Regions of the world. The necessity and principles of dividing the world into regions

  • 11.05.2021

We know little about the very first state on the planet. But it was it that gave impetus to the development of other civilizations.

Do you know which state was the very first? TravelAsk will tell you about it in detail.

Features of the most ancient states

In terms of territory, the ancient states were small. In the center of the ancient country there was a fortified city with a temple of the local patron god and the residence of the head of state. The ruler was often both a military leader and the head of irrigation work.

So, for example, in the Nile Valley in the second half of the 4th millennium BC. e. there were more than forty states. Between them there were constant wars for territory.

The very first state

The Sumerian civilization is considered the very first state in the world. It arose at the end of the 4th millennium BC. e. There was a state on the banks of the Euphrates, where it flows into the Persian Gulf. This territory was called Mesopotamia, today Iraq and Syria are located here.

Where they came from on this earth is still a mystery to scientists. And the Sumerian language is also a mystery, since it could not be correlated with any language family. The texts were written in cuneiform, which, in fact, the Sumerians invented.

At first, the people cultivated barley and wheat, drained swamps and even made water channels, bringing water to dry areas. Then they began to produce metals, fabrics and ceramics. By 3000 B.C. e. The Sumerians had the highest culture for their time with an elaborate religion and a special writing system.

How did the Sumerians live?

The Sumerians built houses away from the banks of the Euphrates. The river often overflowed, flooding the lands around, and its lower reaches were swampy, where many malarial mosquitoes bred.

They erected dwellings from clay bricks, clay was mined right there, on the river, since the banks of the Euphrates are rich in it. Therefore, clay was the main material: dishes, cuneiform tablets and even children's toys were made from it.


Fishing was one of the main occupations of the city dwellers. People built boats from river reeds, lubricating them with pitch to prevent leaks. They traveled in boats across the waters.

The ruler of the city also performed the functions of a priest. He had no wives and children, it was believed that the wives of the rulers were goddesses. In general, the religion of the Sumerians is interesting: they believed that they exist in order to serve the gods, and the gods cannot exist without the Sumerians. Therefore, sacrifices were made to the gods, and the temples became the center of government of the state.

Rise of civilization

Researchers suggest that the main factor in the emergence of the state was the need to cultivate land and irrigate it, leading channels, because the climate in this region is desert and arid. Irrigation systems are a fairly complex technology, so they needed organized management. It also rallied the society itself.

The Sumerians had many cities with their own administration and power. The largest of these city-states were Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Lagash, Umma. At the head of each of them was a priest, according to his decree, the population lived. So, they collected food from the people, and in the famine years they distributed food. In general, the inhabitants of the cities did not live very peacefully, periodically fighting among themselves.

In Sumer, private ownership of land was even introduced. Of course, this contributed to the property stratification of the population. There were few slaves in the cities, and their labor did not play a significant role in the economy.

A special role in the Sumerian civilization was played by the lugals - the leaders of the warriors. Possessing strength and military knowledge, they eventually partially supplanted the power of the priests.

As for military uniforms, the Sumerians had a primitive bow, a copper-tipped spear, a short dagger and a copper cap.

Contribution to later history

Of course, when compared with subsequent states, the economic technologies of the Sumerians were very primitive. However, it was their culture that formed the basis of subsequent civilizations: for example, the Sumerian civilization fell into decay, and another major civilization, the Babylonian, arose in its place. The Sumerians were very educated, primitive communities still lived in neighboring territories during this period. They not only invented cuneiform writing, but also possessed mathematical knowledge, understood astronomy, and were able to accurately determine the area of ​​land.


At city temples there were schools in which this knowledge was passed on to the next generations. The Sumerians also had their own literature. So, the epic about Gilgamesh, the king who was looking for immortality, became the most famous. This is one of the oldest monuments of literature. There is a chapter in the epic that tells about a man who saved people from the Flood.


It is believed that this legend formed the basis of the biblical flood.

