The death of the orc god Aziraal put an end to the advance of his troops into the lands of Antalor. The defeated orcs fled south. The victorious people refused to give the corpse of their leader to the enemies. Instead, they promptly walled up the deity in an enchanted tomb. With the death of Aziraal, the entire continent was filled with Corruption. And a strange new magic came to these lands...

About the combat system and enemies

During battles, you can use melee weapons, a bow and magic spells.

At the initial stage of the game, all characters will have to resort to conventional weapons, since magicians and marksmen cannot yet effectively destroy all enemies from a distance. For obvious reasons, the character loses the greatest number of hit points in melee combat. Jumping will help avoid this. Jumping forward will give you the opportunity to get out of the environment, jumping back will allow you to escape from any attack, the main thing is to seize the moment. This is how you can kill any enemy one on one if he does not use magic. True, it takes a lot of time. An additional step, combinations of attacks and parry control are not directly provided, which greatly limits the tactics. Run around a group of enemies until one of the opponents stands out from it, then focus on it.

Archery is implemented simply. The character spends time drawing the bowstring; The damage caused depends on the tension. You can hit any enemy if he is within a certain distance determined by the characteristics of the bow. The arrows in the game are endless. If the bowstring tension is greater than the minimum, the shot disrupts the attack, so the archer also has no particular problems with one-on-one fights. Groups of enemies become easy to deal with after learning the Shoot Multiple Arrows skill.

It is important: even if you are not going to use a bow, carry a quiver with you - many of them give a noticeable increase in characteristics.

The tactics of playing as a magician are very diverse and depend on the choice of spells (the corresponding chapter is devoted to this). This may be a bug, but the effects of many auras, as well as buffing and weakening spells, stack without any restrictions. This allows you to create real obscenities on the battlefield. For example, how about this: we take a spell from the first circle of the fire school that enhances a magical attack, cast it on ourselves four times and kill the most powerful level 35 golem with a single lightning bolt. And this is not the limit. Imagine what you can do with mass effect spells!

Based on their fighting qualities, enemies can be divided into three types.

• Melee. They run towards you as soon as they notice you. They are not trained in any cunning tactics or active skills (although there are some individuals who can show off). There are usually a lot of them, and that's the problem. It is best to destroy such enemies from a distance. If you just run past them close, they won’t hit you, even if they try very hard. This can be used in a variety of situations.
• Magic combined with melee. While the player is at a distance, such enemies shoot some kind of “magic arrow” at him, which is easy to dodge. The characteristic sound accompanying her approach cannot be confused with anything, so it is not necessary to keep the magician in sight. Unfortunately, the local magicians were not given any other spells. As soon as you get closer, the enemy will engage in melee combat. These enemies should be killed last.
• Arrows. They need to be eliminated first for a number of reasons. It is very difficult to dodge arrows, especially if there are several archers. They will constantly disrupt your attacks. Shooters rarely get caught in the hot hand: as soon as you get noticeably close, they will start to run away. At such a moment, it is very difficult to hit them with conventional weapons.

About interaction with characters

All characters are divided into five types; When you try to start a conversation, the corresponding icons appear.

To put something on a character, you need to drag the item from the inventory onto the “doll”. In addition to slots for armor, weapons and rings, there are spaces for a quiver, a dagger and two additional types of weapons - they will allow you to change them on the fly (keys R and T by default). In this case, an increase in characteristics is given only by the weapon that is currently in the main cell.

Identical pieces of equipment can be connected together and thus improved by dragging one of them onto another. This allows you to get the most powerful things: with weapons of the tenth or twentieth class, you will probably kill most enemies with the first blow.

Items can give an increase to characteristics, skills, protection from various types of physical attacks and magic. You can easily do without the last property: the few enemy spells are very easy to dodge.

The weapon can deal one of several types of magical damage. Special stones are used for this. It is useless to enchant a weapon for poisonous damage - its effect extends over time, which does not help in close combat. The remaining types are “to taste and color”. In battle, their influence is almost the same.

Skills and characteristics

With each level increase, you will receive five points to increase one of four stats:

• Vitality increases the character's hit points.
• Dexterity affects some skills and the likelihood of inflicting and repelling attacks.
• Force Increases damage dealt in melee combat.
• Strength of will increases the amount of mana.

Skill points are given for killing monsters and people, opening locks, activating teleports and stealing. As soon as one of the requirements specified in the statistics is met (reputation menu, F5 key by default), you will receive one point. You can also improve your skills by completing quests.

At the beginning of the game, skills cannot be pumped to the maximum - there is a level limit. The formula is simple: [player level] - 1 = [max skill level]. It is relevant up to level 11 for most skills and up to 16 for magic schools.

To gain access to new skills, you need to undergo training from trainers. They are in many major cities (see table No. 1) . It is better to do this from the very beginning, since as the level increases, the price for their services increases. And if up to the fifth level training costs 100 gold, then from the eighteenth you will have to spend as much as 10,000.

For convenience, all skills are divided into groups. Let's talk about each of them separately, bypassing magic schools. A separate chapter is devoted to magic.

• Horse riding. Allows you to fight without getting off your horse. Each hit deals additional damage (maximum +200%).

Quite a useful skill, but it’s not worth taking at first. If you want to save time and don't intend to collect loot, this will come in handy.

• Swimming. Increasing this skill will increase your movement speed on water.

You can go through the entire game without ever swimming, so this skill is a waste of points.

• Opening locks. The skill is used to open locks on doors and objects.

Locked boxes and chests are everywhere, and you can often find useful items in them. If the loot from corpses seems scarce or insufficient to you, upgrade this skill. It is not necessary to invest maximum points into it; the sixth or seventh level is enough to open any lock in several attempts.

• Discreet movement. Allows you to sneak, which reduces the possibility of being noticed by enemies (reducing the radius of hearing and visibility to 25%). Required for the Mortal Strike skill.

In the game, this skill can be useful in few places, and playing a silent killer, although interesting, is not effective: it’s easier and faster to walk through the ranks of enemies in the open.

• Theft. Gives you the ability to pick through characters' pockets. In them they are used to carrying various elixirs, potions, master keys and stones that increase the magical damage of weapons. It's worth it? In my opinion, no. At the last levels you can steal up to five things at a time, but this rarely happens. By the way, it is not necessary to stand behind the victim during the theft.
• Setting traps. Allows you to place traps, bombs and other similar devices on the ground. As the level increases, it makes it possible to use more effective traps, increases the damage they cause (up to +300) and the time they hold the enemy in the trap (up to 20 seconds).

This skill is best left at level one. At the beginning of the game, traps are great at crippling and delaying enemies, but then only traps remain useful. Although many magic spells are much more effective.

• Alchemy. Increases the quality of potions made. Without skill, ingredients lose up to 40% of their beneficial properties. At the last level of alchemy, all effects are doubled. The increase is more than serious.

The choice of combat skills depends entirely on your tactics and playstyle. Choose, experiment, and sooner or later you will find the combination of skills that suits you best.

• Parry. Gives you the ability to reflect an enemy's blow with a shield or weapon in your left hand. Depends on dexterity. Triggers if the player does not move or attack.
• Equilibrium. Reduces the likelihood of the hero falling during battle. The maximum rate is 50%.

This is a bug: At the time of writing, this skill worked exactly the opposite: the more points invested in it, the more likely it is that a fall will occur. The developers promise to fix this in patch 1.4.

• Strong hand. Increases damage dealt in melee combat up to three times.

A required skill for all warriors.

• Critical hit. Allows you to deal five times damage on impact. The maximum probability is 43%. In combination with the previous skill, it turns a warrior into a killing machine. With good equipment, of course.
• Double Blade. Allows you to hold a weapon in each hand. As the level increases, the probability of being hit increases, which is not that important. It's not worth investing more than one point into this skill.
• Knocking Down. Gives you the ability to knock an opponent down when hit. At the maximum level the probability is 50%. If you confidently kill opponents with two or three hits, then this skill is unlikely to be useful to you.
• Stone Skin. Increases protection against all types of physical and magical damage (except spiritual magic). The increase of 240 units at level ten is very noticeable and can be compared to good forged armor.
• Fury. Berserk mode: increases damage dealt (up to +400%) and makes it impossible for enemies to stop attacks with blows. The hero receives twice as much damage, is left without armor and is almost unable to hit an enemy with a shield (the chance of hitting is 5%),

The skill is effective if enemies deal little damage and your survivability is quite high.

• Fight from defense. The exact opposite of "berserker". Allows you to enable a special combat mode with an emphasis on defense. At the maximum level, the damage received is reduced by 77%, the probability of a critical hit increases by 3.3 times (hence, for 100% probability you need to raise the corresponding skill to level 7), the probability of repelling an attack increases by 5 times. The attack power is reduced by half; the hero's blow can be stopped by a simultaneous blow from the enemy.
• Dirty trick. The hero blinds the enemy, throwing dust in his eyes. The enemy takes twice as much damage, and the chance of triggering the skills of a critical hit, stun, breaking a sword and knocking out a shield is quadrupled. Depends on dexterity. The maximum duration of the effect is ten seconds. Does not affect enemies with shields.
• Stun. Works almost the same as Dirty Trick. The probability of successfully using the listed skills increases by 6 times, and damage is also dealt when stunned. Only works with maces and hammers. Does not affect enemies wearing helmets.

This skill has one big drawback - the animation is too long. Due to enemy attacks, the stun is constantly interrupted and is ineffective in battle.

• Sword breaking blow. When using a special blade (sword breaker), it allows you to break the swords of enemies. A broken sword deals 5% damage. Skill depends on dexterity.

This strike takes a lot of time to deliver, but the beauty of it is that it cannot be interrupted by enemies wielding swords. Just don't get too close to them.

