Q & R

Quran : Islamic holy book
​Vocabulary R
  1. Ramadan : The ninth month of the Muslim calendar. All Muslims must fast during daylight hours, except the very young or sick.
  2. raw materials : Various materials found in nature used in manufacturing such as wood, coal, and oil.
  3. recant : To reject a belief or withdraw something previously said.
  4. Reconquista : The re-conquest of Spain by the Christians after centuries of Islamic domination.
  5. Reformation : The protest against perceived wrong doings by the Catholic Church during the early 16th century. Main leaders were Martin Luther and John Calvin.
  6. reincarnation : The rebirth of a soul into another body.
  7. religion : A person's beliefs concerning the existence and worship of a god or gods, and divine involvement in the universe and human life.
  8. Renaissance : A rebirth of cultural and intellectual pursuits after the stagnation of the Middle Ages. This period in European history, from about the 14th through 16th centuries, features major cultural and artistic change.
  9. reparations : Monetary compensation to correct something that was done wrong.
  10. republic : A political system in which a country is ruled by law, has representative government, and is democratic in nature.
  11. resources : An asset that is beneficial to a country or people.
  12. revolution : a dramatic change in ideas, practice, or government.
  13. rigid social class system : A social class system where there is no mobility. A person remains in the same class their entire life.
  14. river : A moving body of water that usually has its source in an area of high ground.
  15. river delta : The end of a river where rich deposits of silt build up. This is important to human habitation due to the excellent source of good farmland.
  16. river valley : A valley that is carved out by the river. Often have fertile land, and are the sites for the earliest civilizations.
  17. Roman Catholic : A branch of Christianity based in Rome. The original Christian church.
  18. Roman Empire : The territories ruled by ancient Rome which at one time encompassed most of the Mediterranean world and parts of France, England, and Germany. The empire lasted from 27 BCE to 395 CE.
  19. Rousseau, Jean Jacques : (1712-1778) French writer and Enlightenment philosopher who wrote a book called, The Social Contract, where he stated that people were basically good, and that society, and its unequal distribution of wealth, were the cause of most problems. Rousseau believed that government should be run according to the will of the majority, which he called the General Will. He claimed that the General Will would always act in the best interest of the people.
  20. russification : A policy in Russia to make all of the peoples under their control conform to Russian culture and language. It was used in both the Russian Empire and later, in the Soviet Union.