Korea Korea (Korean: 한국; Hanja: 韓國), pronounced as Hanguk in South Korean and Chosŏn in North Korean, is an East Asian territory that is divided into two distinct sovereign states, North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. It is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea); it is separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC and the introduction of Buddhism in the 4th century AD had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which was first united during the Silla (57 BC – AD 935) under the King Munmu. The united Silla fell to Goryeo in 935 at the end of the Later Three Kingdoms. Etymology In North Korea, Korea as a whole is referred to as Chosŏn (조선, Joseon, [tɕosʰʌn], lit. History Prehistory and Gojoseon Proto–Three Kingdoms Three Kingdoms Goryeo
London London i/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom.[5] It is the most populous region, urban zone and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium.[6] London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1.12-square-mile (2.9 km2) mediaeval boundaries and in 2011 had a resident population of 7,375, making it the smallest city in England. Since at least the 19th century, the term London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core.[7] The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region[8] and the Greater London administrative area,[9][note 1] governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.[10] History Toponymy The etymology of London is uncertain.[37] It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century. Prehistory and antiquity Anglo-Saxon London Middle Ages Early modern
Russia Country spanning Europe and Asia Russia (Russian: Россия, Rossiya, [rɐˈsʲijə]), or the Russian Federation,[c] is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering 17,098,246 square kilometres (6,601,670 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across eleven time zones and shares land boundaries with fourteen countries. In 1991, the Russian SFSR emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the independent Russian Federation. Etymology History Early history The ancestors of Russians are among the Slavic tribes that separated from the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who appeared in the northeastern part of Europe c. 1500 years ago.[53] The East Slavs gradually settled western Russia in two waves: one moving from Kiev towards present-day Suzdal and Murom and another from Polotsk towards Novgorod and Rostov. Kievan Rus' Grand Duchy of Moscow
Ireland Ireland (locally: /ˈɑːrlənd/; RP: /ˈaɪələnd/; GA: i/ˈaɪərlənd/; Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə] ( Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remaining area and is located in the north-east of the island. The island's geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several navigable rivers extending inland. Prehistoric Ireland saw the arrival of humans after 8000 BC. Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the fields of literature and, to a lesser degree, science and education. History Prehistoric Ireland During the last glacial period, and up until about 9000 years ago, most of Ireland was covered with ice. From about 4500 BC Neolithic settlers arrived introducing cereal cultivars, a housing culture (similar to those of the same period in Scotland) and stone monuments. Emergence of Celtic Ireland
Silicon Valley An aerial view of Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a nickname for the South Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States. The region occupies roughly the same area as the Santa Clara Valley where it is centered, including San Jose and surrounding towns, where most of the companies are located. It is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations, as well as thousands of small startups.[1] The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all high-tech businesses in the area, and is now generally used as a metonym for the American high-technology sector. Origin of the term[edit] The term Silicon Valley was coined by Ralph Vaerst, a successful Central California entrepreneur. Demographics[edit] Depending on what geographic regions are included in the meaning of the term, the population of Silicon Valley is between 3.5 million and 4 million. History[edit]
Sweden Sweden ( i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( )), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige ), is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. Sweden borders Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.7 million.[1] Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54/sq mi), with the population mostly concentrated in the southern half of the country. Etymology Main article: Name of Sweden The etymology of Swedes, and thus Sweden, is generally not agreed upon but may derive from Proto-Germanic Swihoniz meaning "one's own",[18] referring to one's own Germanic tribe. History Prehistory A Vendel-era helmet, at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities. Viking and Middle Ages Viking expeditions (blue): going into Russia were Swedish Vikings. St.
Japan Japan i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nippon or Nihon; formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the "State of Japan") is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why the country is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands, the four largest being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. Periodic insurrections and civil disturbances continued into the 1870s. Etymology The English word Japan derives from the Chinese pronunciation of the Japanese name, 日本 , which in Japanese is pronounced Nippon listen or Nihon listen . History Prehistory and ancient history Feudal era
Standard of living Standard of living refers to the level of wealth, comfort, material goods and necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area. The standard of living includes factors such as income, quality and availability of employment, class disparity, poverty rate, quality and affordability of housing, hours of work required to purchase necessities, gross domestic product, inflation rate, number of holiday days per year, affordable (or free) access to quality healthcare, quality and availability of education, life expectancy, incidence of disease, cost of goods and services, infrastructure, national economic growth, economic and political and stability, political and religious freedom, environmental quality, climate and safety. The standard of living is closely related to quality of life.[1] In 2012, the Human Development Index ranked the top six countries for quality of living as: Norway, Australia, United States, Netherlands, Germany and New Zealand.[2]
Greece Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα, Elláda, pronounced [eˈlaða] ( )), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a] Ellīnikī́ Dīmokratía)[11] and known since ancient times as Hellas (Greek: Ἑλλάς), is a country in Southern Europe.[12] According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around 11 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city. Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of Mycenaean Greece and is considered the cradle of all Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy,[16] Western philosophy,[17] the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles,[18] and Western drama,[19] including both tragedy and comedy. The cultural and technological achievements of Greece greatly influenced the world, with many aspects of Greek civilization being imparted to the East through Alexander the Great's campaigns, and to the West through the Roman Empire. History
Mexico Mexico ( i/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México [ˈmexiko] ( )), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos ),[9][10][11][12] is a federal republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico.[13] Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi),[12] Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent nation in the world. In pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before first contact with Europeans. Etymology The suffix -co is the Nahuatl locative, making the word a place name. The official name of the country has changed as the form of government has changed. History Ancient cultures Archaic period Conquest (1519)
List of places with "Silicon" names The following list contains places with "Silicon" names, that is, places with nicknames actually (or apparently) inspired by the Silicon Valley nickname given to part of the San Francisco Bay Area: Africa[edit] Asia[edit] Australasia[edit] Silicon Mallee — Adelaide, Australia (Mallee, an Australian aboriginal word for the land area around Adelaide covered by low, scrubby dwarf eucalyptus 'mallee' vegetationSilicon Welly — Wellington in New ZealandSilicon St, Sydney An inner city colloquial district including Ultimo/Pyrmont along Harris St spanning 10sqkms from UTS to Google including Fishburners Europe[edit] Germany[edit] United Kingdom[edit] Middle East[edit] South America[edit] North America[edit] United States[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] Comprehensive list of "Silicon" names