5 Themes of Geography- Lesotho
Where in the world is Lesotho? Lesotho is a small country in Southern Africa. On all sides it’s surrounded by the country of South Africa, besides the Vatican and San Mariano, it is one of the few countries completely surrounded by one country. To find it on a map would be as follows, it is about 27 to 30 degrees east; while also about 28 to 31 degrees south. In relation to cities, Lesotho is south of Pretoria. It is on the southern tip of the African continent, earning itself a place in the region Southern Africa. It is west of Swaziland and south of Botswana. In physical relations it is south of the Baal River, it is also west of the mountain peak, the Giant’s Castle.
Lesotho is a small, very poor, country. Like other countries in Africa, life is a mess. They have a very poor health system and a failing education system; nearly 85% of this country is illiterate. Lesotho is a third-world country .Lesotho itself is 25% urban and 75% rural. One interesting thing that differs from most of Africa, which has over half of the population under 15, is that...
By the late nineteenth century, France terminated the slave trade in French Cameroon and abolished slavery in the French colony of Martinique. Although the French removed the physical chains on people of African descent living in French territories, the remnant of slavery and colonialism continues to manifest itself through the mental enslavement and exploitation of people of continental Africa and the African Diaspora. In Jean-Marie Téno’s unorthodox documentary about the history of Cameroon, Africa, I Will Fleece You, and Euzhan Palcy’s film set on the island of Martinique, Sugar Cane Alley, they shed light on the transferable nature of slavery and colonialism in postcolonial societies. Accordingly, Téno’s, Africa, I Will Fleece You, and Palcy’s, Sugar Cane Alley, manipulate
As Americans we live in isolation, surrounded by advertisements, electronic screens, fast food, the internet, etc. We live these lives while thousands scream out in hunger and thirst begging to nourish their families. Living lives in excess, often unknowingly supporting a system that is not sustainable, breeds capitalism, and unplugs us from the rest of the world. Having been raised in a typical suburban home my ideas of culture were going to Olive Garden or walking by Riverside in Minneapolis. However, Geography 111 has challenged what I believed, truly allowing me to grasp that I am not part of solution I am problem that spreads neocolonialism, capitalism, and western culture wherever a profit can be made. Learning about these topics and combining it with a geographical perspective I know will enable me to break from the molds and forge new paths.
Rwanda, a little territory residing in east-central Africa, resembles close to the size of Maryland. Many believe that the Kingdom of Rwanda was founded by European explorers in 1854. It was occupied by Belgian troops during World War I. On January 28, 1961 it became known as Rwandan Republic. On July 1, 1962 they established their independence from Belgium and then on June 4, 2003 it became known as the Republic of Rwanda. Rwanda has come a long way since its founding. Now one of the largest regions in Africa as far as population and economic growth, Rwanda continues to grow. Though some say that the poverty level remains much more than any other region, it is still a place I want to visit.
The phone is an example of an Independent Invention, because different people in different countries claimed to be the first to invent it.
...onditions in an inner-city or a rural community in the United States” (8). Most of the countries in Africa there are well over 50% of people below their poverty line. For an example, Lusted states, “In developing regions, extreme poverty is usually defined as earning less than $1.25 a day. In the United States, extreme poverty means earning less than half of the official poverty line” (10). But Africa isn’t the only country struggling with poor people. Poverty and Homelessness by Merino writes, “...3.7 percent in Denmark, 5 percent in Finland, 5.5 percent in Norway, 6.9 in Slovenia, 7 percent in Sweden, 7.2 percent [in] Hungary, 8.3 percent in Germany, 8.8 percent in the Czech Republic, 9.3 percent in France, 9.4 percent in Switzerland” (32). Poverty is a struggle all around the world and thousands of people die each day due to the lack of basic necessities to live.
In an increasingly global world geography matters now more than ever. With so many groundbreaking technological advances within the last 50 years the world is rapidly evolving into a more interconnected and codependent society. These strides of advancement not only allow for international business interactions, but it allows instant communication to make business more cohesive. As a more interconnected society it is important for every person to understand the locations and cultural motivations of the people they interact with. These subject matters are suggested and discussed in “Why Geography Matters…More Than Ever!”
The Five Themes of Geography are: Location – Absolute points on a map or grid or Relative to where something may be; Place – The physical and/or human characteristics of a locations; Human/Environment Interactions – How humans have impacted the landscape or environment; Relationship between places Movement – How humans interact on the earth (i.e. how they communicate over distance (short or long)) and Regions – a unit of space that has commonalities defined by physical, human and environmental geography. The Explorers of the New World may have not known what the Five Themes of Geography were but they quickly learned. Of the five themes the ones that they all took advantage of was the physical Location and Place as they learned to navigate to and from as well as through their new environments. Over Time the explorers began to discover the relationships within their environments and original occupants of the lands as well as the regions in which they now occupied.
