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Officially known as Bermuda Islands or the Somers Isles, Bermuda is a British overseas territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It consists of around 138 islands with a total land area of 53.3 square kilometers. Bermuda has 2 incorporated municipalities – the City of Hamilton, and the Town of St. George. It is made up of “parishes” and further divided into “villages” such as the Flats Village, Somerset Village, and Tucker’s Town. Winters are normally mild and have average day temperatures of about 20°C in January and February. While during summers temperatures can reach as high as 30°C especially in August. View more: http://www.studycountry.com/guide/BM-intro.htm

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StudyCountry: A Famous Study Abroad Guide for Interested Students

Globetrotting and studying is a part of everyone’s reverie. The traveling may involve bustling cities and gorgeous landscapes of various beautiful countries. Touring is, therefore, something that is therapeutic and one should always think about them. There is one important thing that has an equal or may be even more is the quality education some well-known universities provide. Therefore, you must have the best information regarding countries and universities. Many portals that work like mini encyclopaedias online guide you with fantastic educational programs outside your country. Some of the best guides on country exchange assist you with endless possibilities. Here is what they do.

Addressing student’s concerns

The whole idea of pursuing courses can seem a bit intimidating, but with a famous study abroad guide, these fears are sure to disappear. These guides address every worried student’s queries and concerns. Since not every student is akin, they are always there to help. Some fear to commute alone, some about the barrier of language while some may fear the cultural differences. However, regardless of whatever concerns students have they are all catered to with the best aids. The addressing language is English hence students can easily comprehend instructions.

Course fairs

Someone who is looking forward to courses internationally often cannot decide on the starting point. Hence a famous study abroad guide provides offers programs and sessions to every aspiring student. Many international fairs are held for a given period. Here students get chances to have a look at the opportunities that international universities have to offer by the partners of the study guides. This is one of the best provisions that you get because you get a reality check on the actual thing.Their experienced partners help you through any questions you have in your mind.

Help in finding the perfect choices

These portals present to you versatile alternatives. With the programs they help you enroll you there is a choice that you get to make with duration of courses. You can opt for a full semester or a weekly one and can also take electives and core classes. There is also a choice between minor and major classes that you can make. With such incredible opportunities and programs, you are bound to have an advantage. Also, using this search tool for programs, one can find the perfect experience, program, and location.

Best advice and detailed information

The online portals that work as guides to assist students are a storehouse for information. They have all the original information and tips compiled for students. There is information on every country’s education and language pattern. You will find every data useful because they assist you by providing the list of countries that provide affordable education. You can quickly sign up for the newsletter available on their web sites and stay updated. This subscription shall help you with a list of countries that are most visited, languages spoken and the prevailing system of education in every country. Therefore, if traveling is on the cards for you regarding education, they are the best you can have.

Original Post: http://www.studycountry.com/

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  India, or in official circles, the Republic of India, is a country located in South Asia, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast.   The nation, which is the seventh-largest in the world by land area, shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal and Bhutan to the northeast; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east.  In the Indian Ocean, India is also near Sri Lanka and Maldives; and the country’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

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With so many countries around the world, students who wish to study abroad have tonnes of options to choose from. However, the whole process is not that easy as it may sound because certain factors need to be considered. This includes the tuition fee and the cost of living. You simply cannot manage in a place that needs you to spend loads of money because there are lots of factors involved. Therefore you will always select a country to study where the fee for tuition is nothing or next to zero. In fact, there are many where you can study and stay paying a minimal fee. Know more: http://www.studycountry.com/

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Which Countries Offer Low-Cost Education For International Students?

With so many countries around the world, students who wish to study abroad have tonnes of options to choose from. However, the whole process is not that easy as it may sound because certain factors need to be considered. This includes the tuition fee and the cost of living. You simply cannot manage in a place that needs you to spend loads of money because there are lots of factors involved. Therefore you will always select a country to study where the fee for tuition is nothing or next to zero. In fact, there are many where you can study and stay paying a minimal fee. The five countries are here are as follows.

Norway

The country of Norway offers low-cost education for international students irrespective of what country a particular student hails from. The classes are held in the native language. Most of the programs, in fact, are offered the Norwegian language. This is the prime reason the students from different countries must be proficient to seek admissions. However, at the Ph.D. and masters level, there are options for the English language.

Germany

This country is well renowned for providing low-cost education for international students. International students have to usually pay a fee that is almost next to nothing compared to what they have to pay in some other. When students are applying for courses here, they must keep in mind that while tuitions are free living expenses have to be supported.

Iceland

There are at least four universities in the country that charge nothing as far as tuitions are concerned. You only have to pay fewer than five hundred Euros annually as a fee for registration. Though the living cost can slightly be on the higher side when it is education you do not have to bear anything major.

Austria

It is although a known fact that every European student can pursue studies in Austria at a very nominal fee. However, for students who do not belong to the European Union have to pay for their education. This is true as much s the fact that the fee is still on the lower side. The price is not something dramatic that requires you to break the bank, in fact, it is comparatively cheaper.

France

The country is second to Germany when it is the question of free education. However, it offers tuitions to international students at a very minimal cost. The majority of the courses are in French hence it is not much of a hassle if students take preparatory classes. They must be taken before applying to their favorite universities.

Certainly a determining factor

Cost is probably the most dominant factor when it comes to choosing international programs outside. After all who doesn’t wish to pursue their dreams yet with the list of countries stated above it shall not be a problem anymore. One thing that students must do is cost compare every program fee offered in various countries. This is very important because you must acquaint yourself with what is included and what is excluded. The information collected should be from reliable sources so that you can anticipate expenses beforehand.

Content Source: http://www.studycountry.com/

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Which things do you need to keep in your mind while planning for the study of your Children in abroad?

As much as students, parents have qualms and queries about sending their children for pursuing abroad. It is a tricky affair when it comes to making certain decisions, and you would want something productive and fruitful. Many arrangements and preparations need to be made. If it is higher studies they want to go for you must start preparing as early as possible. By early it is advisable that saving and investments should be started when they are kids. Meticulous planning is not always possible. Therefore, if your child is planning to go sooner, then you should get a grasp of various things. The following eight things must be kept in mind.

Fluctuations in currency

A considerable portion of international courses involves tuition fee and is dominated by mostly dollars. Whenever your currency depreciates against dollars, the process becomes expensive. Therefore, while planning for study abroad, you must think of the total budget and not costs annually. Opening an account in the bank where you child is studying is advisable.

Scholarships

While planning for study abroad if your child luckily gets a scholarship then this could be a boon in disguise. You shall not have to bear much tension as far as the fee is concerned. The scholarships shall cover partial costs of the fee. Hence, plan well for the partial funding that shall be covered by you.

Cost estimation

It is quite a possibility that during the last hours there may be a shortage of capital. This may happen when your child is all ready. Therefore, always try and be realistic regarding the complete break-up of the money. Make proper estimations regarding travel, food, and accommodation beside the course fee.

The courses

There are new courses every university may not offer, and also there are courses that are emerging every day. Hence, you should always keep in mind your child’s wishes and research well.

Selecting university

Always choose a university that has all the arrangements tailored-fit for your budget. You must enquire about the placement records and faculty of the universities you apply for.

