Australian Aboriginal culture

Australian Aboriginal culture varies throughout the continent and people from different regions have different Ancestral Beings, different tools, weapons, basketry and different art styles. Since the arrival of Macassan (Indonesian) on northern Australian shores after 1700 AD, and later European colonisation in 1788, Aboriginal culture has evolved and changed further.

This site looks at how Aboriginal culture was at the time of European arrival, beginning with the record of a man who was shipwrecked in 1846 and survived 17 years with Aborigines in northern Queensland. This account is combined with images from the same region taken from the 1890s. Click on “Regional Studies” to see how people lived at this time. These images are available in the book, 17 Years Wandering Among the Aboriginals, which can be purchased here on line.

Later in 2007 early accounts and images from the Kimberley in Western Australia and from Central Australia will be added to this site.

Australian Aborigines are renowned for their bush survival skills. One such skill is the ability to make fire simply from rubbing two sticks of wood together. This is an ancient skill which modern man has lost. The publication, Making Fire, has both ethnographic details on Aboriginal and other indigenous people’s fire making methods, and is a practical guide teaching how to really achieve this skill.

Serbians Culture

Identification. The name Yugoslavia previously designated six republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzogovia, Croatia, and Slovenia), but now includes just Serbia and Montenegro. The word means "land of the southern Slavs." Montenegro, which means "black mountain," takes its name from its rugged terrain. Within Serbia there are several national cultures. In addition to the dominant Serb tradition, there is a large Hungarian population in the northern province of Vojvodina, where Hungarian is the common language and the culture is highly influenced by Hungary (which borders the province to the north). In southern Serbia, the province of Kosovo is primarily Albanian, and has an Islamic culture that bears many remnants of the earlier Turkish conquest.
Location and Geography. Serbia is a landlocked territory in the Balkan Peninsula of Eastern Europe, bordering Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania. Montenegro is to the west of Serbia, also bordering Bosnia and Herzogovina, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea. Serbia covers 34,136 square miles (88,412 square kilometers); Montenegro has an area of 5,299 square miles (13,724 square kilometers). Together they are slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky. The terrain varies widely. In the north there are fertile plains that produce most of Serbia's crops, as well as marshlands along the Sava and Danube Rivers. At the northern border, the Danube River runs along the Iron Gate Gorge. Central Serbia is hilly and forested and is the most densely populated region of the country. In the east, there are the Carpathian and Rhodope Mountains, as well as the Balkan range, which forms the border with Romania. The Dinaric Alps rise in the western central region. Kosovo, in the south, is considered the cradle of Serbian civilization. Its geographical formation is two basins surrounded by mountains, including the highest peak in Yugoslavia, Daravica, with an elevation of 8,714 feet (2,656 meters). Kosovo's rocky soil does not produce much, with the exception of corn and rye, but there are grazing fields for livestock, as well as mineral resources of lead, zinc, and silver. Montenegro, the smallest of the former Yugoslav republics, is largely forested. Its terrain is rough and mountainous, better suited for animal husbandry than for farming. Its coastal plain along the Adriatic is narrow, dropping off to sheer cliffs in the north.
Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and is the largest city in the country, with a population of 1.5 million. It takes its name, which translates as "white fortress," from the large stone walls that enclose the old part of the city. It is in the north of the country, on a cliff overlooking the meeting of the Danube and Sava Rivers.

Spanish Culture

When it comes to culture, the question is sometimes asked: what is culture, exactly? Is culture what people do on a daily basis, namely, live? Or is culture, rather, a lofty expression of the more sophisticated and complex ideas developed by the intellectual elite of any given society? Whether you advocate for the supremacy of high-brow culture, or consider it to be constituted by every aspect of interaction within a social compound, in Spain you will find myriad examples of both kinds, forming a rich and diverse phenomenon.

Rich and Varied Heritage

From the most ordinary habits, such as the variety of dishes that together form a mouthwatering cuisine, to the institutional support for the artistic establishment, Spain holds a surprise around every corner. Ranging from the largely simple and straightforward characteristics of a Mediterranean diet, with plenty of fresh produce from land and sea, to the ingenuity of a number of recipes from the rustic center of the country, such as roast piglet or the famous sopa castellana, to the crafty use of offal throughout the land, Spanish culture is hugely heterogeneous, due both to geographic as well as historical circumstances.
The fascinating mosaic formed by the cultural differences found from region to region across the country extends far beyond matters of eating habits and dress code, however. From patxarán in Navarra, to orujo in Galicia, from sherry in the region between Jerez and Cádiz, to the sweet wine from Málaga, somewhat similar to port wine from Oporto, the various traditions that have defined each of the regions permeate deeply to every aspect of Spanish culture, from what digestive to follow your meal with, to the style and material used to erect buildings in the area.

