internet Global computer connection using telephone lines or modems providing on-line contact with people & information on most subjects.

iron curtain Term coined by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe an imaginary line dividing Soviet communist-dominated Eastern Europe & the democracies of Western Europe.

Islam Name that means submission to the will of God; major religion of the Middle East founded in the 7th century A.D. by the prophet Muhammad whose teachings include belief in one God – Allah.

isolationism Policy of avoiding or limiting involvement in the affairs or conflicts of other nations.

intifada Palestinian uprising against the territory held by Israel that lasted from 1987 until 1988.

junta Group of military officers who rule a country after seizing power.

indemnity Payment of damages or losses suffered in a war. Also called reparations.

ideology System of beliefs and ideas that guide a nation or group of people.

interdependence Mutual way in which the economies of countries are dependent on the goods, resources, and knowledge from other parts of the world.

imperialism Policy whereby one nation dominates by direct or indirect rule the political, economic, and social life of a foreign country, region, or area.

illiteracy inability to read or write; one measure of a country’s industrial development and standard of living.

Islamic fundamentalists Muslims who believe that public & private behavior should be guided by the principles & values of the Koran. They are against the materialism of Western society.

jihad Muslim “holy” war to spread the Muslim faith.

inflation economic cycle resulting in a general rise in prices and a decline in the purchasing power of money.

Industrial Revolution historical event that began in the textile industry in England (1700’s) resulting in the shift from the manufacturing of goods by hand to the use of machinery, along with social & economic changes accompanying this change.

kibbutz collective farms established by Jewish settlers in Israel that are based on socialist principles of shared ownership and communal living.

kaiser German word for emperor used in the 1870’s and early 1900’s. German for Caesar

karma Belief in Hinduism, that people’s lifelong deeds and actions affect their fate in their future life after they are “reincarnated”.

Judaism monotheistic religion of the Hebrews whose spiritual and ethical principles are rooted in the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Talmud. * The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history.

Justinian’s Code Codification of Roman law by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century that greatly influenced the Western legal system.