Interview

An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. 　In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee. 　The interviewer asks questions to which the interviewee responds, usually providing information. 　That information may be used or provided to other audiences immediately or later. 　This feature is common to many types of interviews – a job interview or interview with a witness to an event may have no other audience present at the time, but the answers will be later provided to others in the employment or investigative process. 　An interview may also transfer information in both directions. 　Interviews usually take place face-to-face, in person, but the parties may instead be separated geographically, as in videoconferencing or telephone interviews. 　Interviews almost always involve spoken conversation between two or more parties. 　In some instances a "conversation" can happen between two persons who type their questions and answers. 　Interviews can be unstructured, free-wheeling and open-ended conversations without predetermined plan or prearranged questions. 　One form of unstructured interview is a focused interview in which the interviewer consciously and consistently guides the conversation so that the interviewee's responses do not stray from the main research topic or idea. 　Interviews can also be highly structured conversations in which specific questions occur in a specified order. 　They can follow diverse formats; for example, in a ladder interview, a respondent's answers typically guide subsequent interviews, with the object being to explore a respondent's subconscious motives. 　Typically the interviewer has some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the interviewee, often by keeping notes with a pencil and paper, or with a video or audio recorder. 　Interviews usually have a limited duration, with a beginning and an ending. 　The traditionally two-person interview format, sometimes called a one-on-one interview, permits direct questions and follow-ups, which enables an interviewer to better gauge the accuracy and relevance of responses. 　It is a flexible arrangement in the sense that subsequent questions can be tailored to clarify earlier answers. 　Further, it eliminates possible distortion due to other parties being present. 　Face to face interviewing helps both parties to interact and form a connection, and understand the other. 　Further, face to face interview sessions can be more enjoyable.

Domain (biology)

In biological taxonomy, a domain (/dəˈmeɪn/ or /doʊˈmeɪn/) (Latin: regio), also dominion, superkingdom, realm, or empire, is the highest taxonomic rank of all organisms taken together. 　It was introduced in the three-domain system of taxonomy devised by Carl Woese, Otto Kandler and Mark Wheelis in 1990. 　According to the domain system, the tree of life consists of either three domains such as Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya, or two domains consisting of Archaea and Bacteria, with Eukarya included in Archaea. 　The first two are all prokaryotes, single-celled microorganisms without a membrane-bound nucleus. 　All organisms that have a cell nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles are included in Eukarya. 　Non-cellular life is not included in this system. 　Alternatives to the three-domain system include the earlier two-empire system (with the empires Prokaryota and Eukaryota), and the eocyte hypothesis (with two domains of Bacteria and Archaea, with Eukarya included as a branch of Archaea).

Label

A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. 　Information printed directly on a container or article can also be considered labelling. 　Labels have many uses, including promotion and providing information on a product's origin, the manufacturer (e.g., brand name), use, safety, shelf-life and disposal, some or all of which may be governed by legislation such as that for food in the UK or United States. 　Methods of production and attachment to packaging are many and various and may also be subject to internationally recognised standards. 　In many countries, hazardous products such as poisons or flammable liquids must have a warning label.

Label (sociology)

A label is an abstract concept in sociology used to group people together based on perceived or held identity. 　Labels are a mode of identifying social groups. 　Labels can create a sense of community within groups, but they can also cause harm when used to separate individuals and groups from mainstream society. 　Individuals may choose a label, or they may be assigned one by others. 　The act of labeling may affect an individual's behavior and their reactions to the social world. 　Symbolic interactionism and labeling theory both examine labels as a social concept, and emphasize the social weight of labels and labeling. 　Symbolic interactionism focuses on expectations of social roles, while labeling theory focuses on the social and individual consequences of labeling. 　Both theories link between labels and contexts and maintain that their meanings are socially defined rather than universal.

Frequency

Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. 　It is also occasionally referred to as temporal frequency for clarity, and is distinct from angular frequency. 　Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is equal to one event per second. 　The period is the interval of time between events, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency. 　For example, if a heart beats at a frequency of 120 times a minute (2 hertz), the period, T—the interval at which the beats repeat—is half a second (60 seconds divided by 120 beats). 　Frequency is an important parameter used in science and engineering to specify the rate of oscillatory and vibratory phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, audio signals (sound), radio waves, and light.

