Netherlands - Geography, Government and History

The Netherlands, officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is located in northwest Europe. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to its north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The capital and largest city in the Netherlands is Amsterdam, while the seat of government and therefore most government activity is in the Hague. In its entirety, the Netherlands is often called Holland, while its people are referred to as Dutch. The Netherlands is known for its low-lying topography and dikes, along with its liberal government. Fast Facts: Netherlands Official Name: Kingdom of the NetherlandsCapital: AmsterdamPopulation: 17,151,228Â  (2018)Official Language: DutchCurrency: Euro (EUR)Form of Government: Parliamentary constitutional monarchyClimate: Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild wintersTotal Area: 16,040 square miles (41,543 square kilometers)Â  Highest Point: Vaalserberg at 1,056 feet (322 meters)Lowest Point: Zuidplaspolder at –23 feet (–7 meters) History of the Netherlands In the first century BCE, Julius Caesar entered the Netherlands and found that it was inhabited by various Germanic tribes. The region was then divided into a western portion that was inhabited mainly by Batavians while the east was inhabited by the Frisians. The western part of the Netherlands became a part of the Roman Empire. Between the fourth and eighth centuries, the Franks conquered what is today the Netherlands and the area was later given to the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Habsburgs. In the 16th century, the Netherlands were controlled by Spain but in 1558, the Dutch people revolted and in 1579, the Union of Utrecht joined the seven northern Dutch provinces into the Republic of the United Netherlands. During the 17th century, the Netherlands grew in power with its colonies and navy. However, the Netherlands eventually lost some of its importance after several wars with Spain, France, and England in the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, the Dutch also lost their technological superiority over these nations. In 1815, Napoleon was defeated and the Netherlands, along with Belgium, became a part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands. In 1830, Belgium formed its own kingdom and 1848, King Willem II revised the Netherlands constitution to make it more liberal. From 1849–1890, King Willem III ruled over the Netherlands and the country grew significantly. When he died, his daughter Wilhelmina became queen. During World War II, the Netherlands was continuously occupied by Germany beginning in 1940. As a result, Wilhelmina fled to London and established a government in exile. During WWII, over 75% of the Netherlands Jewish population was killed. In May 1945, the Netherlands was liberated and Wilhelmina returned the country. In 1948, she abdicated the throne and her daughter Juliana was queen until 1980 when her daughter Queen Beatrix took the throne. Following WWII, the Netherlands grew in strength politically and economically. Today, the country is a large tourist destination and most of its former colonies have gained independence and two (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles) are still dependent areas. The Government of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands is considered a constitutional monarchy (list of monarchs) with a chief of state (Queen Beatrix) and a head of government filling the executive branch. The legislative branch is the bicameral States General with the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court. Economics and Land Use in the Netherlands The economy of the Netherlands is stable with strong industrial relations and a moderate unemployment rate. The Netherlands is also a European transportation hub and tourism is also increasing there. The largest industries in the Netherlands are agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, and fishing. Agricultural products of the Netherlands include grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables, and livestock. Geography and Climate of the Netherlands The Netherlands is known for its very low lying topography and reclaimed land called polders. About half of the land in the Netherlands is below sea level, but polders and dikes make more land available and less prone to flooding for the growing country. There are also some low hills in the southeast but none of them rise above 2,000 feet. The climate of the Netherlands is temperate and is highly affected by its marine location. As a result, it has cool summers and mild winters. Amsterdam has a January average low of 33 degrees (0.5ËšC) and an August high of just 71 degrees (21ËšC). More Facts About the Netherlands The official languages of the Netherlands are Dutch and Frisian.The Netherlands has large minority communities of Moroccans, Turks, and Surinamese.The largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.

The Legacy Of Jazz And The Civil Rights Movement - 1432 Words

Austin Hartshorn Mr. McQuade AP Literature May 2, 2016 Marvels of Mingus Jazz is considered America’s gift to the world. Throughout all of America’s history jazz has been there to accompany and reflect it. But jazz has had its own history that is often underappreciated and hidden from the general public. There is evidence of this covering up of the history of jazz for example in the civil rights movement. The roots of jazz started with the bringing of African slaves to the Americas. While many do not know this origin of jazz even fewer would know about the involvement of jazz in the Civil Rights movement. For the entirety of America’s history jazz has reflected the political and social climate of the current state of the country.†¦show more content†¦Interestingly, jazz also represents all of these things off the page. Therefore a harmonious combination of the two art mediums would result in a powerful piece of literature. August Wilson was an author who realized this and was able to create a fusion of music as a support of the major theme in his play Fences. The way the author uses music to highlight the main theme of discrepancies between liberalism and conservatism not only represents the 50s as a whole but offers an accurate depiction of what the jazz communities’ involvement was in the Civil Rights Movement. The 1950s was a strange time for the world. It was the decade after the second world war and there was a sense of xenophobia in society. This time period was perfect to set Wilson’s play in for a variety of reasons. First, he could use the geography of the play to his advantage. The fact that the play is set in Pennsylvania is perfect because of its location in the United States. Being in the mid Atlantic region, it served the perfect place to have influences from both the staunch grass roots ideology of the South as well as the free thinking socio-economic theories of the North. What this resulted in is the creation of the ‘tugging’ atmosphere that permeates the characters thoughts and passively asserts itself in the minds of the audience. Second the time the play is set in allows for the author to represent these

