AUSTRALIAN HISTORY: COLONISATION (1788-1900)

The first European to discover Australia was thought to have been Willem Jansz, a Dutchman who sailed along part of the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606 and landed on Australian soil. James Cook, an Englishman, was the first European to sail along the eastern coast of Australia in 1770. However some historians have found evidence that seems to show that sailors from Portugal sailed along parts of the Australian coast many years before either Willem Jansz or James Cook.

Spanish Explorers.- In the early 17th century one Spanish captain came very close to landing in Australia. Around this time Spain had established colonies in parts of South America and in 1605 a small fleet of three Spanish shies under the command of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros set out from the port of Callao in Peru specifically in search of the unknown south land.

Portuguese Explorers For many years the first Europeanto reach Australia was the Dutchman, Willem Jansz. However there is some evidence that in fact the Portugese may have been known about Australia before anyone else.

Dutch Explorers.- By early 1600s Portugal was losing power in South-East Asia. Holland on the other hand was becoming more powerful and controlled the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia.

English Explorers- William Dampier was a pirate who became a sailor when he was a teenager. His boat the Cygnet, traveled the Pacific Ocean, robbing the ships of other countries.

Endeavour Explorations - The Endeavour expedition left Plymouth, England in 1768 with ninety-four men on board. For eight months it sailed, stopping at the Madeira Islands, Rio de Janeiro and Tierra de Fuego for repairs, food and water.

First Fleet Ships.- There were eleven ships in the First Fleet. They were all small ships that included two naval ships, six convict ships and three storeships for supplies.

Second Fleet Ships.- The Lady Juliana was the first ship of the Second Fleet to arrive tat Sydney Cove. By the end of June 1790, four more ships had arrived.

ct ship that had specially built prisoners quarters below the decks. Around 1500 men, women and children sailed in the First Fleet that left on 12 May 1787. Among them weremarines and a handful of other officers who were to administer the colony, and 772 convicts (of whom 732 survived the voyage) who were petty thieves from the London slums.

w colony, and not knowing what would be there. There were eleven ships in the First Fleet with six of them being convi

On August 1786, (sixteen years after Cook had first landed on Australia's east coast) the British government decided to start a convict settlement in New South Wales. This also allowed England to claim Australia and stop France or Spain from taking it. Arthur Phillip was chosen to organise and lead the First Fleet of convicts to Botany Bay. It would have been a difficult task to organise the fleetfor the eigth month voyage to start an entirely ne

Culture of Japan

The culture of Japan is the result of a historical process that begins with the immigration from the continent of Asia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, followed by a strong cultural influence of China and, later, a long period of isolation with the rest of the world until the end of century XIX, where it receives an immense foreign influence and that is increased after the end of World War II. This gave as is result a culture different from other Asian cultures.

In Japan, the personal interrelations are very influenced by the ideas of honor, obligation and respect; this represents a custom that is different from the individualistic and liberal culture from the western countries.

Traditional Clothing
In Japan two types of clothes can be found: traditional and the modern one.

In traditional clothes the kimono stands out, this is a long showy article used by women, men and children in special times. Also the sleeves of the kimono differentiate from the married women to the single women.

Other articles used by the Japanese are: yukata, which is a kimono light of summer; hakama, a ceremonial article; jinbei, pledges masculine light used like pajamas; and jūnihitoe, a feminine article similar to a kimono and used by the noble.

With respect to Japanese modern clothes, some tendencies like ganguro exist, that, is a feminine fashion characterized to use clothes of designers, to have the bronzed skin and the use of many accessories.
Another modern fashion in Japan is the Lolita fashion that are inspired by the infantile Victorian fashion derivations of the subcultures gothic, punk, etc.

Another modern fashionable form that began in Japan is cosplay, which consists of disguising itself of some personage who appears in some Japanese mass media: like animates, musical sleeve, videogames, videos, etc.

Mass media
In Japan there are around 100 million equipment of television in use, and it is considered as the main form of entertainment and information of the population. The programming of television, enough is varied, mainly with soap operas, the news, games, animates, sports, etc. There are six national networks of television. As far as the radio, the main chains are the NHK, the Japan Radio Network and the National Radio Network. Five important newspapers at national level exist. In addition, there are newspapers in English like the Japan Times.

Cuisine
The Japanese cuisine owns a cooking past length that has been developed in a specialized gastronomy for each station. The foods are based on five rich carbohydrate foods: rice, wheat, oats, kidney bean and millet. The plates generally are salty. A standard Japanese food always consists of a cup of Japanese rice and support a cup of soup and a variety of plates like fish, meat, vegetables, etc.
In recent years, Japanese food has become fashionable and popular in the U.S., Europe and many other areas.

ReligionOne of the practiced religions more in Japan is the Shinto that is simultaneously the native religion of Japan and that is exclusive of that country, it was the unique religion that existed before the arrival from the buddhism to Japan and marked Japanese mythology remarkably. The Japanese buddhism is the religion practiced mainly in Japan, arrived at the country of Korea. The Christianity is introduced to Japan in 1549. A century practically finished later, surviving only in the area isolated around Nakasaki. At the moment this religion has 1.4 million faithfuls, who include a high percentage of important people in the education and subjects public.

Sports

Kodokan Judo
Judo is a fun sport, an art, a discipline, a recreational or social activity, a fitness program, a means of self-defense or combat, and a way of life. It is all of these and more. Judo comes from the fighting system of feudal Japan. Judo was introduced into the Olympic Games in 1964 and is practiced by millions of people throughout the world today. People practice Judo to excel in competition, to stay in shape, to develop self-confidence, and for many other reasons. But most of all, people do Judo just for the fun of it.

Ireland Introduction

Ireland Introduction

Ireland contains many castles, stone towers and stone walls, some in ruins and some which have been restored. The fortified castles of Ireland were used for defense against intruders. There are many famous castles in Ireland, but the most famous is perhaps The Blarney Castle, which is famed for its stone, which is believed to have the power to bestow the gift of eloquence on all those who kiss it.

Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, particularly in the fields of literature and, to a lesser degree, science and education.

The public architecture of Ireland reflects the country's past role in the British Empire, as most Irish cities and towns were either designed or remodeled as Ireland evolved with Britain. Since independence, much of the architectural iconography and symbolism, in terms of statues, monuments, museums, and landscaping, has reflected the sacrifices of those who fought for Irish freedom. Residential and business architecture is similar to that found elsewhere in the British Isles and Northern Europe.

The main industries are food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, and pharmaceuticals, and Ireland is fast becoming known for its roles in the development and design of information technologies and financial support services.

We’ll try to describe briefly some of the most important aspects about history, cultural heritage, local traditions, traditional sports (Gaelic sports), food and places to visit nowadays and the most important for this course: English as a second language. Maybe some people don’t know that English is the second official language of Ireland, in fact Irish Gaelic is recognized as the first official language, but in the last years English has had a vital importance in the social relations even more than the native Irish language, and we think this is happening all around the world. English is becoming very important because of the globalization, economy and new technologies that make us learn this language.

Ireland is a country with plenty of costumes and traditions known internationally. The ancient history of this country is very mystical and interesting, full of cultural heritage and important historical events. Is very common to know or have heard stories about Vikings or about Saint Patrick’s Day and immediately comes to your mind Ireland, green color or shamrocks.

Religion in Australia

Religion in Australia

In the 21st century, religion in Australia remains dominated demographically by Christianity, with 64% of the population claiming at least nominal adherence to the Christian f

aith as of 2007, although less than a quarter of those attend church weekly. 18.7% of Australians declared "no-religion

" on the 2006 Census with a further 11.2% failing to answer the question. The remaining population is a diverse group that includes fast-growing Islamic and Buddhist communities.
The Constitution of Australia prohibits the Commonwealth government from establishing a church or interfering with the freedom of religion; however, states are free under their own constitutions to interfere or establish a church as they see fit, although none ever has. Nevertheless, the relationship between the Commonwealth government and religion is much freer than in the United States, with governments working with religious organisation

s that provide education, health and other public services.