Farm

A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. 　The name is used for specialized units such as arable farms, vegetable farms, fruit farms, dairy, pig and poultry farms, and land used for the production of natural fiber, biofuel and other commodities. 　It includes ranches, feedlots, orchards, plantations and estates, smallholdings and hobby farms, and includes the farmhouse and agricultural buildings as well as the land. 　In modern times the term has been extended so as to include such industrial operations as wind farms and fish farms, both of which can operate on land or sea. 　There are about 570 million farms in the world, most of which are small and family-operated. 　Small farms with a land area of fewer than 2 hectares operate about 1% of the world's agricultural land, and family farms comprise about 75% of the world's agricultural land. 　Modern farms in developed countries are highly mechanized. 　In the United States, livestock may be raised on range, land and finished in feedlots and the mechanization of crop production has brought about a great decrease in the number of agricultural workers needed. 　In Europe, traditional family farms are giving way to larger production units. 　In Australia, some farms are very large because the land is unable to support a high stocking density of livestock because of climatic conditions. 　In less developed countries, small farms are the norm, and the majority of rural residents are subsistence farmers, feeding their families and selling any surplus products in the local market. 　Acres can hold the crops.

Address

An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used to give the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along with other identifiers such as house or apartment numbers and organization name. 　Some addresses also contain special codes, such as a postal code, to make identification easier and aid in the routing of mail. 　Addresses provide a means of physically locating a building. 　They are used in identifying buildings as the end points of a postal system and as parameters in statistics collection, especially in census-taking and the insurance industry. 　Address formats are different in different places, and unlike latitude and longitude coordinates, there is no simple mapping from an address to a location.

Independence

Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. 　The opposite of independence is the status of a dependent territory. 　The commemoration of the independence day of a country or nation celebrates when a country is free from all forms of foreign colonialism; free to build a country or nation without any interference from other nations. 　India got its independence in 1946

Communication

Communication is usually defined as the transmission of information. 　The term can also refer to the message itself or the field of inquiry studying these transmissions, also known as communication studies. 　There are some disagreements about the precise definition of communication, for example, whether unintentional or failed transmissions are also included and whether communication does not just transmit meaning but also create it. 　Models of communication aim to provide a simplified overview of its main components and their interaction. 　Many models include the idea that a source uses a coding system to express information in the form of a message. 　The source uses a channel to send the message to a receiver who has to decode it in order to understand its meaning. 　Channels are usually discussed in terms of the senses used to perceive the message, like hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste. 　Communication can be classified based on whether information is exchanged between humans, members of other species, or non-living entities such as computers. 　For human communication, an important distinction is between verbal and non-verbal communication. 　Verbal communication involves the exchange of messages in linguistic form. 　This can happen through natural languages, like English or Japanese, or through artificial languages, like Esperanto. 　Verbal communication includes spoken and written messages as well as the use of sign language. 　Non-verbal communication happens without the use of a linguistic system. 　There are many forms of non-verbal communication, for example, using body language, body position, touch, and intonation. 　Another important distinction is between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. 　Interpersonal communication happens between distinct individuals, such as greeting someone on the street or making a phone call. 　Intrapersonal communication, on the other hand, refers to communication with oneself. 　This can happen internally, as a form of inner dialog or daydreaming, or externally, for example, when writing down a shopping list or engaging in a monologue. 　Non-human forms of communication include animal and plant communication. 　Researchers in this field often formulate additional criteria for their definition of communicative behavior, like the requirement that the behavior serves a beneficial function for natural selection or that a response to the message is observed. 　Animal communication plays important roles for various species in the areas of courtship and mating, parent-offspring relations, social relations, navigation, self-defense, and territoriality. 　In the area of courtship and mating, for example, communication is used to identify and attract potential mates. 　An often-discussed example concerning navigational communication is the waggle dance used by bees to indicate to other bees where flowers are located. 　Due to the rigid cell walls of plants, their communication often happens through chemical means rather than movement. 　For example, various plants, like maple trees, release so-called volatile organic compounds into the air to warn other plants of a herbivore attack. 　Most communication takes place between members of the same species since its purpose is usually some form of cooperation, which is not as common between species. 　However, there are also forms of interspecies communication, mainly in cases of symbiotic relationships. 　For example, many flowers use symmetrical shapes and colors that stand out from their surroundings in order to communicate to insects where nectar is located to attract them. 　Humans also practice interspecies communication, for example, when interacting with pets. 　The field of communication includes various other issues, like communicative competence and the history of communication. 　Communicative competence refers to the ability to communicate well and applies both to the capability to formulate messages and to understand them. 　Two central aspects are that the communicative behavior is effective, i.e. that it achieves the individual's goal, and that it is appropriate, i.e. that it follows social standards and expectations. 　Human communication has a long history and how people exchange information has changed over time. 　These changes were usually triggered by the development of new communication technologies, such as the invention of writing systems (first pictographic and later alphabetic), the development of mass printing, the use of radio and television, and the invention of the internet.

