Exploring Geography
Reflection the on the World
Along my journey I learned so much about the world. Most of the learning was expected, but there were things along the way that really took me by surprise. This class really opened my eyes to the world. I have to admit, prior to this class I really didn’t know much about the world at all and time and time again I amazed myself with how little I really did know. In the past, the only geography studies I had taken was during primary school and evidently most of it did not stay with me. This course was almost like starting from scratch, except of course the places I had visited in the past.
We started our Journey with North America. I learned that the Appalachian Mountain range was the oldest range on our continent. I did not even know the Continental Divide existed and furthermore is responsible for separating the water that flows into the Atlantic and the Gulf from the Water that flows into the Pacific. We learned about Land Biomes, and that the Taiga in North America is the largest of all Land Biomes.
While studying Middle and South America, I learned about the history of the Panama Canal. That the Canal was made to save time having to travel around southern point of South America, allowing waterway traffic to cut through the middle of the land in Panama City. I also learned about Cape Horn and its dangers for those who sail near it, although it is thought of as a challenge for some. People come from all over the world to travel through the treturous waters. It was interesting to me that the Brazilian Highlands were home to most of Middle and South America’s resources, containing titanium, iron ore and manganese within the highlands. I was sad to learn about the health complications people are suffering from the fertilizers and pesticides needed for agriculture. The demand of growth has caused deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest was also very dis-heartening for me.
I learned that the Alps take up most of Europe’s “natural space”, and that Mt. Blanc stands 15,771 feet tall. This is almost 5 times higher than the tallest point of the Appalachian Mountain range in North America. The Volga is the longest river in Europe and locks were built to support the larger traffic on the river. Pollution across the entire world is very sickening, and along my journey the Mediterranean Sea was my first encounter with how devastating water pollution can be. The Mediterranean is so badly polluted that it is nearly inhabitable for the fish and wildlife. Solid waste is seen floating in the river, along with other major contaminants.
While studying Russia and the Newly Independent States, I learned that the Ural Mountains divide the boundaries of Europe from Asia. I also learned that the West Siberian Plain is the largest plain in the world. I wasn’t aware of the abundance of untouched forest land in the north part of this region. I had heard about the devastation at Chernobyl, but I had never really studied it. I learned about the vast devastation to the land and the communities effected after the nuclear explosions. I choose to study the health care practices in Russia and the Newly Independent States. It was interesting to see how they tiered out the care into different types of facilities based on the populations. They separated the care centers into the following form of clinics, “Rural Health Posts”– Basic health checks, "Health Centers" – Primary care services, "Urban Polyclinics" – General practice “Special Focus, and Polyclinics" – Pediatricians.
While studying North Africa and Southwest Asia, I learned that the Arabian Peninsula was the birthplace to the Islam religion. I also learned that the highest point of elevation in the region is Jabal Toukal, a peak at 13,665 feet in the Atlas Mountains. This region has the driest climate in the world and is home to the world’s largest oil and natural gas reserve. The longest river in the world is in this region and called the Nile River, stretching 4184 miles long. The Red Sea is the youngest oceanic zone in the world. The Red Sea is rather shallow, 40% of it is very shallow and gives home to many beautiful coral reefs.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the Congo River which is considered to be the most powerful river in the world. Lake Victoria is the second widest freshwater lake in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to live here, with a climate that gives temperatures no lower than 64 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year? There are problems with insects in this region causing serious illness. These illnesses include river blindness, schistosomiasis, and malaria. This region contains nearly 27% of the world’s gold and 50% of the world’s platinum and is responsible for a large portion of their economy. Safe water is very scarce in this region. There are problems with pollution from Salinization, human waste, and chemical pollution. I was surprised to learn that women carry 90% of the water, wood and goods in and out of the villages. The population is growing at a rapid pace. Families have more children in hopes that a few of them will make it to adulthood due to the grave issues with illness and pollution. They are also lacking physicians and vaccines in this area and the health care system needs to be better established.
