Christians, Jews, and Moslems in medieval Spain
Due partly to the weakness of its Visigothic rulers, partly to its proximity to Africa, the Iberian peninsula was conquered by Berbers and by Arabs belonging to the Ommayad Dynasty of Damascus. This program describes the history of Spain from the ti...
Tuvalu: keeping heads above water
Scientists expect the island nation of Tuvalu to disappear into the sea during the next few decades. If that is true, what will become of the country's citizens and its unique South Pacific culture? Should the traumatic task of evacuation begin now,...
California : History: the first inhabitants to the American Civil War
California is a state with a long and diverse history, a state of many peoples: From the first Paleolithic hunters settling its coasts 15,000 years ago, to the Spanish explorers and settlers of the 18th century, to the waves of immigrants from Ameri...
California : Geography: deserts, rivers, earthquakes, and human geography
In this program, we will look at why California is an earthquake prone region, lay out its human geography, and explore its geographic regions - not formed by geologically recent tectonic activity - and their related ecosystems.
California : Geography: coastline, mountain ranges and valleys
Fog-shrouded rocky coastlines, spectacular mountain peaks, rich agricultural valleys, vast barren deserts. California's astonishing physical geography is dominated by rugged north-south running mountains separated by huge valleys. This program looks...
America the rude
As common courtesy becomes less common and good taste is all but a contradiction of terms, Americans continue to push the envelope of socially acceptable behavior. Does the Golden Rule still apply, or are people too busy to care about the feelings o...
Eight million gods: the Japanese matsuri festival
This program examines the Japanese matsuri or "summer festival," perhaps the best elucidation of that country's ancient polytheism. Ceremony footage from Tokyo and surrounding areas illustrates various festival activities and explores the Japanese c...
Wind of change: the end of colonialism in Africa
This program seeks to understand nationalism in black Africa through the experiences of the Gold Coast, French Guinea, and the Belgian Congo, the first colonies of Britain, France, and Belgium to win independence after World War II. The devastating ...
Once upon a time: Baghdad during the Abbasid dynasty
The victory of the Abbasids over the Umayyads signified much more than the replacement of one dynasty with another. With it, Islam saw the birth of a multiethnic concept of power, in which both Arab and non-Arab Muslims could share authority. This p...
Ladies first: Rwandan women help heal their nation
After genocide ripped their nation apart in the 1990s, the women of Rwanda have led the healing process and have helped usher in a much-needed era of stability. By depicting the multifaceted efforts of women activists to build a sustainable peace be...