Three Gorges Dam Its Background and Relevance Free Essays

string(194) " changing the hydrology of the river for thousands of miles, the dam will destroy commercial fish stocks and deprive the complex floodplain agricultural systems of the water and silt they need\." This report examines the Three Gorge dam project and its impacts on the environment, the people it will effect and measures that can be taken as an alternative to the dam. I will discuss the Chinese government’s reasoning for constructing the dam and the negative aspects of such a construction. Then I will explain the more environmentally friendly and logical alternatives. We will write a custom essay sample on Three Gorges Dam: Its Background and Relevance or any similar topic only for you Order Now The concept of the Three Gorge dam is over 75 years old, dating back to when it was first proposed by the nationalist leader Sun Yat-Sen, in 1919. The dam was a dream of communist leader Mao Zedong, who felt it would be a potent symbol of China’s self-sufficiency and ability to develop without western aid. The state media has reported only the rosy side of the Three Gorges project, presenting it as a powerful symbol of a new, prosperous China. Outgoing Premier Li Peng said the Three Gorges Dam would †demonstrate to the world that the Chinese people have the ability to build the biggest and most beneficial irrigation and hydro-electric project in the world†. The Three Gorges refers to a 120-mile stretch of limestone cliffs along the upper reaches of the Yangzi River where the water drops precipitously through the Qutang, Wu, and Xiling gorges. The region is linked to folklore and important historical events, and its beauty has inspired Chinese painters and classical poets such as Li Bai for centuries. The dam, which will be 1. 3 miles long and 610 feet high, is expected to be completed by 2009. It will create a 385 mile-long reservoir stretching back up the river that will totally engulf the Three Gorges, as well as 115,000 acres of rich farmland, thirteen cities, hundreds of villages, and countless historic temples and archaeological sites. Between 1. 4 and 1. 9 million people will need to be resettled. The proponents of the dam claim that the introduction of such a large amount of clean hydroelectric power into China’s rapidly expanding economy will mean a significant reduction in the emission of fossil fuel pollution. First, it will generate 18000 megawatts of electricity, which would reduce the country’s reliance on coal by one tenth. Hence reducing China’s overall greenhouse gases. Second, it will prevent the periodical flooding of the Yangzi, which has already claimed the lives of half a million this century alone. The dam is expected to cut incidents of serious flood from once in 10 years to once in 100 years. At present 15 million lives are at stake as the river rises higher above the surrounding land because of sediment deposits on the riverbed, while dikes can no longer be raised safely. Third, it will make the upper part of the Yangzi more navigable, â€Å"raising the river’s navigable tonnage by a big margin†. Improved navigability would allow ocean-going freighters to penetrate the depths of China’s remote Southwest, bringing much needed economic development and prosperity to the region. The project is also expected to develop reservoir fisheries, stimulate tourism in and around the reservoir, improve water quality downstream, protect the lake areas downstream, and enable south-to-north water transfer sometime in the next century. 4. 0 Dilemmas surrounding dam construction There are many problems entangled with the construction of such a dam, two of which stand out. First, the fact that so many civilians have to be moved against their will. 13 cities, 140 towns, more than 1600 villages, and 300 factories will be submerged, and nearly 1. 5 million people relocated. Second, the effects that the rise in level of river will have on the environment. This includes the destruction of habitats for at least four indigenous species in the area. According to official figures, 10. 2 million people have been relocated for the construction of dams in the past in China. In each case, there have been economic or political problems that has often led to intimidation and sometimes violence to force the people to resettle. This is due to people’s reluctance to leave their homes, which can be attributed to poor planning on the government’s part. The number of people to be resettled in the Three Gorges dam project has been estimated to range between 700,000 to 1. 98 million. Such variation in figures is due to the fact that it depends on whether the information was gathered by the dam’s supporters or critics. There has been a large amount of local opposition to the dam. Their opposition is mainly based on the poor record of China’s Ministry of Water Resources, which includes the collapse of 62 dams in the past due to poor design. However, since the Chinese government never acknowledged such disasters in the past, it could not be brought up in hearings on the Three Gorge project. People in the effected area who have in the past organised against the dam were arrested and sentenced to prison for â€Å"counter-revolution† and the police presence in the area has since been increased. The local officials are not quite helping ease the situation. The distribution of compensation money by local authorities (US$1300 per person) offered to people displaced by the dam has been tainted by corruption. 105 local party officials involved in the project have been arrested already. Almost half of the project’s resettlers are farmers. But since there is an inadequate amount of farmland left to be shared, the officials have planned for moving the resettlers into industrial jobs. This is quite an impossible task considering that the farmers have been farming in their area for generations and have absolutely no expertise in industrial work. It is a great concern that the construction of the dam will result in the destruction of the natural habitats of many of China’s indigenous wildlife species. This includes the Chinese alligator, the white crane, the river dolphin and the prehistoric Chinese sturgeon, a fish unique to Yangzi waters. Experts warn that, by forever changing the hydrology of the river for thousands of miles, the dam will destroy commercial fish stocks and deprive the complex floodplain agricultural systems of the water and silt they need. You read "Three Gorges Dam: Its Background and Relevance" in category "Essay examples" Hence threatening the livelihoods of 75 million people who live on fishing or farming along the Yangzi’s bank. Even if the 75 million people find another source to live on, there is yet another problem to be solved; toxic pollution. The factories along the Yangzi river are so polluting that over 200 paper mills and tanneries have already been closed down around the Three Gorges dam site to boost environmental protection. The contamination of the river by the toxic chemicals may increase due to the 1600 factories in the area that are not cleaned up and moved before the waters begin to rise. China is the world’s second leading producer of greenhouse gases. If China’s current growth rates continue, it will need to develop an additional 17,000 megawatts of energy per year for the next decade. And if coal is used to generate this energy, the environmental impacts could be disastrous. Whether or not the dam is constructed, hydropower will only account for no more than 20% of China’s electricity generated by year 2010. This shows that coal will be used even more widely than it is now, to meet energy needs. Hence the dam will not have much impact on helping meet energy needs. China needs to find a cleaner, more efficient way of creating power. The Three Gorge reservoir is currently designed to hold 20 billion cubic meters at the flood level. But this capacity is only equivalent to 4% of the total run off water in the region. â€Å"It is obvious from common sense that this capacity could not hold back flood waters enough to reduce significantly the flood risk at the lower reaches. † Another problem is the fact that the Yangzi carries a large amount of silt. This silt can be carried all the way to the dam and a big ‘mud pond’ could result. There is no such technology available to divert or collect the silt at the dam. From an ecological point of view, the dam will be clogged by the large silt deposits, in the Yangzi, and will also trap much of the pollutants that normally would be washed out to the ocean. Along the Yangzi, about 80 percent of the cities do not have sewage systems, and it is cheaper to dump the waste in the river instead of a sewage treatment plant. Burial grounds in both Wushan and Fengjie counties, Sichuan are known to have been dynamited to make way for scientific excavations in advance of the dam project. One thousand tombs dating between the Han and Ming periods (206 BC to AD 1644) were also blasted away. The problem lies with lack of funding. The initial budget (US$250 million) for excavation and preservation was reduced to US$37. 5 million. Only a small amount of this sum has been distributed to local authorities because government officials have been unable to decide which agency should administer the funds. The Three Gorges dam will be the most expensive single construction project in history. The Chinese leaders are so determined to build the dam, that they haven’t considered whether it is economically viable. In 1992 the official cost of the dam was set to US$11 billion. Estimates now exceed US$75 billion. This could slow down China’s recent economic boom. The dam project is heavily funded by foreign export agencies. If people in foreign countries were to stop foreign investors and government organisations which support the project, the Chinese officials would have no choice but to reconsider their plans. But since it is not in the foreign investors’ best interest monetarily, they have kept supporting the Chinese government. Hydrological experts have argued that effective flood management includes dyking, flood proofing, flood warning systems, diversion areas, and development restrictions in floodplain and designated diversion areas and that dams are not always the answer. The Chinese officials’ mentality is that the â€Å"biggest structure† is the best structure, but what they must realize is that it does not mean the best structure. That Chinese hydropower could be produced on a number of tributaries that flow into the Yangzi. This procedure has been proven by scientific examples that prove that separate dams will produce more power and last longer then one main dam. Sedimentation of separate dams would be less and these dams would be able to preserve China’s cultural history. The greater amount of smaller dams would cause less soil erosion and more power for a much lower cost. It would be able to compete with China’s booming industrial sectors and preserve the aquatic life. The construction of these smaller dams could also mean that it would lesson the amount of people to be resettled, and would save the Chinese government billions of dollars. However, the smaller dams would not allow large transportation of cargo down the river. Based on a recent study by United States and Chinese energy research institutes, which compared conventional sources with advanced generating technologies, cleaner alternatives, such as smaller gas turbines or cogeneration plants were found to be more economical for power generation than big hydro dams. Combined cycle gas turbines could provide power with lower capital costs and greater reliability than the Three Gorges dam and with far fewer emissions than conventional coal plants. Combined cycle plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas, which burns more thoroughly than solid or liquid fuels. And unlike coal, it contains no heavy metals or sulfur emissions that cause acid rain. Combined cycle plants can be installed and generating power reliably within nine months to two or three years for larger units. Three Gorges dam is scheduled to take 17 years. In addition energy specialists argue, that switching from coal to gas, and using new technology of combined cycle gas turbines or cogeneration, would create greater environmental benefits than the Three Gorges dam by a 60% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Whereas the Three Gorges dam would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only 5%. How to cite Three Gorges Dam: Its Background and Relevance, Essay examples