Popular vs. High-Brow Culture

Intrinsically, the distinction between popular and high-brow culture, which emerges with the question "what is culture?" might not be as drastic as it seems. A good example of this proximity can be found in the characteristics of Spanish architecture. Dating all the way back to Roman times, there are still perfectly solid examples of buildings as ancient as 2000 years old. And then, from Roman to Romanesque, Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and every artistic style to emerge thereafter, Spanish architecture has been shaped as much by aesthetic considerations as it has been by the specific conditions prevalent in the country.
Thus, the emergence of red brick in the region around León as the material of choice in the construction, not only of regular homes but also of official and even religious buildings owed less to taste than to necessity. Similarly, the development of adobe as a viable building material shaped the landscape of the countryside indelibly, much in the same way as the tendencies arrived from the Frankish counties on the other side of the Pyrenees spread from coast to coast and ultimately determined the triumph of Romanesque architecture.
Spectacular as it is, Spanish architecture is indebted in equal measure to circumstances of daily life, such as the coexistence of Muslim, Christian and Hebrew communities, and to the conscious development of aesthetic ideals. This is true of architecture, but it is equally the case with the literature that sprung in parallel with the culture that produced it as a reflection (in both meanings of the word) of the reality of its time. As a matter of fact, this is true of a vast majority of Spanish culture, from the forging of true national forms of expression, such as flamenco, to the paintings of grand masters, such as Goya.

Spanish: A Lot More than a Language

We understand that when you come to Spain to learn Spanish, it's not only about the language... you also want to see and experience new places, take plenty of pictures, meet new people and immerse yourself in the country's fascinating cultural scene. After all, some of the world's top museums and wholly unique festivals are found in Spain. Nevertheless, in order to get a genuine taste of Spanish culture, you need not spend hours in libraries and dusty rooms: just go out there, communicate with the people and experience first hand the cultural paradise that is Spain.

In order for you to be able to do just that, our schools, located in Spain's most interesting destinations, are open all year round (yes, even during festival seasons!), and offer classes focusing on such cultural facets as literature and art history, organizing all sorts of interesting cultural activities and excursions for our valued students!
Below you can read up about a wide range of Spanish cultural topics, ranging from history and festivals to food and drink and everything in between.

Culture of The United States

The culture of the United States is a Western culture originally influenced by European cultures. It has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore. Today, the United States of America is an ethnically and racially diverse country as a result of large-scale immigration from many different countries throughout its history.^[1]
Its chief early influences came from English, Scottish and Irish settlers of colonial America. British culture, due to colonial ties with Britain that spread the English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances, had a formative influence. Other important influences came from other parts of western Europe, especially Germany,^[2] France, and Italy.^{[citation needed]}
Original elements also play a strong role, such as the invention of Jeffersonian Democracy.^[3] Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia was perhaps the first influential domestic cultural critique by an American and a reactionary piece to the prevailing European consensus that America's domestic originality was degenerate.^[3] Prevalent ideas and ideals which evolved domestically such as national holidays, uniquely American sports, military tradition, and innovations in the arts and entertainment give a strong sense of national pride among the population as a whole.^{[citation needed]}
American culture includes both conservative and liberal elements, military and scientific competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements. Despite certain consistent ideological principles (e.g. individualism, egalitarianism, and faith in freedom and democracy), American culture has a variety of expressions due to its geographical scale and demographic diversity. The flexibility of U.S. culture and its highly symbolic nature lead some researchers to categorize American culture as a mythic identity;^[4] others see it as American exceptionalism.
It also includes elements which evolved from Native Americans, and other ethnic subcultures; most prominently the culture of African Americans and different cultures from Latin America. Many cultural elements, especially popular culture, have been exported across the globe through modern mass media.
The United States has often been thought of as a melting pot, but recent developments tend towards cultural diversity, pluralism and the image of a salad bowl rather than a melting pot.^[5][6] Due to the extent of American culture there are many integrated but unique social subcultures within the United States. The cultural affiliations an individual in the United States may have commonly depend on social class, political orientation and a multitude of demographic characteristics such as religious background, occupation and ethnic group membership.^[1]