Price

A price is the (usually not negative) quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services. 　In some situations, the price of production has a different name. 　If the product is a "good" in the commercial exchange, the payment for this product will likely be called its "price". 　However, if the product is "service", there will be other possible names for this product's name. 　For example, the graph on the bottom will show some situations A good's price is influenced by production costs, supply of the desired item, and demand for the product. 　A price may be determined by a monopolist or may be imposed on the firm by market conditions. 　Price can be quoted to currency, quantities of goods or vouchers. 　In modern economies, prices are generally expressed in units of some form of currency. 　(More specifically, for raw materials they are expressed as currency per unit weight, e.g. euros per kilogram or Rands per KG.) 　Although prices could be quoted as quantities of other goods or services, this sort of barter exchange is rarely seen. 　Prices are sometimes quoted in terms of vouchers such as trading stamps and air miles. 　In some circumstances, cigarettes have been used as currency, for example in prisons, in times of hyperinflation, and in some places during World War II. 　In a black market economy, barter is also relatively common. 　In many financial transactions, it is customary to quote prices in other ways. 　The most obvious example is in pricing a loan, when the cost will be expressed as the percentage rate of interest. 　The total amount of interest payable depends upon credit risk, the loan amount and the period of the loan. 　Other examples can be found in pricing financial derivatives and other financial assets. 　For instance the price of inflation-linked government securities in several countries is quoted as the actual price divided by a factor representing inflation since the security was issued. 　"Price" sometimes refers to the quantity of payment requested by a seller of goods or services, rather than the eventual payment amount. 　This requested amount is often called the asking price or selling price, while the actual payment may be called transaction price or traded price. 　Likewise, the bid price or buying price is the quantity of payment offered by a buyer of goods or services, although this meaning is more common in asset or financial markets than in consumer markets. 　Economic price theory asserts that in a free market economy the market price reflects interaction between supply and demand: the price is set so as to equate the quantity being supplied and that being demanded. 　In turn, these quantities are determined by the marginal utility of the asset to different buyers and to different sellers. 　Supply and demand, and hence price, may be influenced by other factors, such as government subsidy or manipulation through industry collusion. 　When a raw material or a similar economic good for sale at multiple locations, the law of one price is generally believed to hold. 　This essentially states that the cost difference between the locations cannot be greater than that representing shipping, taxes, other distribution costs and more.

Tax

A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or national), and tax compliance refers to policy actions and individual behaviour aimed at ensuring that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and securing the correct tax allowances and tax reliefs. 　The first known taxation took place in Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC. 　A failure to pay in a timely manner (non-compliance), along with evasion of or resistance to taxation, is punishable by law. 　Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as its labor equivalent. 　Most countries have a tax system in place, in order to pay for public, common societal, or agreed national needs and for the functions of government. 　Some levy a flat percentage rate of taxation on personal annual income, but most scale taxes are progressive based on brackets of annual income amounts. 　Most countries charge a tax on an individual's income as well as on corporate income. 　Countries or subunits often also impose wealth taxes, inheritance taxes, estate taxes, gift taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, payroll taxes, duties and/or tariffs. 　In economic terms, taxation transfers wealth from households or businesses to the government. 　This has effects on economic growth and economic welfare that can be both increased (known as fiscal multiplier) or decreased (known as excess burden of taxation). 　Consequently, taxation is a highly debated topic by some, although taxation is deemed necessary by general consensus in order for society to function and grow in an orderly and equitable manner, others such as libertarians and anarcho-capitalists denounce taxation broadly or in its entirety, classifying it as theft or extortion through coercion and the use of force.

