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The Earth is roughly four and a half billion years old, and life started
to emerge shortly after the first billion.
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Our planet’s untouched natural environments are shrinking, due
to pressure from human populations.
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The discovery of oil in the Middle East sparked worldwide interest for its acquisition and control. Over the past 100 years, struggles for power and wealth have kept the Middle East at the center of world conflict.
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Part 1 chronicles the discovery of oil in Persia in 1908; the tumultuous claims placed on Middle East territories and conclude with the British being sent home from Iran in the 1950s. This episode explores the sphere of interest, power politics, oil's role in both World Wars, American influence, the Saudi empire, the exile of Britain, and the Shaw's rise to power and the start of turmoil between the nations of the Middle East.
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Part 2 profiles the history of Middle East oil beginning in the early 1970's. It chronicles the oil embargo and the resulting rise in import prices as foreign leaders attempt to negotiate. Tensions in the Middle East begin to heighten as conflicting groups become more violent with each other and foreign powers. Assassinations, hostage situations and torture are tearing the region apart. American female soldiers fighting in the Gulf War sparks interests in women's rights in Saudi Arabia. Fundamentalist groups react to this and become even more oppressive and aggressive.
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Part 3 profiles the after effects of the second gulf war. Iraq, which once played a major role in the Middle East oil trade, is struggling to gain stability. Exemplifying this is the city of Kirkuk, one of the two largest oil regions in the country, where oil brought destruction and discrimination against the Kurds. In Iran, controversy surrounds the Sunni and Shiite's and the struggle for everyday life. This episode also shows the disparity between north and south Tehran and the south's disappointment with failed promises by president Ahmadinijhad. In stark contrast lies Kuwait and Saudi Arabia where modernization is far beyond that of Iran and Iraq.
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The Declaration of the Rights of Man, the invasion by the monarchies, Robespierre's directorship and the Reign of Terror, and the insurgencies of counter-revolutionaries.
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Today's Iraq is synonymous with conflicts and violence. Nevertheless, it was once the Garden of Eden and the cradle of our civilization, then called Mesopotamia. Already written into the land were its wars, religion, prosperity, and its oil.
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The first civilizations sprung from the biblical plains in Mesopotamia to the valleys of Arabia Flex.
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From ancient civilizations to current day metropolitan cities, all societies have been shaped by the struggle to control water. The future of humankind will be shaped by the element of water and this struggle for control will establish the balance between peace and war, profoundly influencing relations between countries and continents. Climate change will also greatly affect water resources in the future. In the next decades huge water projects will radically change the face of the Earth. The future of water is a highly important global issue, which threatens the security of the entire planet.
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This visually stunning three part series explores the connection of the religion of Islam with its art and architecture, revealing how artistic giants such as Sinian were led by Islamic movement to craft a glorious aesthetic heritage. Their faith is reflected in the related but distinct achievements throughout the centuries: the Umayyads of Damascus, in the 9th and 10th, the 12th century Shi'ite Fatimids and 14th century Sunni Mamlukes of Cairo, and the Ottomans of Istanbul in the 15th and 16th centuries. The combinations of unsurpassed beauty and compelling storytelling makes this subject readily accessible to a broad audience.
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The political evolution of Greece and the Greek colonization of the Agean and Asia Minor. Alexander the Great's victories and subsequent over-shadowing by the empires of the east. The spread of Roman control over Italy, and the beginnings of the Roman Empire. The conquests of Spain, North Africa, Asia Minor, Egypt, Northern Europe, France and Britain.
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HAMAS VICTORY investigates the appeal of an officially terrorist organization both in the isolated, more traditionally Islamic oriented Gaza Strip, and in the secularized West Bank. The earlier Palestinian popular support of Yassir Arafat's "Fatah" movement has declined as its corruption and scandals punctuated the failure to achieve peace and prosperity, much less totally expel the Israelis - portrayed as alien and brutal occupiers.
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For thousands of years, it has been the home of vicious and bloody wars, discrimination and cultural unrest. It is also the spiritual center for millions around the world; the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is the Holy Land.