Sexual Harassment For Sex or Money Essay Example For Students

Sexual Harassment: For Sex or Money? Essay Sexual Harassment: For Sex or Money? Essay Jon Flerchinger Period 4 C.C.E. Paper #5 It is tragic that such a country exists in todays world. The citizens live in constant fear. The children are force fed the New Philosophy. The adults have an invariable fear that they will be the next to be arraigned on trumped up charges. Amazingly the cause of all the terror is not the government, but private individuals seeking to take advantage of a weak government. What country is this? The Middle East? Perhaps war torn Eastern-Europe? No, it is the United States that fosters such anarchy, in the form of sexual harassment suits. People from both sexes find themselves editing their conversations. They are trying to take out anything that might be misread as an innuendo. It is getting so absurd that a simple date is turning into a well-documented legal affair. Sexual harassment is not normal human behavior, but explicit sexual influence from a superior. Take the case of the six-year-old boy from Wisconsin. He kissed another six-year-old on the cheek. She asked him to do it, and the act was totally innocent. The first grader was suspended for a day for sexual harassment. I am really glad that I did not go to that school when I was six. I would have been expelled. To tell a little boy that it is amoral to kiss anyone on the cheek is wrong. To punish him for it shows a situation that has gone completely out of control. The boy did not even know what sex was, much less how to harass someone with it! If it takes these extreme measures to keep harassment out of the workplace then maybe we should abolish the workplace too. A case that clearly does show sexual harassment is Bob Packwood. Packwood used his position and power to take sexual favors from women. He forced his attention on women in his staff who had no choice but to accept him or quit their jobs. Packwoods actions show that he does not care much about others opinions, least of all womens. Packwood has chauvinistic and unfair ideas about society and he casts a dark shadow on all males. Cases like Packwoods are to be minimized, but not at the cost of everyone elses rights. A case that does not come close to Packwoods in significance or precedent, but that does equal it in outrage, is the story of a twelve-year-old boy in Oregon. This boy stuck out his tongue at another girl his age. He was suspended for three days for sexual harassment. The administrators said he was mimicking oral sex. The girl was shocked. She had no idea the boy would be in such hot water. The parents were outraged that their boy was accused of mimicking something that he could not even define. At twelve I thought oral sex was phone sex! The boy just needed to be reprimanded not kicked out of school for three days. If we are so strict when we are watching our kids they will do their exploring completely outside of out supervision. A strong example of what sexual harassment is, is the Ed Fadely case coming up. Ed is much like Packwood in that he used his position to force sexual favors out of his staff. The way in which Ed differs is that he is a judge. He is supposed to interpret the law. Instead Ed broke it, and he misinterpreted it for others coming in and out of the court-room. Ed not only hurt himself and the women he abused. He also hurt every member of society coming through his doors seeking restitution and justice. Ed needs to go down big time, but not if it means locking up six-year-old cheek-kissers. At the University of Oregon now, students must receive explicit permission to hug, to kiss, to .. The Overcoat Essay. You get the idea. If the baby boomers were required to jump through all of these hoops none of us would have been born. The point is that you cannot regulate manners. Even the victims agree that these type of strategies will not work. Sexual harassment problems are power problems, not manner problems. If the administrators want to curb problems then they should set up harsher penalties, not harsher preventive measures. Sexual harassment is not a pickup line. Sexual harassment is not your boss trying to get a date with you. Its your boss telling you to choose between a date .

Mario Puzos The Godfather free essay sample

An analysis of the 1969 novel. This paper presents an analysis of the novel by Mario Puzo, The Godfather on which the 1972 film of the same name was based. Parallels are drawn between Mafia life and aspects of family life and politics in the non-Mafia world through an examination of character, setting and themes in the novel. Today, with the popularity of The Sopranos on HBO and the widespread regard given to the film version of The Godfather, it is important to go back and review the actual text the film The Godfather was based on. The 1969 book The Godfather, by Mario Puzo, illustrates persuasively to the reader that the Mafia is not simply about crime, murder, and corruption. Rather the Mafia is an organization that has parallels with other aspects of family and political life. By understanding these parallels and the complexities of the characters described in the novel, the reader gradually comes to an uncomfortable awareness about the tensions and the difficulties in his or her own, non-Mafia family and political world. We will write a custom essay sample on Mario Puzos The Godfather or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Determinants of Demand essays

Determinants of Demand essays In economics, we have learned that price is the major factor on the quantity demanded. Many decisions and results have often depended only on prices of goods and services. However, passages of time allow factors other than price to influence demand significantly. These factors are called the determinants of demand and they include consumer tastes and preferences, market size, income, prices of related goods, and consumer expectation. Change in any one of theses determinants can cause a change in the overall demand of a good or a service. Changes in consumer tastes and preferences can have a major impact on demand for products. For example, if BMW has a new model of the 7 series that is just released, the popularity of the car will be high and thus making an increase on the demand of the product. After a period of time, especially new car models are released quite often, the tastes and preferences of the 7-series might dropped and thus causing a decrease on the demand. There is a direct relationship between the consumer tastes Changes in the market size tend to affect demand. As a market expands, it more consumers thus creating a larger potential on demand. An opposite relationship goes along if the market contracts. Markets expand and contract for several reasons. Decisions by private business are one cause of changes in market size. For example, private business like BMW can spend a great deal of money on advertising their new 7-series model on television national wide. With its effect, more people know about the new product and thus likely to enlarge the market size because there is a higher demand. Government sometimes makes decisions that would affect market size. For example, government that puts high taxes on imported cars will cause market size of imported cars to contract. Lastly, new technology is also a force that would affect market size. The new technology is making more inve...

