From Pole to Pole: A Book for Young People Informative Summary

Overview:

“From Pole to Pole: A Book for Young People” takes readers on an incredible adventure across continents and oceans, tracing the footsteps of renowned explorers and unveiling the wonders of the natural world. The book, originally published in 1912, was abridged and edited in 1914 for English-speaking young readers. Hedin, a renowned Swedish explorer, provides vivid accounts of his own daring expeditions, blending personal narratives with historical insights and geographical details. The book touches upon diverse cultures, historical events, and the lives of remarkable individuals like Alexander the Great, General Gordon, David Livingstone, and Henry Stanley. From the bustling bazaars of Constantinople to the icy plains of the North Pole, Hedin brings to life the challenges, triumphs, and beauty of exploration.

Key Findings:

The book highlights the historical and cultural significance of various geographical locations, including Constantinople, Teheran, Tibet, India, China, Japan, Egypt, Sudan, and North and South America.
It emphasizes the profound impact of exploration on the understanding of diverse cultures and geographical landscapes.
The book sheds light on the historical development of global trade routes, from ancient camel caravans to modern railway systems.
It offers insights into the challenges and triumphs of exploration, emphasizing the importance of courage, determination, and resourcefulness.
Hedin’s vivid descriptions of natural wonders like the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls, the Victoria Falls, and the South Polar icefields ignite the reader’s sense of adventure.

Learning:

Geographical Understanding: Readers learn about the diverse landscapes and ecosystems of various continents, from the vast deserts of Asia and Africa to the icy regions of the North Pole and the lush rainforests of South America.
Historical Context: The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the historical development of various regions, from ancient empires to the colonial era. Readers gain insights into the lives and achievements of explorers like Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, and David Livingstone.
Cultural Diversity: Hedin introduces readers to diverse cultures, from the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols and Kirghizes to the ancient traditions of the Tibetans and the bustling cities of the East.
Challenges of Exploration: The book highlights the difficulties and risks associated with exploration, from navigating treacherous terrains and hostile environments to dealing with disease and cultural barriers.

Historical Context:

The book was written in 1914, a period marked by significant political and social change. The world was on the brink of World War I, and colonial empires were facing growing challenges. The book reflects the spirit of exploration and discovery that characterized this era, as well as the growing awareness of the interconnectedness of the world.

Facts:

Constantinople: The Church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) was built in 548 AD by the Emperor Justinian and later converted to a mosque by the Ottoman Sultan Mohammed II in 1453.
The Danube: The Danube River, one of the largest in Europe, flows through Bavaria, Austria, and Hungary, forming the boundary between Rumania and Bulgaria.
The Black Sea: The Black Sea is the deepest of the four landlocked seas in Europe and is home to large populations of dolphins and porpoises.
Mount Ararat: Mount Ararat, the highest mountain in Turkey, is thought to be the place where Noah’s ark landed after the Great Flood.
Tabriz: Tabriz, the capital of the province of Azerbeijan in Persia, was once a major hub for trade between Persia and Europe.
Baku: Baku is a city in Azerbaijan, situated on the Caspian Sea, and is known for its vast oil reserves.
The Caucasus Mountains: The Caucasus Mountains are a range that separates Europe from Asia and are home to many different tribes.
Persian Gulf: The Persian Gulf is an inlet of the Indian Ocean and is home to the Bahrein Islands, a major pearl-fishing region.
Arabia: Arabia is the largest peninsula in the world and is home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which are important pilgrimage sites for Muslims.
Baghdad: Baghdad, once the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, was a center of learning and culture, and is associated with the “Arabian Nights” tales.
The Pamir: The Pamir, known as the “Roof of the World,” is a high plateau in Central Asia and the source of many of Asia’s major mountain ranges.
The Kirghiz Steppe: The Kirghiz Steppe is a vast grassland in Central Asia, home to the nomadic Kirghiz people, who are known for their horsemanship and sheep herding.
Samarcand: Samarcand, an ancient city in Uzbekistan, was the capital of the Timurid Empire and is known for its beautiful blue mosaics.
Bukhara: Bukhara, a city in Uzbekistan, is a historic center of Islamic learning and trade.
The Mus-tagh-ata: The Mus-tagh-ata, the “Father of Ice-Mountains,” is a mountain range in the Eastern Pamir, home to many large glaciers.
Marco Polo’s Sheep: The Ovis Poli, or Marco Polo’s Sheep, is a wild sheep species found in the Pamir Mountains.
India: India is the second most populous country in the world, home to diverse cultures, religions, and languages.
The Himalayas: The Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world, are home to Mount Everest, Kinchinjunga, and Dhwalagiri, the highest peaks on Earth.
The Ganges River: The Ganges River, one of the most sacred rivers in Hinduism, flows through India and is considered a source of purification.
The Indus River: The Indus River, one of the largest rivers in Asia, flows through Pakistan and is the source of many of the tributaries that form the Punjab.
The Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal, a white marble mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
Benares: Benares, a city in India, is considered the holiest city in Hinduism, and is a major pilgrimage site.

