Fall 2003 Julie Hwang

Extra Credit #3

Must be sent to ubgeo100@yahoo.com

by November 12th, Wed

Option 1. Write a short essay so as to answer one of the following questions.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Discuss the ethnic tensions that have taken place in Rwanda and Burundi. Be certain to cite the major players in this conflict as well as the reason for these tensions.

Southwest Asia and North Africa

Examine the historical roots, current areas of contention, and settlement attempts of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Europe

Serbia and Montenegro (the former Yugoslavia) and its former republics have been a major area of tension and warfare in the 1990s. First discuss the historic, ethnic, linguistic, and religious background of Serbia and Montenegro, and then examine the conflicts of the 1990s, including the reasons for their occurrence and what has been done to settle them.

The Russian Domain

Engage in research at the library and using the Internet to learn more about the 1986 meltdown at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. What caused the meltdown? Consider both equipment and human failures. What was the nature of the damage that occurred, and how extensive was it? Learn about what happened to flora, fauna, people, and the land itself. How long lasting is the radioactivity? What is the status of Chernobyl today?

Option 2. Watch one of the movies listed at the end of chapters (among chapter 6 – 9). Write a short review on the movie from a perspective of regional geography. You should be able to relate the story line to the content that we covered during the class. Just imagine what it would be like being a Russian, European at that time.

Total point: 5