Decline of the state

Nomadic tribes lived next to Sumer. One of them, the Akkadians, switched to a settled way of life, adopting many technologies from the Sumerians. At first, the Sumerians and Akkadians maintained friendly relations, but they also had periods of military strife. During one of these periods, the Akkadian leader Sargon seized power and proclaimed himself king of Sumer and Akkad. It happened in the 24th century BC. e. Over time, the Sumerians assimilated among these peoples, and their culture became the basis for the states that arose in Mesopotamia in the future.

Lesson #36

Regions of the world and international organizations.

Target:

    To teach students to classify various geographical objects and highlight the main criteria for their classification.

    Describe the international organizations that have the greatest impact on the development of the countries of the world.

    Create conditions for the integrated application of knowledge in the process of learning new material.

During the classes

1. Based on the key words, determine the section of geography that we are starting to study, partly the topic of the lesson

Pick up synonyms

1. Vast territories

:(regions) Regions - they call the territory that stands out on some basis.

- Adjective + noun (Regional geography)

2. Continents, their parts

: (continents, countries)

Geographic regions

3. Individuality.

:(peculiarity)

4. Division:

2. How can you divide the globe on: .. (regions), use the knowledge of previously studied topics: "Human exploration of the planet Earth", "Population", "Political map"

By what criteria are regions distinguished: by geographical, historical, national, religious, economic and social, so the same country can be part of a variety of regions.

    :. (Old World - New World)

    :. (Ecumene-Neocumene)

    :.(Compact residence of ethnically related peoples)

    :.(professing one religion)

    :.(Territorial unity) : What would the regions be called (Geographic regions)

3 . Work with atlas and wall map.

There are two main types of regtons:

    Historical and geographical regions are regions associated with belonging to any geographical object.

Consider table 1 page 13

:. (Geographical regions) - : (Northern) Europe - Norway, : continue: (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland)

    Southern Europe - :.. (Andorra, Vatican, Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino)

    What geographical regions can be noted in Latin America? (Remember the physical map of South America - relief features)

Andean countries:. (Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador).

Countries of the Basin and La Plata Lowland: (Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay)

name the capitals

Name the capitals.

(Show countries on the map, students show or teacher shows - students name)

2) socio-economic regions - unite countries that have a similar level of socio-economic development, using the knowledge of the topic "Typology of countries" to name them:

    The developed countries

2.Developing countries

4. International organizations.

The country necessarily has close ties with other states of this region. At the same time, the states of the world can, located on different continents, can unite into international organizations. There are more than 2.5 thousand international organizations in the world.

Interstate associations is one of the forms of international integration. Integration groupings are divided into four main types:

World organizations coordinate the activities of most countries of the world in one area or another. Such organizations include the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations, the World Bank, the World Confederation of Labor, the International Monetary Fund, the International Olympic Committee.

The largest and most important world international organization is the United Nations (UN). As of October 1, 2002, there are 191 countries among its members. Of the sovereign states, only the Vatican remains outside the organization. The main body of the UN is the General Assembly, in which delegations of all member countries participate. Sessions of the General Assembly are convened annually; if necessary, emergency and special sessions can be convened. The permanent body of the United Nations is the Security Council. It is he who bears the main responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN Security Council consists of 15 member countries. 5 of them (China, France, Great Britain, USA and Russia) are permanent members of the UN Security Council. 10 non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly for a term of 2 years. Numerous humanitarian organizations, specialized agencies and peacekeeping missions operate under the auspices of the UN in certain regions of the planet. These include such associations as UNESCO, UNICEF, Universal Postal Union, International Labor Organization, World Health Organization, International Maritime Organization, etc.

Military-strategic formations, as a rule, carry out the functions of collective self-defense and maintenance of security. The most influential modern organization of this kind is NATO. In former times, this form of integration corresponded to the military blocs of the Warsaw Pact, CENTO, SEATO, ANZUS.

Regional organizations implement the program of their development within the framework of any region of the planet. There are regional groupings built according to belonging to parts of the world (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Organization of African Unity), to an objectively established region (ASEAN, SAARC, OCAG, Northern Council), to the historical and civilizational regions (League of Arab States, CIS), etc.

Industry interstate associations support the joint efforts of member countries to coordinate policies in a particular industry. Examples: OPEC (integration of oil-producing countries), WTO and GATT (integration in the field of trade), Interpol (association of police services of the countries of the world), IAEA (integration in the field of nuclear energy), etc.