Selecting a country

Take the best call as far choosing a country is concerned. Processes for applying and fee for courses starkly vary. Therefore, do the best homework possible regarding what you can afford when the submission of forms need to be done.

Strategizing

The strategy or the plans must begin post high school or may be even before that because you want the best for your child.  The earlier you start organizing the beneficial your kid will be.

Counselling sessions

A mentor is of great help here. Search for one because you shall get the relevant information straight from the horse’s mouth. Their experience sharing shall be of great support to you regarding applications courses, visa, formalities and all the like.

Realistic evaluation

The opportunities for the career of your offspring must be evaluated realistically both within, and outside the country, you are residing in. The plan for international education must be articulately done. It should be done in a way that the course has the potential to get them well-salaried jobs. This is because the situation of getting jobs differ post postgraduate and undergraduate courses. There are also geopolitical developments that have a significant role in affecting the scenario.  Pursuing education internationally comes at a high price however if planning is perfect output can be incredibly rewarding.

Post Source: https://studycountry.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/which-things-do-you-need-to-keep-in-your-mind-while-planning-for-the-study-of-your-children-in-abroad/

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What is a brief history of the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom, also known as Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is a European region with a long and storied history. The first modern humans (Homo sapiens) arrived in the region during the Ice Age (about 35,000 to 10,000 years ago), when the sea levels were lower and Britain was connected to the European mainland. It is these people who built the ancient megalithic monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury.

Between 1,500 and 500 BCE, Celtic tribes migrated from Central Europe and France to Britain and mixed with the indigenous inhabitants, creating a new culture slightly distinct from the Continental Celtic one. This came to be known as the Bronze Age.

The Romans controlled most of present-day England and Wales, and founded a large number of cities that still exist today. London, York, St Albans, Bath, Exeter, Lincoln, Leicester, Worcester, Gloucester, Chichester, Winchester, Colchester, Manchester, Chester, and Lancaster were all Roman towns, as were all the cities with names now ending in -chester, -cester or -caster, which derive from the Latin word castrum, meaning "fortification.”

History of the United Kingdom: The Anglo-Saxons

In the 5 century, the Romans progressively abandoned Britannia, as their Empire was falling apart and legions were needed to protect Rome.

With the Romans vacated, the Celtic tribes started warring with each other again, and one of the local chieftains had the (not so smart) idea to request help from some of the Germanic tribes from the North of present-day Germany and South of Denmark. These were the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who arrived in the 5th and 6th centuries.

When the fighting ceased, the Germanic tribes did not, as expected by the Celts, return to their homeland. In fact, they felt strong enough to seize the whole of the country for themselves, which they ultimately did, pushing back all the Celtic tribes to Wales and Cornwall, and founding their respective kingdoms of Kent (the Jutes), Essex, Sussex and Wessex (the Saxons), and further northeast, the kingdoms of Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria (the Angles). These 7 kingdoms, which ruled over the United Kingdom from about 500 to 850 AD, were later known as the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy.

History of the United Kingdom: The Vikings

In the latter half of the 9 century, the Norse people from Scandinavia began to invade Europe, with the Swedes putting down roots in Eastern Europe and the Danes creating problems throughout Western Europe, as far as North Africa.

Towards the dawn of the 10 century, the Danes invaded the Northeast of England, from Northumerland to East Anglia, and founded a new kingdom known as the Danelaw. Another group of Danes managed to take Paris, and obtain a grant of land from the King of France in 911. This area became the Duchy of Normandy, and its inhabitants were the Normans (from 'North Men' or 'Norsemen', another term for 'Viking').

Content Source: http://www.studycountry.com/guide/GB-history.htm

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The constitution of Morocco guarantees freedom of religion, describes the nation as Muslim and the king as the “Amir El Mouminin”, or commander of the faithful. The government especially the ministry of religions foundations (Habus) and Islamic affairs acts to strengthen and support Islam. Christianity is present in the country and it is the 2nd largest religion in Morocco. It has as many as 100,000 followers or less than 0.3% of the population. Christians in the country are either immigrants or descended directly from the French invaders and settlers in the early times.

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South Korea’s Second Republic was characterized by immense democratic ruling. Yun Po Sun was voted president on August 13, 1960 with Prime Minister Chang Myon acting as head of government. On May 16, 1961 Major General Park Chung-hee headed a coup d’ etat putting that eventually overthrew the Second Republic. Park was reelected in the 1967 election assumed presidency for 2 years and again won the elections in 1969 and 1971. During his administration, South Korea began to establish its international roles in the global community and its economy also grew significantly. In November 21, 1972, the country adopted the Yusin Constitution that provided Park with valuable control of the parliament. In 1979, Park was assassinated by Kim Jae-kyu that resulted in strong opposition against authoritarian rule and the Fifth Republic emerged. The city of Gwangju witnessed a historical and violent conflicts and riots among National University students and the armed forces.

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What is the education system in Brunei?

Brunei is an autonomous nation situated on the north coast of the Borneo island in Southeast Asia. The country's official name is Brunei Darussalam which means "Abode of Peace" in Arabic. Besides its coastline with the South China Sea, Brunei is completely encircled by the nation of Sarawak, Malaysia.  It is divided into two sections Limbang district in Sarawak. This is the only autonomous nation completely on Borneo island. The remaining section of the island's region is divided between the nations of Indonesia and Malaysia.

A lot of steps have been taken by the government in the education sector and all the citizens get to enjoy the benefit of accessing free schooling at all levels of education. The Ministry of Education in Brunei was re-structured in 1974 through a formal governmental commission report to administer the educational policy and distribute resourced to all learning institutions under its control. All government and private learning institutions are supervised by the Ministry of Education in compliance with the Education Act of 1984. All primary and secondary learning institutions follow a common syllabus that has been set by the Ministry. There have been both formal and unofficial suggestions pressing for the adoption of Malay as the sole language of instruction. Currently though dwibahasa - bilingualism, use of both Malay and English- is practiced. Because of the country's small population, most of the teachers have for a long time been emigrants from Britain, Australia, or neighboring countries in Asia. As per the Education Act all private school teachers are required to register with the Ministry. Due to the country's Islamic heritage and government by a monarchy, Brunei's formal educational philosophy lays emphasis on Koranic components such as piety and faith, together with allegiance to the Sultan. At the same time, its past dependence on Britain has led to educational curricula and structures that draw from Britain's educational system.

Pre-school Education in Brunei Darussalam

Students returning home in the Kampong Ayer Water Village, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei SourceThe education system for the children in the country begins at the age of 5. Children attend pre-school for one year. This foundation is meant to emphasize the personality and socio-emotional development and to prepare the pupils for primary education.

Primary Education in Brunei Darussalam

Primary education takes a total of six years to complete. Learners go through a 3-year lower primary phase (year 1 to year 3) and a 3-year upper primary phase (year 4 to year 6). At the end of year 6, learners are required to take the Primary School Assessment or Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (PSR). This assesses the students' suitability for secondary education and places them in the suitable secondary school course that will correspond their learning pace, inclination and ability. All learners who get five A's in their PSR are normally channeled to science learning institutions.

Two plans are being adopted for learners with special educational needs. These are the Individualized Education plan (IEP) and the Remedial Education Plan (REP). These plans will be able to alter and/or accommodate the syllabus based on the needs and the ability of such students.

