tall, so therefore it is a Golden Rectangle. The height of the roof is Phi times the space between the tops of the columns and the bottom of the roof.

Health and Safety Essay

Potential for falling objects – The employer or employee must make sure that all items of equipment, materials and tools that are not in use must be stored/stacked correctly and securely. Otherwise, there is a potential that the item/item may fall and injure a person. .Sharp edges and trailing leads – Sharp edges must be rounded off to make sure that a person does not band a part of their body on them and trailing leads should be wrapped in something protective to bunch them together, and to make sure they are out of the way. .Evacuation assembly areas – This is a designated area for staff and other members to meet. We have these to round up people away from the fire to ensure the safety of everyone. Employers must train their staff about a fire evacuation, making sure they know which point on the premises to go to. .Site building works – From time to time, employees may find themselves having to enter certain areas which may be hazardous, having to come into contact with hazardous substances or having to be exposed to noisy areas. It is the employers that should ensure that any building work is kept separate from employees but in certain circumstances, all care must be taken to make sure employees are kept safe in their working environment. .Off-site work – Any risks that are connected with off-site work must be assessed before the work takes place. These risks are highlighted and controlled in a similar way as to how they would be in the workplace. Employees and individuals involved in off-site working must be provided with the correct training and must be given the right information about health and safety working. .Organic infestation – When organic pests arrive in the workplace, they can present infection hazards, be offensive, contaminate food, create damage to materials and structures and also, can be an annoyance to employees. Employers have a duty to ensure that there is an efficient management of organic pests, otherwise things may escalate. But also, employees have a responsibility to report any sightings of pests or to bring up evidence of their existence to the suitable person. .Vermin infestation – Vermin infestation can cause some serious problems in the workplace. This can include: damage to equipment, damage to electrical supplies, and contamination of any water supplies and also the threat of having disease from droppings or urine. Employers must make sure that they carry out risk assessments and employees must make sure that they report any sightings of rat/mice activity. Infestations can be prevented by having good workplace hygiene, which involves regular housekeeping, (vacuuming, cleaning carpets and fabrics thoroughly). .Dampness and Mould – When dampness and mould arises, it can cause numerous health issues and problems for the employees who work there. They may suffer from allergies and cold-like symptoms, which includes sneezing and irritable eyes. Damp problems can also cause serious respiratory problems for employees. It is the employer’s duty to keep his staff happy and healthy, and so to stick with this, they should ensure that they can do all they can to prevent it. Ways which consist of: drying up any condensation around the workplace within 48 hours, install proper ventilation and ensuring that cold surfaces are properly insulted. .Materials and Waste disposal – Some employees may come into contact with materials which could be hazardous to their health. If this isn’t dealt with properly, these can result in injury or even death. Employers must certify that they minimise the risks to their workers that are exposed to these materials. As well as this, managers have a duty to make sure that hazardous waste is accurately recognized at certain stages of production and that appropriate measures are taken to protect the health of the surrounding people. .Hygiene facilities – There are general welfare requirements for staff and employers must ensure that certain minimum levels of hygiene facilities are provided in the workplace. Types of washing facilities depend on the nature of what type of working business it is. The area in which staff can wash must be in an easy, accessible place. They must be hygienic, well lit and ventilate. Hot soap and water must be provided and either hand towels and electric hand dryers. Also, men and women should have separate facilities. .Disabled access and toilet facilities – Employers have a duty to ensure that if they do employer a person who is disabled to come and work for them, that there is sufficient disabled washing facilities and toilet facilities. The facilities should have: drop down hand and also support rails, emergency pull cords, accessible wash basins, soap dispensers, toilet paper and paper towels. .Food preparation areas – In any type of food preparation are, there must be strict rules and regulations laid down by the employer to prevent food from being contaminated. As well as this, it is their responsibility to make sure that their employees and staff aren’t a risk to food safety. This is where employers need to focus on 4 main areas to ensure health and safety: keeping the area clean, reporting any illnesses, clothing and personal cleanliness/hygiene. .Pest control – Employers must do a number of things to control pests. A few of them being: securing buildings to prevent them from entering, setting and maintain poisons and traps to kill them, spraying insecticides to kill pests and installing ultraviolet insect killers. .Noise and atmospheric pollution – This can be a serious issue to workers and employers have a duty to reduce any noise pollution that might lead to damage to the ears. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations applies to any workers who are exposed to noises over 85 decibels or more in the workplace. Long-lasting exposure to this amount of noise will damage an employees hearing. In addition to controlling noise pollution, employers must ensure that their workers aren’t exposed to atmospheric pollution. This is known as air pollution. Atmospheric pollution is any particulate matter present in the air that has the potential to damage someone’s health. This includes: dust, fumes and gases. Any health condition that is caused by atmospheric pollution has the potential to be very fatal for the people in the workplace. Employers have a legal responsibility to make sure that risk assessments are carried out. Suitable and efficient provision must be provided to ensure that every workspace is ventilated by a quantity of fresh or even purified air. .Temperature and ventilation – Temperature in work areas should provide reasonable comfort without the need for certain types of clothing. If the temperature is too hot or cold, steps should be taken to achieve a reasonable temperature which is close to comfortable. If employees, staff or any sort of worker is exposed to temperatures that are too high or low, the employer must make provision to make sure that their workers are as comfortable as possible. As well as temperature control, workplaces must ensure that there is some form of ventilation. This gives workers the opportunity to breathe fresh, clean air when they are working. Windows can be one from of ventilation and another could be properly installed mechanical systems. Both of which provide ventilation for workers. Ventilation systems which are provided in the workplace should remove and dilute, warm, humid air which can sometimes be uncomfortable to work in. .Equipment – Maintenance of a safe working environment ranges from having safe equipment and warning signs to help protect workers from being harmed. .Safety guards – The guarding of dangerous machinery has been a legal requirement for many years under the Health and Safety at Work act 1974. Employers must make sure that dangerous machinery that is being used by the workers are trained and the appropriate person for the job. .Warning signs and sound signals – One of the most common safety features in the workplace are warning signs which are used to alert employees and workers to the potential risks or dangers that are around them. Also, warning signs may instruct employees on what to do if an emergency occurred. Certain signs such as fire exits must be able to light up in the case of an emergency and they must also be fitted with audible alarms. Training must be provided to every employee so that they understand the information or directions being conveyed by any warning signs in their workplace. Another point is, is that the general safety requirements for staff in the workplace is that all workers should be aware of any sound signals that the company uses if there is ever an emergency situation. These sound signals are classed as safety signs and staff should make sure that they know what to do if one of these goes off. Staff and workers should be trained to know what each and every sound signal means in case of an emergency and also to know what they have to do in the event of hearing it go off. .Maintenance frequency – A lot of accidents that that happen in the workplace are due to faulty or poorly maintained work equipment. Employers have a duty to make sure that all of their equipment is maintained and in good shape. They should also ensure that the maintenance log is kept up to date showing when the machinery and equipment was last inspected/serviced. The maintenance frequency of workplace machinery and equipment depends on numerous factors, such as the working limits and maximum use of equipment, how it is used and the risk to safety of malfunction. .Protective clothing – Several job roles require staff and workers to wear protective clothing. This can make the job that they have much easier, can prevent them from getting an injury and can even save lives. Gloves, helmets, footwear, face masks, chemical suits, high-visibility vests and eye protectors all come under types of PPE. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their workers and employees have PPE provided and that it also matches the potential hazards. They must also ensure that employees know why they must wear their PPE and that it must be worn correctly. .Accessible emergency exits – As a part of their emergency risk assessment, employers must take into consideration whether, in the event of an emergency, like a fire that is taking place, all individuals that are in the workplace could leave in a safe manner and reach a safe destination. So for this, they must provide safe and accessible fire exits. These fire exits must be clearly signposted with signs that light up and that are alarmed. .Fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems – In the workplace, employers must make sure that they provide the means for staff to treat small fires. The number of fire extinguishers that are required within a business, all depends on how large or small that business is. Typically, extinguishers are sited next to potential fire risks, such as heaters or a computer, and they are also close to exit doors and stairways. Also, extinguishers must be evidently signed and labelled. There are five main types of extinguisher, and these are: water, foam, CO2, powder and wet chemical. Employers must make sure that they train their staff and workers to know which type of extinguisher to use on a fire and so that they also know how to work them properly. A much more effective way of dealing with fires that occur in the workplace, is the installation of a water sprinkler system. These work by a fire activating them and water is then fed from the water supply and puts out the fire. These sprinkler systems are seen as a safer way of putting out a fire and also much more effective.

