Cordoba’s Islamic Legacy: Art, Mosque, and Madinat al-Zahra
Art and Architecture of Islamic Cordoba
The Caliphate
In 750, the Abbasids moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. In the same year, they defeated the Umayyad family, killing all their princes except Abd Al-Rahman I. In 756, Abd Al-Rahman I fled, taking refuge in North Africa, and arrived in Cordoba, establishing the independent emirate. This involved significant conquests. In 929, Abd al-Rahman III proclaimed himself caliph, marking a golden age for Al-Andalus. Cordoba became the most populated
Read MoreGenetic Resources: Conservation and Classification
Genetic Resources: Types and Conservation
Since the nineteenth century, there has been a significant scientific breakthrough in the breeding and selection of cultivars and breeds. This has left aside many forms, and today, agriculture and livestock genetics rest on a very restricted base. There are five categories of genetic resources:
- Wild relatives: Share common ancestry with domesticated species but have remained wild. They have a very broad genetic base.
- Primitive races and cultures: Local varieties
Understanding the Tertiary Sector and Trade
Tertiary Activities
The tertiary sector is the economic sector that includes activities that do not produce material goods but serve the population.
The Diversity of the Services Sector
This sector encompasses a wide range of activities. The maximum expansion of the tertiary sector has been reached with the information society, which has produced scientific and technical development, to the point of being called the “tertiary revolution”.
The Upper Tertiary or Quaternary Sector
The tertiary sector continues
Read MoreNature and Society: Resources, Overexploitation, and Pollution
Relations Between Nature and Society
Dependence on Nature
Until the late nineteenth century, and in many cases well into the twentieth century, the population lived primarily on agriculture and animal husbandry. The available technology was very basic.
Nature as an Inexhaustible Source of Wealth
From the Industrial Revolution onward, energy sources such as coal and petroleum made possible the emergence of increasingly powerful machines.
Unsustainable Growth: Natural Resources are Not Inexhaustible
Several
Read MoreImperialism in the 19th Century: Causes and Consequences
Imperialism and Its Causes in the 19th Century
During the nineteenth century, the Second Industrial Revolution transformed the economy of European powers. Technical innovations, new ways of organizing work, and banking growth led to increased production, trade, and improved transportation. Taking advantage of their technical superiority and mastery of the financial world, developed countries occupied territories in Africa and Asia, creating colonial empires in lands without organized states. This
Read MoreSpain’s 19th-Century Economy: Agriculture and Industry
Agriculture
Industrialization in Great Britain was preceded by changes in the structure of ownership. In Spain, most of the land remained in the hands of large landowners, many of whom did not look after their properties and had no incentive to innovate. In addition, the abundance of peasants kept the cost of wages down, which facilitated the continuation of traditional agriculture. Despite the difficulties, agricultural production increased considerably. However, this increase in production was
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