This project, “The Nations of the World,” was created for the purpose of encouraging the user to rediscover and redefine their skills in obtaining and substantiating reliable information through independent research. An individual without the desire or ability to conduct their own research could be left at the mercy of obtaining facts from sources either outdated, not credible or based on misinformation. This project will stimulate the mind and create a desire to explore deeper and further into topics related to the nations of the world through various fields of science, history, geography, and other topics pertaining to each nation. Through these pages, other books will be opened and other pages will be turned to satisfy and nurture the quest for knowledge residing within each one of us.The "Nations of the World" series can be used as a supplement for students or teachers in classroom settings featuring history, geography, and science studies. These books make an ideal reference guide for any school, family or personal library. No matter how this material is used, it will expand the participant's knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of a world waiting to be discovered. “The Nations of the World” is designed to appeal to every age. It is not condescending towards older students nor beyond the comprehension of younger students.
I had a strong interest in knowing more about the world from an early age and would have appreciated a book of this substance when searching the shelves of the school or neighborhood library to satisfy my desire for knowledge. I settled for any material I could find in tracing the routes of the first explorers, witnessing the rise and fall of the mighty empires, and reading about the fauna and flora native to the many regions of the world. My search for the comprehensive book I had imagined never ceased and eventually I accepted reality; such a book did not exist and the only way it would come into existence would be if I took the time to put it together myself. I dedicate this project to the next generation of young explorers.If we take the time to acknowledge, to understand, and to appreciate our neighbors either across the street or across the ocean, we will be less likely to fear them, to hate them, and to wage war against them. They deserve our recognition as much as we would appreciate theirs. The nations of the world is not based solely on the political entities carved out by one species, Homo sapiens. The nations of the world includes the millions of different plants and animals hoping to secure their own niche on this small, but comfortable planet. They strive and struggle in their attempts to carry on with instinctive desires and they also deserve our recognition and respect.