Culture of Wales

The Britons, a Celtic tribe, who first settled in the area that is now Wales, had already begun to identify themselves as a distinct culture by the sixth century C.E. The word "Cymry," referring to the country, first appeared in a poem dating from 633. By 700 C.E. , the Britons referred to themselves as Cymry, the country as Cymru, and the language as Cymraeg. The words "Wales" and "Welsh" are Saxon in origin and were used by the invading Germanic tribe to denote people who spoke a different language. The Welsh sense of identity has endured despite invasions, absorption into Great Britain, mass immigration, and, more recently, the arrival of non-Welsh residents.
Language has played a significant role in contributing to the sense of unity felt by the Welsh; more than the other Celtic languages, Welsh has maintained a significant number of speakers. During the eighteenth century a literary and cultural rebirth of the language occurred which further helped to solidify national identity and create ethnic pride among the Welsh. Central to Welsh culture is the centuries-old folk tradition of poetry and music which has helped keep the Welsh language alive. Welsh intellectuals in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries wrote extensively on the subject of Welsh culture, promoting the language as the key to preserving national identity. Welsh literature, poetry, and music flourished in the nineteenth century as literacy rates and the availability of printed material increased. Tales that had traditionally been handed down orally were recorded, both in Welsh and English, and a new generation of Welsh writers emerged.

Wales is a part of the United Kingdom and is located in a wide peninsula in the western portion of the island of Great Britain. The island of Anglesey is also considered a part of Wales and is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait. Wales is surrounded by water on three sides: to the north, the Irish Sea; to the south, the Bristol Channel; and to the west, Saint George's Channel and Cardigan Bay. The English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucestershire border Wales on the east. Wales covers an area of 8,020 square miles (20,760 square kilometers) and extends 137 miles (220 kilometers) from its most distant points and varies between 36 and 96 miles (58 and 154 kilometers) in width. The capital, Cardiff, is located in the southeast on the Severn Estuary and is also the most important seaport and shipbuilding center. Wales is very mountainous and has a rocky, irregular coastline with numerous bays, the largest of which is Cardigan Bay to the west. The Cambrian Mountains, the most significant range, run north-south through central Wales. Other mountain ranges include the Brecon Beacons to the southeast and Snowdon in the northwest, which reaches an elevation of 3,560 feet (1,085 meters) and is the highest mountain in Wales and England. The Dee River, with its headwaters in Bala Lake, the largest natural lake in Wales, flows through northern Wales into England. Numerous smaller rivers cover the south, including the Usk, Wye, Teifi, and Towy.

Culture of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (in Arabic, al-Mamlaka al-Arabiya as-Saudiya ) occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, the original homeland of the Arab people and of Islam. The cultural identities Saudi Arabian citizens express are principally those of Muslim and Arab, linking them to millions of people beyond the nation's borders. They also identify with the contemporary state and its national culture; the country's name links the ruling dynasty, Al Saud, with the state's cultural and geographic setting.
Identities connected to the traditional ways of life of the Bedouin and of oasis-dwelling farmers, fishers, craftspeople and artisans, and merchants, caravaneers, and long-distance traders remain in force even as economic changes have transformed or ended those ways of life. Regional and kin-based tribal and clan identities are shared among Saudi Arabian citizens.

Saudi Arabia occupies 868,730 square miles (2,250,000 square kilometers). It is bounded on the east by the Arabian (Persian) Gulf; on the west by the Red Sea; to the south and southeast by Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar; and to the north and northeast by Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia has a hot desert climate with high humidity on the coastal fringes. Rainfall is scarce except in the area of Asir, where it is sufficient for agriculture on terraced farms and upper slopes and alluvial planes.
Rainfall is adequate for the nomadic herding of sheep, goats, and camels and for the sustenance of nondomesticated desert fauna, but crop production is dependent on irrigation from underground aquifers. Saudi Arabia has no rivers or permanent bodies of water other than artificial lakes and pools. Wadis, the dry beds of ancient rivers, sometimes flow with runoff from downpours and seep with underground water.
Saudi Arabia has four main regions. Najd, the geographic center and political and cultural core, is a vast plateau that combines rocky and sandy areas with isolated mountains and wadi systems. Agricultural oases are the sites of villages, towns, and cities. This area's rangelands have long sustained nomadic pastoral production and are the homelands of the main Bedouin communities. Najd is bordered to the west by the regions of Hijaz and Asir along the Red Sea. A narrow coastal plane known as Tihama is predominant in the south, while a mountain chain with a steep western escarpment runs through these areas.
Hijaz has strong and ancient urban traditions and is the location of Mecca (Makkah) and Medina (al-Madinah). Other important Hijazi cities are Jiddah, a seaport, a commercial center, and formerly diplomatic capital; Taif, summer capital; and Yanbu, a newly developing industrial and longtime port city. Hijaz has agricultural oases, and a history of tribally organized nomadic pastoralism.
Asir has several cities and some nomadic presence, yet it is rural, with farmers living in settled communities largely organized in accordance with tribal and clan identities. The seaports of Hijaz and Asir also have populations traditionally oriented toward the sea, for trade or fishing, a characteristic they share with the Eastern Province.

