Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

affected aboriginal cultures. Aborigines

still live in the rain forests of South

America, on the island of New Guinea,

and in the mountains of Malaysia and

the Philippines. They have kept many of

their original ways of life.

The Australian Aborigines are probably

the best-known aboriginal society. They

came to Australia more than 40,000

years ago. They still live there today.

Australian Aborigines were originally

hunter-gatherer tribes that moved from

place to place to find food and water.

They lived in caves or built short-term

shelters from branches, bark, and animal

skins. The men fished and hunted for

animals. The women gathered plants,

eggs, and other food.

The Aborigines’ lives changed when

Europeans arrived in Australia more

than 200 years ago. The Europeans

forced the Aborigines to move off their

land and to change their way of life.

Many Aborigines died defending their

land. Many others died from diseases

brought by the Europeans.

Today Aborigines live in all parts of Australia

and do all kinds of work. But

many Aborigines are poor. They do not

have the same opportunities as most

other Australians.

..More to explore

Australia • Culture

Abraham

Abraham is an important figure in the

Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions.

He is considered to be the patriarch, or

founding father, of the nation of Israel.

The story of Abraham is told in Genesis,

the first book of the Bible. In modern

times archaeologists have found ancient

clay tablets that tell more of the story.

According to the Bible, Abraham came

from Ur in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

His people were sheepherders who

moved from place to place. About 4,000

years ago they settled near Haran, in

An Australian Aborigine stands before a

large rock known as Uluru/Ayers Rock.

Parts of the rock and the land around it are

sacred to the Aborigines of the area.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Abraham 13

 

what is now Turkey. There God

instructed Abraham to leave his people

and move to a new land. Abraham

obeyed.

At age 75 he journeyed to Canaan (the

land that is now Israel) with his wife,

Sarah, and others. God told him that he

and his children would inherit that land.

At first Abraham and Sarah thought

they were too old to have children.

Abraham’s first child, Ishmael, was born

to a servant of Sarah’s. But Isaac was

born later to Sarah. The Bible says that

Abraham died at the age of 175.

Isaac inherited the land of Canaan. After

his death the land went to his son,

Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to

Israel. His descendants were the Jewish

people. In Christianity, Abraham is considered

to be the father of all who

believe in God. Abraham is important to

Muslims as well. They are said to be the

descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael.

In the Koran, the holy book of Islam, it

is said that Abraham and Ishmael built

the Kaaba. The Kaaba, a shrine in

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the holiest place

in the Islamic world.

#More to explore

Bible • Christianity • Islam • Judaism

• Koran • Mecca • Mesopotamia

Absaroka

#see Crow.

Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr was an adviser to the prophet

Muhammad, the founder of Islam. After

Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr took

charge of the Islamic world. He is

known as the first caliph.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims all see Abraham

as an important religious figure. A

painting shows Abraham during his journey

to Canaan.

Abu Bakr (second from left) was an

important Islamic leader.

14 Absaroka BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Abu Bakr was born in the Arabian town

of Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia), which

was also the birthplace of Muhammad.

His daughter !A#ishah became one of

Muhammad’s wives.

While Muhammad was dying, he called

upon Abu Bakr to lead prayers and pilgrimages

in his place. By that time

Muhammad was more than the religious

leader of the Islamic lands; he was their

political ruler as well. After Muhammad

died in 632, Abu Bakr ruled as caliph.

Caliph means “successor” (one who

comes afterward). The Islamic lands

were called the Caliphate.

As caliph, Abu Bakr fought wars against

Arabian tribes who rebelled against him.

He soon brought the tribes of Arabia

under Muslim rule. Abu Bakr then sent

armies into what are now Syria and Iraq.

This began a series of conquests that

spread Islam far beyond Arabia. Abu

Bakr died in 634.

..More to explore

Caliphate • Islam • Mecca

• Muhammad

Abu Dhabi

Population

(2007 estimate)

633,140

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United

Arab Emirates, a union of Arab states on

the Arabian Peninsula. It is also the capital

of Abu Dhabi kingdom, the largest of

the seven states.

The city of Abu Dhabi occupies most of

a small triangular island in the Persian

Gulf. The island is connected to the

mainland by a short bridge.

Local tribesmen settled Abu Dhabi in

1761. Through most of its history the

town remained small and undeveloped.

This changed when rich oil fields were

discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958. Oil

revenues were used to modernize the

town. Electricity, running water, and a

central sewage system were installed.

Modern buildings and a new port were

built.With modernization, the population

grew.

The United Arab Emirates gained independence

from Great Britain in 1971.