Indigenous Australian traditions

Indigenous Australians have a complex oral tradition and spiritual values based upon reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is at once the ancient time of creation and the present day reality of Dreaming. There were a great many different groups, each with their own individual culture, belief structure, and language. These cultures overlapped to a greater or lesser extent, and evolved over time. The Rainbow Serpent is a major dream spirit for Aboriginal people across Australia. The Yowie and Bunyip are other well known dream spirits. At the time of the European settlement, traditional religions were animist and also tended to have el

ements of ancestor worship.
According to the 2001 census, 5,244 persons or less than 0.03 percent of respondents reported practising Aboriginal traditional religions. Aboriginal beliefs and spirituality, even among those Aborigines who identify themselves as members of a traditional organised religion, are intrinsically linked to the land generally and to certain sites of significance in particular. The 1996 census reported that almost 72 percent of Aborigines practised some form of Christianity and 16 percent listed no religion. The 2001 census contained no comparable updated data.

Christianity

The churches with the largest number of members are the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, the Anglican Church of Australia and the Uniting Church in Australia, The Pentecostal churches and charismatic movement are also present with megachurches being found in most states. The National Council of Churches in Australia is the main Christian ecumenical body.

In his welcoming address to the Catholic World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, said that Christianity had been a positive influence on Australia: "It was the church that began first schools for the poor, it was the church that began first hospitals for the poor, it was the church that began first refuges for the poor and these great traditions continue for the future." Christian charitable organisations, hospitals and schools have played a prominent role in welfare and education since Colonial times, when First Fleet chaplain Richard Johnson was credited as "the physician both of soul and body" during the famine of 1790, and was charged with general supervision of schools.

Today, the Catholic education system is the second biggest sector after government schools, with more than 650,000 students (and around 21 per cent of all secondary school enrolments). The Anglican Church educates around 105,000 students and the Uniting Church has around 48 schools. Smaller denominations, including the Lutheran Church also have a number of schools in Australia. The Australian Catholic University opened in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia.

Catholic Social Services Australia's 63 member organisations help more than a million Australians every year. Anglican organisations work in health, missionary work, social welfare and communications; and the Uniting Church does extensive community work, in aged care, hospitals, nursing, family support services, youth services and with the homeless. Christian charities such as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, the Salvation Army and Youth Off the Streets receive considerable national support. Religious orders founded many of Australia's hospitals, such as St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, which was opened as a free hospital in 1857 by the Sisters of Charity and is now Australia's largest not-for-profit health provider and has trained prominent Australian surgeons such as Victor Chang.

One of the most visible signs of the historical importance of Christianity to Australia is the prominence of churches in most Australian towns and cities. One of Australia's oldest is the Anglican St James Church, Sydney, built between 1819 and 1824 by Governor Macquarie's architect, Francis Greenway. St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney was built to a design by William Wardell from a foundation stone laid in 1868, the spires of the cathedral were not finally added until the year 2000. Wardell also worked on the design of St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne - among the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Australia. The Anglican St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne in the iconic hub of the city opposite Flinders Street Station. Adelaide is known as the "City of Churches" but churches extend far into the Australian Outback, as at the historic Lutheran Mission Chapel at Hermannsburg, Northern Territory. Along with community attitudes to religion, church architecture changed significantly during the 20th century. Urban churches, such as the Wayside Chapel (1964) in Sydney, differed markedly from traditional ecclesiastical designs. In the later 20th century, distinctly Australian approaches were applied at places such as Jambaroo Benedictine Abbey, where natural materials were chosen to "harmonise with the local environment" and the chapel sanctuary is of glass overlooking rainforest. Similar design principles were applied at Thredbo Ecumenical Chapel built in the Snowy Mountains in 1996.

The Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter are national public holidays in Australia. Christmas, which recalls the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on 25 December during the Australian summer and is an important cultural festival even for many non-religious Australians. The European traditions of Christmas trees, roast dinners, carols and gift giving are all continued in Australia – though they might be conducted between visits to the beach – and Santa Claus is said in song to be drawn on his sleigh by six white boomer kangaroos.