Von

The term von ([fɔn]) is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means of or from. 　Nobility directories like the Almanach de Gotha often abbreviate the noble term von to v. In medieval or early modern names, the von particle was at times added to commoners' names; thus, Hans von Duisburg meant "Hans from [the city of] Duisburg". 　This meaning is preserved in Swiss toponymic surnames and in the Dutch van, which is a cognate of von but also does not necessarily indicate nobility.

Leadership

Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. 　The word "leadership" often gets viewed as a contested term. 　Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the concept, sometimes contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to leadership, and also (within the West) North American versus European approaches. 　U.S. academic environments define leadership as "a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common and ethical task". 　Basically, leadership can be defined as an influential power-relationship in which the power of one party (the "leader") promotes movement/change in others (the "followers"). 　Some have challenged the more traditional managerial views of leadership (which portray leadership as something possessed or owned by one individual due to their role or authority), and instead advocate the complex nature of leadership which is found at all levels of institutions, both within formal and informal roles.　[need quotation to verify] Studies of leadership have produced theories involving (for example) traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values,[need quotation to verify] charisma, and intelligence, among others.

Victoria (mythology)

In ancient Roman religion Victoria was the deified personification of victory. 　She first appears during the first Punic War, seemingly as a Romanised re-naming of Nike, the goddess of victory associated with Rome's Greek allies in the Greek mainland and in Magna Graecia. 　Thereafter she comes to symbolise Rome's eventual hegemony and right to rule. 　She is a deified abstraction, entitled to cult but unlike Nike, she has virtually no mythology of her own.

Victoria

Look up Victoria, victoria, victória, or victòria in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 　Victoria most commonly refers to: Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory Victoria, Seychelles, the capital city of the Seychelles Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901) Victoria may also refer to:

Avenue (archaeology)

In prehistoric archaeology, an avenue is a long, parallel-sided strip of land, measuring up to about 30m in width, open at either end, with edges marked by stone or timber alignments and/or a low earth bank and ditch. 　The term is used for such features all over the British Isles but they are concentrated in the centre and south of England. 　Most are either short and straight (Type I, less than 800m long), or long and curving (Type II, up to 2.5 km). 　It has been noted that they often link stone circles with rivers. 　They are a common element to Bronze Age ritual landscapes. 　Avenues are identified through their earthworks or using aerial archaeology, as their parallel features can be seen stretching over some distance. 　In most examples, it is the association of the avenue with other contemporary monuments that provides diagnosis. 　Avenues differ from cursus monuments, in that the latter also have earthworks at their terminal ends and have no upright stone or timber alignments. 　Avenues are thought to have been ceremonial or processional paths and to be of early Bronze Age date. 　They seem to have been used to indicate the intended route of approach to a particular monument. 　Examples in Britain include the Stonehenge Avenue, and Beckhampton Avenue and West Kennet Avenue at Avebury. 　An example in Ireland is the avenue going up the Hill of Tara.

Enemy

An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. 　The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". 　The term "enemy" serves the social function of designating a particular entity as a threat, thereby invoking an intense emotional response to that entity. 　The state of being or having an enemy is enmity, foehood or foeship.

Ma (Sumerian mythology)

Ma is a Sumerian word meaning "land" that in Sumerian mythology was also used to regard Primordial Land. 　There seems to be some loss in records as to the transition, but the same name Ma appears again later, also tied to the Earth, in Ma being referred to as "Mother of the mountain" - in this case, Kur (Mountain) the first dragon god. 　The underworld Kur is the void space between the primeval sea (Abzu) and the earth (Ma).