Culture of Singapore

The culture of Singapore has evolved down the years since the island country itself represents a wonderful blend of cultures as diverse as Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European. Naturally, Singapore, which was once a fishing village under the British Empire, is a composite and cohesive portrait of various cultures.

The most striking part of Singapore culture is its rich ethnic multiplicity that has brought about a seamless diffusion in the way Singaporeans go about their everyday lives. As a result of the variegated backgrounds of Singaporeans, the country was originally divided into several ethnic areas such as Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown. Now, however, these divisions no longer exist but traces of each individual culture remain in specific areas of Singapore.

Singapore religion
Residents of Singapore practice a whole range of religions, depending on their background or individual choice. The Chinese population in Singapore has a good number of Buddhists, Christians, and Catholics. The Malay population is predominantly Muslim, while the Indians in Singapore are largely Hindus. There are also a number of free-thinkers/atheists in Singapore and the country does not propagate any official religion. However, the country does uphold the values and ethical standards of Confucianism.

Singapore food
Known as one of the global food capitals, Singapore is legendary for the sheer diversity, richness, and creativity of its culinary scene. One of the main drivers behind the spurt in Singapore tourism is its popularity in terms of food. Some of the Singaporean dishes that have acquired a cult status are Bak kut teh, Nasi lemak, Satay, Hokkien mee, Laksa, and Rojak. Singapore food does not disappoint on the seafood front either. One can sample a mind-boggling array of dishes rustled up with oysters, squids, clams, crabs, stingrays, and almost every living aquatic creature! In terms of cuisine, Singapore offers Indian, Chinese, French, Thai, Spanish, Indonesian, and Italian, and Fusion food to its locals and the large number of tourists that visit Singapore each year.

Culture of Russia

"Rus" may derive from the name of a tribe that gained political ascendancy in Kiev and other Slavic towns and lent its name to the language, culture, and state. Some scholars believe this to have been a Varangian (Viking) clan from Scandinavia, and others hold that it was a Slavic tribe. Some historians believe that "Rus" derives from an ancient name for the Volga River.
People ethnically identified as Russians have been politically and culturally dominant in a vast area for five hundred years of tsarist and Soviet imperial expansion. However, despite repression of their cultural autonomy, minority cultures have survived within the Russian Federation; including the peoples of the North Caucasus, numerous indigenous groups in Siberia, the Tatars in the Volga region, and the East Slavic Ukrainians and Belorusians. The last three groups are widely dispersed throughout the federation. All but the youngest citizens share a Soviet cultural experience, since under Communist Party rule the state shaped and controlled daily life and social practice. Much of that experience is being rejected by Russians and non-Russians who are reclaiming or reinventing their ethnic or traditional pasts; many communities are asserting a specific local identity in terms of language and culture. There is a broad cultural continuity throughout the federation and among the millions of Russians in the newly independent republics of Central Asia, the Baltic region, and the Caucasus.

Culture of Korea

Korean art possesses several distinguishing characteristics that create a unique style of its own. Korean art respects nature, and the extensive use of quiet and subdued colors is manifested in Korean paintings and ceramics. Humor is another characteristic of Korean art. Bold exaggeration, the acceptance of non-symmetrical cubic objects, and unique spatial beauty conveyed by imperfect roundness are examples of humor in Korean art. Quiet harmony may be cited as another characteristic of Korean art. This means that there is no excess, the right materials being selected in scale with the surroundings. With all of these characteristics, the Korean arts have inherited a unique aesthetic sense which depicts beauty with honesty and simplicity that is free of artifice.

Koreans traditionally have shown an intense love of their land, an emotion felt so strongly that it has been reflected in their beliefs, philosophy and religion. The mountains, rivers, coasts and seas, and the four seasons that nurture them, have played important roles in forming basic thoughts and relationships among the people of the peninsula since earliest times. Their ancestors migrated across the vast plains from Siberia and Manchuria, seeking to find homes in a warmer clime. Settling of their own free will, they came to shape a history distinctively their own.