• Kick that knocks you off your horse. Gives you the ability to throw an opponent off a horse. Can only be used with long weapons (halberds, spears, etc.). Depends on dexterity.

Everything would be fine, but in the single-player game there are no opponents riding horses...

• Shield Knockout Strike. Allows you to use an ax to snatch a shield from the enemy’s hands. Depends on dexterity.

Enemies don't suffer much without a shield, but it can hinder the use of other skills. Not the most important skill.

The animation for this skill is a bit off, causing the shield to fall out of the enemy's hands before the hit occurs.

• Death blow. Deals a huge amount of damage (up to +700%) if you sneak up on an enemy from behind with a dagger or knife in your hands.

Works only on humanoids and creatures that, so to speak, were them before.

• Deadly pirouette. Circular attack with two-handed weapons - deals up to 600% damage. Extremely effective against groups of enemies.
• Burn. Allows you to set the enemy's facial skin on fire with a torch. Depends on dexterity.

Another variation of the "Dirty Trick". The indicators are exactly the same, but nothing can prevent you from using this skill.

• False attack. Allows you to slow down the enemy when equipped with a shield. Lasts up to ten seconds. Depends on dexterity.

This skill can be useful against archers.

The remaining eight skills are responsible for archery. The first four affect the shooting process itself, and they are all quite useful. Although I would recommend investing points in Initial Tension and Accurate Shooting first. The first one will help you a lot at short distances, when there is no time for a powerful shot, and the second one is just good in itself - the ability to deal critical damage never hurts.

Among the four arrow skills, only one can be active. Undoubtedly, the most versatile and effective is the Multi-Arrow Shot.

• Quick pull. Increases the speed of bowstring tension. At the maximum level the increase is 500%.
• Initial tension. Increases initial bowstring tension by up to 50%. In other words, to inflict maximum damage with a shot, you will have to spend half as much time.
• Increased tension. Increases damage dealt (+100% maximum).
• Accurate shooting. "Critical hit" for archers. Gives a chance to deal five times the damage when shooting (30% at level ten).
• Disarming Arrow. Gives a chance to knock a weapon out of the enemy's hands. Does not work on monsters and animals. Depends on dexterity.

This skill is useful against archers and large groups of enemies if you are unable to deal with them quickly. The fact is that an enemy who has lost his weapon is a living corpse. He is unable to pick it up. This is an interesting feature of the local artificial intelligence.

• Shooting multiple arrows. Allows you to fire up to five arrows at a time. Accuracy reduced.

At maximum level, this skill can increase your shooting efficiency by three times. It will also allow you to deal with several enemies at once and will significantly complicate the approach of opponents.

• Piercing Arrow. Allows you to pierce up to ten enemies at a time with an arrow (oh how!).

This skill begs to be compared with the previous one. Why not? But against groups of enemies, shooting with several arrows is still much more effective. The fact is that not all enemies run one after another; someone always remains on the sidelines. It is unlikely that you will ever have the opportunity to break through ten at once. Also, at short ranges, piercing arrows are of no use.

• Blinding Arrow. Exactly copies "Dirty Trick". Completely useless for archers, because because of this dubious improvement you will have to give up the opportunity to fire several arrows at once. Forget about this skill like a bad dream.

Magic

Spells in the game are cards that are placed in a special book. Like any other items, they can be found on the corpses of monsters, in various containers and from merchants.

If you have several cards of the same spell, they will be placed in one cell, and the effect will improve.

All spells are divided into five schools: air, earth, fire, water and necromancy. They are further divided into five circles according to their power (the first row in the magic book corresponds to the first circle, the second to the second, etc.). Access to each new circle appears after increasing the corresponding skill to a multiple of three. Also, developing skills strengthens spells and increases mana consumption.

It is important: the archmage's staff adds 1000 mana, which corresponds to a hundred points invested in willpower. It is not necessary to use it as a weapon, but holding it in your hands while casting spells is very useful.

Apparently, the developers strongly dislike magicians: only three spells can be used at a time. You have to go into the book right during the battle to change them. If you do not want to waste time and nerves on this, then you need to think carefully about your choice. Let's look at the most useful spells of each school.

• Airbending school- this is, first of all, "Treatment" and good strengthening spells. For example, "Help" restores health and temporarily increases the maximum number of hits. Cards of this spell are found very often, which only increases its value.

Mages who do not disdain close combat will appreciate "The Power of God", adding 60% to the corresponding parameter. Many will like it "Magic Shield", which absorbs damage at the expense of mana.

Unique spell "Resurrection" allows you to bring any creatures back to life, after which they become friendly towards you.

• Fire Magic School good for its attacking spells that act in an area. Can be considered the best "Fire Field": It is excellent at delaying enemies, has a large area of ​​effect and does good damage. But you can accidentally burn yourself if the enemy gets close. In this case it will help "Meteor": It will not damage you, but will deplete the health of enemies. It is impossible to escape or dodge from this block, and that’s the beauty of it.

In the first circle there is one curious spell - "Power". It significantly increases magical damage and is useful to adherents of all schools. There is a similar spell in the school of air magic, but it adds less damage and costs more.

• School of Water Magic includes the best paralyzing spell in the game called "Freezing Wave". It immobilizes all nearby enemies and allows you to hit them with impunity for a long time.

"Ice Ray" will be an excellent alternative to elementary attacking arrow spells (bolt): it reaches the target instantly, flies far, and hits hard.

And finally, "Blizzard"- just a good attack spell of mass action.

• School of Earth Magic cannot boast of good attacking spells. It is based on ineffective protective and weakening magic. Although a couple of spells still stand out from the general background. "Blessing of the Earth" increases protection from all types of physical damage, as well as cold and fire, by 1000, and "Reflective Shield" returns 40% damage to the enemy. Agree, this is a lot.
• Necromancy- the only school of magic that gives “vampiric” effects. "Necro-force"- one of the most effective spells in battle. It heals, deals a lot of damage, and always hits the target. "Bloodsucker Aura" will be a great addition to it.

Each school has its own “arrow” spells, which form the basis of attack magic at first. Their choice depends solely on the number of cards for each of them - choose what causes more damage.

I did not draw your attention to basic protective and weakening spells. There is too little benefit from them to keep them on hand all the time. I also avoided summoning spells. There is no point in using them: the summoned creatures cannot be given commands, and on the battlefield they behave extremely stupidly. And it’s unlikely that this will be fixed in one of the upcoming patches.

For each of the large spell slots, there are three small ones. They are intended for amplifiers - a separate category of cards that improve spells. They can also be placed one on top of the other. In this case, the effects will stack directly.

There are five types of cards:

• Damage Booster. Adds 20% to the damage dealt by the spell.
• Duration extender. Increases the duration of the spell by 20%.
• Mana Saving. Reduces spell mana consumption by 20%.
• Spell Booster. Increases the spell level by 2.
• Summon booster. Increases the level of the summoned creature by 2.

Let's travel fast

At the very beginning of the game, you can get acquainted with the teleport system and get a horse. To do this, you will have to complete a couple of quests near the starting location. You definitely won't pass them by.

Teleports are scattered in large numbers throughout the continent. But first, each of them needs to be activated. This happens automatically if you have the corresponding item in your inventory. You also get a portable teleporter option that functions exactly the same.

The horse not only speeds up movement, but also allows you to carry a huge number of items with you (F2 key if it is standing next to you). There is no limit on the volume, and to fully load the animal by weight, you need to try very hard.

Horses tend to get stuck wherever they can, even in the smallest objects and on the smoothest roads. A whistle (H button) will help you get out of this situation: an animal without a rider behaves much more adequately and overcomes any obstacles without any problems.

Horses vary in appearance and in the maximum weight they can carry. The speed is constant.

Walkthrough

So we got to the storyline of the game. Many problems have alternative solutions. If possible, I will indicate the easiest ways to complete quests.

There are only two endings, but our actions cannot influence the choice of one of them. On the way to the final, nothing will stop you from cutting out even entire cities - do as you see fit. Still, the last words will decide everything...

On a note: If you did not see the introductory screensaver, then you most likely do not have the appropriate codecs installed. They can be found on the game disc. If the video still does not play, you will have to watch the videos directly - they can be found in the Two Worlds\ Video folder (wmv files). For playback, the standard Windows Media Player is best suited.

Tainted Blood

The law of meanness: as soon as you leave someone you need to closely monitor for a couple of minutes, that someone disappears. And so it happened: while the hero was inspecting the room for the night, Kira - his sister - was kidnapped by a suspicious guy.

A few months later, the hero receives a letter: “Your sister is alive. Be in Talmont during the second week of the harvest. Wait for us there, we will come to you ourselves.” And indeed, they will come.

The hard life of a mercenary brought you to Comorin. The village elder has an assignment: in the ruins to the north of the settlement there is a gang of groms lurking that haunt the local residents. They had already killed some people, and took two more with them. Well, it's time to put things in order. One of the peasants will show the hero the way.

Here you will be taught the basics of character control. The temple is very small, and you will immediately see the very groms who are to be punished. They are not able to cause serious injury to the character, so you can easily get used to the sword, bow or magic. Don't forget to collect trophies, look in the box and take a torch - the nights in Antalor are dark, and you will need it more than once.

The local who led you to the temple is waiting outside. He will bring to your attention that menacing-looking warriors came to the village and were looking for you. One of them remained to wait for your return.

On a note: on the road leading to the village you will come across two corpses. Near them are several useful things that make sense to take for yourself.

As it turns out, this is a messenger; His name is Gandohar, but he’s not going to say anything other than that Kira is alive. However, it will still tell you where to go next: its owner is waiting for you in the Goat Cave.

Along the way you will not meet any serious enemies: only a few wolves and a bandit camp at the fork. There is no one at all at the entrance to the cave.