5.Practical work

Designation on the contour map of the main economic regions of the world.

Working process:

    Draw borders on the contour map of the world and sign the names of the main economic regions of the world: the CIS, Foreign Europe, Foreign Asia, Africa, North America, Latin America, Australia and Oceania.

    Designate countries Do countries belong to the Scandinavian region?

    Apply to k.k. African countries traditionally belong to the countries of the Middle East?

    Designate the countries of Asia related to the Middle East Region
    Cairo, Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Sudan, Algeria.

    Apply to k.k. European countries: Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Nigeria, Lithuania, Portugal, Ireland, Cuba, Finland.

    Apply to k.k. Asian countries: Mongolia, Kuwait, Czech Republic, Brazil, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Yugoslavia, Japan, Afghanistan.

    Apply to k.k. countries of North and South America: Mexico, Sweden, Venezuela, Canada, Algeria, Chile, Austria, Argentina, Iraq, Peru.

    Find a match: country - part of the world where it is located (pick up pairs)

Europe

Rwanda

Asia

Guyana

Africa

Myanmar

America

Macedonia

Namibia

Bolivia

Bangladesh

Guatemala

Tanzania

Iran

Greece

6. Homework. P.2

What are regions of the world? By general definition, the concept region implies any territory that has one or more common features. Region- synonym for words district, region, continent. There are regions within every continent, country, city. By what principle the attitude of countries to a particular region is determined, we will consider in more detail.

Why share the world?

The planet we live on is vast and diverse. Its remote parts differ significantly in geographical location, climatic conditions, economic development, historical, religious and cultural characteristics. It is much more convenient for a specialist in any issue that goes beyond one state to combine regions and countries of the world with the same characteristic features in one name. The generally accepted names of the regions are known to the general public, and everyone who is familiar with geography understands what is at stake.

For the study of geography, division into regions is necessary for convenience. There is no need to describe in detail each individual country, if the patterns of its development and geophysical conditions are similar to neighboring ones, especially since the quantitative composition and names of countries change constantly over the course of history. Features of the regions are studied by a separate science - regional studies.

Major regions of the world

The main division is defined by the UN classification system. The division of the world into regions was carried out on a territorial basis, by continents, for the purpose of statistics. It looks like this:

  • Europe (Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western).
  • Asia (Central, Western, Southern, Eastern and South-Eastern, Northern).
  • Africa (Central, Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern).
  • America (North or Anglo-America; Central or Caribbean, together with North America are combined in some sources into one region - Latin America; South)
  • Australia and Oceania (Australia - New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia).

There are 23 regions in total. This division denotes the regions of the world according to the parameters of the physical and geographical position of its territory, the areas of these regions coincide with the areas of the continents and islands, and have a geographical border.

Historical and cultural zoning

The history of the development of peoples, the formation of their cultural heritage, the established groups of languages ​​and dialects are as diverse on the planet as the climatic conditions of life. At the same time, there are countries for which this path was identical, some states broke up into smaller ones, while others merged into one. Historical and cultural regions of the world are areas in which the features of religion, life, cultural heritage, architecture, customs, way of doing business, and even the basic set of food products, have similar properties that distinguish this area from others. The boundaries of these regions may coincide with the geographic zoning, but not necessarily.

Examples of regions of the world with common historical and cultural traditions:

  • North Africa and the Middle East. The territory of the admirers of Islam, through which the caravans of merchants from all over the world passed.
  • North America is an area in which the original culture of the natives is almost completely destroyed, and so are its representatives themselves. A new community of representatives of nationalities of all continents has fully developed.
  • Oceania - remote from other civilizations, the peoples of this region have created an original culture that is not similar and incomprehensible to other peoples.

Ecoregions

The ecological regions of the world, or natural zones, are very vast territories that are united by similar landscapes, climatic conditions, representatives of flora and fauna. Ecoregions are located on the planet mainly by latitudes, but they have a different location and width, depending on the relief and proximity to the ocean. The boundaries of natural regions for the most part do not coincide with the boundaries of powers or historical regions, they are determined by the distribution of warm and cold air and remoteness from the oceans.