IEP is structured for learners who have been recognized with a high support of learning needs. Alterations in the syllabus and changes in the learning and teaching tactics are required to cater to the learners according to the nature of their personal special needs. REP, on the other hand, is mainly for learners who have learning troubles particularly in basic skills such as mathematics, reading and writing.

Secondary Education in Brunei Darussalam

At this level, learners get to choose from four programs that are structured to match their learning interests and capabilities. Learners go through four or five years of secondary education and they all follow a common syllabus for the first two years that is year 7 and year 8.

The four programs to choose from are:

General Secondary Education Program

This program is for learners who are inclined towards academic subjects. The majority of the learners will be in the 5-year program and will sit for their Brunei Cambridge Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (BC GCE 'O' Level) at the end of year 11. Some selected learners who perform well in year 8 can be enrolled in the 4-year program thus sitting for their BCGCE 'O' Level at the end of year 10.

Applied Secondary Education Program

This program is structured for learners who are inclined towards vocational learning. This is a more project-based and hands-on approach to learning. At the end of the program, the learners are expected to obtain a wide introduction to the vocational sector. This enables learners to  develop individual skills that will prepare them for the job life in the vocational sector. These attributes and skills together with key and basic skills enable the students to meet the qualification that forms the foundation for successful learning in Higher Education. Under this program, the Special Applied Program (SAP) is offered at year 9.

Specialized Education Program

This is a 5-year program for the skilled and gifted understudies who by the merit of exceptional capabilities are able to perform exceptionally well in specific or general ability areas. The syllabus structured for the skilled and talented learners concentrates on separating the content, procedure, product and/or the learning environment with more depth and breadth of the subject matter. There are opportunities for acceleration, extension, and enrichment, or the suitable blend of these approaches within the distinguished syllabus. These are usually determined by evaluating the different strengths and learning needs of the students.

Special Educational Needs Program

This program is a continuation of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in primary schools. One of these programs that has been adopted in secondary schools is the Pre-Vocational Program. This five-year program is designed to cater for the needs of identified/selected learners with special learning needs at the secondary level. The objective of the program is to develop the students' living, social, and academic skills and also to instill work and vocational expertise via suitable work placements.

Post-Secondary Education in Brunei Darussalam

After year 10 or year 11, learners advance to either one of the post-secondary learning institutions listed below for training or more education.

Sixth Form Colleges/ Centres (Pre-University Level)

Learners who obtain relevant and adequate results at the BC GCE 'O' level may advance to the pre-university level. Here, learners pursue a two-year course that leads to the GCE Advanced level ('A' level) exam. Those who finish their 'A' level courses with significant and adequate passes may qualify to join the four local universities in the country or be granted scholarships to pursue further studies abroad.

Vocational and Technical Education (VTE)

Through this program, students are able to acquire the expertise needed in the working environment. In accordance with the SPN21, Skill Certificate and Diploma programs are pursued by learners who have finished upper secondary education to get them ready for work as technicians or experienced workers and also for advancement to higher level technical courses.

Learners who have finished their BC GCE 'O' level have the chance to advance to technician program at the certificate level. Once they complete the certificate programs they can advance to higher level technical courses.

Learners who have significant and adequate results at the BC GCE 'O' level can proceed to pursue Diploma courses.

Tertiary Education in Brunei Darussalam

There are only four universities in the country. The duration of the courses range from 2 years for the diploma programs to 4 years for the bachelor's programs. These universities include

University Brunei Darussalam (UBD): This was founded in 1985 and it offers diplomas, bachelor's courses, Master's degrees and also doctorate programs. It has ten faculties; Faculty of Business, Faculty of Science, Academy of Brunei Studies, Economics and Policies Studies, SOAS Centre of Islamic Studies, Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Continuing Education Centre, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, and Language Centre.

Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB): This was founded in January 1896 and later upgraded to a university in October 2008. It provides Higher National Diplomas (HND) and bachelor's degree programs in the fields of ICT, Business, and Engineering. It is made up of two faculties; the Faculty of Business and Computing and the Faculty of Engineering.

Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA): This was founded in 2007 and it concentrates on Islamic History and Civilization, Arabic Language, Islamic Finance, and Islamic Law. It offers diploma, bachelor courses, master's degrees and doctorate programs. It has three research centres and four faculties; Centre for Postgraduate Studies and Research, Madhhab Shafi'i Research Centre, Language Learning, Centre for Promotion of Knowledge, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Faculty of Shariah and Law, Faculty of Usuluddin, and Faculty of Arabic Language and Islamic Civilization.

Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College (KUPU SB): This university was founded in 1975 as an Islamic Religious Teacher's Training College. It was upgraded to a university college in 2007 and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It provides diploma, higher national diploma, post-graduate diploma, and bachelor's courses and also Master's degrees in Islamic teaching. The university has three centres and three faculties; Centre for Postgraduate Studies and Research, Language Centre, Centre for Core Knowledge, Faculty of Shariah, Faculty of Usuluddin, and Faculty of Education. Blog Source: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/BN-education.htm

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What is the history of France?

France, officially the French Republic, is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe, with a number of overseas regions and territories.  France is the largest country in Western Europe and the third largest in Europe as a whole, extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean.  Save for Morocco and Spain, it is the only country that has both an Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline.

As one of the oldest countries in the world, France has a long and eventful history.  Today it stands as one of the world’s major powers, with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world.

History of France:  Early History and People

Stone tools recovered in the area now known as France suggest that early humans may have inhabited the region at least 1.5 million years ago.  Neanderthals, who inhabited France during the Middle Paleolithic period (90,000-40,000 B.C.), are the first known people to have lived in the region.  These Homo sapiens hunted animals, made crude tools from flake-stone and lived in caves.  In the late 19th century, Neanderthal skeletons were found in caves located at Le Bugue, a French region in the Vezere Valley in Dordogne.

Evidence of Cro-Magnons in France has also been found.  A taller Homo sapiens variety, Cro-Magnons are thought to have existed in the region approximately 35,000 years ago.  These early humans had larger brains than their ancestors, long and narrow skulls, and short, wide faces.  With much nimbler hands, Cro-Magnons were able to construct more advanced tools for hunting a number of species, including reindeer, bison, horses and mammoths.  They played music, danced and had fairly complicated social patterns.  Archaeological treasures from this period can still be seen today in the museums of Strasbourg.

The Cro-Magnon people were also artists—primarily crude drawings that have helped archaeologists to somewhat piece together their history.  A tour of Grotte de Lascaux in France—a replica of the Lascaux cave where one of the world’s best examples of Cro-Magnon drawings were found in 1940—illustrates how early elemental drawings and etchings of animals gradually became more detailed and realistic. Nicknamed “Perigord’s Sistine Chapel,” the Lascaux cave is one of 25 known caves decorated in Dordogne’s Vezere Valley.

The Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age, also produced France’s incredible collection of menhirs and dolmens.  An ode to these megalithic monuments can be seen on the Morbihan Coast in Brittany.  During this era, warmer weather caused great changes in the natural flora and fauna, and saw the beginning of activities such as farming and raising stock.  Peas, beans, lentils and cereals were grown, and villages were settled.  Decorated pottery, woven fabrics and polished stone tools also became common household items.