Samgug yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) records that it was Tan-gun who founded the nation of Korea. Legend says his father, Hwanung, a heavenly deity, decided to settle on earth in response to the desire of earthlings. A bear was transformed into a woman, and Hwanung married her. Dan-gun was born of their union and began a reign in 2333 B.C. that was to continue for more than a millennium. While some have dismissed the legend as an indication of the totemism of the Korean people, others have noted the significance of a belief in which a deity had, of his own volition, desired to become a human being. They held that the Korean people did not consider the earth a place of exile for heavenly beings, not a place the erring were sent to live in penance.

This view was that the land and country comprised a dream, so good that even the deities and animals wanted to live there, and that the Korean people felt gratified to have chosen such a place for their home. Even the neighboring Chinese were said to have expressed wonder at the beauty of Korea, summing it up in one of their ancient verses: "Would rather live in Korea and see Mt. Gumgangsan (Diamond Mountain)."

Once known as the "Eastern Land of Courtesy," Korea, in its long history, seldom cultivated overseas interests, never invaded its neighbors, nor sought development outside given boundaries. Ancient Chinese records say it was the custom of the Korean people, being so courteous to each other, to avoid walking on the road, fearing it would hamper the movement of another. Foreigners commonly were called barbarians.

This excessive adulation of their homeland, while being averse to the coveting of the territories of others, eventually invited aggression from outside, bringing the subjugation of the Korean people and a period of colonial suffering. Among the many Korean proverbs is one declaring preference for "an earthly field of dung to the wonders of the afterworld." This demonstrates the choice of the life of the present, no matter how sordid it may be, to that of an imaginative, unknown heaven. Korean literature contains many tales reflecting such a psychological trend in thinking.

In traditional literature, a beautiful lady, called Seonnyeo, would descend from heaven in search of a fuller life on earth, marry an earthling, become a mother and eventually fulfill the chores expected of every married woman. She would then go back to her former abode in heaven, but there is usually no reference to what became of her after her return to heaven.

The art of Korea is different in its lines and colors, clearly distinguished from the strong, bold strokes of the Asian continent, or from dazzling colorations and excessive refinement that mark the art of island nations. On the surface the pale colors reflect nothing strong or positive; often they are taken to have a negative meaning. Images of willows or clouds are painted not in bold, firm lines, but in pale, thin brush strokes. But these elements should not lead to a hasty interpretation that Korea ancestors were life-weary. The magical effect of these strokes and lines seem, at a close look, to reflect the ardent yearning for the life of the sonin, the hermit. The heavens, rivers, and other objects of nature are rarely painted in strong colors; the pale grayish colors have an attraction of their own.

Foreigners who have lived in Korea and acquired some knowledge of the Korean language may wonder at the frequent use of the phrase, "aigo jukgetda," which literally means "I could just die." They may also wonder at so many passages in popular ballads or lyrics in which people vent their sadness against the transience of life. One hearing a rendition of chang, a style of folk singing, for instance, might even feel it is a voice crying in agony. Hearing and reading Korean songs and writings, foreigners may raise the question whether this is not the true characteristic of the people. This negative outlook on life was caused by the decline in the power of the state in succeeding chapters of history, and made all the more bitter by subsequent foreign invasions of Korea.

These views have now given way to the newly resurging vitality of youthful Koreans who want no more of this nihilistic attitude. No matter how much they "want to die," they ardently desire a good life on this earth. One proof of this way of thinking might be found in the way children are named in Korea. Many names take the meaning of stone and iron, such as Chadori or Soedori. Stone and iron are ageless, hard and able to withstand the test of time. These names are given in the hope of bestowing long life on the bearers. Koreans have a flair for decorating things with Chinese ideographs, the most common being su, meaning long life, and bok, bliss. Of these two characters, preference is for the former. First is long life, and then well-being. The two letters are always read su-bok and not bok-su. Wealth, a good career, health, and many children are considered factors of bliss.

In building a house or choosing a place for burial, Koreans have always considered the natural surroundings, such as the course of a river or shape of a mountain, important. There were criteria for choosing the most ideal place, which went by the name myongdang. Large amounts of money were often spent for the purpose of selecting a myongdang by means of geomancy. Without exception, powerful families concentrated their attention on securing such places for residences and burial grounds, not to speak of royal palaces and royal tombs. This observance of geomancy is evident in numerous graves that dot the Korean countryside. This practice flourished during the Goryu and joseon periods.

