Armenia

by: Vadim Kevorkov

In the southeastern region of Russia lies a small country called Armenia, a beautiful and peaceful land.  Undoubtedly, Armenia is one of the most interesting countries in the world.  Tourists throughout the world say that Armenia is one of the best places to visit.

The capital of Armenia is Yerevan, which is quite unique.  It is the only city where everything is pink.  The reason for this is because the mountains in Armenia produce pink stones that Armenians used as a building material for centuries.  That is why the houses, churches, theaters, and other places in Yerevan are pink.

In 1989, Armenia had an estimated population of 3.2 million.  Now over 3.5 million people live there.  Many more Armenians are living throughout the world.  The largest group of Armenians living outside of Armenia could be found in Los Angeles.  They also live in New York, Argentina, and South America.  That adds up to 4 million Armenians living throughout the world. 

Armenians are Christians.  Armenia was the first country that adopted Christianity as a national religion in 301 AD.  The central Armenia Apostolic church is seated in Echmiadzin, that is 25 kilometers away for Yerevan.  Echmiadzin has an ancient monastery that is the headquarters of Armenian churches around the world.

The official language is Armenian, which has Indo-European roots, but is a completely separate branch in that family.  Russian is also widely used in Armenia.  Many people, especially in Yerevan, have a good command of English too.

As you know, Armenia used to be one of the Republics of the Soviet Union.  After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia had a terrible war with Azerbaijan.  Right now, Armenia is trying to build up a new Democratic Society.  It will take lots of effort, but hopefully Armenia will get back on track.

Vietnamese Family

by: Hoang Lan

Whether their backgrounds are Buddhist, Confucian, Christian, Muslim or Taoist, Vietnamese share many common characteristics, they tend to adhere to the concept of filial piety, and see achievement as a way to honor their families. 

Hence their devotion to such traditional virtues as – hard work, discipline, obedience and respect of the authority, and a willingness to defer instant gratification for the sake of future goals.

Above all, they make enormous sacrifices to educate their children – a commitment that reflects their esteem for education, which is believed to lead to success and also raise their own social status.

Vietnamese have a strong sense of family.  For them, the family is something more than a father, a mother, and one to perhaps ten children.

The center for the family is its house, which does not necessarily accommodate everybody of its lineage.  When the extended family grows too bid, it can be subdivided into smaller ones living under more than one roof.  For them, one large house is sufficient for a large family. 

They do not need much to feed their families.  One large bowl of rice and some boiled vegetables can be served as a meal for the whole family.

Living together, working together, sharing together is a successful formula for the Vietnamese to move upward.  For them, living apart from their relatives is not only a costly but also an unhappy way of life.  The Vietnamese family has three primary functions: control, support, and moral education.

But what makes the Vietnamese strong is rooted in the traditional principles of loyalty and solidarity that bind their families together.

Iraq

by: Mrs. Barbara Rabson

The People

The people who live in Iraq include several ethnic groups and languages.  In 1993 about 77% of the people were Arabs, about 19% were Kurds, and the rest were Turkmen (of Turkmenistan), Assyrians, and Armenians.  95% of the people in Iraq are Muslims, who believe that religion is inseparable from law, business, and social issues.

The Iraqi Arabs

Today Iraqi Arabs are just as likely to live be city-dwellers as farmers.  The nomads who raised their flocks in the western plains and deserts, have been lured from their difficult way of life.  As with other Arabs, life is greatly dominated by religion for Iraqi Arabs.

The Ma’dan, or Marsh Arabs

The Ma’dan, or Marsh Arabs, are a sub-group of Iraqi Arabs, with a very different life.  Living in the marsh areas where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow together, the Mad’an depend on fishing and raising water buffalo.  They use canoes to move about when water levels are high, and live in reed houses built upon piles to keep them above water.  Their quonset-hut shaped houses are architecturally unique.

The Kurds

Kurds, who live in the mountainous area that extends outside of Iraq, are an Iranian ethnic group, with a distinct language that more closely resembles languages spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Kurds are predominantly peasants, raising chickens, sheep and goats, and growing wheat and barley for subsistence, as well as a cash crop of tobacco.  Many Kurds, however, have been drawn to towns close to the oil industry, as uneducated labor, and as skilled bricklayers, butchers, small traders, and career soldiers.  Traditionally excellent horsemen, they are also cattle dealers.

The Assyrians

The Assyrians are a small minority group of Christians descended from an ancient sect called Nestorians.  Most Assyrians use Syriac as the language of the church, and some Assyrians still speak Syriac.  There are old communities around oil fields of Iraq, but Assyrians are scattered throughout the area.  Present in the area earlier than Muslims, this Christian group has a long history of persecution, and only about 170,000 remain.  Even as late as the 1930s, hundreds were killed by the Iraqi army, causing several thousand to flee to Syria.  Assyrians make up a disproportionately large number of the Iraqi refugees.

Bosnia

by: Lynn Maners

Customs and Traditions

While pop music and rock dances have captured recent generations, Bosnian culture is rich with the song, dance, and literature of Serbs, Croats, Ottomans and Austrians.  The lute, a wooden flute, or a type of bagpipe often accompanies the music of rural areas.  In the cities, Turkish influence can be heard in the music.  The music which has come to symbolize Bosnia, however, is the sevdalinka songs of love, influenced by east and west.  A rich Bosnian folk dance is the kolo, accompanied only by the sound of stamping feet and the silver adornments on woman’s aprons.

Sculptures showing animals and dancers were traditional.  Although the Muslim law prohibiting representation of the human form did not take hold in Bosnia, the Islamic arts of calligraphy and fine metalworking did.  Many homes also have Islamic features with walled compounds and distinctive gates, carved wooden ceilings and screens, and built-in seating covered with weavings.

Hand-woven carpets and knotted rugs are appreciated, and until recently it was customary to weave and present a dowry rug with the couple’s initials and date of marriage.  Top