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Examines the critical place of Jerusalem within all three religions. The history and current status of Jerusalem through the eyes of religious leaders and activists who are determined to achieve peace and social justice for everyone who calls Jerusalem a Holy City.
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Christians in Peril addresses some of the not often publicized plight of a people who also have spiritual claims in the Holy Land. There are perhaps 200,000 Christians in and around Israel and the West Bank. Some are pro-Israeli, some pro-PLO; some are lay people, some are clergy.
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The story of the fate of Palestinian refugees living under the auspices of UNWRA (the United Nations Relief and Work Agency). While the Arab armies were preparing to invade the newborn state of Israel in 1948 a few hundred thousand Arabs from Palestine were getting ready to flee their homes - some convinced that they would return quickly as winners and conquerors: others fled from fear of the Israelis.
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Traces the progress of early hominids from their original habitat in equatorial Africa. These ape-like creatures descended from the trees and took to traveling upright on two feet. Man extended his hand and brain by means of weapons and tools. He adapted himself to environmental changes, learning how to make fire and clothing from animal skins. Man quickly spread to Europe, America and Australia.
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This 13-part series follows the journey which Abraham, the first of the prophets, made some 4,000 years ago from Ur to Jerusalem and as far as Mecca. To make this journey again today means discovering all the vitality of Abraham's posterity and incredible flourishing of spiritual movements affected by thousands of years of religious quarrels, torn apart by internal differences, decimated by persecutions but preserved by geographic accident, movements which all stem from the same common origin.
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In a land as colorful and rich with diversity as India, it is hard to believe that there is something which unites the country's one billion people. INDIA: LOVE AND DEVOTION shows that despite their religious and cultural differences, most Indians share a common sense of spirituality and devotion. From the Ganges River to the Taj Mahal, INDIA: LOVE AND DEVOTION takes viewers on a vibrant one hour journey through the crowded streets, bustling markets, and peaceful deserts of India.
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The great colonial empires of the European powers. The industrial revolution and the new inventions which led to the huge increase in urban populations. The exodus of minions of Europeans for North and South America. The gradual destruction of the old empires. The growth of nationalism and consequent build-up of military power.
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From its birthplace in Arabia, Islam grew into one of the world's greatest empires. For five centuries it kept the flame of civilization burning while Western Europe entered the Dark Ages.
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Since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians has brought deaths, violence and suffering. This film takes us from the roots of the conflict up to the current situation. In the middle of the troubles, men and women from both sides, often anonymously, are hard at work, despite fatigue and discouragement, to bring about encounters, exchange and respect.
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Graphically reveals individuals within Judaism, Christianity and Islam as ongoing sources of light and hope for others. Beyond questions of politics and peace, the spirit of God, through the prophetic leadership of some outstanding individual believers, continues to inspire and give life to Jews, Christians and Muslims in the region and world-wide.
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The rediscovery of a city that cares more about the art of living than its monuments.
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The life, influence, and legacy of Gandhi, his early years in London and work for non-whites in South Africa, and return to India. Gandhi's confrontation with the Raj and finally his assassination. How has history judged him?
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From the Viking expansion, the first Russian dynasty, the Ruriks,was created. The rise of Muscovy and the later conquests of Siberia. In the 17th century, under Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was built; under Catherine the Great and her successors Russia developed into a power in the West. Peasant unrest led to the disintegration of the realm of the Russian Tsars.
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January 1, 2002 will see the introduction of the euro in 12 of the 15 member states of the European Union. It will be worldwide a currency with a circulation second only to that of the United States, used by over 300 million Europeans.
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The signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the expansion westward, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Indian wars are all examined, together with slavery and the Civil War; the great increase in population, inventiveness, and industrial output would make America one of the most powerful countries in the world.
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The Mongoloids moved south, virtually swamping the original Australoids, who now occupy eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. The development of horticulture produced the crucial transition from nomadic reliance on hunting and gathering to a settled existence in communities.
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This episode establishes the theme of the series - the spread of the human species from Asia into all the lands of the Pacific Ocean, with divergent groups in Australia & the Americas.