Is the government justified in using capital punishment Research Paper

Is the government justified in using capital punishment - Research Paper Example The work that follows aims at showing that the government is not justified in using capital punishment to execute justice to offenders, though at some time it is necessary. Capital punishment is not the best method of dispensing justice to offenders. This is because it denies individuals of their constitutional rights. Various countries show their opposition to capital punishment and instead support a life sentence. A recent example is one portrayed by a number of Americans at Santa Cruz who voted against death penalty for a bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, against whom the authorities issued a death penalty (Rankin 1). The opponents, according to Russ Rankin in the Washington Times said that it is an outdated, ineffective and wasteful method of dispensing justice. In 1972, the United States suspended the use of capital punishment following a decision by the Supreme Court. This is an indication that it is not the best method of dispensing justice to offenders. Although the state r e-established death penalty, its popularity and implementation is decreasing, with only a few exceptions (Rankin 4). The method, as Rankin points has not proofed to be the best method to deter crime. On the contrary, it costs taxpayers in a state more to execute death punishment than life sentence (Rankin 5). The government is not justified to issue capital punishment because many of them may go against the rights of those convicted. For example, Lindsey Bever reporting in ‘the guardian’ talks of a 62-year old man, Graham, wrongfully sentenced to death but escapes through being shipped to a prison in California. After the US criminal justice system reinstated capital punishment since 1976, many people have lost their lives. As Bever points, it is hard to know the exact number of people who died for crimes they did not commit. As Graham reveals, discrimination reins in the American criminal justice system where people with little crimes would face execution while others with brutal offenses would be spared. In most cases, those accused of capital punishment are poor and cannot afford to fight for their rights. This happens because the people cannot hire a lawyer for themselves unless there is a counsel provision for them and most of them fight for their rights without legal documents. This is why there is a lot of discrimination in handling these cases given that those unable to pay for the cost fail to get justice. It makes it hard to justify government’s issuance of capital punishment as there is no justice rendered to those convicted. Most of the governments practicing capital punishments go against the rights of the individuals as provided in the constitution. Every individual, even those convicted to an offense have a right to life and it is against the constitution for the government to issue a capital punishment against them. However, there are circumstances under which capital punishment may seem the best method to implement justice. Depending on the weight of the offense, a government or a court may choose to execute capital punishment on the offender. For example, following the Delhi gang rape several factors made the court term the rape worthy for capital punishment. First, the court argued that those who committed the offense did it in an extremely brutal and revolting manner which raised an intense and extreme annoyance to the society (Baxi 3). The court directly links this brutal nature of the violence to the quantum of annoyance on the society.

Impacts of Technology on Human Creativity Introduction Research Paper

Impacts of Technology on Human Creativity Introduction - Research Paper Example Technology has made it too easy for human to acquire the different necessities automatically without taking time to think of how different machineries work. However, technology entails inventing new designs and models, thus it requires some creativity. Additionally, advancement in technology results in emergence of new problems whose resolution requires application of creativity. For example, invention of a new machinery involves coming up with new ideas and it upkeep requires some sense of creativity. This paper will focus on the positive and negative impacts of technology on the human creativity. Use of technology enable us to multitask thus achieve several accomplishments in a limited period. Technology entails using different senses especially visual audio and perceptual at a go. For example, a simple task like typing a creative piece of work requires vision, use of hands, and rationality. Use of technology for purpose such as advertisement and digital imagery require creativity. For example, coming up with a catchy product advert require one to think of new ideas of making it appealing so that it can have a competitive advantage over other similar products (Boden, 2012). Another positive impact of technology is that it enables humans to combine several ideas at a go encouraging increased creativity. For example, a program like JAPE, which processes jokes, requires the user to be creative enough to combine different templates (Boden, 2012). Technology helps us save time that can be used to enhance creativity. A good example is in designing by mechanical engineering. Before the invention of computers, mechanical engineers had to use pencils and paper to draw designs. Designing a simple 3-dimensiom widget design required one to take not less than five hours. With the invention of CAD software in addition to the PC’s, designing the same process takes less than an hour giving mechanical engineers at least four extra hours to be creative (Desrochers, 2002 ). Technology has enabled first and easy access of a wide range of information and resources making creativity less costly. A good example is writing a manuscript or a book. Previously, doing such an activity require a lot of time doing the writing, editing, publishing, printing, and publicizing the material. However, using computer and printing technology requires less effort and time making it possible for writers to air their creative view and ideas efficiently (Boden, 2012). Technology has also enabled collaborative teamwork across different professionals. This enables sharing of ideas creating room for more creativity. For example, development of ultrasonic instruments for surgery required combining ideologies in medicine and engendering (Desrochers, 2002). Technology has also had it negative impacts. It has increasingly made students less creative, lethargic, and irrational. Most teachers and lecturers post their notes and assignments online and expect the students to give the ir feedback online. Students no longer go to libraries or refer to textbook but prefer taking the shortcut of copy and paste. In such cases, the technology does not help students learn more or come up with new ideas thus they end up becoming less creative as compared to using textbooks which requires attentiveness and rationality (Boden, 2012). Additionally, technological inventions such as mini cameras, graphing

