Page 252 - Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History Vol Two

earthquakes 601

Explaining Earthquakes

Earthquakes have always been a sudden terrifying
event beyond human prediction or control. Numer-
The city of Kobe—one of the six largest container ous explanations have been set for earthquakes.
cargo ports in the world and the major one in Japan— The following is the explanation of the Andaman
was nearly destroyed. Its relative importance as a major Islanders, the indigenous people of the islands of
hub and transshipment point in Asia declined over the the same name in the Bay of Bengal.
following years, which resulted in enormous economic
The Andaman Islands are occasionally visited by
consequences for the country.
earthquakes.An Aka-Kede account of how earth-
Japan had invested heavily in earthquake research. Peo-
quakes are caused is that when a man dies he
ple believed they would be ready for the next earthquake,
goes to the spirit world which is beneath the
but their faith was shattered deeply after the Kobe
earth.The spirits hold a ceremony. My informant
catastrophe.
spoke of the ceremony as Kimil, which is the
name of the initiation ceremonies. At this cere-
17 August Izmit, and 12 November
mony they have a dance similar to the peace-
1999 Ducze, Turkey, Earthquakes
making dance... but instead of erecting a screen
A large area of 60,000 square kilometers was hit on 17
such as is used in that ceremony, they make use
August 1999, including the provinces of Kocaeli,
of the rainbow. As they shake the rainbow in
Sakarya,Yalova, Istanbul, Bolu, Bursa, Eskisehir,Tekirdag,
dancing this causes earthquakes.The ceremony
and Zonguldak. More than 15 million people inhabited
which newly-arrived spirits have to undergo in
the disaster area, which contributed more than 8 percent
the world after death is a poroto kimil, i.e., the
of Turkey’s gross national product.The magnitude of the
initiate eats poroto (Caryota sobolifera).
Marmara region earthquake was 7.4.
Source: Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1922). The Andaman Islanders: A Study in Social
At least 17,100 people were killed, nearly 50,000 were Anthropology (pp. 146–147). Cambridge, U.K.: University Press.
injured, and thousands were missing; about 500,000
people were left homeless. The estimated damage in
Istanbul, Kocaeli, and Sakarya provinces was estimated as telecommunication centers were destroyed, others were
between $3 billion and $6.5 billion.The earthquake was only partially damaged, but by the end of November, they
felt (intensity III) at Anapa, Russia; Chisinau, Moldova; were all operational again.
Simferopol, and on the south coast of Crimea, Ukraine. The earthquakes also caused an economic and social
Another major earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, disaster: Many small and medium-sized businesses no
occurred on 12 November 1999. At least 894 people longer existed, and people abandoned this area. Prior to
were killed and about 4,900 injured, mostly in the Bolu- the earthquakes the region had been a holiday area, ben-
Duzce area. Extensive damage occurred in the Bolu- efiting from the tourist industry. Naturally, after this
Duzce area, and landslides in the Bolu Pass blocked the major catastrophe, these sources of economic stimuli
Ankara-Istanbul highway. The city of Istanbul, Turkey’s (business and tourism) were no longer in existence.
capital, was hit too: nine hundred people died there.The It is obvious that the enormous task Turkey has had to
earthquake also was felt as far away as Ankara and face after the earthquakes includes rebuilding the infra-
Izmir. It was also felt (intensity III) at Chisinau, Moldova, structure, the accommodations, and the economic activ-
and at Sevastopol and Simferopol, Ukraine. ities of the area and reorganizing administrative services.
The earthquake zone was previously a well-developed Managing the social aspects of the consequences of the
area and the richest district of Turkey. The damage to earthquakes involves dealing not only with families them-
buildings was enormous: 66,441 residential buildings selves but also with the communities they represent, and
and 10,901 stores were destroyed.The water supply and this aspect should not be underestimated.The solution to
sewage systems were also heavily damaged. Several social problems in the present cultural milieu has always