History of France: Gaul and the Roman Conquest

The Gauls, a predominantly Celtic people, moved into the region now known as France between 1500 and 500 B.C., establishing trading links by approximately 600 B.C. with the Greeks, whose colonies included Massilia (Marseille) on the Mediterranean coast.  From a geographic perspective, Gaul, as a region, comprised all lands from the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coast of modern France to the English Channel and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rhine River and the western Alps.  In short, the Gaul was not a “natural” unit but a Roman construct, the result of a decision to defend Italy from across the Alps.

In the 2nd century B.C., Rome intervened on the side of Massilia in its conflicts against the tribes of Gaul, its core aim being the protection of the route from Italy to its new possessions in Spain. The end result of this backing was the formation of the Provincia (Province), a region spanning from the Mediterranean coast to Lake Geneva, with its capital at Narbo (Narbonne).  In the years from 58 B.C. to 50 B.C., Caesar seized the remainder of Gaul.  Although motivated my power and personal ambition, Caesar justified the seizure by appealing to deep-seated fear of Celtic war bands and further Germanic incursions.  Centuries of conflict between the Gauls and Romans ended in 52 B.C. when Caesar’s legions crushed a revolt led by the Gallic chief Vercingétorix in Gergovia, near present-day Clermont-Ferrand.

The Gallic people quickly assimilated to the new Greco-Roman way of life.  The period that followed the Roman conquest gave rise to magnificent structures: baths, temples, public buildings and aqueducts such as the Pont du Gard.  Stunning theatres and amphitheatres were built in places like Autun, Lyon, Vienne, Arles and Orange. Lyon also has an excellent Gallo-Roman civilization museum.  Stones from Periguex’s first-century Roman amphitheater, which was torn down sometime in the 3rd century, were later used to build the city walls.

France remained under Roman rule until the 5th century, when the Franks and the Alemanii overran the country from the east.  These people adopted important elements of Gallo-Roman civilization (including Christianity) and their eventual assimilation resulted in a type of fusion in which elements of the Germanic culture were combined with that of the Celts (Gauls) and Romans.

History of France:  A Look at the Dynasties

  Around 450 AD, various groups of Franks moved southwards.  The Ripuarian Franks, as they would come to be known, settled near present-day Cologne, in the middle of the Rhine area, and along the lower forks of the Moselle and Meuse rivers.  There were also what would become the Salian Franks, who settled along the Atlantic coast region.  The Salian Franks, along the Atlantic coastline, were divided into many small kingdoms. One of the better-known groups established itself in and around the city of Tournai; its kinglet was Childeric (died c. 481/482), who traditionally is regarded as a close relative in the male line of Merovech, eponymous ancestor of the Merovingian dynasty. 

Merovingian Dynasty

Childeric was succeeded by his son, Clovis (481/482-511), as King of the Merovingian dynasty.  Among other accomplishments, Clovis was responsible for unifying Gaul, with the exception of a few regions in the southeast.  He consolidated the position of the Franks in northern Gaul during the years following his accession.  In 486 he defeated Syagrius, the last Roman ruler in Gaul, and in a series of later campaigns, with strong Gallo-Roman support, he occupied an area situated between the new Frankish kingdoms of Tournai, the Visigothic and Burgundian kingdoms, and the lands occupied by the Ripuarian Franks and the Alemanni, removing it from imperial control once more.

Clovis established Paris as the capital of his new kingdom, and in 508 he received some sort of recognition from Emperor Anastasius, possibly an honorary consulship, and the right to use the imperial insignia. These privileges gave the new king a credibility of sorts that were useful in gaining the support of his Gallo-Roman subjects.  Clovis, together with his army of 3,000, converted to Christianity in 498, becoming the first Franks to do so.  When Clovis died in 511 the kingdom was divided between his four sons, who continued to make new conquests, particularly those in Burgundy and Southern Germany.

The Carolingian Dynasty

As power was handed down for generations to the next son in the Merovingian bloodline, the dynasty continued to rule the country until 751, although in the 720s they became mainly puppet authorities, as effective power was increasingly concentrated in the hands of the Pippinids (later the Carolingian Dynasty), who thanks to their valuable landholdings and loyal retainers, maintained a monopoly on the office of mayor of the palace.Because of their family’s disposition for the name Charles and because of the significance of Charlemagne in the family’s history, modern historians have traditionally called the Pippinids the Carolingian Dynasty.

The Carolingian Dynasty ruled the Frankish kingdom from the 8th century to the 10th century. Upon the death of Pippin II in 714, the Carolingian hegemony was in jeopardy. His heir was a grandchild, entrusted to the regency of his widow, Plectrude.  During his brief reign the Saxons crossed the Rhine, and the Arabs crossed the Pyrenees, thus putting the kingdom at great risk.  However, the situation was rectified by Pippin’s illegitimate son, Charles Martel.  When Charles defeated the Neustrians at Ambleve (716), Vincy (717), and Soissons (719), he declared himself master of northern Francia (although he never received the title of king).  Martel is best known for reestablishing Frankish authority in southern Gaul, where he prevented the Moors from taking control (as they did in Spain) during the Battle of Tours (732) in Poitiers.

At the death of Charles Martel (741), the lands and powers in his hands were divided between his two sons, Carloman and Pippin III (the Short), as was the custom. This partition was followed by unsuccessful insurrections in the peripheral duchies—Aquitaine, Alemannia, and Bavaria.

Pippin III remained loyal to the custom of the Carolingian dynasty, and upon his death in 768 his kingdom was divided between his two sons, Charles (Charlemagne) and Carloman. The succession did not proceed smoothly, however, as Charlemagne faced a serious revolt in Aquitaine as well as the enmity of his brother, who refused to help suppress the revolt. Carloman’s death in 771 saved the kingdom from civil war. Charlemagne dispossessed his nephews from their inheritance and reunited the kingdom under his own authority. Charlemagne ruled the Frankish kingdom from 742-814 and is generally considered one of the foremost leaders in world history.  By extending the boundaries of the kingdoms through a number of bloody conflicts he was ultimately named the Holy Emperor of Rome (Emperor of the West) in 800. During the 9th century, however, Scandinavian Vikings (Norsemen or Normans) raided France’s western coast, settling in the lower Seine Valley and forming the duchy of Normandy a century later.

Capetian Dynasty

  The Carolingian Dynasty ruled France until the late 10th century, up until Hugh Capet was crowned king in 987, establishing the Capetian Dynasty. Capet’s then-modest domain, which at the time consisted of a parcel of land surrounding Paris and Orleans—was hardly representative of a dynasty that would rule France, one of the most powerful countries on earth, for the next 800 years.

It was during this time that William the Conqueror and his Norman forces occupied England in 1066, making Normandy and, later, Plantagenet-ruled England formidable rivals of the kingdom of France.  In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine wed Henry of Anjou, bringing a further third of France under the control of the English crown.  The bitter rival that followed between France and England for Control of Aquitaine and the vast English territories in France lasted three centuries.

In 1095, at what is now Clermont-Ferrand, Pope Urban II preached the First Crusade, prompting France to play a leading role in the Crusades and giving rise to some splendid Christian cathedrals, including Reims, Strasbourg, Metz and Chartres.   In 1309, French- born Pope Clement V moved the papal headquarters from Rome to Avignon, and Avignon’s third pope, Benoit XII, started work on the magnificent Palais de Papes (Palace of the Pope).  The Holy See remained in France until 1337.