Analyse Zara Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Analyse Zara - Case Study Example Other firms also choose to outsource with the objective of enabling the firm reduce its costs through specialization and creating efficiency in the labor and resources of the firm (Porter 1996). Other firms also in the efforts to achieve the same try to gain control over the whole firms through as many departments as possible. This they are likely to achieve by the analysis of its value chain. Such firms are said to have gained such controls over the total production process by initiating in-house production hence and achievement of shorter lead times in production and supplies. Zara is one of the fastest growing cloth retailers and it holds a number of shares in the giant Spanish Inditex Group (Folpe 2000). This part of the group in the clothing industry in Spain has developed a unique business model which has enabled it to qualify as one of the vertically integrated retailers. This it has achieved through the identification of its lines of competition over the rest of the retailers . It shapes such competitive edges into strategic issues an act which has enabled the industry to obtain control of every step of the value chain while only outsourcing only cloths with a longer shelf/fashion lifetime (Birger and Stires 2006). The competitiveness and an organization’s focus on strategic issues in the modern business environment has become of age in strategic management of such organizations. A renowned author in this field is Porter through his five forces of competition where he introduced the ideas of competitive strategy, competitive forces and competitive advantage. This model is based on the fact that an organization’s internal environment that is the resources, capabilities, value addition to the value chain are the components of the organization that are most of the time used to account for its core competencies (Birger and Stires 2006). According to Porter’s model; cost and differentiation are the initial two competitive forces that resu lt into competitive advantage to any given organization. Low cost strategy is derived from the vast cost leadership strategy that is coupled with efficiency and stringent controls to costs (Folpe 2000). For example the high profitability and growth that is witnessed in the Zara industry over time is as a result of lower costs of advertising while adopting a flat organizational structure with superior organization systems and well laid down logistics coupled with efficient use of capital. All these are directed towards provision of efficiency (Porter 1996). The company also adopts differentiation as a competitive forces and strategy to make a difference in its operations. As a source of advantage differentiation ensures that unique brands of the products are offered as well as technology, customer service and products all these aimed at making the firm gain a bigger share of the market. Zara industry as one of the famous and fast growing firms in Spain is based on its strengths and s peed in designing and merchandising the products in stores. As compared to other firms in the turbulent fashion industry, Zara products are able to reach the stores in a record time of only 5 weeks as opposed to nine months of other firms in the industry (Folpe 2000). This fast response to the market is achievable due to the differentiation strategy in the

