A cluster of five countries-Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, & Cost Rica-are commonly referred to as Central America. Although these nations differ in their histories...

Colombia in the 1980s became known for its role in the illegal drug trade, and for political instability and violence caused by this problem. But much of this is a recent development in Colombia's...

This island was once a clearing house for importing slaves into the New World. It later became one of the world's few remaining bastions of Marxism, proclaiming socio-economic equality. In both...

At the end of World War II, the United States and Soviet Russia vied for dominance around the world. This contest was called the Cold War. Both Korea and Vietnam felt the full brunt of this...

In 1540, Mexico was declared to be New Spain. With a diverse culture and great natural resources, it should have prospered like its northern neighbor. But Mexico's history includes political...

More than half of the world's oil comes from Persian Gulf states. Political instability and religious strife here threaten to interrupt the world's economic routines. This presentation...

South Africa has become the world's symbol of racism. From the moment the Dutch colonists set foot on the Cape in 1652, this nation has steered a straight course toward apartheid; civil unrest has...

By the turn of the twentieth century, the United States had evolved from a colony into an international power. As a result of the Spanish-American War, America acquired colonies in both the Atlantic...

World War II reshaped the map of the world. No longer would Europe be the center of world power. As the continent exhausted itself in yet another war, two...

What was the ultimate cost of World War II? For the Axis peoples, it was defeat, humiliation, and economic ruin. For the Allied peoples, the price was more...