Deputy

Look up deputy, depute, députe, or député in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 　Deputy or depute may refer to: Steward (office) Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, Argentina, or Brazil. 　A member of a National Assembly, as in Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Costa Rica, France, Pakistan, Poland or Quebec. 　A member of the Dáil Éireann (Lower House of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland) A member of the States of Guernsey or the States of Jersey elected by a parish or district Deputy (Acadian), a position in 18th-century Nova Scotia, Canada Deputy Führer, a title for the deputy head of the Nazi Party A subordinate Deputy premier, a subordinate of the Premier and next-in-command in the cabinet of the Soviet Union and its successor countries, including: First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union, a subordinate of the Premier and the First Deputy Premier and third-in-command of the Soviet Government Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Deputy sheriff, deputized by a sheriff to perform the same duties as the sheriff Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency White House Deputy Chief of Staff Deputy marriage commissioner Deputy governor Deputy mayor Deputy overman (pit deputy) in a mine Deputy Speaker, in a legislative assembly

Determine

Determine (April 7, 1951 – September 27, 1972), was an American Thoroughbred race horse. 　In a racing career which lasted from 1953 through 1955, the California-trained colt ran forty-four times and won eighteen races. 　His best season was 1954 when he became the first gray horse to win the Kentucky Derby.

Entertainment

Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. 　It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience's attention. 　Although people's attention is held by different things because individuals have different preferences, most forms of entertainment are recognisable and familiar. 　Storytelling, music, drama, dance, and different kinds of performance exist in all cultures and were supported in royal courts and developed into sophisticated forms, over time becoming available to all citizens. 　The process has been accelerated in modern times by an entertainment industry that records and sells entertainment products. 　Entertainment evolves and can be adapted to suit any scale, ranging from an individual who chooses a private entertainment from a now enormous array of pre-recorded products; to a banquet adapted for two; to any size or type of party, with appropriate music and dance; to performances intended for thousands; and even for a global audience. 　The experience of being entertained has come to be strongly associated with amusement, so that one common understanding of the idea is fun and laughter, although many entertainments have a serious purpose. 　This may be the case in the various forms of ceremony, celebration, religious festival, or satire for example. 　Hence, there is the possibility that what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving insight or intellectual growth. 　An important aspect of entertainment is the audience, which turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment. 　The audience may have a passive role, as in the case of persons watching a play, opera, television show, or film; or the audience role may be active, as in the case of games, where the participant/audience roles may be routinely reversed. 　Entertainment can be public or private, involving formal, scripted performance, as in the case of theatre or concerts; or unscripted and spontaneous, as in the case of children's games. 　Most forms of entertainment have persisted over many centuries, evolving due to changes in culture, technology, and fashion for example with stage magic. 　Films and video games, for example, although they use newer media, continue to tell stories, present drama, and play music. 　Festivals devoted to music, film, or dance allow audiences to be entertained over a number of consecutive days. 　Some entertainment, such as public executions, are now illegal in most countries. 　Activities such as fencing or archery, once used in hunting or war, have become spectator sports. 　In the same way, other activities, such as cooking, have developed into performances among professionals, staged as global competitions and then broadcast for entertainment. 　What is entertainment for one group or individual may be regarded as work or an act of cruelty by another. 　The familiar forms of entertainment have the capacity to cross over different media and have demonstrated a seemingly unlimited potential for creative remix. 　This has ensured the continuity and longevity of many themes, images, and structures.

Crime

In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. 　The term crime does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. 　The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law. 　One proposed definition is that a crime or offence (or criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to some individual but also to a community, society, or the state ("a public wrong"). 　Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law. 　The notion that acts such as murder, rape, and theft are to be prohibited exists worldwide. 　What precisely is a criminal offence is defined by the criminal law of each relevant jurisdiction. 　While many have a catalogue of crimes called the criminal code, in some common law nations no such comprehensive statute exists. 　The state (government) has the power to severely restrict one's liberty for committing a crime. 　In modern societies, there are procedures to which investigations and trials must adhere. 　If found guilty, an offender may be sentenced to a form of reparation such as a community sentence, or, depending on the nature of their offence, to undergo imprisonment, life imprisonment or, in some jurisdictions, death. 　Usually, to be classified as a crime, the "act of doing something criminal" (actus reus) must – with certain exceptions – be accompanied by the "intention to do something criminal" (mens rea). 　While every crime violates the law, not every violation of the law counts as a crime. 　Breaches of private law (torts and breaches of contract) are not automatically punished by the state, but can be enforced through civil procedure.

