Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/2020 i ASIAN Geographic

“Every tree and plant in the meadow seemed to be dancing, those which average eyes would see as fixed and still.”— Rumi When I was a child, my grandparents used to tell me tales about tribes that would travel to their village in India, carrying with them their families, livelihoods, and homes, only to move again in a couple of weeks, leaving nothing but footsteps. I was fascinated, and always thought about these tribes having a life so large it could be established anywhere – across towns, countries, and even borders. This Wood issue encapsulates these lives led by the nomads of Asia, stories of powerful women, and a look at the unprecedented challenges facing China and the wider region due to the coronavirus pandemic. We have taken the element…

Amidst the chaos of the coronavirus outbreak in China, photos of medical personnel are circulating on social media, showing doctors and nurses with painful marks left from their protective face masks as they fall asleep on the floors of the hospital after punishingly long shifts. Workers must wear protective gear that is very heavy and tightly secured to help prevent infection. The suits and face masks have left many hospital workers with sores and blisters on their faces and bodies. Nurses in China, and other affected countries and regions, are at the frontline of detecting, managing and preventing the spread of the virus. They are working incredibly hard and long hours, with both courage and compassion, in extremely difficult and stressful circumstances. Putting on a brave face, they are treating…

Since the SARS outbreak 18 years ago, a large number of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV) have been discovered in their natural reservoir host: bats. Full-length genome sequences were obtained from five patients at the early stage of the outbreak. They are almost identical to each other and share 79.5% sequence identity to SARS-CoV. Furthermore, it was found that SARS-CoV-2 is 96% identical at the whole-genome level to a bat coronavirus. The pairwise protein sequence analysis of seven conserved non-structural proteins show that this virus belongs to the species of SARSrelated coronavirus (SARSr-CoV). The SARS-CoV-2 virus was then isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of a critically ill patient, which can be neutralised by sera from several patients. Importantly, it has been confirmed that this novel CoV uses the…

3100 BC GOLD & SILVER EGYPT As far back as 3100 BC, we have evidence of a gold/silver value ratio in the code of Menes, the founder of the first Egyptian dynasty. In this code, it is stated, “one part of gold is equal to two and one half parts of silver in value”. This makes it one of the earliest forms of definitive currency. 2500 BC COWRY SHELLS CHINA More than 3,000 years ago, during the Qin Dynasty, China led the ancient world by introducing shells as a medium of exchange and unit of account in commerce. The character for “shell” (贝) is an important component in Chinese and almost all things or acts concerning money have the component of the shell: fortune, poverty, goods, trade, businessman, tribute, greed,…

In Afghanistan, a woman dies every 27 minutes from pregnancy-related complications. At 6.5 percent (6,500 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births), the maternal mortality rate in Badakhshan Province is the highest in the world. Over the course of her lifetime, an Afghan woman’s chance of dying in childbirth or from pregnancy complications is one in eight, compared to one in 8,000 in the developed world. There is nothing poetic about these deaths; the birth of any child is a miracle, but in Afghanistan, it often comes at too high a price. With a nominal per-capita GDP of just US$585 (International Monetary Fund, April 2012), Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries on Earth. More than three decades of conflict with forces both external and internal have ravaged what infrastructure there…

• Acetaminophen • Aconitine • Amitriptyline hydrochloride • Amphetamine • Antimony • Antipyrine • Arsenic • Aspirin • Atropine • Barbital barbiturates • Benzodiazepines • Cantharides • Camphor • Chlordane • Chloroquine • Chlorpheniramine • Chlorpromazine • Cocaine • Colchicine • Congesprin • Contac • Dalmane • Darvon • Delphinium • 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid • Digitalis orfoxglove • Dilantin • Diphenylhydantoin • Diphenoxylates • Doriden • Doxepin • Elaterin • Elavil • Equanil • Ergotamine • Ethchlorvynol • Gasoline • Glutethimide • Golden chain • Hemlock • Hexachlorophene • Imipramine • Iodine • Ipecac • Isoniazid • Kerosene • Lead acetate • Malathion • Mefenamic acid • Meprobamate • Mercuric chloride • Mercury • Methylene blue • Methyl salicylate • Miltown • Morphine • Multivitamins with minerals • Muscarin •…

For many years, I had my eyes on a remote part of Indonesia called West Papua where tribes still live today traditionally, isolated from the modern world we know. They inhabit mountains above 1,500 metres, reachable only by chartered plane or after several days walking through difficult terrain. Few people have travelled here, but the rare photographs I saw and stories I read on these highlands tribes always inspired me greatly. My decision to travel here was actually made when I saw the documentary The Salt of the Earth from German filmmaker Wim Wenders. It portrays the career and works of photographer Sebastiao Salgado with a few sequences shot when he travelled to West Papua to photograph the Yali tribes in 2010. His images fascinated me and I needed to…