Meet Reist Tungard. Of course, he won’t just free Kira or tell her where she is. First you need to complete some mission for him. Details are with Gandohar, he is waiting for you by the fire outside.

Gandohar will try to gain your trust. It seems that he remains loyal to Raist, but at the same time owes something to Kira. Therefore, he will make sure that after the mission is completed, the sister actually returns to her brother. But the hero still does not trust this difficult messenger.

Kira and the hero are twins, and as children they had the opportunity to communicate freely, regardless of the distance separating them, in places called “nodes.” Gandohar will tell you about one of these places.

The narrow path leading to the node was chosen by little animals called reapers. They bite low-level characters very painfully - they can swallow half their hit points at a time. Killing them is not easy. But it is not necessary to engage in battle: further on, the clearing that serves as a “node” is empty.

It’s immediately obvious that the place is not easy: a thick fog shrouds the ground, the colors fade. And here comes Kira! After a warm greeting, she will tell you something. She is constantly being transported from place to place, and she has no idea where she is. She also knows nothing about Gandohar's intentions, so she must be on her guard. So what kind of mission awaits the hero? Oh, Raist and company are looking for what, according to legend, belonged to the family of the hero and Kira. But the hero does not believe in stupid fairy tales. Although it doesn't matter. According to the sister, the relic must be destroyed regardless of your opinion. You can find out what it is and where to look for it by asking Gandohar. Kira does not want to attract the attention of the guards again and therefore brings the conversation to an end. You can meet her again at the site of another “node”, south of Talmont.

The trap will stop even such a huge demon. Paradox?

Gandohar can be found in the same place as before - by the fire. He will refresh the hero’s memory of the legend according to which, after the secret funeral of the orc god Aziraal, his ancestors received a relic - the key to the tomb. It was kept in the family for several decades, until it was decided to break it into several parts and take it far away. Raist wants you to bring him the relic and open the tomb. He knows where to look for its parts, but he cannot get his hands on them himself - a curse interferes, to which only your kind is immune. In other words, only Kira can do this - or you. If you manage to do this, your sister may be released, but there are no guarantees. Most likely, after the ritual of opening the tomb is completed, both of you will simply be killed. Although Gandohar has an idea. You can simply threaten Raist to destroy the relic during the ritual if he refuses to let Kira go. The gnome forge in Kudinara is suitable for this - only in its forge will it be possible to destroy the unusual alloy.

All that remains is to meet with Raist, discuss the details and put forward your demand. He is waiting for you in the same place as before - in the Goat Cave.

So, he wants you to bring the relic and perform the ritual - summon the tomb of Aziraal. The villain agrees to carry out the deal in Kudinara.

No, these two are definitely kidding! Raist will send you to Gandohar again for instructions.

So, the relic consists of five parts: a frame and four elements. The approximate location of the first two is known, but about the other three you need to ask Ho, a man who also works for Raist. I suggest you do this right away, and at the same time see your sister. Meetings in “nodes” do not affect the plot, but finding out some details will still help.

Now you know where to start your search:

• Frame belongs to the head of the Karga clan - Ultaru.
• Earth stone kept in the burial mound of King Satria. The search should begin in the village of Windbreak.
• Fire Stone held openly on the altar in the city temple. But not just anywhere, but in Gor Gammar - the capital of the orcs.
• water stone can be found in the Ashos dungeon.
• Air Stone hidden somewhere in the Drak'ar Desert. Its guardian is the dragon.

You can search for elements in any order. But let's start with the frame.

Hag and Skelden

The frame of the relic is kept in the treasury of the Karga clan. But no one will just let you in there. There are many ways to get to the treasury. It all depends on your likings. Who is closer to you in spirit? House Skelden, which does not disdain the most dirty methods to strengthen its wealth, or rebels from the Karga clan, who are forced to hide in the mountains and think about how to expose House Skelden?

Let's say you trust Ebrat Skelden more. In this case, go visit him: his house is located in the excavation area east of Tarbakin. Go straight to the headquarters gate. The guard will say that Ebrat does not talk to just anyone and first you need to earn a reputation in the House. For details, the soldier will send you to Sano Moon, the head of the excavation. He, in turn, will indicate where tasks can be found. However, Ebrat is quite friendly, and you can visit him immediately, ignoring the guard. He lives in the second house on the right behind the headquarters gate.

The purpose of the task that he will give you is quite obvious: to deal with the Karga clan while there is still such an opportunity. They have collected too much evidence that could harm the House. But Ebrat cannot simply send troops to their camp; they have too many supporters among the local residents. Ulthar and his brethren will disappear into the mountains faster than the soldiers of House Skelden can reach the clan's base.

Ebrat has a plan. He has a spy in prison. She has a husband, and he knows exactly who informs the Karga clan about the advance of the House troops. You can probably extract the necessary information from him if you threaten to kill his wife.

Go to Covengor and inform Erin Calvo about the situation. He is ready to do anything to free his wife, even betrayal. After a short conversation, the frightened peasant will agree to stop the informant, who will have to deliver a message about the attack on the clan camp.

Tell the good news to Ebrat. He will send his soldiers to attack, and this time Ulthar and all his minions will not be able to escape.

When you get to the camp, it will already be empty, and a priceless relic frame will be waiting for you in the treasury.

If you are loyal to the Karga clan, then go to the upper camp and take the task from Ulthar. You are required to find irrefutable evidence that the House of Skelden is undermining the king's activities. The head of the clan heard rumors that the head of the excavations, Sano Moon, was visited by a former apprentice of the royal mint, who was supposed to have died five years ago. This is not without reason, is it? It is quite possible that in Sano’s home there will be objects that will confirm the House’s involvement in counterfeiting. Time to check it out.

Sano never leaves his house, and it is quite difficult to pick the door lock without attracting attention.

This is a bug: sometimes the door does not respond to attempts to open it. But you can use the alternative method described below.

If you are a magician, then one trick will help you get inside without negative consequences. Stand facing the door and summon some not too massive creature. It should be inside the house. Now blindly attack him with any area-of-effect spell (for example, a fire field). Don't forget to step back a little if necessary. The summoned creature will become angry and try to get to you. At the same time, of course, opening the locked door. The main thing is to have time to run inside. You will have to get out the same way.

What carelessness! What you are looking for is not hidden anywhere, but simply lies on the floor at the far wall of the room. After taking the evidence, take it to Ulthar. He will be impressed with the work done. Still would! After all, you have obtained molds for casting coins and samples with a portrait of Lord Skelden on them. It would be hard to find anything better than this. Now Skelden House is doomed: very soon these things will fall into the hands of the court.

For such a service, Ulthar will offer you to choose any item from the clan treasury. Of course, you will have to take the frame.

There are three more ways to obtain the necessary artifact.

• Killing Ulthar. The treasury will open as soon as you deal with the leader of the Karga clan.
• Murder of Ebrat. After dealing with the leader of House Skelden, go to the Karga camp. Ulthar will meet you at the gate of the lower base and tell you that although this was not the best solution to the problem, it is still worthy of a reward.

It is important: You should only release the spy from Skelden prison if you decide to kill the leader of the House. Moreover, you need to start with her: she disappears from her cell immediately after Ebrat’s death.

• Pick up the frame yourself. North of the lower camp you can climb a ridge from which you can jump into the treasury. To get out of it later, you will have to sacrifice one of the portable teleporters. If you are not playing on the highest difficulty level, you can simply kill yourself to resurrect at the nearest shrine.

Earth stone

First of all, you need to get the key to the tomb. Go to the village of Windbreaker, west of Catalon, and find Mayor Gordar (usually you can find him near his house, near the well). He has a couple of errands for you. First, he will ask you to kill a lone ogre who has taken a fancy to one of the three mills. Then - clear the local cemetery of evil spirits so that villagers can go there without fear. These tasks do not cause any problems and are performed literally on the spot; you don’t have to run far.

For the third time, Gordar will make a personal request to you. In the Satria mound, in the valley of the Grave Hills, there is a precious crown that the mayor would really like to get his hands on. Quite by accident, the key to the tomb fell into his hands, which he will give to you.

Finding a mound is not a problem if you know where to go. It is skirted by the road leading to the Thunderstorm Tower from Kudinar. This place is not marked on the map, but the square-shaped structure itself is immediately visible. If you still can’t find it, then just mentally draw a vertical line from Ashos. Where the line intersects with the road is the tomb.

The entrance to the mound is not guarded by the undead in the best way: only a few skeletons and ghouls. Inside, go straight along the corridor, and before entering the main room, kill all the skeletons in the room on the right. The earth stone and crown can be found directly next to the coffin in the center of the round hall. It is guarded by a whole crowd of skeletons, which can serve as a good source of experience and useful things. If you are unable to cope with them, simply take the necessary items and return to the exit. The skeletons forgot to leave a couple of guards at the entrance to the hall, so by the time you are already stomping along the corridor on your way back, they will only realize that you don’t really look like a ghoul or a zombie and you don’t belong here.

By the way, the crown is actually fake, and it is unlikely to help the mayor escape from the city. But an agreement is an agreement, you got the Earth Stone, and that’s the main thing.

Fire Stone

You already have all the information necessary to search for the fire stone. It's time to go to Gor Gammar. On the way to the city you will have to face a great many enemies. First of all, these are, of course, orcs, but there are also many other monsters here. Giant insects, strange toothy skulls with tentacles, and golems live here. Perhaps the most dangerous is the lava dragon - its attacks are very strong up close, and at a distance it can launch a fireball at you. The dragon has fairly thick armor, but is not so immune to magic.

It is important: try not to go off the road. The smoke makes it dark, which greatly increases your chances of falling into the lava lake.

The main gate of the Gammara Mountains, oddly enough, is closed. We need to look for another way. Turn left from the road and walk along the wall. Very soon you will find the descent to the Path of the Doomed. The main hall of this dungeon is home to a whole crowd of orcs. Destroying them is not difficult if you have area-of-effect spells. The corridor leading to the room is very convenient for defense. Lure out the orcs in small groups and shoot them with a bow. However, this dungeon is also well suited for close combat. You can easily lead the attackers to the previous hall or follow the arriving fighters and archers from around the corner.

So you have penetrated Gor Gammar. You can easily sneak into the temple and steal the fire stone quietly and unnoticed. If it's not your style, it will be more difficult. There are a lot of orcs here, believe me. And as soon as someone notices you, half of the green-skinned warriors will rush in your direction. During the battle, do not move away from the entrance to the dungeon, place traps on the passage, and prepare bottles in advance that restore mana and health. If holding back the orcs becomes too difficult, go down into the dungeon and take a breath. Sooner or later they will all be dead.

Having obtained the Fire Stone, get out of the Gammar Mountains along the same road.

water stone

This part of the relic is kept in the underground temple of the city of Ashos. The problem is that the temple is closed to visitors, and to get inside you need to get a key.

One of them is kept by a local blacksmith, Uchinao Sakamoto. Hoko, who is looking for her sister, will tell you about him. He is not going to give the key away just like that - only in return for a favor. Uchinao cannot share the inherited forge with his sister. And really, what can a woman know about blacksmithing? But Hidee says that she is well versed in this, and Uchinao is not a person, but a soulless beast who kicked his old father out of the house. However, this should not worry you. They asked to deal with the greedy sister. No sooner said than done. A couple of swings of the sword, and you can go get your reward.

Another key can be obtained while completing tasks for the guard who stands southwest of the gate. Nothing complicated: first you will be asked to run around the city and find out who the smuggled goods taken from the courier were intended for. Then you will be sent to a scientist who needs help. He suggests that the giant insects, which have become a serious problem outside the city, are breeding under the temple of Ashos. You will be asked to check this and will be given a key in this case.

What awaits us inside the temple? Fight with humanoid snakes. Although you can simply run past them and grab the Water Stone, fortunately they all prefer close combat, are not trained in magic, and there is nothing to oppose them with such “tactics”.

Remember, the city residents talked about the eye of Yatalen, protecting Ashos from the attack of orcs? Now, that was true. Draw appropriate conclusions and guess what happened while you were in the dungeon.

Air Stone

No one knows exactly where to find the air stone, but it is known for certain that it is located in the Drak’ar Desert. According to Ho, he is somehow connected with a not-so-simple white dragon.

You can ask a couple of questions in Nahata - this settlement is easy to find if you continue going straight when the road ends. There, talk to Prantax. He will tell you about the albino dragon that dominates this desert. You can summon him by collecting five sulfur crystals and placing them on the altar in the creature’s lair. In parting, the desert dweller will advise you to see Ari Aldamore. It’s not for nothing that the locals call him the Dragon Gossip: he knows, if not everything, then a lot about dragons. Go straight to him.

From Ari you learn that the Great White controls other dragons by stealing and hiding their eggs. And since dragons only lay one egg during their long lives, they are very important to them. If you find the loot, the albino will weaken, and others will not stand on ceremony with him for long and will immediately take revenge in the most cruel way.

It is said that the great white dragon took advantage of the powers of a rare magical crystal by swallowing it. Isn't this the Air Stone we're talking about? Although these are all rumors, and you shouldn’t really trust them.

The albino hides dragon eggs in his nest, but no one knows where it is. It comes into the desert from beyond the mountain range to the south, so the nest is most likely located there somewhere. If you find it, Ari can inform the dragons and send them to collect the eggs.

To get to the nest, you need to find a path in the mountains. Head south from the eastern edge of the dragon's lair and you won't miss it. If you see a sand dragon, you know you are on the right path.

This is the advice: leave the horse below, do not lead it into the mountains. Firstly, you will be terribly tired, overcoming places where you can get stuck. Secondly, on a narrow winding path the chances that the animal will be killed sharply increase.

Follow the path, fighting off stone golems, octogroms and other evil spirits along the way, until you see a thick stream of air rising up... Oh! Yes, this is the Air Stone! Another part of the relic has been found.

At the same time, you completed the task of finding the nest. Report your progress to Ari. He will pass on the information to his dragon friends, and they will go and beat the albino. This must be a very exciting spectacle - a battle of dragons. Will you have time to watch?

The relic has finally been put together. All that remains is to report this to Gandohar and hope for Kira’s salvation.

Castling

Everything is ready for exchange. It's time to meet Raist and save your sister by giving up the relic and participating in the summoning. Raist has asked that you wear a linen robe. He, you see, wants to protect you from lightning, and in such clothes you will be safer. However, Gandohar, Raist and their assistants calmly wear metal armor.

This is interesting: in fact, such an absurd request can be explained very simply. The subsequent events are not a scripted scene, but a video. And they give you a robe so that there are no inconsistencies in the character’s appearance.

So, you asked Gandohar to be the one who brought Kira to you during the exchange. The mercenary will promise to do just that.

The fateful meeting over the dwarven forge begins. The hero shows the relic and waits for Gandohar to bring his sister to him. “Take the relic, and we’ll go.” - “You forgot something.” “Aziraal doesn’t bother me much anymore. Do what you want".

“Well, if so...” The ritual will begin against your will. It turns out that Aziraal's grave is located right here. Gandohar only pretended to be a friend so that you yourself would choose this place for the transaction. In fact, he is not a mercenary, but the head of an organization. Gandohar simply switched roles with Raist to make it easier to ingratiate himself and harder to figure out who Raist was getting his orders from.

As for Kira, she will give new life to Aziraal. While the hero is exhausted, Raist, Gandohar and Kira will leave to prepare for the transformation. Just in case, you will be left alive until Kira receives the power of a deity.

Paladins vs.

What to do now? Balor will answer this question. You've probably seen his people - strangers speaking strangely in white robes and masks. They kept an eye on you and Raist, but were unable to stop the villain at the right time.

To reach your enemies, you will have to take care of the magical barrier. It works thanks to a huge fiery pentagram in the sky. This unusual structure is supported by necromancer towers. At their tops live the guardians of the pentagram. If you kill one of them, Gandohara Castle will lose its protection.

If you've spent a lot of time in the world of Antalor, you've probably approached these buildings out of curiosity. They, as before, are guarded by a crowd of necromancers and undead; Gandohar did not strengthen their defense.

The fire stone can be stolen from the orcs right from under their noses.

Head to the Tower of Death if you want to save travel time. You can get to its top using a teleport, to which two stairs lead. The Guardian is a simple opponent; he cannot boast of either strong armor or strong attacks. Finish him off and go towards your destiny - to Gandohara Castle.

The path to Osvaro will certainly remind you of the road leading to Gor Gammar. Yes, the landscapes here are just as gloomy, but the local monsters won't cause much trouble.

Quite dangerous dead knights live on the castle grounds. If you are not confident in your abilities, try going to the entrance to the main building through the eastern street. There aren't many of them there.

In front of the gate you will be met by Raist, who is clearly not going to give way in an amicable way. After the conversation, he will show you his demonic form. In this form, Raist cannot use spells, and he will only be able to reach you at a short distance. In addition, this six-meter monster is subject to traps, so magicians and archers will take it down very quickly. Fans of close combat will also have no problems: his attacks are strong, but very drawn out, it’s easy to catch the moment and jump away. Now the way is clear.

It is important: after the final battle the game ends. If you still have unfinished tasks, you won’t be able to return to them.

Here is the final meeting with Gandohar. He will not only try to change your opinion about the fate of your sister, but will also tell you about the Ancients and the interaction of the two worlds. Gandohar will give you a choice: take the side of the Ancients, join Gandohar and Kira and destroy this world - or remain true to your beliefs and save it, and at the same time rescue your sister. Depending on your words, either Gandohar or Balor and his paladins will attack you. Both fights are unreasonably easy for the final. The opponents do not stand out for their extraordinary abilities, and the spacious hall is an ideal place for battle, especially when there are no archers on the enemy side.

* * *

So, the world is saved or, on the contrary, it is about to be destroyed. But we will certainly return to Two Worlds, because there is still a lot of interesting things left behind the scenes.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Artemy Kozlov and Stanislav Stepanchenko for their help in researching the game. See you again!

Table 1 Coaches

Skills Where to learn School of water magic, school of earth magic Tarbakin, Kudinar Balance, knocking down Brotherhood Outpost, Kudinar, Eastern Military Camp (near Kudinar) Double Blade, Fury, Deadly Pirouette, Stun, Knockdown Kick Brotherhood Outpost, Kudinar, Eastern Military Camp, Catalan Sword Breaking Strike, Shield Knocking Strike, Feint, Burn Catalan, Kudinar Death blow, theft North of Tarbakin, behind the rocks on the west side of the road, Kudinar Disarming Arrow, Multiple Arrow Shot, Piercing Arrow, Blinding Arrow Catalan, Kudinar Reinforced tension, initial tension Farm south of Comorin village; Catalan Necromancy, alchemy, stoneskin Kudinar (behind the cemetery at the eastern walls of the city), Rovant village, Enclave (a village near the Gammara Mountains, the road leads to it south of Heidborg Castle)

Earth's land

© Vladimir Kalanov,
website"Knowledge is power".

According to reference books, land occupies only 29.2 percent of the surface of the entire Earth. But even this 29.2% can be called land only with some degree of convention. No matter how perfect modern topographic surveys are, including space surveys, it is still practically impossible to take into account the area of ​​countless rivers, rivulets, streams, swamps, artificial pools, ponds and canals that exist on Earth. Moreover, these bodies of water periodically disappear or reappear. But be that as it may, we will proceed from the fact that 29.2% of the Earth's surface is land. The land consists of six parts of the world: Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica and the islands.

