Water Buffalo - South Viet Nam

The Mekong River forms one of the world’s largest deltas as it empties into the South China Sea. The fertile soil provides Viet Nam with an adequate food for a rapidly expanding population. The rice yields are large enough to allow Viet Nam to export the surplus. Viet Nam is one of the largest rice exporters in the world.

- - - - -

Bubalus arnee - The wild water buffalo is classified as Bubalus arnee and the domesticated version as Bubalus bubalis. The domesticated buffalo is used as a dairy animal, for plowing fields, pack animal, and as a direct food source. The wild water buffalo is larger than the domesticated version and can be found in grassy wetlands, swamp areas, and lush river valleys. Wild herds are matriarchal even when males join the group during the breeding cycle. Herds rarely number more than 30 individuals.

Rice - South Viet Nam

Oryza sativa - Rice is the edible seed of a species of grass in the poaceae family. There are two primary subspecies; the short-grained Japonica variety, also known as sticky rice, and the long-grained Indica variety. More nutritional calories are consumed by humans from rice than any other food source. Rice production ranks as the third largest agricultural commodity and is only surpassed by sugar cane and maize. The domestication of rice began in China’s Yangtze Valley about 10,000 years ago

- - - - -

The Portuguese and Dutch failed in their attempts to set up a trading colony in Viet Nam. French efforts were successful and culminated in France establishing Cochinchina in 1862. By 1884, France had taken control of the entire country and divided the colony into three sections; Amman, Chochinchina, and Tonkin. The French were ousted by the Japanese in 1940. With the Japanese surrender in 1945, Viet Nam was engulfed in civil chaos and was divided into North and South Viet Nam by the 1954 Geneva Conference.

Dandelion - East Germany

 

 

Germany was divided into four occupation zones after World War II: American, British, French, and Russian. When the occupying powers were unable to reach an agreement to bring their zones together in a unified Germany, the Democratic Republic of Germany was formed from the Russian sector in October 1949.

- - - - - 

Taraxacum officinale - The name dandelion is derived from the French “dent de lion” and translates as “lion’s tooth.” It is often dismissed as a weed, but the dandelion has many beneficial features. The entire plant, roots, leaves, and flowers are edible. The roots can be roasted and ground up as a coffee substitute, the leaves are made into salads or added to soups, and the flowers can be eaten raw; young flowers have a distinctive taste of honey. The dandelion, an early bloomer, is the first to provide bees and other insects with nectar and pollen.

Sugar Beet - East Germany

 

 

Beta vulgaris - Sugar, extracted from cane, was an expensive luxury for 18th century Europeans. In 1747 Andreas Marggraf, a director of the Prussian Royal Academy of Sciences,  began experiments to extract sugar from beetroots. His student Franz Archard tested several varieties to determine which yielded the highest concentrations of sugar and settled on the mangelwurzel, a variety of Beta vulgaris. Sugar made from beets accounts for almost 15% of the world’s total production.

- - - - -

Lake Müritz is one of many lakes in the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau region of Eastern Germany. With an area of 112 square kilometers, it is the largest lake completely within the borders of Germany and was formed during the last ice age. The lake is fed and drained by the Elde River and is partially located in the Müritz National Park, a wildlife refuge of about 322 square kilometers. The park features extensive pine forests, marshy bogs, and over 100 other lakes exceeding one hectare in size.

The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was founded in 27 BC and remained a powerful entity until it was divided into an eastern and western sector in 395 AD. The eastern division, known as the Byzantine Empire, continued to flourish until 1453, finally succumbing to the Ottoman Turks. The first two centuries of the Roman Empire’s existence was a period known as “Pax Romana,” a period of internal stability, rapid economic growth, and territorial expansion achieved through victorious military campaigns. The Roman Empire reached its apex in 117 AD during the leadership of Trajan, the second to hold power during a chapter of Roman history when a successive line of emperors, known as the “Five Good Emperors,” led the country to prosperity. This golden era lasted for almost 100 years, beginning with Emperor Nerva in 96 AD and ended with the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD.