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This digital document is an article from Cities of the World, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4729 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.A compilation of current information on cultural, geographic, and political conditions in 193 countries and their cities covering six continents, based on the Department of State's Post Reports. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 3523 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2649 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices provides information on current religious practices around the world with an emphasis on how religions impact the daily lives of their followers. Included are detailed entries on 13 major religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and entries on 28 religious subgroups, such as Shi'ites or Baptists.Provides Date of Origin, Dietary Practices, Number of Followers, Social Aspects, Controversial Issues, Major Theologians and Authors, Cultural Impact, Houses of Worship, Holy Places, What is Sacred, Rituals, Rites of Passage, Festivals and Holidays, Membership, Social Justice, Modes of Dress and Founder.Also includes significant religions in 193 countries that detail History, Political Impact, Other Religions, Religious Tolerance and more. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 5185 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Advances in technology continue to accelerate the pace at which people and companies are doing business with entities in foreign countries. As a result, the demand for comprehensive, up-to-date economic information about foreign companies has increased as well. The Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies satisfies this immediate need and provides a thorough understanding of the current and historical economic development of foreign nations. Clearly arranged by country within broad geographic regions, the Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies provides accurate, in-depth analysis of each country's economic environment, reliable statistics on the country's current economic conditions and trends and key demographics of the nation's citizens. ... Read more

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Long before there were Jewish communities in the land of the tsars, Jews inhabited a region which they called medinat rusiya, the land of Russia.Prior to its annexation by Russia, the land of Russia was not a center of rabbinic culture.But in 1772, with its annexation by Tsarist Russia, this remote region was severed from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; its 65,000 Jews were thus cut off from the heartland of Jewish life in Eastern Europe.Forced into independence, these Jews set about forging a community with its own religious leadership and institutions.

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Prior to World War II, Jews were the third largest ethnic group in Belarus, and comprised more than 40% of the population in cities and towns. The population of cities such as Minsk, Pinsk, Mahiliou, Babrujsk, Viciebsk, and Homiel was more than 50% Jewish. There were 724,548 Jews in Belarus in 1897 - which was 13.6% of the total population.[citation needed] Some 800,000 Jews ? 90% of the Jewish population ? were killed in Belarus during the Holocaust . As of 2005, there were some 55,000 Jews in Belarus. Marc Chagall and Mendele Mocher Sforim; Chaim Weizmann and Menachem Begin were born in Belarus. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Russian History, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 547 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Providing a comprehensive discussion of the people, politics, economics, religion, culture, and social systems of Russia, this work spans the time from the earliest beginnings of the Russian nation (among the ancient Eastern Slavic tribes) to the end of czarist Russia and on through the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. It provides the necessary information for readers to obtain a greater understanding of and appreciation for Russia in all of its many spheres. ... Read more

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Following the dismantling of the old Soviet Union, the new Republics have formed a loose Commonwealth. This book looks at Byelorussia, Ukraine and Moldavia and details their history and development. ... Read more

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History of Belarus. Belarus, Belarusians, Kingdom of Lithuania, Belarusian language, Belarusian history in the Russian Empire, Belarusian People¿s Republic, West Belarus, History of the Soviet Union (1985¿1991). ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Europe, 1450 to 1789: An Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 241 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Explores European history from 1450-1789, from the print revolution to the French Revolution. Includes articles written by eminent scholars covering major topics in art, government, and education as well as providing biographical entries on key figures of the period. Also covers topics specific to the era, such as apocalypticism, guilds, food riots, royal mistresses and lovers, the Spanish Inquisition, Utopia and others. ... Read more

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Canadian immigration from the Russian Empire is often portrayed as consisting entirely of non-Slavic minorities and religious refugees. Vadim Kukushkin shows that a large number of immigrants were peasants from Russia's Ukrainian and Belarusan provinces attracted by Canadian wage - earning opportunities, unlike their neighbours from Austrian - ruled Ukraine who searched for land. Written from the migration systems perspective, "From Peasants to Labourers" places the migration of Ukrainian and Belarusan peasant-workers within the context of Old- and New-World economic structures and state policies. Through painstaking analysis of thousands of personal migrant files in the archives of the Russian consulates in Canada, Kukushkin fills a void in our knowledge of the geographic origins, spatial trajectories, and ethnic composition of early twentieth-century Canadian immigration from Eastern Europe. "From Peasants to Labourers" also provides important insights into the nature of ethnic identity formation through an exploration of the meaning of "Russianness" in early twentieth-century Canada. ... Read more