The outlines of continents and large islands are familiar to us in detail from school. But the shapes and outlines of the continents and, in general, all land elements were not always the same as we see them on modern geographical maps. Geological science has proven that the Earth's lithosphere consists of tectonic plates that constantly move through the mantle underneath them.

The age of the Earth is estimated at 4.5 billion years, and already 4.2-4.3 billion years ago there were oceans and small continents on Earth. Starting from the Archean era (the oldest in the history of the Earth) and until today, the crust of the continents was formed from rocks melted in the depths of the Earth, which were carried to its surface. Tectonic plates of the lithosphere can collide with each other or move away from each other. At collision boundaries, one of the colliding plates can plunge under the other and go deep into the Earth. Deep ocean ditches and active volcanoes appear in the immersion zone.

Where the plates move away from each other, deep cracks appear in the earth's crust. The rocks of the earth's depths melt in these places, usually forming basalts. Basalts rise to fill cracks, hardening as they rise closer to the Earth's upper crust. Divergent plates in the oceans thus form the ocean floor, including underwater ridges.

Almost all modern southern continents united in the distant past, forming giant continent Gondwana. The process of this connection lasted for 300 million years, almost the entire Paleozoic era (which began 0.5 billion years ago). By the end of this era, as a result of the movement of tectonic plates, Gondwana was connected to the rest of the continents. A huge landmass was formed that united almost all continents. Geologists called this single continent Pangea.. It extended from pole to pole. During the formation of Pangea, mountain systems were formed in what is now North America (eastern part), Scotland, Asia, eastern Australia and other areas of the Earth as a result of collisions of tectonic plates.

Hundreds of millions of years have passed, and single continent Pangea divided into several continents, which we now see on the map of the Earth. The reality of continental drift, i.e. the mutual rapprochement or distance of one continent from another was questioned by many scientists until the 1960s. However, the scientific data collected has proven that continental movement is a reality.

Tectonic plates are pieces of the lithosphere, i.e. the solid outer shell of the Earth, which extends to an average depth of 100 km. These plates are able to move because at these depths the earth's mantle has a high temperature and is physically an almost liquid substance. Thus, the energy required for plate movement comes from the Earth itself. There are ten large and medium-sized lithospheric plates on Earth, for example: Eurasian, Pacific, South American, North American, African, Antarctic, etc. The speed of plate movement is several centimeters per year. At approximately the same speed, 180 million years ago, the process of separation of Europe and Africa from America and, accordingly, the opening of the Atlantic Ocean between them began. Look carefully at the world map: if you mentally remove the Atlantic Ocean and move Africa and South America towards each other, then the contours of the coastlines of both of these continents will practically coincide. But not only and not so much this speculative fact is proof that Europe, Africa and America were once a single continent. The necessary evidence was collected by geological science and oceanography.

India has been an island continent since the end of the Mesozoic era (approximately 70 million years ago). More than 50 million years ago, India began to move closer to Asia. It was a huge process that lasted tens of millions of years. As a result of compression, part of the crust of the Indian continent rose, which led to the emergence of the Himalayan range. Some of India's crust slipped under the Asian tectonic plate, creating a crust twice as thick there as anywhere else in the world. The compression between the modern subcontinent of India and Asia continues to the present day, i.e. India's northward movement has not yet stopped. One of the consequences of this process is destructive earthquakes not only near the Himalayas, but also thousands of kilometers from this area.

Other examples can be given that show that the constant movement of tectonic plates on Earth is an indisputable fact.

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Nature itself divided Africa into two unequal parts. In the northern part, adjacent to the Mediterranean and Red Seas, centers of civilization arose from ancient times. Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines replaced each other here. In the 7th century, the Arabs captured the entire coast of North Africa as far as the Atlantic, subjugating the local Berber tribes. The Arabs called the lands west of Egypt Maghreb, that is, the western lands. Huge cities such as Fez and Tangier flourished there, and wonderful monuments of Muslim architecture were created.

From the Maghreb to the south, through the Sahara Desert, ancient caravan routes led to Tropical Africa. The Arabs called it Bilad al-Sudan (Country of the Blacks) or simply Sudan. In those parts lived black peoples who spoke many different languages.

Courtyard in the house for students of ez-Zhar in the city of Fes (Morocco). XIV century

The Africans faced a most difficult task: to develop vast spaces that were poorly suited for normal human life. Most of Africa is occupied by deserts, savannas, and tropical forests. Over vast areas, people are threatened by malaria, and domestic animals are threatened by the tsetse fly. Both people and animals suffered from the sweltering heat.

Being in different natural conditions, the peoples of Africa developed in different ways. Rainforest dwellers, such as the short pygmies, were hunters and gatherers. And to the north and south of them, in the savannas, lived farmers and cattle breeders.

At the turn of our era, many peoples of tropical Africa learned to produce iron. Iron tools and other innovations made it possible to obtain higher yields. There were more opportunities for the development of the craft.

Twenty-one years have passed since the end of the last world war; This event, the finale of which was the defeat of Japan, is now devoted to a huge number of publications in all languages. Many regions of the divided world are showing optimism.

Twenty-one years without a new world war in a situation of acute confrontation, conflicts involving the use of force and sudden changes seem to everyone to be a very long time. However, even without specifically analyzing what results this world has led to in practice (poverty, degradation, exploitation of an ever-increasing number of regions of the Earth) - a world that we all constantly talk about our struggle to maintain - it would be good to understand whether it is a reality .

The purpose of these notes is not to describe the local wars that have occurred since the surrender of Japan, and certainly not to compile a long and growing register of civil conflicts that have occurred during the period of so-called peace. But to understand the groundlessness of the demonstrated optimism, it is enough to remember the wars in Korea and Vietnam.

In Korea, after several months of fierce fighting, the northern part of the country was subjected to the most terrible devastation that can be found in the annals of modern wars: completely plowed up by bombs, it was left without factories, without schools, without hospitals, without any trace of housing in which ten millions of its inhabitants.

Under the cover of the UN flag, dozens of countries commanded by the United States took part in this interventionist war, a huge number of American soldiers were involved in combat operations, and South Koreans called up for mobilization were used as cannon fodder.

On the other hand, the army and people of Korea, as well as volunteers from the People's Republic of China, received assistance with weapons, ammunition and military advisers from the USSR. The Americans used all types of weapons of mass destruction in the war, except thermonuclear ones; Even bacteriological and chemical weapons were used on a limited scale. In Vietnam, patriotic forces had to conduct almost continuous military operations against three imperialist powers: first against Japan, whose military power weakened only after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then against France, which forgot about the promises it made in difficult times and recaptured its the Indo-Chinese colonies occupied by Japan, and finally against the United States.

Local clashes took place on all continents, although in Latin America for a long time there were only military uprisings and attempts to launch a liberation struggle - until the Cuban Revolution reminded everyone how important this region was and aroused the wrath of the imperialists, because of which she had to defend the Cuban shores, first at Playa Giron and then during the October Crisis.

The latest incident almost provoked a war with unpredictable consequences, since Cuba almost became the cause of a direct North American-Soviet armed conflict.

There is no doubt, however, that the focus of the main contradictions at present is Indochina. Laos and Vietnam were rocked by civil wars, but the nature of these wars changed after American imperialism intervened with all its might, turning the entire region into one huge powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

The confrontation reached its maximum severity in Vietnam. We do not intend to write the history of this war. We will only point out its main milestones.

In 1954, after the French army suffered a crushing defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the Geneva Accords were signed, which divided the country into two zones and which provided for elections to be held within 18 months - and these elections would determine who would govern Vietnam and how the country should be united. The United States did not sign these agreements, but began maneuvers aimed at replacing the French puppet, Emperor Bao Dai, with its own man. This man turned out to be Ngo Dinh Diem, whose tragic end - imperialism squeezed him like a lemon - is known to everyone.

The first months after the signing of the Geneva Agreements were months of optimism in the camp of popular forces. In the south of the country, resistance bases created during the war with the French were dismantled; everyone was confident that the agreements would be fulfilled. However, it soon became obvious that there would be no elections unless the United States was confident that it could impose its will on everyone - something it could not do even if it used every known method of voter fraud.

Since then, the renewed struggle in the South of Vietnam has become more and more fierce - and by now the American Expeditionary Force there has reached half a million people, despite the fact that the size of the puppet army, which has almost lost its combat effectiveness, is constantly declining.

Over the past almost two years, the North Americans have been systematically bombing the territory of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, thus trying to reduce the combat effectiveness of the forces fighting in the South and force them to agree to negotiations that the United States intends to conduct from a position of strength. In principle, initially the bombing of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam took place only from time to time - under the pretext of retaliation for the so-called provocations of the North. But then the methods changed, the intensity of the bombing increased - and now it turned into a gigantic massacre carried out daily by the US Air Force to destroy any sign of civilization in the northern part of Vietnam: the bombing became part of the notorious policy of escalation.

To a large extent, the Yankees managed to implement their plans, despite the fearless resistance of the Vietnamese air defense forces, the destruction of more than 1,700 American aircraft and the assistance of military equipment from the socialist camp.

The sad truth is that Vietnam, a country that has become a symbol of the aspirations and hopes of the world's dispossessed, is tragically alone. The Vietnamese people endure the blows of the American war machine - almost point-blank in the South, with minimal ability to defend themselves in the North - and yet they fight alone.

The solidarity of the progressive forces of the world with the people of Vietnam is reminiscent - we have to say this with bitter irony - the noisy approval of the gladiators who fought in the circus arenas by the Roman plebs. One must not wish success to the victims of aggression, but share their fate, go with them to death or to victory.

