Africa – the very name of this continent flashes the idea of untamed forests in our minds. This is also the place where the human civilization is believed to have started its first journey. But very few among us are aware how this continent got its name. Studies have brought about different theories about this matter. Still some of them are well established with factual proofs.
North Africa, the place near Carthage is one of the main places where the African civilization saw its first days. Now, people living in this part of the continent were known as ‘Afri’. The word means ‘dust’ in English and it was pronounced as ‘afar’. It is also believed that a Berber word ‘Ifri’ might have given birth to the term ‘Afri’.
In Latin, the word ‘Aprica’ means a place which enjoys sunshine. The Greek word ‘Aphrike’, on the other hand, means a place which is not cold. So there are assumptions to form a theory that the name Africa may have come from a Latin or Greek origin. This theory was formed for the first time by a 15th century historian Leo Africanus. He also mentioned that the Greek term ‘Phrike’ donates a sense of horror. So it may be so that the origin of the name of this continent may be related to some ominous thought.

Cartography is the name of the subject which is associated with the making of maps. From the ancient times many have tried to make a proper map of the world. Reading about these ancient map makers is very interesting. It was a time when no satellite was there to take photographs of this planet from the space. Therefore most of the maps were based upon researches and assumptions.
The first map of the world has been discovered from an Anatolian city which is known as Catal Huyuk. As far as it can be known, this map was made in the 7th millennium before the birth of Jesus Christ. This earliest map showed mainly the directions but no clarification was present regarding the countries. 
Examples of early cartography from India are available from the age of Ramayana. Indians were aware of the importance of the Pole Star as an indication of a fixed direction. From the 15th century, cartography became comparatively easier with the inventions of compass, telescope and sextant. The surveying techniques also improved a lot helping the explorers to get authentic idea about the maps of the various places.
Today there are different types of maps of the world based on different themes. Therefore these maps are known as thematic maps. Students and researchers depend on these thematic maps more than the general ones. There are also topographic maps which have become very popular in the recent days.

As the 2008 summer games is being held all eyes are set on China, the hosting nation. The country is well known for its glorious past, rich heritage and culture. Considered as the most populous country of the world, China offers a plethora of natural beauty and several historical monuments which includes the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. UNESCO has also recognized this Great Wall of China as a World Heritage Site.

The Great wall of China is a series of earthen and stone fortifications that stretches over 6400 Km. Built, rebuilt and maintains between 6^th century BC to 16^th Century AD the great wall of China is a historical monument built by the Chinese emperors. The purpose of building this stone and earthen fortification was to protect the north border of china from invasion and Xiongnu attack.

During your trip to Asia you must visit this massive structure. Standing on the great wall of china you are sure to wonder how the people of China built this massive structure in ancient age without the help of any modern tool. The massive structure has earned its due reputation as one of the seven wonders of the world.

Europe is the homeland for many of the major successful countries in the whole world. Civilizations began on this land from the prehistoric ages. For the proper understanding of the history of this continent, one must go through the map of Europe. Locations of various countries in this continent matters greatly in this subject. There are several evidences of the presence of Homo erectus and Neanderthals long before the birth of Homo sapiens whom we consider as modern human beings.
Georgia is one of the countries where the traces of early human beings have been found. Basically Central Europe is the region which is known for the birthplace of modern human beings. In this matter the name of Trypillian Civilization has to be mentioned. Camunni is also one of the earliest civilizations which bloomed in Italy. The main change and development took place during the Copper Age in this continent. There are also proofs which supports the theory that Europeans have mainly come from the Central part of Asia.
The Classical Age began mainly in Greece and in some of the surrounding countries of this land. Among the main civilizations which grew here  the mentionable ones are Minoans and Mycenaean. All these took place in about 2nd millennium before the birth of Christ.

Greece – the very name of the country dawns the idea of history in our minds. This land is known for all the marvels to which the past of this country have been the witness since the prehistoric age. Going through an ancient map Greece will come up to you as one of the most successful countries in the whole world. This is the place where the first Renaissance took place and human beings were given more priority than the gods. Democracy, in its full form, was the creation of this country. Therefore, to know the history of this planet, you cannot avoid Greece for her contributions.
Literature, science, and philosophy – these were the three fields in which people of this country excelled to a great extent. This is the country of people like Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Homer and many others as well. Architectural patterns which were created in the golden age of this country still draw the attention of thousands of tourists who come from all the corners of the world. The map of Greece has also given birth to some of the known mysteries of history. Among them the position of Atlantis the much discussed island is included.
Mapsofworld.com is one of the best websites which will give you the chance to go through a detailed map of Greece. From this map you will be able to decipher how the history in this country cut through its own way.

Ratko Mladic, who is one of the associates of Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian leader, is the most wanted fugitive of the country. After the arrest of Karadzic, Mladic is one of the most wanted Serbian war crimes suspect. Like Karadzic, Rakto Mladic is also indicted of the atrocities during the 44 months siege of Sarajevo and the July 1995 massacre, which left more than 15,000 people dead.

Karadzic, who has been presented before the International Criminal Court at The Hague, is considered to be the mastermind behind the atrocities during the Bosnian war between 1992 and 1995. But, it is said that Ratko Mladic was the executor of Karadzic’s plans.

Now 66 years old, Mladic has evaded arrest for over a decade. It is believed that he has been hiding in military bases across Serbia all these years. It is also believed that he lives in Srpska, which is the Serb dominated pert of Bosnia. His arrest will give the Karadzic Case a new dimension. The whole world is waiting for the arrest of this stern-faced, chess-playing general of Radovan Karadzic.

Our world is full of mysteries and the island of Atlantis is obviously one of them. It is still a mystery whether this island really existed somewhere in the Europe map. It is not possible to guess where this island was located coming across all the modern Europe maps. The name of this island and some details are available in Plato’s writings. Since then, geologists and historians have no other options than just to make assumptions about its actual location.
Plato’s ‘Dialogues’ is considered as a literary masterpiece and he has confidently described the Utopian  society which existed on this island. Greece is one of the main countries in the European map. And as the idea of the Atlantis has evolved from this country, it has been guessed that this island actually existed somewhere near this country. Trysts have been made by the researchers to supply evidences supporting their theories but nothing concrete has come out.
Francis Bacon is another person who describes the New Atlantis society. But in his writings, Atlantis has been described to be located somewhere close to the American continent. It has also been suspected that this island existed in the Neolithic Age. The Pillars of Hercules have been described in many of the writings as the landmark of this island but until now, none has been successful in locating these pillars anywhere in the map.