Free Essays on Geography

WHEN we trace the parts of which this terrestrial system is composed, and when we view the general connection of those several parts, the whole presents a machine of a peculiar construction by which it is adapted to a certain end. We perceive a fabric, erected in wisdom, to obtain a purpose worthy of the power that is apparent in the production of it. WE know little of the earth's internal parts, or of the materials which compose it at any considerable depth below the surface. But upon the surface of this globe, the more inert matter is replenished with plants, and with animals and intellectual beings. WHERE so many living creatures are to ply their respective powers, in pursuing the end for which they were intended, we are not to look for nature in a quiescent state; matter itself must be in motion, and the scenes of life a continued or repeated series of agitations and events. THIS globe of the earth is a habitable world; and on its fitness for this purpose, our sense of wisdom in its formation must depend. To judge of this point, we must keep in view, not only the end, but the means also by which that end is obtained. These are, the form of the whole, the materials of which it is composed, and the several powers which concur, counter-act, or balance one another, in procuring the general result. THE form and constitution of the mass are not more evidently calculated for the purpose of this earth as a habitable world, than are the various substances of which that complicated body is composed. Soft and hard parts variously combine, to form a medium consistence adapted to the use of plants and animals; wet and dry are properly mixed for nutrition, or the support of those growing bodies; and hot and cold produce a temperature or climate no less required that a soil. Insomuch, that there is not any particular, respecting either the qualities of the materials, or the construction of the machine, more obvious to our perception, t... Free Essays on Geography Free Essays on Geography I. What is Geography? Geography is the study of the earth, including human-environment interaction, places, people, and the natural environment. The study of the interaction between all physical and human phenomena at certain places and how interactions among places form patterns and organize space, contribute to the geographical method. The Core Areas of Geography are physical geography, human geography, cultural geography, and cartography, or geographic information systems. II. The Five Fundamental Themes of Geography 1. Location: Position on the Earth's Surface Absolute and relative location are two ways of describing the position of places on earth’s surface. In many situations it is important to identify absolute locations as precise points on the earth’s surface. 2. Place: Physical and Human Characteristics All places on the earth have distinct physical and human characteristics that give them the meaning and distinguish them from other places. The physical characteristics derive from the geological, hydrological, atmospheric, and biological processes that produce landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life. Human ideas and actions also shape the character of places. Places differ in their population size and density, as well as in their settlement patterns, architecture, kinds of economic and recreational activities, transportation, and communication networks. Places can be distinguished from each other by the ideologies and philosophical or religious beliefs of people who live there, by their languages, and by their forms of economic, social, and political organization. Taken together, the physical and human characteristics of places provide keys to identifying and interpreting both and complex interrelations between people and their environments, an d between different groups of people. 3. Relationships within Places: Humans and Environment All places on earth have advan... Free Essays on Geography WHEN we trace the parts of which this terrestrial system is composed, and when we view the general connection of those several parts, the whole presents a machine of a peculiar construction by which it is adapted to a certain end. We perceive a fabric, erected in wisdom, to obtain a purpose worthy of the power that is apparent in the production of it. WE know little of the earth's internal parts, or of the materials which compose it at any considerable depth below the surface. But upon the surface of this globe, the more inert matter is replenished with plants, and with animals and intellectual beings. WHERE so many living creatures are to ply their respective powers, in pursuing the end for which they were intended, we are not to look for nature in a quiescent state; matter itself must be in motion, and the scenes of life a continued or repeated series of agitations and events. THIS globe of the earth is a habitable world; and on its fitness for this purpose, our sense of wisdom in its formation must depend. To judge of this point, we must keep in view, not only the end, but the means also by which that end is obtained. These are, the form of the whole, the materials of which it is composed, and the several powers which concur, counter-act, or balance one another, in procuring the general result. THE form and constitution of the mass are not more evidently calculated for the purpose of this earth as a habitable world, than are the various substances of which that complicated body is composed. Soft and hard parts variously combine, to form a medium consistence adapted to the use of plants and animals; wet and dry are properly mixed for nutrition, or the support of those growing bodies; and hot and cold produce a temperature or climate no less required that a soil. Insomuch, that there is not any particular, respecting either the qualities of the materials, or the construction of the machine, more obvious to our perception, t...