When we analyze the reasons for Vietnam’s loneliness, we are overcome with acute pain: humanity’s attitude to what is happening is so illogical.

US imperialism is guilty of unleashing aggression; its crimes are colossal and well known throughout the world. We know them too, gentlemen! But responsibility also lies with all those who, at the decisive moment, hesitated and did not proclaim Vietnam the inviolable territory of socialism. Of course, such a tactic would entail the risk of a war on a global scale, but American imperialism would also have to take this risk into account. Also to blame are those who continue to wage the long-drawn-out “cold war” between the two largest powers of the socialist camp, a war in which both sides intrigue against each other and publicly vilify each other.

We ask a question that demands a straight answer: is Vietnam alone in its precarious balancing act between two opposing superpowers?

But how great this people are! What is his fortitude and courage! What an example his struggle serves as an example for the whole world!

It will be a long time before it becomes clear whether President Johnson really intended to carry out reforms that would make life easier for ordinary people - to reduce the severity of the class contradictions that are increasingly declaring their explosiveness. But it is already obvious that all these reforms, pompously called the “struggle for a great society,” have sunk into the swamp of Vietnam.

The largest existing imperialist power found that it was beginning to be bled dry by a war against a poor and backward country, and that military spending was undermining its miracle economy. Murder ceases to be the most profitable business for monopolies. But all that the Vietnamese fighters, surprising the whole world, have at their disposal are defensive weapons (and even then in insufficient quantities), and also love for the homeland and exceptional courage. Imperialism is stuck in Vietnam, it cannot find a way out of this situation and is desperately looking for someone who would help it get out of this dangerous situation without losing face. However, the “four points” proposed by the North and the “five points” proposed by the South are burning him like red-hot tongs, and the confrontation is deepening.

What is happening shows that that fragile peace, which is called peace only because the global confrontation has not reached the level of a direct military clash between the two camps, is today in danger of being destroyed by some irreversible and unacceptable action by the North Americans. And we, the oppressed of this world, what position should we take? The peoples of three continents are following the events in Vietnam and learning from these events. Since the imperialists are blackmailing all of humanity with the threat of starting a war, the correct response to this challenge is to stop being afraid of war. The common tactics of the peoples should be constant and decisive attacks on the imperialists wherever there is confrontation.

What task should we solve where the pitiful, hard-to-bear “peace” has not yet been broken? Liberation at any cost.

The picture of the world today is very diverse. Such a task as liberation faces even the countries of old Europe, developed enough to experience all the contradictions of capitalism, but too weak to pursue an openly imperialist policy or take this path. In the coming years, the contradictions in these countries will escalate to an explosive level, but the problems facing the peoples of these countries (and, consequently, the solutions to these problems) differ from the problems of our peoples - economically backward and dependent.

The zone of main imperialist exploitation is the three economically backward continents - Asia, Africa and Latin America. Each of the countries on these continents has its own characteristics, just as the continents themselves differ in their originality.

Latin America is a more or less homogeneous phenomenon, and throughout almost its entire territory North American monopoly capital retains absolute supremacy. Puppet or (at best) weak and cowardly local governments are unable to disobey the orders of their North American masters. The US has achieved almost maximum political and economic dominance on the continent; They can get only very little beyond what they already have - and therefore any change in the situation threatens them with the loss of advantages. Therefore, US policy is aimed at retaining what has already been won. Today, the main line of US action on the continent is the use of brute force to destroy liberation movements of any kind.

The slogan “Do not allow a new Cuba” acts as a cover for the brazen aggressive actions of the Yankees, such as the crime against the Dominican Republic, and earlier - the massacre in Panama, and also as an outright threat: the Yankees are ready to use their troops anywhere in Latin America, where the existing order will be shaken and North American interests will be threatened. This policy is carried out in conditions of essentially complete impunity: the OAS, which has completely discredited itself, is used by the Yankees as a convenient cover; the helplessness of the UN has acquired tragicomic features; The armies of all Latin American countries are ready to fight their own people. A de facto international of crimes and betrayals has been created.

At the same time, the local Latin American bourgeoisie finally lost the ability to resist imperialism (if it had such an ability at all) and turned into its obedient minion. There is no choice: either the revolution on the continent will be socialist, or it will not be a revolution, but a caricature.

The situation on the Asian continent is different. As a result of the liberation struggle against successive European colonialists on the continent, more or less progressive regimes arose here, which subsequently moved in different directions: some went to deepen the original goals, limited only to the task of national liberation, others returned to pro-imperialist positions.

In Asia, economically speaking, the United States had very little to risk and much to gain. They are interested in changing the situation, they are fighting to push aside the old colonial powers and penetrate new economic regions - either directly or with the help of Japanese capital.

But there are also special political conditions (primarily on the Indochina Peninsula) that have a decisive influence on the characteristics of the political situation in Asia and largely shape the global military strategy of US imperialism. This imperialism intends to encircle China, relying on South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, South Vietnam and Thailand.

This dual task - the most important strategic interest of the United States (the military encirclement of the People's Republic of China) and the desire of American capital to penetrate large Asian markets in which it has not yet captured a leading position - makes Asia one of the most explosive places in the modern world, despite a semblance of stability outside Vietnamese territory proper.

The Middle East, although it geographically belongs to the Asian continent, has such pronounced specifics and has reached such an acute level of conflict that today it is impossible to predict how the current “cold war” between Israel, which is supported by the imperialists, and the progressive forces of this region will end. This is another volcano threatening to explode throughout the world.

Africa is, one might say, an almost untouched field for neo-colonialist invasion. Here we saw changes that forced the colonial powers to give up their former absolute rights. However, when these changes occurred slowly and non-violently, colonialism invariably developed into neo-colonialism. From the point of view of economic dominance, one is no different from the other. The United States had no colonies on this continent, and now the United States is trying to penetrate into territories that in the past were considered the protected zone of its current allies. There is no doubt that Africa in the strategic plans of American imperialism is assigned the role of a reserve set aside for the future: significant investments of North American capital are observed only in the Union of South Africa, and the penetration of US capital into the Congo, Nigeria and some other countries where fierce competition is unfolding (for now still peaceful) with other imperialist powers is just beginning.

In this region, the Yankees do not yet have such significant interests that they have to be protected, hiding behind the far-fetched “right” to aggression anywhere in the world where American monopolies expect to make large profits or where rich mineral deposits have been discovered.

All of the above makes it relevant to raise the question of the short- and medium-term perspective of the peoples’ struggle for their liberation.

If we begin to analyze the African situation, we see that active struggles are being waged today in the Portuguese colonies of Guinea, Mozambique and Angola, with events developing in an inspiring manner in Guinea and with varying success in the other two countries. The struggle continues in the Congo - between Lumumba's followers and Tshombe's former accomplices, and the scales seem to tip towards the latter, those who say to themselves that they have achieved the "pacification" of the country (although guerrilla warfare is still in its latent form continues).

In Rhodesia the situation looks very different: British imperialism has used every opportunity to hand over the reins of power in that country to the white minority who currently hold power. From the point of view of Great Britain, the conflict is absolutely illegitimate, and this power, with its characteristic dexterity - or rather, let's call a spade a spade, hypocrisy - formally expresses indignation at the actions of the government of Ian Smith. This crafty position of England finds support in those countries of the British Commonwealth that always follow in the footsteps of London's policies, but a significant part of the countries of Black Africa reject this position - regardless of whether they are economic vassals of British imperialism or not.

The situation in Rhodesia could explode if the popular patriotic forces of the black majority now mobilizing focus on preparing for armed struggle, and neighboring states provide them with assistance. In the meantime, all the problems of Rhodesia are being tried to be resolved within the framework of such helpless organizations as the UN, the British Commonwealth or the OAU.

Be that as it may, the socio-political development of Africa does not allow us to conclude that a continental revolutionary situation is approaching. The liberation struggle against the Portuguese colonialists will undoubtedly end in victory, but Portugal itself does not occupy any place in the world imperialist hierarchy. From the point of view of the revolution, it is precisely those clashes that are important that jeopardize the entire system of imperialism, although understanding this, of course, will not force us to stop the struggle for the liberation of the three Portuguese colonies and the deepening of the revolutions taking place in them.

Only when the black population of South Africa and Rhodesia began a real revolutionary struggle did a new era begin in Africa. Or the start of this era could be the beginning of the struggle of the dispossessed masses of any country on the continent against the ruling oligarchies.

So far, one after another, only military coups are taking place on the continent, during which one group of officers overthrows another or civilian rulers, whose activities no longer meet the interests of the local castes and the imperialist powers hypocritically manipulating them. There are practically no popular movements. In the Congo, such a movement, inspired by the memory of Lumumba, emerged briefly, but it too has lost momentum in recent months.

In Asia, as we see, the situation is explosive - and not only in Vietnam and Laos, where the struggle has reached the stage of open confrontation. Let's not forget about Cambodia, against which the Americans can unleash aggression at any moment, about Thailand and Malaysia and, of course, about Indonesia, where the last word has not yet been said, although reactionaries have seized power and the Communist Party has been destroyed in the country. And, naturally, there is also the Middle East.

In Latin America, armed struggle is taking place today in Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia; The first shoots of such a struggle emerged in Brazil. Other centers of resistance flare up and go out. In almost all countries of the continent, the conditions are ripe for such a struggle, the victory of which should result in the emergence of at least socialist-oriented governments.

Almost the same language is spoken on the continent, with the exception of Brazil, but Spanish speakers can easily communicate with Brazilians due to the proximity of both languages. The class situation in Latin American countries is so similar, the degree of self-identification of classes with the same classes in neighboring countries is so great that we can talk about a kind of “Latin American international.” They are united by language, customs, and common owners. The degree and form of exploitation, as well as its consequences - for both the exploiters and the exploited - are almost the same for most Latin American countries. Conditions for uprising are quickly maturing on the continent.