Hinduism

Hindus are a religious minority in Australia of about 150,000 adherents according to the 2006 census. In the 19th century, Hindus first came to Australia to work on cotton and sugar plantations. Many remained as small businessmen, working as camel drivers, merchants and hawkers, selling goods between small rural communities. Their population increased dramatically from the 1960s and 1970s and more than doubled between the 1996 and 2006 censusus to around 148,000 people. Most were migrants, from countries such as Fiji, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. At present many Hindus are well-educated professionals in fields such as medicine, engineering, commerce and information technology. Among Australia's best-known Hindus is the singer Kamahl. There are around 34 Hindu temples in Australia. Sri Mandir Temple in multicultural Auburn, Sydney was the first Hindu temple in Australia. It was established in 1977 to meet the needs of the growing Hindu community.

Islam

The first contacts that Islam had with Australia was when Muslim fishermen native to Makassar, which is today a part of Indonesia, visited North-Western Australia long before British settlement in 1788. This contact of South East Asian ethnic groups of Islamic faith can be identified from the graves they dug for their comrades who died on the journey, being that they face Mecca (in Arabia), in accordance with Islamic regulations concerning burial, as well as evidence from Aboriginal cave paintings and religious ceremonies which depict and incorporate the adoption of Makassan canoe designs and words.

In later history, throughout the 19th century following British settlement, other Muslims came to Australia most famously the Muslim 'Afghan' cameleers, who used their camels to transport goods and people through the otherwise unnavigable desert and pioneered a network of camel tracks that later became roads across the Outback. Australia’s first mosque was built for them at Marree, South Australia in 1861. Between the 1860s and 1920s around 2000 cameleers were brought from Afghanistan and the north west of British India (now Pakistan) and perhaps 100 families remained in Australia. Other outback mosques were established at places like Coolgardie, Cloncurry, and Broken Hill - and more permanent mosques in Adelaide, Perth and later Brisbane. A legacy of this pioneer era is the presence of wild camels in Outback and the oldest Islamic structure in the southernhemisphere, at Central Adelaide Mosque. Nonetheless, despite their significant role in Australia prior to the establishment of rail and road networks, the formulation of the White Australia policy at the time of Federation made immigration difficult for the 'Afghans' and their memory slowly fadedduring the 20th century, until a revival of interest began in the 1980s.

Today, over 360,000 people in Australia identify as Muslim. With diverse communities concentrated mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. Since the 1970s Islamic schools have been established as well as more than 100 mosques and prayer centres. Many notable Muslim places of worship are to be found in Australian cities, including the Central Adelaide Mosque, which was constructed during the 1880s; and Sydney's Classical Ottoman style Auburn Gallipoli Mosque, which was largely funded by the Turkish community and the name of which recalls the shared heritage of the foundation of modern Turkey and the story of the ANZACs. Notable Australian Muslims include boxer Anthony Mundine; community worker and rugby league star Hazem El Masri; cricketer Usman Khawaja and academic Waleed Aly.

Judaism

At least eight Jewish convicts are believed to have been transported to Sydney aboard the First Fleet in 1788, when the first European settlement was established on the continent. An estimated 110,000 Jews currently live in Australia, the majority being Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern European descent, with many being refugees and Holocaust survivors who arrived during and after World War II.

The Jewish population has increased slightly in recent times due to immigration from South Africa and the former Soviet Union. The largest Jewish community in Australia is in Melbourne, with about 60,000, followed by Sydney with about 45,000 members. Smaller communities are dispersed among the other state capitals.

Following the conclusion of the British colonial period, Jews have enjoyed formal equality before the law in Australia and have not been subject to civil disabilities or other forms of state-sponsored anti-Semitism which exclude them from full participation in public life.

Sydney's gothic design Great Synagogue, consecrated in 1878, is a notable place of Jewish worship in Australia. Notable Australian Jews have included the Sir John Monash, the notable World War I general who opened the Maccabean Hall in Sydney in 1923 to commemorate Jews who fought and died in the First World War and who is currently featured on the Australian $100 note; and Sir Isaac Isaacs who became the first Australian born governor general in 1930. Sir Zelman Cowen also served as Governor-General, between 1977 and 1982. The Sydney Jewish Museum opened in 1992 to commemorate the Holocaust "challenge visitors' perceptions of democracy, morality, social justice and human rights".