History of France: The Hundred Years War

  The Hundred Years War was a series of battles between England and France.  The war can be traced back to William the Conqueror, crowned King of England in 1066, who, after defeating the French at the Battle of Hastings, united England and Normandy and wanted to rule both as his own. Things finally boiled over between the Capetians and England’s King Edward III in 1337, sparking a conflict that would officially last until 1453.  The French suffered particularly nasty defeats at Crécy and Agincourt (home to a great multimedia battle museum).  Abbey-studded Mont St-Michel was the only place in northern and western France not to fall into English hands.

Five years later, the dukes of Burgundy (allied with the English) occupied Paris, and in 1422, John Plantagenet, duke of Bedford, was made regent of France for England’s King Henry VI, then an infant. Less than a decade later he was crowned king of France at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.

It was right about this time that a seventeen year-old woman came along by the name of Jeanne d’ Arc (Joan of Arc).  In 1429, she persuaded French legitimist Charles VII that she had a divine mission from God to expel the English from France and usher in Charles as King.  Joan of Arc was convicted of performing witchcraft and heresy by a tribunal of French church officials and subsequently sold to the English in 1430, where she was burned at the stake.

Charles VII did finally return to Paris in 1437, however, it was not until 1453 that the English were ultimately driven from French territory.  In 1491, at the Chateau de Langeais, Charles VIII wed Anne de Bretagne, signaling the unification of France with independent Brittany.

History of France:  Renaissance

    Chateau Chambord When the Italian Renaissance movement made its way to France during the reign of Francois I (1517-47), the focus shifted to France’s Loire Valley.  There Italian and French artists adored the royal castles in places such as Amboise, Blois, Chambord and Chaumont, including the renowned Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in Le Clos Luce in Amboise from 1516 until his death.  Disciples of Michelangelo and Raphael—artists and architects—were very influential during this period, as were writers such as Ronsard, Rabelais and Marot.  Many noted Renaissance ideas of geography and science were lauded, and discovery assumed a new importance, as did the value of secular over religious life.

History of France: The Reformation

  The Reformation blew into Europe and began to take hold in the 1530s.  The ideas of Martin Luther were strengthened by those of John Calvin (1509-64), a Frenchman born in Noyon (Picardie) but exiled to Geneva.  Following the Edict of January 1562, which gave Protestant certain rights, the Wars of Religion (1562-68) erupted between the Huguenots (French Protestants who received help from the mostly-Protestant English), the Catholic League (led by the House of Guise) and the Catholic Monarchs.  In 1588, the Catholic League forced Henry III, who ruled from 1574-1589, to flee the royal court at the Louvre and the next year the monarch was assassinated.

Succeeding Henry III (ruled 1589-1610) on the throne was Henri IV, representing the onset of the Bourbon Dynasty.  He was succeeded by Louis XIII, known as Fontainebleau.  Louis XIII had a fairly undistinguished reign and he remained under the thumb of his chief minister Cardinal Richelieu, best known for his untiring efforts to establish an all-powerful monarchy in France and French Supremacy in Europe.

History of France: Louis XIV, Louis XV, and the Seven Years War

  Louis XIV, familiarly known as the “Sun King,” ascended to the throne in 1643 at age 5, and would remain the King of France until 1715.  Brazened by claims of French divine right, Louis XIV involved the country of France in a number of wars and battles; conflicts that gained territory for France but alarmed its neighbors and nearly drained the national treasury.  In France, he helped to quell the ambitious, feuding aristocracy and created the first centralized French state. In the town of Versailles, some 23 kilometers outside of Paris, he built a magnificent and lush palace and made courtiers compete with each other for royal favor.

Louis XV, the grandson of Louis XIV, ascended to the throne in 1715 and continued to rule the country until his death in 1774.  Not nearly the statesman that his grandfather was, Louis XV allowed his regent, the Duke of Orleans, to shift the court back to Paris.  As the 18th century progressed, the old-order Monarchy became increasingly at odds with the French people.  In this Age of Enlightenment, where the anti-establishment and anti-church ideas of Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu, the royal court also became threatened.

The Seven Years War of 1756-63 pitted France and Austria against Prussia and the British.  This was just one of the many wars that spelled doom for Louis XV, leading to the loss of France’s flourishing colonies in Canada, the West Indies and India to the British.  It was a pricey war to say the least, especially for the monarchy, as it helped to disseminate in France the radical democratic ideas that had been placed on the world stage during the American Revolutionary War.

History of France:  The French Revolution

  The latter half of the 18th century saw revolution come to France, marked by a number of social and economic crises.  In hopes of deflecting some of this personal dissatisfaction among the people, Louis XV’s successor, Louis XVI, called a meeting of the Etats Generaux (Estates General) in 1789, a body made up of representatives of the nobility (First Estate), clergy (Second Estate) and the remaining 90 percent of the population (Third Estate).  When the people’s or Third Estate’s call for a system of proportionate voting was denied, it claimed itself a National Assembly and demanded a constitution.  On the streets, a mob of French citizens took the matter into their own hands by raiding armories for weapons and storming the doors of the prison at Bastille, now one of France’s most popular landmarks. 

France was declared a constitutional monarchy and many reforms were enacted.  However, as the new government readied itself for threats posed by Austria, Prussia and the many exiled French nobles, patriotism and nationalism butted heads with revolutionary fervor.  Soon after, the moderate republican Girondins lost power to the radical Jacobins led by Robespierre, Danton and Marat, and in September 1792 France’s First Republic was declared.  Louis XVI was publicly guillotined in January 1793 on Paris’ Place de la Concorde, and his queen, the vilified Marie-Antoinette, faced a similar fate several months later.

The horrifying Reign of Terror, from September 1793 to July 1794, saw religious freedoms revoked, churches closed, cathedrals transformed into ‘Temples of Reason’ and thousands incarcerated in dungeons in Paris’ Conciergerie before being beheaded.

Following the Revolution, a five-man delegation of moderate republicans, led by Paul Barras, was founded as a Directory to rule the new French Republic.  This would be short-lived, however, due largely to the arrival of a young Corsican general named Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821).

History of France: Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon was a charismatic leader whose skills and military tactics rapidly transformed him into an independent political force. In 1799 he overthrew the newly-created Directory and assumed power as consul of the First Empire.  In 1802, a referendum declared him consul of France for life, his birthday became a national holiday, and in 1804 he was crowned emperor of the French by Pope Pius VII at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral. Two years later, he commissioned the world’s largest triumphal arch to be built in his honor.

To broaden and make more credible his authority, Napoleon waged a series of large-scale wars, gaining control of most of Europe in the process, including Spain.  In 1812, Napoleon’s troops captured Moscow, but the long and brutal Russian winter proved too much for his army and most either died or fled.  Two years later, Allied armies entered Paris, exiled Napoleon to the island of Elba and restored the House of Bourbon to the French throne at the Congress of Vienna (1814-15).   However, this was not the last France would hear about Napoleon.  Three years later, in 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba, landed in southern Europe and marched on Paris.  His brief “Hundred Days” back in power ended with the Battle of Waterloo and his return to exile, this time to the South Atlantic island of St. Helena.  Napoleon Bonaparte died there in 1821, and in 1840 his remains were returned to Paris.