Some of the prominent states that are consumed with poverty are Rwanda, Chad, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda is a landlocked, resource-poor country. The population is about 9.7 million, and 87 per cent of Rwandans live in rural areas. Population density in the country is the highest in Africa, with about 370 persons/km². The country is one of the poorest in Africa. Gross domestic product per capita was US$464 in 2008, and Rwanda ranked 167th out of 182 countries in the 2009 United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index. Chad is also one of the world's poorest countries. In 2003 over 54 per cent of the population was living below the poverty line. For much of the population health and social conditions are inadequate. Chronic food shortages are widespread, and malnutrition levels among young children are high. These statistics are slightly higher in rural as oppose...
Since the beginning of humankind, the study of geography has captured the imagination of the people. In ancient times, geography books extolled tales of distant lands and dreamed of treasures. The ancient Greeks created the word "geography" from the roots "ge" for earth and "grapho" for "to write." These people experienced many adventures and needed a way to explain and communicate the differences between various lands. Today, researchers in the field of geography still focus on people and cultures (cultural geography), and the planet earth (physical geography).
What is geography? Author Alastair Bonnett attempts to answer this question in the book titled the same. He states that geography is a “human enterprise...[that] is an attempt to find and impose order.”1 He explores the many facets of geography that include history, political power, climate, and the humans that live throughout the world. The first two chapters explain in more detail about how geography is knowing the world through both political order and nature.
Education is another factor which is the main cause of this poverty and many more other problems. Lack of education in Africa is due to lack of schools and education facilities. The school enrollment rate is also very less in Africa, which make people illiterate and thus living their life under the poverty line as they could not able to earn a sophisticated earning for them and their family. 33 million school age children do not go to school and from those the higher amount is of girls. This lack of education also leads to many diseases as they do not attend school and does not get any knowledge and precautions regarding diseases.
South Africa is a country blessed with an abundance of natural resources including fertile farmlands and unique mineral resources. South African mines are world leaders in the production of diamonds and gold as well as strategic metals such as platinum. The climate is mild, reportedly resembling the San Francisco bay area weather more than anywhere in the world.
Malawi is a small country slightly smaller than Pennsylvania in south central Africa. It has a large lake that covers most of the eastern border of the country. Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa reaching as deep as 3,000 feet in some areas ("The world fact,"). The climate is sub-tropical with a rainy season and a dry season. Malawi is usually separated into three different sections when discussing the country. The three different sections are north Malawi, central Malawi, which is where the capital of Lilongwe is located ("The world fact,"). The third section is called south Malawi. The south part of the country has land on both east and west borders unlike central and northern Malawi. Malawi is known as the “warm heart of Africa”. The reason it is known as the “warm heart of Africa” is because the country is relatively peaceful compared to the civil unrest that is happening in many African countries. It is also knows as the “warm heart of Africa” because how nice the native people are to everyone (Westberg & Westberg, 2013). Malawi has recently become a popular tourist area. Malawi has beautiful lakes, amazing safaris as well as peace of mind in regards to safety and security ("The world fact,”) Malawi has a rich history and culture, they have beautiful art, theater, music as well as architecture which can be seen while walking through any of Malawi’s large cities.
Supernatural beliefs show what people believe in after death and how they think the god(s) affect their everyday life. There is freedom of religion in Lesotho and for the most part this right is respected. There have been no incidents of forced religious conversion, religion oriented terrorist attacks, or restrictions put on practicing any specific belief. This shows that the Sotho people respect religions. It also means that they do not segregate based on religious beliefs. This is good because many conflicts start over religious grounds.
Have you ever heard of Botswana? Well, it is a country in Africa. Most people have never heard of Botswana, just like most people do not know that Egypt is in Africa. Pretty interesting? I, myself, had never heard of Botswana until I was selected to spend six weeks on a missionary internship there. I also did not know that Egypt was in Africa until recently. I would not give up my experience in Botswana away for the world. That is not what I am here to tell you about, though. I would love to tell you all about the mission trip and my plans for going back for a two year stay; however, I would like to inform you about the country of Botswana. I would like to begin by telling you where Botswana is. We will then look at this country under South African rule, compared to the independent government of Botswana that now exists. I would also like to have you look at the people and their culture to sho3w you what kind of people they are, and how simply they live and still get along quite well. I hope you enjoy this informational page of a country that many people have never heard about, and maybe it will inspire you to at least make a visit to see if I am telling the truth.