Heaven has always been considered the source of both mercy and wrath. Periodic rituals with offerings to heaven were conducted for the benefit of farmers and fishermen. Believing in the power of heaven over the destiny of mankind, they prayed for bumper crops or safe voyages. Among the many exclamations in Korea are two which concern the subject of heaven: "Heaven" is shouted when some extraordinary emergency arises, and "learn to fear heaven" is uttered when someone does something unacceptable. Heaven was respected because of its vastness and light; it was neither a religious worship, nor a traditional folk custom. It was for this reason that human dignity was often associated with heaven. For example, a king was a "son of heaven." This creed eventually produced the Donghak philosophy or Eastern Learning in the late 19th century, the essential concept of which equated the power of heaven with that of man.

There seems to be no single concept as far as the philosophy of Korea is concerned. Just as the life of a Korean could hardly be divorced from the currents of the world, so with philosophic tenets. Korean philosophy has progressed and became enriched through meetings, conflicts, and combinations with alien thoughts. At certain stages in history, Koreans learned to combine their own inherent philosophies with those of other countries. This process often produced a brilliant synthesis, disclosing the imaginative power and creative sense of Koreans. Thus, foreign philosophy as well benefitted from Korean influence.

Koreans rarely indulged in discussing abstract matters, for their interest was focused on the present. Some, of course, did theorize and brought forth solid philosophic theses, but always these were accompanied by calls for actual practice. Apparently the ancient sage did not stroll amid beautiful scenery, lost in meditation over abstract escapist thought. To many of them, it was important that their thoughts help cultivate their personality. The principles which guided members of the Hwarang corps during the Silla kingdom included matching body with mind, and matching word with action. It was a demonstration of true Korean philosophy. Through the expounding of Buddhism, theorizing upon Confucianism, and showing reverence for heaven and all the spirits that inhabit nature's creatures, Koreans shaped their philosophy.

Culture of Japan

The name "Yamato" is used by archaeologists and historians to distinguish Japanese artistic genres from their Chinese counterparts. When used as a contemporary term, Yamato has strong associations with the imperial system, and thus with conservative nationalist ideologies.
Contemporary Japan is considered a highly homogeneous society, but regional variation in social and cultural patterns has always been significant. Pride of place and identification with local cultural patterns remain strong. Japanese people often attribute personality traits to people from particular regions, and regional identity often is expressed through local culinary specialties and dialects.

The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands and over six-thousand minor ones, covering approximately 234,890 square miles (378,000 square kilometers), and has enormous climatic variation. The four major islands are Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The southern island group of Okinawa (the Ryūkyū Islands) is geographically, historically, and culturally distinct. Japan faces the Pacific Ocean along the entire eastern and southern coastline. To the north and west are the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea. The Korean peninsula is the closest point on the Asian mainland. Japanese life has always been oriented toward the ocean. The currents that converge offshore create fertile and varied fishing grounds.
The climate is shaped by Asian-Pacific monsoon cycles, which bring heavy rains from the Pacific during the summer and fall, followed by icy winds from North Asia during the winter that dump snow in the mountains.
There are approximately 1,500 volcanoes, and because the islands lie on major fault lines, earthquakes are common occurrences. Only about 15 percent of the land is level enough for agriculture, and so the population density in coastal plains and valleys is extremely high. Because of the steep mountains, there are almost no navigable inland waterways.

The population in 1999 was 127,000,000. The country is heavily urbanized, and urban areas have extremely high population densities. According to the 1995 census, 81 million people (65 percent) live in urban areas; that constitutes only 3 percent of the land area. During the last 150 years of industrialization and economic development, the population has grown from around thirty million to its present size. This increase occurred as a result of a rapid demographic transition characterized by an enormous movement of people from rural to urban areas, dramatic decreases in infant mortality, increases in longevity, widespread reliance on birth control, and transformations of family composition from large, multigenerational extended households to small nuclear families.
Life expectancy is the highest in the world, and the birthrate has been declining dramatically. Because of these trends, the population is projected to peak early in the twenty-first century and then shrink.

Culture of Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, has 203 million people living on nearly one thousand permanently settled islands. Some two-to-three hundred ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects range in population from the Javanese (about 70 million) and Sundanese (about 30 million) on Java, to peoples numbering in the thousands on remote islands. The nature of Indonesian national culture is somewhat analogous to that of India—multicultural, rooted in older societies and interethnic relations, and developed in twentieth century nationalist struggles against a European imperialism that nonetheless forged that nation and many of its institutions. The national culture is most easily observed in cities but aspects of it now reach into the countryside as well. Indonesia's borders are those of the Netherlands East Indies, which was fully formed at the beginning of the twentieth century, though Dutch imperialism began early in the seventeenth century. Indonesian culture has historical roots, institutions, customs, values, and beliefs that many of its people share, but it is also a work in progress that is undergoing particular stresses at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
The name Indonesia, meaning Indian Islands, was coined by an Englishman, J. R. Logan, in Malaya in 1850. Derived from the Greek, Indos (India) and nesos (island), it has parallels in Melanesia, "black islands"; Micronesia, "small islands"; and Polynesia, "many islands." A German geographer, Adolf Bastian, used it in the title of his book, Indonesien , in 1884, and in 1928 nationalists adopted it as the name of their hoped-for nation.