We have the right to ask questions: what will be the fruits of this uprising? what type will it be? We have long insisted that, due to the extreme similarity of the characteristics of the different countries of the continent, the struggle in Latin America will sooner or later inevitably take a continental form. Latin America will become the scene of many great battles for the liberation of mankind.

From the point of view of a battle on a continental scale, the struggle in those countries where it is now actively being waged is nothing more than private episodes, but this struggle has already produced its martyrs, whose names will be entered in the book of Latin American history as the names of heroes who gave their lives in the first stage of the struggle for the complete liberation of humanity. The names of Comandante Turcios Lima, Priest Camillo Torres, Comandante Fabricio Ojeda, Comandante Lobaton and Comandante Luis de la Puento Uceda, who played a vital role in the revolutionary movements in Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru, will remain in history.

But in the course of the mobilization of the active forces of the people, new leaders emerged: Cesar Montes and Jon Sosa unfurled the banner of struggle in Guatemala, Fabio Vázquez and Marulanda in Colombia, Douglas Bravo and Américo Martin in Venezuela, in the west of the country and in El Bachiller, where everyone of them commands the fronts.

New shoots of guerrilla warfare are breaking through in these and other countries, just as has already happened in Bolivia; these shoots will grow stronger despite all the dangers that await the revolutionary today. Many will fall victims of their own mistakes, others will die in future harsh battles, but in the fire of the revolutionary war new fighters and new leaders will be born. The people themselves will prepare both their warriors and their leaders - selecting those who have gone through the crucible of battles. Of course, the number of puppets used by the Yankees to carry out repression will also increase. Today the Yankees have their military advisers in all countries where there is armed struggle - and, for example, in Peru, the army, trained by these advisers and with their direct participation, very successfully carried out an operation to suppress the revolutionary struggle. But if centers of armed struggle are created not hastily, but with careful consideration of existing military and political conditions, these centers will become practically indestructible, and this will force the Yankees to send more and more of their mercenaries into the combat zone. In Peru, new fighters, even if not yet known to the world, demonstrating firmness and perseverance, are working to reorganize the guerrilla struggle. The following is inevitable: the existing obsolete weapons, which government armies have enough to suppress small armed groups, will have to be replaced with the latest weapons; the number of American advisers will have to be increased and increased, so that in the end the United States will be forced to send regular troops - and in ever-increasing numbers; Otherwise, they will not be able to ensure stability of power in countries whose national armies are falling apart during the fight against partisans. This is the Vietnam way; It is precisely this path that all other nations must follow. Latin America will follow the same path - with the only difference that in Latin America armed movements will have to create unique Coordinating Juntas, the purpose of which is to prevent imperialism from unleashing repression and helping each other in achieving their goals.

Latin America, a continent forgotten in the last political battles for liberation, a continent to which the Conference of Three Continents brings the word of the vanguard of its peoples, the word of the Cuban Revolution, faces a task of the greatest importance: to create on the planet a second Vietnam, or a third, or both a second and a third Vietnam at the same time.

In the end, we must remember that imperialism, the last stage of capitalism, is a world system, and defeating it requires confrontation on a global scale. The strategic goal of our struggle is the destruction of imperialism. The participation of our peoples, the peoples of backward and exploited countries, must inevitably result in the destruction of the supply bases of imperialism, in the suppression of its control over our oppressed countries: countries from which imperialism today draws its capital, cheap raw materials and cheap specialists, where there is cheap labor and where new capital is directed - as an instrument of domination, weapons and other means are directed, designed to help maintain our total dependence. The fundamental element of the strategic task facing us is the genuine liberation of peoples, which in the overwhelming majority of cases is possible only through armed struggle, and in Latin America this struggle will inevitably develop into a socialist revolution.

And if we set ourselves the goal of destroying imperialism, we must clearly understand that the guiding force of imperialism is the United States of America.

To realize this common goal, we will have to solve one tactical problem: we must lure the enemy out of his usual conditions, force him to fight in an area where his usual way of life is falling apart from a collision with harsh reality. And do not underestimate the enemy: the American soldier has high fighting qualities, and his technical and fire support is such that it can frighten anyone. For a successful war, he only lacks ideological motivation - that is, what his most fierce opponents - the Vietnamese partisans - fully possess today. We will defeat the American army only if we can undermine its morale. To do this, we must repeatedly defeat American soldiers in battle and constantly keep them in an atmosphere of deprivation and danger.

This briefly outlined plan for achieving victory involves great sacrifices on the part of the nations - and these sacrifices will have to be made today, immediately; however, it is likely that these sacrifices will be less than those that our people would have to make if they decided to shy away from the fight in the hope that someone else would pull the chestnuts out of the fire for them.

It is clear that the country that is the last to take the path of struggle for liberation has every chance of avoiding armed struggle, and its people will be spared the suffering associated with a long and brutal war with imperialism. However, there is also a possibility that, due to the worldwide nature of the struggle, this country will not be able to avoid either the armed struggle itself or its consequences, and the suffering of the people will be as great as in other countries, or even exceed them. We cannot predict the future, but it is all the more unworthy to succumb to the temptation of opportunism and act as the standard bearers of a people who passionately desire freedom, but at the same time does not want to fight for it and expects victory, like a beggar expects alms.

The desire to avoid unnecessary casualties is absolutely fair. Therefore, it is very important to understand how realistic it is for our dependent Latin America to achieve liberation through peaceful means. We think the answer to this question is already known: we may be mistaken in choosing the place and time to begin the struggle, but we can no longer create illusions about the possibility of achieving freedom without fighting. We have no right to such illusions. And these battles will not be street riots in which stones are opposed to tear gas, and not general strikes of a peaceful nature, and not spontaneous uprisings of an angry people capable of smashing into pieces the repressive structures of the ruling oligarchies in two or three days; no, the struggle will be long, merciless, its front line will pass through partisan shelters, through the houses of fighters, where members of their families will become easy prey for repression, through completely destroyed peasant villages, through cities and villages destroyed by enemy bombing.

We are forced into such a struggle - and we have no other way but to decide on it and prepare for it.

The beginning of this struggle cannot be easy; on the contrary, it will be very difficult. Oligarchies mobilize in their defense all the capabilities of the repressive machine, all their cruelty and all their demagoguery. At first, our task will be survival, but then factors such as the strength of the example of the fighting partisan detachment and the armed propaganda carried out by it will begin to work. This propaganda should be understood as in Vietnam: it is propaganda through shots and battles with the enemy, victorious or not, but carried out constantly.

The most important thing in enlightening the oppressed masses is to instill in them confidence in the invincibility of the guerrillas. This is how the national spirit is revived, the strength appears to solve increasingly complex problems and resist increasingly fierce repressions.

Hatred is an important factor in the struggle: irreconcilable hatred of enemies gives a person special strength, turns him into an effective, furious, clearly and selectively operating machine of destruction. This is how our soldiers should be; a people incapable of hatred will never achieve victory over a cruel enemy.

It is necessary to wage war wherever the enemy is present: both where he lives and where he rests; we need to make the war total. You cannot give the enemy a moment of peace, either in the barracks or outside their walls; you need to attack him wherever he is; The enemy must feel like a hunted animal everywhere. This is the only way we will achieve a decline in his morale.

Yes, the enemy will begin to commit atrocities even more than before - but this will be precisely the outward sign of the decline of his spirit.

And then genuine proletarian internationalism will have to declare itself, international proletarian armies must be created, the battle banner of which will be the sacred cause of the liberation of all humanity, when death for the freedom of Vietnam, Venezuela, Guatemala, Laos, Guinea, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil - only mentioned those countries where armed struggle is being waged today will become equally glorious and desirable for the Latin American, for the Asian, for the African and even for the European.

Every drop of blood shed for the liberation of a foreign country, and not the one where you were born, is an invaluable experience; the survivors internalize it and use it to liberate their homeland. Thus, the liberation of any people will be considered as a successful battle in the battle for the liberation of one's own people.

The time has come to forget about our differences and devote all our strength to the common struggle.

There are serious contradictions between freedom fighters today, this is common knowledge and is not a secret. These contradictions have acquired such a character and such severity that any dialogue, much less reconciliation, is extremely difficult, if possible at all. There is no way to start a dialogue if the disputants refuse it. But the enemy is striking us everywhere - and these strikes should force us to unite, not now, but tomorrow. And the one who understands the inevitability of this before others and begins to prepare for the much-needed union will earn the gratitude of the peoples.

Considering the degree of aggressiveness and intransigence with which each of the opposing points of view is defended, we, the dispossessed, refuse to agree with this form of expression of disagreements - even if in some cases we agree with the formulation of the question of one of the parties or theses one of the sides seems closer to us than the theses of the other. In the context of an acute struggle against a common enemy, the form in which current differences are publicly expressed weakens us all; but given the level of these disagreements, hopes for their correct resolution are illusory. History will either resolve these differences or give them a true interpretation.

In our fighting world, any discrepancies regarding tactics and methods of achieving goals must be analyzed with all the respect that others can expect for the opinions of others. But with regard to the main strategic goal - the complete destruction of imperialism through the fight against it - we must be adamant.

Let us summarize our plan for achieving victory: it is necessary to destroy imperialism through the destruction of its main basis - the imperial dominance of the United States of America. The tactical way to achieve this is the sequential liberation of our peoples, one after another or in entire groups, while simultaneously forcing the enemy to fight unfavorably for him outside his territory, in order to deprive him of supply bases - dependent countries.

