The Federalist Papers were a series of essays about the United States Constitution. In total, there were 85 articles, 77 of them appeared in newspapers between October of 1787 and August 1788. Many talked about how the Constitution would solve America's political problems. Most of them were published in newspapers in New York and Virginia, states where it was not clear whether or not the Constitution would pass (it did). Most were written by Alexander Hamilton or James Madison, though a few were written by John Jay.
One of the most famous of the Papers is Federalist No. 10. It was written by Madison and says that the Constitution would keep the United States from being run by small groups called "factions". The collection of all papers was also published as a book.
The papers were published using a false name, "Publius". This name was used in reference to Publius Valerius Publicola, a Roman Consul and one of the aristocrats who overthrew the Roman Kingdom in the 5th century BC.
The papers are often thought of as one of the most important works of American political thought. Sometimes they are used by Supreme Court justices to try to say what the founders were thinking.
Akita Prefecture
The area of Akita was created from Dewa Province and Mutsu Province.
The site of castle of the Kubota Castle built by Satake, a daimyo from Hitachi. Landscape gardener, Abira Nagaoka, designed the park in 1896. The name "Akita" became established in Tenpyou era.
Akita Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan. It is bordered by Aomori Prefecture in the north, Iwate Prefecture in the east, Miyagi Prefecture in the southeast, and Yamagata Prefecture in the south.
Mt. Chokai is the second hightest mountain in the Tohoku Region. Shirakami-Sanchi is a large mountain range along the border between Akita and Aomori prefectures.
There are 13 cities in Akita Prefecture:
National Parks cover about 11% of the total land area of the prefecture. including
"Ōmonoimi jinja" and "Tsutsukowake jinja" are the chief Shinto shrines ("ichinomiya") in the prefecture.
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a piece of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula almost in half, crossing the 38th parallel. The west end of the DMZ is south of the parallel and the east end is to the north of it. It is long, and about wide and is the most highly militarized border in the world. The border between both Koreas in the Yellow Sea and its coastline is known as the Northern Limit Line. Both sides of the Northern Limit Line are also heavily guarded.
The 38th parallel north cuts the Korean peninsula roughly in half. The parallel was the original boundary between the US-occupied and Soviet-occupied areas of Korea at the end of World War II. When the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, informally North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South Korea) were created in 1948, this line became a de facto international border between the two countries. It was also one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War.
Both the North and the South remained heavily dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean War. The conflict claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines. On June 25, 1950, a Soviet-sponsored DPRK invasion crossed the 38th parallel. The conflict ended three years later. International troops had been deployed and pushed the frontline back to near the 38th parallel. In the ceasefire of July 27, 1953, the DMZ was created. Each side agreed in the armistice to move their troops back from the front line, creating a buffer zone wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed.
In theory, this is a stalemate. Neither side won or lost. Because of this, both sides of the conflict are still enemies, and a large number of troops is still stationed along both sides of the line. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL. Sporadic outbreaks of violence due to North Korean hostilities killed over 500 South Korean soldiers and 50 U.S. soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999.
Tae Sung Dong and Kijong-dong were the only villages allowed by the armistice committee to remain within the boundaries of the DMZ. Residents of Tae Sung Dong are governed and protected by the United Nations Command and are generally required to spend at least 240 nights per year in the village to maintain their residency. In 2008, the village had a population of 218 people. The villagers of Tae Sung Dong are direct descendants of people who owned the land before the 1950-53 Korean War.
Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, is a place called Panmunjeom. The Joint Security Area (JSA) is located there. Originally, it was the only connection between North and South Korea. In 2007 a Korail train crossed the DMZ to the North on the new Donghae Bukbu Line built on the east coast of Korea.
There are several buildings on both sides of the Military Demarcation Line. A few are built right on top of the MDL. The Joint Security Area is the location where all negotiations since 1953 have been held, including statements of Korean solidarity, which have generally amounted to little except a slight decline of tensions. The MDL goes through the conference rooms and down the middle of the conference tables where the North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and Americans) meet face to face.
Though generally calm, the DMZ has been the scene of much saber-rattling between the two Koreas over the years. Several small skirmishes have occurred within the Joint Security Area since 1953. The Axe Murder Incident in August 1976 involved the attempted trimming of a poplar tree which resulted in two deaths (CPT Arthur Bonifas and 1LT Mark Barrett) and Operation Paul Bunyan. Beforehand, the soldiers of both sides were permitted to go back and forth across the MDL inside of the JSA, a privilege since revoked as a result of this incident.
Another incident occurred on November 23, 1984, when a Soviet tourist, who was part of an official trip to the JSA (hosted by the North), ran across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) shouting that he wanted to defect. North Korean troops immediately chased after him opening fire. Border guards on the South Korean side returned fire eventually surrounding the North Koreans as they pursued the Russian national. One South Korean and three North Korean soldiers were killed in the action. The defector was not captured.
In late 2009, South Korean forces and the United Nations Command began renovation of its three guard posts and two checkpoint buildings within the JSA compound. Construction was designed to enlarge and modernise the structures. Work was undertaken a year after North Korea finished replacing four JSA guard posts on its side of the MDL.
South Korea has discovered tunnels that cross the DMZ. To build these tunnels, explosives were used. This left certain traces, called "blasting lines". The orientation of these blasting lines shows that the tunnels were built from north to south, North Korea built them. In total, four tunnels have been discovered, the first on November 15, 1974. North Korea claimed that the tunnels were used for coal mining. No coal has been found in the tunnels. All tunnels were dug in a rock called granite. Some of the tunnel walls have been painted black to give the appearance of anthracite.