Until the 1930s, all synagogues in Australia were nominally Orthodox, with most acknowledging leadership of the

Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. To this day the vast majority of synagogues in Australia are Orthodox. However, there is a wide range of Orthodox congregations, including Mizrachi, Chabad and Adass Israel congregations. There are also Sephardi congregations.

There had been short-lived efforts to establish Reform congregations as early as the 1890s. However, under the leadership of Ada Phillips, a sustained liberal congregation, Temple Beth Israel, was established in Melbourne. Subsequently another synagogue linked to the United States Reform Movement, Temple Emanuel, was established in Sydney. Following these two congregations, a number of other Liberal synagogues have been founded in other cities.

Buddhism

Although the first definite cases of Buddhist settlement in Australia were in 1848, there has been speculation from some anthropologists that there may have been contact some hundreds of years earlier. Buddhists began arriving in Australia in significant numbers during the goldrush of the 1850s, with an influx of Chinese miners. However, the population remained low until the 1960s. Buddhism is now one of the fastest growing religions in Australia. Immigration from Asia has contributed to this, but some people of non-Asian origin have also converted. The three main traditions of Buddhism - Theravada, East Asian and Tibetan - are now represented in Australia.

According to the Australian census in 2006, Buddhism is the largest non-Christian religion in Australia, with 418,000 adherents, or 2.1% of the total population. It was also the fastest growing religion in terms of percentage, having increased its number of adherents by 109.6% since 1996.

The Nan Tien Temple, or "Southern Paradise Temple" in Wollongong, New South Wales began construction in the early 1990s, adopting the Chinese palace building style and is today the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. The temple follows the Venerable Master Hsing Yun of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.

Sikhism

Sikhs have been in Australia since the 1830s, initially coming to work as labourers in the cane fields and as cameleers, known as Ghans. At the turn of the century a number of them were working as hawkers, opening up stores. After World War I, Sikhs in Australia were given rights far greater than other Asians and made use of them by emigrating to Australia and working as labourers. As the decades passed they formed a sizable community in Woolgoolga, where the first Gurdwara, named the First Sikh Temple, was built. Following the end of the White Australia Policy there has been a great increase in the number of Sikhs from a number of countries including India, Malaysia, Fiji and the United Kingdom. The 2006 Australian Census shows about 26,500 followers, up from 17,000 in 2001 and 12,000 in 1996.

Bahá'í

The Bahá'í faith in Australia has a long history and a growing visible presence in the country since 1922. A Bahá'í House of Worship exists in Sydney, dedicated on 17 September 1961 and opened to the public after four years of construction. The 1996 Australian Census lists Bahá'í membership at just under 9000. The 2001 second edition of A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services added the Bahá'í faith in its coverage of religions in Australia and noted that the community had grown to over 11,000. The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated some 17,700 Bahá'ís in 2005.

No religion

Australia is one of the least religious nations in the developed world, with religion not described as a central part in many people's lives. This view is especially prominent among Australia's youth, who were ranked as the least religious worldwide in a 2008 survey conducted by The Christian Science Monitor. As of the 2006 census there are 3,706,555 people in Australia categorised by the ABS as having "No Religion". This category includes just four named subcategories, namely agnosticism, atheism, Humanism and rationalism. A fifth sub-category is "No Religion, nfd" (nfd=no further definition).

According to earlier Australian Bureau of Statistics data, in 2001 15.5% of the Australian population identified themselves as having "No Religion" in a census question. This was 1.5% lower than the 1996 result but increased to 18.7% in the census in 2006.

Despite non-theistic secularists representing nearly 20% of the Australian population, the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not provide information in the annual "1301.0 - Year Book Australia" on religious affiliation as to how many people fall into each sub-category.

Data on religious affiliation is only collected by the ABS at the five yearly population census.

Atheist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Atheist Foundation of Australia. Humanist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies. Rationalist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Rationalist Society of Australia.

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY: ANCIENT (PRE 1788)

Australia was not always in the location and shape it is recognisedtoday. Millions of years ago, it was part of the the great land mass called Gondwanaland. Later on, the continent of Australia began to drift away from this great land mass and around the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs roamed the land. After the death of dinosaurs, mammals began to dominate and the first signs of mankind can be traced back with the "First Australians", the Aboriginal people.

