Humanity moves from here to the sea - Western Europe

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: All human emotions can be expressed through looking. "Love at first sight" is thanks to looking, "non-verbal communication through eyes" requires the ability to look, and "enmity arising from mutual suspicion" is the result of seeing conflicts. There are also phrases like "staring sideways," "eyes splitting with rage," "contempt," "scorn," "longing," and "staring." Human ways of looking are diverse, and the study of looking is vast. It can be said that the history of human civilization cannot be separated from looking. Looking—communication and connection; looking—gives the world its color. Many beautiful things in the world are born from the need to look, such as architecture, decoration, clothing, film, books, and more. Seeing—more than just a coincidence, many stories in the world have unfolded because of seeing.
This book recounts six countries: Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Andorra. Except for Spain, all are considered "small countries." Their total land area is no more than 670,000 square kilometers, even smaller than Qinghai Province in China; their population is only 77 million, not even as large as China's third-largest province—Sichuan. However, their combined gross domestic product in 2000 was $1,330 billion, surpassing China, accounting for about 4% of the world economy, while their total import and export volume reached 6%. Listing these countries as a separate collection is far more than highlighting their position in the world economy—it emphasizes their irreplaceable role in building the society we have today.
In today's era of global information, it is essential to remember and study how the continents of the entire Earth broke free from isolation and closed-off states to become one, a result of the global voyages pioneered by Spain and Portugal, though this came with colonialism. In today's era of global economic integration, it is essential to remember and study that the seeds of commercial capitalism first sprouted in the Netherlands and Belgium, even though this was not yet industrial capitalism.