World Explorer

Monaco , an ancient principality, covers about two square miles, and has been ruled since the 14th century by the Grimaldi family.  Legend has it that, during ancient times, Hercules made his way through the area of present-day Monaco, and diverted the former gods. Prompting the citizens to build the temple of Hercules Monoikos in his honor.  As  Spanish  forces closed in on Monaco during the 1630s, Prince Honore II requested the help of  France , which subsequently put the princes and Monaco as a vassal of the French Kings.  The Princes of Monaco, as well as their families, thereafter spent a majority of their lives in Paris, and ultimately shifted the once  Italian  House of Grimaldi's to a predominantly  French background.  Monaco remained dependent upon  France  until the Great Revolution, and then in 1793 soldiers of the French Revolution seized the country placing it completely under the French command.  Monaco didn't regain control of their land until 1814, but upon re-e

Eritrea The history of Eritrea can be traced back to ancient  Egyptian  times, as the ancient Puntites who dominated the land had close ties with Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut.  The Aksumite Kingdom rose to power during the 1st century AD, followed by South Arabians, Ottoman Turks, the Portuguese , the  Egyptians , the British , and finally the  Italians  in the 19th century.  European  powers rushed  Africa  after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and on January 1, 1890, Eritrea became an official colony of  Italy .  The  Italians  were driven out by the  British  through the Battle of Keren in 1941, and subsequently adminstered until 1951.  Eritrea was awarded to  Ethiopia  in 1952 as part of a federation under a UN Mandate.  Ethiopia's  annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum.

Known as 'Mahatma' (great soul), Gandhi was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule, and is widely considered the father of his country. His doctrine of non-violent protest to achieve political and social progress has been hugely influential. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar in Gujarat. After university, he went to London to train as a barrister. He returned to India in 1891 and in 1893 accepted a job at an Indian law firm in Durban, South Africa. Gandhi was appalled by the treatment of Indian immigrants there, and joined the struggle to obtain basic rights for them. During his 20 years in South Africa he was sent to prison many times. Influenced primarily by Hinduism, but also by elements of Jainism and Christianity as well as writers including Tolstoy and Thoreau, Gandhi developed the satyagraha ('devotion to truth'), a new non-violent way to redress wrongs. In 1922, Gandhi himself was sentenced to six year

Brunei Darussalam The small country of Brunei Darussalam is situated on the northwestern edge of the island of Borneo, an island that is also a part of  Indonesia  and  Malaysia .  In fact, it once controlled much of Borneo, as well as the southern  Philippines , and its regional influence peaked by the end of the 17th Century.  The country entered a period of decline caused by internal fighting over royal succession, colonial expansion of European  powers, and local piracy, and in 1578 was overrun by  Spanish  forces. By the 19th century much of Brunei's territory was lost to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, and the signing of the Treaty of Protection enabled  Britain  control of the country's external affairs. In 1888, Brunei became a  British  protectorate, following a dispute over who the rightful Sultan was, and remained as such for nearly a hundred years.  During World War II, the  Japanese occupied Brunei, completely demolishing the country's economy, and sparking fires

Bulgaria The independent state of Great Bulgaria was formed under the rule of Kubrat in 632 AD, and was officially recognized as such in 681 AD. It is the homeland of ancient civilizations, and remnants of their cultures, and the ruins of their cities, palaces and monasteries are found throughout the country.  Throughout the 8th century the Bulgarian state strengthened and during the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople the country succeeded in becoming a major military power. By the late 800's Eastern Orthodox Christianity had been introduced, as well as the Cyrillic alphabet. This golden age for Bulgaria continued on through the early 10th century, and under the rule of Simeon the Great the country witnessed a monumental expansion of its borders.  However, after the death of Simeon in 927 AD, Bulgaria's once dominant state of power began to crumble through various wars. And by 1014 the Byzantine's conquered the weakened country, ending the First Bulgarian Empire. In 1185

Burkina Faso,  once known as Upper Volta, and as the longtime kingdom of the Mossi people, was first populated between 14,000 and 5,000 BC by hunter-gatherers.  Between the 10th and 11th centuries, Mossi tribes immigrated into the region from  Ghana , pushing out the original Yonyonse inhabitants, and began creating complex states complete with powerful militaries.  There were a number of Mossi kingdoms within Burkina Faso, the most significant being the Wagadogo (Ouagadougou) and Yatenga, and they survived until the late 19th century.  Following a decade of intense rivalry and competition with Britain  and  France , the Mossi's were defeated by French forces, and subsequently colonized in 1896.  In 1958, the region-achieved self-governance, becoming the Republic of Upper Volta, and by 1960 had gained complete independence from  France .  Subsequently, the Upper Volta suffered from numerous military coups in its early days as a new nation. In 1983 Thomas Sankara, a Burkinabe milita

Burma Burma, the "Golden Land," is a mostly Buddhist country whose history can be traced back to the Neolithic era.  The first known city-states emerged in central Burma around the 2nd century BC by Pyu tribes who initiated trade with  India  and brought Buddhism to the region.  Repeated attacks by the Kingdom of Nanzhao during the 8th century AD forced the decline of the Pyu culture. By the late 9th century, Nanzhao had founded a small settlement at Pagan (Bagan).  The Pagan civilization flourished throughout the 11th century, and ultimately absorbed the surrounding settlements, forming the Pagan Empire. Together with the Khmer Empire, the Pagan Empire was one of the main powers of Southeast  Asia  at the time, and subsequently the Burmese language and culture dominated the land.  However, the Pagans were no match for Mongol invaders, and after repeated invasions the empire collapsed in 1287.  The Mongols migrated out of the region shortly after the fall of the Pagans

BURUNDI  Once known as Urundi, the Kingdom of Burundi emerged on the eastern foothills in the late 17th century.  European  explorers and missionaries that visited the region during the 19th century compared the kingdom to that of the old  Greek  Empire. In 1899, the region of Burundi was incorporated into German East Africa, until  Germany's  defeat in World War I - at which point control was handed over to Belgium .  Under  Belgium's  ruling,  Rwanda  and Burundi were lumped together to form Ruanda-Urundi; however, both territories were able to keep their kingship dynasties.  In 1959, Mwami Mwambutsa IV appealed to the  Belgian Minister of Colonies to separate Burundi and  Rwanda , and political parties began to form in an effort to push for independence.  The country was successful and gained freedom from Europe  in 1962. Following their newly independent status, a constitutional monarchy was established that represented both the Hutus and Tutsis.  The country's recent h