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20,000 years ago Siberians crossed the Bering Strait land bridge into Alaska, and poured into the American prairie. As the copper-colored descendants of the Siberian hunters began to settle down, the Red Indian emerged in North America and developed an amazing diversity in habitats, cultures, arts and crafts.
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While Ice Age people were moving out of south-east Asia to Australia and New Guinea, others were pushing north, through northern China to the colder tundra of Siberia and even to the frozen Arctic. Survey the people from Soviet Siberia, Aleutian Islands and Alaska who have learned to cope with cold.
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This captivating 11 part series portrays the history of the Pacific Rim countries and their intriguing life today. MAN ON THE RIM traces the greatest succession of migrations in history and the historical and cultural background of this remarkable migration. It uncovers the footprints of a tremendous cavalcade of technological and biological evolution. Today the global economic center of gravity is shifting to the Pacific and the peoples of the Rim are emerging as a major force in world affairs. This extraordinary series offers a glimpse of the shape of the next momentous period in human history: the Pacific Century.
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Part 1 - Columbus, Vespucci, Magellan - The earliest maps didn't represent the actual land content of the world. Maps were updated as more of New World was explored. The maps of the Middle Ages, were mostly based on conjecture rather than actual discovery. With the expansion of the spice trade between Asian and Portugal and Spain, the maps began to change once again.
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The earlier explores provided mapmakers with an understanding of the major continents. Part two of this series highlights the voyages of British Explorer James Cook and French explorer Jean Francois de la Perouse. James Cook, an exceptional navigator and cartographer, circumnavigated New Zealand, explored the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and crossed the Polar Circle being the first to understand the icy nature of Antarctica.
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The world is changing at unprecedented speed. The European Union (EU) is but one example. The nation on which it is modeled, the United States of America, was formed as early as the eighteenth century and evolved into a democratic and great power. Many people still regard the USA as the flagship of democracy, while others have their doubts.
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Postwar reconstruction. East-West conflict grows; the Cold War. Colonial and post colonial wars erupt in southeastern Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Man's major achievements in the sciences and social systems.
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The terrifying campaigns of the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, were legendary for their military skills and superb horsemanship. They went on to create one of the largest empires in world history.
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The story of Mussolini's origins and ascent to power-the nature of Fascism, the conquest of Abyssinia, the alignment with Nazi Germany, the invasion of Sicily in 1943 and its subsequent coup, and his execution at the end of the war he had so unwisely entered.
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10 year old Celine has dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina since she can remember. She auditioned at the age of 8 for this special school. Celine attends morning classes of French, math, geography and history. Lunch is followed by dancing classes.
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Andrea lives in a house built on wooden poles. After the national anthem and the salute to the flag science class begins with a study of Amazonia and its environment.
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Claudio, who's 10, attends the only circus school in Brazil. Mornings involve the traditional ABCs but the afternoons are devoted to the circus.
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Pasqualle is 12 and lives in snow-covered Quebec, where her father teaches computer science. This week is letter-writing week and Pasqualle collects, separates, and distributes the letters in her class. Each class is 50 minutes long, with groups of 6-8 in each class.
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Havana, capital of Cuba, is home to young Susana, and the location of her school. Each day begins with the “matutino”, a period of 5 minutes where the students talk with their teachers, receive recognition for good work and resolve problems.
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7 year old Taco is the first of his family to attend school and therefore tries very hard. His first lesson concerns the purification of water. Taco dresses like his Inca ancestors in a hat and poncho. He and his classmates salute the flag like soldiers, even bringing their heels together.
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Corfu is home to 11 year old Kosta. His social studies teacher plans a two-day treasure hunt in the city with clues which reinforce what the students have learned in the classroom.
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Jim bicycles to school. His first class discusses road signs; after recess the students study French, acting out sketches to employ their new-found foreign vocabulary.
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Yael attends religious school where boys and girls pray separately as they learn the duties of Judaism, as taught in the Torah.
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Linda and her siblings are transported to school in Tuscany by donkeys when the weather is nice. At outdoor art class the students draw various historic sites.
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