In two decades of Ba'thist rule, Syria has evolved into a centralized, one-party, secular, authoritarian nation-state, which may be destabilized in the 1980s as a result of the conflict in Lebanon and internal Islamic opposition. (RM)

Columbus sighted Jamaica during his second voyage and was marooned there for more than a year during his fourth. The succession of early maps of Jamaica betrays its slow development and its unimportance to early colonizers. Modern tourism is the elusive "gold" which the Spanish fortune hunters did not find. (CS)

The Aboriginal Australians traditionally were a homogeneous people, living as hunter-gatherers and dispersed across Australia. Today there are 176,300 Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia--more than one percent of the country's population. Their history and current problems are examined. (RM)

The roots of Cyprus' ethnic antagonisms and the issues in the currently stalemated negotiations are described. (RM)

Australians are known for their egalitarian spirit, manifested by a dislike of social pretension and affectation. A brief history of the country from the time of its establishment in 1788 as a dumping ground for Britain's unwanted criminals to the present is presented. (RM)

Australia is an independent nation-state, federally constituted under a democratic parliamentary system. Being part of the Commonwealth of Nations, with feelings of loyalty to the Crown, Australia is also a democratic monarchy. Its political structure is discussed. (RM)

Maintains that United States foreign policy toward South Africa has been "found wanting" since 1948. Focuses on the failure of President Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement," and details what must be done to bring about an end to apartheid. (JDH)

Reviews the historical and cultural roots of the South African system of apartheid. Covers early Dutch settlement, the Anglo-Boer War, the Native Land Act of 1913, and the rise of the National Party. Concludes with a discussion of the different perspectives held by black and white South Africans on the "progress" made in recent years.…

This article presents a chronology of significant events in the struggle to end white domination in South Africa. The period covered is 1943 to 1986. (JDH)

Describes the striking dichotomy of South Africa's beauty and the squalor resulting from the apartheid policies of the government. Reviews reactions of black South Africans to recent constitutional changes and details efforts to secure more sweeping reform. Includes stories of several individuals who have taken actions which oppose the system of…

Australia has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Agriculture, grazing, and mining are the mainstays of the country's economy. Since the end of World War II, Australia has developed an advanced industrial base that manufactures a wide range of goods, from automobiles to clothespins. (RM)

Cultural freedom involves the ability to recognize and participate imaginatively in the exploration of one's own environment for the sake of one's self and one's people and the ability to transcend that environment and speak to all people. Australian artists, writers, poets, music, and oral literature are discussed. (RM)

Describes the political development of post-colonial Africa. Continuing tension has existed between single party and multi-party solutions to political organization and between mass movements and elitism. While Africans have been responive to socialist rhetoric, the primacy of ethnicity and the weak class structure have militated against genuine…

Provides a picture essay of the history of the Ohio River. Describes paintings and photographs displayed on the "Always a River" barge, a joint state humanities council project focusing on the Ohio River. Explains relationships between art works, artists, and historical change along the river. (CH)

Describes the ethnic history and the economic development of Jamaica from its beginnings as a Spanish colony through British rule to post-World War II independence. Rastafarianism, an extremist Black nationalist movement, arose after independence. Its militancy is due to an overwhelmingly Black majority population, with few countervailing ethnic…