Asia

Asia (/ˈeɪʒə/ (listen), also UK: /ˈeɪʃə/) is a continent which is part of Eurasia. 　It is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population and shares the landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Europe and Africa. 　Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 square kilometres (17,212,000 sq mi), about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8.7% of Earth's total surface area. 　The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. 　Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population, having more people than all other continents combined. 　In general terms, Asia is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. 　The border of Asia with Europe is a historical and cultural construct, as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them. 　It is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. 　The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East–West cultural, linguistic, and ethnic differences, some of which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line. 　A commonly accepted division places Asia to the east of the Suez Canal separating it from Africa; and to the east of the Turkish Straits, the Ural Mountains and Ural River, and to the south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black seas, separating it from Europe. 　China and India alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1,800 CE. 　China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east, and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia, attracting European commerce, exploration and colonialism. 　The accidental discovery of a trans-Atlantic route from Europe to America by Columbus while in search for a route to India demonstrates this deep fascination. 　The Silk Road became the main east–west trading route in the Asian hinterlands while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route. 　Asia has exhibited economic dynamism (particularly East Asia) as well as robust population growth during the 20th century, but overall population growth has since fallen. 　Asia was the birthplace of most of the world's mainstream religions including Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, as well as many other religions. 　Given its size and diversity, the concept of Asia—a name dating back to classical antiquity—may actually have more to do with human geography than physical geography.　[citation needed] Asia varies greatly across and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups, cultures, environments, economics, historical ties and government systems. 　It also has a mix of many different climates ranging from the equatorial south via the hot desert in the Middle East, temperate areas in the east and the continental centre to vast subarctic and polar areas in Siberia.

Speech

Speech is a human vocal communication using language. 　Each language uses phonetic combinations of vowel and consonant sounds that form the sound of its words (that is, all English words sound different from all French words, even if they are the same word, e.g., "role" or "hotel"), and using those words in their semantic character as words in the lexicon of a language according to the syntactic constraints that govern lexical words' function in a sentence. 　In speaking, speakers perform many different intentional speech acts, e.g., informing, declaring, asking, persuading, directing, and can use enunciation, intonation, degrees of loudness, tempo, and other non-representational or paralinguistic aspects of vocalization to convey meaning. 　In their speech, speakers also unintentionally communicate many aspects of their social position such as sex, age, place of origin (through accent), physical states (alertness and sleepiness, vigor or weakness, health or illness), psychological states (emotions or moods), physico-psychological states (sobriety or drunkenness, normal consciousness and trance states), education or experience, and the like. 　Although people ordinarily use speech in dealing with other persons (or animals), when people swear they do not always mean to communicate anything to anyone, and sometimes in expressing urgent emotions or desires they use speech as a quasi-magical cause, as when they encourage a player in a game to do or warn them not to do something. 　There are also many situations in which people engage in solitary speech. 　People talk to themselves sometimes in acts that are a development of what some psychologists (e.g., Lev Vygotsky) have maintained is the use of silent speech in an interior monologue to vivify and organize cognition, sometimes in the momentary adoption of a dual persona as self addressing self as though addressing another person. 　Solo speech can be used to memorize or to test one's memorization of things, and in prayer or in meditation (e.g., the use of a mantra). 　Researchers study many different aspects of speech: speech production and speech perception of the sounds used in a language, speech repetition, speech errors, the ability to map heard spoken words onto the vocalizations needed to recreate them, which plays a key role in children's enlargement of their vocabulary, and what different areas of the human brain, such as Broca's area and Wernicke's area, underlie speech. 　Speech is the subject of study for linguistics, cognitive science, communication studies, psychology, computer science, speech pathology, otolaryngology, and acoustics. 　Speech compares with written language, which may differ in its vocabulary, syntax, and phonetics from the spoken language, a situation called diglossia. 　The evolutionary origins of speech are unknown and subject to much debate and speculation. 　While animals also communicate using vocalizations, and trained apes such as Washoe and Kanzi can use simple sign language, no animals' vocalizations are articulated phonemically and syntactically, and do not constitute speech.