This presupposes a long war. And, we repeat once again, the war is fierce. One should not delude oneself on this score when starting it, but at the same time one should not hesitate whether to start a war or not - hesitate, fearing its consequences. This war is our only hope for victory.

We cannot fail to respond to the challenge of time. Vietnam teaches us this with its constant example of heroism, daily tragic lessons of struggle and death in the name of achieving final victory.

There, the soldiers of imperialism found themselves in a disadvantageous position - having become accustomed to the notorious North American way of life, they are now forced to exist in a hostile country; they experience uncertainty, feeling that every step they take is a step on the enemy’s ground; death awaits those of them who leave their fortifications; everywhere and constantly they encounter a hostile population. This provoked a response within the United States itself: a new factor arose that weakened the forces of imperialism - the class struggle on North American territory itself.

How close and shining the future would be if two, three, many Vietnams arose on the planet - albeit with their quotas of deaths and immeasurable tragedies, but also with everyday heroism, continuous blows to imperialism: blows that force it to disperse its forces and make it difficult to hide from the hatred of the peoples of the whole world!

If we could unite so that our blows become stronger and more accurate, so that any assistance to the fighting peoples would be extremely effective - how great the future would become, how close!

If we, all of us who, in tiny spots on the map of the world, do our duty and give to the struggle what little we can give - our lives, our self-sacrifice - will soon have to fall on the ground, watered with our blood and therefore becoming ours, know : we are aware of the scale of our actions and consider ourselves only as a part of the great army of the proletariat - and at the same time we are proud that we have accepted the main lesson of the Cuban Revolution and its main leader, a lesson arising from the position they occupy in this part of the planet: “What does it mean a danger threatening one person or even an entire nation, what do their sacrifices mean when the fate of humanity is at stake?”

Our actions are an anti-imperialist battle cry and a call to unite the peoples of the world against the main enemy of the human race - against the United States of America. And wherever death finds us, we welcome it, if only our battle cry reaches a sensitive ear, and new hands pick up our weapons, and new fighters are ready to sing funeral songs to us - to the accompaniment of machine guns and new battle cries and shouts of victory.

Tricontinental. Suplemento especial, 16 de abril de 1967. Granma. 17 de abril de 1967.

Translation from Spanish and notes by Alexander Tarasov. Published (with editorial changes) in the book: Ernesto Che Guevara. Articles. Performances. Letters. M.: Cultural Revolution, 2006. pp. 514–530.

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The Conference of Three Continents ("Tricontinental") was held in Havana in the spring of 1966, at which the Organization of Solidarity of Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America (OSPAAAL) was founded. During 1964-1965, E. Che Guevara took an active part in the preparation of the Conference and the creation of OSPAAL.

This refers to the Caribbean Missile Crisis.

Ngo Dinh Diem (Ngo Dinh Diem) died on November 1, 1963 as a result of a military coup organized by the US CIA.

This refers to the ideological confrontation between the CPSU and the Communist Party of China, which led to a split in the world communist movement.

The Johnson administration's social reform program was pompously described as a program to transform the United States into a "Great Society."

. The "Five Points for a Peaceful Settlement of the Vietnam Problem" was proposed by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam on March 22, 1965 and supported by the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in April 1965 (the "4 Points"). They provided for: recognition of the right of the Vietnamese people to independence, unity and territorial integrity; ending US aggression in Vietnam; withdrawal of US troops and their allies from the territory of South Vietnam; providing the people of Vietnam with the opportunity to independently decide their destiny, including the issue of unification.

Organization of African Unity (since 2001 - African Union).

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Leader of the November 13 Revolutionary Movement, shot and killed by Mexican border guards on May 18, 1970.

One of the founders of the partisan National Liberation Army (ELN), emigrated to Cuba in 1975.

The current leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Army of the People (FARC-EP), the largest guerrilla organization in Latin America.

One of the leaders of the Armed Forces of National Liberation, currently the leader of the leftist organization "Third Way Movement".

Leader of the Left Revolutionary Movement (MIR), which ended the armed struggle in 1971; Currently, he is the leader and plenipotentiary representative of the left-liberal coalition of the anti-Chavista opposition “Democratic Coordination”.

Mountainous region, stronghold of the Ezequiel Zamora Guerrilla Front deployed by the MIR.

We are talking about the Soviet-Chinese debate in the world communist movement.

A continent is a significant landmass washed by seas and oceans. In tectonics, continents are characterized as sections of the lithosphere that have a continental structure.

Continent, continent or part of the world? What is the difference?

In geography, another term is often used to designate a continent - a continent. But the concepts “mainland” and “continent” are not synonymous. Different countries have different views on the number of continents, called continental models.

There are several such models:

• In China, India, as well as in the English-speaking countries of Europe, it is generally accepted that there are 7 continents - they consider Europe and Asia separately;
• In Spanish-speaking European countries, as well as in the countries of South America, they mean division into 6 parts of the world - with a united America;
• in Greece and some countries of Eastern Europe, a model with 5 continents has been adopted - only those where people live, i.e. except Antarctica;
• in Russia and the neighboring Eurasian countries they traditionally designate 4 continents, united in large groups.

(The figure clearly shows different representations of continental patterns on Earth, from 7 to 4)

Continents

There are 6 continents in total on Earth. We list them in descending order by area size:

1. - the largest continent on our planet (54.6 million sq. km)
2. (30.3 million sq. km)
3. (24.4 million sq. km)
4. (17.8 million sq. km)
5. (14.1 million sq. km)
6. (7.7 million sq. km)

All of them are separated by the waters of the seas and oceans. Four continents have a land border: Eurasia and Africa are separated by the Isthmus of Suez, North and South America by the Isthmus of Panama.

Continents

The difference is that the continents do not have a land border. Therefore, in this case we can talk about 4 continents ( one of the continental models of the world), also in descending order by size:

1. AfroEurasia
2. America

Parts of the world

The terms “mainland” and “continent” have a scientific meaning, but the term “part of the world” divides the land according to historical and cultural criteria. There are 6 parts of the world, only unlike the continents, Eurasia differs in Europe And Asia, but North and South America are defined together as one part of the world America:

1. Europe
2. Asia
3. America(both Northern and Southern), or New World
4. Australia and Oceania

When we talk about parts of the world, we also mean the islands adjacent to them.

Difference between a mainland and an island

The definition of a continent and an island is the same - a part of land washed by the waters of the ocean or seas. But there are significant differences.

1. Size. Even the smallest continent, Australia, is significantly larger in area than the world's largest island, Greenland.

(Formation of the Earth's continents, a single continent Pangea)

2. Education. All continents are of tiled origin. According to scientists, there once existed a single continent - Pangea. Then, as a result of the split, 2 continents appeared - Gondwana and Laurasia, which later split into 6 more parts. The theory is confirmed by both geological research and the shape of the continents. Many of them can be put together like a puzzle.

Islands are formed in different ways. There are those that, like continents, are located on the fragments of ancient lithospheric plates. Others are formed from volcanic lava. Still others are a result of the activity of polyps (coral islands).

3. Habitability. All continents are inhabited, even the harsh climatic conditions of Antarctica. Many islands still remain uninhabited.

Characteristics of the continents

- the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the land. There are 2 parts of the world located here: Europe and Asia. The border between them runs along the line of the Ural Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

This is the only continent that is washed by all the oceans. The coastline is indented; it forms a large number of bays, peninsulas, and islands. The continent itself is located on six tectonic platforms at once, and therefore the relief of Eurasia is incredibly diverse.

Here are the most extensive plains, the highest mountains (the Himalayas with Mount Everest), the deepest lake (Baikal). This is the only continent where all climatic zones (and, accordingly, all natural zones) are represented at once - from the Arctic with its permafrost to the equatorial with its sultry deserts and jungles.

The mainland is home to ¾ of the planet's population; there are 108 states, of which 94 have independent status.

- the hottest continent on Earth. It is located on an ancient platform, so most of the area is occupied by plains, mountains form along the edges of the continent. Africa is home to the longest river in the world, the Nile, and the largest desert, the Sahara. Climate types present on the mainland: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical.

Africa is usually divided into five regions: North, South, West, East and Central. There are 62 countries on the mainland.

It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The result of the movement of tectonic plates was a highly indented coastline of the mainland, with a huge number of bays, straits, bays and islands. The largest island is in the north (Greenland).

The Cordillera Mountains stretch along the western coast, and the Appalachians along the eastern coast. The central part is occupied by a vast plain.

All climatic zones are represented here, except the equatorial one, which determines the diversity of natural zones. Most rivers and lakes are located in the northern part. The largest river is the Mississippi.

The indigenous population is Indians and Eskimos. Currently, there are 23 states here, of which only three (Canada, USA and Mexico) are on the mainland itself, the rest are on the islands.

It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Along the western coast stretches the longest mountain system in the world - the Andes, or South American Cordillera. The rest of the continent is occupied by plateaus, plains and lowlands.

This is the rainiest continent, since most of it is located in the equator. The largest and most abundant river in the world, the Amazon, is also located here.

The indigenous population are Indians. Currently, there are 12 independent states on the mainland.

- the only continent on whose territory there is only 1 state - the Commonwealth of Australia. Most of the continent is occupied by plains, mountains are located only along the coast.

Australia is a unique continent with the largest number of endemic animals and plants. The indigenous population is the Australian Aborigines, or Bushmen.

- the southernmost continent completely covered with ice. The average thickness of the ice cover is 1600 m, the greatest thickness is 4000 meters. If the ice in Antarctica melted, the level of the world's oceans would immediately rise by 60 meters!

Most of the continent is occupied by an icy desert; life glimmers only on the coasts. Antarctica is also the coldest continent. In winter, temperatures can drop below -80 ºC (record -89.2 ºC), in summer - down to -20 ºC.