Taiwan, an island lying less than 100 miles (165 kilometers) off the east coast of the People’s Republic of China, is first noted in Western records has having been “discovered” by the Portuguese in 1590. They named the tobacco-leaf-shaped island “Ilha Formosa,” or “Beautiful Island.” The name that is more common today is Taiwan, thought to mean “terraced bay,” for the active terrace building that has taken place during the past three centuries on the western flanks of the mountains that slope westward toward the Taiwan Strait.
It is one of the most amazing countries in the world. The Japanese call it Nippon or Nihon, meaning the source of the Sun. Others call it the Land of the Rising Sun.We call it Japan. This small nation of scattered islands off the eastern coast of mainland Asia is often called the “Miracle of the Orient.” It has risen from obscurity and self-imposed isolation to a position as a global economic giant in little more than a century. Yet considering the country’s physical geography, its history, and its huge population,Japan should have been a huge failure. Japan had to overcome many seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve its present-day place among major world nations. The Japanese peoples’ spirit, determination, work ethic, and knowledge have been their primary tools in achieving this “miracle.”
Geography is the key that unlocks the door to the world’s wonders. There are, of course, many ways of viewing the world and its diverse physical and human features. In this series - MODERN WORLD CULTURES - the emphasis is on people and their cultures. As you step through the geographic door into the ten world cultures covered in this series, you will come to better know, understand, and appreciate the world’s mosaic of peoples and how they live. You will see how different peoples adapt to, use, and change their natural environments. And you will be amazed at the vast differences in thinking, doing, and living practiced around the world. The MODERN WORLD CULTURES series was developed in response to many requests from librarians and teachers throughout the United States and Canada.
Geography is the key that unlocks the door to the world’s wonders. There are, of course, many ways of viewing the world and its diverse physical and human features. In this series - MODERN WORLD CULTURES - the emphasis is on people and their cultures. As you step through the geographic door into the ten world cultures covered in this series, you will come to better know, understand, and appreciate the world’s mosaic of peoples and how they live. You will see how different peoples adapt to, use, and change their natural environments.
This text includes statistical data and observations of cultures in Oceania. For each culture, it examines its history, settlements, economy, cultural relations, land tenure kinship, marriage and family, religion and sociopolitical organization.