Statistics:

The Black Sea: The Black Sea is 1230 fathoms deep.
The Caspian Sea: The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world and is 600 fathoms deep.
The Baltic Sea: The Baltic Sea is 250 fathoms deep.
Baluchistan: The annual pearl fishing industry on the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf is worth about £900,000.
Arabia: The number of Muslims worldwide is approximately 217 million.
Baku Oil Fields: In 2010, the Baku oilfields produced 8 million tons of raw petroleum.
Turkestan: The population of Russian Central Asia is about 10 million people.
Turkestan: The area of Turkestan is 12 times the size of the British Isles.
Tashkent: Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, has a population of 200,000 people.
The Sea of Aral: The Sea of Aral is almost as big as Scotland.
The Pamir: The Mus-tagh-ata in the Eastern Pamir is 25,800 feet high.
The Himalayas: Mount Everest is 29,000 feet high.
The Himalayas: Kinchinjunga is 28,200 feet high.
The Himalayas: Dhwalagiri is 26,800 feet high.
The Himalayas: Mount Godwin-Austen in the Karakorum is 25,150 feet high.
The Himalayas: The snow limit in the Himalayas is about 13,000 feet.
The Himalayas: The forest limit in the Himalayas is about 12,000 feet.
The Himalayas: The subtropical forest limit is about 6000 feet.
The Himalayas: The tropical forest limit is about 3500 feet.
The Indus River: The Indus River is 2000 miles long.
The Ganges River: The population of the Ganges River basin is about 100 million people.
The Blue River: The Blue River is 3200 miles long.
The Blue River: The Blue River discharges 244 times the volume of water as the Thames River.
The Blue River: The population of the Blue River basin is 180 million people.
The Yellow River: The Yellow River is 2500 miles long.
Central Asia: The Gobi Desert in Mongolia covers a vast area.
The Great Wall of China: The Great Wall of China is 1500 miles long, 50 feet high, and 26 feet wide at the base.
China: The population of China is 433 million people.
China: The area of China is 35 times the size of the British Isles.
China: The Grand Canal in China is 840 miles long.
Japan: Japan is about 1-1/2 times the size of the British Isles.
Japan: Japan has about 120 active volcanoes.
Japan: Japan has about 1200 earthquakes per year.
Japan: The population of Japan is 65 million people.
Fujiyama: Fujiyama is 12,395 feet high.
Hong Kong: The annual tonnage of ships that pass through Hong Kong is nearly 20 million tons.
The Indian Ocean: The Delhi steamer was 495 feet long and had a capacity of 8000 tons.
The Sunda Islands: The area of Java is about the same as England without Wales.
The Sunda Islands: The population of Java is about 30 million people.
The Sunda Islands: The area of Sumatra is three times the size of Java.
The Sunda Islands: The area of Borneo is about 300,000 square miles.
The Sunda Islands: The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 killed 40,000 people.
Simla: The population of Simla is 15,000 people.
The Nile River: The Nile River is 3200 miles long.
The Nile River: The Great Pyramid of Giza is 4600 years old.
The Nile River: The Great Pyramid of Giza is made of 2.3 million blocks of stone.
The Sudan: The population of the Sudan is approximately 35 million people.
The Sahara Desert: The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world.
The Sahara Desert: The temperature in the Sahara can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit during a samum storm.
General Gordon: General Gordon died in 1885 during the Siege of Khartoum.
The Sudan: The population of the Sudan is approximately 35 million people.
British East Africa: The Uganda Railway runs from Mombasa to Lake Victoria Nyanza.
British East Africa: The Tsavo River is a tributary of the Sabaki River, which flows into the Indian Ocean.
The Congo River: The Congo River is 2900 miles long.
The Congo River: The Stanley Falls are a series of rapids and waterfalls on the Congo River.
The Amazon River: The Amazon River is 3600 miles long.
The Amazon River: The Amazon River discharges 200,000 cubic feet of water per second.
The Amazon River: The Amazon River basin is the largest river basin in the world.
South America: The Andes mountain range is the longest mountain range in the world.
South America: The Andes mountain range is home to Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.