Analysis of Finlands Government Budget

Analysis of Finlands Government Budget Abstract A Government Budget is an administration report introducing the governments proposed incomes and spending for a financial year that is regularly passed by the assembly, affirmed by the president and exhibited by the Finance Minister to the country. (4) The purpose of this project is to compare the Finnish government budget from the years 2013 and 2014, analyse them and evaluate if the latest budget has managed to stabilise the national economy. Keywords Government budget, GDP, inflation, private and public Sector Introduction A government budget shows the expectations of a government’s revenues and spending in annual basis. The purpose of a government budget is to balance the national economy equilibrium. There are three types of government budgets Balanced, surplus and deficit budget. A budget is balanced when a government’s revenue and expenditure are equal. It is surplus when the expected revenues exceed expenditure, and it is deficit when the expected expenditure is bigger than the revenues. GDP, gross-domestic product, is a tool for measuring national production. It can be measured in three ways by production approach, income approach, and expenditure approach (Y = C + I + G + (X − M)). However, the GDP doesn’t take a stance on measuring wealth, volunteer services, or how beneficial or harmful the production is or has been to the economy, environment or nation. The gross-domestic product visualises the size of the national production and hence is a good tool for understanding, analysing, planning and controlling the economy. In this assignment, we will be looking at GDP as a measurement tool in stabilising the national economy. Introduction of the country and its economy Finland has a highly industrialised, mixed economy with a ‘per capita’ output equal to that of other western economies such as France, Germany, Sweden or the United Kingdom. The largest sector of the economy is services at 66 percent, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4 percent. Primary production is 2.9 percent. With respect to foreign trade, the key economic sector is manufacturing. The largest industries are electronics (21.6 percent), machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal products (21.1 percent), forest industry (13.1 percent), and chemicals (10.9 percent). Finland has timber and several mineral and freshwater resources. Forestry, paper factories, and the agricultural sector (on which taxpayers spend around 2 billion euros annually) are politically sensitive to rural residents. The capital region generates around a third of the GDP. Finland is highly integrated in the global economy, and international trade makes a third of the annual GDP. Exports within The European Union make up to 60 percent of the total trade. The largest trade flows are with Germany, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, Netherlands and China. Trade policy is managed by the European Union, where Finland has traditionally been among the free trade supporters. Finland has been ranked on third place in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2013-2014 and tops the sub-rankings related to education. This has helped the economy to become the most innovative of the world (GCI). High firm competitiveness has also led to a balanced international creditor position. (1) 2.1 Private sector, income tax and unemployment Finlands income is generated by the approximately 1.8 million private sector workers, who make an average 25.1 euros per hour. The middle income workers tax wedge is 46 % and effective marginal tax rates are very high. Value-added tax is 24% for most items. Capital gains tax is 28% and corporate tax is 26%, which is about the EU median. (1) The population ages rapidly, while labour mobility is hampered and structural unemployment high. Finland’s export market share is briskly deteriorating due to falling structural demand for some of its main products and lost global (price) competitiveness. Part of the production has moved abroad The unemployment rate was 9.50% in 2014, slight growth from 2013 (8,8 %). The employment rate is (persons aged 15–64) 68.6%. 2.2 Public sector State and municipal politicians have struggled to cut their consumption, which is very high at 58 % in comparison to GDP. Much of the taxes are spent on public sector employees, many of which are jobs-for-life and amount to 550 000 state and municipal employees, which makes 10% of the whole population in Finland. (1) Finland’s institutions belong to those best performing in the world. Public institutions function well and are thoroughly transparent. Moreover, government officials tend to respond adequately to risks and are often able to find multi-party consensus on difficult reforms. Budgets of 2013 and 2014 Finland has been a part of Eurozone recession in recent years. It was estimated that the current recession would end in 2013 but the growth would remain slow. The reason for the low growth lies in financial and debt crisis. The work output is not growing, structural change has affected existing production capacity and the amount of new investments is low. This chapter focuses on the details budget changes between 2013 and 2014. The Finnish GDP was 210 billion euros in 2013 referring to chart 1. In 2013, the prediction of the decrease in GDP volume is 0.5 %. The decrease in the outcome is due to decreasing investment and export rates. In budget of year 2014 the total output increased by 1.2% by domestic consumption and export. This was mainly due to gradual recovery of the Eurozone. Real GDP growth differs and can be seen from chart 2. (3) Chart 1: GDP changes. (3) Figure 1: Changes in market prices GDP from year 2010 to estimated 2015. Chart 2. Real GDP growth. (6) Revenues and detailed budgets per sector can be seen in following figures 2 and 3. Figure 2. Revenues and expenditures of year 2013. (3) Figure 3. Revenues and expenditures of year 2014. (3) As referred to the comparison of the 2013 and 2014 budgets, there is a decrease of 200 million â‚ ¬ in the budget of 2014. The government is trying to stabilise the economy by increasing revenue from taxes and selling stocks. There has been a main increase in budgeting in the sectors of health and society together with foreign affairs. Budget has been decreased for most of the sectors. Notable change is that the budget for the president has been cut with more than 3 million. Taxes On-budget revenue for 2014, excluding net borrowing, is estimated at around EUR 46.9 billion. Tax receipts account for around 85 % of all on-budget revenue. It was estimated that central government tax revenue will increase by approximately 2.5 %. That means approximately 1.0 billion increases in tax revenue compared to 2013 budget. Corporate income tax reform was implemented in 2014 together with divided taxation to support economic growth, employment and entrepreneurship. Corporate income tax was lowered 4.5% to 20%. It was estimated that the lowering of the corporate tax rate, reduces central government’s imputed tax revenue by 870 million euros. By lowering the corporate income tax rate the economic growth was estimated to be boosted and as a consequence tax base will be expanded. Also it helps the Finnish production to stay in Finland rather than moving abroad for avoiding large taxes. Tax revenue loss is also compensated with removing and limiting tax subsidies. (3) Dividend taxation was amended. Earlier 70% of dividend income was treated as taxable income and after amending the figure is 85%. For non-publicly listed companies the income will be taxed in full as capital income. Changes to dividend taxation are expected to increase central government tax revenue