While studying South Asia, I learned about the origins of the Himalayan Mountains. Tectonic plate movement wound up colliding India into Eurasia. The impact was so strong, that the land was pushed up in the air causing the peaks of the Himalayan range. The Nilgiri Hills is home to the last living Bengal Tigers. I have to admit, I did not know what a delta was. I learned about the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta in South Asia. I am sure it is a very beautiful place to live, but I was surprised that people still populate this area, while knowing they will have to leave their homes when there is flooding or worse yet when the dangerous cyclones hit.
The Gobi Desert is where the first dinosaur eggs were found. The Plateau of Tibet in East Asia is the largest and highest area in the world. Located in the Himalayas, the Plateau of Tibet’s average height is 13,000 feet. East Asia is also home to the Three Gorges Dam, which is considered to be the largest dam in the world. There have been many complications during and after the construction of the dam, with rising costs that blew far outside of the original cost estimates. Japan has one of the healthiest economic industries in the world. East Asia is the most heavily populated region in the world.
Mount Toba resides in Southeast Asia, and is responsible for the worst volcanic eruption in history. The eruption caused one of the world’s worst natural disasters. The Sundaland Shelf now submerged used to be a populated area that now runs beneath the islands of Southeast Asia. In 2005, $11.5 billion worth of copper and gold were extracted from the “Mine in the Clouds” each day. I was surprised to learn about the unusual family custom in this region. In most regions the men are considered to hold the power. In most of this region, the head of the household is the oldest male in the home; however his oldest daughter has a considerable amount of power. When she marries, her husband rather than her oldest brother takes over the position of “head of household” when her father passes or falls ill. She has a lot of bargaining rights and some input on the family decisions as she communicates between the men.
While studying about Oceania: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, I was awestruck by the beauty of this region. This area is home to the world famous Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea, Ayers Rock, and the Great Sandy Desert is beautiful with its highlands. The population is well educated and they have formed a great service industry supporting their economy. There are many more tourists located in this region than residents.
After studying the world, I have learned how fragile the environment is, and how everything we do has grave impacts on the world. For example, Three Gorges Dam was built for more control over the water flow and to provide a reservoir of water. In building the dam there has been severe destruction to the surrounding areas as water begins to back up and flood these areas. In almost every region across the world there are issues with deforestation, and water and air pollution. This was a wonderful learning experience for me and I thank you and everyone in the class for helping me to achieve this new knowledge.
We started our Journey with North America. I learned that the Appalachian Mountain range was the oldest range on our continent. I did not even know the Continental Divide existed and furthermore is responsible for separating the water that flows into the Atlantic and the Gulf from the Water that flows into the Pacific. We learned about Land Biomes, and that the Taiga in North America is the largest of all Land Biomes.
While studying Middle and South America, I learned about the history of the Panama Canal. That the Canal was made to save time having to travel around southern point of South America, allowing waterway traffic to cut through the middle of the land in Panama City. I also learned about Cape Horn and its dangers for those who sail near it, although it is thought of as a challenge for some. People come from all over the world to travel through the treturous waters. It was interesting to me that the Brazilian Highlands were home to most of Middle and South America’s resources, containing titanium, iron ore and manganese within the highlands. I was sad to learn about the health complications people are suffering from the fertilizers and pesticides needed for agriculture. The demand of growth has caused deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest was also very dis-heartening for me.
I learned that the Alps take up most of Europe’s “natural space”, and that Mt. Blanc stands 15,771 feet tall. This is almost 5 times higher than the tallest point of the Appalachian Mountain range in North America. The Volga is the longest river in Europe and locks were built to support the larger traffic on the river. Pollution across the entire world is very sickening, and along my journey the Mediterranean Sea was my first encounter with how devastating water pollution can be. The Mediterranean is so badly polluted that it is nearly inhabitable for the fish and wildlife. Solid waste is seen floating in the river, along with other major contaminants.