“Bura na mano Holi hai ” or, Do not mind, it s Holi! Text Shreya Acharya Holi is one of the major festivals of India and is celebrated on different dates every year. This Indian festival follows two legends, and is observed at the end of winter, in the month of March, after the full moon. The ritual starts by lighting up the bonfire one day before the day of Holi, symbolising the triumph of good over the bad. On the day of Holi people play with colours and drench each other in coloured water through water guns or balloons. https://bit.ly/3b88gXw International Polar Bear Day: Meet the Snow Giants Text Sitaraah Joshi Our Earth is home to several majestic species, each having their own role to play in the eco-system.…

Surgical Mask Fluid resistant, protects wearer against large droplets Does not protect against smaller airbone particles Loose fitting – allows leakage around the edges If you are sick, wearing a mask prevents spreading your germs to others. However, if you are well and want to wear a mask for protection, make sure you wash your hands before putting it on and every time you touch it as you could transfer germs from your dirty hands to the mask. Also, ensure that you are wearing the mask properly: It should fit snugly against your face with no gaps to allow the viruses to get through. Change the mask when it becomes soiled or damp as this reduces its effectiveness. Face masks are designed to catch large contaminants and particles. There are…

With its first appearance as far back as 2000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, banking has come a long way, becoming one of the most vital aspects of life today. During Assyrian and Babylonian rule some 4,000 years ago, the first signs of banking were observed in temples and royal palaces that provided secure spaces for the storage of grain and other commodities of that time. Soon, the use of receipts was implemented to serve as proof of the grains or other goods being transferred to the bank and later on, to third parties as well. Not long after, the temples and palaces began giving out loans with interest (as high as 20 to 30 percent), further cementing another layer of what we now recognise as banking. Three hundred years later,…

IN FIGURES ESTIMATED 370 to 500 million indigenous people living in the world REPRESENTS 5,000 different cultures SPREAD ACROSS 90 countries across all geographic regions Many indigenous languages are under threat – it is estimated that one dies every two weeks While making up less than 5 percent of the world’s population, indigenous people account for 15 percent of the poorest LIFE EXPECTANCY of indigenous people is as much as 20 years lower than that of their non-indigenous counterparts 700 million indigenous women and men depend on forests for their livelihoods…

The Igorots comprise six ethnolinguistic tribes known as the Ibaloy, Kankana-ey, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao/Isneg, and the Bontoc. Unlike most of the Philippines, which was colonised by Spain for about four hundred years, the Cordillera region generally escaped interference. Part of this was likely due to the rugged terrain of the area but also because of the fierce nature of the people, who would not surrender easily to outsiders. It wasn’t until the early 1900s when the American Episcopal church came into some areas of the Cordilleras and people started to convert to Christianity and get a formal education. Historically, the people of the Cordilleras were never a united people, and there are peace pacts in place to keep order among many of the tribes. Many groups now proudly proclaim themselves…

Muir Woods Muir Woods is one of the only remaining old-growth redwood forests in the Bay Area. The cool hush of this thousand-year-old forest, with a floor teeming with all manner of fungi, ferns and wood sorrel is guaranteed to take you into another world. There are three loops of varying lengths, depending on how much time you’d like to dedicate to your trek. Further afield, dirt trails run along the canyon and branch off into nearby Mount Tamalpais State Park. The loops are paved or on boardwalks, but given the amount of fog and moisture hanging in the forest air, the steeper dirt trails can get muddy, so come prepared. There is no Wi Fi around the grounds and no cellular service in Muir Woods itself – so get…

“十年树木 › 百年树人 。”— It takes ten years to cultivate wood, and a hundred years to cultivate man.From the works of Guan Zhong, a politician in the Spring and Autumn Period, on education. It is wood. But other than its diverse physical nature, in Chinese philosophy, wood, sometimes translated as “tree”, represents the growth of matter. Wood is the first phase of wu xing, and in Taoism, its attributes are considered to be strength and flexibility. Trees and bamboo are our closest concept to the element of wood. Wood corresponds to spring, and is referred to as “young yang”. It covers and penetrates the earth, growing, rooted, and proliferating rapidly. Wood is flexible, yielding, strong and durable. Wood expands away from its centre, grasping the deep Earth essence and drawing…

On January 23, 2020, the first known instance in modern history of locking down a major city of 11 million people happened when the central government of the People's Republic of China imposed a lockdown in Hubei in an effort to prevent an epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO), stating that it was beyond its own guidelines, commended China’s move, calling it “unprecedented in public health history”. Wuhan is a “second-tier” Chinese city, which means it’s relatively developed but still a step below China’s major metropolises of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. It has well-regarded hospitals, but resources lag behind those of more prominent cities. In the early days of the virus’ spread, prevarication and delay by local officials also allowed the pathogen to circulate more widely among an unsuspecting public.…