by approximately 200 million euros. An essential part of increased tax revenue consists of increase in excise duties. It was estimated that increases in taxation of tobacco, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks will increase tax revenue by 230 million euros. Increases in taxation of electricity and transport fuels were estimated to increase central government tax revenue by 195 million euros. In addition, tax for old electricity power plants without carbon dioxide emissions was introduced. Power plant tax aims to collect 50 million tax revenues. (3) Value-added tax rates were increased from the beginning of 2013 by one per cent. General tax rate is now 24 % but tax rate is lowered for some goods and services. For example value-added tax rate for food and restaurants is 14 % and 10 % for medicines, public transport and accommodation. Chart 3. Value added tax rates in 2014. (3) Education As a reserve funds measure, the college list and the focal government exchange record of the managerial extension of the Ministry of Education and Culture will be solidified for 2013. An aggregate of EUR 60 million will be allotted to diminishing class sizes in essential instruction. An aggregate of EUR 58 million will be allotted in 2013 for the repair of dampness and mould-harmed school structures and for instructive establishment foundation costs. Health Health insurance repayments are to be increased in 2013 to around EUR 4.9 billion. Government investment funds measures are controlled and will have a general impact of about EUR 143 million one year from now. The greatest sparing, EUR 103 million, identifies with repayments for restorative costs. Also, government consumption for health insurance pay will diminish all EUR 40 million, as the maintenance for travel costs will be raised. Transportation EUR 28 million in assignments is proposed for ecological backing to vessel ventures, as a gift for a vessel to be finished in 2013, taking into account an approval given in 2010.29. Moreover, A total of EUR 27 million will be dispensed in 2013 for the procurement of another icebreaker. Spending on significant public sectors Figure 4 shows the spending comparison in percentages of all tax revenues on public sectors. This section will inspect the spending in detail for the most significant sectors. Figure 4. Tax euros spent comparison for years 2013 and 2014. In the education sector, student grant is tied to an index starting from 1 August 2014 and the amount of the state guarantee for study loan per month is raised by 100 euros. Study loan deduction system is proposed to be replaced by a study loan credit system which encourages more effective completion of studies. In the upper secondary school and polytechnic, the immigrants will have a possibility to get student financial aid starting from fall 2014. In the social and health care services however, 10 million euros will be allocated to improving support services for family care. Annually, 54.5 million euros will be allocated to implementation of the Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population and on Social and Health Care Services for Older Persons. In the transportations sector, 1.601 million euros will be reserved for traffic route investments and 767 million euros is reserved for daily maintenance of the traffic routes. Finances General government in Finland consists of central government, local government, employee pension funds and other social funds. The decrease of total output in recent years will affect the general government financial standing in the next years and so the general government will continue to show deficit. Central and local government show clear deficit, employee pension sector surplus and other social security funds are in balance. The Budget for 2014 shows a deficit of 7.1 billion euros. In terms of national accounts, the central government deficit is expected to be around 3.6 per cent of GDP in 2014. The budgeted estimate for central government debt at year-end 2014 is close to 100 billion euros. In 2013 budget deficit was 7.0 billion which was about 2.8 per cent of GDP in that year. Central government debt at year-end 2013 was 96 billion euros. The Government aims to balance central government finances and to bring the government debt-to-GDP ratio into a downturn by the end of the parliamentary term. In order to achieve the goals, the Government has decided on measures decreasing expenditure and increasing revenue. The measures will be implemented gradually by 2015 and they will improve the central government’s financial standing by approximately 4.8 billion euros starting from 2017. The measures include lowering corporate income tax rate, reform of divided income taxation, local government reform, social and health care service structure reform and housing policy reform. The measures also include increasing young people’s access to education and employment as well as employment of people with partial capability for working. The Government will assess the achievement of objectives annually. If central government debt relative to total output does not take a downturn, the Government has to commit further measures. European Union Finland is expected to contribute an estimated 1.974 million euros to the EU budget and the European Development Fund in 2014. Finland’s contributions will be 5 million euros lower than contributions in the 2013 Budget. Finland is expected to receive 912 million euros from the EU budget in 2014, which is 306 million euros less than receipts in the 2013 budget. The income decrease is primarily due to the fact that the payments for rural development in 2014 are expected to be delayed during the first programme year. The income payments will be balanced out in coming years The economic sanctions the European Union has set on Russia due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the results of the slight collapse of the Russian economy is affecting the Finnish economy both directly and indirectly. Similar situation was seen during the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, when the Finnish economy was even more dependant of its Eastern neighbour. Inflation Chart 3. Shows the inflation rate (6) In 2014 total exports remained at the same level as the year before, while imports decreased by one per cent. According to the preliminary statistics the value of exports was 55.8 billion euros and the value of imports 57.6 billion euros. (1) Binding expenditure ceilings set at the beginning of each administration’s four-year term prevent the government from running large deficits. Government debt is relatively low, borrowing is based on long-term bonds, bond yields are very low and net public assets are very large. Despite the depression in the western countries, there has been a positive trend in growing consumer confidence during 2014. Inflation rates continued its dropping trend, as on 2013 it was 2.2 % and 2014 1.7 %. Still, wages and salaries grew by 1.3 % the same year. (4) 4. Conclusion The economic outlook for 2014 was weak. Furthermore, Finland had to deal with declining export sectors, a relatively fast ageing population, and private sector indebtedness. However, in overall, Finland’s public finances and banking system are solid, institutions are strong, and the business sectors are competitive. Finland’s strengths are competitive business sector and highly educated workforce, healthy public finances, strong institutions and qualified government officials. The dangerous weaknesses come from the ageing, rigid labour market and waning export sectors. For the first time in three years, the GDP increased on 2014. It can be said that there has been a turn for better in planning and controlling the economy via the government budget.