History of France:  19th Century France

Once power was restored to the House of Bourbon, three fairly ineffective French Kings—Louis XVIII (1815-24), Charles X (1824-30) and Louis Philippe—tried to restore France to the strong monarchy it enjoyed in the past.  However, the people who saw the changes wrought by the French Revolution and the radicals of the poor working-class were not willing to return to the old status quo.  The people revolted, once in 1830 and again in 1848, the latter resulting in Louis Philippe’s ouster as king.

The Second Republic in France was established soon after and elections brought Napoleon’s nephew, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, to the office of president.  Two years later, in 1851, Louis Napoleon led a coup d’état and proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon III of the Second Empire (1852-70).

  Arc de Triomphe During the Second Empire, France enjoyed significant economic growth.  Paris was completely remade under urban planner Baron Haussmann, who created the 12 enormous boulevards radiating from the Arc de Triomphe.  Meanwhile, Napoleon III, who is was a fairly ineffective leader, threw glittering parties at the royal palace, and vacationed in places like Biarritz and Deauville.

Like his uncle, Napoleon III involved France in a variety of bloody conflicts, including the Crimean War (1853-56) and the devastating Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), a conflict that ended with Prussia taking Napoleon III prisoner.  Upon hearing the news, the defiant and poor Parisian masses demanded a new republic be installed.

The Third Republic began in 1870 as a provisional government of national defense.  However, it was quickly besieged by the Prussians who attacked Paris and demanded National Assembly elections be held.  The first move made by the resultant monarchist-controlled assembly was to ratify the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871), the harsh terms of which—a 5 billion-franc war indemnity and surrender of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine—prompted immediate revolt.  During the Semaine Sanglante, or “Bloody Week,” several thousand rebels were killed and a further 20,000 were later executed.

Despite its conflict-ridden start, the Third Republic is known as the Beautiful Age, a time in which Art Nouveau architecture, advances in science and engineering, and a number of different artistic styles, from impressionism onwards, were ushered in.  World Exhibitions were held in the capital city of Paris in both 1889 and 1901, the former of which was highlighted by the showcasing of the Eiffel Tower.

Colonial rivalry in Africa that existed between France and Great Britain ended in 1904 with the Entente Cordiale (Cordial Understanding), marking the start of a friendship/cooperation between the two nations that has, for the most part, lasted to this day.

History of France:  World War I

Of the eight million French men that served in the Great War (World War I), 1.3 million were killed and another one million were crippled.  Much of the war took place in northeastern France, with trench warfare using thousands of soldiers as cannon fodder merely to gain a few yards of territory.

France’s desire to enter World War I against Austria-Hungary and Germany stemmed from its desire to regain Alsace and Lorraine.  The war officially ended in 1919 when the leaders of France, Great Britain, Italy and the United States signed the Treaty of Versailles in France.  Among its harsh terms included the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France and a reparations bill of 33 billion for Germany.

Although industrial production dropped by 40 percent in France and threw the country into financial crisis, Paris continued to sparkle during the 1920s and 1930s, drawing artists and writers attracted to the city’s liberal atmosphere.

History of France:  World War II

  The decade of relative harmony and compromise between France and Germany hit a bit of a snag when Adolf Hitler was named the Chancellor of Germany in 1933.  At first, France tried to work with the new leader but when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, the country joined with Britain in declaring war against Germany.

Although an ill-prepared force from France tried to subdue the German armies, by June 1940 France had capitulated.  The British had tried to help the French by sending in an expeditionary force. However, the members of this unit just managed to escape capture themselves by retreating to Dunkirk and crossing the English Channel in small boats. The Maginot Line the French had established during the war proved futile, as the German military outflanked the line by traveling through Belgium.

During the war, Germany divided France into a zone under direct German occupation (in the north and along the western coast) and a puppet state led by aging WWI hero General Petain in the spa town of Vichy—the demarcation line between the two areas ran through Chateau de Cheniceau in the Loire Valley. Today, visitors can get a sense of what life was like for the French in the Nazi-occupied north by visiting the WWII museum at La Coupole.

The regime occupying the Vichy region was very prejudiced against the Jews.  They forced the local police forces in France to assist them in rounding up French Jews for their eventual deportation to Auschwitz and other death camps run by the Nazis.  Only one Nazi concentration camp lied within French borders:  Natzweiler-Strutfoh.  Today, it can still be visited by people interested in WWII history.

On June 6, 1944, Allied troops, most of them American, stormed the beaches at Normandy and Brittany, liberating both.  Marching on, they also liberated Paris on August 25 with the help of Free French units, sent in ahead of the Americans, so that the French would have the honor of liberating their own country.

History of France:  Post-World War II

The damage caused by World War II would take the French decades to rectify.  During the war, the Germans requisitioned practically everything that wasn’t nailed down to feed their war machine, including ferrous and non ferrous metals, statues, zinc bar tops, coal, leather, textiles and chemicals.  Agriculture, strangled by the lack of raw materials, fell by nearly 30 percent.

As they fled France, the Germans burned a total of 2,600 bridges.  The Allied bombardments also took their toll on France, damaging nearly 40,000 kilometers of railway tracks. Roadways were damaged and nearly 500,000 buildings and 60,000 factories were either damaged or destroyed.  The French were forced to pay the occupying German forces up to 400 million Francs a day, nearly emptying the public coffers.

The damage and humiliation suffered by the French at the hands of the Germans was no secret to France’s colonies.  As the economy tightened in France, the native people of these colonies began to notice they were bearing the brunt of this disaster.  In Algeria, a movement for greater autonomy at the beginning of the war turned into an all-out independence movement by the war’s end.  The resistance movement in Vietnam during the war, when the Japanese moved into strategic positions in Indochina, took on an ant-French, nationalistic tone, setting the stage for Vietnam’s ultimate independence.

A Closer Look at the Fourth Republic

  Charles de Gaulle Following France’s liberation in 1944, General Charles de Gaulle faced the ominous task of putting together a viable government.  Charles de Gaulle had served as France’s undersecretary of war during WWII, but fled to London in 1940 after the French capitulated.  Elections were held in October of 1945 that created a national assembly composed largely of pro-resistant communists. De Gaulle was appointed head of the government, but because he sensed that the French people were not in favor of a strong presidency, he resigned soon after in 1946.

Rectifying the damage caused by World War II required a strong central government, one with vast powers to rebuild the country’s industrial and commercial base.  Because of this, most banks, insurance companies, automobile plants and energy firms were passed into the hands of the government.  Other businesses remained privately operated, the aim being to combine the efficiency of government with the vitality of private industry.  Nevertheless, progress in France was slow.  By 1947 rationing remained in the country and France was forced to turn to the United States for loans as part of the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe.

One of the goals of the Marshall Plan was to stabilize Europe both financially and politically to prevent the expansion of Soviet power and ideals.  As the Iron Curtain fell over Eastern Europe, the Pro-Stalinist members of France’s Communist Party were put into an unwinnable position, and found themselves on the losing end of disputes involving American aid, the colonies and workers’ demands.  As a result, they were expelled from the government in 1947.