Examples of ecoregions: tropics, equatorial forests, deserts, steppes, taiga, tundra, arctic deserts.

Tourist regions

The tourism business also considers in its activities the division of the world into regions, taking into account the recreational possibilities of the place offered for recreation for the tourist: nature; historical and cultural heritage; ecological, social, infrastructural conditions.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) adopted 5 tourist regions, which, in turn, are divided into 14 sub-regions.

Regions of the world by tourist destinations:

  • Europe.
  • Asia and Pacific countries.
  • America.
  • Africa.
  • Near East.

Economic division

Economists divide the world in their own way. Economically, regions differ from geographic, climatic, or historical regions. The principle of their division is the level of economic development of the state. According to the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, countries are divided according to the degree of development of a market economy, according to the socio-political system, according to the level of development.

Cities grow and develop, territories expand, new buildings and structures appear. People are still interested in learning something new and discovering the unknown. New knowledge and information in our age is more valuable than ever. But you should not stop only on numbers and letters, it is better to see everything with your own eyes.

Rest has a different meaning for everyone. Choosing a location is another matter. After all, one city can combine entertainment, attractions and centuries-old culture. Today we will talk about the ten largest cities in the world, their features and a bit of history.

List of 10 largest cities in the world and their population:

  1. – 24.1 million inhabitants.
  2. Karachi - 23.5 million people.
  3. Beijing - 21.2 million
  4. Delhi - 17.8 million
  5. Lagos - 17 million people.
  6. - 14.2 million
  7. Guangzhou - 12.7 million
  8. Mumbai – 12.65 million
  9. Moscow - 12.1 million
  10. Dhaka - 12 million inhabitants.

The first three largest millionaires

The first place is occupied by Shanghai, which is the financial center of China. The population lies within the 24 million population. The city is located in the Yangtze River Delta, therefore it has the most famous port in the world. Shanghai is not only a financial and commercial center, it is also filled with architectural sights. Buildings are taking on new forms and styles, and the authorities are equipping more and more green areas and parks, taking care of the population.

The second place is occupied by Karachi, the country. It also has a seaport, which allowed the fishing village to grow into a major economic center of the country. In the 50s, due to the large number of immigrants, the population increased sharply. With a population of 23 million inhabitants, the city has no metro, and the surrounding area is littered with garbage. All houses are lined with bars on the windows and balconies, many people sleep on the streets. This picture is more frightening than attracting tourists.


The third largest city is again in China and this is Beijing. The tourist and cultural center combines ancient Chinese culture and innovation. Many attractions attract tourists from all over the world. The Great Wall of China and the Temple of Heaven are considered the most popular. A large percentage of the city's population are foreigners, mostly businessmen and students.


Cities with 18 to 12 million inhabitants

Listed 10 largest cities in the world there are "representatives" of such countries as Turkey, Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan. Another city that is located in China and is in the top ten is called Guangzhou. What first catches your eye is the close intertwining of slums and large-scale shopping centers. Parks, restaurants, high-rise hotels, all in a Chinese-modern style.

Two of the cities on the list are in India. First comes Delhi with 17.8 million people, and then Mumbai with 12.65 million inhabitants. Moreover, Mumbai, or its better known name Bombay, is twice as small in area. At the same time, the city is filled with modern dynamics and art. It is in this city that the famous Bollywood, the center of the entire Indian film industry, is located. Delhi is distinguished by its liveliness, movement and contrasts. Centuries-old temples filled with majesty coexist with slums and filth. And poverty and general fuss allow you to look at the city from the other side.

Istanbul ranks sixth in the ranking. The number of its inhabitants is increasing due to the migration of rural residents. The city is growing: new streets appear and residential areas are actively built. Tourism, industry and trade relations are actively developed. For the latter, the presence of a port is an important factor.

Last on the list 10 largest cities in the world stands Dhaka, a country with a population of 12 million people. The area is close to Mumbai. The city has a river port and is famous for water tourism. A large number of mosques, and architectural structures, saturated with time, are more reminiscent of Babylon.

It is worth noting that the common feature of many cities is the presence of ports and access to the sea. This allows you to trade, actively develop tourism and strengthen political and economic components.