While studying Russia and the Newly Independent States, I learned that the Ural Mountains divide the boundaries of Europe from Asia. I also learned that the West Siberian Plain is the largest plain in the world. I wasn’t aware of the abundance of untouched forest land in the north part of this region. I had heard about the devastation at Chernobyl, but I had never really studied it. I learned about the vast devastation to the land and the communities effected after the nuclear explosions. I choose to study the health care practices in Russia and the Newly Independent States. It was interesting to see how they tiered out the care into different types of facilities based on the populations. They separated the care centers into the following form of clinics, “Rural Health Posts”– Basic health checks, "Health Centers" – Primary care services, "Urban Polyclinics" – General practice “Special Focus, and Polyclinics" – Pediatricians.
While studying North Africa and Southwest Asia, I learned that the Arabian Peninsula was the birthplace to the Islam religion. I also learned that the highest point of elevation in the region is Jabal Toukal, a peak at 13,665 feet in the Atlas Mountains. This region has the driest climate in the world and is home to the world’s largest oil and natural gas reserve. The longest river in the world is in this region and called the Nile River, stretching 4184 miles long. The Red Sea is the youngest oceanic zone in the world. The Red Sea is rather shallow, 40% of it is very shallow and gives home to many beautiful coral reefs.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the Congo River which is considered to be the most powerful river in the world. Lake Victoria is the second widest freshwater lake in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to live here, with a climate that gives temperatures no lower than 64 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year? There are problems with insects in this region causing serious illness. These illnesses include river blindness, schistosomiasis, and malaria. This region contains nearly 27% of the world’s gold and 50% of the world’s platinum and is responsible for a large portion of their economy. Safe water is very scarce in this region. There are problems with pollution from Salinization, human waste, and chemical pollution. I was surprised to learn that women carry 90% of the water, wood and goods in and out of the villages. The population is growing at a rapid pace. Families have more children in hopes that a few of them will make it to adulthood due to the grave issues with illness and pollution. They are also lacking physicians and vaccines in this area and the health care system needs to be better established.
While studying South Asia, I learned about the origins of the Himalayan Mountains. Tectonic plate movement wound up colliding India into Eurasia. The impact was so strong, that the land was pushed up in the air causing the peaks of the Himalayan range. The Nilgiri Hills is home to the last living Bengal Tigers. I have to admit, I did not know what a delta was. I learned about the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta in South Asia. I am sure it is a very beautiful place to live, but I was surprised that people still populate this area, while knowing they will have to leave their homes when there is flooding or worse yet when the dangerous cyclones hit.
The Gobi Desert is where the first dinosaur eggs were found. The Plateau of Tibet in East Asia is the largest and highest area in the world. Located in the Himalayas, the Plateau of Tibet’s average height is 13,000 feet. East Asia is also home to the Three Gorges Dam, which is considered to be the largest dam in the world. There have been many complications during and after the construction of the dam, with rising costs that blew far outside of the original cost estimates. Japan has one of the healthiest economic industries in the world. East Asia is the most heavily populated region in the world.
Mount Toba resides in Southeast Asia, and is responsible for the worst volcanic eruption in history. The eruption caused one of the world’s worst natural disasters. The Sundaland Shelf now submerged used to be a populated area that now runs beneath the islands of Southeast Asia. In 2005, $11.5 billion worth of copper and gold were extracted from the “Mine in the Clouds” each day. I was surprised to learn about the unusual family custom in this region. In most regions the men are considered to hold the power. In most of this region, the head of the household is the oldest male in the home; however his oldest daughter has a considerable amount of power. When she marries, her husband rather than her oldest brother takes over the position of “head of household” when her father passes or falls ill. She has a lot of bargaining rights and some input on the family decisions as she communicates between the men.
While studying about Oceania: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, I was awestruck by the beauty of this region. This area is home to the world famous Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea, Ayers Rock, and the Great Sandy Desert is beautiful with its highlands. The population is well educated and they have formed a great service industry supporting their economy. There are many more tourists located in this region than residents.
After studying the world, I have learned how fragile the environment is, and how everything we do has grave impacts on the world. For example, Three Gorges Dam was built for more control over the water flow and to provide a reservoir of water. In building the dam there has been severe destruction to the surrounding areas as water begins to back up and flood these areas. In almost every region across the world there are issues with deforestation, and water and air pollution. This was a wonderful learning experience for me and I thank you and everyone in the class for helping me to achieve this new knowledge.