Face Goggles or face shield to prevent exposure of the eye mucosa to the virus. The goggles must fit the contours of the user’s face and be compatible with the respirator Respiratory FFP2* or FFP3* If filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators are not available, the use of a surgical or procedural mask is recommended Body Disposable long-sleeved water-resistant gown Mobile phones wrapped in plastic Extra protection layer Adult nappies: “When doctors and nurses are in the ward, dressed in protective clothing that seals them off from the environment, they cannot eat, drink or go to the bathroom”** Shoes wrapped in plastic * DISPOSABLE OR HALF-FACE DUST MASKS FOR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION AGAINST PARTICULATE HAZARDS AND AIRBORNE PARTICLES LIKE DUSTS, POWDERS AND AEROSOLS. **HAN DING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PEKING UNION MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL…

While much of the world’s attention is rightly focused on the human toll of COVID-19, the economic toll of the outbreak also has potentially disastrous implications. According to the World Economic Forum, the spreading coronavirus is taking a toll on economic players around the world, from farmers in the Americas, to manufacturers of solar panels in India, to tourism workers across Asia. China, home to the majority of confirmed cases so far, has been dubbed the “world’s factory” due to the significant portion of global manufacturing that now typically takes place there. Data analysis firm IHS Markit predicts that the new coronavirus outbreak will be worse for the global economy than the 2003 SARS epidemic was – costing the global economy about USD40 billion. As China is no longer only…

NORTH ASIA RUSSIA (Russian rouble) USD1 = RUR66.42 Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky (5,000 ruble) A Russian statesman and diplomat, he played a major role in the expansion of the Russian Empire into the Amur River basin and to the shores of the Sea of Japan CENTRAL ASIA KAZAKHSTAN (Kazakh tenge) USD1 = KZT376.11 Astana Bayterek monument Monument and observation tower in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan KYRGYZSTAN (Kyrgyz som) USD1 = KGS69.85 Suimenkul Chokmorov (5,000 som) A respected film actor born in Chong-Tash village, Soviet Kirghizia (now Kyrgyzstan) TAJIKISTAN (Tajik somoni) USD1 = TJS9.70 Abuabdullo Rudaki (500 somoni) He is considered the founder of Persian classical literature TURKMENISTAN (Turkmen manat) USD1 = TMT3.50 Saparmurat Niyazov (500 manat) The First Secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991, he continued to lead…

The story of charcoal cannot be nailed down to any civilisation, continent or century. A myriad tales, however, point to several firsts of this carbonaceous material in man’s voluminous history book. It probably began when the cold north wind swept across the deserts of Western Asia, and the season for using natural wood charcoal made an appearance. The history of charcoal comes in the wake of the origins of fire – evidence of cooked food is found from 1.9 million years ago, although fire was probably not used in a controlled fashion until 400,000 years ago. Substantiation becomes widespread around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, suggesting regular use from this time. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood, sugar, bone char, or other substances in the…

NEPAL'S TRIBAL POPULATION 36% of 29.1 million people INDIA'S TRIBAL POPULATION 8.6% of 1.3 billion people THAILAND'S TRIBAL POPULATION 7.2% of 69.8 million people BANGLADESH 'S TRIBAL POPULATION 1.8% of 164.7 million people MALAYSIA'S TRIBAL POPULATION 13.8% of 32.4 million people CHINA'S TRIBAL POPULATION 8.5% of 1.4 billion people MYANMAR 'S TRIBAL POPULATION 32% of 54.4 million people CAMBODIA'S TRIBAL POPULATION 2-3% of 16.7 million people TAIWAN'S TRIBAL POPULATION 2.4% of 23.8 million people VIETNAM'S TRIBAL POPULATION 14.6% of 97.3 million people PHILIPPINES'S TRIBAL POPULATION 15% of 109.5 million people…

Down in the deep south of Russia, past Novosibirsk into the valleys of the Altai ranges is the tiny village of Kurai. With only one general store, this village serves the trickle of travellers journeying overland towards the western border of Mongolia 200 kilometres away. Kurai has been our unplanned home for the last three days after a stop at the border revealed a padlocked gate with a sign informing us that the guards will only be back in two days when the weather gets warmer. The village of Kurai has seen a growing influx of travellers accessing Mongolia via this route. And villagers have seen improvements to their standard of living thanks to these visitors stopping by for rest and refreshments. In our last three nights, we stayed with…