The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay -- Impact of Divorce on Child

Divorce is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, significantly affecting children’s well-being. It radically changes their future causing detrimental effects. According to (Julio CÃ ¡ceres-Delpiano and Eugenio Giolito, 2008) nearly 50% of marriages end with divorce. 90% of children who lived in the USA in the 1960s stayed with their own biological parents, whereas today it makes up only 40% (Hetherington, E. Mavis, and Margaret Stanley-Hagan, 1999). Such an unfavorable problem has been increasing, because in 1969, the legislation of California State changed the divorce laws, where spouses could leave without providing causes (Child Study Center, 2001). This resolution was accepted by the other states and later, the number of divorced people has been steadily growing. Such a typical situation is common for most countries in the world, which negatively affects children’s individuality. However, remarkably little amount of people can conceive the impact of marital separation c aused to offspring. (? passive) Many children after separation of parents are exposed to a number of changes in the future. They have to be getting used to a further living area, feelings and circumstances. Their response to divorce can vary and depends on age, gender and personal characteristics. This essay will show the effects of divorce on children under various aspects such as educational, psychological and social impact. In addition, it will contain data about the divorce rate in the US and present disparate reactions of children. It will also include adequate recommendations for parents as to how act to children after divorce, in order to minimize the adverse effect on children. Increasing divorce rate: During the 1960s and 1980s in the USA, there were signi... ...d become more successful. Works Cited Hetherington, E. Mavis, and Margaret Stanley-Hagan. "The Adjustment of Children with Divorced Parents: A Risk and Resiliency Perspective." Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines 40, no. 1 (January 1999): 129. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2011). Sobolewski, Juliana M., and Paul R. Amato. 2007. "Parents' Discord and Divorce, Parent-Child Relationships and Subjective Well-Being in Early Adulthood: Is Feeling Close to Two Parents Always Better than Feeling Close to One?." Social Forces 85, no. 3: 1105-1124. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2011). Shansky, Janet. 2002. "NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT." Journal of Pastoral Counseling 37, 73. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2011).