Most islands are multiethnic, with large and small groups forming geographical enclaves. Towns within such enclaves include the dominant ethnic group and some members of immigrant groups. Large cities may consist of many ethnic groups; some cities have a dominant majority. Regions, such as West Sumatra or South Sulawesi, have developed over centuries through the interaction of geography (such as rivers, ports, plains, and mountains), historical interaction of peoples, and political-administrative policies. Some, such as North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, and East Java are ethnically mixed to varying degrees; others such as West Sumatra, Bali, and Aceh are more homogeneous. Some regions, such as South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi, share a long-term Malayo-Muslim coastal influence that gives them similar cultural features, from arts and dress to political and class stratification to religion. Upland or upriver peoples in these regions have different social, cultural, and religious orientations, but may feel themselves or be perforce a part of that region. Many such regions have become government provinces, as are the latter three above. Others, such as Bali, have not.

Culture of France

French national identity is based on the historical origins of the nation in Celtic, Gallo-Roman, and Frankish cultures. The name "France" originally was used to refer to several peoples in the lower Rhineland. It gradually was introduced as a more widespread term to denote that territory, formerly known as Gaul, after the Frankish invasion and the retreat of the Romans. The name "Francia" was applied to various territorial units until the Middle Ages, when it came to signify the kingdom of the French sovereign. Regional identities, such as Provencal and Breton have coexisted with political units of state control. The degree to which France is today a homogeneous nation is a highly contested topic. Political and linguistic unification, especially through mass education, has been an ongoing project of nationalism. The immigrant population comes mainly from Portugal and northern Africa, although there has been increasing immigration from eastern Europe. France takes a highly assimilationist approach to its immigrant populations. The social position of Beurs (the children of North African immigrants) is an ongoing issue. The population is divided by social class, political party affiliation, generation, ethnicity, and region. Having had a significant rural population well into the twentieth century, the country continues to be marked by a rural-urban split.

Chinese Dragon Dance

One of the highlights of the  celebration is the spectacular Dragon Dance. It's history goes back to the (180 - 230 CE) in ancient China. The Chinese have always perceived the dragon as being sacred and possessing power, courage, righteousness, dignity, fertility, wisdom, and auspiciousness.

 festivities celebrate the outset of the planting season in China. The dragon represents rain and good fortune, elements crucial for the agricultural crops. This mythical beast takes the physical form of many animals; it has the horns of a stag, the ears of a bull, the eyes of a rabbit, the claws of a tiger, and the scales of a fish distributed along the body of a long serpent. It was believed these combined traits allowed the creature to walk on land, fly through the heavens, and swim through the waters. These powers gives the dragon the authority to rule the clouds and to control the rain.

The Dragon Dance requires the coordinated efforts of a team of dancers who come from martial arts groups. The dragon consists of a head mask and a lengthy body which is held up with poles and transported by the dancers. The lead dancer holding the dragon's head has an extremely important job. He or she makes the dragon twist, leap, crouch, and dip, as sinuous as a snake.

The dragon mask itself, usually colored red, green, or gold, is gorgeous and very complex in design. Sometimes the head has animation and pyrotechnics that belch smoke. The number of body sections can vary, sometimes using as many as 25 sections divided by hoops of bamboo. The longer the dragon, the more good fortune.

The dragon is difficult to manipulate and requires well-trained dancers in top physical condition. The creature moves in precise patterns to the music provided by drums, cymbals, and a gong. Onlookers throw firecrackers at the dancing dragon's feet to scare away any evil spirits and also to assure the beast is fully awake from its hibernation.

The color green on the dragon stands for an extraordinary harvest, yellow is for the solemn empire, prosperity is represented by gold or silver, red is excitement, and the dragon's scales and tail are a shimmering silver symbolizing joy.

At times, at larger celebrations, a spectator might see a Double Dragon Dance where two groups of dancers intertwine their dragons in intricate patterns. A truly rare performance involves nine dragons (Kawlung) because nine is a perfect number. However, such performances necessitate the coordinated efforts of several dance troupe.

