The Netherlands, known for its flat terrain, windmills, and tulip fields, is a progressive European nation with a rich cultural heritage. Renowned for Amsterdam’s historic canals and vibrant culture, it thrives on international trade, embraces diversity, and values innovation in technology and sustainability, ensuring a high quality of life.
Nation States
Malta – History, Geography, Economy and Culture
Malta – the island fortress at the heart of the Mediterranean. It has witnessed occupation by so many of history’s great empires. And yet today it stands, finally as an independent nation in the modern world. In this history and geography documentary I take a close look at the events in Malta’s past that shaped the nation of today, Malta’s geography, its economy and cultural impact around the world.
New Zealand – Geography, Economy and Culture
New Zealand is the most remote developed nation in the world, sitting at the south-western edge of the Pacific Ocean. On the boundary of two tectonic plates, its two main islands are a host of natural wonders and beauty, with the Southern Alps, and Fiordland of South Island, and Lake Taupo of North Island.
The History of New Zealand
The History of New Zealand begins in the Middle Ages, when humans first arrived in the form of the Polynesian explorer Kupe. New Zealand was the last significant land mass on Earth to be settled by humans. The following five centuries saw the development of what became the Maori culture. The first European to sight the islands was Abel Tasman in 1642, but it was Cook in 1769 that thoroughly mapped the islands, leading the way for the first European settlers in the following decades.
Scotland – Geography, Culture and Economy
A country on the north-western edge of Europe. A mix of islands, highlands and lowlands. A country of romance and unique traditions, very different from their imperial neighbour to the south. A nation of three different languages, its culture has survived and flourished across the millennia, delivering some of the greatest and most innovative minds found anywhere. This is the land of whiskey and haggis, Nessie and oil, golf, tartan and bagpipes. This land could only be Scotland.
The History of Scotland
The wild lands at the north-western edge of Europe. Settled for millenia, for centuries they were beyond the grasp of empires, from the Romans, to the Vikings and the mighty English to the south. Mixed with their own celtic brothers to the west, their fierce continued independence gave rise to a unique culture that has survived to this day. And yet the irony is they later became wedded to their greatest rivals sitting on the front row of the show that saw the greatest empire in the world. In their Age of Enlightenment, they produce so many great thinkers and innovators, the world would be a very different place without them. Now, in this 21st Century, the call for independence is greater than ever. Will they once again become their own masters? To understand this we must look at the story of the North of the British Isles, the History of Scotland.
Greece – Geography, Economy & Culture
A rocky peninsula and an archipelago at the south-east edge of Europe. Thousands of beaches across hundreds of islands under the warm Mediterranean sun… it’s no wonder that this country sees millions of visitors every year. But don’t be fooled by the tourist brochure. It can be argued that this land produced a people and culture that influenced the world beyond any other. This could only be GREECE.
Chile – History, Geography, Economy and Culture
A land of extreme dimensions and a tremendous variety of climate zones and biomes, from the driest desert in the world to lush temperate rainforests, scrub and tundra. It’s narrowest of all countries in form, a product of being sandwiched between the largest ocean and longest mountain range in the world. Once a property of colonial Spain, it then saw an influx of people from all over Europe that went on to shape the most prosperous of all Latin American nations. Perhaps the most geographically fascinating of all countries, this land could only be Chile!
The Eight Ages of Greece – A Complete History
The oldest civilisation in Europe. Birthplace of Western Philosophy. The first European alphabet. A place where human sculpture was perfected. A place where democracy was first realised. Where those famous athletic games began. So many accolades for so small a land. Where to begin in telling the story of this oh-so important of nations? At the beginning, of course, and don’t stop until the end! In this video I dare to tell the FULL history of this land and its people. It is an incredible story. It is the story of GREECE.
South Africa: History, Geography, Economy & Culture
South Africa. Perhaps the first word that comes to mind is Apartheid, a system that enshrined in law racial discrimination at a national level. But those days are long gone now, and South Africa is attempting to reinvent itself as the “Rainbow Nation” of ethnic diversity. And there is so much more to South Africa. Having the most concentrated deposits of minerals found anywhere in the world, it’s no surprise that South Africa dominated the gold and diamond mining industry for decades. But these days its tourists that bring in much of the wealth, and with so much stunning natural beauty, flora and fauna, it’s no wonder. Welcome to South Africa!