In the wake of this, Charles de Gaulle founded a new political party called the Rassemblement du Peuple Français (RPF).  The goal of this party was the containment of Soviet Power.  To reinforce this, in 1949 France signed the Atlantic Pact uniting North America and Western Europe in a mutual defense alliance:  NATO.

With the Fourth Republic in place, the economy of France began to improve.  Many new industries were formed and the French government regularly invested in things such as hydroelectric and nuclear power, oil and gas exploration, chemical refineries, steel production, naval construction, car factories and building construction.

The Colonies

The 1950s saw the end of French colonialism.  After the Japanese surrendered to the Allies in 1945, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam pushed for independence.  War broke out, but because the French troops were unable to fend off the brilliant tactics of guerilla warfare in Vietnam, they withdrew from the region in 1954.

Algeria’s push for independence was a bit more costly.  At the time, Algeria was ruled by approximately a million French settlers, who resisted all Algerian demands for political and economic equality.  This led to the brutal Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962).  The indigenous rebel attacks led to executions, torture and untold massacres, which only strengthened the resolve of the Algerian people.  Pressure was applied on France by the United Nations, which urged the French to pull out of Algeria.  However, the pieds noirs (literally ‘black feet,’ as Algerian-born French people are known in France) became enraged at the way France was dealing with the problem.  A plot to overthrow the French government and replace it with a military regime was narrowly avoided when de Gaulle agrees to assume the presidency in 1958.

The Fifth Republic

The Fourth Republic, created after the communists were forced out of office, was hamstringed by an ineffective executive branch and the unbearable situation in Algeria.  De Gaulle remedied the first of these problems by drafting a new constitution (the Fifth Republic), which authorized considerable powers be given to the president at the expense of the National Assembly.

Fixing the Algeria situation proved much more difficult.  After a failed coup attempt by military officers in 1961, the Organisation de l’Armée Secrète (OAS; a group of French settlers and sympathizers opposed to Algerian independence) resorted to terrorism. The OAS tried to assassinate de Gaulle on several occasions, and in 1961 violence broke out on the streets of Paris.  Algerian demonstrators were violently attacked by police, with more than 100 of them being killed in the protests.  In 1962, Charles de Gaulle finally negotiated an end to the war, giving the Algerian people their independence.

The 1960s in France saw a rise in unemployment, and the government led by de Gaulle began to feel pressure from the anti-authoritarian baby boomers clamoring for social change.  University students seemed to protest against anything the government supported, including the American’s involvement in the Vietnam War.  This dissatisfaction finally boiled over in 1968, causing a general worker’s strike by 10 million people that paralyzed the country.

De Gaulle took advantage of these events from a political perspective, and began to appeal to people’s fear of anarchy.  Just as the country seemed it was on the brink of revolution, stability came to the Fifth Republic, and many reforms were instituted to appease both workers and students.  De Gaulle resigned from office in 1969.  He suffered a fatal heart attack the following year.

History of France:  France Today

After a long and storied history, one filled with seemingly one major conflict after another, today France is considered one of the world’s most highly developed and well-run nations.  It is also the most most-visited country in the world, with nearly 79.5 foreign visitors annually. France possesses the world’s ninth-largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Europe’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP.  In terms of aggregate household wealth, France is the wealthiest nation in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world.  The citizens of France enjoy a very high standard of living, a superior educational system and one of the highest life expectancies in the world.  Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed France as having the world’s “best overall system of health care.”

Content Credits: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/FR-history.htm

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Which language is spoken in Qatar?

Qatar officially referred to as the State of Qatar is a self-governing nation situated in Southwest Asia. It occupies the tiny Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern shore of the Arabian Peninsula. 

It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and the other areas of its terrain are bordered by the Persian Gulf. A canal in the Persian Gulf separates the country from the island of Bahrain which is nearby. It also separates Qatar from sharing sea boundaries with Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar is a very small country occupying an area of only 10,360 square kilometers and it is very rich as it has natural gas and oil reserves. Its capital city is Doha and about 90% of its total population which is 2,000,000 lives in this city. However, note that approximately 88% of this population is made up of guest workers. These can be understood as people from other countries working and residing in Qatar for a short period of time. Most of these come from South East Asia, South Asia, and other Arabic nations. There are also a few Filipinos and Nepalis, among other ethnic groups.

A road sign in SalwaThe people of Qatar are referred to as Qataris and all are Arabs. Arabic is the official language of this country but most of them also use English mostly when carrying out business. This is used as a second language. Due to the multicultural composition of Qatar, numerous other dialects are also used in the country. These include Urdu, Balochi, Malayalam, Pashto, Hindi, Telugu, Tagalog, Tamil, Sinhalese, Nelapi, and Bengali. Some of these languages will be discussed in brief below.

Arabic Spoken in Qatar

As mentioned above, this is Qatar’s formal dialect. It is divided into two categories; Gulf and Standard. The standard Arabic is at times referred to as Al Fus-Ha and Al Arabiya or High Arabic. The Gulf Arabic, on the other hand, is also referred to as Khaliji and Qatari and it is divided into two other tongues, South, and North Qatari. Both categories are used and comprehended by other nations in the Middle East such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Iran, Bahrain, and other nations near or bordering Qatar.

English Spoken in Qatar

English is used widely in Qatar and this can be attributed to the fact that Qatar was once a British protectorate. The government has even encouraged it as the second dialect after Arabic. English is also used as a de facto dialect amid Arabic and non-Arabic speakers. This is due to the fact that the country has guest workers from other countries such as China, Japan, Canada, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, and many other countries, therefore, English allows both the locals and the workers to communicate and as a result, it is widely used. It is, however, important to know a few words of any dialects used in the country as they can be very helpful. Learning a few Arabic words will make your hosts and some of the native you interact with feel appreciative and will be very happy.

Farsi Spoken in Qatr

Farsi is at times referred to as the Persian dialect and it is spoken by Persians also referred to as Iranians. This is an ethnic community in Iran. This language is in the Indo-Iranian dialect family and it the official dialect of Iran. Farsi was introduced to Qatar in the 1900s when a small number of Iranians migrated to the country as boat builders. This population has increased a lot over the years to about 30,000 people and now Farsi is broadly used by people who trace their roots to Iran.

Urdu Spoken in Qatar

This is another widely used dialect in Qatar. This language, like Hindi, is a form of Hindustani language and it originated from the 8th to the 13th century under the influence of Arabic and Persian languages. Both of these languages have contributed a lot to the Urdu language with regards to formal speech and vocabulary. About 99% of Urdu verbs trace their roots to Prakrit and Sanskrit. The term, however, does not describe the Urdu people adequately as it is just a language distinction. These speakers are not an ethnic community but rather a group of ethnic groups who are broadly distributed across the world.

Most of the Urdu speakers are located in Pakistan where Urdu is the official language. However, most of them have migrated to countries in the Persian Gulf including Qatar in search of jobs and economic opportunities. Most of these are experienced laborers and highly educated experts. This group of people not only brought their skills to Qatar but also their culture, practices and language. Presently, Urdu speakers make up about 117,000 of Qatar’s population.