South America: Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world.
South America: The Inca Empire stretched from Colombia to Chile.
South America: The population of South America is approximately 400 million people.
South America: The area of South America is approximately 6.9 million square miles.
The Great Lakes: The area of the Great Lakes is about 95,000 square miles.
The Great Lakes: The Great Lakes contain about 5 quadrillion gallons of water.
Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls is 167 feet high.
The Mississippi River: The Mississippi River is 2340 miles long.
The United States: The population of the United States is approximately 330 million people.
The United States: The area of the United States is approximately 3.8 million square miles.
The United States: The population of the United States is 330 million people.
The United States: The United States has nearly 240,000 miles of railways.
New York City: The population of New York City is approximately 8.4 million people.
New York City: New York City has 36 miles of waterfront.
Washington DC: The population of Washington DC is approximately 700,000 people.
Chicago: The population of Chicago is about 2.7 million people.
Philadelphia: The population of Philadelphia is about 1.6 million people.
Pittsburg: The population of Pittsburg is about 300,000 people.
St. Louis: The population of St. Louis is about 319,000 people.
The Mississippi River: The Missouri River is 2340 miles long.
The Mississippi River: The Mississippi River basin is the third largest river basin in the world.
The Great Salt Lake: The area of the Great Salt Lake is about 1700 square miles.
The Rocky Mountains: The Rocky Mountains are approximately 3000 miles long.
The Sierra Nevada: The tallest mammoth tree in California was 435 feet tall.
The Sierra Nevada: The “Riding School” mammoth tree in California is hollow enough to ride a horse through.
The Yukon River: The Yukon River is 1980 miles long.
The Yukon River: The Yukon River is approximately 1870 miles long.
The Yukon River: The Klondike Gold Rush produced about 5 million pounds of gold.
Newfoundland: The annual cod fishery in Newfoundland is worth several million dollars.
The Pacific Ocean: The Pacific Ocean is 63.8 million square miles in area.
The Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic Ocean is 33.4 million square miles in area.
The Atlantic Ocean: The Gulf Stream is a warm current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico northward along the east coast of North America.
Easter Island: The population of Easter Island is approximately 7750 people.
Easter Island: Easter Island is about 164 square miles.
The Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is 1400 miles long.
Tahiti: The area of Tahiti is about 402 square miles.
The South Pacific: The area of the South Pacific is about 35 million square miles.
The South Pacific: The area of the South Pacific Ocean is approximately 64 million square miles.
New Zealand: The area of New Zealand is about 104,000 square miles.
New Zealand: Mount Cook in New Zealand is 12,349 feet high.
Australia: The area of Australia is about 2.97 million square miles.
Australia: The population of Australia is about 24 million people.
Australia: The Murray River is approximately 1580 miles long.
Australia: The Darling River is approximately 1160 miles long.
Australia: Lake Eyre is about 3800 square miles in area.
The Arctic Ocean: The area of the Arctic Ocean is about 5.4 million square miles.
The Arctic Ocean: The Arctic Ocean is about 14,056,000 square miles in area.
Sir John Franklin: Sir John Franklin died in 1847 during the Franklin Expedition.
Sir John Franklin: The Franklin Expedition had 23 officers and 111 men on board the Erebus and Terror.
The North Magnetic Pole: The North Magnetic Pole is located in Northern Canada.
The Fram: The Fram was built for the Nansen Expedition to the Arctic.
The Fram: The length of the Fram was 128 feet.
The Fram: The displacement of the Fram was 360 tons.
The North Pole: The North Pole is 1,360,000 square miles.
The South Pole: The South Pole is 14 million square miles.
The South Pole: The South Pole is approximately 14 million square miles.
The South Pole: Shackleton reached 88° 23′ South latitude.
The South Pole: The South Pole is 9,300,000 square miles.

