Asian Alphabet Book

1. Asian Alphabet Book Paul Deaton 5th Period Geography April 17, 2006

2. A is for Atoll • An atoll is a low, ring-shaped island surrounding a lagoon and is found often in the Maldives. • Atolls in the Maldives are beautiful islands for tourists, whose money helps the local economy.

3. B is for Buddhism • Buddhism is a major religion in southwest Asia. • This religion teaches a better life in reincarnation and appeals to Asian people who live hard lives and have little comfort.

4. C is for Cyclone • Cyclones are Pacific Ocean storms that may strike countries like Bangladesh after the monsoons end. • Cyclones, like their Atlantic cousins hurricanes, cause massive death and destruction to anywhere in Asia near the ocean.

5. D is for Dynasty • A Dynasty is a line of rulers from a single family, such as the Chinese Ming Dynasty. • Under the dynasties, China conquered neighboring lands and built a highly-developed culture.

6. E is for Mount Everest • Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world and is in Nepal, the most mountainous country in the world. • Mt. Everest attracts thousands of climbers each year and brings in many tourist dollars to Nepal, a poor country.

7. F is for Mt. Fuji • Mt. Fuji is a dormant volcano and Japan’s highest mountain and national symbol. • Mt. Fuji is a historical and religious symbol for the people of Japan.

8. G is for the Great Wall of China • The Great Wall exists from east to west for over 4,000 miles across China and still stands today. • The Great Wall was started in about 770 B.C. to keep out Mongolian invaders and was completed about 476 B.C.

9. H is for Ho Chi Minh (1890 – 1969) • Ho Chi Minh was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman who later became Prime Minister and President of North Vietnam. • Ho Chi Minh is one of the most well-known Vietnamese because of his leading role in the war between North and South Vietnam as well as being the eternal spiritual leader of the current Vietnamese Communist regime.

10. I is for Islamabad • Islamabad is the capitol of Pakistan and is located on the Pothohar Plateau. • Built in the 1960s to replace Karachi as the capitol, Islamabad is a cultural and political center in Pakistan.

11. J is for Jakarta • Jakarta, located on the island of Java, is the Indonesian capitol and largest city. • A modern city with colonial roots, Jakarta is now a thriving community.

12. K is for Kamikaze • Kamikaze, a Japanese word, refers to the suicide attacks by Japanese pilots against Allied forces in the Pacific in World War II. • Kamikaze tactics were unconventional to western warfare but were an effective tactic for Japan against our large warships.

13. L is for Lagoon • Beautiful lagoons are found in many islands in the Maldives. • Lagoons are an important part of the tourist industry in the Maldives, as they are popular with swimmers and divers alike.

14. M is for Mahatma Gandhi(1869 – 1948) • Mahatma Gandhi became one of the pivotal figures in India’s history in the Twentieth Century. • Gandhi preached passive resistance in India toward British rule, believing that acts of violence against the British only provoked a negative reaction.

15. N is for Nomads • Nomads are communities of people who move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. • The Mongolian people started out as nomads but eventually settled down in their present location.

16. O is for Osaka • Osaka is the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2.7 million. • Osaka is the historical commercial capital of Japan and is still one of Japan’s major industrial centers and ports

17. P is for Pagoda • A pagoda is a term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in China, Japan and Korea. • Most pagodas were built to have a religious function to Buddhists and were often located in or near temples.

18. Q is for Quetta • Quetta is an important military station in Pakistan, with native people known for their friendliness and hospitality. • Quetta occupies a vital and strategic position since the boundaries of Iran and Afghanistan meet there and the Bolan Pass lies on important lines of communications.

19. R is for Reincarnation • Reincarnation literally means "to be made flesh again", and is a mystical belief that holds the notion that one's spirit returns to the material world after physical death to be reborn in a new body. • Reincarnation is a central belief in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and other Asian religions

20. S is for Siddhartha Guatama (560 - 480 B.C.) • Siddhartha Guatama was a spiritual teacher who was born in Lumbini, a town in Nepal near the border with India. • He became "the Buddha” after embarking on a quest for spiritual meaning and is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of the current age.

21. T is for Taj Mahal • The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is considered one of Seven Wonders of the World. • The history of the Taj Mahal is a love story that transcends time and continues to be retold each day to the tourists who visit the famous mausoleum.

22. U is for Ulaanbataar • Ulaanbaatar, also known as Ulan Bator, is the capital of Mongolia. • Ulaanbaatar is the largest city in Mongolia, having almost 1/3 of the total population of the country.

23. V is for The Vietnam War • The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). • U.S. troops were allied with South Vietnam and were involved in a losing effort from 1965 until the official withdrawal in 1973.

24. W is for Wood-Block Printing • Woodblock printing, originating in China sometime between the mid-6th and late 9th centuries, is a technique for making text or images from wood cuts, paper and ink. • The world's earliest dated printed book, a Chinese Diamond Sutra text of 868 A.D., was created with woodblocks.

25. X is for The Xi Jian River • The Xi Jian River is a river located in the southeast of China, in the southern province of Guangdong. • The Xi Jian region is one of the most productive mining regions in China and is known for its deposits of tungsten, lead, zinc, and gold.

26. Y is for Yurt • Yurt is the name commonly used to refer to a Mongolian Felt Tent or Ger and is a portable dwelling traditionally used by the Nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. • The design of yurts has been developed for generations to suit the needs of the nomads -- it can be warm in arctic cold, yet cool in summer and the structure can collapse small enough to fit on one draft animal and can be set up again in a half an hour.

27. Z is for Mao Zedong (1893–1976) • Mao Zedong, born a peasant in the Hunan province of China, was the founder of the People's Republic of China. • Mao was one of the most prominent Communist theoreticians and his ideas on revolutionary struggle and guerrilla warfare have been extremely influential, especially among Third World revolutionaries.