Malayalam Spoken in Qatar

This language should not be confused with Malay which is a dialect used in Malaysia. Malayalam is in the Southern division of the Dravidian dialect family. It is linked to Tamil language but it is influenced a lot by Sanskrit and not Tamil. Malayalam is among the 22 formal dialects and 14 regional dialects of India and is used by about 38 million people especially in Kerala and in the Laccadive Islands which are located in Southern India. It is also used in countries such as Israel, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Fiji, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Qatar.

The Malayalam speakers in Qatar come to Qatar as guest workers from India and as a result, they have brought their language with them thus spreading it in the country.

Balochi Spoken in Qatar

This language is spoken by the Baloch people who originate from Southern Pakistan. Their home is in the southern regions of the Sind and Baluchistan provinces. Most of these people have migrated to nearby countries such as Oman, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Iran, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar thus bringing with them their language and culture. The Balochi language is divided into three categories: Southern Western, and Eastern Balochi. All of these groups speak different dialects with different characteristics.

The Balochi speakers in Qatar speak Southern Balochi and they make up about 37,000 of Qatar’s population.

Pashto Spoken in Qatar

This is an Indo-European language originating from the Iranian branch of the dialect family. It is at times referred to as Afghani and it’s the official language of Afghanistan. This language is historically linked to the local people living in the Hindu Kush Mountains located in Afghanistan. There are roughly 50 to 60 million people in the world who speak Pashto and some are not only found in Qatar but also in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Russia, and Japan.

Pashto people, like other minority ethnic groups in Qatar, come as guest workers thus spreading their dialect.

Tagalog Spoken in Qatar

This language is spoken by the Filipino community in Qatar. Most of these people are either immigrants or ancestors of the Philippines residing in Qatar. The total population of Filipinos in Qatar is about 200,000 and they often work as domestic helpers, in the travel sector, or in construction. As of 2009, the Filipinos were believed to be the second-biggest community of guest workers after the Indians.

Sinhalese Spoken in Qatar

Sinhalese is locally known as Sinhala and is the local language of the Sinhalese community which makes up the biggest ethnic community in Sri Lanka. Sinhala is used as a second dialect by other ethnic communities in Sri Lanka. This language is found in the Indo-Aryan division of the Indo-European dialects and it has its own unique writing structure, the Sinhala alphabet, which is found in the Brahmic family of scripts, and a progeny of the old Indian Brahmi script and is one of the formal and state dialects of Sri Lanka.

Some of the Sinhalese speakers are also found in Qatar who came to the country in search of work. Their total population in the country stands at 37,000.

Nepali Spoken in Qatar

The Nepali language is used by immigrants from Nepal coming to Qatar. Most of these are guest workers, permanent citizens, and also descendants who have been born locally.

People from Nepal favor Qatar as one of the destinations to look for jobs and most of them are in employment in the construction sector. Most of them like other foreign workers are employed for unqualified jobs but Nepalis are now most sought after as compared to other communities. As of 2010, a total number of 9,650 Nepalis came to Qatar. Workers from Nepal have a reputation of being honest and hardworking.

An increase in the number of Nepalese immigrants coming to Qatar has been documented as most of them come to look for job opportunities. Presently, there are about 100 executives from Nepal in the country. An increasing number of employers in Qatar are presently indicating a lot of interesting in employing accountants, engineers, travel and hotel experts from Nepal. This has had a lot of influence with regards to the Nepali language as it has spread throughout the country and it will probably spread even more.

These are just a few of the major and minority languages spoken in Qatar. It is, however, important to note that while many Qataris use more than one dialect, it is quite rare for expatriates to learn Arabic thus causing interactions between the locals and the immigrants to be conducted in English. But as mentioned earlier on, learning a few Arabic words make the locals very happy and appreciative. Content Source: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/QA-language.htm

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The capital and largest city in Thailand is Bangkok, which is also the country’s political, commercial, industrial and cultural hub.  Approximately three-quarters of the population are ethnically Thai, 14 percent Thai Chinese, and 3 percent is ethnically Malay.  The remainder belongs to several different minority groups, including the Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes.  This varied ethnic and cultural makeup adds to the linguistic diversity in Thailand, a newly industrialized country that traditionally attracts thousands of expatriates each year from various developed countries.

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France, officially the French Republic, is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe, with a number of overseas regions and territories.  France is the largest country in Western Europe and the third largest in Europe as a whole, extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean.  Save for Morocco and Spain, it is the only country that has both an Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline.

As one of the oldest countries in the world, France has a long and eventful history.  Today it stands as one of the world’s major powers, with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world.

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The official state or national language of Vietnam is Vietnamese ( or in Vietnam, Tiếng Việt), a tonal Mon–Khmer language which is spoken by the majority of the country’s citizens. In the early history of the language, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters; however in the mid-13th century, the Vietnamese people developed their own set of characters, referred to as Chữ nôm. View more: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/VN-language.htm

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France, officially the French Republic, is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe, with a number of overseas regions and territories.  France is the largest country in Western Europe and the third largest in Europe as a whole, extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean.  Save for Morocco and Spain, it is the only country that has both an Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline.

See more at: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/FR-history.htm

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A History of the System of Education in the Philippines

If you are contemplating or interested in pursuing or for your child to pursue his or her studies in the Philippines, there are a number of factors that you need to know with regards to education in the country. The first is the fact that education is overseen by 3 agencies. These include the Department of Education (depEd) for basic education, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for tertiary and graduate education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for technical-vocational courses and middle education.

The current formal education system is the K-12 program. The program covers one year in kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (6 years of elementary school, 4 years of junior high school, and 2 years of senior high school). Elementary school is from Grade 1 to Grade 6, junior high school from Grade 7 to Grade 10, and senior high school from Grade 11 to Grade 12. The aim of this program is to grow lifelong learners, offer enough time for mastery of skills and concepts, and to prepare students for tertiary or university education, middle-level skills growth, entrepreneurship, and employment.

In kindergarten, it is mandatory for students to learn colors, shapes, numbers, and the alphabet in their native language through dances, pictures, songs and games. The key learning areas (core curriculum) include social sciences, natural sciences, philosophy, mathematics, communication, literature, and languages. Besides these, students also have four other choices to pick from (specific tracks). These include technical-vocational-livelihood, academic, sports, and arts and design.

There are different types of learning institutions which adhere to compulsory education and senior high school. These include Islamic schools, Chinese schools, Science high schools, international schools, preparatory schools, and laboratory high schools.

There are alternative learning systems in the country that cater to the needs of kids who have dropped out of elementary and secondary school, children who are too old compared to the normal age for a particular grade, inmates, mentally challenged or people with disabilities, and jobless adults who haven’t completed their degrees. Other avenues include the Radio-Based Instruction (RBI) Program and the non-formal vocational and technical education.

The academic year begins in June and ends in March. It covers a duration of 40 weeks and as per the Republic Act 7797, the school days cannot exceed 220 days.

The structure of theuniversity education in the Philippines is quite similar to that of the United States. The universities offer varied courses under the undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate programs. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) authorizes credentials that are conferred by individual learning organizations.

The most important thing to note about Education in the Philippines is the fact it is given the highest priority and a huge chunk of the country’s budget has been allocated to the same. This guarantees you quality education that you can apply anywhere in the globe. Also note that public pre-school, elementary and high school are offered for free to all students and is compulsory.

Source of post:studycountry.com