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This volume contains chapters on Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, plus three chapters on Russia's regional politics, its political parties, and the overall process of democratization. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the uneven pattern of political change in these four countries. ... Read more

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Belarus is one of the least-studied European states to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Nevertheless, Belarus constitutes an important and sensitive border region between Russia and the western part of the continent. In Postcommunist Belarus, a stellar group of contributors offers an important, coherent, and comparative perspective on this little-known country. ... Read more

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Belarus is a state that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Like many other states formerly part of the Soviet Union, it had little experience with national independence, and during the twentieth century was heavily influenced by Russia. The "Historical Dictionary of Belarus" only becomes more important due to the lack of attention that has been paid to this country. Its relationship with Russia will be a crucial determining factor in the future of Eastern Europe, as the two countries once again grow closer politically and economically. The introduction investigates how this relationship will impact upon the future of this small nation as well as the power dynamics of NATO and Europe. The Dictionary covers a broad range of topics including, Belarus's history, economy, politics, religion, culture, and demographics. It looks back on the country's origins, and gains insight from its history of domination by Poland and Russia, as well as its historically strategic location between Western Europe and Russia. the Baltic Sea. It also traces many nationalist and independence movements and discusses their cultural impact upon present day Belarus. Over four hundred dictionary entries provide quick and easy access to basic facts and personalities from Belarus, including important historical figures as well as contemporary political players. An important volume dedicated to a new and still relatively unknown country, the Historical Dictionary of Belarus goes far in finally bringing information about this area and its people to the light of day. An essential volume for those trying to grip the importance of the furious changes occurring in post-Soviet Europe. The book also includes two maps: one of Belarus's position in Europe, and a detailed map of the country. ... Read more

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A great book!
"Historical Dictionary of Belarus" consists of four parts: chronology of historical events (from the earliest times to our days); overview of Belarus's history; adictionary part (over 400 articles andbiographical sketches); bibliography (including citationsin English, witharticles from Belarusian Review); and a supplement "Rulers ofBelarus" (from Duke Rahvalod to President Luukashenka). The volume hastwo maps: one indicating Belarus'main cities and towns (courtesy ofBelarusian Review) and the other showing the strategic location of Belarusin the East European context. As of today, Zaprudnik's book is the onlyEnglish-language source of data on Belarus' past and present. The volumeprovides essential information on historical personages, current figures,political parties andtheir leaders; it has articles on archeology, earlytribes, main rivers, major battles, economy, education, historiography,demography, language, culture, literature, arts, religion, national idea,the Belarusian diaspora, recent referenda, parliament, human rights, etc.In the article on alphabets, two sets of characters are given: Cyrillic andLatin. This will be of assistance to those who are not familiarwith theBelarusian Latin and Cyrillic alphabets that have been and are still used.The easy style of the dictionary will enable English speaking familieswith Belarusian heritage in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, andAustralia to use the book in explaining to their children and grandchildrenthe country of their origin and its present status in the world. The bookcould also be helpful to those who are learning English and wish to informtheir foreign friends about Belarus. ... Read more

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The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a period of democratization and market reform extending across the East-Central European region, with one important exception: Belarus. Ironically, Belarus's fledgling attempts at democracy produced a leader who has suspended the post-Soviet constitution and its institutions and created a personal dictatorship. Located in the center of the European continent, Belarus lies at the crossroads of an expanded NATO and the Russian "near abroad." This fact underlines the importance of Belarus to European security and to East-West relations.

To discuss developments in Belarus, an international group of scholars and policymakers gathered at Harvard University in 1999. The broad spectrum of issues covered is examined in this volume, providing an understanding of Belarus today and its prospects for the future.

In addition to the editors, contributors include Timothy Colton, David Marples, Uladzimir Padhol, Rainer Lindner, Patricia Brukoff, Leonid Zlotnikov, Arkadii Moshes, Andrei Sannikov, Yuri Drakokhrust, Dmitri Furman, John Reppert, Astrid Sahm, Kirsten Westphal, Hrihoriy Perepelytsia, Algirdas Gricius, AgnieszkaMagzdiak-Miszewska, Hans-Georg Wieck, Sherman Garnett, Elaine Conkievich, and Caryn Wilde. ... Read more