Joseph Stromberg Audio

A cluster of five countries; Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica; are commonly referred to as Central America.

Colombia in the 1980s became known for its role in the illegal drug trade, and for political instability and violence caused by this problem.

This island was once a clearing house for importing slaves into the New World. It later became one of the world’s few remaining bastions of Marxism, proclaiming socio-economic equality.

Joseph Stromberg is historian-in-residence at the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

At the end of World War II, the United States and Soviet Russia vied for dominance around the world. This contest was called the Cold War. Both Korea and Vietnam felt the full brunt of this conflict…

After WWII, Korea was divided in half at the 38th parallel. To the north were the Communists; to the south were the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

In 1540, Mexico was declared to be New Spain. With a diverse culture, and great natural resources, it should have prospered like its northern neighbor. But…

More than half of the world's oil comes from Persian Gulf states. Political instability and religious strife there threaten to interrupt the world's economic routines.

South Africa has become the world's symbol of racism. From the moment the Dutch colonists set foot on the Cape in 1652, this nation has steered a straight course toward apartheid, resulting in consistent civil unrest.

Historians have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I - but with greater violence and less regard for the values of civilization.