Hopefully, visitors to Chinatown will have the opportunity to observe the breathtaking, astounding Dragon Dance.

Balinese Culture

Balinese culture is a unique combination of spirituality, religion, tradition and art. Religion is considered to be art and it seems that almost every Balinese is a devoted artist, spending 'free time' applying skills and images which have been passed down from generation to generation and grasped from a very young age. Expressed through beautiful and intricate paintings, extraordinary carvings, superb weaving, and even in rice decorations that cover the myriad shrines found in public areas, in paddy fields or in homes, the island is alive with art and religious homage.

Sekala and Niskala

Balinese culture is a complex event characterised by diversity and adaptability. A central dictum in Balinese thinking is the concept of Desa - Kala - Patra, (time, place and situation), a dynamic notion holding that traditional thinking will blend in harmony with the new. The Balinese distinguish between Sekala, the material, and Niskala the eternal. Reality is a coincidence of the material and the eternal realms. One does not exist without the other. The world, therefore, is the product of the interaction of Sekala and Niskala.

Temple Festivals

Temple festivals are commonplace. Each village will hold some sort of colourful ceremony for each one of its own temples a couple of times a year. Add to this the rituals and celebrations for each persons' passage from birth, puberty, marriage, childbirth to death and the after-world, and include the major island-wide celebrations like Galungan, Kuningan and Nyepi; the day of silence when the whole island closes down in fear of evil spirits flying in from the sea, and you can begin to understand how important religion in Bali is.

Hindu Dharma

Art, culture and day to day activities for most Balinese are strongly bonded to a unique form of Hinduism called Hindu Dharma, which is widely thought to be the closest example to the religion and social framework that existed in Java during the zenith of its power and is now found nowhere else. Classical dance dramas based on the old Hindu epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabarata which arrived from Java, are like everywhere else in Indonesia, mixed with pre-Hindu animist belief and peculiar local folklore. Not all Balinese adopted the new Hindu religion though. The Bali Aga who now live in isolated groups in the mountains at Trunyan and Tenganan, for example, preferred their ancient animist beliefs, which are still practiced and remain largely intact today.

Balinese belief systems

The very soul of Bali and Balinese belief systems is rooted in religion and is expressed in art forms and skills that have been passionately preserved over the centuries. During the mid sixteenth century Bali reached a cultural climax, which encouraged and developed elaborate arts and customs, which are the foundations of what is practiced today. In a sense they have changed very little since that time, but as has been the case throughout much of the Indonesian archipelago, adaptation of new environments is absolutely essential for survival. It was at this time that the Javanese Hindu and the Balinese calendars were combined and a complex schedule of rituals and ceremonies was defined. Nine great temples, the Pura Agung, were also built, linking the structure of the new calendar with that of the gods. The most sacred being the Mother Temple, Pura Besakih, built high on the slopes of Bali 's most sacred mountain, Gunung Agung.

American Culture

Family Tradition

We teach our children about American Culture. We teach them to be good Americans  by sharing our traditions of Citizenship, American Holiday Celebration, Craftsmanship, Entrepreneurship, Competition, Leadership, Know-How, and Positive Attitude.

Our Culture

Beyond the walls of our home lies a great Nation with a culture of its own. The structure of our Government, our laws and the way people relate to each other have great influence on our actions and attitudes. What do you think about when  you hear the words: The United States of America? On our  we display the quote "The land of the free, and the home of the brave". Many of us think of that quote, or quotes from the song: "America The Beautiful", like "spacious skies" or "amber waves of grain".

"Only in America"

There is a culture in this country whether spoken or unspoken that manifests itself in everything we say, do, or think. For example, in the United States we expect to compete in every aspect of our lives. At the same time we expect to compete, we also expect to be given equal opportunity to grow to our potential. We believe we all have equal rights under the law. We expect American Industry to put out a quality product and for our Nation to be a leader in the world. Sometimes we even find ourselves "on the soap box" spouting expectations of our Nation's performance or the performance of American Industry not realizing that unless we each live up to these expectations, our Nation and our Industries cannot. Frequently, many of our competing interests and our strong desire to ensure Individual Freedom, result in extraordinary events taking place that can only be explained by the expression: "Only in America".

Pass on our culture to future generations

Whatever our "National" culture may be, many of us depend on our schools and institutions to teach our children. Should we leave this precious part of our children's education just to schools and other institutions? Emphasis and example at home are very important to the development of our children so that our Nation remains strong into the future. What Customs and Traditions do you observe in your family so that you pass on the important aspects of our American Culture essential to our future survival? What kinds of conversations do you have with your children?