Terms:

Atoll: A ring-shaped coral island, often surrounding a lagoon.
Baiga: A type of gymkhana or sporting event held by the Kirghiz people.
Bund: A waterfront promenade, common in port cities.
Caïque: A small, narrow rowing boat used in Turkey.
Caravanserai: An inn or resting place for travelers, often found on caravan routes.
Droshky: A low, four-wheeled open carriage used in Russia.
Fakir: A Hindu holy man, often known for their self-mortification and ascetic practices.
Jambas: A swift-footed dromedary used in Baluchistan.
Junks: Traditional Chinese sailing ships, often used for river transport.
Kaftan: A long robe worn in the Levant.
Karem: A private living space for women in a Muslim household.
Krona: A Swedish coin.
Lama: A Tibetan Buddhist monk or priest.
Llano: A flat grassy plain, especially in South America.
Mahdi: A Muslim Messiah or divinely guided leader.
Pagri: A light scarf worn on the head in India and other Asian countries.
Pampa: A flat, grassy plain in South America.
Samoyed: A nomadic people of northern Russia and Siberia.
Sudd: A mass of drifting vegetation, often found in the Nile River.
Tonga: A two-wheeled cart drawn by two horses, common in India.
Troika: A team of three horses abreast.
Turantass: A type of carriage used in Russia, often used for long journeys.
Wadi: A dry river bed, often found in deserts.
Yak: A large, shaggy-haired ox species found in the Himalayas and Tibet.

Examples:

Alexander the Great’s Campaign: Alexander the Great led a campaign through Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, conquering vast territories and spreading Greek culture.
The Siege of Khartoum: General Gordon was sent to evacuate British and Egyptian troops from Khartoum during the Mahdi’s uprising, but he was killed during the siege in 1885.
The Story of David Livingstone: David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary, spent his life exploring and evangelizing in Africa, famously discovering the Victoria Falls.
The Search for Livingstone: Henry Stanley, a journalist, was commissioned by the New York Herald to find Livingstone, and their famous meeting at Ujiji, Tanganyika in 1871 became a pivotal moment in exploration history.
The Franklin Expedition: Sir John Franklin led a British expedition in search of the Northwest Passage in 1845, but he and his crew were lost in the Arctic ice, a tragedy that became a major event in Polar exploration.
The Voyage of the Vega: Adolf Nordenskiöld, a Swedish explorer, successfully navigated the Northeast Passage, circumnavigating Asia and Europe in the Vega in 1878-79.
The Nansen Expedition: Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer, drifted across the Arctic Ocean in the Fram for three years, aiming to reach the North Pole.
Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition: Ernest Shackleton, a British explorer, led an expedition to the South Pole in 1908, reaching a record-breaking latitude of 88° 23′ South.
The Discovery of America: Christopher Columbus, a Genoese mariner, set sail for India in 1492, but he accidentally landed in the Bahamas, leading to the European discovery of America.
The Inca Empire: The Inca Empire, a highly-organized and powerful kingdom in South America, was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.
The Amazon River: Francisco de Orellana was the first European to explore the Amazon River, tracing its course from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Story of Robinson Crusoe: The tale of Robinson Crusoe, inspired by the real-life story of Alexander Selkirk, tells the story of a man shipwrecked on a deserted island and his struggles to survive.
The Great Salt Lake: The Great Salt Lake in Utah is a saline lake famous for its unique ecosystem and the Mormon capital, Salt Lake City.
The Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is a large natural preserve with geothermal features like geysers and hot springs.
The California Mammoth Trees: The “mammoth trees” of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California are among the tallest trees on Earth.
The Yukon River Gold Rush: The Klondike Gold Rush in the late 19th century attracted thousands of prospectors to the Yukon River region of Canada in search of gold.
The Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls, one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, is situated on the border between Canada and the United States.
The Tsavo Man-Eaters: Two man-eating lions terrorized workers on the Uganda Railway in Kenya, becoming infamous as the “Tsavo Man-Eaters.”

Conclusion:

Sven Hedin’s “From Pole to Pole: A Book for Young People” is a captivating journey through diverse cultures and landscapes, showcasing the spirit of exploration and discovery that has driven humanity to conquer the Earth’s most challenging terrains. From ancient civilizations to modern expeditions, Hedin’s engaging narrative unveils the historical context, geographical wonders, and cultural diversity of our world. By sharing his personal experiences and highlighting the achievements of notable explorers, Hedin inspires young readers to embrace adventure and seek knowledge, ultimately reminding them that our world holds endless possibilities for discovery.

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