Gondwanaland - The continent of Australia was once part of the greater land mass called Gondwanaland, when todays seven cont

inents were connected to form two continents; the other being Laurasia.

Dinosaurs - During the dinosaur era, the Rhoetosaurus was known to live in Australia although no skeleton of a dinosaur has been found.

“This is our land. It goes back, a long way back, into the Dreamtime, into the land of our Dreaming. We made our camp here, and now all that is left of our presence are the ashes and the bones of the dead animals the young men had killed. Soon even our footprints will be carried away by the wind.”

Aboriginals were the real founders of Australia because they came to this land thousands of years before white people discovered it. In 1988 white Australians celebrated 200 years of white settlement in this country. But Aboriginals have been here for at least 40,000 years. When white people came to Australia, they came to a land that already belonged to the Aboriginals. No one knows exactly where the Aboriginals lived before they came to Australia. It is known that Aboriginals came from somewhere in South-East Asia and that they left their homes and traveled to Australia in canoes or on rafts. Australian aboriginal culture is the oldest living culture in the world – at least 40,000 years old.

There has existed over 250 Aboriginal languages in Australia with many dialects spoken.

My team is going to talk about Ireland, my topic is about sport and food in this country.
When it comes to sports in Ireland, we must to talk about soccer. This sport is the most played in this aerea but the sporting activities with the hicghest level of playing participation are gaelic football, swimming, golf, aerobics and even soccer.
but in recently years ice hockey has seen an increase in popularity. even many others sports are increasing and they are also played like basketball, cricket, horse racing and fishing as though other s more.
Gaelic games are also popular in nothern ireland, it contemplates three differents sports, and they are gaelic football, it´s a soft of football but you use sour hands instead your foots and the number of the players is different, in gaelic football plays 15 players and no 11 as the football does, recently this game is one of the most popular spectator sport besides the hurling and handball which are others galic sports the first, Hurling, is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years. it´s played with a stick called hurleys and a ball, sliota, and it´s played as the hockey does, but in a field. and the last of the three gaelic sports is the handle ball wich is played like squash, The game may be played with two (singles) or four players (doubles) and the players hit the ball with a hand or fist against a wall in such a way as to make a shot the opposition cannot return. All this gaelic games are organised by Gaelic athletic association (GGA) which headquarter is located at the 82,500 capacity Croke park in north Dublin.

FRANCE

France (officially the French Republic) is the largest country in the European Union, stretching from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The landscape is diverse, with mountains in the east and south, including the Alpine peak of Mont Blanc (4810 m) which is western Europe´s highest point. Lowland France consist of four rivers basins, the Seine in the north, the Loire and the Garonne Flowing westwards and the Rhone, which flows from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea.

France´s capital and the largest city is Paris with a population of 64,057,792 people.
France´s currency is the euro. It toal area is 555 000 km2 and it have 64.3 million of population with a birth rate of 12.4/1000, infant mortality rate 3.3/1000 and life expectancy of 81.1 years. The official language is French and it is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourist annually.

France has a political system republican and the President (currenly Nicolas Sarkozy) has an important political role. He chairs the meetings of the Council of Ministers (cabinet), and retain overall responsability in key areas of foreing affairs and defense. The day-to-day running of the country is in the hands of the primer minister (Francois Fillon). The president is elected by direct popular vote for a period of five years. The parliament consist on a National Assembly, directly elected every five years, and a Senate whose members are chosen by lectoral college.

The Eiffel Tower is one of France´s national landmarks. At 1,050 feet tall, it is also one of the world´s most recognizable structures.

Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and oround the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized great parts of North AMerica and Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Island.

France has produced some continent´s most influential writers and thinkers fron Decartes and Pascal in the century 17th, to Rousseau and Voltaire in the 18th, Balzac, Baudelaire and Flaubert in the 19th and Sartre and Camus in the 20th. In the last two centuries it has given the art world the works of Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse and Braque, to name but a few.

French cuisine is one of the finest in Europe, cooking and eating are part of French Culture and lifestyle.